Genre: Adult Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: December 8th 2013
Series: By A Thread #3
Pages: 275
Format: Mobi/ARC
Source: Provided by author for tour
Professional, successful, survivor Stella has mastered the art of appearances and conquering what life throws at her. Time after time, she chooses to fight even though she's consistently poised to break. It's that fight to get her life back, to make things right, to survive that defines who she is. She's been loved, left, lost, blown up, shot, and exploited. Physically, she's almost completely put back together. Mentally, Stella's one step from a vindictive retaliation that may or may not be her best choice. In Seamless, Stella has no choice but to step into the ring with someone who she once loved. It's a dirty fight that will take all she has. Will she do what it takes to win? Will she make it out alive? You'll cheer her on until you realize all is not what it seems. Appearances can be deceiving.
My Review:
It's really hard to not only say goodbye to a set of characters you have become attached to when a series ends but also to sum up into words exactly how a set of books can bring out so many emotions in you throughout the course of the series. Seamless was exactly what I have come to expect from this author. Lust, Action, Drama, Painful character decisions and complications GALORE!
Stella Murphy has suffered through losing the love of her life when her fiance was presumed dead after an assignment with the ATF went wrong. She has escaped death more times than a stray cat and has picked herself up after crippling depression and startling revelations left her a changed person inside and out. This go around she's facing her once thought dead fiance in a showdown of wills after she took off with something he needed in Tension (Book 2). When Jamie puts another threat on her life if she doesn't give him what he wants she puts a plan into motion to rid herself of him once and for all. She's got everyone working to help her nail her ex for everything he's put her through and she's even working with the FBI trying to do things the right way. She's seeing a therapist to help her with the mental side of her anguish that is never ending and things seem to be coming to a close for her. But like in true Stella fashion she wouldn't be Stella if she didn't make absolutely horrible decisions.
Things for Stella have always been crazy and I thought throughout the first 3/4 of the story she was starting to mature and have some character growth. She was starting to get more comfortable in her relationship with George and they both started finally moving forward instead of their trademark one step forward eighteen steps back. Their love seemed stronger than it ever has and George proved time and again to be the most amazing guy to stick by a total head case like Stella. Sadly though when the proverbial shit hit the fan she once again proved she was absolutely fucked up. I have to say I was seriously disappointed in Stella more than I have felt in the whole series. A decision she makes based on hurt feelings and fear throws everyone into more chaos and pain that I felt was unnecessary in all honesty. I would expect her actions earlier in the series but the way she went about things showed absolutely no growth emotionally and wasn't resolved for me enough by the time the story ended. I felt jipped after going through so much with her and George and hated the plot device used to bring them closer together.
George is one of those characters that you love instantly because there is just something so amazing about him. From the moment he met Stella, even though she had just lost her fiance I knew I loved him. Watching him befriend her and slowly fall in love with her was so sweet and amazing. I rooted so hard for these two to be together and finally get it right and make it work but my heart broke for George in this book. After standing up to his family for her and trying his best to protect her I just felt like he was shafted a little bit. The couple I once rooted for became me hoping George would find someone better after the gut wrenching mistake Stella made that honestly hurt me as the reader. I hate feeling like that too. BY the time everything came to a close I was left feeling a mix of emotions full of love, hate and disappointment.
Seamless was a complete and total punch to the gut I wasn't expecting to effect me so deeply. While I hated the choices Stella makes I can honestly say the author wrote her as real and as flawed as anyone would be who has suffered what Stella has. She stayed true to the nature in which Stella has had to survive and I wouldn't expect anything less from this author. I loved how well paced this book felt and the way it flowed naturally from one event to the next left me anticipating what would come next for everybody. While the story of Stella and George is at a sad end I am extremely pleased that one or more of the supporting characters I love may have their own story to tell. This bittersweet ending to a very bittersweet saga proves exactly why I enjoy romantic suspense novels with messed up characters and messy circumstances. That while I can be absolutely pissed off and disappointed in one event the series as a whole has kept me spellbound from beginning to end flawlessly. If you enjoy a story that will flip you upside down and every which way but loose then you should definitely give these books a try.
Quotes:
"We're loving each other George. This is how I'm loving you. I want to protect you. I want to build some sort of storm cellar and keep you there so that you'll be safe during all this madness. I'm poisonous. I destroy everything I touch. Don't you see that?" ARC 35%
"Every fucking morning I wake up without you in my bed it causes fissures in my heart, love. I have little cracks and holes in my heart because we're apart." ARC 60%
{Click covers for Goodreads descriptions}
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
I live in the Atlanta area and I'm surrounded by awesome dudes: my husband, son and two dogs. I went to law school at American University, Washington College of Law, but only after I fell in love with D.C. I worked in the Senate during the impeachment trial and wanted to stay. After law school I worked for a bit in the area, then moved to Atlanta. If you ask anyone who knows me they know I love reading and read all sorts of books. Any free time I have I'm either reading, writing or drinking with friends.
I haven't read any yet but it sounds great adding it to my list
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
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