Book Blurb

What if surviving a murder attempt, a heartbreak, and the loss of the family business wasn’t the hardest thing you ever faced?

Carol is the sole heir to a broken empire, Ricardo the newest celebrity in the rock world.
When they came together, their fire blazed. When their past caught up, they were left burned, scorched to the ground.

When a psychopath decides it’s payback time, Carol is faced with an impossible choice – save her son or sell her life.

Ricardo wants nothing to do with the woman who played him for a fool, but finds himself moored by circumstances, half truths, and memories of the past.
They say time can heal anything. So far, time’s brought nothing but complications.

This is a standalone romantic thriller told in alternating timelines and point of views. Warnings include character overdose and mentions of child abuse.

Book Review

My rating:

With an opening chapter that begins with the well-executed kidnapping of a child, From Fame To Ruin grabs the reader’s attention instantaneously. The story then unfolds leisurely showing the romance that develops between Carol and Ricardo after a chance meeting in Heathrow airport amidst a blizzard. The author keeps the tension ramped up by alternating the chapters in the present to the events that happen in the past. So we are immediately aware, that Carol has twins, one of them has been kidnapped for a ransom of $25 million and accidents have happened in Carol’s life and there is bitter animosity between Ricardo and Carol.

The pacing of the story is steady, except for one or two places I didn’t feel any nerve-wracking tension but what has worked wonderfully is that the reader is engaged with every aspect of the events that are happening in both the timelines. There’s a marked difference in the characterization of both Carol and Ricardo 4 years apart and this was admirable, coz the change in their outlook towards each other is quite evident even though the chemistry is burning hot, neither Carol nor Ricardo are ready to bury the past and forgive the misunderstandings that have cropped up between them. In fact, a little listening power would have gone a long way in their lives is what kept popping in my mind but 4 years back they were immature unwilling to explore beyond the magical connection of a snow-filled weekend while 4 yrs later, there is of course bitterness and grief but also more maturity in their dealings.

I loved the circle of friendship that both Carol and Ricardo have around them and in Ricardo’s case the warmth of family that surrounds him. The mystery of the kidnapping and the apprehending of the criminals behind it was not shocking but what kept me hooked in were the snippets of murder attempts on Carol and the obsessed lover in her life and I had to keep reading to know how the incidents escalated to the level of antagonism we see initially.

This is a well written second-chance romance with suspense and a lovely set of characters that would be perfect for fans who love the genre of romantic suspense.

Many thanks to the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

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