TRUST: Betrayed Cristiane’s GENIUS

The book starts with the following scene,

April 6th, 2010.

My Dear,

Our relationship is doomed. I can’t carry on with it. My

heart is bleeding but I have to ask you to forget me.

I’m sorry. More than you can imagine but I know that,

in the end, it’s going to destroy me. You are

 

 

The pen stopped midair and the woman thinned her lips. She

crushed the sheet in her hand and threw it with rage.

I had never thought I would like an Indie Author’s book as much. I haven’t been much into Trilogies except perhaps Harry Potter (Even there, I lost faith by the 5^th book, only to regain it when the strings were tied in the 7^th!!)

But Cris proves me wrong every single time.

London, March 15, 2010.

My dear Sophia,

I’ve never been so happy and you’re the reason

for it. You have brought light back into my life

I want to give you as much joy as you have given

me these past few months. And I’ll endeavor to

accomplish this. I promise!

I was wrong when I said you were a sight to

behold. You are much more! You are one of those

Special people who grace the Earth once in a while

and having the pleasure of knowing you is

incomparable. I don’t want to behold y$, I want

to hold you in my arms. Forever.

I can’t wait to see you again. To love you

again.

Yours,

Alistair Connor.

 

Oh, there are so many moments like this which make me swoon!! I love the way the story slowly unwraps. It is almost like opening a box filled with little presents, each with a new twist, each with something I am stunned with.

The book starts with Sophia and Alistair slowly exploring their relationships. There are secrets that they haven’t told each other, about themselves and they both worry about it. But they dissolve into each other’s arms and that is what makes me go all gooey inside.

When I started writing reviews, I was determined to not let my feelings affect an objective assessment of the book but this is hard in the Trust: Trilogy. The way Cris has described the characters and the slow and gentle flashbacks into Ethan’s life really made me understand the characters.

Alistair is ready to take the relationship to a different level. He introduces Sophia to his family and she begins to carve out a space for herself with them. Sophia’s calming effect on Alistair’s sexual cravings also help improve his relationship with his brother, Tavish Uilleam.

We slowly get exposed to Alistair’s troubled relationship with his first wife, Heather and the loss of his child. We learn about Ethan’s troubled childhood with parents who never wanted him, and a grandfather who never understood him. We get a real insight into the psychology of people here. How a childhood impression can change your view dramatically. How a devastating experience can make you so isolated and bitter. And how memories, try as we might, cannot be repressed for long.

When Sophia and Alistair make love, it really thrills and raises the temperature up a few notches, but beyond the outright sex, you can feel the sizzling chemistry. There are relations which get built starting physically and there are some where both persons simply lose track of how they happened to dissolve into the other and that now, they are inseparable! Sophia and Alistair belonged to the second category.

The story doesn’t stop here. Sophia is a young and troubled widow and her old memories come to haunt her. Repressed memories take their form as Sophia is confronted with painful memories she is not ready to talk about

Sophia felt ice sift through her bones. “I. Talked. What did I

say?”

Alistair studied Sophia’s suddenly pale face. What the fuck?

Distrust instantly elbowed his way into his mind. “Nothing

intelligible. Why? Do you have something to hide?”

Oh. Thank God. Relief flooded her and she glanced out the

helicopter windows. “Hide?” She let out a fake laugh. “Nothing. I

have nothing to hide.”

He thinned his lips trying to control that surge of anger that

filled him. More secrets, Sophia? “Why are you always hiding

and lying, Sophia?”

Oh but Alistair has his own share of secrets. The Scotsman however, crazy in love that he was, spilled all the beans to Sophia. About Heather. About his sex cravings. About how BDSM drove him insane.

We learn the depths of pain one can feel, even though he has riches, fame and money! Even Ethan’s flashbacks are painful, his first love, turning out to be a manipulative trick, his mother crushing his spirit every time he made an effort.

Ah, and I am not even anywhere close to finishing the book!!! Sophia confronts her demons in Rio de Janerio when she discovers Alistair’s passions for violent sex which she tries and does not approve.

The book takes a turn when Alistair asks Sophia to marry her and she agrees.

This is the BEST part of the book. The wedding. I felt so HAPPY and EMOTIONAL reading about a wedding. There were so many emotions there, so much of happiness. Weddings are such happy ceremonies!!

Her thumbs dried the tears that rimmed his eyes and wetted

his long lashes. She softly smiled at him, whispering, “You

know, Alistair Connor… love is not about oneself, but about the

other. It’s not about receiving, but about giving. It’s not about

keeping, but about freeing. Love is not love if not shared. All I

did was say yes to a free given love that could not be kept

selfishly imprisoned.”

I think this is a BRILLIANT book. Three readings and I haven’t had enough of the characters, of the love and of Cris’s incredible wisdom and understanding!!

This is something you CANNOT miss!!

He quirked an eyebrow and grinned teasingly at her. “Are you

going to just nod when Father Bruce asks you to repeat your

vows?” He nodded his head, “Like this?”

“Those three words will never be enough,” was her hoarse

reply.

“Better.” He stepped closer to her, and his fingers curled

around her wrists, bringing them to his chest. “Nervous?”

“Are you?” she asked as she nodded confirming what

everyone could see.

“All I can promise is not to faint,” he sneered.

“God forbid.” She grinned then.

Valentina, Victoria, Felipe and Edward were chuckling. The

priest looked at the rabbi and cleared his throat.

“I brought two handkerchiefs in case you decided to cry.” He

laughed when she opened her hand and showed a frilly lacy

handkerchief wrung in her fist.

I don’t think I can express enough, my anticipation for the third book!! I think Cris is one of the best writers I have ever read!!

TRUST: Betrayed has so many memories and so much of brilliance attached to it! I simply cannot describe it enough!

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book has made me think, made me frown, laugh, cry and experience every emotion!!! This book truly deserves the best!!