Title: Affairytale
Author: C.J. English
Series: none
Genre: non-fiction, memoir
I had an affair. The most forbidden and seductive affair, and fell in Love.
He was a rare gentleman, intelligent and gorgeous; a man every woman desired. Every cell in my body was telling me that he was my happily ever after. I was stuck in a marriage of mediocrity, I ached for red silk romance and carry me away passion, but not with my husband. I craved Him. Living without him was cruel and unusual punishment, even for my wandering heart.
Affairytale is a tantalizing memoir of sultry encounters, hidden grottos and secret hillside cabins. From the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes to the Southern shores of Maui you’ll fall in love with this tell-all memoir that pulls back the veil on infidelity and gives you rare look into hearts and bedroom of a real life extramarital affair. Woven with original love letters and scandalous text messages, this engrossing true love story is sure to break then win your heart.
True Love always finds a way.
Sometimes...it starts with an affair.
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MY REVIEW
Affairytale, A Memoir by C.J. English
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 riveting STARS
“I ached for red silk romance, and carry me away passion, and I ached for it with nobody else but him. He was a breed of charming I couldn't resist.”
I just read the most beautiful and unique story. Colour me surprised, but this book was one of my absolute favourite reads in a long time, quite possibly the last few years. And it's non-fiction, a memoir. Everything is real and it just makes it all so much more wonderful. I laughed, I was heart broken, I got angry and I wanted to scream and I cried tears of joy. Stunning book - about a woman who had an affair and the consequences that came with it.
Affairytale was a gamble for me. C.J. English is a first time author and she very kindly asked me to review her book. We all know how that doesn't always pan out, but this time around I got a complete win. I actually feel like buying copies and giving them to my friends and most definitely my mum...I know she would devour this if it ever came out in my mother tongue.
I was completely hooked from the first page and if I hadn't been forced to stop by my health I wouldn't have put it down for a second.
And it's all real! As mentioned above, Affairytale is a memoir. I just want to stress it again since I myself didn't get it at first glance. And I did a little research. Everything depicted here, happened so in real life. C.J. kept a journal all through her twenties and now she keeps one together with her husband. That's how she can go into such detail and can dazzle us with her incredibly well written life story...
“If all marriages are unhappy and take work, then mine was no different.
I stayed because I was foolish enough to believe those things were true.”
Do you believe in love? Do you believe in the ONE true love?
C.J. was looking for it, just as most of us do and she found it when she least expected it - after already being married to the wrong man. Affairytale depicts her life over the span of more than ten years. She gives us a very detailed look into her life, her life decisions, her relationships and how she found her true love and became unfaithful to her husband at the same time.
It is really hard to summarize the book without giving it all away, so that is all you are going to get from me.
I normally would judge a character on how he or she appeared on a page, but I really can't do that with a real life person. Who am I to do that? You just have to take this as it is. C.J. tells you her story and if you want to be judgemental you better read another book. She shares her reasons, hopes and fears. She is a real human being, not some some made up caricature. She has flaws and follies and not to mention a crazy hair every once in a while.
But what is essential to this book is the relationship and love between Grant and C.J., oh and what a great tale it is. I really believe everyone should meet them and fall in love with their love story. And bonus, Grant and C.J. are on the actual cover if you are interested to know.
“I wanted that. I wanted to find someone who belonged with me like the stars belonged with the sky. Someone I could get lost in, who would make me forget about reality for a while, who would adore me second to none.”
For those of you who would ask how one could ever read a book written by a cheater, about cheating. I completely understand. Cheating is a delicate issue for me as well. I have been cheated on and even though I'm in a very happy relationship and engaged now I still get angry beyond measure just thinking about what my ex did. And then there is the nagging feeling that you are just not enough. It just never ever leaves you. It happened once and you kind of expect it to happen again. Nothing I can do about that. So yeah, hot topic all around.
But that being said, reading Affairytale the whole cheating thing is kind of sexy as a romance trope, if you let out the real life. But then you are reminded that this is actually a memoir and let me tell you what you read is brutally honest and also completely understandable. And the dilemma begins anew. It was a bit of a mindf*ck in that regard. I was rooting for the cheater, but I hated it at the same time. 'It' being the cheating and in no way the book.
I think what made it right for me were two things. C.J. struggle to do right by her daughter, her husband and her family and friends. I could really feel her pain and the weight she carried around all those years. It's not an easy read and it shouldn't be. And the second thing is the end result. There just was no other ending possible. Being faithful or not, I don't know what to say...true love on the other hand...who could deny that? I dare you to fight it. Seriously.
At times painfully honest, incredibly brave and unbelievably heart breaking to read. Goes right up on my best-of-2015 reads. Thanks C.J. for sharing your story with us! You made me fall in love with being in love.
**ARC very kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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