A Quick, Satisfying Short Story (and it's free!): Evidence of the Affair

Typically, I’m not a short story reader. I have nothing against them and have even written a few that are tucked into the back of some of the paperback versions of my books, but I don’t often gravitate to reading them. I think there are a number of reasons for this. One, often short stories fall under the literary fiction category, and I’m more of a commercial fiction gal. Two, I like to be immersed in a story and short stories have less time to get me into that state. Three, I don’t know if it’s just been my luck, but the short stories I’ve read have often had no real ending or are super grim, and they’ve left me with a “what was the point of that?” feeling.

However, I’m happy to report that none of those are the case in the one I’m recommending today. I’m not even sure how Evidence of the Affair came into my line of sight. I’m sure the Amazon recommending machine was at work. But when I saw the cover (I love mid-century modern architecture—though I’m freaked out by all the windows now after reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark), my attention was snagged. Then I saw it was written by Taylor Jenkins Read, who has written some of my favorite books of the last decade or so of my reading life. That’s all I needed to know. I was in. Bonus surprise: the short story is free if you’re an Amazon Prime member or if you have Kindle Unlimited. (If not, the 1.99 price is still a steal.)

This story is set in the 1970s (another thing I loved about it) and told all through letters. I love stories told in interesting ways, and the epistolary format really worked here. The main letters being exchanged are from the spouses of the cheating partners. One discovers the affair and writes to the other. Interspersed are letters between the cheating couple. I wasn’t sure where the story would go and it kept me guessing (and got me worried at points), but I will say that it was a satisfying ending.

So, if you’re looking for something a little different or for a quick read to get out of a reading slump (or to beef up your reading challenge numbers!), I recommend picking up Evidence of the Affair. If you like her writing style, I highly recommend tracking down her backlist. I’m still working my way through hers, but One True Loves has been my favorite so far.

Happy reading!

Any good short stories to recommend?

Roni Recommends: One That's Sweet & One That's Steamy

Hey there! I know it's been a while since I've been around. I've been writing, writing, writing. But in between all the writing marathons, I have had a chance to read a few books (because I always have to make time for reading even when things are crazy because otherwise *I* go crazy, lol.) Today I have two picks for you!

First up is After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read One True Loves by the same author last year and LOVED it. It was one of my favorite reads of the year, so I don't know why it took me so long to pick up another book by Reid. Luckily, I was not disappointed. I didn't love this one quite as much as One True Loves (the bar was high, y'all), but I really enjoyed this story about a married couple that decides to take a year break from each other to try to save their marriage. I love Reid's voice and her humor. I also felt like the little frustrations of married life (and how they can become big problems) were realistically portrayed. The secondary characters were fantastic as well. Now, be warned, this is women's fiction not a traditional romance. However, I can tell you it's a satisfying ending.

Next up, is a dark and steamy erotic romance. Hostage by Annika Martin and Skye Warren is the second in the Captives and Criminals series (Prisoner was the first.) You can read it as a standalone, though. Warning, these are dark romances with antiheroes. That is not always an easy thing to pull off, but this writing duo does it well. The hero is a murderer (for very good reasons) but still...murderer. He meets the heroine by taking her hostage. So know what you're getting yourself into, lol. But if you're willing to go there, this was a page-turner and a very steamy read. I always feel a little wrong after reading this series, but I'm okay with that. ;) 

So what have you been reading lately? (I'm listening to Shonda Rimes's Year of Yes on audio and loving it.)