The book blurb caught my attention and I did participate in a book tour. I am a fan of ff romance and this one caught my attention. In addition, the first chapter excerpt reinforced my interest. I felt for Athena and I wanted to see how her best friend's wedding turns out with Athena's ex-wife, Sydnee, showing up. I am outraged on Athena's behalf and I dig in, waiting to see how Sydnee will cause a scene with her new side piece. I want Sydnee to feel the lost of Athena and have regrets. I can confidentially say, my wish came true. Be careful of what you wish for.
I took an immediate liking to Athena. Her thoughts makes sense and her pain at the lost of her soulmate wrecked me. How Sydnee could cheat on Athena made little sense to me. As the story progresses, and we learn more about Sydnee and see how she was treated, my feelings started to shift towards Sydnee. I began to lose my rosy colour glasses about Athena. By the end of this story, whilst I didn't agree with what Sydnee did to end her relationship, I cannot fault her for her feelings and how she was treated. What makes me sad about this story is how careless Athena is to the one she is supposed to cherish forever.
I found myself loathing Athena at the end. I even lost my pity of her being cheated on. Not to say I think she deserved it. I couldn't care less about her. About the same as how she treats the people around her. My issue with Athena as a character is that she says one thing but her actions tell another story. I am one of those annoying people who cannot abide by a person who says and thinks one thing, but then goes to do something different. From an outsider's view Athena spent zero effort in her relationship. I would actually say that Athena's father spent more time ensuring Athena's marriage lasted. It is no surprise to me that when he was no longer in the picture, Athena's marriage fell apart.
Whilst this book is about Athena, I found the pivot character to be Athena's father. It is an interesting look at how one person can make a huge difference in so many lives. And without that person's solid support and love, weak people crumble and destroy their own lives. This story is about a dysfunctional family with broken friends. The vanity and selfishness of each character is off putting for me.
Ms. Sneed created a well written story with colourful and spiteful characters. There is little redeeming in here, except for Daisy's new husband. His group of friends and his family seems to be the only stabilizer and I am not sure if he understands all that he has signed up for.
This book material and plot is definitely not for me. Whilst on the surface it looked like something appealing for me, the characters turned me off completely. This does not negate that Ms. Sneed created a well written story with well developed characters. This book is recommended for readers looking for trans affirmation and LGBT romance.
*provided by NetGalley
