Review: "Distorted Loyalty" by Stacy Eaton

Synopsis:

Emergency room Doctor Rachel Wilde and Detective Grant Murphy meet by chance and it takes only one glance and a simple gentle touch to ignite their senses. When Grant's wife is in a tragic accident, Rachel goes above and beyond the call of duty to save her life. It is the moment she faces Grant again that their lives begin to spin out of control and they realize the lives of their loved ones were deeply intertwined. The distorted loyalties of the ones they lost will drive a wedge between them and it will take another death, a last will and a look beyond the grave to find the path they must follow.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, with a touch of paranormal

My Review:

I have now read several books by Stacy Eaton and I think I've said the same thing each time - this one is my favorite. The author uses an alternating first person point of view approach, but a bit differently than I've read before. Sometimes when the POV changes, the scene backs up in order to give you the perspective of the other character as they experience the same scene you just read. This technique works well in this book to give you the depth of experience and feeling that Grant and Rachel experience in Distorted Loyalty.

Grant and Rachel spend most of the book struggling with a myriad of feelings and situations - grief, loss, guilt, hurt, heartbreak, anger, you name it - these two characters experience it in Distorted Loyalty. They meet innocently enough - as their kids are chatting in a store - but their innocent flirting with each other (both are married at this point, mind you) sets the stage for all of the feelings that they experience for the rest of the book. I really love how the author introduces Grant to Rachel through a whispered statement in the store - and as the storyline climaxes, Grant again approaches Rachel and whispers a similar statement to her. The author does a wonderful job of drawing parallels between these two as to where they were at the beginning of the story and then at the climax.

The characters are given a lot to deal with in this book and it may seem a bit farfetched that they could be given so many challenges, but it was done in a way that comes across realistically to the reader. The author also introduces just a touch of paranormal, in brief after life experiences for two of the characters. The afterlife experience of one of the characters solidifies that character's feelings and direction of their life and the afterlife experience was well placed and well executed to support the story.

There are no scenes of intimacy in this book but even without that, the feelings of the characters as they go through their experiences create an emotional experience for the reader that has you crying along with them, angry for them, and ultimately rooting for Grant and Rachel by the end of the book. A fantastic read that I would strongly recommend.

Links:

Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Kobo

About the Author:

Stacy Eaton has been in law enforcement for 14 years, she is currently assigned as the department detective. She is also the departments Crime Scene Investigator.

She uses her knowledge from her job to shape her stories. Give real life twists and turns to the fantasy fiction that she creates and uses her knowledge to enhance her romantic suspense novels.

Stacy is also a photographer, avid reader and a business owner. She also currently serves on the board of directors for her county's domestic violence center. She lives with her husband, her daughter and her two Shiloh Shepherds Garda and Callie in Southeaster PA.

Website:  www.stacyeaton.com