Saving Alexander

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SUMMARY

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Punishing himself for a horrific past that is not his fault, bestselling author Alexander Montgomery seeks redemption and love—and perhaps he will find it.

Famous author though he may be, Alexander Montgomery is not someone you take home to meet your mother. Seriously flawed, damaged by a horrific past, he's trying hard to claw his way back to normality. But how can anyone respect what he truly is? His therapy involves regular sessions at Study in Scarlet, an exclusive S&M club.

Then comes Sage. Tall, with black hair and blue eyes, an up-and-coming actor with impossible charm and boy-next-door good looks, he's the perfect choice to play the leading man in a TV adaptation of Alex's latest best-seller. Even more, he is a man you introduce to your family. Which Alex would do—if he weren't taken by another man who offers the punishments Alex prays will wipe away the past and make him the person he wants to be. Yet, perhaps there is another path to redemption. If only the solution would reach out and touch him.

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Book Review by Laurie P (reviewer)

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Nov 21, 2013   [ OFFICIAL REVIEW ]

Author Susan Mac Nicol takes you on an emotional journey from start to finish. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to reach into the story and throttle one of the characters. This story will pull every feeling out of you. The writing is so well done, you are with the characters, feeling everything they feel. I was there with them rooting and cheering for them to make it the other side of the long hard journey and get their happy ever after. This book, for all of the other elements like BDSM, hot sex and violence, is at heart a romantic love story.

Alexander Montgomery, or Alex, is a bestselling author. He wrote his bestselling books' lead character after seeing a beautiful gay actor on TV. Alex is also a physically scarred and emotionally battered man. What he has lived through no one should ever have to. To cope with his demons, he uses physical pain and sex, all bought and paid for. Watching Alex come to terms with his past, his self-loathing and feelings of guilt and pain were hard to read sometimes.

Christopher Sage is an up and coming actor, who has the chance of a lifetime when he's offered the part of Carter West, a character written by Alexander Montgomery. From the first, there is something about Alex that calls to Sage. But is Sage strong enough to deal with Alex's past? It's more than most people could take and yet, even as he has his flare-ups and doubts, he won't leave Alex.

I also loved the character of Melanie, Alex's therapist. I could see what she was digging for in their sessions and rooting for Alex to make his breakthrough and learn to heal. The other secondary characters add so much to this story. Miles, Cully and DS Doyle, to name a few, are so well written and add so much to this story.

There is much more I'd like to say about this book, but most of it would be in the spoiler category and I can't do that. You need to read this book. I started this book and read it in one sitting; I could not put it down.

This was the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last. She handles the delicate situations in this story with the greatest of care. Her writing, world building, characters--all of it pull you into her story and won't let you go until you finish reading the book.