Book Review ~ The Perfect Affair by Claire Dyer

Quercus

How wrong is it to love someone you shouldn’t?

How right is it to stay after love has gone?

In the time it took to reach the end of the first page of The Perfect Affair, I knew that I was reading a story I always wanted to read. By the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I was completely enamoured by the story of Eve and Myles. And as the story progressed, I shared their dilemma; I rejoiced in their obvious delight in each other and empathised with their overwhelming fear that what they felt was somehow lessened because of circumstances. The parallel affair between Rose and Henry is interwoven into the story with consummate ease and is no less powerful for being told in a series of flashbacks. The transition between the time frames is flawless, the prose is lyrical, almost poetic in places, and the development of the characters with all their faults and foibles is achieved in a sympathetic and non-judgmental way.

It would be easy to say that writers of words make stories but they don’t, not really, as anyone can string words together, but words only become stories in the hands of a true storyteller. Only a magician of words can take and mold a story into something special and believable and only a talented writer can take a story, a set of characters and make the reader truly believe in what they are reading.

That lovely phrase about fairies springs to mind...if you believe in fairies, clap your hands...well, here’s a new one, if you believe in storytellers, read this book....

About the Author

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