Summary
“Must be brave, stubborn, and impervious to the tempers of loved ones.”
The first line hissed with history.
“Hours are endless, pay is non-existence, quitting absolutely forbidden.”
The second line ached with truth.
“Able to function on no sleep, refrain from running when times get hard, and be more than just a living canvas but a lover.”
The third thrummed with honesty.
“Other attributes required: forgiving, opinionated, and not afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. Must also enjoy being touched and kissed at any time of my choosing.”
The fourth glowed with promise.
“Call or email ‘YOUR HEART, HIS SOUL’ if interested in applying.”
The final made my future unfold.
The advert was so similar to one I should never have applied for.
A twist of fate that brought two destined people back together.
A job I would take in a heartbeat if the employer could offer such terms.
But I wasn’t free.
Neither was Gil.
Therefore, my interview could never happen.
Excerpt
When did kindness become weakness?
When did compassion become blindness?
I believed strength, true strength, came from seeing past someone’s actions and trusting the goodness inside them. I believed words were just words and lies were just lies and they didn’t really matter, because, in the end, the truth always came out.
A person was a product of their upbringing and society’s doctrine, and so, I chose to see past that creation and see the real soul hurting underneath.
I chose weakness to be kind.
I became blind to show compassion.
It made a total fool out of me…
Review
(audiobook) After the previous book’s ending, I was excited to listen to the second book in the duet and know how Olin and Gilbert’s story ended. Let’s just say that the ending was a perfect happily ever after, but the journey was a bit tedious.
What annoyed me the most was Olin’s constant change of heart. She was already like that in the previous book, but it was always half-hearted when she decided to leave Gil alone. Here, after his last action, she’s more adamant that she wants nothing to do with him anymore. But guess what?
Of course, Gil finally opens to her and she understands his motives, so she has more reasons to forgive him. Which she refuses to do at first, so why another change of heart? It’s my main complaint about this book. I want a happily ever after, but not at the expense of character’s consistency.
Gilbert keeps being an interesting character, with one major flaw: he loves his secrets. As we learned before, one secret led to another, and he ended up pushing Olin away without explanation. ‘Bad choices’ is probably his middle name at this point. But all he does, he does for love. That makes him a beautiful character. And I think he grows up a lot during this book.
And we learn more about Justin, the eternal friend. Selfless, loyal, generous, it’s almost sad that he doesn’t get his happy ending. But in the meantime, we get a few meaningful conversations showing perfectly all the differences between Justin and Gil.
The suspense element in the story isn’t well developped, in my opinion. Not that there are plotholes or inconsistencies. Just that it makes little sense. And since we don’t learn a lot about the serial killer, he remains a mystery. It was a bit frustrating.
The narrators do again an excellent job. They’ll bring tears, I assure you. Especially the male narrator who has the absolute best tortured voice. The story drags a bit, but just for the pleasure of his rich and warm voice, I recommend this duet.
Quickie
- Series: Master of trickery duet #2 (end of the duet)
- Hashtags: #romantic suspense #dark romance #second chance #serial killer
- Triggers: rape, bullying, domestic abuse, murder, past accident, child abuse, attempted assault
- Main couple: Olin Moss & Gilbert Clark
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: in the past, 4/5; in the present, maybe 3/5
- + I can’t say what I prefered: the little bit of action, or the fact that Gil FINALLY communicate
- – Olin, could you please make up your mind?
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