On Burning Mirrors

by Jamie Klinger-Krebs

Jules Kanter is a wife, a mother and a successful journalist; but she’s completely fallen for the subject of her latest story--a talented musician/bartender named Erin. While plagued with guilt over her affair with another woman, and terrified of hurting everyone she loves, Jules pours her emotions into her writing. But, she never imagined her words would be discovered when she wasn't there to explain them. Following Jules' tragic death her husband, Will, learns of her affair and uncovers a letter Jules had written to herself, as well as the article she had been writing about Erin--a story Erin doesn't know exists. Desperate to understand how his wife could be involved in a same-sex affair, he tracks Erin down and the pair soon begins to understand just how much Jules hid from them both. Although neither will ever really know what Jules was planning to do, through their shared grief Will and Erin are forced to recognize who they were with Jules, and the people they need to become without her. On Burning Mirrors has received the following awards and The Eric Hoffer Award - 2019 Honorable Mention The Eric Hoffer da Vinci Eye Award - 2019 Finalist for cover design Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award - 2018 Finalist for LGBTQ Fiction American Fiction Awards - 2018 Finalist for LGBT and General Fiction What readers are saying about On Burning "Wow is all I can say about this book. It's bittersweet, tragic, and even difficult at times, but I can honestly say I haven't read a story quite like it before." "The character development of Will and Erin is beyond reproach and left my heart aching for them both." "The story bounces back and forth from past to present, I love how the author did this beautifully with no loose ends." "A thought-provoking character study on sexual identity, marriage and family, and self-authenticity."

Genres: Fiction, Ebooks, LGBT

365 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2018

About the author

Jamie Klinger-Krebs is an author, designer and marketing professional. Her nearly 20-year writing career includes trade publications, magazines, newspapers, two novels and one very snarky blog. As a self-described nerd, you can usually find Jamie with her nose in a book or tapping away on a computer. But, when she’s not feeding her brain, you just might find her out on the water paddle boarding with her daughter (and the dog) or photographing trees.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

**'Fiction enables you as a writer to write coded versions of yourself that you know are true because you can decode them...Writing is a delicious agony..'

Great read!
Such a heartfelt,well written story that included some good storytelling. Do recommend this book to all interested readers!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars

I'm really torn on how to rate this book. While it's certainly compelling, and kept me turning the pages, I'm still not really sure what it was all about. Well, I know what it was all about, but what the point of it all was.

I wouldn't strictly categorise it as lesbian, as the MC has sex with a man, (the identity of whom I had a hard time wrapping my head around) and the other heroine was married, so both bi?

This is a long journey; one of discovery? Coming out? Being found out? Rape? Cheating? Alcoholism? Yes to all of those things but also no. Its more coming to terms with what happened to the heroine when she was a teen. I think. Erin was a cow to Jules so it was far from a love story in my eyes. She treated Jules' husband with more respect and... passion.

I'm not going to do this book any justice because as I said, I'm not sure what it was all about. That's probably on me and not the narration as plenty of other reviewers have loved the story.

Copy received via NetGalley

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Burning Mirrors is, in essence, a love story, but it is so much more. Jules is married with a young daughter when she is killed in a car accident. Her berieved husband, Will, is struggling to reconcile the history of his tumultuous relationship with his wife when he discovers that she was having an affair with a musician and bartender named Erin. The character development of Will and Erin is beyond reproach and left my heart aching for them both. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was provided an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenna Bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to preface this review by saying that I seem to be in a minority opinion when it comes to this book; it currently has a very respectable 4.26 average on GoodReads, but I'd personally place it in the 2.5-3 range. So, if the premise sounds interesting to you, take my somewhat critical review with a grain of salt. This may also have to be a bit vague, as some of the issues that took away from my enjoyment of the book had to do with plot points rather than writing style. I will aim for only being specific in terms of plot when it comes to things that happen very early in the narrative; you won't be reading any plot twists here. 

I was cautiously optimistic going into this book. Representation was cause for optimism, but one half of the lesbian couple being dead from the word "go" tempered my excitement a bit. (Bury Your Gays, anyone?) Jules dies in a car accident on the way home from visiting her lover, Erin. The manner of her death may seem incidental, but to anyone familiar with the BYG trope, it may have thrown up some red flags. While it was a matter of a chance accident, the timing of the accident means that Jules' death was an indirect result of falling in love with Erin. Gay characters often die in fiction as a direct or indirect result of their relationships; it's depressing at worst, and simply overdone at best. 

Jules' death turns Erin's and Will's worlds upside-down. In order to better understand the woman they've both loved and lost, they attempt to work past their differences and begin to form a hesitant bond. It was interesting to watch this play out, particularly in terms of how Will's character evolved from (in my opinion) a rather intensely unlikable person to someone who was trying to practice empathy despite his own heartache.

Erin evolved throughout the story as well, and easily becomes the best developed character of the novel, with a detailed background and significant growth. There was one major narrative blip when it come to Erin towards the end of the novel, which I won't spoil here, but I will say that it felt jarring and unnatural and didn't add anything of value to the story. 

On Burning Mirrors is a story of secrets, grief, and healing. Erin and Will both struggle to find a way to move past the loss of a woman that neither of them feels like they ever truly had to begin with. It is a story of finding closure in the face of unexpected loss. 

I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the publisher.

[Coco.V]

💝FREE on Amazon today (7/23/2018)!💝

Blurb:
Jules Kanter is a wife, a mother and a successful journalist; but she’s completely fallen for a talented musician/bartender named Erin. Plagued with guilt over her affair and afraid of hurting everyone she loves, Jules pours her emotions into her writing. But, she never imagined her words would be discovered when she couldn't explain them.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to come back to this and write something. The writing and editing were fine in this book..and the story idea was fine. But having one main character no spoiler here as its at the start of the book..so knowing she is going to die kinda took away from the book for me. Granted the book is about more than that and I had a somewhat hard time turning the pages..but I did not skim...UNTIL ..no spoiler here either but..did the author really just go there..yup..that did it for me and I skimmed the remainder so as not to think I completely wasted my time. Some may like this book but it was not for me. So 3 stars is to much. 2.5 stars

[teryn berard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars

Brought me to tears. I don't usually leave worded reviews but this was a great book. I recommend you read it.

[Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Burning Mirrors is a novel which follows two individuals mourning for the same woman, whom they both love. Will has been married to Jules for many years, and though they have been through a lot to keep their marriage together, he still feels as if Jules is more devoted to her work than to him. Across town, Erin is a musician wo met Jules while performing at the bar she also bartends at, and their friendship soon blossoms into an affair with the writer. Both of their worlds are shattered one night when, on her way home from Erin’s apartment, Jules is killed in a car accident, and they are both left with more questions than answers, and a lot of confused memories. Who did Jules love more, and who was destined to be left heartbroken in the end, had Jules been alive long enough to decide? As both sort through their recollections of her, and confront secrets she had kept from each of them, they are both forced to confront one another in order to piece together the whole story, and even then they may never know the whole truth.

I really enjoyed On Burning Mirrors, though like Jules’ feelings about her own sexuality, something about it just felt off, though I could not put my finger on what. For the most part, I chalked it up to it just being outside my usual genre. I rarely set my sights on adult fiction or domestic drama, though the fact it dealt with LGBT themes was what drew me in. In the beginning, I really connected with all the characters, as I had dealt with a similar (though far less serious or secretive) experience when I was in college, finding myself falling for a same-sex friend despite already being in a hetero relationship. Maybe it is for this reason that I was very critical of a lot of the things that go on in the book, especially something that occurs about 85% of the way through the book that I found particularly unrealistic (though I won’t say what it was, to spare the spoilers). That’s not to say that I did not like the book in and of itself. Although there were some parts I found a bit hard to believe - and others I will admit I found much too real to be comfortable – the book as a whole was an interesting read, and I hung on every word. It just gave me mixed feelings when it came to whether it would play out the same way, had it occurred in reality. As for why the book left an itch in the back of my mind, the only read explanation I can come up with is that it seems to be written by a straight woman, which while not the end of the world (straight people definitely should consider adding more LGBT characters to their stories!) one side effect of straight people trying to delve too deeply into the gay experience is that it tends to leave a slight sheen of insincerity, as it the sort of thing that is difficult for people to write about when they have not experienced it firsthand (and if I am wrong about Klinger-Krebs' identity, then no hard feelings to the author. This was just my best guess as to what was bothering me, and is purely my own opinion from observation, and not a reflection of her overall ability to write).

I feel this is a pretty good book for anyone who has ever questioned their own identity in one way or another, and especially for those who were not given the opportunity or resources to do so until later in life. This book does really well to illustrate the way the world can pull queer people in two different directions – the safe and content option, and the risky but ultimately happier option – and the way others are often caught in the crossfire when a queer person settles for playing straight, only to encounter a situation down the road that makes keeping up the act seem nearly impossible. It is far, however, from a happy story, so I would warn against reading it if the struggle with identity is still fresh in your mind, or worse yet, still occurring full-force, as this shows much more of the painful side of the conundrum, and little to no insight into the relief that can come after the decision is made.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve spent the last sixteen hours binging On Burning Mirrors. It’s a good book that engrossed me. So, engrossing I even turned off the episode of Murder She Wrote where Jessica is a senator, my favorite. This is a story that follows Erin and Will after the unexpected and tragic death of Jules, who was Erin’s lover for the last year and Will’s wife for over a decade. It is told in the present but interspersed with flashbacks by Erin and Will which relate the details of the relationship that Jules had with both. Will is trying to come to terms with both grief and anger at Jules for her infidelity, and Erin is trying to understand if she and Jules really had a mutual loving relationship, or if the relationship was motivated by professional ulterior motives.

The writing is good and better yet, the story is compelling because it doesn’t require an extended use of willing suspension of disbelief. It’s a story that is messy and complicated and deals with a lot of issues that are not always clear cut, but this is what makes it realistic. It is about grief, infidelity, sexuality, family obligations, and flawed people. The long list of topics is a pro for me; after a summer of binging on lesbian fiction that is one-dimensional and about sexuality only, I embraced this mature piece. It is a full novel that creates characters and a story that goes beyond one dimension, looking at life and its not always clear-cut entanglements. It’s a nice deviation because it acknowledges that Jules had a family, a career she was focused on, and then also had to come to terms with her sexuality later in life, meaning it is not an easy choice to simply scream, “Follow your heart!”

I would argue the character flaws are the strength of the story, none of the main characters are worthy of spite, but all have made flawed choices at one point. I was most impressed by how Klinger-Krebs articulates the swirling emotions that accompany grief—love, anger, and confusion, which is made possible by identifying the flaws in the now deceased Jules without demonizing her. I do have to applaud Klinger-Krebs’ ability to create a pseudo first-person point of view for the deceased Jules through Jules’ newspaper articles and writings. This is clearly done with Klinger-Krebs’ own experience in journalistic writing, as the style of Jules’ voice stood out to me as being unique and in character.

Overall, I felt On Burning Mirrors was a great read, and for once created an entire story that was not isolated on one facet of a character. For once, this is a story that addresses lots of things with lesbian sexuality as one of those elements in a life filled with other things.

Reviewed by Courtney Ellen for The Novel Approach

[Brie S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read! I've recommended it to many friends!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Thought provoking though there is some of the storyline I was not convinced is reality. Of course gender is fluid but in my experience a woman that has accepted the fact that she is homosexual would not have an attraction to a man let alone have sex with him.

[Grace Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intriguing story about what happens to the people left behind when a dead woman's secrets are revealed. Even though Jules Canter dies in the opening chapter, she is very much present throughout the book, through flashbacks and memories of other characters, and through her continued influence on their lives. A thought provoking character study on sexual identity, marriage and family, and self-authenticity.

[Torrey Grennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as a Goodreads giveaway.

I cried hard ugly tears repeatedly reading this one. It was a good read.

[Viga Boland · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Burning Mirrors by Jamie Klinger-Krebs is, essentially, a love story. But what a complex love story! The person at the center of this sensitively told love story is Jules, an arts and entertainment columnist, mother to six-year-old Jillian, wife to the good, but insecure ex-alcoholic, Will, and the part-time lover of a lesbian singer/songwriter, Erin. The potential for pain and hurt is huge if Will ever finds out about Jules and Erin. Both women are suffering with many issues from their pasts, but while readers are often privy to Erin’s thoughts on her history and her current involvement with Jules, what Jules is feeling is mostly hidden from Erin, Will and those who decide to read On Burning Mirrors.

What Jules is all about comes to light, bit by bit, after Jules is suddenly killed in a traffic accident. The author’s method of revealing the now dead Jules to readers is through a technique that can be annoying if not properly handled: flashbacks. Happily, with the same skill that Jamie Klinger-Krebs exhibits in handling dialogue, she easily slides us into and out of those flashbacks. Both Erin and Will are mourning the loss of the woman they loved. Then Will, to his shock, finds out about Jules’ affair with Erin. Erin also has reason to believe that Jules may have betrayed her trust in another way. Amazing how easily deep hurt can affect love, even bringing on feelings of hate. Will and Erin each suffer in their own private hell until Will decides he must confront Erin. What happens thereafter is totally unexpected and keeps readers turning the pages of On Burning Mirrors.

The central theme of this very moving novel is stated through Jules toward the end of the book: “Even if it kills you, real love is always worth the risk.” Erin and Jules take a risk in loving each other. Will takes a risk when he confronts Erin because he needs to know Jules did really love him and he was worthy of her love. Erin’s mother, a secondary but needed character in understanding Erin, is yet another example of real love. While primarily a love story, On Burning Mirrors also addresses important social and career issues like sexual gender preferences, gender bias and drug usage in the music industry, along with a needed wariness of media and newspaper reporting. This is a novel that keeps readers thinking while they are enjoying the story…and even after they have closed the book. Well done!

©Viga Boland
Don't Write Your MEmoir without ME!
No Tears for My Father: A true story of incest

[Alison Hine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most. Unreliable. Narrator. Ever.

An interesting and uncommon storytelling device is to have a narrator whose telling of the story is unreliable. That is, their perception and/or description of events, communications, emotions, and so forth is not consistent with the reality of the other characters in the story.

Well, in this story, the narrator is unreliable beyond imagination. In the end, virtually nothing she has conveyed about herself, her experiences, or the people around her turns out to be true. The author doles out tidbits of information, a tiny bit at a time, painting for the reader a picture of the protagonist's reality that slowly comes into focus--until, in the final few pages, that reality vanishes and a very different reality appears.

This makes for clever and compelling storytelling. Other than feeling like I'd been duped for almost my entire time in the narrator's doubly fictional world, my only significant disappointment is that the fate of a major character is left unresolved at the end.

All in all, the author has done a good job of telling an intriguing, original story in a highly unusual way.

[Charlotte Brackett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. I won it an embarrassingly long time ago, but am glad I finally got around to reading it.

I loved this book. For 95% of it. I liked the style of writing right away and the premise grabbed me immediately. It wasn't my usual murdery thriller, but I enjoyed the plot. I liked the flip flopping between present day and memories and Klinger-Krebs' word choices transported me everywhere with Erin, Jules and Will.

Now. Spoiler. I really didn't like when Erin and Will slept together. In the chapters leading up to it and with them spending more time together, I said a few times out loud "don't sleep with him, don't sleep with him," cause I didn't think it would do the book any favors. And then it happened and I was a little angry. Who knows; people who are grieving do things they wouldn't normally and that very well could be a believable outcome. But I just wasn't a fan.

[Jill G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this complimentary book through a promotion which I appreciate as I love to read and am interested in a variety of genres. This is a quick easy read. A few times I got confused as to the timeline of events as it went back and forth with present and past. I could not relate to any of the characters and frankly, disliked all of them; however, I don't consider that a big negative because that means the writer has done a good job of developing the character. The biggest obstacle I had with this book is the frequent use of the F word which was off-putting to me and certainly not necessary to advance the story. I can understand it being thrown in for emphasis a few times, but it seemed like everyone had the word at the tip of their tongue during every conversation. As another reviewer stated, this was more disturbing to me than the lesbianism for this Christian woman.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow is all I can say about this book. It pulled me in from the opening chapter and I couldn't put it down! Without spoiling much, this is both a set of love stories but also about figuring out who you are with and without the one you love. It's bittersweet, tragic, and even difficult at times, but I can honestly say I haven't read a story quite like it before. That said, it did drag a bit towards the very end and I was put off by a particular event I could see coming a mile away yet hoped the author wouldn't go "there" because of how discordant it would be to the characters. However, I still have never read a book with this subject tackled so eloquently before, so it was a worthwhile read for me and highly recommended!

ARC provided by NetGalley

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a lesbian and I can’t fathom having “lonely” sex with a dude no matter how connected we are. Attraction to females is why I profess to be a lesbian. I almost stopped reading once I realized where that part of true story was headed. The story, as a whole, was very good. Grief and lose impact people differently. A lose as great as the one they suffered. . . Literally takes one’s breath. I was iffy on how to rate this book because the “I’m gay, married and conflicted because I love a woman” died rather quickly AND it just seemed like a quick way out. Based solely on the writing and depth of characters have I given this read four stars.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You Good Reads Giveaways for a copy of On Burning Mirrors by Jamie Klinger-Krebs.

Jules Kanter is married to Will and together they have a daughter Jillian but Jules is having an affair with an woman Erin, a part time musician, bartender, and cocaine addict. Erin is hopelessly in love with Jules. While leaving Erin's place, Jules dies instantly in a car accident.

Will comes to learn of the affair by watching a video and text messages on his wife's cell phone. The story bounces back n forth from past to present, I love how the Author did this beautifully with no loose ends. Eventually Will confronts Erin and what happens between them is the part I hate about this book. UGH.
Anyways, will Will and Erin settle their differences and come to terms with their loss?
very good story, it's a different kind of read.

Cherie'

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jules Kanter is a journalist, wife, and mother. She has an affair which torments her so much that she puts her feelings in writing. Jules dies without having a chance to explain her writings to any one, not her husband, Wil or the woman she had an affair with, Erin. Wil finds the writings and the story she wrote about Erin. Erin knows nothing of this. Wil tracks down Erin and together they come to find out what Jules meant to them both. This is a very thought provoking story. I enjoyed it very much. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from Reading Deals.

[Wendell Hennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story of a married woman, newspaper columnist, Jules, who denied her sexuality for all of her life until meeting a singer/bartender lesbian, Erin. Their attraction strengthens until it becomes sexual, each of them breaks it off several times out of frustration of the double life led by the married woman. Then she is killed in a traffic accident and soon after, her writings and phone texts and pictures are discovered by her shattered husband, Will. Well written, descriptive of the feelings of anger and loss incurred by the husband and the lover. An excellent read.

[Kessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Thought-provoking and intriguing. The characters, Jules, Erin and Will are sympathetic and I felt so sorry for each one. All having to come to terms with their past one way or another. Well-crafted with showing and not telling. I was wondering how the author would unscramble the complex situations the characters were in. I was pleased about the ending. There was hope for new beginnings.

[DR · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author made me cringe when Will went in search of Erin. Two people, husband & female lover, equally torn asunder by the death of Jules. Each chapter a view into the woman loved by two very different and broken people. Jules coming to accept herself as she and Erin fell in love and at the same time realizing she and Will would always have their daughter. I did not like Will inviting Erin to the house to read Jules letter and article. DID NOT! The ending was satisfying.

[isa Simonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jules is married to Will and have a daughter Jillian but Jules is having an affair with a woman Erin, a part time musician and bartender. Jules dies suddenly...
The memories of Jules will be done via her writings and the contents of are on her mobile phone.
It is a book full of love, where forgiveness is in balance. Very good book, it’s not a romance, but it’s a must read.

[Anna Koetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, thought provoking, rich, recommended

I had never read anything of this author before this but I am so glad I found this story. I would read anything she wrote now. It has taken some time to write this because I could never do this book justice. The subject line says it all and so much more.

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway and didn’t really have any expectations. Pieces of it actually kinda ripped my heart out. It was a good story and the end of it really kinda had me shook.

[Linda Cassara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sensitive subject well written

I liked the characters and thought they were developed well by the author. I thought the book was very believable. The subject of homosexuality was handled with honesty and sensitivity. The love that the characters had for each other and how they expressed that love was what made the book one that I could not put down.

[Sarah Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising read.

I honestly haven't read a book like this. I feel this book is certainly ahead of its times. To love twice and in such different ways is certainly a gift of a lifetime. I look forward to more such revolutionary themes from this author.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would call it broken mirror

I received this book as part of the goodreads giveaway. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. Of course it’s fiction but some parts seemed so unreal. Anyway I liked it and would recommend it.