Absolute Obsession

The Absolute Series #1

by C. Elizabeth

Triggering an intervention of fate, 42 year old Rose Gerbaldi, discovers her heart and soul has been forever united with beautiful, 30 year old, British movie star, Michael Terrance. A discovery that compels her reality to firmly reclaim her - consequently devastating the very lives fate had so lovingly entwined. Forsaken by a woman he's never met, unable to control the debilitating agony, Michael seeks solace on the darker side of Hollywood. Meanwhile in Western Canada, having been doubly devastated, Rose relinquishes to a life of loneliness. Both are certain they'll never again find that for which they long for - each other. Foolish people - fate is infallible.

Genres: Romance

476 pages, Paperback

First published May 10, 2011

About the author

I live in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada with my family and work full-time as a paralegal. During my short writing career I've learned a lot about myself, sometimes to the point that I wonder how the heck I got this far in life and know so little about myself.

Have you ever had something happen to you that makes you shake your head in awe, wondering where it came from? Well that's what happened to me with Absolute Obsession. For the majority of my life I had dabbled in many things, such as drawing, photography, sewing, only to find that after a while, I would lose interest, but writing was a different story -- it found me and continues to be an addiction, as well as a most wonderful, incredible passion.

My characters are the storytellers, I simply narrate it for you, the reader. The goal is always to take you on an emotional journey where you are present in every room, feeling every emotion, being thrown in the throngs of the argument, witnessing the tenderness, and the like. I want you to laugh with me, cry with me, get mad with me, I want you to feel every emotion under the sun while reading my novels, because if you do, then rest assured, I'm right there with you.

C. Elizabeth

Reviews

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fairy tale for adults, Absolute Obsession is an amazing read that will make one believe in true and soul fulfilling love once again.

To begin with, I must mention that, though this book is close to 500 pages long, I began it at 2 in the afternoon and could not put it down until I finished at 1:30 the next morning. Okay, yes, I had to take time out for supper and a few things here and there, but when I did, I could not wait to get back to the story. For me this hardly ever happens, especially with a book this long. I was truly enraptured with the story of Rose and Michael and their soul searing love and devotion.

It all began with a letter....

Though it is a bit out of the realm of true possibility in real life, Michael, a hunky and well-known and desired actor calls Rose after receiving a letter from her. The letter that she writes is not that of a star-struck woman, but of someone who is wise and can see him for who he really is. This begins a budding relationship of constant phone conversations and deep feelings quicly begin to develop. Thinking she is doing what is right, Rose tells Michael that she no longer wants him to call her and that it wasn't being fair to her husband and family, nor to him. She wants him to build a life of his own, one where he can meet a wonderful woman, fall in love and have a family of his own with. The news crushes Michael and his life spirals out of control.

Two souls, miserable and lonely...

Rose's life settles back into what seems normal, until a horrific and devastating turn of events takes hold and rips apart everything that she has ever known and scatters the pieces far and out of reach.

Emptiness becomes a constant for both Rose and Michael, their lives directionless, their souls empty.

It is when a call of desperation is made to Rose that life changes, once again, for everyone. This time, however, the change brings hope and a glimpse of a beautiful future.

Exactly how likely is it for a worldly famous movie star to reach out to a "common" person and one that is several years older? Not so much, however, C. Elizabeth takes this fantasy/idea and flies with it and creates an unforgettable story that will last a very long time within reader's minds. Absolute Obsession is a fantasy come true, complete with its ups and downs and moments of yearning.

There truly are so many things to love about this book. The story itself is amazing, the sensuality is hot and steamy, the love and devotion is mind-blowing, the characterization is out of this world and I have to mention that the quotes that begin each chapter are excellent. Absolute Obsession is storytelling, romanticism and escapism at the level of perfection. I am going to have to add this book to my list of favorite reads of 2011, without hesitation. I am incredibly eager to read more work by C. Elizabeth and commend her on her amazing talent.

[Lindsay Paige]

Interest: Title + Synopsis

Title Thoughts: While it seems a little misleading, I love the title and how it fits with their love.

Cover Thoughts: It's simple, which I like. I love the colors and the lights. The only thing that I don't like is that it looks dark and dangerous and the book isn't. Overall, I do like it.

WARNINGS: There is sex, but not too explicit, in my opinion.

I have been trying all day to get this review published. Internet is finally working now, so here we go:

First, I do want to say something. My copy was signed with the message: Wishing you all a dream that you never knew you had. I love that message!

Having completely forgotten almost everything the synopsis says, going into this book I was thinking there would be a stalker. The title didn't exactly help me there. Well, that just goes to show that I shouldn't make assumptions. There was no stalker. Just wanted to mention that.

My stalker assumption aside, the love in this book and how the author portrays it was nothing like what I could have expected. I love how she sort of twisted it. In order to understand what I mean, you'll have to take the word obsession into another light. The love between these people was their obsession. They were absolutely in love and Elizabeth couldn't have done a better job showing that to the reader.

I loved the man Michael was and how his love for Rose caused him to constantly show how he adored her. It was quite sweet. However, it really concerned me sometimes how angry he would get over something small. His insecurities took over causing him to be crazy angry. It scared me; I honestly thought that his anger would get the best of him. Thankfully, it never happen.

I loved how the love was strong, but there were still flaws and arguments. It wasn't all perfect. I'm not sure if it was the age difference between myself and the characters or if it was from where I couldn't relate to what they were going through, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Surprisingly, for me, with the combination of Elizabeth's writing, the story, and the characters itself, it didn't bother me too much that I didn't make that connection.

Addict's Last Words: Absolute Obsession is definitely an enjoyable read with writing that worked perfectly with the story.

To Buy or To Borrow: I enjoyed it enough that it is a buy. Although I don't know if I would reread it, I would recommend it to my family and friends.

Disclosure: I participate in tours with Pump Up Your Book! and a copy was provided to me by the author, publisher, or another third party source. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Heavensent1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolute Obsession is a Romantic Drama.

Rose Gerbaldi obsesses about certain aspects of her life and when this occurs she cannot think about anything else. After reading a book she becomes obsessed with the main character and believes that they are meant to fall madly in love.

Rose's husband, Jim is very accepting of his wife's behaviour. He accepts when she zones out and leaves her loved ones behind until she can wrap up her obsessive feelings and move on with her life.

After Jim encourages Rose to watch the movie version of the book she is obsessed about, Rose writes the actor and tells him that he is a great actor and not just a pretty face. Drawn to her words, Michael Terrance calls Rose and the two begin a friendship.

Rose, who is absolutely wrapped up into this love story that is appearing before her must decide what is reality and what is make believe. She must come to realize her inner self in order to choose the right decision for her future.

This was an okay read, I thought the plight of Rose was a believable in that many people suffer from such thoughts and mental instabilities. Her thought ramblings were often interesting and her depth of realization of how wrong her actions were was equally enjoyable to read.

I found that the back story characters didn't get enough play in the story. I'm not sure if the author had meant to have the main characters appear as the main attraction but I would've loved to have seen some more insight from her friends and family. To me, it felt like they were only in the book to serve Rose and Michael's plight.

I really felt for the husband, Jim, I don't know how he managed to suffer his wife's mental infidelities. I found him to be a reasonable and encouraging spouse who truly didn't deserve to be ignored by his wife.

I found the ending to be predictable and I would've loved to have seen Rose gain insight through her friends and family instead of her own accord. It was almost like her loved ones were always secondary in her life and as long as Rose was happy...

I would give Absolute Obsession a three out of five stars. I didn't find much drama involved, other than Rose's mental machinations and I found the romance to be unbearable, as I could not condone Rose's thoughts about other men while she has a perfectly wonderful husband at home. However, if you like a light romance without much drama that can be easily read in one afternoon, then you will enjoy this.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose is a 40 something married mother and grandmother who experiences episodes of depression. It is during one of these episodes that she becomes obsessed with a character in a book and then with the actor who portrays him in the movie. She writes the actor a letter and he calls her on the phone. Here begins a friendship that develops into an emotional affair. This is the part of the book that made me a bit uncomfortable. I was happy when Rose realizes that she has to break things off and chooses her husband instead.

The title, Absolute Obsession, is very appropriate for the book. Both Michael and Rose are obsessed with their feelings for each other. I felt Michael's reaction to losing Rose was, at first, a bit extreme. But when you realize how much she seemed to ground him, I think you can understand why he went off the deep end. I did like how Michael fell for Rose without ever knowing what she looked like. Once they ended up together, I wasn't sure I would like their relationship. At times, I thought the relationship was a bit unhealthy. Michael was a bit immature and his sudden outbursts of rage and jealousy come out of nowhere. I also thought Rose was almost a mother figure to him. For instance, she was always thinking about scolding him for his phone manners. By the end of the book, both characters changed enough and I felt comfortable with their HEA.

Absolute Obsession is well written. The author takes the readers through a range of emotions. It deals with love, loss and second chances. It was an enjoyable book and I think most people will like it. I look forward to seeing what C. Elizabeth comes up with next.

[Zee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Elizabeth’s no nonsense writing style. She doesn’t go on and on about the scenery or flowery details in an attempt to bring the characters and atmosphere to life. No, it is her constant dialogue, and excellent showcase of each character’s inner turmoil, thoughts and desires that really make this novel shine. This is a slow burn at about 470 pages which takes you on a long and fulfilling journey with Rose. I was completely satisfied with the character development in this novel. You got a chance to see each character’s fears, dreams, anger, disappointment, and the like here.

I enjoyed Rose’s character the most. I found her to be very relatable in the way she reacts to situations. I found myself thinking some of the same things Rose was and feeling her emotions as she experiences the ups and downs of her life. I thought she was a nutcase in the beginning of the book, especially with her obsession with the Only Her novel, but I now see it for what it is – the need to completely enjoy and absorb the moment she is in. And once she put down the novel and started living her own life, she did it the exact same way.

Absolute Obsession is a novel worth obsessing about! I give this novel my top rating – 5 of 5 stars. I have never read Elizabeth’s work before, but I definitely have my eye on her work now!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a free copy through a First Reads giveaway.

"...while reading a book, I was that person who could never put it down, staying up all hours of the night to finish it and losing myself in the characters and settings." - Rose, page 10.

No doubt this book has an exceptional ability to turn a reader into just that person. I had a hard time putting this down once I finally got started. I was initially put off by the concept of the story line due to it being kind of off-the-wall. However, I just got completely sucked in.

At first, I really thought I was going to hate Rose. I was just so sure that she was going to be a cheating wife - because how else was it going to go with her falling in love with someone else while married? But when Jim got sick and finally died, I was torn between crying and feeling relieved that Rose was going to get to explore this completely unexpected love with Michael.

A lot of times Michael acted more like 12 years old as opposed to 30 and I wanted to throw something at him. I'm glad they finally got their happily ever after.

Despite my usual aversion to romance novels, this was a pretty great read. I really appreciate the lack of massive amounts of graphic sex scenes. I'm looking forward to the continuation of Rose and Michael's story.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute Obsession is a novel about love, loss and how decisions that a person makes in life affect others. Rose is a forty something woman who is relatively happy in her marriage but has dreams of Michael, a Hollywood star, who she ends up writing a letter to after she reads an article about him. Rose does not think that Michael will even read the letter but he does and calls her and they start having regular phone conversations. She is honest with her husband and tells him about the calls and of course he isn't happy. What starts out as flirtation ends up going farther than either Rose and Michael had expected.

Rose has to make a decision on what she wants and she tells Michael that she can no longer talk to him and that she loves her husband.

What happens next is a story that takes the reader through the loss, heartbreak and happiness that takes place for Rose and Michael. At times bittersweet, heartbreaking and at others happy, joyous and sensual story about two people who hope that their dreams can come true. I liked it very much. Just make sure that you have a box of tissues near....

[Laura Burks · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book I was moved by the fact that C. Elizabeth touched on a subject that we are all guilty of ... reading a book and falling in love with a fictional character. What I found so interesting about the way she moved the story is that there is a real person behind the character playing the part in the movie. That person wants what we all want, to be loved and understood. For me, I really enjoyed seeing life through the eyes of two people from opposite sides of life and how they were brought together, needing each other for different reasons.

You know when a book is good when you don't want it to end. When you reach the last page and look for more. That's how I felt about ABSOLUTE OBSESSION.

C. Elizabeth's first novel proves she is a serious writer and one who will be around for a long time. I'm looking forward to following her career, blogs, and other articles in blogcritics, etc.

[ILoveBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose is obsessed...with reading. When she reads, the lines between reality and fiction begin to blur. She begins a book "Only Her" and quickly becomes obsessed...she also becomes obsessed with the manly actor after seeing the movie. Rose is, in fact, married; her husband has tried to free her from her obsession many times before, will he succeed this time?



The novel contains a letter, extreme sadness, ecstatic happiness, and afterglow. The reader will be taken on a journey through a book lover's mind, from the point of view of Rose. The characters are mostly likable, though the reader will want to shake Rose on more than one occasion. The reader has the chance to glimpse into each characters' literal hopes and dreams. The events are different, the author writes very fluidly with no awkward transitions. The author does not go overboard with the details, she writes very succinctly and with no embellishments. This book is recommended to adult readers.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the premise of the story, but unfortunately this book didn’t move me. It wasn’t so much the content of the book as the way the story was told. I never felt like I was a part of the story. I was more like an outsider listening to a narration. I never felt connected to the characters. I was just watching them go through the motions.

Another problem I had was the story seemed very plotted out. We went from point A to point B to point C in a methodical and unrealistic way. It is almost like the story was edited too much. It kind of reminded me of the way some YA novels are written, but this is by no means YA. There is some hot sex going on.

I wanted to like this book...
read the rest of the review: http://www.loveromancepassion.com/rev...

[Angief · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down; I stayed up half the night finishing it. To be quite honest, it was not at all what I thought it would be. For some reason I thought it was about someone that became overly obsessed with someone else but it wasn’t that at all. It was a really great love story and an amazing fantasy. I will be ordering the next book in this this series, Absolute Obstruction, as soon as possible.

I treasure the books that I get that are signed. It makes them that much more special to me, so thank you to C. Elizabeth for personally signing a copy of this great book for me and I loved the message “Wishing you a dream you never knew you had.”

I also have to add that I love that C. Elizabeth is from Alberta, Canada.

I received a free copy of this book through GoodReads.

[Lorna Godziuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was hesitant to pick this book up as it is a romance which is typically not my 1st choice. From the first chapter I literally could not stop reading. C. Elizabeth succeeded in capturing my attention and pulling me into the lives and feelings of the characters. What an amazing love story. What I love is that although it is over it is not...this is a series. Great job and I would recommend this to anyone!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I stayed up reading this book until 4 AM. I enjoyed the book very much. I wasn't sure why Michael has so many anger problems or was it jealousy. I would certainly like to read more by C. Elizabeth.

[Jena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say one of the best reads of mine in a long time. I could not put the book down - and for me, that is an achievement. C. Elizabeth writes incredibly and brought out such emotion with the characters. I am so thrilled I received an opportunity to read this book.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the cover and sounds great cant wait to read it...

[Kristina Franken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone

FTC: I received a free copy of this book and was not reimbursed in any other way.