Review: Completely Engrossing
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 1, 2013
This was a totally absorbing read. At first glance it feels like it's just going to be a fairly erotic contemporary romance. Gorgeous ex-construction worker turned writer type guy moves next door to sweet Livvy, a baker - her bra blows off the washing line into his garden, he returns it and the touch paper is lit. They're deeply attracted to one another. She wants romance, Mendelssohn's wedding march and babies - he wants great sex and no commitment.Livvy resigns herself to a summer fling with John Murphy and they both start to develop deep feelings for one another but John has grade A emotional demons and it's not long before Livvy starts to see the darkness within him. His past is slowly revealed and it's a shocker and the monsters he writes for a living are closely related to what's going on in his traumatised brain.As Livvy and John get closer, he lashes out and hurts her with shocking cruelty but she is determined to see it through and stand by him until he hurts her in a way he knows is too close to her own emotional hangups from her past and she walks away, heartbroken.So, what looked like an easy little erotic contemporary romance turned out to be a harrowing journey, one that brought tears to my eyes more than once. It's touching, heartfelt and beautiful and I will be checking out this author's backlist.5 stars contemporary romance