Reconstructing Meredith by Lauren Gallagher

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews

Title: Reconstructing Meredith
Author: Lauren Gallagher 

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance/ BDSM

Length: 231 pgs.
Reviewed by: Violet

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 5

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Score:

                             

The Book:

“Scott, I need your help.”

Five words from a woman he hasn’t seen in five years, and Scott Moore’s world is thrown off its axis. Ex-girlfriend Meredith has resurfaced with a past full of horrific abuse at the hands of a man who called himself a Dom, and she has the scars to prove it. Now she needs Scott’s help to reclaim her sexuality and put the past behind her.

Scott is more than willing to help, but he has no idea the toll it will take on him, not to mention his other polyamourous relationships. What’s more, while Scott and Meredith face down her demons, their own past won’t be forgotten. Neither will Scott’s feelings for Meredith…

The Review:

Having read Light Switch last time around, I had to dive right into Reconstructing Meredith if only to see what happened with Scott, Kristin, and Matt.  When reading the second book in a series, I think most people expect to read something with the same tone and a similar plot.  With Reconstructing Meredith, Gallagher blows that completely out of the water.

The incredible writing with the fast pace and layered plot was definitely there.  The riveting characters, who become real to the reader from the first page are there.  However, the tone of the novel is completely different.  Where Light Switch was a deep, emotionally-entangling read, it’s completely light-hearted when compared to the heavy issues Gallagher takes on. Now that she’s addressed many of the popular misconceptions about some BDSM relationships, she’s taking on what happens when an abusive person hides behind the “Dom” label.

This wasn’t an easy read.  Parts were hard to take, in large part because Scott is so affected by the abuse his ex-girlfriend, Meredith, suffered at the hands of her ex-husband.  His big heart—how many guys can carry on loving relationships with two or three women in a way that none of them are jealous of the other—leads him down the long road of helping Meredith recover sexually from the years of imprisonment and abuse she endured. That’s the hard part.  He has to help her heal, and of course he still loves her. The processes are long and messy, heart breaking and hope building. It’s always been difficult for me to read about abuse of any kind, and this was no different. Scott helped me get through it as much as he helped Meredith. That really says something about the talent and skill of an author when they can do that.

In a lot of ways, this is more the second part of Light Switch and less a sequel.  Threads left dangling are all neatly wrapped up at the end of Reconstructing Meredith. Scott and Meredith really worked for their happily-ever-after, and I was happy to see that Kristin and Matt got one, too. I’m not sure which two books I’m going to have to kick out of my top ten list in order to fit these in, but they’re up near the top.

Pagan Elements: N/A