| Title | : | My Time in the Affair |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 292 |
| Publication | : | First published April 12, 2015 |
I made a conscious decision to cheat on my husband.
Now, before you judge me, hear my story. Hear how much I'm like you, how similar my thoughts are to your own. Yes, I'm a horrible person. Yes, I've done horrible things. Yes, I don't deserve forgiveness. Yes, bad things happened because of my actions.
But I'm willing to bet I've done things that maybe, just maybe, you have thought of doing.
Maybe, just maybe, you're not as innocent as you'd like to think.
Or maybe I'm not so guilty ...
Full Length Standalone Novel, 85,000+ words
My Time in the Affair Reviews
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★★★★ ½! My Time in the Affair (stand-alone). A candid look into a woman’s affair, the circumstances leading up to it & the aftermath!
“It felt like his dick brushed against the base of her brain. Interfering with basic thought process.”
Before I get started on my review. This, as clarified in blurb, is a story about an affair. Do read this book if you are interested in Mischa’s journey, but if the aspect of an affair troubles you this might not be for you.
My Time in the Affair (stand-alone) is insurance agent Mischa Rapaport, Misch’s story spanning a year starting with her having come to the decision to have an one-night-stand, the events surrounding it and the aftermath of her choice.
Having married her boyfriend at age nineteen, in the near decade that followed they settled into a comfortable friendship, but the romance stagnated with months of no sex and a husband opposed to counseling. So Mischa decided she would have an one-night stand.
The perfect opportunity has arisen with her insurance agency opening up an office in Rome and her being selected as part of the team. But once in Rome it proves difficult to engage in seductive flirting until one night she encounters the mysterious ex-military, Tal Canaan.
She wanted a one-night stand but got so much more, good and bad.
After a night of mind-blowing sex, a weak-kneed Mischa attempts to return to her life. But fate wouldn’t have it. Instead she embarks on whirlwind affair with dire consequences as nearly everything in life comes at a price…
“She’d never had sex like that, never been fucked like that before. It was scary and amazing and so much more than anything she’d ever expected.?”
Tal Canaan is palpable (like you could meet a man like him) yet a larger-than-life personality. Nine words to describe Tal: Secretive, charming, sexual, commanding, challenging, persuasive, adventurous, enigmatic and fearless.
Mischa Rapaport, Misch started off as a 3.5 star heroine for me. She was wishy-washy, insecure and meek. But…. this is HER journey of self-discovery and growth and in the end I had a 4.5 star heroine; a woman who grew into her own, made decisions, dealt with consequences, took risks and embraced life.
My Time in the Affair, told mostly from Mischa’s POV, is a candid look into an affair taking us on sky-high ups and rock-bottom lows. Both tangible and angsty it deals with how her decision affects her and the people around her.
Story is a nail biter all the way to ending and epilogue. I am content with outcome yet I’d welcome an epilogue further into the future.
Spell-binding story-telling! Thought-provoking and angsty plot! A to-die-for hero! Gutsy Stylo! I predict this story will stay with you!
“Come find me…”
***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 3.5-4.5 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 5 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 4.5 stars
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): N/A. ARC
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Overall rating: 4.5 stars
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
ARC provided to me by author Stylo Fantôme in exchange for an honest review. -
4.5 stars!
I was a little nervous about starting this book. Cheating in books isn’t a complete deal breaker for me. I know it happens in real life, it’s messy, but sometimes it’s real. That being said, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a heroine who went out of her way to cheat on her husband. I mean, why not just leave? I’m not condoning anything our Mischa did, but I did understand her and relate to her much more than I thought was possible.
I made a conscious decision to cheat on my husband.
Mischa is not happy. She married her best friend years ago, but she’s not in love with him anymore. She’s not sure if she ever was. After much deliberation, she decides to do it. To have one night with a stranger. It’s been so long since she’s been wanted, been desired. She needs that.
While in Italy for work, she meets Tal. Tal is handsome, charming and mysterious. She is drawn to him. They have one explosive night and it’s better than she ever imagined it could be. One time between these two just isn’t enough. They know nothing can ever come of this affair. Tal travels for work and his job is unpredictable. Mischa will be going back to the states soon enough. But there is fire between them, intense chemistry. It quickly becomes more than just sex. And that’s a scary thing for them both.
Something about this woman. She makes me want more. All of her. All the time.
I wanted him to save me. I wanted to be baptized in his skin, purified in his love. I was a sinner, or worse. I wanted him to make me whole. I wanted him to take away the pain and the guilt and the hurt and the wrong. I was blinded by him, with him, to him. I wanted him to save me.
As I said before, nothing surprised me more about this story than the way I actually liked and connected with the main character. She made some bad choices, but it was coming from a place of desperation, and even a place of love in a way. She didn’t want anyone to get hurt. She wasn’t going out to destroy anyone or anything. She felt trapped. She didn’t want to hurt the man she loved. But she had to do something.
Tal is sexy. He’s fun and likable. There are really no ‘bad people’ in this book. Just people who made bad choices. Tal and Mischa didn’t go out to hurt anyone and they didn’t try to fall in love… even though it happened.
My Time in the Affair is an engaging, entertaining, heartbreakingly beautiful tale of an imperfect woman who’s finding her way in life. It does have romance, some mystery and is an emotional read. Obviously, if you don’t like reading about cheating, this may not be the book for you. It’s so beautifully written and the story itself isn’t quite what you’d think.
“Falling for you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”
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I waited a long time do this review … mainly because I had no clue what I wanted to say. I still don't. Just gonna wing this.
Yes, I wrote a book about cheating. I didn't want to. I resisted for a long time, because I knew it would upset people. I knew there would be people who would flat out refuse to buy it. I knew there would be people who would comment, review, and rate without reading, purely based on their dislike of cheating. Which I get, I totally understand, it's a very touchy subject. Hence why I didn't want to write it.
But it wouldn't go away. I worked on other stories, and this idea kept circling back - ”why aren't there any books on cheating from a 'real' perspective?”. No nefarious, bad man luring the good woman away; no evil, vile husband she must escape from – just a woman who is married who makes a terrible decision, the way I'm sure it actually goes down, more often than not.
I decided to give it a try – not like I have to finish it or publish it, right? But two weeks later, I had 80,000 words and a rough draft of this book, and I knew it was my next publish.
I had no clue how this story was going to go – I didn't intend for it to be deep, or emotional. I didn't intend for it to strike the chord it did. I never expected it to get the reaction it has gotten, that has blown my mind. I just had a story I wanted to put down.
I know this story upsets people – fiction has a way of striking peoples hearts in ways even reality can't sometimes, which is both beautiful and awful. This book isn't an advocacy manual on “why you should cheat on your spouse!”, it's just a story, about a woman, who makes a decision, and what happens because of that decision. A book. Another awesome author said to me, “everyone sees cheating as so black and white … this story gives it shades of gray.”
I like that. I hope you like Mischa. I hope you like Tal. I hope you like the kind of grays I have to give.
And I hope that anyone who has ever felt bad for feeling a way they know they shouldn't – I hope you keep that in mind while reading this book, and know that no matter what, I wouldn't judge you. I wouldn't judge your journey. And no one else should, either. -
5 Exquisite Stars
Let's get this over with- this book is about cheating. It you have issues with it then don't read it. If you believe that the world is perfect, humans don't make mistakes and love is flawless- don't read this book. If you can't forgive, then don't read this book. This book is human, it's raw, it's real, and it's beautiful. The subject is never easy but life is never easy. Things don't always go like you plan. But things do happen for a reason, and sometimes it's ugly, painful, and sad. But in the end, maybe it had to happen for the good, the beautiful and the happiness to return.
This book seemed very straight forward -it's about a woman named Mischa who decided to cheat. But there was so much more to this story. There were some twists and turns that really made the story all the more interesting. This story took place in Rome, Positano and Istanbul. Away from her reality and away from anyone she really knew. In my own opinion, Mischa was always remorseful about her cheating/her affair. But meeting Tal awakened something in her. He was tall, dark and handsome and he rescued her. He was just there at the right time and right place. From the beginning there was an attraction. They were so easy together but there was always "the husband" between them. But as they spent more time together, something changed. It wasn't supposed to change them. Their time together was just to be "their time" together with nothing expected from either. They would each go their own way.......but Tal was a man that Mischa could not resist.
And Tal found himself fixated on this married woman. This woman who craved to be touched as much as he craved to touch her. Their journey in the affair took them to a place of guilt, sadness, lust, desire, longing, relief, happiness and......
It was not an easy road that Mischa took. I didn't need to judge her for she judged herself throughout. She wasn't flippant about her situation. She owned it and eventually did the right thing. I was able to feel Mischa's thoughts because the author did an extraordinary job of portraying the characters wants, needs and desires. Mischa's journey was thought provoking, heartfelt, and full of sadness, but also full of sensuality, awakening and love. Tal was Mischa's wild card. Sometimes life throws you a wild card and it's up to you if you play it or not. He was mysterious but I never doubted his feeling for Mischa. Fate brought them together; it was up to them to figure it out. Could they survive the lies and deceit? Could they overlook their past.....
This book is a standalone, but I hope the author gives us a novella into the future (hint hint hint Stylo). I'm sorry that we readers are never happy to just close a book and move on. When characters move us, it's right to want a little more of them. In closing, I can honestly say that I thought this book was beautiful in every way imaginable. I know that seems odd when discussing cheating but the author's storytelling won me over. I believe that she will win you over as well.
ARC graciously given by author in exchange for an honest review. -
4.5 Stars
Sometimes marrying your best friend doesn't lead to an epic love story. Sometimes 'friendly' feelings greatly outweigh 'romantic' feelings. What happens when you find yourself married to a wonderful man, a man you love, but the spark is gone, and the distance grows greater everyday...
”Worse than falling in love. Worse than hating someone. Falling out of love was much, much harder.”
Mischa has tried to talk to her husband, tried to find a solution, but he refuses to acknowledge the problem. So when Mischa gets the opportunity to travel overseas for work, she takes it. And she plans to cheat on her husband. Planing and following through are two different things, though. Each time an opportunity presents itself, she chickens out, until she meets Tal. Tal is tall, dark and handsome, mysterious and sexy, and resistance is futile. Things heat up quickly.
Mischa finds herself extremely conflicted, her night with Tal was better than she ever imagined, but she is overwhelmed with guilt. She tries to move forward and leave Tal behind, but she just can't let him go.
I know cheating is a hard limit for lots of readers, but honestly, it happens. Are Mischa and Tal terrible people? No, they are human. They are flawed and yes they make bad decisions, but we all do. My Time in the Affair was an beautifully written, emotional journey, with a few twist along the way, that had me completely captivated. -
4.5 ”Come Find Me” Stars
”All the days. All those moments between those seconds. Timeless. Their love would always be alive; a living, beating heart, but just caught in the moment. Caught in their time. Maybe that’s all they were. Just a time in love. Just a time in an affair.”
This is the story of a wife who married her best friend and no matter how hard she tries the spark and “in love” feelings are simply gone.
”Worse than falling in love. Worse than hating someone. Falling out of love was much, much harder.”
Misch’s job offers her the opportunity to travel to Italy and so she takes it seeking time apart from her husband and the opportunity to have just one night with another man and then return to her husband without anyone knowing. The author expertly writes Misch’s feelings to the degree that she is a relatable and likable character.
When approached by foreign men she’s pretty much turned off by her own plan idea until Tal Canaan enters the picture. Tal was a terrific character, a man of mystery, sexy, blunt and commanding. The one night turns into many nights…
”They have a word especially for people like me,” Tal said softly, reaching out and wiping her tears away.
“And what word is that?”
“Lover.”
”She’d gone to Italy thinking she would cheat on her husband. She had never counted on finding someone like Tal. Love wasn’t part of the equation, was a foreign feeling. She hadn’t wanted it, hadn’t been looking for it. But it seemed to have found her.”
Misch’s husband, Michael meets up with her and she decides it’s time to end her marriage and this scene was crazy intense.
Tal has very strong feelings for his Dancer Lady but hasn’t been completely honest with her and so the story takes a few creative twists and turns.
This was a highly entertaining story that was well written and interestingly executed with just the right amount of steam, heartbreak, love and mystery.
”After Tal found me, I couldn’t let him go. I didn’t want to be lost anymore.”
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DNF
It's cliche to say, but this is definitely a 'it's not you, it's me' situation. I'm positive fans of this author along with readers ready for some angst will enjoy it. My main reason for shelving it away is because of the dull writing (IMO) that made me feel like the heroine was lecturing me and feeding me reasons why infidelity can be a good thing for her. No judgment from me, and I actually don't mind cheating if the story is written well, but since I have trouble with this author's writing style, I doubt it'll end well for me.
Also,
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. -
"I had planned on cheating on my husband.
I had never planned on having an affair."
Mischa is a young married woman who seems to be frustrated by the lack of interest by her husband. No matter the approach Mike doesn't seem to think that they should attend therapy , denying that they have problems in their marriage. They are back to being best friends instead of lovers.
Mischa has to travel overseas with her boss since they open new offices in Italy, Turkey and Armenia. She takes advantage of this trip to finally get it out of her system and have sex with a stranger. She just wants to feel wanted, desired, since her husband has ignored his role for a long time now.
"He'll never know. He'll never find out. My heart can still belong to him - that's all that counts, right?"
There she meets Tal. Tal is everything she needed. A sexy, dark, mysterious alpha man who makes her feel wanted. But things seem to get complicateed when fate makes them meet again and him pursuing her after their one night stand. But things won't stop being complicated there. With Tal's job being a mystery, nothing will stay a secret forever and things will slowly get unraveled and Mischa will need to take crucial decisions..
I truly enjoyed this one. This was my first book by
Stylo Fantome and I have already her Kane trilogy so I'm really looking forward to reading these books as well. Loved the writing, I noticed many people had mentioned the 3POV issue, but this was no issue to me at all. Of course I do believe that since she had taken the decision to cheat on her husband, she should have told him and break it off right then and there, but that was the purpose of this story. To show you Mischa's journey and how easy or not it was for her and if she would have changed things, if she regrets the way these events took place in her life. Besides, we all make mistakes, we're humans, after all.
"Never forget. Always remember. And when you do remember, when you're ready... come find me."
If you can tolerate cheating in books, then I definitely recommend this story to you. A steamy story with a little bit of suspense and mystery and maybe even adventure, that will travel you in beautiful places such as Rome, Positano, etc. It's certainly not an easy and light read, but it's so worth it if you're into a serious kind of reading.
Arc kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. -
Live on AMAZON!
http://amzn.to/1JI8HaE
I fell in love with Stylo’s writing style when I met Jameson Kane. Her writing is bold and she doesn’t take any prisoners. Naturally when I saw she was publishing another book I had to read it. My Time in the Affair is so different from her other series, but I loved it just the same.
Misch and Michael have been married for eight years. They are best friends, but there is no heat or chemistry between them. When we first meet Misch she is struggling with her feelings, or lack there of, for her husband. They are just going through the motions together and she desires to have more, even if only for a moment.
Misch is scheduled to spend the next two months in Europe for work. She decides this will be the time she cheats. It will be a one time thing, get it out of her system and then come back home to her husband. From the moment she meets Tal Canaan nothing goes according to plan.
The decision had been made, she’d had no say in it. Resistance was futile. Tal had flipped a switch, and she was revved up and pointed in one direction. His direction.
Tal is in Europe for work when he runs into Misch. She is being harassed by a local guy and he comes to her rescue. From there the two talk, flirt and get to know each other. He knows Misch is married, but he isn’t looking for more anyways.
Misch has done what she planned to do, she had one passionate night with a stranger. She enjoyed it way more than she thought she would, but now comes the guilt and regret. She decides she is done and moves on, but quickly learns she can’t fully move on from how alive Tal made her feel.
My Time in the Affair was such an emotional read for me. Misch is like so many women I know and so easy to relate to. She isn’t a bad person or promiscuous, but she made a bad decision. This decision spurred other events and set forth a chain of events that will forever change her.
I love books that make me feel and from the moment I started this one I had the feels. I felt for Misch. I felt for how her life had went versus what she expected. She never wanted to be this woman, the kind that cheats, but she was at the end of her rope. Despite all her flaws I love Misch. I love that she was real and honest, even when the truth was ugly.
Tal was such a fantastic hero. He is sexy, dominate and unexpectedly sweet. He had never had a relationship before, but he knew there was something in Misch he couldn’t let go of. He was protective, loving and the perfect amount of possessive.
My Time in the Affair is beautifully written, but it isn’t a pretty story. It is an emotional tale that will have your heart breaking for the characters. In the end, I loved this story. I enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns, and how things played out in the end. I love the chemistry between between Tal and Misch how their relationship develops. I highly recommend this one, if you are looking for a unique love story, with lots of heart, steam and even a bit of mystery.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
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“Never forget. Always remember. And when you do remember, when you're ready … come find me.”
When I first read the blurb I didn’t expect too much or some deep story in here because we know she’s gonna cheat her husband, she’s the bad person in here etc but when I read Mischa’s words, what she felt and why she will cheat her husband hmm I think I understand her struggle. There was a really good reason why she was feeling alone in that marriage… And don’t get me wrong pls, of course cheating is so wrong and I wouldn’t say that if I was her I’d do the same thing or even maybe think to cheat my husband but we’re human and always so easy to judge that person from the outside without knowing what she/he felt… So I suggest to read this book with open mind and then you’ll see there are great story in here... And even more than cheating there are also a lot of mystery to like who is Tal? What is he doing for living? And when you find out who really he is, wow just like me you’ll surprise too!
So I hope you won't judge this book before you read it and I hope you give a chance to find out the truth! :)
Ps. Dilek, thank you so much for the recommendation darling. <3 -
4.5 "Come find me" STARS
This was my first read from Stylo Fantome and I went in with trepidation...I'm not a fan of books about cheating. It doesn't mean I won't read the book but it usually counts as a negative when going in. I have to say, that there were so many positives about this book that the negative simply didn't count.
"I made a conscious decision to cheat on my husband. I can't say that it went well. It certainly didn't go according to plan. If I could do it over, I would have done things differently."
Yes, this is a highly sexual and sizzling story with unrelenting passion and turmoil between Mischa and her lover, Tal. My emotions were all over the place with butterflies, giggles, tears, worry and dread.
It's not hard to understand why Mischa has an affair with Tal. He's irresistible. Tal's sexy, confident, arrogant, dirty-talker, funny and pushes Mischa outside of her comfort zone in the best way possible.
“Something about this woman. She makes me want more. All of her. All the time.”
Despite Mischa's bad decisions, I liked her. I didn't always agree with her but, I could relate and at times, sympathize.
“I was drunk on him. High on him. I wanted to swallow him down, inhale him, inject him. I wanted him to live under my skin and change my DNA. I wanted to live in his air and breathe his passion.”
I highly recommend this book. It's not what you'd expect. It's beautifully written with flawed yet likable characters and a multi-faceted story that will take your emotions on ride. My advice would be to sit back, hang on and enjoy!
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3 STARS! ★★★
This will be a quick review from me because I don't want to dwell on it too much. The blurb itself pretty much captures the entire gist of the story and it's indeed written in 3rd person POV (although it becomes dual POV at one point). That being said, I went into this knowing both of the points above but somehow it still missed the mark for me :(
Firstly, I have nothing against stories which touches on infidelity granted that it's written well with strong justification but personally I wasn't completely sold by Mischa's reasoning here to enter into one. . Perhaps I went into the read hoping for a stronger conviction from Mischa but instead it led me into feeling rather underwhelmed when I found out what drove her into one.
Which also brings to my second point that is the 3rd POV writing which had me struggling to connect with both characters, mainly the heroine on a personal level. This added on with Mischa who came off rather whiny at first about her current marriage crisis proved to be quite a turn-off for me a few times. I felt like I was continuously being fed with the idea that it was okay for her to commit an affair rather than letting me decide or empathize with her instead. However as a reader who isn't a fan of the 3rd POV style writing in general, I still thought the author did a decent job as an overall with her storytelling.
In the end, I was left feeling very neutral about this one; I didn't hate it but it didn't blow me away at all either. I'd say it's very much likely a case of personal preference that it didn't hit the right buttons for me but don't let my opinion deter you from trying this one :) I believe fans of this author who have been familiar with her writing & have enjoyed her previous work in the past could very much enjoy this seeing how it's different from her usual genre.
My Time in the Affair is a standalone adult contemporary romance read.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. -
3.5 Stars
Overall Opinion: I wasn't sure if I'd like this going in, so I am glad to say that it was better than I thought it would be. BUT, I think it still could've been better. I am weirdly drawn to cheating books because I know that if done well it will tap into my emotions and there will be some good angst, and this didn't disappoint in that way because there was definitely some angst! I was disappointed in how they made the h's husband react and the interaction he has with her at the end . Why?! I think it cheapens the severity of her cheating in a way. While I enjoy book with cheating in them sometimes, I don't think cheating is ever ok! (The only time I've ever condoned cheating is when there is a domestic violence situation going on where the h cannot get out of the relationship-- and we don't have that here) The h knew that too, and that is something I definitely appreciated here -- because she was weighed down by it through the whole book and it felt sincere to me. But why must we make a situation happen to where in hindsight what she did might not be considered so bad? I'm really disappointed in that. The ending was also lackluster for me, but those that know me and my reviews know that I am really picky about what I call a "HEA" -- so that could just be me...
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Mischa and Tal's story. Mischa has given up on her marriage to her best friend and has made a decision that when she travels to Italy for work she will cheat on her husband. She has almost given up the idea of it when she meets Tal. Tal sweeps her up in his mysterious and sexy ways, and they have a ONS. But after a few more encounters the ONS turns into something more and becomes an affair that neither of them wanted but couldn't help from happening. There is some suspense, some angst, some hot sexy times...and they get a HFN ending.
POV: This alternated between focusing on Mischa and Tal in third person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.
Instalove: No. Instalust? Yes.
H rating: 4 stars. Tal. I liked him. He was mysterious, confident, and sexy!
h rating: 3.5 stars. Mischa. I liked her, but there were definitely times where I wanted to shake her too. When she had her regrets and went back to think about what she should have done I completely agreed with her!
Sadness level: Low/moderate. I teared up, but no tissues were needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.
Descriptive sex: Yes
Safe sex: No
OW/OM drama:Yes
Sex scene with OW or OM: Yes
Cheating: Yes
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes
Closure: This had pretty good closure, but I would've loved having a farther glimpse into their future and gotten a HEA! I would call this a HFN ending.
How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.
Safety: This one is probably Not Safe for most safety gang readers -
I would give all the stars in the universe if I could, but 5 stars is the maximum here :)
WARNING: As the title suggests, cheating is involved in this book
But, don't miss it, it is an awesome book, a heart-wrenching & heart-warming story
This was one of the best books I have read in all my life. It is incredibly amazing how skilfully the author deals with cheating, which is really a sensitive subject. The raw honesty in the book makes you understand and sympathize with the heroine.
Cheating, or having an affair while married, is something everyone will disapprove. I don’t like books in which the hero or the heroine cheats and then is forgiven. I hate those stories!
But, this is not one of them. Oh, this is so different, so much more! Believe me...
If there ever is a book about cheating that you might adore, this is it! Take the dare and read it.
It is not cheesy, it does not justify cheating as some people claim.
It is an honest, intense, heartbreaking and painful story of cheating, showing us what may lead to it, how you may end up doing it and how you may feel afterwards. It will tear your heart out. It is such a roller coaster emotional ride.
Well, some people say one should leave the relationship and then start a new affair but life is not so easy all the time; on the other hand, it is complex in its entirety. Not everyone can easily walk away from a marriage if they love their spouse but not feel in love with him/her any more.
Falling out of love
The book starts with a heart-wrenching chapter about falling out of love.
“Worse than falling in love. Worse than hating someone. Falling out of love was much, much harder.”
It is a situation in which you want that person to be still a part of your life, to love you as a person but not to be involved with him/her romantically or sexually any more. It is the worst situation because the person you should leave is not a person you hate. It is easy to walk away from a villain but not from your best friend who you loved and are married to.
The heroine’s journey was the harsh one because of this, because she did not want to hurt her husband. But she was so unhappy. She saw the marriage was no good anymore and for a long time she did her best to fix it. But he pretended that everything was OK saying there was nothing to be fixed. It was not easy for her to make the decision to leave or divorce him so she made another decision, a wrong one: One-night stand to feel something because she was craving for it. But then, she couldn’t dare. She decided not to go with it.
What will happen will happen, no matter what!
And then, call it fate or whatever, he came into the picture, this man who blew her mind away: TAL.
It was not supposed to happen but she fell for him and she fell hard. It was “something that felt so right, even if it was wrong”, as Mischa put it.
“She’d gone to Italy thinking she would cheat on her husband. She had never counted on finding someone like Tal. Love wasn’t part of the equation, was a foreign feeling. She hadn’t wanted it, hadn’t been looking for it. But it seemed to have found her.”
“The decision had been made, she’d had no say in it. Resistance was futile. Tal had flipped a switch, and she was revved up and pointed in one direction. His direction.”
Well, we are humans and this is life... Things like that happen once in a while. We should never judge anyone on the surface but look deep down into the details of their life to understand. When you understand, it is easier to accept and forgive.
People are sometimes weak, sometimes strong. They are sometimes prone to making mistakes.
What makes them redeemable is how they feel during and afterwards. If they feel that was wrong, if they feel guilt and if they feel sorry for the people they hurt even if they didn’t mean to hurt, if they learn from their mistakes and try to make up for them, then they are not that “horrible” even if they did something "wrong".
All that said, I will admit that I loved Mischa, the heroine, and easily connected with her. If you don’t judge her for the sake of judging but open your heart and try to understand her, I am sure you will find a way to relate to her reasons and feel sorry for her, too. I did. I cried for her and with her.
The writer made such a good job at describing what led her to make such a decision and I found myself empathizing with her.
I understood why she wanted to do it, I understood why she chickened out and decided not to do it and I understood why she couldn’t help doing it in the end.
Her feelings for him were huge, undeniable and irresistible.
This is how she felt:
“I wanted him to save me. I wanted to be baptized in his skin, purified in his love. I was a sinner, or worse. I wanted him to make me whole. I wanted him to take away the pain and the guilt and the hurt and the wrong. I was blinded by him, with him, to him. I wanted him to save me.”
***
“I was drunk on him. High on him. I wanted to swallow him down, inhale him, inject him. I wanted him to live under my skin and change my DNA. I wanted to live in his air and breathe his passion.”
“I thought maybe, just maybe, I could overdose on him. If I could just take him one more time, and shut my eyes, and it would be the last time, with anyone, with anything, that would be alright. Guilt would be gone. Hurt would be gone. Confusion would be gone. Oppression would be gone. Obsession would be gone.”
“It hurt. God, it hurt. It hurt so bad. It hurt so much worse. It hurt the most. I hurt and he hurt and we hurt.”
I loved the hero as well. He had this unbelievable faith in their relationship that made me break into tears when he said:
“Never forget us. Always remember. And when you do remember, when you're ready … come find me.”
He did not plan to fall in love with her, he did not need a relationship but it happened anyway.
Here is how he feels:
“What am I doing, chasing a married woman all over Rome? I'm a stupid, stupid man. Only me. I'm the only man on earth who, when I decided to fall for a woman, she's fucking married.”
****
He got eight years with you. Eight years! Eight years to get it right! Eight years of you all to himself! I've only had this time, and all I ever got was half of you – the other half was always with him. Always.”
He did not want to let go, he could not bear the idea of letting her go.
“Somehow, she had managed to stitch her heart to his, and if she pulled away, she would rip his heart out when she left.”
That was a multi-faceted story and in the end, I understood even her husband and his denial of the problems in their marriage. The reasons for his lack of passion in the marriage is a huge spoiler so I should not say it here. First, I was angry with his indifference and selfish behaviors, then angrier with him when he hurt Mischa when she confessed what she did but later I empathized with him as well.
There are actually no bad people in this story, only people who cannot make the right decisions at the right time.
All in all, I loved the story and I cannot recommend this book enough. Actually I fell in love with the book; it was a pure emotional journey for me and my heart was all over the place.
I read it literally non-stop. It was no way in hell to be put aside even when I was eating. I actually devoured it.
This story will stay with me forever... Many thanks to the writer... -
Type: Standalone
POV: Shifting Perspective - Dual POV
Rating:
Mischa Rapaport was tired of her old life. After being with her husband for eight years, the sparks had dimmed considerably. Being married to her best friends sounded like a great idea, but the truth was far from it. She tried to bring the matter to the table, yet he stubbornly refused to acknowledge the issue.
When opportunity knocked on her door, she gladly answered. Her job took her to Italy and she decided, cheating on her husband would be on the agenda.
Tal Canaan, was the tall, dark and handsome stranger who saved her from an aggressive pursuer. But what supposed to be a one night stand with the mysterious man turned out to be something that changed her life.
Let me just start with a statement. I’m the type of reader who poses no boundaries when it comes to my reading materials – so cheating is not a big deal for me.Hard to argue with something that felt so right, even if it was wrong
After reading the author’s acknowledgment, I applaud her decision to write this book. In fact, I applaud any author who dared to write books with high potential of being hated by the masses. Because once you start writing stories that is “not you” just because you’re afraid you’ll lose readers, that’s when you become a fraud and a sellout.
Now, this book was about cheating yes. But it was also about so much more than that. It was about having the guts to make a decision (regardless if it was right or wrong), to stand by it (even if it kills you inside) and to accept the repercussion (and learn from it).
I have to say, I’m definitely smitten by Tal. His dark, mysterious persona alone was enough to set my panties on fire. And every time he said “Come find me.”, I wish I could jump into the book and go find him! Though he was the other man, he certainly wasn’t the villain. Rather, he proved to be quite the opposite.I can do this. I can totally do this. This is who I am now. Bold. Confident. Sexy. Slut-bag.
Mischa was someone I could relate to. Even though I haven’t necessarily experienced the same thing, I could put myself in her shoes. I’m not justifying cheating, but she had valid reasons for doing so. And I know it’s easy to say, “I would rather leave the relationship than cheat”, but it’s not necessarily easy to actually do it. Walking away from what you know and familiar with is never easy even if it’s for the best.
Storywise, when I first started reading, I didn’t expect the story to turn into the direction it did. It was a love story, but there were also other elements in it that made it more exciting.She had run away from her life, and he'd found her.
Maybe he could run away from his secrets, and she'd find him.
As for the POV, I’ve always been a fan of third person POV. However, in the beginning of the book, I had hard time finding the “voice” because it seemed all over the place. I believe it was partly due to the many inner monologues – which can be confusing for a third person POV writing with dual perspectives. But after a few chapters, it did fit better.
I love when stories took me to different exotic places – in this case, Italy and Turkey. I just wish we got more description on the places. Yes, there were descriptions on the places they went to but only of the immediate vicinity. I’d like to see more as a whole. I’m a visual person. When I read, I want to be transported into the character’s world.“Stop. It's done, it's over with. Things are going to be shit for a while, but you're here. With me. We have each other,” he reminded her.
One of my favorite scenes in the book was definitely the confrontation scene with her husband. That was very intense and I could feel his anger and her fear. I also love the scene of the aftermath in the hotel room.
My Life In The Affair may not be a book that appeals to everyone. It was emotional and painful at times, but also sexy and heartwarming. If you get it, you’ll see the beauty in it.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
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THIS WAS SO SURPRISINGLY GOOD. Stories like this can be such a hit or miss for me, but every decision, action, AND mistake that was made in this book just had me completely hooked. I absolutely fell in love with the main characters, and although I honestly don’t like cheating in romance books, I can easily say this is one of the few exceptions. You definitely have to read it to understand, but i’m really happy i decided to pick this one up.
Thank you Stylo Fantôme for never disappointing me...you a real one. -
LIVE - > 99 CENTS - >
http://amzn.to/1xwgaQj
5 I Love this book and YES it has cheating Stars
No, I didn’t get abducted by aliens nor did my brains get eaten by zombies. You are reading this correctly. I am giving a five star rating on a book with cheating. Not just any form of cheating, but in-your-face, I-am-cheating-on-my-husband cheating.
**GASP** So all of you “I don’t read books with cheating” hear me out before you say no.
Yes there is cheating and no the husband isn’t an evil villain that deserves it, BUT the story is really beautiful.
Keep on reading my review… I promise you will be okay.
I can’t relate to the story because I’m completely utterly in love with my husband, BUT I love reading the insights from a woman who isn’t happy with her marriage. I have a few friends that are divorced or wanting to divorce. I could never fully empathize with them, but with My Time in the Affair, I felt for Mischa.
And you will too.
Mischa married her high school sweet heart. They were the perfect couple and only naturally they get married. Years later Mischa doesn’t feel the same towards her husband. People change, lives change and with that people grow apart.
Sure Mischa could have said something, sure she could have left her husband, but it’s never as easy as it seems. Personally I feel like the act of actually getting divorce is NOT as easy as it seems or as we read in books. It’s not like having a boyfriend and just breaking up with them. There are serious consequences to getting a divorce and I completely understand Mischa (even though I’ve never been in that position).
Mischa is stuck in a rut and she has an itch and Tal is the person to scratch that.
Mischa has a conscience. She doesn’t go into the affair lightly. She understands how wrong cheating is and I really enjoyed reading her inner monologue. Tal is a free spirit, aloof and mysterious. I find him sexy and intriguing. I kept wondering what he does for a living and how he spends his days. I loved Tal.And stop thinking you’re a horrible person. You’re not. He’s not. You’re just not in love. That’s not horrible. It’s just sad.
My Time in the Affair doesn’t have much angst and it’s one of the reasons why I really loved it. It was more about the feelings and relationship between Mischa and Tal, than silly stuff. The husband is present in the story and I don’t want to give much away, only that he is not a bad guy, but you won’t pity him or think Mischa is this completely horrible person.
The book shifts a lot and you never know where it’s going. It’s so fast paced and I couldn’t get enough. I was devouring the pages like a mad woman and no one was going to stop me from reading! Stylo never disappointed me.
I was so scared to read this, I actually asked Stylo if I could handle it. She told me I would be fine. And believe or not. I was. I was completely and totally fine. In fact, she opened my eyes to this world. A world with book with cheating and me loving him.
An Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review
AMAZON
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★★★ 3.5 Stars ★★★
Mischa Rapaport has been married to her husband Mike for eight years, they are best friends but the passion just isn't there anymore. Mischa has tried to talk to him about their problems, but he is digging his head in the sand and refuses to believe that their marriage is in trouble.
When Tal Canaan walks into her life, she finds it extremely hard to resist the tall, dark and handsome and mysterious stranger, but how well can she really get to know a man in just a matter of weeks?
This is a story about a woman who consciously decides to have a one night stand whilst working away from home in the beautiful city of Rome, but ends up having a passionate and intense love affair and ends up hurting 3 people, two of which she loves in completely different ways.
_ _ _ _
Stylo Fantome sucks me in every time with her writing, I often find stories told in the third person quite hard to get into but this was not the case at all, it was really easy to immerse myself into this story.
I started off thinking that Mischa was acting really whiny and 'woe is me', but I soon felt myself feeling sorry for her, and although she makes some really bad choices in regards to cheating on her husband, she really does want to do the right thing by him. Unfortunately though, by this point its too late and she has already done the unthinkable.
Tal Caanan starts off being in awe of this beautiful married woman, he doesn't care about the details, he just needs to touch her and be close to her, and when they get together it is extremely intense and powerfully addictive. Who can resisit Tal? He's ex military, mysterious and a dirty talking sex fiend."You're a married woman who, three nights ago, begged me to fuck her.
Several different times.
Mrs. Rapaport, I'm pretty sure you're the definition of a 'slut'."
I really enjoyed it, apart from the ending .
It was an intense read, but I loved seeing Mischa's self discovery, both her pain and her joy. I loved the chemistry between Mischa and Tal, and also her relationship with her father and her best friend. Forgiveness is the theme towards the end of the book."I'm here with you. Be Strong.
If you need me, come find me."
A very realistic and sometimes difficult read, I would recommend this book if you are in the mood for something a bit serious.
Told in the third person dual POV
ARC gratefully received from the author in exchange for an honest review
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This book, right here, is why I adore reading. It gave me everything I want in a book including going from not really liking the characters to warming to them to bloody jumping up and down whilst rooting for them to make it as a couple. Oh the feels.
I wasn't too sure about Tal at first, there was just something "off" about him. Then we clicked and oh man, I absolutely fell hook line and sinker for him, he dazzled me as much as he did Mischa! Add to that a fantastic heroine and match made in heaven.
This is ultimately a book about deliberate cheating, and I loved every single word. I don't have issues with reading about cheating, but when it's done as well as Fantome has done it here - genius! And I'm just gonna add that Mikey was a total and absolute pussy and I had no sympathy for him whatsoever. Both Mischa and Mikey are to blame for the marriage breakdown, though I attribute most of the blame to Mikey.
I did think the ending was rather rushed, and given the shaky foundation their romance was built on I really wanted a longer, meatier epilogue which is why this didn't quite make 5 stars.
4.75 stars -
4.5 stars
You see the title of the story and you think it's about just that but it's so much more. Married woman wants to cheat on her husband. Is it wrong? Is it right? It's for you to judge. Married woman wants one night of passion that's been missing in her married life but is in for a whirlwind affair. My Time in the Affair took me by surprise. I thought I was getting one thing but I was delivered with something else that was even better. Some elements had me going, yeah right, but the author made it work. I will say this...the first night of the affair?....WOWZERS. The dude knows how to fuck and he fucked her pretty fucking great.
*Purchased* -
****4.5 ~Come Find Me~ Stars*****
(BR with Clarissa, Julie and Kimberly)
Beautiful and Illicit; this story played with my emotions composing a melody of pure ecstasy inside my heart and soul. Cheating is something I'm never comfortable with in a book but this author crafted this story in a sensible and honest way. You may either judge and convict the heroine for her actions, or you'll open your heart and will be able to understand and perhaps relate in some level to her reasons; either way the intensity of My Time in the Affair will leave you both satisfied and breathless.
Im not going to go into too much detail about what this book is about, apart from the obvious fact that is about a woman who cheats on her husband, the only thing you need to know is that the writing style is very rich, the characters are all intricate and theres enough twists and turns to make your head spin and keep you entertained from beginning to end. Everyone will have a different reaction about the plot. When I started reading I did so with caution, cheaters are never acceptable in my book but our heroine owned her action and admitted to her mistakes with a lot of dignity and we must remember that there's always two sides in every story.
"I wanted him to save me. I wanted to be baptized in his skin, purified in his love. I was a sinner, or worse. I wanted him to make me whole. I wanted him to take the pain and the guilt and the hurt and the wrong."
I want to thank my BR partners Clarissa, Julie and Kimmi AKA Captain Fabulous for inviting me to read this book with them and for introducing me to the work of this very talented author. I gotta say I'm now hooked because her writing was truly exquisite and I can't wait to read more of her books.
Seriously, leave your inhibitions at the door and enjoy this highly romantic story. Trust me you don't want to miss on the deliciousness that is Mr. Tal.
My Time in the Affair music playlist:
*Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
*Two Weeks by FKA Twigs
*Open by Rhye
* Haunted by Beyoncè -
By far THE BEST book I've read so far this year. Thank you so much for the ARC! I love that this isn't the same ole story. The characters and story are unique and I couldn't get enough!
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5 romantico stellas
“Come find me.”
Wow! This book took us by surprise. We expected one thing and were given something completely different, but in a VERY good way.
‘Maybe that’s all they were. Just a time in the affair.’
This was our first book by Stylo Fantome and what a brilliant introduction. It did initially take us a little while to become accustomed to her writing style, but once we succumbed, there was no turning back. We became hooked, engaged, enthralled and obsessed with Tal, Mischa, their journey and this author’s storytelling.
‘It was like he’d owned her body, yet had given it back to her. She was a Rubik’s cube, and Tal had solved her.’
Mischa intentionally sets out have a one night stand while living in Italy for her work. We were all prepared to have some pretty harsh judgy feelings about Mischa but that DIDN’T HAPPEN! In fact, it was the opposite because the way the author told this story had us rallying for Mischa every step of the way and for that reason, even if you aren’t a fan of cheating in books, we would still recommend picking this book up. There is a suspenseful element that kept us on our toes and the emotions of a marriage at the crossroads, the feelings of a woman finding herself and the intense passion and love between two people had us gripping our hearts.
‘They erased everything. Her past, her future, her present. Gone, with one thrust. All that existed was this man, this room, this bed.’
Needing to be liked, loved, desired and wanted, are natural feelings and Mischa was starved of them all. Living in an emotionless marriage, she lacked confidence, felt self-hatred and loneliness. Although intentional, the decision to do what she did didn’t come easily, with Mischa, questioning herself and feeling consumed with guilt over the possibility of hurting her best friend, her husband Michael. Yet the pull of Tal was intense and pulsating. Physically she had attained what she wanted but emotionally and psychologically she was stunted and we felt every ounce of sadness, loneliness and despair as it poured from this young woman.
‘I’d forgotten how good it feels just to be touched.’
Tal, oh boy did we fall HARD for this man. Tal exuded confidence; he was a real man’s man, sexy, self-assured and fearless. We felt his passion, his dominance and the mystery surrounding him only intensified our feelings towards him. There was only one thing that made this man vulnerable and that was Mischa. Tal understood Mischa and his vulnerability toward this exotic beauty brought us to our knees. The playfulness he brought out in Mischa delighted us. The passion: unquestionable!
“You made me come alive and I didn’t even know I was dead. I was just some guy, before you. You made me a man.”
We inhaled this book! We couldn’t put it down. It was intense, erotic, suspenseful, emotional, passionate and sensual. It was pure romance ant heart. Unputdownable. And even if maybe a few of the revelations were a little convenient or far fetched it didn’t bother us or affect our enjoyment of this story at all. We LOVED it!
“Stay with me.”
**Reviewed off an ARC copy received with thanks **
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Messy-as-hell drama: 5/5
Steamy scenes: 5/5
Dual POVs
This story was rich and elicited a tangle of emotions and frustration from me at times, but there was one thing I was certain of: Mishca Rapaport was devious as ALL hell! While she was painted as this lonely character who desperately craved a physical connection with someone other than her husband, I had tremendous difficulty feeling any remorse for her! The only character in this story who spoke truth and confronted both main characters (Mishca and Tal) about their fantasy life was the very unlikable Ruiz. While I mostly disliked ALL of the characters until the last thirty percent of this book, I liked Ruiz just ever so slightly, and only for his honesty. On the upside, the steamy scenes in this story were LIT from start to finish!
This story was engorged with self-talk for justifying what cheaters do, but at the same time, offered a great revelation about the importance of two-way communication between a man and a woman. Half-way through the book I had a dreadful feeling, like Tal was slowly leading Mishca into the depths of despair, possibly helping to destroy her life as an assignment from someone who hated her. But I found it interesting that this twenty-seven year-old woman was willing to throw away her eight-year marriage without even knowing where she would live or work, or how this stranger would be compatible with her outside of their secret life. Mishca also glossed over answers Tal provided about things he shouldn't know about her, and I wanted to shake her! When the messy drama explosion began towards the end of the book, it was like fireworks to my eyes! These characters deserved to be at each other's throats for all of the hot-as-hell, steamy, passionate, and deceptive moments they shared!
How far down the rabbit hole did Mishca fall? How far removed was she from her husband? Her thoughts:
I was drunk on him. High on him. I wanted to swallow him down, inhale him, inject him. I wanted him to live under my skin and change my DNA. I wanted to live in his air and breathe his passion.
I thought maybe, just maybe, I could overdose on him. If I could just take him one more time, and shut my eyes, and it would be the last time, with anyone, with anything, that would be alright. Guilt would be gone. Hurt would be gone. Confusion would be gone. Oppression would be gone. Obsession would be gone.
The slight buzz of suspense woven throughout the text was beautiful! Tal randomly showed up in places Mishca didn't tell him the location of. He seemed to know more about her than she knew about herself, and he remained as a mysterious character, not divulging much of anything, even within his own POV, until the very ending of the story. The red flags surrounding Tal's identity only became bolder as the story unfolded. He had an answer for everything not pertaining to the finer details surrounding his life, and when Mishca quickly became enamored with him, the secretive storyline hidden beneath their affair erupted with chaos!
Bottom line: I read this book because I wanted to see some messy, evil drama pop off, and ALL of these characters earned their consequences and could've-been-prevented pain! Thoroughly en-joyed! -
*****10 Come Find Me Stars*****
Why should you read this story?
Why shouldn't you? I'm sure this beats some of the stories I can't believe some of you are reading (Stepbrothers).
This is fresh and new. At least it's how I felt. You don't like cheating or the topic of cheating, well let me break it to you, you will understand why she did it. Yes you will. Did it make it right? Maybe not, but fuck it all to hell. This is a book and even if it was RL I would understand her actions. We are human. We are weak in the flesh. Not because we are women, but because it's how God intended for us to be. To fight temptation. But what happens when you are the one looking for this temptation?
You are tired of your boring married life. The one that makes no sense anymore. A husband who you try and talk to and all he does is talk about himself and how his day was. Mofo, STFU and listen to her. She's trying to tell you how much of a Pansy you are and how your marriage is more boring than mass on a Sunday.
So when our little main character Mischa sails out to a new world, really she went to Italy, looking for a new adventure I had no other words but: "Shits about to get real."
I'll stop here. Italy is where all the juicy stuff happens. Plus there's a little mystery to this story. All thanks to a man by the name of Tal Canaan aka Mystery Man, Man of Many Talents. Like his fingers. Sweet baby Jesus what he can do with those fingers. Then there's his mouth and also his huge ______. (Fill in the blank. No prizes are given.) He literally came in like a wrecking ball. I want to go to Italy is all I'm saying. Oh and if you're expecting a big fight, wait for it. Shit hits the fan and left me like Oh hell to the NO. Oprah!!!!
Did Mischa resist him? Read it.
Did they hook up? Read it.
Will we know who's the real person behind mystery man and the secrets he hides? Read it.
Is there an HEA? READ IT.
Why shouldn't you read it?
Because you're an Asshole who won't give something new a try. Or maybe you're a pussy and think "this is wrong, I'll never see cheating as the right thing to do." Because it's ok to fuck your siblings, teachers, fathers BFF. Get turned on by threesomes, rapes and taboo stories. It's perfectly ok when the men do it. Guess what? Women can be on the other side and I love an author even more for giving me such a story.
Stylo Fantôme, you have easily become one of my To Go authors and I can't wait for more of your stories.
*An arc was received by the author in exchange for an honest review.* -
2.5 Stars!!!
***Warning! Contain quotes from the book - not hidden that is a SPOILER! Please proceed with caution. ***
This book tackles infidelity which is a very sensitive topic to some, but I'm all for it since I am in the mood for angst. Sadly, this book didn't "wow" me at all.
The story primarily tells us about the affair of Mischa, it was not a shocking secret since it was given in the title so I really cannot expect less. What I don't want though is how very little the author tackles about Mischa's marriage life before she decided to cheat. Except for the fact that she wasn't happy and wasn't sexually fulfilled since it's been months when she and Mike did it. So she planned on having sex with other person outside marriage, no strings attached because she wasn't looking for happiness, just sexual satisfaction after being celibate. Since this wasn't my first book about infidelity, I cannot help but compared it to some books with the same scenario.
While all the cheating heroines' action on other books were unplanned, Mischa PLANNED on the cheating! Well not just the falling. Oftentimes you would read Mischa talking and talking about herself that this is wrong, yet she would come up with justification on why it's okay to just do it.
Usually, when I read something about cheating, I get pissed off. Because somehow I get emotionally involved especially if the husband was plain perfect. Here, I felt no connection to both the main characters. Also, I find the relationship between Mischa and Mike slightly contradicting. I cannot figure out how two people became best friends when the other doesn't do listening but keeps on babbling.
From the moment Mischa noticed that she and Mike are drifting apart, she could at least talk to him about it, I know she tried to talk about their problem but Mike always dismissed her, why not smack him in the head to listen to you, besides the chance of getting hit back is very little to none.
As much as the author tried to create Tal to be Mischa's "the one" I really cannot see him that way, even when most were probably swooning over him during the last part of the story. But me, after reading this...
“Did you fuck him?”
She was shocked.
“Is that a real fucking question!?” she demanded.
“Of course it is. You cheated on him with me, who's to say you won't cheat on me with him!?”
Yeah right!?! A real swoon worth hero. **blech**
"Their relationship had been started on lies. She had cheated on her husband. Tal had lied to her the entire time. Not good building materials" --- my point exactly!
"How could a woman, who cheated on her husband, possibly deserve that kind of happiness" -- yeah why?! Please enlighten me.
I've been trying to guess Tal's mystery job, and I came really close to the real thing but that was because I thought it had something do with the story, and not something that pops out of the blue with the whole shebang which in my opinion are totally OTT because it certainly came out of nowhere. **eyes roll**
The way things wrapped up between Mike and Mischa was just plain "meh" it felt like good thing you cheated on me. Now we can both move on and be happy!
This book was not boring, however, It just didn't hold my interest that much because I was detached from the start. -
DNF 28%
So if your really interested to know what I think...
Here's the short verdict
I was totally pulled in by the blurb, and it aroused a curiosity in me...
But something just didn't click and it irritated the shit out of me, it started with the corny pick up lines and it just didn't get any better.
NOPE, NOPE, NOPE just did't work for me!! -
My Time in the Affair is a story about a woman, Mischa, who is desperately longing for something in her life. She thinks it's the lack of sex in her marriage so she sets upon a course to remedy that, however, what she got was so much sweeter.
Yes...so, the cheating, definitely there and it's a big factor. There's just no way in getting around it. It's just not the whole story.
Mischa and Mike were best friends who got married and things were pretty nice for a while...until they weren't. Mischa tried to get Mike to talk about things, to see a therapist, to do something...anything but he didn't think things were that drastic.
So Mischa tried a different approach...something pro-her. She starts exercising, losing weight and doing great at her job. So great in fact, that she is going off to Italy and Turkey to open new offices. That's where she decides to do the deed.
But when the time comes, Mischa just can't do it. She's not that type of girl...everything is all wrong. That is, until Tal comes to her rescue. They hit it off immediately and he doesn't take no for an answer.
Mischa and Tal both can't get enough of each other and try to spend every moment they can together. But...there's a lot of unknown things about Tal especially regarding his work.
Of course, there's drama...regarding Mike and Tal's work. I was really surprised at how over the top Mike was especially when we find out his reasons for the lack of intimacy (which I thought was lame). Tal's work wasn't a big surprise, I was just surprised at how Mischa took things.
I really liked the relationship between Mischa and her Dad and her Dad and Tal. Mischa's Dad was a huge part in both their lives.
There is a happy ending and a wonderful epilogue. I got a kick out of Mischa's new "skills".
The Good Stuff:
Dual Pov's? Yes.
Steam Factor? (Scale 1 - 5) 3-4
Angst? (Scale 1 - 5) 3
Next book? Standalone.
Favorite quotes:
♥ "Oh. My. God. I'd forgotten they come in different sizes."
♥ “Don't worry, plenty of time to work on that whole broken-vagina thing,” he assured her.
♥ "We should have 'emergency situations' more often."
♥ "Take care of you, take care of your heart. And just … please don't forget us.”
♥ "I mean, I feel bad, that all those years, we could've been having awesome threesomes.”
♥ “Never forget. Always remember. And when you do remember, when you're ready … come find me.” -
Mischa and her husband have been best friends forever, they took it to the other level, dated and eventually got married. Looking back on the eight years of marriage, Mischa realizes that nothing was rushed, every part of their life was done in stages and at the perfect timing. But, eight years later and things have become monotonous and boring. Now, they are too comfortable and Mischa is exasperated at this. She is bored. She wants passion and the overwhelming need for adventure and something more. It's at this juncture, spanning a year, that Mischa decides, she will have a moment of indiscretion. A moment of strength, that will, hopefully, change things for her.
Mischa gets an opportunity of a lifetime, as her company is opening an insurance agency in Rome. Taking this opportunity to spread her wings, Mischa, heads to Rome. It's in Rome, that Mischa, decides that she will have her one-night stand. Attempting to put her plan in action, she fails miserably because of her follow through. She keeps trying to sike herself up to the task and when in the moment, she chickens out.
Honestly, I despised Mischa so much. Her character was weak and annoying. My exasperation was over the charts when I read her thoughts. I know this is a different book and different story, but when, you get accustomed to Stylo writing a strong heroin, it becomes difficult to see a weaker heroin portrayed. (This is probably where, I may be contradicting myself, but I hope you understand where my thoughts are going). But, with all this said, in hindsight, mentally convincing yourself, and then become resolute, in the decision to cheat, that to me, shows STRENGTH!! This was a well thought out plan. Premeditated. Well done Stylo!!! I know this must have been difficult to write.
While working, she meets Tal Canaan. A knight in shining armour with a dark intensity that calls to her every yearning. A super sexy Israeli GOD!! The man had me drooling. All I wanted was to read about Tal. Tal this, Tal that. I didn't care. Once it was Tal!!!
Mischa had gone to Europe to cheat on her husband. What she never counted on finding Tal. One night, one masterfully skilled man, numerous mind blowing orgasms, and Mischa's affair started. She couldn't stop thinking about Tal. He was centred within her. He made her feel like a woman.
I was drunk on him. High on himI wanted to swallow him down, inhale him, inject him. I wanted him to live under my skin and change my DNA.I wanted to live in his air and breathe his passion.
There is so much more to this story. We've given some mystery and suspense into Tal's character. How he came to be in Rome and, that he has known Mischa, for months before actually meeting her. Tal, gives Mischa support and strength. He shows her that she can fight for what she wants. Albeit, selfish reasons on Tal's part.
This was such an eye-opening read. It showed us the vulnerability of a woman. A woman whose love for her husband and friend, kept her at bay. The power of sacrifice and, the sorrow of remorse, and heartbreak. A powerful read, that takes us on the journey of a woman's pain, her undying love and her self discovery.
Tal was such a humorous person. I loved the little quips and the back and forth banter between the pair. He made this read so much more fun, and lighter.
"You're trying to break my vagina, aren't you?"
"Wasn't my intention, but I could try. We'll get you a t-shirt made- 'I went to Rome, and all I got was my lousy vagina broken' ..."
*ARC provided on behalf of the author for an honest review* Thanks!! -
4.5 ★
First, this is a first Stylo read for me even though her previous books are lined up on my TBR. Second, I'm not a fan of cheating/love triangle unless I'm reading non-romance fiction. Third, I realized the first 2 things did not matter at all after I finished reading this, as I came to really enjoy this one.
This is quite an emotional journey... sigh...
Mischa's one unhappy wife who made a decision to cheat by having a one-night stand and ended up getting more than what she bargained for. To a degree, I get it. Some marital decisions are not that easy. On the other hand, the next most natural question was why not just a divorce. If that's the case, then this would've been a totally different story, right? Sooo, like I said, with that decision she made, her life took this path that she did not think she'll take, especially as it got more windier than what she expected.
Then there's Tal, the other party in Mischa's time in the affair. I thought Tal was just this arrogant prick in the beginning, who appeared to be masking a lot of shady things. BUT despite all that, there was just something about him that one can't help but gravitate towards. For starter, he was the perfect yin to Mischa's yang, and along the way, he just kept showing this side of him that took charge and took care of her/things. So slowly but surely, I just fell in love with him whether I wanted to or not. I said 'whether I wanted to or not' as he was part of this illicit relationship after all. BUT, again, he was just too delish and swoon-worthy for words, that in the end, I felt there was nothing to forgive at all and I just wanted him to get his happy ending. HEART TAL!!!
Mischa did frustrate me at times despite the injected humorous self-deprecation here and there. How much can one berate oneself, really?! YET, I couldn't fault her completely. As a married woman myself, with many married girlfriends, I realize that some things in marriage are not immediately black and white. And boy, is it ever so not black and white with Mischa and Michael, her husband!! This whole marriage thing can get really complicated and given their history, and what they went thru throughout the story, I can probably keep discussing this like there's no tomorrow. But I won't.
All that's left to say is that just read it. Please don't let the cheating part stop you and that whole judgy non-judgy thing. Yes, it's about marriage/relationships but it even came with a twist. It'll make you frown, it'll make you laugh AND cry, it'll make you think (without a doubt!), and surprisingly or not, it'll make you swoon. At least that's what it made me...
*BR with the
Canaries*
