Title: Thin Space
Author: Annette K. Collins
ISBN: 9781469141558
Publisher: XlibrisUS
Pages: 201
Genre: Fiction/Romance/General
Reviewed by: C.C. Thomas
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Author Annette K. Collins has created an intelligent romance story, cleverly toying with the reader’s curiosity and knowledge base as to the outcome throughout her romance novel Thin Space. In this book, the main character, Brenna, has a very fulfilling life. She has a career, which she loves, friends who support her and a home of her own. She is very independent, funny and enjoys her life. Of course, there are regrets, but who doesn’t have any of those?
One of Brenna’s main regrets is a lost love from her college days – a man named Mitch. She often thinks of him when her mind wanders. The last she heard he was happily married, so she redirected her attention and focused on how great her life actually is. That peaceful dream-like life was shaken up, though, one day when Mitch reappears in town, plus finding out he is newly divorced gave Brenna the opportunity to put her daydreams into action. Is this what has been missing from Brenna’s life? Is this the one thing that would make her existence perfect? Brenna thinks so. So she and Mitch reconnect and are determined to make “This time around” a lasting union.
Up until this point, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Just another romance story of a girl and a boy taking a second chance at love.” So far, with this description, that would be a good guess, however there are a few picky details that have not been mentioned. First up is the prologue. In the introduction, the reader witnesses a horrific car crash of an anonymous family; a happily married couple and their two kids. The reader doesn’t know who these people are or how this fits into the larger story. Yet, it does fit eventually as the book reads a bit like a Rubik’s Cube. As the reader, you’ll be thinking, “If I could just figure out where this goes…does it fit somewhere….how does this fit?” Is this accident Brenna and Mitch in the future? You’ll be playing with that loose thread for most of the read.
If you think your mind is doing a lot of mental conversations to yourself, keep on reading. Next up is the weird sensations and feelings that Brenna had when she started falling in love again with Mitch. She wanted to let herself go and experience the love without hesitation, but something kept holding her back. Sometimes that something is either a look, or a phrase; some nuance of his character, which hits her the wrong way. She senses something in her feelings just out of the reach of her own understanding.
That something escalates, and becomes an excruciating physical pain when she tries to think of her past. Brenna knows that something is off, but doesn’t quite know or understand what it is which is happening to her. As the reader, one needs to get ready for a literary reveal as Brenna tries to figure out what’s going on in her own head. It is this dynamic scenario in which Annette K. Collins kept me turning the pages late into the evening to find out what happens next. Indeed, Mitch is a man of mystery all the way throughout the novel.
Overall this is not your typical romance story. There is a lot more going on here than meets the eye. The romance is interspersed with a heavy dose of mystery; much more than a fair amount for the genre of being a psychological thriller. Thin Space is a full bag of tricks that any reader will have fun trying to figure out.
Author Annette K. Collins has a remarkable style of writing, leaving hints as to the path of her character’s lives; like a trail of breadcrumbs in a shadowy forest. Each step brings the reader closer to the heart of the mystery and a step closer to discovering if Brenna can really find happiness after all.
