Twice as Nice: Paula’s Take on The Space Between Us by Megan Hart
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| AMAZON | KINDLE |
The Space Between Us by Megan Hart
Contemporary
2012-09-04 (MIRA)
Heroine: Tesla Martin – Free Spirit, Bisexual
Hero: Charlie Stone – Passive, Generous
Heroine: Meredith Stone – Manipulative, Layered
Setting: USA
Review:
This story is about a ménage à trois relationship and bisexuality, but it's also so much more. It's about feeling connected, companionship, respect, trust, love, and family.
Tesla works in a coffeehouse called Mocha where she meets Meredith. Meredith is an exciting woman that gets the regulars in the coffeehouse to tell her their craziest stories. Meredith seems to want to live vicariously through these people's lives. Tesla finds herself attracted and enthralled by this blue-eyed, vivacious beauty. When Meredith asks Tesla to have sex with her husband while she watches, Tesla is a little unsettled by this offer but her crush on Meredith has her saying yes. After Tesla meets Charlie, they both find they have instant chemistry and from there, a ménage relationship is formed.
There are two parts to Tesla's story, the present and the past. The reader is shown flashbacks of Tesla's life as a teenager. These stories are personal and intimate looks of her life, where she is discovering and defining herself as a person. The reader will also see how she and her brother end up living with her friend, once crush, Vic and his family. This family has been her home and safety for many years. When things become complicated in Vic's home, Tesla decides it's time for her to move out where she then moves in with Meredith and Charlie.
Tesla walks to the beat of her own drum. Being in a ménage relationship doesn't feel odd or strange to her. She's a free-spirit and makes no apologies for who she is or her sexuality. She's honest, kind, and straight-forward. There were times when I thought she was a little naive when it came to Meredith but far from stupid. She made some bad decisions that I think come from feeling rejected and abandoned. Tesla has a strong need and desire to feel safe and be a part of a family.
Meredith is a hard character to embrace. I was completely weary of her from the beginning. I immediately thought her character was overly abrasive. Her curiosity to know so much about Tesla made me feel suspicious. But then the author begins to show us a little bit more about Meredith - a softer side to her. And just when I would warm up to Meredith, she would do something that would raise my hackles. There are so many adjectives to describe Meredith. She's smart, beautiful, curious, manipulative, self-absorbed, and cold. This woman confused me. One moment she would be happy and care-fee, the next moment she would be upset about something. I began to wonder if she was bi-polar. It was really hard see beneath the layers of who Meredith really is. She came across as the villain in this story and who knows, maybe that's what the author was aiming for. Hats off to Meagan Hart for writing such a complex character.
And the final person in the ménage relationship is Charlie, who is Meredith's husband. I found him to be a very kind and generous man who wears his heart on his sleeve. I'm not surprised he and Tesla got along so well. They are both passive and laid back. They initially bonded because of Meredith but then they soon realized they have a lot in common and genuinely liked to spend time together alone, without Meredith. Oh, what a sticky, guilty web this wove. Charlie being passive didn't bother me. I'm married to a passive man myself. What bothered me is the way he let Meredith dictate their marriage. I really wanted him to step up. It bothered me that he didn't notice issues with Meredith before Tesla came into the picture. It makes me wonder if Charlie was completely oblivious to who his wife really was until Tesla came along. Thankfully, by the end of the story, Charlie found his balls, but I wish it was sooner rather than later.
The chemistry in the bedroom between these three was sizzling. I didn't have any uncomfortable feelings with the ménage scenes since all three people were in agreement to be together intimately. What bothered me the most was the way Meredith was so stand-offish towards Tesla. I wish Tesla would have gotten a clue that Meredith wasn't genuine about their relationship. Meredith just wanted an experience while the other players in her game were emotionally invested and being hurt in the process. Her careless actions were a punch in the gut. I wasn't surprised by what happed between these three people but it didn't lessen the pain any less. My heart ached for both Tesla and Charlie.
Sometimes you read a book and you have certain expectations before you even start it. That was the case with The Space Between Us. I had read some reviews and there are quite a few mixed opinions on this book which caused me to form my own opinion before I even started reading this book. Nobody's fault but my own. But because I did this, I struggled with the characters at first. So, I put the book down for a little while and went back to it later after thinking about it. Once I picked it back up with a clear head, I was completely absorbed by the story, and unable to put it down. I don't think this story will be for everyone. I can guarantee the reader will be frustrated with Meredith. But without Meredith's character, I don't think this story would have been as enthralling to me. Her character added a lot of depth to the story.
Meagan Hart has a way with writing deep, emotional stories with realistic, flawed characters. Love can be messy and this story portrays exactly how messy it can be. By the end, I was so emotionally drained that it was good to see Tesla remain true to herself with some character growth and not be soured by her experience with Meredith.
Thoughts While Reading:
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Letitia’s Review: Click here for another take on The Space Between Us!
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