Review: Closest Strangers

betrayals, struggle and humiliation and dark twists #bookreview @deloresswallows

Closest Strangers by Delores Swallows
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expecting for some non-con? This is more mind-twister than non-con. Mark is pulled in to help a girl he's been seeing. What starts out as a possible girl in trouble with the white knight coming to save the day becomes one misunderstand after another. And it ends in a surprising twist. Along the way, there are sad situations which makes this story a bit disheartening. This story is not about erotica but more about erotica gone wrong. When sex is used as instruments of violence and misery instead of sweet surrender and joy.

Author Delores Swallow crafts a clever thriller with red herrings and dangerous liaisons. The dark erotic scenes are not meant to be arousing, but it does elicit guilty pleasure. The pace of this story moves quickly. The characters are what pulls a reader in. Mark is an everyday man who does the best he can. He is the oblivious guy who doesn't see who is the woman he really wants to be. Philippa is the party girl who thought she could handle the big boys only to mess up and partake in a tragedy. These people are ones a reader can easily visualize and empathize with. Between the betrayals, struggle and humiliation, it may be too dispiriting for some to handle. For those who appreciate the attempt to pull oneself out of the muck, this may interest you.

This story title is curious because it sums up the story for me so well. These people who you would think are so close to you, when it comes down to it, they are really strangers. And the ones that are closest to you, sometimes they are treated with no more affection and loyalty than one would a stranger. This paradox is thought provoking and works well for me. This dark erotica is for those who enjoy something a little off the beaten path.

* Provided by Manic Readers