The Paper Swan Paperback – August 27, 2015

"The truth doesn’t always set you free. The truth can kill you, slice open your innards and turn everything inside out."Leylah Attar's The Paper Swan just blew my mind. Truly. This author took everything I've come to expect of romance, of suspense, of the captor/captive dynamic, and turned it completely upside down. This story is so refreshingly original and so superbly executed, it's absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year... one of my favorite reads EVER! I tried to read it slowly, to savor it, but that was near impossible because I simultaneously wanted to devour it without taking a single breath. It's frightening and intriguing, jaw-dropping and heart-stopping, intense and somewhat dark. It's sexy and sultry and as beautiful as it is heartbreaking. I can't recall the last time I was made to feel so many different emotions within the span of one book. From beginning to end, the reader is taken on an unpredictable ride that had me scared to death at times, furious the next, leaving tears in my eyes on one page, and smiling from ear to ear the next. Joyful and painful flashbacks and the terror and brutality of the present day juxtapose with a fierce, terrifying attraction to make for a story that is impossible to predict. I was all over the place with my emotions, hating and loving and grieving and dreading and hoping and longing. I felt everything in this book, from the first page to the very last."I knew better than to romanticize my captor, but there it was—sick and twisted and disgusting as it was."The heart-stopping course of events that drives The Paper Swan is like nothing I've ever read. It's an intense, passionate, gripping story of vengeance and love, self-discovery and redemption that transcends time and circumstance. Every word, every page brings the reader to another unexpected twist on this thrilling, dark journey. My heart broke for these characters, feared them and feared for them, rooted for them, all the while both craving and dreading what would come next."We are sand and rock and water and sky, anchors on ships and sails in the wind."The writing in this book is absolutely stunning. Poetic, lyrical prose and authentic, fluid dialogue illustrate an unforgettable storyline that wove it's way so deeply under my skin, I'm still reeling. I highlighted line after glorious line, not only because each and every word spoke to me in a profound way, but because Attar's sentences are as exquisite as her story is spellbinding. This book is perfection in every way a story can be. I was skeptical that 53 Letters for My Lover could be topped. Having loved that book as completely as I did, I was convinced this author came out at the top of her game. But with The Paper Swan comes my certainty that this author will only keep upping the ante with each new story. This book is so much more passionate, more vivid, more gritty and intense than I ever anticipated. What Leylah Attar has done with The Paper Swan is origami at its finest, taking pages and intricately crafting them into a stunning work of art. It's a must-read epic love story, but that's really just the tip of the iceberg. It's so much more. This story is everything.

Author: Leylah AttarGenre: Mystery Thriller/Romantic SuspenseRelease date: August 4, 2015# of pages: 273Blurb:"Intense, gritty, and full of heart." They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie. For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death. Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense.The beginning of the book did grab me. I was so curious as to what was going to happen. I was reading as fast as I could. However, it did start to slow down and I was beginning to think, is this a romance book or just a thriller?I had a love/hate relationship with the main characters. They had very likable characteristics and very unlikable ones. I really fell in love with some of the other characters as well, but wanted to kill some of the others. “if you close your eyes and think about someone you love, what comes back is not a precise list of hair color, eye color, or the things that go on their driver’s license. Rather, it’s the bits and pieces that seep through your consciousness, the things about them that you never realized you were storing away.”I would like to say how beautifully written this book was. This author defiantly has a way with words. This was a thriller/ romantic suspense novel for sure. However, we didn’t really see the romance side until about 66-70%. The story was separated in to sections told by Skye (1st person) and then switched to Damian (3rd person). This was confusing to me which lead to the 4 stars. You read about the series of events that take place before, during, and after Skye is abducted. The relationship between these characters was really defined by a quote in the book, which I really loved. “we are a question that hasn’t been answered yet, a hiding place that hasn’t been found yet, a battle that hasn’t been fought yet.”The ending, made this book for me. Everything was tied together wonderfully. It was a long ride to get there but I really do love a HEA.I would recommend this book to friends that liked this type of genre. It was somewhat violent and that isn’t for everyone. This author is very talented and I will be reading more from her in the future.4/4.5 Stars 💚💚💚💚😊