When
17-year-old Laura Bennett begins to explore her sexuality in
unanticipated and unconventional ways, she enters into a world of brutal
sexual violence, and hedonistic pleasure. She transforms from a naïve
sexually aware young adult, into a vindictive woman filled with the
burning desire to dictate her own fate and dominate men. This erotic
thriller explores the deviant behavioral patterns of human sexuality as
we follow Laura on her downward spiral of promiscuity.
I really wrestled with my rating for
this book. While the plot was outstanding and something that had my
attention from page one, the writing style was off for me. It felt rushed
and giving of details only. No real scene development, nor expansions of
emotions. I had a hard time putting myself into the story and while I
wanted to feel empathy for Laura, I always felt like an outsider to the story
because it was written to feel like a news story and not a novel. While I
say this I want to make sure you remember the plot was fantastic and that was
what kept me going till the end. It was fresh, gritty and twisting, all
of the factors I love in a book. If the writing style had been more
in depth and structured, this would have easily been a five star rating.
Laura Bennett started off in life
like many other young girls. With the attention of her mother and step
father, a financially secure life and future and hopes of college and love, her
life was derailed by the greed and selfishness of first her step farther and
then an advisor in college. Both events led to more destructive outcomes
than what I think either of the men had predicted. Having to move back to
her father’s home, she dealt with guilt that didn’t belong to her and the loss
that no young girl should have to endure. I wished the author had
expanded more on this part of the story, I think it would have fed into the
need for revenge and given the readers more of a connection to Laura.
Without giving details and risking
spoiling this for the reader, I will say that each of those men took something
from Laura that was more than self-esteem and confidence; they robbed her of
family and a happy life. I had assumed by the synopsis and some of the
reviews I had read that she was going to be a bitter woman seeking
revenge. Well she did but I can honestly say I don’t blame her at
all. Laura is a smart woman and if life and people had left her alone,
she would have been a huge benefit to this world that she lived in, but she
couldn’t get over what they had done to her. By this time her life had
never been her own to live and she was going to take control of things from
this point on.
In the end she went after a third
man who played a part in her demise. This man took away what was the most
important part of her world and while they hadn’t had sex, he was what left her
scarred and devastated the most. Years ago in order to seek justice for
wrong doing, her hands became tied as to what she would be able to accomplish
in the future. I have to give the author credit at the brilliant plan she
came up with for Laura to seek her revenge and it had me glued to my seat till
the end. As each piece was laid out and the plan put into action I found
I was cheering Laura on in her endeavor and when it was accomplished I thought
the story was over. I was very wrong to think that.
We are left with a cliff hanger, not
one that had me screaming but it is clear he isn’t done trying to destroy
her. I hope that in the next book the author has expanded on the missing
elements that this one was missing. I can promise you if she does this
you will find yourself addicted to this authors stories and she will be on the
top of your list for authors who need to be watched. Even with my dislike
of the writing style I would recommend this book to readers simply for the
story alone. The author was a master at twists and turns, plots and
surprises.
Blade is an author who lives in New York. While living in Paris, Blade
met an American woman whose life stories were the main inspiration for
Laura Bennett. Blade is influenced by such authors as Erica Jong, John
Updike and Graham Greene.
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