Bitter Sweet Love: Twisted Series, Book 1

Stephens’s unengaging contemporary debut finds Toronto law student Alexis White in turmoil over whether to break her personal commitment to noncommitment. As a child, she was abused by her alcoholic mother and frequently turned to neighbor and classmate Dylan Priestley for comfort and support. They eventually fell in love, and in the bloom of youthful ardor he vowed to always be there for her. When that proved impossible, he left, and Lexi swore off serious relationships for good. She’s happy with one-night stands that simply scratch her sexual itches, but after being seduced by the cousin of an acquaintance, she has second thoughts. Cue Dylan’s predictable return. Uncertainty and indecisiveness plague the implausibly hapless heroine. There follows the obvious tug and thrust with some mildly surprising plot twists. Those who stick it out to the last page will be dismayed that all this melodramatic forcemeat leads to an annoying cliffhanger with book two waiting in the wings. [em](BookLife) [/em]