Shiver

by Suzanne Wright

[stacey_is_sassy]

Sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone for love…

I kind of wish I was more like Kensey, the heroine in Shiver. In some ways, I’m a little like her already. I’m not great with busy places and find it exhausting dealing with a lot of people at one time. I like quiet and seclusion when my stress levels are high or I’m angry about something. I’m kind of jealous that Kensey becomes a compulsive cleaner when she’s stressed. My house would be spotless. Instead, when I'm under stress, I head to my bedroom with a coffee and my Kindle. Oh well, them’s the breaks, we all have our burdens to carry…

I finished reading Shiver this morning which initiated a conversation with hubby. Now, I’m going to break every bloody rule in reviewing as I can’t keep this one thing a secret because it’s SO BLOODY COOL!! I’ll put it in spoilers because it’s your choice whether you want to open the door to Spoilersville or not. So, Suzanne Wright has created an awesome nightclub/member’s only club, called The Vault. It’s a multi-levelled place that caters to unique needs, 24 hours a day. A special event’s area for performances, a dancing and bar area and a Burlesque floor. These floors can be accessed by people who can afford to pay the entry fee. There’s also a level that is kind of like a sex club and it completely surprised me. It isn’t a dungeon and it’s not a full-on kinky place. I would join this kind of sex club for the private rooms and even hubby thought it sounded interesting.

How cool would it be to go to one place and have a movie theatre, elevator, ski cabin, library or public restroom to play out a fantasy? All the rooms are private and abide by strict rules and regulations. It would be like going on a holiday for a couple of hours.

There’s also another floor but I’m going to keep that one a secret. I’ve already blown the Spoiler - Code of Conduct rulebook to smithereens, but that spoiler would have me sent to Spoiler Prison for eternity.

I really enjoyed Shiver and hated that real life kept interrupting. It’s the kind of story where it plays on your thoughts even when you’ve stopped reading. Not all of it is pleasant and there were times when I was very angry, upset and completely disgusted.

Kensey finds out that she has a stalker. Everyone is a suspect because the details known by the perpetrator are not things widely known about Kensey. Her past and family have left her vulnerable to attack, where nastiness and insults can be a daily occurrence. When Blake finds out the situation, nothing will stop him from protecting Kensey.

Both the hero and heroine could be absolute knuckleheads. I was frustrated with them yet I could understand why they acted that way. I think you push away connections before they can form to protect yourself and others. Their pasts are messy and when you finally understand their history, it makes everything clearer. Blake’s secrets and lies are to protect Kensey and keep her close. Kensey’s lack of communication is to lessen the burden she feels she has already placed on Blake. Eventually, they must lower the barriers, trust each other and express their thoughts and feelings.

Now, I enjoyed Shiver but it was obvious that it was self-published. I’m not saying that in a good or a bad way because in some ways the good and bad balance each other out. There are some errors and mistakes (the old *hands tied behind her back, with her fingers playing in his hair* trick) but it wasn’t the whole way through. The first half seemed to have more errors than the last half. It was also a touch longer than it needed to be. But, as I said, there’s a lot of positives that come from self-publishing. We get the author’s story straight from the source without extreme manipulation that can lessen the impact. It is all of the author...warts, mistakes and all.

I have been a fan of Suzanne Wright for a long time. I like her imperfect characters. The heroine is independent, smart and beautiful…with a difference. The hero is bossy, controlling and possessive…with a difference. Shiver kept me entertained from start to finish. The characters were interesting, the suspense kept me riveted and the connection between Kensey and Blake was easy to see as it developed from lust to love.

I highly recommend and can’t wait for more from this author.