Review: 3.75 stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 23, 2013
REVIEW: The Winemaker's Dinner: Desserts is the final installment in the trilogy of the same name. The previous two storylines were co-authored by Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond, but with Desserts, Ivan has gone solo and endeavored to bring about a resolution to the previous storyline's heartbreaking ending. As well as emotionally bankrupt, Ivan `s character must question his morals when he seeks to satiate his internal demon's need for sex and retribution against the woman who broke his heart.TWD: Desserts continues six months post break-up and follows Ivan as he searches for something or someone to dull the pain of betrayal but an invitation to dinner by an old flame puts Ivan face to face with the woman he was hoping to forget. When the not-so-deeply-buried feelings resurface, Ivan and Jaden give it one more try, but thoughts and images of betrayal once again find themselves front and center in their lives.TWD: Desserts delves deep into the psyche of a man pushing the proverbial envelope of sexual promiscuity as well as personal failure. It is a storyline that is slightly darker than the previous two installments as the leading character fights and looses an internal battle over and over again. Much of the storyline content focuses on Ivan's struggle to quell the anger and emotional upheaval of the betrayal he believed Jaden brought into their lives.The Winemaker's Dinner: Desserts is the conclusion to a journey that began a few years ago with an idea-an idea to tell the story about a man's struggle to find love with one woman, only to lose that love and perhaps the woman, in the end. Although smooth in his approach, the character of Ivan is enveloped in a deep-seated anger and looks for an outlet to satisfy the beast. At times, his internal dialogue almost verges on obscene, especially when he views his sexual encounters as nothing more than an outlet for his needs. Although it takes `two to tango', there is still something to be said about a man looking for `love' in all the wrong places. All I kept thinking was...This man earns his living promoting sexual health but it seems to be the last thing on his mind when the `demon' wants control.Fans of The Winemaker's Dinner series will see a different side to the man they have grown to love and admire. And like all romance storylines, there is a resolution and a healing of sorts, when the truth about what happened is finally revealed. A happily ever after is not that far from the horizon. Now, let's hope the real Ivan Rusilko found a different path to travel when heartbreak and betrayal were his companions during the many feasts of The Winemaker's Dinner.see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe(dot)com