Bookworm: The Love of my life by Louise Douglas

I've just finished my first fiction book in a while, no longer reading about real life people and their travelling antics. This time I've moved over to love and loss and a fictional offering.

Not the wisest way to choose a book, but yet again I was tempted in by a Kindle recommendation/cheap price offer.

On reading the blurb I was hoping for a PS I Love You type offering. The Love of my life wasn't quite this. However it appealed because it was a bit different.

When you read about a young widow you often are met with a kindhearted character who was so good in life you can't understand how such a tragedy happened to her. With Olivia Feliccone this is not the case.

Don't expect a timid, mild mannered young female in the main character - you'll in fact be met with a strong woman, with an eventful past who uses her looks in life.

Although the story of Olivia, widowed after her husband Luca dies in a motorway accident, is moving, you'll be surprised by how she and her deceased partner are characterised. Even Luca turns out to be a bad boy and not the prodigal son in a big Italian family as you may have expected.

The way Douglas writes is addictive and she makes her characters different to what you'd expect.

Not as much happened in the book as I thought it would and it focusses more on present day than Olivia and Luca's history together.

I feel you learn why Olivia is the way she is, but the emotion and the love between her and her husband isn't heavily described - there isn't much scene setting of their love.

At first I found this made it hard to sympathise as much with the main female and I worried I wouldn't feel the emotions involved. However in little references Douglas makes throughout you start to realise how close they were.

Good bits
Addictive reading
Easy to read
Strong characters
Different to what you're expecting

Not so great
If you were expecting a soppy love story and a happy ever after you'll be disappointed
Not enough description of Luca and Olivia's relationship
At times you're unsure whether to like the main character or not

Overall I liked the fact this book took a refreshing approach and turned a typical romantic tragedy on its head somewhat to create a read which was addictive and unexpected.