“What I feel has no name…” Suanne Laqueur’s award-winning debut novel The Man I Love thrilled readers with its memorable characters and depth of emotion. Erik Fiskare’s journey of love, recovery and forgiveness captivated hearts but also left questions unanswered. Now Daisy Bianco has a chance to tell her story. It’s been three years since a single lapse of judgment cost Daisy the love of her … judgment cost Daisy the love of her life. Erik was a conduit to her soul but now he’s chosen a path of total disconnection, refusing to speak to her or acknowledge her betrayal. Alone and shattered, Daisy attempts to take responsibility for her actions while building her career as a professional dancer in New York City. But Erik’s unforgiving estrangement proves too much for her strength. Plagued by flashbacks to the Lancaster shootings, she falls into a dangerous spiral of self-harm, cutting into her own skin as a means to atone. Only the timely appearance of an old friend, John “Opie” Quillis, saves her from self-destruction and gives her a chance to love again.
Laqueur skillfully weaves flashbacks to the college years with Daisy’s present life. Supported by John’s patient affection, she works to separate her evolution as an adult from the unresolved guilt and grief of her youth. As her professional accomplishments lift her out of depression, Daisy learns to hold onto her accountability without letting it become her identity. Years pass and she builds a beautiful life filled with dance and friends. Lovers come and eventually go, leaving her on her own with the old thought: Come back to me.
In this parallel narrative, Laqueur peels open the beloved characters from The Man I Love to reveal new and complex layers of vulnerability. The scars from the shooting are deep and pervasive within this circle of friends. Like Daisy, they are trying to evolve without being fully resolved. But when questions from the past go unheeded, you alone must find and give your answers true.
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What happens when you make a boy the center of your universe. Like a sunflower, you turn with him; towards him. You bask in his love shine, soak up his presence, breathe the scent of his skin, offer your heart in his hands….and then he let’s his rage pack his bag & leaves you!!!
Erik Fiskare doesn’t know of his destination, he walks on with only one thought in mind- Don’t look back, don’t go back
Margarite Banco is left on the side of the road, rooted like a milestone rock.
This is HER story. Suanne goes down the deep caverns of depressive tunnels to flagrantly splay open Daisy’s dissected living corpse. We see every scar, every cut, every tear under the magnifying glass.
I knew what was going to happen but that didn’t stop my eyes to water uncontrollably.
Hats off to vanessa for narrating it so brilliantly and Suanne for writing these sparkling words which ballooned and filled every Nook and cranny of my body and soul.
“God, I can’t breathe “!!
Now on to book 3.
Infinite stars for K1 P2, just remember ; I love you
Book 2! Daisy’s story! It’s Beautiful! It’s Heartbreaking! It’s a Journey and it’s Healing!
Everything from book one but Different because it’s Daisy’s open wound with all the salt rubbed in it.
I Loved this just as much as book one and maybe even a little more because it gives so much detail to the story and I truly appreciate how Suanne had brought everything full circle.
Now on to book 3!
This entire series is incredible and I came to it at exactly the right time.
The Man I Love is from Erik’s point of view and is all about the bonds of love, romantic, friendship and family and how it can survive through horrific events.
Give me Your Answer True – From Daisy’s point of view but not a complete retelling of the original story, it is heartbreaking as you watch her descent, using self harm to control her pain. It is overwhelming and absorbing, you feel everyone’s pain as they reconnect at the reunion.
Here to Stay – The story of Erik and Daisy finding their way forward together. Just when you think life is finally getting back on track the author rips the carpet out from under you once again. The importance of their friendships really called to me with this one.
Each book gives an insight into the issues of mental health and how people are affected by the events they go through, and how they can be helped back to themselves.
The Ones that Got Away is like you sat down and had a chat with the author about her inspiration and thought processes whilst writing the Fish Tales. I found it really interesting and feel very grateful to the author for sharing so much with us.
I will be recommending this series to everyone as one of my all time favourite reads!
I have to be honest and say that I didn’t know what to expect from this book, which was from Daisy’s perspective, but it’s safely to say that Suanne Laqueur did a number on me. I actually think I love this book more than The Man I Love but it’s pretty damn close. Once again I feel Laqueur pulled my heart out at times. It was such a powerful and profound reading experience. I’m at a loss for words thinking about what I just read. One would think it’s just the same book as The Man I Love. Let me stop you right there. It’s the furthest from it. So many new and important revelations were made and they made me see Daisy, Will, Lucky and the others in a new light. A more admirable light.
Having read The Man I Love was the perfect foundation for Daisy’s story. The characters mattered to me now. They’d become my friends and I cared/care about them deeply. I was struggling with tears just from reading the first chapter. I’d been living vicariously through Erik’s life and now it was Daisy’s turn and it suddenly became emotional difficult at times. I didn’t need this book to make me forgive Daisy’s actions. I already did that in the first book. This was more about her journey towards acceptance and forgiveness towards herself. It was a thought provoking experience. Daisy’s self discovery and road to recovery was awe inspiring. It was emotional exhausting at times, only because Suanne Laqueur captured and explored Daisy’s struggle. It was ugly, raw and very beautiful.
Laqueur writing is poetically mesmerizing. Her words visualizes before me and becomes more than just words. I breathe them in and let them manifest inside me. I want them to stay there because every words matters and is written with so much heart and soul. I don’t want to lose them. I’ve read on her author page that she describes her books as emotionally intelligent romances. I agree! Every character has a purpose and were so complex that I couldn’t wait to peel the layers away. Give Me Your Answer True was cleverly written and her writing feels effortless. This truly is a work of art.
5+ BadAssDirtySoulsManifestedStars