Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bestseller Hoover (It Ends with Us) delivers a first-class thrill ride in this twisty erotic suspense novel. Petra Rose, a bestselling romance novelist, suffers a crisis of confidence after a movie adaptation of one of her books generates anger among her readers. Hoping to regroup and tune out the online backlash, she rents a mountain cabin for a solo vacation to plot her next novel away from her husband and kids. Soon after arriving, she meets a handsome stranger who introduces himself as Det. Nathaniel Saint--and who serves as just the inspiration Petra's been looking for. She decides to base her next hero on Saint, who gamely agrees to contribute to "research sessions" that soon drip with chemistry, though Saint also wears a wedding ring. As their illicit relationship deepens, Petra and readers alike will come to question some of Saint's stories and his all too convenient presence in her life. Hoover keeps the sexual tension and suspense high as she builds to a truly shocking revelation. This is sure to be a hit. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Jan.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin. Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened--that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book's storyline so egregiously that fans couldn't forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer's block. Petra's one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra's book, Saint is married, and he's willing to be Petra's muse, helping her get into her characters' heads. Petra's book is practically writing itself, but is the game she's playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop--and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she's "just a writer writing about a writer" and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages--which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as "such an asshole," and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre--as Petra puts it, "Even though, as readers, we wouldn't want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn't mean we don't enjoy reading those things." A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
