Alter
by Lilliana Anderson
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Published: May 16th 2013
Format Acquired: ARC from author in exchange for an honest review
Purchase: Smashwords | Amazon
During a routine meeting to discuss the welfare of one of her students, Mia is introduced to Dr Cayd Donnelly, a man so devastatingly attractive that she almost forgot to say no when he asked her out - despite her loyalty to her long term boyfriend, Eric.
Shortly after, the usually predictable Mia becomes anything but. The change in her behaviour delights Eric, but concerns her best friend Louise when she stops signing while they talk.
After a month of worry and frustration, Mia finally seeks professional help in a bid to discover why she is missing chunks of her memory.
From there, she discovers something about herself that is so life altering, things will never be the same for Mia again...
No matter how many times I try, I couldn't figure out a way to review Alter properly. There's so many things that I could say that might spoil the reading experience for you. But for the sake of future readers, I will do my best to not mention anything about the storyline itself. *breathes* Okay, here we go.
Lilliana Anderson has shown yet again that she can create characters who can make their way into the readers' hearts effortlessly. The story revolved around Mia, Eric and Cayd - three people who had their lives turned upside down because of one life altering revelation.
Mia Smyth, like Anderson's other female protagonists, is strong and independent (and tall, let's not forget tall). But what I think sets her apart is her ability to speak in sign language. This isn't just some ability that she can brag about on her resume; it's something that makes her who she is. Mia teaches deaf students and she takes her work very seriously. Her passion for teaching shows just how big her heart is. I liked Mia, though at the beginning I had a hard time connecting with her, but I liked her nonetheless.
You know what I also liked? Eric. Eric with Mia. What I liked about their relationship was how light and loving it was. Nothing fancy, nothing big, nothing dramatic (in the beginning, that is). It was simply them, loving each other. It was love in the most uncomplicated form and I appreciated it greatly. It was through their relationship that I saw what kind of person Eric was. He's hot and sweet and all that but what won me over was how easy going Eric was. I didn't think it would be possible to find a guy so swoon-worthy just because of light he was but it totally is! However, things took a 180 when Mia met Dr. Cayd Donnelly.
Now before you start thinking Cayd is a homewrecker and Mia allowed it, let me tell you, it wasn't like that at all. I can only say so much and it hurts like hell. But I will say this much: there's no competition between Cayd and Eric because they're both equally great guys. And I felt torn as I was reading. Inasmuch as Eric was lovable, I fell for Cayd as well... harder, even. (I talk about them like real guys. Thanks a lot, Lilli) He had so much fire in him and it only showed how much he loves Mia. He fell for her instantly and it wasn't anything shallow or unreasonable. I think given the circumstances, it was the most natural thing that could happen.
Perhaps the only thing that I didn't like was the writing. It wasn't horrible, really. In fact, I have a love/hate relationship with it. I didn't like the third person POV that didn't focus on the main character. It felt like watching a movie where you can see what everyone's doing or feeling. It took a few chapters for me to get used to it! I know, I know... it's just me and my obvious preference for the first person POV. I also thought the pacing could've gone slower in the beginning because really, I couldn't say anything about what happens after the 20% mark on my Kindle app. What won me over, however, was how much insight I got from the characters without using lengthy paragraphs to express that. I felt my heart ache (seriously, painful stuff that was) but eventually I got what I wanted and I wasn't so bummed out anymore. I love that Alter was able to make me feel what the characters were feeling. I always expect that from a book and I got it.
You know what I also liked? Eric. Eric with Mia. What I liked about their relationship was how light and loving it was. Nothing fancy, nothing big, nothing dramatic (in the beginning, that is). It was simply them, loving each other. It was love in the most uncomplicated form and I appreciated it greatly. It was through their relationship that I saw what kind of person Eric was. He's hot and sweet and all that but what won me over was how easy going Eric was. I didn't think it would be possible to find a guy so swoon-worthy just because of light he was but it totally is! However, things took a 180 when Mia met Dr. Cayd Donnelly.
Now before you start thinking Cayd is a homewrecker and Mia allowed it, let me tell you, it wasn't like that at all. I can only say so much and it hurts like hell. But I will say this much: there's no competition between Cayd and Eric because they're both equally great guys. And I felt torn as I was reading. Inasmuch as Eric was lovable, I fell for Cayd as well... harder, even. (I talk about them like real guys. Thanks a lot, Lilli) He had so much fire in him and it only showed how much he loves Mia. He fell for her instantly and it wasn't anything shallow or unreasonable. I think given the circumstances, it was the most natural thing that could happen.
Perhaps the only thing that I didn't like was the writing. It wasn't horrible, really. In fact, I have a love/hate relationship with it. I didn't like the third person POV that didn't focus on the main character. It felt like watching a movie where you can see what everyone's doing or feeling. It took a few chapters for me to get used to it! I know, I know... it's just me and my obvious preference for the first person POV. I also thought the pacing could've gone slower in the beginning because really, I couldn't say anything about what happens after the 20% mark on my Kindle app. What won me over, however, was how much insight I got from the characters without using lengthy paragraphs to express that. I felt my heart ache (seriously, painful stuff that was) but eventually I got what I wanted and I wasn't so bummed out anymore. I love that Alter was able to make me feel what the characters were feeling. I always expect that from a book and I got it.
Alter brings a lot to the table: an electrifying romance, a lovable set of characters and one hell of a plot twist. A plot twist that I couldn't even talk about in any way because I want you all to see for yourself. It had me up late at night, guessing and wanting more. And I just know it'll do the same to you.
My Rating
(Refer to rating system)
About the author
Lilliana Anderson
Australian born and bred, Lilliana Anderson has always loved to read and write considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer. Besides writing Angelien's biographical trilogy, she also writes contemporary romance and drama all based around Aussie characters.
When she isn't writing she is a wife, and a mother to four children. She has worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities before transferring to commerce/law at university.
She currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Thank you Sab! You did a great job leaving out spoilers!
ReplyDelete<3 thanks Lilli!
DeleteThat sounds really interesting, I'm so curious to know what happened!
ReplyDeleteBookishTrish @ Between the Lines
It is! Get it! Get the book and find out! :D
Delete