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Michael, alone on a business trip that ends in failure, meets “Jasmine” and, dissatisfied with his marriage, is attracted by her beauty and sensuality. In spite of knowing that it’s wrong, he allows himself to be drawn into her life and finds more than he bargained for—even his own life in danger.
Each chapter heading gives a specific time (“Midnight,” 1:24 A.M. etc.), yet several chapters contained background information. The second person/present tense format was unsettling and distracting to me. I couldn’t get into the story because it didn’t seem real—I sensed the author writing the story more than the story itself. The second-page author intrusion of “You have no idea how your life is about to change,” insipid dialogue, and a resolution that is no resolution at all combined to make this a boring read for me.
I found it hard to believe that Michael would reject Jasmine. His background of Internet porn and his weakness, and denial that he was in trouble, gives no indication of the strength needed to say no in the face of real temptation. There was nothing shown—no real spiritual awakening—to make the sudden halting of his downward spiral into sin believable to the reader.
Although I was disappointed in this novel, I enjoyed reading the included excerpt from ISOLATION, Thrasher’s upcoming novel. Written in third person, with an attention-grabbing first chapter, it’s a book I want to read.
Reviewed by Marie DisBrow
for The Road to Romance
December 30, 2006
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