This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.Expected Release Date: September 20, 2011
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Imprint: N/A
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: NA
Steam Level: Warm
I am so very torn on my final rating for this novel. On one hand, the first person POV lets the reader into Ben’s mind, and when Ben begins to suspect he’s insane, you feel his confusion and paranoia as your own, which is actually pretty awesome. On the other hand, events got so confusing at times, that it was only my own sheer stubbornness that made me stick it out until the end.
I was also disappointed that this was not exactly the “romance” I’d thought it would be when I first started reading. Ben’s bisexuality, while not bothering me in and of itself, definitely led to situations that were confusing and awkward for me as a reader, and frankly, there was such a strong concept of open relationships in this novel that I couldn’t really enjoy any romance in it. Casual sex simply isn’t my cup of tea, even in novels, so the romance lover in me was greatly saddened by the lack of monogamy.
In the end, I have to go with what is literally a middle-of-the road rating. While the psychological aspects were quite frankly astounding, there were simply too many factors that didn’t mesh with my preferences, such as the many open sexual relationships, the non-traditional HEA, and the simple fact that it was so utterly confusing that it took sheer willpower to plow through the middle long enough to get to the explanation towards the end.
3/5 Stars
