SUNNY: DUAL REVIEW "Come Undone" and "Come Alive" by Jessica Hawkins

SUMMARIES:

COME UNDONE

Olivia Germaine has already found love. Devoted wife, loyal friend, determined career woman - she’s created the life she always envisioned.
But when Olivia locks eyes with a handsome stranger across a crowded room, he peers a little too closely and sees emotions she thought she’d buried long ago.
David Dylan, alleged playboy and eternal bachelor, challenges Olivia to confront the life she’s built and to make decisions that could either lead to happiness . . . or regret.
Will Olivia be able to draw the line between lust and love?
And can David respect that line?

COME ALIVE
Determined to move on with her life, Olivia Germaine has vowed to forget David Dylan. Struggling to keep her head above water, she focuses on her new promotion and refuses to drown in the memory of their night together.
But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him . . . and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.
Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David?
And can David stay away like he promised?

REVIEW
I am not a huge fan of the topic of adultery.  Having said that, there is something about Jessica Hawkins’ storytelling that is so compelling that I have to come back for book two. 

This book was a pageturner for me.  The more I read, I more I became invested in the characters.  The author does a fine job giving them more dimension and depth than I expected.  I guess a part of me wanted to paint the characters as good guys and bad guys.  In reality, each situation has so many shades of gray.  

The idea that Ms. Hawkins keeps questioning is this notion of “the one.”  Is there truly only one perfect partner for each soul?  What if a person “settles” for someone else and then “the one” comes into that person’s life?  Is that justification for breaking up? Can you still have a good life even if you are not with “the one?”

IN A NUTSHELL:

We reach a certain conclusion after this book and I am more than curious to see where Ms. Hawkins takes us in the next book.  Stay tuned. 

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review