Monday, May 14, 2018

REVIEW: The Woman Before You

The Woman Before You
Author: Carrie Blake

The blurb for this book is misleading. This is not a suspense thriller but thinly veiled erotica. And not even enjoyable erotica. This book is disturbing and not my cup of tea at all.

Isobel is a failing actress and bored with her life. She works at a mattress store and has a creepy boss. She starts to use Tinder and other dating apps as a way to fight boredom. She goes out with man after man, using her acting skills to pretend to be his perfect woman then deleting the contact after one date. It makes her feel powerful. Until she meets Matthew.   Matthew is a man with bad past. He's done some things that he isn't proud of, and spent years pretty much failing at life. Then he met Val....an actor and rich man who likes to play games. Matthew works for him and has been instructed to find a woman....a woman he can make do anything he asks. He finds Isobel. And the games begin.

I didn't like either of the main characters in this book. Isobel  wants to feel powerful and like she has control over her life. But she falls for a man she knows is using her without any show of strength at all. He tells her to do things....and she does. She makes no attempt to sever the relationship or say no. Seems pretty weak and stupid to me.   And Matthew.....he's completely lying and using this woman at the bidding of his sick, manipulative employer.  For me, they both came off as vile, weak human beings. Ugh.

The plot for this story seems to be cheesy set ups for these two messed up people to almost have sex. Almost. Lots of weird foreplay and games.....it's all a giant mind-F.

The blurb used to describe this book has nothing to do with this story. There is no sinister plot....other than manipulation and sick mind games. There is no love story here. And this book is nowhere close to Dangerous Liaisons or a story that should be touted as "the most shocking thriller you'll read this year.''

This book disappointed me. The cover looked promising. The plot blurb sounded interesting. But, neither actually goes with the book. This was a waste of my time. I feel misled. Very disappointed.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from HarperImpulse via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**




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