Title: Connecting Strangers (Discovering Emily, Book 1)
Author: Rachel Carrington
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publishing date: 21st July, 2014
Pages: 214
My Rating: 3/5 stars
*ARC received from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Synopsis:
Getting close is dangerous…
He’s too close, and I start to fidget, needing to keep my hands busy so they won’t grab hold of his shirt. Because that’s what they want to do. Draw him closer. So I can Inhale his scent. Taste his skin.
I didn’t run because I was in an abusive relationship; I ran because my soul was being crushed. I’d forgotten how to live, how to be happy. Running out of gas in a small town, I catch the eye of the local sheriff when the very last thing I want is to come under the scrutiny of the police. I left my boyfriend with blood on my hands, and I know as soon as the wound heals he’ll come looking for me.
Adam Madison draws me to him so easily I can’t even pretend to fight. And the closer we get, the more combustible we become. I’ve never experienced such passion or power. My need is as great as his, but I’m sure he’ll walk away from me once he knows my secret. No other man would stay.
I’ve had enough complications in my life. I’m not looking for more, and that’s exactly what Adam is—a sexy, magnetic complication with secrets of his own. And with my ex on the hunt, I can’t risk bringing him down with me. But he won’t leave…even when vengeance could kill us both.
My Take:
This synopsis is just perfect, perfect to rile you in, to sell the story to you; and the cover, as pretty as they come. The synopsis is written in first person format, quite unusual. The heroine herself is summing up her story, how intelligent is that. 😀
I think the insta-love, too much luck and convenient placing of supporting characters is too easy for my taste. You get out of an abusive relationship, that too by shooting your guy and in a few hours, while on the run, fall for a sexy cop, the first guy you meet. That’s not how life works, dear, nope.
How convenient that she runs out of gas in a town where lives the sexy hunk of a cop and a diner owner, Francine, who just up and ups our heroine. Providing her with food, bath, and a place to stay. She could have won a lottery at this point.
After an abusive relationship people need to get themselves together, Emily should have been trying to jot a plan down on what she was going to do instead she keeps daydreaming about Adam. I felt like the author didn’t understand the after effects of an abusive relationship. Unless you were the one being abusive you won’t be moving on in a few hours.
Francine was too giving, you don’t go around bringing strangers in your house just when you see them sleeping in your parking. That’s the trait of stupidity, that’s how you get mugged.
I would have really enjoyed to see the relationship between Emily and Adam develop slowly, with Adam supporting her emotionally and helping her heal her emotional scars.
Emily doesn’t have anybody she can call family, her parents died, no siblings, no relatives. Her hanging on to Mark even after him being abusive to the extent of insanity is understandable, other than that all her feelings and reactions are questionable.
I would have liked the book more if the story with Mark was explored more. It felt like a convenient plot starter and then it was pushed aside to present to you a tale of luck and convenience. I feel like the author explored the wrong aspect of the story.
Why would I pick it up?
In the hopes of it making sense to me.
enthrallingdimple 