Elizabeth Parker has been found …
Like a falling star she has come down to earth, landing painfully on the debris of a broken dream. What she thought of as love now seems no more than a wish left unfulfilled. Her future lies in the hands of two powerfully possessive men; each desiring her to the point of insanity.
Flawless media mogul Ayden Stone oversees her voyage of sexual awakening, introducing her to new experiences and a secret world behind locked doors, away from prying eyes. But … is he Prince Charming or merely the great pretender?
With a fighter’s instinct, Dan Rizler continues to box clever; taking his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. He will have his Princess one way or another.
Into this twisted triangle enters Elise Richards; a woman with a past and a passion for revenge: hell hath no fury like Miss. Richards.
This is a modern fairy tale full of romance, secrets and suspense. Elizabeth Parker is about to be caught, held fast by the hand of Fate; but will she be caught out or caught up in an affair of the heart, body and soul?
When nothing else matters … you have to do or die.
Well I have to say Sydney has done it again. I have been somewhat impatiently waiting on the next instalment of The Story of Us trilogy and I was not disappointed. at. all! I could not put this down. From start to finish it was a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Picking up straight from the cliffhanger at the end of ‘TouchStone for play’ we are transported, head first, right back into the world of Beth and Ayden. There are a lot of sweet, moments in the book, highlighting how their love for each other has grown at warp speed. That’s not to say there are no bumps along the way, they do have them, but it is how they are able to overcome these developments that make you see how much their relationship has changed in such a short space of time. Where Beth was the calming influence on Ayden in the first book, we get to see him do the same for her during and after a particularly harrowing scene with Dan. When I was reading this part of the story, I could feel the ice form in my veins at the sheer terror Beth was experiencing.
Dan Rizler is still his creepy self, but this time his level of creepiness has been taken to an all new level. Then when you throw in the fact that he has now got a female version of him, in Elise, who has her sights set on Ayden, the double dose of skin crawling, inflicted by those two, had me reaching for anti histamines to try to quell the itch!! Again, Dan is written in the third person, so it gives the reader the opportunity to see how he thinks and what makes him tick. It was evident that Dan was a seriously disturbed individual in the first book, but this time we get to see more of how his mind works, making him even more unpleasant, something I did not think would be possible.
It wasn’t just Dan, who we were able to get a deeper insight too. We were also given an insight into Ayden’s childhood and adolescence, which was amazing. You are given a deeper understanding about the driving force behind his success. I especially loved to see the softer side to him. We knew he has the ability to show his caring side to Beth, but this time we get to see that side of him extend beyond his relationship with her.
I love how Sydney is able to paint the scenes with her words, which allow you to visualise every event with clarity. You are able to experience the good and the bad, and you are able to feel the emotions as they are happening. None more so than during the time they spent in Vegas, which was full of beautiful happy memories, right up until the end of the trip. Then there was the final scene. WOW! The build up to that was intense and I actually had shivers down my spine as it unfolded.
I could say so much more about this book, but it would all amount to the same thing in the end. This is a book that is worthy of reading more than once. The story will consume you from page one right up to the very end. It will take your breath away in so many places, make you smile in so many others and leave your hair stand on end. If I had to sum up in one word it would have to be OUTOFTHISWORLDBRILLIANT!!!
Thank you again Sydney.
My Rating
When I first started my Blog, Sydney Jamesson said, anytime I wanted to do an author feature, just to let her know and she would be happy to do one for me. So with this in mind and the fact I knew that this book was due for release, I decided to wait until now. I hope you enjoy reading her answers to the questions I posed.
It is well known that your Ayden Stone is Henry Cavill, is that how you have always pictured him?
Initially I had a model in mind – not David Gandy Ha! – He was dark with stunning blue/green eyes and a mop of thick black hair. I had nothing else to go on and then I caught sight of Mr. Cavill. There was one photo that did it for me. He was at the Immortals Premier, looking stunning and even wearing a navy suit. I saw it and called out to my lesser half, “There’s Ayden.”Since then he’s been in every chapter. I even studied interviews for his speech pattern and facial gestures so I could incorporate that into the book. By doing that, it became easier for me to visualise him and, for my readers, too.
How long had you been living with The Story of Us, before starting to write it?
I had the idea for The Story of Us twenty years ago. I used to write when I could and actually completed a manuscript. I was working as a copywriter and commercial journalist and any spare time I had was spent with my family. So there it sat collecting dust for all those years. For me the catalyst was Fifty Shades of Grey, The Crossfire Series and Sylvain Reynard’s wonderful books narrating Gabriel Emerson’s and Julianne Mitchell’s love affair. I read Gabriel’s Inferno and regarded it as the best book I’d ever read; that skilled distillation of romance, literature, music and suspense was the lifeblood that raised my story from the dead.
Other than Elizabeth Parker, if you could be any character from a book, who would it be?
I would have to say Charlie as she is Beth’s sounding board and ‘sister’ of sorts. She’s described as an ‘urban firecracker’ in TSFP and she’s just that. She’s stunning and a social butterfly. I think I would like to be her – for a short while at least. Also she’s smart and happy to engage with Ayden verbally which is never a bad thing. Ha!
What sort of music inspires you when you are writing?
I can’t write and listen to music. I have to listen to music and allow it to cascade over me and create a mood. I love Ellie Golding, Newton Faulkner, Tom Odell and Adele. But, to be honest there are so many songs that serve to trigger an image or a feeling; almost anything really.
Will we have to wait long for the final chapter in the trilogy?
I am working on TouchStone forever right now. I have it plotted and I’m drafting. It will be out in the Spring for sure. No date as yet- sorry. It will be a dramatic and very surprising ending to the trilogy.
Once you have finished The Story of Us, what will be next for Sydney Jamesson?
Truthfully, I don’t know. I have an active imagination and there are always potential ideas for a story buzzing around in my head. I think I’ll take a break and consider my options, depending on the reception The Story of Us gets worldwide. The fact is, I have always written and I will always continue to do just that, in one form or another.
Name the last 3 books you have read.
The last three books I have read have been: The Prince by Tiffany Reisz, Gabriel’s Rapture by Sylvain Reynard and The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Three very different books, but equally wonderful in their own way.
What advice would you give to any aspiring authors?
I’m new to the publishing world myself, so my advice to newcomers would be to always prepare for publication. Promote the book, get reviews, listen to criticism and most importantly, get the book proofread!
Also, not to be under any illusions about the glamorous world of writing and publishing a book. It’s hard work, involving long hours and total dedication. You can’t do it half-heartedly and expect any degree of success or recognition. But, once you accept that then – GO FOR IT!!
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