In Malice, Quite Close reminded me of a soap opera in a good way

Karen was just fifteen when her life was turned upside down and changed forever. Karen was just minding her own business reading a book and drinking coffee when she had her first encounter with Tristan. Soon afterwards, Tristan was showing up at all the same places that Karen hung out. Finally, Tristan could not stand it anymore and he kidnapped Karen and faked her death. Tristan and Karen became Tristan and Giese. Lovers behind closed doors and father and daughter to the public eye. Things unravel when years later, Tristan and Karen’s daughter, Nicola spots some erotic portraits of her mother.

As I was reading this book, I almost felt sorry for Tristan and Karen. I say almost because, Tristan did a wrong thing when he kidnapped Karen but when he did it, I saw him as sad and desperate. Tristan kidnapped Karen because I felt that he saw her more as his daughter that he lost than his lover. This may have been because there was Karen and Tristan did not become too intimate throughout the book. There were hints that they were but it was not vividly in your face. Karen on the other hand was not that innocent. It was like because her childhood was stolen from her, she turned into a seductress. There were hints that she had multiple lovers. One that became so personal with Karen that he painted her in provocative poses. In Malice, Quite Close reminded me of a soap opera in a good way…it had intrigue, sexual chemistry, interesting characters, and a good story line. Brandi Lynn Ryder shows great potential with her first novel.