Review: Far Beyond a Normal Romance Novel
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 14, 2013
Anne Calhoun is a master of erotic writing.  There is no fake dialogue with sex thrown in as an after-thought or tiresome stories about young virgins or women of the "too stupid to live" variety.Thea Moretti is in a world of self-inflicted psychological pain two years after the death of her husband.  An incredibly smart, loving woman, she is unable to reenter life.  "Half the time people say I`ve gotten this great second chance to find love all over again, like Jesse was a starter house with a cracked foundation and a badly designed kitchen."Ronan O`Rourke is the handsome fireman who, having dealt with loss himself, sees something in Thea that makes her worth fighting for.  The two characters meet on St. Patrick`s Day, when Ronan`s friend unsuccessfully hits on Thea.  "There`s only one explanation for lines that bad.  You`re his wingman," she said with a nod at Ronan, "trying to make HIM look good."  Ronan rightfully replies that he doesn`t need a wingman and so it begins.  Without having the usual kidnappings or near-death experiences, Ms. Calhoun moves the characters forward in a natural way.The use of language is simply beautiful. Thea denies that she feels anything.  Ronan disagrees because he sees the amount of energy she puts into NOT feeling. "You don`t pour thirty thousand gallons of water into a stone cold building.  You pour it into an inferno."Imagine an author who can use shortbread as a metaphor for love and starting again.  "The heat from the oven triggered a chemical reaction between butter, flour and sugar.  Heat and time worked on dormant ingredients to make something new. Different. Delicious."  Thea can have a new chemistry with Ronan that doesn`t take away from how she felt about Jesse.  Calhoun manages to make New York City like a character in the book."You chose me to shut down, to silence all the voices that tell you enough, stop grieving, move on.  But I can`t be your anaesthesia and keep on living."This is a book of incredible beauty, pain, and humor.  Take a chance on something different than the normal formulaic read.  What is shocking is the low price of this great novel.