Arsène & Winnie
Reading the first part of this book, I felt like there was an earthquake going through me, I felt so much anger and destruction and betrayal. I couldn’t believe that Arsène, a guy who is a genius, could be so obsessed to marry his stepsister who is such a horrible person. There is absolutely no love lost between them, as much as they declare to the contrary. And yet, they wasted more than 20 years in a meaningless relation, unless you give meaning to distrust and unhealthy obsession. Their relation was so toxic, full of oneupmanship, it was like a case of who could screw the other the most, who would win in whatever unhealthy games they played.
Then we meet Winnifred, a beautiful woman who has no artifice, clearly talented, generous and kind, loved by her friends and neighbors. Of course Arsène would despise her, she’s a type of person he’s never met and I was sure he was afraid of her, of her genuineness and her inner beauty. Since he’s grown with so much hate around him and directed at him, he can’t trust kindness when he sees it but he was entranced anyway.
I loved reading how Arsène’s issues unflowered, each time revealing a new depth, a new discovery. His road of discovery was accompanied by his two cronies, Riggs and Christian. I loved seeing a domesticated Christian, loved seeing there’s a new group of girlfriends composed of Arya, Chrissie and Winnie. And of course, I wonder about Riggs, his nomad life, his lack of structure, and how the author will compose his story. Can’t wait!
In truth, this book has to be read to experience the maelstrom of emotions it evokes, the frustration when Arsène doesn’t understand, when Winnie keeps the apartment exactly like it was before and continues with the routine she used to have. I wanted a tornado to rip everything away, clean all the bad memories and give them new life. The author starts with a male character who is so clearly antisocial and seemingly unkind, then she makes him fall in love and give away pieces of his pride. The female characters are wonderful, emotionally fragile perhaps but with an inner core of strength. Winnie shines in this book as she grapples with the assertiveness that Arsène wakes up.
There was a lot of depth to Arsène and Winnie and I loved seeing how they brought light and love to each other’s darkness and despair. I loved noticing how sardonic Arsène was in the first part of the story and how frequently Winnie made him laugh in delight in the second part. The passion, the banter, their insults were astronomically fun to read! It was multilayered and complex and I loved reading every word!
Purchase links
FREE in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XPSZU4
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/fallenfoelj
Amazon Audio: https://bit.ly/3JquSHe
Amazon Print: https://bit.ly/3kI6KWf
About the author
She lives in Florida with her husband, three rowdy sons, and even rowdier pets. She enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and reading to her heart’s content.
Connect with her on her website at www.authorljshen.com or on Instagram (@authorljshen), or join her Facebook group at http://goo.gl/QZJ0NC. Sign up for her newsletter at https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb, and text SHEN to 313131 to get new release alerts (United States only).
Join LJ's mailing list for exclusive material ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
No comments:
Post a Comment