★★★★ @ESHurricane #IrisTrovao #WrongNumber
When is a wrong number so right? In this slow-burn romance, a mistaken text to a wrong number creates a divergent path for two people. As someone who has received a wrong number text and had a bit of fun, this premise appeals to me. New-to-me author Ms. Trovao creates a beautifully messy and complicated romance between two flawed people. I loved it.
Cheating, even if it is unspoken and an open secret hurts everyone involved. If there are children, it can be even worse. Why does cheating happen? Sometimes when couples drift apart and can no longer share the intimacy they want, it happens. In this romance, it is debatable if Jolie and Carson are cheating. In the strictest sense of the concept, yes. Why? Because they are sharing at a level that involves their emotion at an intimacy level much deeper than with their spouse. By the loosest definition, they have not because they didn't have physical relations with each other.
What I liked about this story is seeing the progression of how Jolie and Carson started to become friends and then something more. What I never understood was what happened from their spouses' perspective. It is sad and heartbreaking as Carson reminisces how much in love he is with his wife, Gina. Carson's memories and continued devotion to his wife only make the inevitable even more painful to witness. Jolie's relationship with her husband is similar. For some reason which is never revealed, he forgets about her and leaves her as a true trophy wife at home. Jolie is not a female I can ever relate to... the number of vices she possesses and the sheer lack of motivation are anathema to me. I relate more to Carson.
What I like about Jolie and Carson is that they bring out the best in each other. Instead of the toxic relationship they are in with their spouses, their interactions seem to be more honest. Jolie is young and Carson's experience helps her grow into something better. There is a lot of angst in their life as well as ill-placed guilt. Jolie's treatment of those she loves and loved is not the best and hopefully she will mature into a more thoughtful person. With Carson guiding her, it may happen.
Even though this is a slow burn, when the two get sexy, they do have fun. It's sweet and sexy. This contemporary romance is recommended to readers who believe that when hope dies, another love can bloom.
* I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book
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