Review by mphelp2 -- Lost and Love: Thailand (Book One o...
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mphelp2
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Review by mphelp2 -- Lost and Love: Thailand (Book One o...
[Following is a volunteer review of "Lost and Love: Thailand (Book One of the Lost and Love Series)" by Stella Knights.]
4 out of 4 stars
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How much of yourself can you compromise before you’ve finally had enough? This seems to be the question plaguing Savannah, the twenty-something narrator of Lost and Love: Thailand. Through this character, author Stella Knights navigates themes like heartbreak, failing marriages, and self-discovery. The novel is romantic, and I would definitely say that it qualifies as an erotic piece; however, sexual themes aside, this story goes beyond basic love-triangle drama and delves into the world of self-care, personal growth, and ever-changing, dynamic human relationships. For these reasons, I would give this novel 4 stars out of 4 stars.
At first, I was unsure if Knights would be able to guide her narrator through any sort of character growth. Savannah comes off as strong-willed but is resigned to her hand in life. She deals with her boring job, her passionless husband, and her lacking social life, all because she is drowning in insecurities about her self-worth. Savannah and her husband, Johnny, used to be incredibly passionate and inseparable. Almost a decade after marriage, however, things both inside of the bedroom and out have seemed to cool off. Savannah is desperate to regain the passion she once had with her husband. Beyond this surface-level drama, Knights made her main character seem real and dynamic, changing and growing to match the situations she was being thrown through. The reader gets pieces of information about Savannah's past; she used to be a sorority girl in college, she's an ex-pat American living in Australia, she used to live a more wild lifestyle. Honestly, I loved the bits and pieces that were given about her because it contrasted nicely with the pain that Savannah was going through as she struggled to find herself again. This was more than just erotica, though there's plenty of that.
Moreover, I love how Knights creates this story of lost-and-found love while maintaining strong female characters that are able to exist as more than just the sex they have and the husbands that they want to keep. Pam, for example, Savannah's best friend, radiates confidence and strength and acts as a guide for Savannah. Pam is sexually adventurous but also solid and wise, and together the women determine what they need out of life, and that is not just living solely for their husbands. Even though Savannah is heterosexual and finds her drama revolving around the men in her life, she is not reduced to an object in bed (well, maybe she is by her boring husband, but the point stands that she overcomes this and can eventually rediscover herself).
To avoid spoilers, I won't go into explicit detail about the breaking point in Savannah and Johnny's struggling relationship. Stella Knights does a wonderful job of building the tension between them until the relationship can no longer function. Knights also introduces a new love interest for Savannah, but brilliantly avoids a story where Savannah's whole life simply switches from living for one man to another. What I am trying to emphasize with this review is that Savannah is a whole character. Yes, she does obsess and worry about her marriage, and her sex life, and her husband, but Knights writes these worries in such a realistic way that the audience can only empathize with Savannah and her plights. Furthermore, the other characters show changing emotions. This novel is not monotonous and it does not stagnate.
Overall, I think that this story was a wonderful read. It is a very explicit novel with many sex scenes and dialogue riddled with profanity, but that doesn't detract from the story being told, as long as the reader is mature enough to see beyond the sex. Knights' writing is strong, as I found very few errors throughout her novel and she also creates beautiful imagery with her words. This novel should be read by women everywhere, even if they are not struggling with a relationship. The characters go through a surprising amount of growth and the audience can take away a life lesson about living for yourself and not for other people. I was left wanting to read more about Savannah's life, especially given the cliffhanger the novel left off on. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
******
Lost and Love: Thailand (Book One of the Lost and Love Series)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
4 out of 4 stars
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How much of yourself can you compromise before you’ve finally had enough? This seems to be the question plaguing Savannah, the twenty-something narrator of Lost and Love: Thailand. Through this character, author Stella Knights navigates themes like heartbreak, failing marriages, and self-discovery. The novel is romantic, and I would definitely say that it qualifies as an erotic piece; however, sexual themes aside, this story goes beyond basic love-triangle drama and delves into the world of self-care, personal growth, and ever-changing, dynamic human relationships. For these reasons, I would give this novel 4 stars out of 4 stars.
At first, I was unsure if Knights would be able to guide her narrator through any sort of character growth. Savannah comes off as strong-willed but is resigned to her hand in life. She deals with her boring job, her passionless husband, and her lacking social life, all because she is drowning in insecurities about her self-worth. Savannah and her husband, Johnny, used to be incredibly passionate and inseparable. Almost a decade after marriage, however, things both inside of the bedroom and out have seemed to cool off. Savannah is desperate to regain the passion she once had with her husband. Beyond this surface-level drama, Knights made her main character seem real and dynamic, changing and growing to match the situations she was being thrown through. The reader gets pieces of information about Savannah's past; she used to be a sorority girl in college, she's an ex-pat American living in Australia, she used to live a more wild lifestyle. Honestly, I loved the bits and pieces that were given about her because it contrasted nicely with the pain that Savannah was going through as she struggled to find herself again. This was more than just erotica, though there's plenty of that.
Moreover, I love how Knights creates this story of lost-and-found love while maintaining strong female characters that are able to exist as more than just the sex they have and the husbands that they want to keep. Pam, for example, Savannah's best friend, radiates confidence and strength and acts as a guide for Savannah. Pam is sexually adventurous but also solid and wise, and together the women determine what they need out of life, and that is not just living solely for their husbands. Even though Savannah is heterosexual and finds her drama revolving around the men in her life, she is not reduced to an object in bed (well, maybe she is by her boring husband, but the point stands that she overcomes this and can eventually rediscover herself).
To avoid spoilers, I won't go into explicit detail about the breaking point in Savannah and Johnny's struggling relationship. Stella Knights does a wonderful job of building the tension between them until the relationship can no longer function. Knights also introduces a new love interest for Savannah, but brilliantly avoids a story where Savannah's whole life simply switches from living for one man to another. What I am trying to emphasize with this review is that Savannah is a whole character. Yes, she does obsess and worry about her marriage, and her sex life, and her husband, but Knights writes these worries in such a realistic way that the audience can only empathize with Savannah and her plights. Furthermore, the other characters show changing emotions. This novel is not monotonous and it does not stagnate.
Overall, I think that this story was a wonderful read. It is a very explicit novel with many sex scenes and dialogue riddled with profanity, but that doesn't detract from the story being told, as long as the reader is mature enough to see beyond the sex. Knights' writing is strong, as I found very few errors throughout her novel and she also creates beautiful imagery with her words. This novel should be read by women everywhere, even if they are not struggling with a relationship. The characters go through a surprising amount of growth and the audience can take away a life lesson about living for yourself and not for other people. I was left wanting to read more about Savannah's life, especially given the cliffhanger the novel left off on. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
******
Lost and Love: Thailand (Book One of the Lost and Love Series)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Latest Review: And Throw Away The Skins by Scott Archer Jones
