(#2 of The Syrian Virgin)
Author: Zack Love
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
Amazon (US/UK) | Kobo | iTunes
Goodreads
Anissa Toma fled war-torn Syria after narrowly escaping the massacre of her Christian family by Islamists. Fortunate enough to rebuild her shattered life in New York City, the young refugee gained admission to an elite college, where she excelled. Her beauty, brains, and purity soon captured the interest of two powerful men: Michael, an activist working to establish Antioch, the first Mideast Christian state, and Julien, her professor and one of the city’s wealthiest bachelors.
As Anissa's saga continues, the refugee-turned-rising-star must navigate between Michael and Julien, while trying to help her surviving relatives and other vulnerable Christians in Syria. As she gets closer to both men in a complex and evolving love triangle, can she unlock Julien's traumatic childhood to open up his heart? Or will Julien find greater solace from his nightmares and other demons in the sessions with his intriguing therapist? What will Michael do for Antioch and for Anissa, and what will Julien's role be? How far will each person go to help Anissa's remaining family and other persecuted Christians at risk in Syria? Find out in this stunning sequel to "The Syrian Virgin”.
Now in the last book, Anissa is still very torn about which of the two men in her life she will choose. Michael or Julien. She does however agree to go on another date with Julien. And it is here that the reader gets to experience and learn more about him. He is very drawn to Anissa.
She moved her long dark hair behind her ear, exposing her neck - another innocent gesture that aroused me even more.
Julien is captivated by her and feels incredibly close to her. Something that hasn't happened to him before with another woman. Anissa and Julien make for the most adorable and sweet couple! They are so playful and fun together:
"Until then... This!" I spun her around twice and she released a loud giggle of surprised glee. Then I carried her over to the bed. I wanted to show her that an older man could be just as spontaneous, spirited, and physically strong as someone younger. It would be a distinct pleasure to teach her the benefits of being with a more experienced gentleman.
But then Michael returns and Anissa isn't sure what to do, or how to behave with him. Poor thing! At this point, I was angry at Michael :P And also Lily, Julien's therapist. Anyway, back to Julien and Anissa :) He knows that Anissa has trouble trusting and so he creates some trust exercises. I think it is the cutest thing ever!
Of course Anissa still hasn't told Julien the truth about her past and she wonders how she will do it. The road isn't always smooth sailing but there are some wonderful and beautiful moments and naughtiness too ;)
But Anissa still has trouble trusting and discovers some painful truths. This is when I got annoyed at Anissa and Maya! Especially Maya!
"If loyalty among friends and fidelity among lovers is naive, then yes, I am proudly naive. I'm just glad I finally found out who shares my values, and who doesn't."
You tell her Anissa! She turns to Michael and tell hims that it might be over with Julien... No!!! :O And if that isn't hard enough, Anissa gets news of her family! Mamma mia! It is intense! But it seems that Anissa and Julien reunite! Yay! And finally Julien decides to trust Anissa with the truth of his past, something that no one, not even his therapist, knows about. This was me after learning the truth:
The writing is phenomenal. There are so many fantastic quotes in the story that touch your heart, make you think or have you giggling. Mr. Love has an incredible talent of capturing a moment and ensuring that the reader experiences that emotion. His characters are incredible. Anissa is such a strong and determined woman. Despite all the heartache, pain and trials she has faced, she has a wonderful positive attitude towards life. The story is rich with inter-textual references and I have many more texts to read because of Mr. Love. I certainly went through the ringer with this book. Each emotion was ten times stronger and I moved between them quickly. Lucky Mr. Love didn't need to pay my therapy bills ;) lol. It is a credit to his writing that I felt so strongly about the story and the characters. He has a unique way of taking on a current and sensitive issue and crafting a special story that touches your soul. Truly, a remarkable series and a memorable story.
So now I leave you with my favourite line: "In a dark world, love is all that illuiminates the path forward." May your world be bright readers!
About the Author . . .
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon