From the bestselling author of the Dangerous Beauty series comes a scorching and addictive new romance.“These kisses of his…they’re demanding and possessive. They’re hungry and deep. They’re the kisses of a man who wants more of a woman—who wants everything—and isn’t going to stop until he gets it.”Author Olivia Rossi hasn’t been able to write a word since tragedy struck two years ago and … tragedy struck two years ago and ripped her world apart. Heartbroken and still haunted by the past, she accepts an offer to spend the summer at a friend’s apartment in Paris in search of healing and her lost muse.
What she finds instead is James, an enigmatic stranger who ignites in her an unexpected and all-consuming passion.
Agreeing to tell each other nothing more than their first names, Olivia and James embark on a torrid affair. But the more time they spend together, the more Olivia begins to realize her summer fling is turning into a powerful connection…and that the magnetic man she’s falling in love with might not be what he seems at all.
more
There are good books and then there are great books like this one.
This is a fantastic love story, full of romance and steamy scenes. In addition, there is a thriller of a plotline and then a twist upon a twist that you will not see coming! Can’t say anymore or I will spoil it for you.
Recommended! One note: keep the tissues handy!
There’s not much to say about this book without giving too much away. All I will say is, the twists and turns and the love story were amazing. One minute I was mad at where this was going, the next I was mad I was mad. Great writing!
Just Wow! This book had my emotions all over the place. It’s not often that I am surprised by the plot in a book. This definitely threw me for a loop but I loved every minute of it. I will read it again soon.
This book will stick with you for days after you read it! For those who enjoy confident, alpha males, this one is for you. I love a book that throws me for a loop, and this one did just that!
James & Olivia! Loved them! Loved this book! I’m still a little baffled and thoroughly impressed with this work of art J. T. Geissinger has created.
I have no words! To render me speechless is a rarity!
I will definitely recommend this incredible story!
After a great deal of loss in her life, author Olivia Rossi travels to Paris to try to recapture her muse before her career ends up in shambles, just like everything else. But socializing and going out in public all seems so trite to her since the implosion of her previous life. And then she meets a man at a cafe who seems to recognize her pain as if it were his own…
James Blackwood is a soulful painter who attracts attention everywhere he goes. So when he shows an inexplicable interest in unremarkable Olivia, it seems like something out of a fairytale… but fairytales are almost always too good to be true…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfect Strangers was a story that is guaranteed to stay with me long after it’s last page has been read. This book was funny and incredibly sexy, sweet and engaging… and oh man, there are twists and turns that resulted in some book induced sobbing in there, too. Olivia and James connect with not only their blazing hot sexual chemistry, but also their sense of all consuming loss. And when they decide to embark on a fling with a pre-set ending date, they agree that the less they know about each other the better…
No spoilers here! I loved everything about this book! From the smoking hot and deliciously dirty sex scenes, to the complex characters and the jaw dropping moments that left me speechless, this book reads like a visually stunning movie.
Perfect Strangers was edgy, brilliantly different, and it showcased the superb talent of it’s author, J.T. Geissinger. In fact, it is also already cemented as being one of my best reads for the entire year, that’s how good it is.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
Loved this book as I do of all the books I’ve read by this author. This one caught me off guard and I had to read the end of it twice to make sure I got it right!
I read this *quietly* because my friends loved it and there’s nothing worse than disliking a book your friends love. For the first half, I struggled to keep reading because I couldn’t connect with the characters–especially the h who, IMO, didn’t come across as believable, considering what she’d suffered (and on that note, this book really needs a trigger warning).
It was the second half where everything picked up for me. Not only did it pick up, it sucked me in so hard and fast, I finished the book at 4:30 am, sitting up in bed to stay awake, one eye propped open with my free hand.
By the time I reached the end, my initial concerns were no longer valid. Everything I disliked (or misunderstood) about the characters in the beginning suddenly made sense.
Is this a romance? Depends on who you ask. I say yes.
Go in blind (unless you have triggers) and expect the unexpected.
Maybe I’m in a romance slump, and maybe it’s not the story, but my expectations. Who knows, but to me this book was mediocre. I kept thinking about when I read “Burn for You” and “Melt for You l,” I felt that those stories were beautiful. Not to say that this story is bad, but it is not for me.
Perfect Strangers is ABSOLUTE PERFECTION !!
This is this first time I have read other reviews in order to get my thoughts around how to put into words the sheer brilliance of this author’s work.
Let me start with the cover – it is just SO beautiful, somewhat haunting & yet perfectly personifies the relationship between Olivia & James.
I have never read a book like this one & it is actually 2 stories within one book.
A note of caution if you start this book you are most likely going to try and finish in one sitting – it’s an I CAN’T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN kind of read !!
I want to leave my review spoiler free so instead I am going to just leave here some quotes & thoughts as to why I could not put this book down & why I loved it so much ….
James ( whispering ) I will love you until the end of time ( GAHHHHHHH )
“ It’s a vow , a promise & the fulfillment of every dream I dared to dream”
Lavender fields
First dates ….
Immediate attraction to a “perfect “ stranger
Heart break & heart ache
THIS BOOK IS FILLED WITH ANGST !!!! You will be smacking your forehead repeating “what the heck did I just read “
Laugh out loud humor
Amazing dialog …
Sizzling OFF THE CHARTS chemistry
Amazingly strong heroine
For me the sign of a truly wonderful story is that the characters linger with you for days after you complete the book. This happened for me with Olivia & James ! It also left me wanting so much more of their story !!
I highly recommend this book – it is 5 STARS & SO MUCH MORE !! This book will leave you thinking about the power love brings to any relationship & it’s ability to transcend time
Now I know what everyone meant when they said it is hard to leave a review without giving anything away! Just be ready for some twist and some hot alpha male! The first part of the book is hot and amazing but I wasn’t a huge fan of the last part (the twist). It felt like I switched to a totally different book. But I would still recommend this book to any!
No review could do Perfect Strangers justice.
Perfect Strangers had me hooked from the first paragraph and craving bourbon only a few pages in. J.T. Geissinger did not hesitate to release the steam immediately and somehow creates a sense of mystery before you even learned the characters names.
In just the first chapter she not only managed to pump up the steam and create a sense of mystery, but she also wrote a shareable quote I absolutely had to save. At this point all we know is that the female lead is an author, temporarily staying in her spitfire of an agent, Estelle’s, Parisian apartment, she is running from her past and looking for inspiration, she has a sexy exhibitionist neighbor and she loves bourbon. Really we know very little about what to expect, but already we get a deep quote like this:
“But the thing people don’t realize is that the past is a living, breathing entity that exists apart from our wishes or best intentions. It’s not gone, and it’s certainly not invisible. Its fingerprints are smeared all over every moment of the present, its weight drags on every second of the future, its consequences echo down every hallway of our lives. We can no more rid ourselves of the past than we could stop the earth from spinning.”
And a hilarious one like this:
“The perils of an overactive imagination. If I hadn’t become a writer, I’d be in a padded cell somewhere, clawing at the walls.”
By the end of the first chapter, J.T. managed to develop a dynamic, relatable main character, Olivia. She was obviously suffering some sort of trauma, battling depression and running from demons, yet she doesn’t abandon her sense of humor or her compassion. She’s witty, awkward and already seems like the kind of woman I’d like to hang out, eat cheese and drink bourbon with.
The electric connection between Olivia and James is so palpable you can feel it through the pages. Their direct and straight forward approach is refreshing, especially to someone frequently referred to as blunt, like me. But, even with their straightforward relationship, there are boundaries put up and secrets kept. James is as mysterious as he is sexy and that makes him all the more enticing.
Although the first 3 quarters of the book are mysterious, they are mostly just romantic, emotional and hot as hell. The final quarter is riding the line of thriller and action and gets your blood pumping in a much different way than the rest of the book. Then it takes another dramatic turn that leaves you reeling, before finally delivering the final blow… The epilogue. Oh, the epilogue. You diabolical, talented, twisted woman, J.T. Geissinger, have nearly ruined me.
Everything about this book is beautiful. The story, writing style, characters, even the pain, are all blindingly beautiful. I lost my breath, cried my heart out and prayed for miracles. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The moment I wrapped my mind around it, another shift came and knocked me back off course.
Toward the end of the book Olivia says “That’s the only way we can ever achieve immortality. Love is what binds us together eternally, the only thing that survives after death…” and I know that the memory of this book will live on vividly in my mind and my heart.
As my final words on this masterpiece I leave you with this quote I have stolen from Estelle, and slightly altered, as she captured it so perfectly. To J.T. Geissinger, “Yes, we’re going to talk about the book. And I’m going to end by saying this: you’re evil! Evil, you hear me?”
*I received a free advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
4.5 stars. What a wild concept! James and Olivia may seem a bit over the top (a bit too much sexy times for me), BUT there is a reason for it. KEEP READING. I loved this whole story and all the feels it gave me. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the very last paragraph. The information need to get to the reader, but I though it could have been done a bit more thoughtfully.
What an awesome twisty story! It is romantic and mysterious, humorous and touching and then BOOM!! It’s something else entirely. I absolutely loved this book!!
“When he looks up at me, cheek glowing red with my handprint, he’s grinning. There’s a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Just admit it, sweetheart. You’re in love with me.”
“If this is love, I’d rather have dysentery. At least then there’d be a good reason for all the sh*! I’m dealing with.”
-5 Stars!-
Fabulous! Gorgeous writing and characters that pop off the pages much like the cover. Please don’t read reviews because you DO NOT want spoilers with this fabulous story. It’s a roller coaster of emotions with mind blowing twists that I didn’t see coming. The hot as hell couple, Olivia and James, heat up the pages with sexy, erotic romance laden with mystery surrounding both individuals that kept me guessing until BAM the story goes sideways. Then just when I’m in the middle of all the action and adventure with villains and mayhem BAM another switch occurs and I’m in the midst of a “Sparks” book (I have a healthy dislike for those) but I’m still with it and motoring along with my tissues and BAM. But this time I’m stoked! So good! I loved the quotes and nods to famous people and places and the lush words and witty banter between the hero and heroine. Terrific ending and all the lead ups. Superb writing and outstanding storytelling with luscious characters makes my little romantic heart so full and happy.
OMFG!! What the hell did I just read?? I have to try to find the words to write this review and I don’t even know where to start. And where to start without giving it all away!!!! This will be difficult peoples!!
It’s so well written it’s incredible. The story just flows. The characters are so believable even when they are functional and then aren’t. You’ll see in the book what that sentence means!!
James…. so delicious except for the long hair. I don’t like long hair so I pictured him throughout the book with short hair. Hey me too I can dream.
Olivia was a cool character too. She’s a writer in a slump that decides to go to Paris and get her mojo back and then finds James delicious Adonis.
I have to stop there because there are twists in this book that you’ll never see coming. I was floored. Like down in the floor crying type of thing.
I will definitely read more from this author if this is her way of thinking!!
Enjoy!!
J.T. Geissinger
Unexpected and anything but an ordinary romance, Perfect Strangers by J.T. Geissinger will leave you asking, “wait? what just happened?”
Seriously, this is one wild, mind-bending ride. Definitely not your typical romance, and I think whether or not it has an HEA is debatable. It did not leave me with the warm and fuzzies.
Perfect Strangers is reminiscent of The Dirty Ones by J.A. Huss in that at the end, you have to pause and think through what exactly happened and what’s real and what’s not. Only, J.A. Huss provides a solid HEA.
Perfect Strangers kind of does, if you stop and think it through. I don’t want to give too much away, because the power of the book is in being surprised by the end. I will say that for our heroine, Olivia, no matter how you choose to interpret the ending, I suppose she has her best ending possible.
In terms of sex, Geissinger delivers. I’d say that she’s a touch above the “average” amount of sex in an erotic romance, pushing Perfect Strangers into a level four on my happy vagina scale.
Overall, I do recommend this book. Maybe not when you are jonesing for happy, happy, but when you are up for something a little different with a splash of reality. Geissinger provides some great author quotes throughout her novel, and she’s clearly a Hemingway fan. I personally love the quote about any good author acknowledges that death is a part of life. That’s paraphrased, but it fits for this novel.
Mind Blown. What an intense and complex read. I am pretty sure I just read three books, I mean, wait yeah, there are two different James both incredible and perfect but two different lives… Sort of. Okay let me say it again…MIND BLOWN!I My brain is still trying to recover from This journey I have just finished going on. J.T has scrambled my head in the best way ever.
This is the first book I have ever read by J.T and OMG it will not be the last. I connected with Olivia, I mean think we shared a brain with her quick whit and personal fears. I often think what if this were to happen, you know the questions all women ask of them selves. My answers were EXACTLY like Olivia’s. It’s was like if J.T. were reading my mind. Oh and James the sexy hero, with the best script writers on the planet. The man would and will turn anyone reading this into a puddle of starry eyed goo.
I don’t like spoilers, so here goes. This book is simply WOW a definite sexy, hot read, with a complex plot filled with danger, tragedy, passion and an ending that will make your head spin. Estelle mirrors me when you get towards the end cuz, yeah I screamed, I cried, I gasped in shock. I am at a loss for how best to describe this book. What I will say is this, J.T has one he’ll of an imagination! I am definitely a new fan.
Jesus Christ on a cracker .. THIS.COVER #win
Well, the cover delivered …. MIND.BLOWN.
If you’re reading this, I hope you heed my advice when I say READ NO REVIEWS JUST GO READ THIS STORY. You have to trust me. There’s more to this story than meets the eye and you really should experience it blind, like I did!! If you follow me at all then you probably know I’m almost 100% of the time going into books not even reading blurbs. I picked this book on cover only. And yeah, it delivered on that cover but it also delivered on every possible level you can imagine. TRUST ME!
I’m still going to tell you some outstanding things about this book without giving you a single plot point. Olivia and James were fire and dynamite. Their story was exhilarating. Their passion was explosive. Their journey has a few surprises that even I was OMGing from … It has taken me almost a week to just put this little bit together for you but I just don’t see how I can tell you anything else. You know from the blurb why I can’t. So go do your thing now and #oneclick!
“I don’t need to get to know you better first. Everything I need to know is what happens to me when I look into your eyes.”
How do you put into words what you’ll feel when you finish this book. It’s like several stories within a story. My mind was blown, frustrated, ecstatic, impressed, angry, in love, amazed and so full by the time I put this book down.
“Whatever bad thing happened to you, it hasn’t made you less beautiful.”
This book is full of grief, humor, mystery, friendship, steaminess, adventure, depression, guilt and many, many twist and turns. It will not leave you hanging, but you will sit and think what in the world…I didn’t see that coming!
“Time is the most valuable commodity we have, because it can never be replenished. Once it’s gone… it’s gone forever. And so are we.”