Behind Closed Doors

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS is Australian author Anne Oliver’s debut novel, a passionate romance; as to troubled people try to resolve their feelings.

Cleo Honeywell has been in love with Jack Devlin, for what seems like forever. The only contact she’s had since he took off overseas and became a famous photographer is newspaper clippings. Cleo is determined to keep her feelings under wraps. Jack has to realize she’s no longer a little kid, but a real woman now, one capable of love. But can she forgive him for leaving her behind?

Now Jack is back in town, he has unresolved issues with his now dead and buried father, to come to terms with. He has always kept them under wraps, also his desire for the then sixteen-year-old Cleo. Only his best friend Scott knows what really happened in his past and what finally made him run away. He’s surprised to find his feelings for Cleo have grown stronger over time. He takes a step back, trying to protect them both. He’s afraid the past and the fear he holds deep inside could cause her harm.

When Cleo begins to play at being a vamp, it makes Jack back away even faster. So what does it take to make two hurting people realize they need each other? Can they face the truth and move on or will the legacy of the past destroy them?

An interesting first book, that makes this reviewer look forward to the next one. The characters were unique and fascinating, and allowed this reader to feel compassion for them. The conflict was extremely well done and its existence was woven through the plot. The tone was dark in places, but some scenes were full of humor, offsetting the sadness. The dialogue was well done, with some gritty humor added. The main characters were passionate and filled with energy, with clear goals. The secondary characters blended in well, adding to the sense of coming home to old friends. The pace of the story was very good, flowing through the scenes smoothly. The word imagery was excellent as in ‘Her morning after glow had been tarnished. Suddenly she felt more than naked.’ The heroine was a little bit over paranoid sometimes, but loving somebody deeply made that believable. The theme of love going nowhere very fast was kept until the crystal clear moment of truth was finally reached. It keeps those pages turning to find a resolution, as the hero with a locked up heart is finally open about what really happened. This reviewer recommends this delightful tale to anyone wanting a tale that isn’t as clear-cut as it first appears.

November 2006