Charlie and Laura Rider have been married for twelve years. Their love for one another is apparent, but their relationship is a platonic one. Laura no longer has a sexual interest in Charlie. The problem isn’t Charlie; she simply has no interest in sex any longer. This arrangement has worked for them both, that is, until Jenna Faroli, a public radio star and Laura’s idol, moves into their small, quaint town. Charlie and Jenna happen to meet one day, and Laura sees the impact this meeting has on Charlie. She devises a plan. She’s always wanted to be a writer of romance. So, she uses this “relationship” that Charlie has with Jenna to showcase her writing skills. She convinces Charlie to start corresponding with Jenna via email. This email conversation is very tame to begin with, but when Laura begins to add a bit of her own intimate and romantic language, Jenna falls in love with the Charlie that is writing to her. Laura’s so obsessed with learning what the ideal woman wants in a man, she doesn’t realize she is practically hand-feeding her husband to Jenna. The relationship that ensues is a total surprise to all that are involved, including the reader. LAURA RIDER’S MASTERPIECE is yet another stellar piece of writing by Hamilton. The characters are dynamic and the storyline is compelling. I tried very hard not to hate Laura Rider’s character, but that was a difficult task. She seems to live most of her life in her own little writing world. I was astounded at her actions and her lack of emotion after learning about Charlie’s relationship with Jenna. All of this together produced a great piece of fiction!
Thanks to Miriam at Hachette for providing me with this book!
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