(6) Review - Tainted by Brooke Morgan

Tainted
By: Brooke Morgan

Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Avon A; 1 Reprint edition (December 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061853372
ISBN-13: 978-0061853371

Suspense, thrills, racing hearts, and heartbreak are just a few words that I would use to summarize Tainted by Brooke Morgan. From beginning to end, I was utterly engrossed within the story, turning page after page to see what would happen next. Never was there a spot within the story that was lacking, nor anywhere were my attention was diverted from the story and its characters.

Tainted is one of those books that I can honestly and truly say that I loved the story and plot line, but felt very borderline with the main character. I have to admit to feeling incredibly frustrated with Holly, the main character. She seemed to be very submissive and willing to push aside many "odd" occurrences and very strange behavior, by Jack. The old saying "Love is Blind" definitely applies, though not in a good way. In retrospect, Ms. Morgan does a wonderful job portraying a psychologically disturbed man through Jack. My favorite characters are Henry, Holly's Grandfather, and Billy the father of Holly's daughter who skipped town when he found out that she was pregnant. Henry is such a delightfully spunky character with a wonderful soul, and Billy caught my appeal with his perseverance and desire to right the wrongs that he made in the past.

In addition to excellent characterization, Brooke Morgan does a marvelous job of bringing the scenery of Cape Cod to life. The reader feels as though they are there as each and every scene plays out. One rather unique aspect, I thought, was the fact that throughout Tainted, the author would take the reader into the minds of a character. This does not occur very often, but it was a very interesting twist and the transitions flowed rather smoothly, when they did occur.

Here are a couple of excerpts that stood out to me:

pg. 67

She heard the soft slap of a small series of waves hitting the beach, a subtle undertow from a passing ship. Even noise was quiet on nights like this, she thought. The crickets didn't chirp as shrilly, the hum of boat motors took on a lower tone. Everything was dampened down by the moisture and darkness.

"Someone once told me that you can't move forward if you're looking over your shoulder at the past. It sounds trite, I know." Jack took her hand in his. "But trite works sometimes."

pg. 143

"Jack. Please. Stop it. Those are my parents. They're what I have left of my parents."

Tears were now cascading down her face. This couldn't be happening. Not to them. They were happy. They were in love. Everything was going right. But the man who would hug her to him at night and tease her and excite her was starting at her with an impenetrable, unfeeling expression. She didn't know what to do, could only stand watching helplessly as he tied up the ends of the garbage bag and hauled it outside.

Holly could hear him take the top off the trash can, she could hear the sound of the bag full of pictures being thrown in. And the lid crashing back down.

Tainted is an excellent book for any reader looking for a suspenseful read and one that will keep them hooked from the beginning until the very end. This is Ms. Morgan's debut novel and I anxiously await more from her!

*overall rating 4.5/5

About Tainted:

In a dazzling tour de force of suspenseful storytelling, first-time novelist Brooke Morgan ingeniously peels away layers of artifice and deception to reveal the fears and uncertainties that live in the hearts of us all.

Holly Barrett first saw Jack Dane early one morning—tall, tan, and so heartbreakingly handsome he took her breath away. He also seemed like the last person to disrupt her quiet, uneventful days with her sensitive daughter, Katy. But the charming, enigmatic Englishman has blown into her small Cape Cod town like a brisk summer wind off the bay.

He sweeps Holly off her feet, and is soon touching the lives of everyone she deeply cares about. But is Jack the considerate, concerned gentleman he appears to be—or is there a very different creature lurking below the surface? Has a monster entered her life . . . and how far will Holly have to go to save the person she loves more than anyone else in the world?


About Brooke Morgan:

Brooke Morgan is a Bostonian who now lives in London with her two children. Tainted is her first novel.

Others stops on the Tainted tour with TLC:

Monday, January 18th: I’m Booking It
Wednesday, January 20th: All About {n}
Friday, January 22nd: Savvy Verse & Wit
Tuesday, January 26th: Café of Dreams
Thursday, January 28th: Clever Girl Goes Blog
Monday, February 1st: Dolce Bellezza
Thursday, February 4th: The Literate Housewife
Thursday, February 11th: Life in the Thumb
Thursday, February 18th: Bookworm With a View
Tuesday, February 23rd: Cozy Little House
Wednesday, February 24th: In the Shadow of Mt. TBR