We've all heard the phrase Love Conquers All. But do we really know what it means to have that kind of love? Some of us are lucky enough to have that kind of love in our lifetime. Some of us will die without ever truly experiencing something so extraordinary. Because it's easy to say "Oh yes, we love each other unconditionally" But do you? Do you really?
"Have you ever picked up a book last thing at night, torn between wanting to read for an hour or to go straight to sleep? A word to the wise DO NOT ATTEMPT THAT WITH THIS BOOK. Seriously, I picked this up at 10pm hoping for an hour of reading before bed. Come 2:30am I'm just finished. That's it. Done. Read cover to cover. This book was delicious, I could not put it down. I'm off to bed with tear tracks down my face"
- This was my Goodreads status at 2:30 in the morning -
It's true, I picked this book up last night, fully intending to spend an hour reading it and then go to bed. Little did I know just how much I would get sucked in and not spat back out until 2:30am.
I read a lot of books. In fact most days, my head is buried in a book. But most of them have a Paranormal element to them. PRESERVATION was a touch outside of my norm, being that it's Adult Contemporary Romance / Realistic Fiction.
I have to be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Yes, I've been known to read Erotica. Yes, I read Adult Fiction too. But no two books are the same and thank goodness that's so. We wouldn't want to read the same old, same old.
Well let me tell you, PRESERVATION blew me out of the water. It was not your typical romance. Girl meets boy, they fall in love. They have hardships, they overcome them, they live happily ever after. No, this was deeper than that. This explored what happens when a man and woman meet, neither of whom want a relationship yet are inexplicably drawn to each other.
Kate Parker is 25 years old. She's a student. Living in a tiny apartment, working all the hours she can, going to school to improve her craft. She wants to write. But the obstacles in her life mean that nothings ever easy for her. Her mother is ill. Her landlord is threatening to evict her if she can't make the rent.
Kate doesn't want a relationship. She's had it with guys. Plus, juggling all that she is, is there really time for a relationship?
Ryan Campbell is a professor. He had his heart broken by Jamie, his ex fiancée who he caught cheating. So he's going from one casual fling to the next. Getting what he wants from each of them before casting them aside.
Little do they know what is about to happen. What will change their lives and the shape of that to come.
Kate walks into school late. She's ringing wet from the rain and loaded down with bags, having to carry so much to school with her really isn't any fun. But it's all she can do. She does her lessons on a Monday and then goes for a swim. It's her way of de-stressing. So many things are difficult for Kate that this is one of the simple pleasures she enjoys while she can.
Ryan's not at all happy that Kate is always late to his class. Also she's making puddles all over the floor and banging about with that god forsaken bag of hers. A distraction, that's what she is.
So we have Kate, the beautiful, distracting student. Then there's Ryan, the hot professor who's known for his commitment-phobia.
It's the start of the emotional roller coaster of a journey that has you hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speed - not knowing for sure what the outcome will be.
I can't tell you all the trials and tribulations that Kate and Ryan are about to face. There'd be no point you picking it up for yourself if I sat her and gave you plot points.
What I can tell you, is this:
There is some inexplicable reason why Kate and Ryan are drawn to each other. It's not a straight forward relationship by any means. There's the good, the bad and the downright ugly. There are tender moments that have you feeling good but there are also moments that are more like a punch to your gut. Things that take the wind right out of your sails.
They say nothing easy is worth having and nothing worth having is ever easy. Ad Astra Per Aspera - A Rough Road Leads to The Stars.
In this instance, nothing could be more true.
There were moments during this story that I laughed out loud. Then there were the times that I cried. Plus a few occasions where I wanted to reach into the book and cause physical harm to both Kate and Ryan. Sometimes I wanted to slap Kate and shake some sense into the girl. But the one truly bad moment, I wanted to reach in and punch Ryan in the face. Not just the face, but you get my point.
I truly didn't expect this book to affect me in the way it did. There are very few books that evoke such an emotional reaction from me.
I know in Kate's position, a lot of women would probably just give up and walk away from Ryan. At first, I thought I would be one of those. But I found myself drawn to him. I knew from the prologue that he'd had his heart broken in one of the worst ways. So I knew that under the façade he presents to the outside world, there was a vulnerable guy. But that doesn't give him a free ticket to do whatever he damn well pleases. Which at times, he thinks it does.
Whilst this is all true, I do actually like him despite his foibles. Plus the fact is, there's times when it's not just him that's in the wrong.
I finished this book with tears racing each other down my cheeks and laughing out loud at the same time. This is most certainly one of my favourite books. Of that you can be sure.
I love the way Rachael Wade writes. Having read her other books, The Resistance Trilogy, I knew that I liked her writing. One of the things I like most about her is her ability to make you feel like you could be the main character. You're not just an outsider looking in. You're drawn into the story and not spat back out until she says so.
For me, the best feeling is that of realism. This story isn't a fantasy. An idea of what life could be, if only... No this is a story about love, pain, loss and betrayal. Yes, it's just a story. But you are in no doubt that these things really can happen.
