Saturday 14 May 2016

Blog Tour & Review ~ Chimera by Stephie Walls


 Book Description:

I couldn’t be anything other than a romantic at heart — it’s my nature, it’s who I am. But this isn’t a typical story of traditional love. It isn’t a fairy tale. No happily ever after neatly tied up with a shiny bow. It’s a memoir of the reality left behind in the wake of grief — the desolation, the resurrection, and final culmination life offers to the fallen.

This is a journey through love…the love of self, love of a friend, and sometimes love is ugly, messy —destructive.

My name is Bastian Thames…and this is my story.


Buy Links:



Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars
***ARC received for an honest review***



chimera
noun  chi·me·ra \kī-ˈmir-ə, kə-\
  • something that exists only in the imagination and is not possible in reality

To be honest this book has taken me by surprise, while I was initially drawn to this book by the cover and synopsis I really should have taken more note of the authors warnings. Stephie Walls is a new to me author and after the roller coaster she has just put me through I will definitely be reading her work again. She spells it out for you, it is not pretty, it is not a neatly tied up happily ever after but it is an honest story of the devastation left in the wake of grief. A hauntingly accurate tale of desolation, anguish, sorrow and the fight just to wake up in the morning. There is a resurrection, but in all honesty, does that pain ever go away? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Artists feel more, see more, they are innately sensitive souls and Stephie Walls perfectly captured Bastian’s fight to just live after losing his wife.


“Life is macabre, man. It turns to shit quickly without warning; it’s an elusive bitch. One day it’s a plethora of illumination, the next its putrid pestilence.”


Bastian has been in limbo for six years since he lost his wife to cancer. A wife who he had been with since they were kids and a woman he loved with every fibre of his being, that all-consuming, soul mate love that only happens once in a lifetime. His life was over. Once a successful artist, his life had been a constant spiral down since her death, becoming a recluse and a hermit and his only contact with the outside world being his best friend Nate. But a Facebook message from a woman who was also an artist and an uncanny look-a-like of his late wife gave Bastian that kick he needed to break the rot. He began to paint, he found another muse and for once, he had found another friend…Sera, short for Seraphim.


“You’ve turned your wheel for the first time in years. Find the colors of your life again.”


This is not instalove, but a more a case of instafriends. While Bastian could see himself falling for Sera, Sera is already spoken for. But to see these two open up to each other and begin to heal the other was truly beautiful to read about. Chimera is dark in the way that it takes you to the deepest, darkest depths of grief and paints a realistic picture of those who are going through the process and struggling to find the end. But it is not all new doom and gloom as Sera begins to take Bastian’s mind away from his grief and gives him another woman to worry about.


“…the last six years changed my perspective on life. Time is fleeting; it’s infinite but not personally, just universally. Truth changes daily. Nothing is inevitable and death is certain.”


Sera is seriously private but she slowly opens up to Bastian and is open about her lifestyle as the outside gives way to worry. This book does contain some BDSM and while in the first instance I didn’t think it had a place in this story it soon became apparent why it was there. It is definitely not added for the shock and soon becomes an intrinsic part of the story.


“We’re all broken, Sera. Every one of us. Some of our cracks are just more visible than others. That’s what life does to us. Friends are the glue that keeps us from falling apart.”


I can’t really say any more, I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, it is one of those books that you need to read and experience for yourself and the plethora of emotions that the author puts you through. I have to say I loved Nate with a passion. He is the epitome of the true best friend. His loyalty and selfless caring of his best friend at times brought tears to my eyes and makes you truly appreciate the importance and benefits of real, true, friendships. I sincerely adored him and my heart broke for him.


“…I fought for five fucking years to get you back to the land of the living. You are not resurfacing in purgatory.”


This was an ending that I will forever remember and kudos to the author for telling the story that her characters demanded. I appreciate an author that goes outside the box and Stephie Walls definitely did that, I applaud you. I loved these characters, I loved this story, while for me it was a little slow in the middle, the beginning and end more than made up for it. I will definitely be checking out other titles from this author.


About the Author:


Stephie is a thirty-seven year old mother of one to the most adorable eight-year-old girl to ever walk. They live on the outskirts of Greenville, South Carolina where they house two cats (Annie and Gus) and a dog, Piper.

She has a serious addiction to anything Coach and would live on Starbucks if she could get away with it. She’s slightly enamored with Charlie Hunnam and Sons of Anarchy and is a self-proclaimed foodie. An avid reader who averages around three hundred novels a year and wishes she had time to read more.

She currently works full-time in the Greenville area and fill her "extra" time (haha) with reading anything she can get her hands on and writing contemporary romance novels with a hint of erotica. 

Links:

Twitter: @stephiewalls
IG: @stephiewalls

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