Book Review – Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red

 

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Book Review:

“My name is Leah, and I will do anything to keep my husband.”

I was extremely scared and apprehensive about reading this book. I hated HATED Leah in The Opportunist. Even though she made only brief appearances in book #1, she left quite the impression and a horrible taste in my mouth. Those feelings only intensified when I read Dirty Red. It’s been more than a week since I read the book, and I’m still reeling and analyzing what the crap happened.

Leah was another player in the Caleb and Olivia’s lying game. I would argue she outplayed both Caleb and Olivia in this book. From the very first page, I was enraged and wanted to slap her. Why in the world did Caleb marry this monster? Her self-centeredness knows no bounds. She always thinks of herself. She is obsessed with Olivia even though Caleb and Olivia presumably don’t speak.

“What power does she have over him? I want to run at him, pound my fists against his chest for always mentally comparing me to her. Or am I the only mentally comparing myself to her? God, life is so messed up.”

“Caleb is looking at me, but he is not seeing me. I want to throw up. How fragile is my marriage, if all he has to do is look at her and I cease to exist?”

Leah’s dreadful character was somewhat redeemed (I still hate her with a passion). She grew up in a loveless household where her mother and father doted on her sister, Courtney, and treated Leah like she was a piece of trash. Courtney was popular in school, while Leah was an outcast. The tables turned after Leah took up for her sister after Courtney’s best friend stabbed her in the back. Thus, manipulative, lying, self-absorbed Leah was born.

“I liked how easily I could make boys follow me around by dangling sex in their faces. I liked the way their girlfriends came to school with puffy red eyes from crying, after they found out their boyfriends had cheated on them.”

I missed Olivia A LOT while reading Dirty Red. I missed her inner dialogue and her vodka-infused baths. I missed Olivia’s Caleb. I missed them being together. Even though they were mostly absent from the present, the reader got glimpses into their story through Leah’s POV. There were some pretty shocking revelations that had me gasping, awwwhing, and rooting for “Colivia.”

“I didn’t choose her,” his voice breaks. “Love is illogical. You fall into it like a manhole. Then you’re just stuck. You die in love more than you live in love.”

I have “great expectations” for “Thief,” Book #3. Finally, we’ll get to hear Caleb’s side of the story, and hopefull, Caleb and Olivia will have their happy ever after. If they don’t get their HEA, I will 1.) die, 2.) write my own ending and 3.) shun Tarryn Fisher for all of eternity.

Tarryn Fisher is an absolute genius. She is the master of ambiguity. The reader doesn’t really know who knows what at what point in time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go make a timeline.