Yay! A Keeper!! Or if not a keeper, at the very least a really great book. This is definitely a testament to online reviews, because I never would have bought this book if not for Dear Author and a couple of other online sites that raved about it. (It took me a while since it came out originally in e-book format, but then was released in paperback earlier this year.)
Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
(2009, Contemporary) 8/29/10
Grade: 5
One year after the death of his lover, Michael Warner is struggling to hold his life together for the sake of their 8 year old daughter. Three years after a vicious attack left her scarred, former actress Rebecca O’Neill seems OK on the surface, but still faltering underneath. But when sparks start to fly between them, are they willing to take a risk and dare to love again?
This book started a bit slow, but as I got into it, I found myself spellbound. It’s rare to find a serious, thoughtful contemporary, and even rarer to find one that’s so well written. (The alternating-first-person style was a little off-putting at first, but I mostly got used to it. It did pull me out of the story a little bit at each chapter change.) Although this is a romance, the romance is only one part of the story. The primary focus is Michael and his struggle to deal with the death of his partner, Alex. (The issue of Michael’s sexuality – is he gay or straight or bi – was dealt with in a refreshingly adult way.) Since this was a Samhain book, I was expecting too many love scenes, but there was actually only one, which fit this story and these characters (but was still a refreshing surprise.) This book was just so open and emotional, it was almost too intense in some places. I’m not sure at this point whether this will be a long term keeper, but I know I have to read it again. I think this is a book that will expand on a second reading. There were some minor issues – the ending was rushed and didn’t focus enough on Rebecca and her story – but still, it’s definitely the best book I’ve read in some time.
As thrilled as I am to read such a great book, I’m also a little saddened because I know very few romance readers will discover this book. It’s only available online (as far as I know) and it’s from Samhain. Not to criticize Samhain, since I’m pleased they published this book, but Samhain is not a place where I’d go to look for a serious contemporary. Even the back blurb is misleading – it says it contains “explicit sex scenes” which this book most assuredly does not. I hope it finds some readership through online reviews, which describe the book far better than the publisher has.
Karen Wheless
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