Review: The Space Between Us by Megan Hart
 |
| AMAZON | KINDLE |
The Space Between Us by Megan Hart
Contemporary
2012-09-04 (MIRA)
Heroine: Tesla Martin – Free Spirit, Bisexual
Hero: Charlie Stone – Easygoing, Married
Setting: USA
Review:
The Space Between Us starts with the end, so it only seems appropriate for me to do the same. This book very nearly does not give us a HEA. This stomach churning, emotion playing story waits to the last – the very last – possible moment to give us a hint, a peak, at the possibility of a HEA. Which, though it felt completely unsatisfying, did fit with the overall tone. Megan Hart did an excellent job toying with my emotions. By the very end, my stomach was such a mess that I wondered if a book could truly make me sick. This one came very close.
Tesla, our narrator, is a free spirit. A wild child, or so everyone assumes. She and her brother were raised by free lovin’, commune living, swinger partying parents. Her summers were spent at the commune, where the children roamed free and were encouraged to... explore. So, for Tesla, her ways aren’t wild. They simply... are what they are. She doesn’t even consider herself bisexual, so much as open to all possibilities.
Which proves beyond intriguing to one of Tesla’s coffeehouse patrons, Meredith. Meredith is beautiful and captivating and, quite clearly, bored with her life. She flirts and cajoles her way into people’s lives, extracting their most interesting stories from them. Almost as if she gets a thrill living vicariously through them. And Tesla’s stories are about as thrilling as it gets.
Many scenes throughout this story were told as flashbacks, Tesla sharing parts of her past with Meredith. And, wow, those memories pack a punch. Nearly every single one had me squirming in my seat... some because they were sexy, some because they were agonizing. Each memory left me feeling like a voyeur. Miz Hart writes with such realism that it almost feels like an invasion of someone else’s privacy.
Eventually things between Tesla and Meredith move past the point of sharing stories in the coffeehouse. Meredith begins to invite Tesla out with her—dinner, drinking, dancing. The two women get to know each other better. Which is almost painful to watch, as Tesla’s feelings for Meredith are clearly not reciprocated... and Meredith uses Tesla’s feelings to her own benefit throughout.
The dates, the teasing, it all leads to Meredith asking Tesla to sleep with her husband, Charlie. And even though you know it’s inevitable, you can’t help thinking, ‘Oh, no, Tesla. C’mon. You know you should say no.’ But she doesn’t. And thus begins the most torturous and uncomfortable ménage that I have ever read.
Because Tesla wants Meredith, and Tesla wants Charlie. Charlie wants Tesla, and Charlie wants Meredith. And Meredith simply goes through the motions, clearly not truly wanting either. Meredith is searching for a feeling, a thrill, an experience. Which is relatable—we all get bored sometimes. But her actions make her so damn unlikeable. There wasn’t a single moment that I thought, ‘Meredith is a good person.’ Because if she is, it is buried way, way underneath.
The Space Between Us is the story of a ménage gone wrong. Of one woman finding her home, her place, in another person for the first time only to have it torn asunder. It is the story of another woman’s selfish quest for excitement and the mess she leaves behind. And Miz Hart pulls no punches. It hits you like a mac truck. Be prepared to... feel.
Favorite Quote:
"Promise me," Vic said.
"What?" I pushed up on my toes to get closer to his mouth, so my lips moved against his.
"Promise me you'll never let anyone make you feel you're not beautiful. Or not worth something.”
Thoughts While Reading:
9.0% - "My first foray into a Megan Hart book! Good so far."
63.0% - "Oh. No. Hope this isn't going where I think it's going..."
100.0% - "What. My gut is so frickin twisted right now!"
0 comments:
Comments moderated on posts older than 8 days.