Review: Perfection
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 29, 2014
Veteran mountain climber, Elisa James, has one more mountain she needs to conquer, Mount Everest. The mountain on which her soul mate, the love of her life, Lyn, had died three years previously. Elisa needs closure for Lyn's death and to bring her body home if possible. When an opportunity arises for her to join an expedition, Elisa jumps at the chance to lead the team. When Elisa meets her team, she's dismayed to see Ryan Holbrook, the man she considers responsible for Lyn's death, and his ex girlfriend, Maci Alexander, an inexperienced climber, in her team. Elisa is angry beyond belief and tries to get Ryan thrown off the team. His reputation of being a danger and not a team player are unfortunately not enough. Ryan stays.Elisa comes up with a plan to exact her own revenge for Lyn's death. But, will she be able to or even capable of carrying it out? Do two wrongs make a right?When a fierce storm hits the Goddess, Elisa and Maci fight for their lives, relying on each other for their survival. Which won't be easy given the odds and outside influences fast at work.I've been reading Trin's books for some years now and I have to say, this is her best ever yet. She has really excelled herself with this one and written a page turning blockbuster, in true master storyteller style. I don't have the first clue about climbing, but it is obvious that Trin has done extensive research to put out this authentic, yet fictional story. Trin has integrated fact with fiction so that the story flows along smoothly and the lay person can easily understand all that is going on.These characters are alive, fully developed and multidimensional, enabling the reader to live along side of them on Everest. The two main characters, Elisa and Maci interact really well together, neither character knowing really what they want in the beginning. The secondary characters are all equally as well formed and all integrate nicely together. All are essential to the progression of the story. Ryan Holbrook is one of the most obnoxious characters in lesfic I've come across in a while. But, without him, the story wouldn't have had the bite that it has. He certainly had me wishing for his demise!From the scenic descriptions, I totally lost myself and climbed Everest with them. It's the middle of summer here, yet I was freezing, breathless with the lack of oxygen. That's how good this book is.There is a tight, yet fast paced plot, a story that simply begs for just one more chapter to be read. Trin is responsible for me having a couple of late and virtually sleepless nights. The true sign of an excellent book for me.Set amid the plot is a slow burning, sweet and tender romance, which gets nice and heated in places. Whether Elisa and Maci will survive Everest, whether they would continue their romance if they do, you need to read this book to find out.I can highly recommend this book to anyone loving a good story with a romance for an added bonus. I will be very surprised, no make that shocked, if this book does not win an award. I am adding this to my re-read folder, to be read again, slowly and savored. This book deserves and needs to be made into a film.