Review and Giveaway: The Man I Love by Suanne Laqueur

I am very excited today to bring you a review of The Man I Love by Suanne Laqueur.  I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy of her book, which I loved.  Please read my review and scroll down to WIN your own copy of this great book.  (Open Internationally).

My Review:

Is it possible to find that one true love who penetrates our very soul to the core during our short time on this earth?  When Erik Fiskare begins his first year of college at Lancaster University he decides to major in lighting and set design.  His first big show is a ballet performance and that is when he meets Daisy Bianco, a dance major at the school, and his life is inexplicably changed forever.  Suanne Laqueur gives us a love story in this book unlike any other in its intensity and realism.  As they slowly get to know each other physically and emotionally, Erik and Daisy’s affections are sometimes sweet and romantic and other times they are raw and savage.  But they fit together perfectly, flaws and all and cannot seem to breathe without each other.

I have felt lately that foreshadowing has become a lost art form in contemporary literature.  Many books seem to be preoccupied with providing the reader with shock value through explosive and unexpected plot twists.  The foreshadowing that Suanne Laqueur includes throughout the first part of The Man I Love shows the tremendous talent and literary genius of this author.  We know that something terribly tragic will unfold in this book, and the subtle imagery and dialogue gives us a glimpse of what will come.  This serves to keeps the reader frantically turning the pages and teetering on the edge of his or her seat.

The language and diction of The Man I Love is lyrical and melodic.  I have rarely read a book that, through it’s word choice, can capture the myriad of emotions through which the characters move.  We feel the intense feelings and bond that Daisy and Erik share as they fall in love.  We feel nauseous and distraught when tragedy strikes the characters.  We feel an aching pain when Erik is suffering and trying to put his life back together.

Suanne Laqueur also provides us with a rich and in depth cast of characters that include not only Erik and Daisy but their friends and family as well.  Will, who is Daisy’s dance partner, experiments with his sexuality and his confident and casual acceptance of who he is provides some of the most hilarious dialogue in the book.  We are also introduced to David, Erik’s lighting design partner, who is fighting his own demons and uses drugs as a way to cope.  Daisy’s parents, who are French and rather progressive in their treatment of their adult daughter, are understanding about her relationship with Erik and even embrace him as a son.

Finally, THE MAN I LOVE is one of those books that makes us think about important themes and issues long after we have closed the last page.  Can we ever truly run from traumatic experiences in our past?  What would we do to save the life of the ones we love?  Do we let our scars swallow us and sink us into the abyss, or do we embrace them and wear them as badges of honor?  Despite the fact that this is a long novel, I was bitterly disappointed when it ended.  Suanne has promised another installment of Erik and Daisy and I intend to hold her to that through constant pestering to write faster.

Giveaway:

Suanne is generously giving away one copy of The Man I Love along with a $10 Amazon Gift card.  Also, 5 lucky winners will win an e-book copy of The Man I Love. Click HERE to enter the giveaway