Break Even

by Lisa deJong

If there is one thing that can always be said for Lisa DeJong it is that her books grab you by the heartstrings and play you like a harp. She doesn’t allow the detail, intensity and characterisation to let up from start to finish and with this book she brings out the big guns because this can only be described as an exceptional book.
If you have time to yourself this holiday period then you will be hard pushed to find a better way to spend your time.
Marley and Cole are in a situation that has car crash written all over it, married to each other and the career they both share, so when Marley cottons on to the way she feels and accepts that her marriage has hit the rocks, the potential events have the power to be both personally and professionally catastrophic.
The ravages of time has not served them well, they have begun to stagnate and while she is certain of how she feels, she knows that Cole can’t or won’t accept that this is the end of their journey.
Fresh in the knowledge of her situation, it wasn’t as if Marley was out looking for someone but when River arrives in her office, she may have no choice because this man might just be hazardous to her health!
The way he makes her feel, sets her pulse racing, it is as if he has breathed new life into her, shown her what she is missing and what it is like to be at the centre of a man’s world and desire again.
With those emotions at the forefront of her mind it is safe to say that what they embark upon is never destined to last a lifetime, it is a short sharp blast of lust and longing that dishes up just what they both need at the right time but can that fire, that lust ignite more than she thought or would it leave her sifting through the embers of her life when it all over trying to piece what she can back together?
Now normally I am not a fan of books that feature infidelity, affairs etc. it is something that I find difficult to reason but when Cole reached his stride, I could understand why Marley was the way she was, and when he serves up his own betrayal I was done for.
She was and had only ever been his possession, he was delusional and that is just the sort of man that is the wrong side of crazy to ever be in a relationship with. As clever, handsome and charming as he could be, he didn’t have the capacity to love her the way she needed to be loved, the way she deserved to be loved, but could she finally see the wood for the trees and face up to a decision that was always going to break someone’s heart – and worst of all would it be hers?
The book was a strong afternoon read, I finished it in one sitting as it was one that I just couldn’t put down.
I loved the characters, they had a depth that only this author would have ever been able to drag from them, the capacity that they were able to show emotionally and the clarity with which they could explain their lives and situations had me completely captivated.
The author twisted her way through a completely engaging plot, one that held my heart and my attention in equal measure and that allowed my emotions to completely take over when necessary.
Marley was a woman that was easy to understand, while at first I found her situation unfortunate and perhaps not what I would have undertaken, I couldn’t help but see that for her it was necessary. She made me both laugh and cry by her side.
Cole, well I prefer not to dwell on the man, you need to form your own opinion but River...well this is the man you will not expect, he will keep you on your toes and the surprises just keep on coming. You won’t want to say goodbye to him that is for sure.