“He wasn’t in her world, just passing through it”
- Book: My Goodbye Girl
- Location: Asia, United Kingdom, United States (USA)
- Author: Anna Gomez
A new to me author and, if I am totally honest, not a genre of book I would generally pick up off the shelf and buy for myself. However, aware of just how well the lovely people at Meryl Moss Media know me by now, when the review opportunity was offered, it was definitely worth a punt, which turned into a very enjoyable leap of four star faith!
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Tessa Talman is an American writer, with her debut romance novel having taken the world by storm. She has a vivid imagination which can turn even the most innocent of words into unscrupulous suggestions in an instant. When, on embarking on yet another leg of a trip as part of a lengthy promotional tour for her book, she finds herself one place ahead of the man of her dreams in a priority flight queue at Boston airport, then discovers that they are seated in the same row aboard the flight, ideas for another storyline instantly begin to take shape in her mind. Her travelling companion, British academic and R&D researcher, Simon Fremont, doesn’t however, appear to share this instant attraction, or at least that’s how it appears to Tessa, until she later discovers that he has managed to slip a business card into her carry-on case during the flight.
Thus begins one of the strangest, long distance love affairs, I have read about.
Tessa’s new world, where image is everything, revolves around her social media accounts, involving copious amounts of online interaction and constant influence with her growing fanbase, which consumes her almost every waking hour. Simon on the other hand, has no interest in opening up either his professional or private life for public scrutiny and comment. Although out of necessity, that is all about to change if he wants to pursue any kind of relationship with Tessa. The two only communicate by Instagram or WhatsApp, with Tessa’s messages more demand or ultimatum, rather than romantic request, detailing where Simon can next travel to meet her, should he so wish. Because of the emotional baggage and insecurities he guesses Tessa comes with, Simon always ends up by pandering to her every whim, although their liaisons tend to be rushed affairs, which are purely sexually physical, with Tessa never willing to open up to him about her past which has and still continues, to shape her thoughts and concerns about embarking on a deeper, more meaningful relationship, or settled life with anyone, even though deep down she knows that Simon would support and encourage her career independence without question. But is that enough for her?
That the two have strong feelings for one another, there is no doubt, so it is perhaps unsurprising that almost against all the odds, their relationship does eventually set itself on an altogether firmer foothold, although Tessa’s forced confession about her commitment issues almost tears them apart permanently before that happens. Simon remains very loyal to her and more than willing to prove to her protective older brother Jacob and best friend Riley, that he only wants to be able to love and comfort the person they all care so much about. However, Simon’s honesty to his own family regarding his feelings towards Tessa, has been more than a little lacking, given how much he knows they worry about him, so whilst he has demanded that Tessa open up her heart to him completely, it transpires that he has failed to confess his own deepest secret, which may have drastic, if not fatal, consequences for any future life they might embark on together.
The impending wedding between Jacob and Riley, finally looks set to ignite the spark between Tessa and Simon, until the hand of fate once again steps in and rips the heart and soul out of an entire community, with our four protagonists well and truly caught in the crossfire. It takes what seems like another lifetime before there is a possibility for healing and reconciliation and by now Tessa’s life has changed irrevocably. That Simon is once again willing to step up for the woman he loves doesn’t go unnoticed by her this time, so that now the only thing which can separate these long-term, star-crossed lovers, is that final parting itself!
…
After much deliberation, I finally settled on four stars for this modern, contemporary romance, which I have to admit, isn’t one of my usual reading genres. I liked the short, well-signposted chapters and the free-flowing style of writing, which kept the multi-layered storyline moving along at a good pace. The author also wasn’t afraid to showcase some of the social and societal mores of our times, nor to give more than a passing nod to actual devastating events, which have happened in our recent past and which shocked and impacted not only a nation, but also the wider world, without in any way trivialising those events.
The pressures which fandom exerts on an individual in the spotlight and the constant need to be visible, interacting and influencing on social media, is a relatively recent phenomenon which authors are now beginning to feature and discuss in their books. The recognition that PTSD is not exclusively related to combat trauma and military personnel, but can be experienced by any one of us following an instance of extreme stress or distress. The long-term affects of being orphaned at a young age and how important the bond between siblings can then become. Knowing that you are living on borrowed time and the strain that can impose on an entire family structure.
Jacob and Tessa had spent much of their childhood being ‘shared around’ the houses of various relatives and friends, and that Tessa in particular was still suffering from the trauma and aftermath of those experiences decades later, was clear to see. Add to that, events of the present day, detailed in the storyline, which directly affected her ability to function for sometime after their occurrence, and the case for an episode of full-blown PTSD and the fear of putting her trust in, making a commitment to anyone, or opening up her heart to let love in, was obvious. For Simon, the fears which were ever present in his life, had a slightly different, yet equally damaging effect on his mental well-being and views about the future. That he also chose not to confide in Tessa until it was almost too late for their relationship to be saved, certainly didn’t help either of their states of mind.
Jacob, Riley and Simon’s brother Adrian, all had equally important roles to play in this story of love and sacrifice and their parts were both well defined and fleshed out. Between them, all the characters were given free reign and a strong voice with which to tell their own version of events and the sincerity in the poignant and evocative dialogue and narrative was both touching, perceptive and powerful. That having been said, I can’t say that I fully related to, or connected with, either Tessa or Simon, for much of the time and there were many occasions when I could have cheerfully strangled this pair of star-crossed lovers. Yes, I appreciate they both had personal issues they were busy trying to conceal from one another and deal with alone, however, their behaviour was often vacuous, with Tessa in particular being quite promiscuous and rather shallow. She is able to write thousands of words about love, yet can’t articulate her own feelings for fear of opening up too much. Whilst a methodical, process driven Simon, definitely has a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude, when it comes to telling the truth about his feelings, or confessing the secrets he is harbouring.
The action moves swiftly around several countries and continents, so whilst there is no single centre of focus, the armchair traveller inside of me, was more than satisfied with my whistle stop tour. The lovely images some very descriptive words afforded me and the feelings they evoked, also helped to make this a romance with a little more substance than many I have read and offered a joyous few hours of much needed escapism from everyday life.
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