Review by morganaspen -- Lara's Journal by A. Gavazzoni

[morganaspen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Lara's Journal" by A. Gavazzoni.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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In Lara's Journal , A. Gavazzoni has written a phycological thriller filled with romance and erotica, truly a 4 out of 4 . This book is 600 pages that feels more like 200, it captures your interest from the very first page. Not having read the first book of the series, Behind the Door , Gavazzoni still makes this sequel stand on its own, she has done an absolute fabulous job.

The very first scene describes a detailed encounter of a woman drunk and hooking up with a man in a bar. This mans' antics throughout the book do help to lighten the mood but Simone's love affair with him is short-lived as she realizes he is not the man she wants. Shortly into the novel, a client of Simone's asks her to read the journals he found of his troubled dead lover, Lara. While reading the heartbreaking account of what Lara had been through as a young teen and woman, Simone, a sex therapist, analyzes the journals in order to help her client process the information.

In Lara's journals, Simone discovers that she had endured molestation, betrayal, alcohol abuse, love and ultimately heartbreak. As the novel continues, Simone's life begins to take on a suspenseful path of its own. A psychopath is killing her patients and she has a stalker. Simone finds some solace in her increasingly depressing and whirl-wind life though, as she realizes she may have feelings for a close friend.

Gavazzoni knows how to make her readers relate to the very real characters and storylines she has created through the constant plot twist and turns. Lara's Journal , is by no means a simple suspenseful romance novel, as Simone and Lara's sexual encounters are described in great detail. Even though most of Lara's encounters are of abuse, Gavazzoni writes them so that the readers understand the life of the victim. Lara enjoyed sex and attention, even though she hated her abuser. Gavazzoni helps us see that victims can miss their abusers and through Lara's story, Gavazzoni allows every victim of long term abuse to know they aren't alone in their feelings.

Anyone that cannot handle or does not enjoy reading erotica should not read this book. Those that cannot handle a blatant and unapologetic account of abuse also should also not read this series. The only negative thing I have to say about the entire book is the sudden stop in the storylines of Armando (Simone's lover) and the secretary, but in comparison to the novel as a whole and the other complicated charter developements, it is a fairly minor detail.

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Lara's Journal
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[Rupali Mishra]

I am grateful. Reading your review was enjoyable.