2 Book Lovers Reviews

The book description had me hooked with the student/teacher relationship aspect and then to top it off with the main character being agoraphobic…..well, I just had to read it!

The premise of the story was about a now twenty year old woman (Emma) who had been kidnapped and brutalized for three days when she was ten years old. Her horrible abuse left her so traumatized that she was afraid to leave her apartment. She was truly unable to pursue a normal life for a young woman her age. She ended up taking courses from a university and claiming that she had a glandular fever so that she wouldn’t have to attend her classes.

Although the subject matter is primarily very serious, the author does a good job of incorporating some humour into the story. There were times when I was laughing out loud while I was reading it. Between Emma’s best friends, her Grandma and a four year old girl…there is some fun to be had!

A relationship soon develops between Emma and her professor (Simon Anderson). They start communicating via e-mails, texts, phone calls and eventually they meet in person. I found their relationship a bit rushed for my liking. He is a 38 year old divorced father who is also an assistant district attorney. I had a hard time believing that he would fall so hard for her that quickly. I know, I know, older men can get caught up in the idea of a younger woman being interested in them…and I’m fine with that storyline, I just thought that it all happened a little too easily.

The novel takes a turn when Emma’s assailant is due to be released on parole from prison. This aggravates her agoraphobia and causes her to have panic attacks and nightmares. She has very supportive friends, a somewhat lacking mother and father and her 96 year old grandma just thinks she needs a good roll in the hay and all will be right in the world! She reaches a breaking point when another little girl goes missing after her attacker has been set free. Her actions that follow these events also had me questioning a few things, but I don’t want to give anything away.

I did enjoy this book for the most part, but it did lack a little something for me. I will admit that I was disappointed by the ending- it was too abrupt.

3 Stars