I honestly don’t even know where to begin to describe the complete genius of this book. My best advice would be to go in completely blind, and just enjoy the turmoil, emotional havoc and sheer thrill that I’ve come to anticipate when I pick up one of R.L. Griffin’s books.
This story was brilliantly orchestrated. It starts to suck you into its deep dark depths without you even realizing it from the first page. You connect with the characters, and the story starts to develop, while exploring and touching on the backstory, and then Boom, you’re thrown off that track completely, with a twist that will leave you with your jaw on the floor, and retracing your steps, just to ensure that what you read was in actual fact true, and not a complete figment of your imagination.
If you’ve read the previous works of R.L. Griffin, the impact of the twist, will have you grinning sadistically, and marveling at the utter brilliance of this talented author.
When Kate returns home having failed at nearly everything in her life, she returns to her empty childhood home. Haunted with so many memories of a happier life, with friends and family before her father was murdered, her mother committed to a rehabilitation center, her career flat on its face, and the man she loved, and still loves, married with a child, and completely out of bounds, but still tied to her life in every way possible, including financially. She has to decide how her story will continue. She could run and start over somewhere else, or she can stay close to her mom and fight for her do over, with the support of her friends. And that is exactly what Kate decides to do.
“Distraction serves many purposes.
Change makes you focus on something other than your fear.
Confronting your past makes you realize things you don’t want to.”
Included among her big life changes, she decides that she needs to move on from the yearning, longing and heartbreak that is Harrison Gentry. This does prove to be a little easier said than done, when the man is literally in her face all the time since her return to town. Having decided that a girls night out with her best friend Poppy might just do the trick to get her mind off all things Gent is just what she needs, because sometimes throwing your inhibitions into the wind and blowing off extra steam on a night out, can definitely help rejuvenate the mind.
What Kate doesn’t bank on, is meeting … HIM, and having one of the best one night stands of her life. He’s mysterious, he’s beautiful, he’s talented, he’s smart and successful. He is like a magnetic force field pulling her in. He understands her in a way no one ever has. His story is a tragic one, and even though Kate knows he may be dangerous, the thrill of it all can’t keep her away. She’s drawn to the broken parts of him, and more than anything wants what everyone around her seems to have. A happily ever after with someone who loves her unconditionally.
The sparks and energy between these two are undoubted, but as their relationship develops Kate gets sucked further and deeper into the abyss of his manipulative ways. The web of lies slip so easily off his tongue, and the cunning ruthlessness of his actions are so devious. But Kate is a smart woman. She’s not a spoiled little girl who takes crap lying down. She’s a fighter. A survivor. And, that’s one of the things I love about R.L. Griffin’s characters. She always delivers with strong, independent women, with minds of their own who can survive. Yes, things may blind them occasionally, but then, when you’re in a vulnerable position and at your lowest, don’t we all have a moment of weakness? How we handle the aftershocks are what define us, and that’s what makes this story brilliant. Game on.
“When something is so beautiful it can hide so many things...deceit, evil and intent.”
I thoughroughly enjoyed Bleed the water Red, and don’t want to say too much and risk giving away anything more. This is just one of those books that you need to just pick up and go in. It will not dissapoint with romance, suspense and masterful manipulation at its best.