Having originally read this story online in its entirety, I was initially reluctant to read it again as a published work. However, I found myself completely inhaling Absolute Beginners, realising that a good, well-written story is always going to be exactly that, no matter the format or the character names. As soon as I finished Beginners, I pre-ordered Absolute Lovers, and have similarly devoured it. Even knowing the plot, I could hardly bear to put it down, and it was such a delight to get a final chapter from the perspective of the heroine - an insight denied the reader when it was written as an episodic online piece. I have always loved Ms Hooks' writing, and have to admit that I would read anything and everything she produces. Her characters are always well-developed and, as a Dane, she has what may well be a genetic predisposition to story-telling. She captivates the reader's attention from the first page and keeps hold of you until the very last page.
We first met Stephen, a professor of American literature, and Julia, his student, in Absolute Beginners, which described the genesis of their seemingly unlikely relationship. In Absolute Lovers we observe their growing connection and the inevitable ups and downs of a love affair between two such disparate characters. With a ten or eleven year age gap and diametrically opposed backgrounds, it would seem to be a relationship which has no hope of achieving longevity. However, as told by this author, it never seems impossible or unrealistic.
This two-part sexy romance is a delight from beginning to end and I highly recommend it.