The Year I Left
Christine Brae
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication date: August 20th 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Told in the first person.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this
book for review from Xpresso Book Tours and the author. I was not
compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The
opinions I have expressed are my own. I am posting this in
accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part
255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and
Testimonials in Advertising".
“A thousand half loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”
Carin Frost doesn’t understand what’s happening to her. A confident businesswoman, wife, and mother, she begins to resent everything about her life. Nothing makes sense. Nothing makes her feel. Maybe it’s the recent loss of her mother in a tragic accident. Or maybe she’s just losing her mind.
Enter Matias Torres. As their new business partnership thrives, so does their friendship—and his interest in her. Carin is determined to keep her distance, until a work assignment sends them to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island. In the midst of the chaos, Matias asks her to do something unimaginable, exhilarating, BOLD. Carin knows the consequences could be dire, but it may be the only way to save herself.
An honest look at love and marriage and the frailties of the human heart, this is a story of a woman’s loss of self and purpose and the journey she takes to find her way back.
My Thoughts:
Carin Frost seems to want something different for her life. Matias Torres seems to catch her eye. This story seems to be about a woman looking
to make some changes to her life. When
first meeting Carin, I felt like she kept herself and us at arms length. I didn’t feel as if there was anything to
engage the reader.
She’s a woman who seems to have it all but it just seems that
she’s looking for something more. She
didn’t appear to be getting it from her family or her job. The author shows how easy it is for women to
hide their true feelings. It was very
easy to see that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”.
When I first opened the book, I was happy to see that the story
was being told in parts. I thought that
would help me to find just the perfect place to stop. Once I started to get into the story I found
it easier to stop after each chapter. I
just couldn’t seem to connect with Carin.
At the beginning, she’s the one we rely on to tell us her story but it
felt like she was keeping us on the outside – like we were a ghost watching her
walk through life. I did like how it
seemed as if she was talking to the reader – as if we become Matias. Was impressed when she turns things around on
the reader – it was a good attempt to get the reader reengaged into what was
going on.
It was hard to connect with Matias. He seemed to be a smooth talker going after
someone he wanted and it didn’t matter that she was already in a committed
relationship. Every time he was around
Carin, I could almost see him rubbing his chin/beard. But I wanted to see more about Carin’s family
dynamic. Usually it’s the man that’s
never home and always working. This time
it seems to be the woman’s turn. But
since there’s a hole where the family seems to reside, they only make an
appearance when needed. The story seems
more about her life away from home but then the story is based on Carin and
Matias’ interactions. Even though this
story wasn’t for me, the author did give her readers a nice Epilogue. The last sentence leaves me wondering if
their story will continue. This won’t
stop me from checking out some of the author’s other work.
Author Bio:
Christine Brae is a senior executive with a full time career, who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Christine has written six books since her first release in 2013. She is the author of The Light in the Wound and His Wounded Light (2013), Insipid (2014), In This Life (2016) and Eight Goodbyes (2018).
Her latest book, The Year I Left is scheduled for release in August, 2019.
When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.
Christine is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management.
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