Perfect Strangers, a scorching and addictive new standalone romance from J.T. Geissinger is Available Now!
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Blurb
“These kisses of his…they’re demanding and possessive. They’re hungry and deep. They’re the kisses of a man who wants more of a woman—who wants everything—and isn’t going to stop until he gets it.”
Author Olivia Rossi hasn’t been able to write a word since tragedy struck two years ago and ripped her world apart. Heartbroken and still haunted by the past, she accepts an offer to spend the summer at a friend’s apartment in Paris in search of healing and her lost muse.
What she finds instead is James, an enigmatic stranger who ignites in her an unexpected and all-consuming passion.
Agreeing to tell each other nothing more than their first names, Olivia and James embark on a torrid affair. But the more time they spend together, the more Olivia begins to realize her summer fling is turning into a powerful connection…and that the magnetic man she’s falling in love with might not be what he seems at all.
Review
4 stars!
OMG, this book! What a rollercoaster of emotions. So, so different from what I was expecting, and honestly I’m still not sure what to think about it all, but it’s a beautifully written, unique story with a love story that had me absolutely captivated. And will you look at that cover! I admit, it’s what initially drew my attention to the book – so gorgeous, and it fits the story really well. But I digress.
Olivia is an author whose life fell apart in a devastating tragedy. She has lost her writing mojo, and is struggling to overcome her grief and depression, so she has travelled to Paris for the summer to try and heal and find her way back to herself.
If letting the past go were as easy as simply deciding to do it, I wouldn’t be here in the first place, thousands of miles from home. But the thing people don’t realize is that the past is a living, breathing entity that exists apart from our wishes or best intentions. It’s not gone, and it’s certainly not invisible. Its fingerprints are smeared all over every moment of the present, its weight drags on every second of the future, its consequences echo down every hallway of our lives.
We can no more rid ourselves of the past than we could stop the earth from spinning.
We are immediately drawn into Olivia’s life, and though the details are initially shady, I could feel her pain and her despair, but rather than making this a depressing read, it’s balanced beautifully with her dry, sarcastic wit, which had me laughing quite a bit as she laments her situation and tries to figure out what the hell she is doing with her life.
In the midst of her personal turmoil, she never expects to meet James, a sexy artist that lives in Olivia’s building. And from the moment they meet, sparks fly, and she is drawn to the enigmatic man like nothing she has ever felt before.
I’m in danger here. Serious, imminent danger of being charmed senseless by a handsome artist who arouses in me the duelling urges to run away screaming or strip naked and fling myself onto his torso and cling there like a crab.
It’s clear that James feels the attraction just as strongly, and with openness, honesty and frankness, the two of them embark on an affair that is raw, intense and passionate, and that sweeps them both completely away. Holy damn, it’s freaking hot, and James opens Olivia’s eyes to things she’s never experienced before – both sexually and emotionally – and we are along for the ride, feeling everything right along with them.
This casual summer fling has the potential to burn the whole city down and leave a path of smoking ruins in its wake.
I’m spinning, lost in a haze of pleasure, lost under the magic we make together, two perfect strangers who’ve found something rare.
We’ve unearthed a treasure most people dig for their entire lives and never find.
Knowing their time together is limited, James and Olivia made the decision not to share personal details about each other – even their lasts names. They agree to explore their epic chemistry without talking about their pasts, choosing to live in the moment without baggage and attempting to avoid an emotional parting at the end of the summer. It’s a storyline we’ve probably all read, but in this case I really understood why and I thought they handled it really well.
“No questions. No strings. You were right: it’s the only way it’ll work.”
Dismayed, I stare at him. “But James–”
“Until September comes and you walk out of my life forever, we’re going to spend every day as if its out last. No regrets. No looking back or forward. Just being in the moment. Making every minute count. Making memories we both can treasure after we go back to our real lives.”
But, of course, things don’t go according to plan. Not only do they fall hard for each other, but secrets are uncovered that will change their lives. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, and I was glued to my kindle as it all played out. It was absolutely a 5 star read for me. I was feeling it, I was loving it, and the writing just blew me away, but things took a shift that I wasn’t such a fan of.
Only a minor spoiler, with no plot reveals – trust me, you want to go into this book without knowing details – but beware if you’d rather know absolutely nothing…
But I still loved the story. I loved the writing, I loved the romance, and I LOVED Olivia and James. Their openness (within their rules of not sharing too much) was fantastic, I love the way they talked about what they were feeling and what they wanted, I love how functional and angst-free they were with each other, and I love the way they gave themselves over to it so beautifully.
“Just feel me. Just feel me and breathe.”
This is my first read by J.T. Geissinger, and I really connected with her writing. This book had me feeling all of the feels, and I thought the reveals from both Olivia and James’ lives were really well done. Had the book finished earlier than it did, it would have been 5 stars, but it’s still a very captivating and well-written 4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About J.T. Geissinger
J.T. Geissinger is a bestselling author of emotionally charged romance and women’s fiction. Ranging from funny, feisty rom coms to intense, edgy suspense, her books have sold more than one million copies and been translated into several languages.
She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and is a two-time finalist for the RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America®. She has also been a finalist in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards.
Her first novel was published in 2012. Since then she’s written eighteen more novels. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking wine, surfing the internet, and
daydreaming about all the things she’s going to be when she grows up. She lives near the beach in Los Angeles with her husband and deaf/demented rescue kitty, Ginger.
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