Another (Voyeur #4)

Overall Rating:

The genius of a good writer lies in his/her craftsmanship of story and characterization. You always want to find a little bit of yourself somewhere in the humanity of a character. Looking into a mirror of sorts, you cannot help but empathize with the character through your souls connection to him/her. Fiona Coles Another did just that for me. Her newest story shares the dichotomy, the struggle, of being a woman of great strength and allowing ones self to feel vulnerable. This contest leads to the revelation that women can be both tenacious and emotionally available.

Another tells the story of Carina, the ex-fiancee of Jake from Coles book, Lovers. When we leave her in that story, her heart has been broken when Jake realizes his love for his college friend, Jackson, and breaks his engagement. At the end of that story, Carina meets a man in a bar and asks for a kiss, a way to know if she can still feel desired. Quickly, we find that there is a potential mystery man for her future.

At the beginning of this book, Carinas aunts have arranged a blind date boudoir session. When she arrives to meet her partner, she finds its the man from the bar. Together, these two struggle for dominance, which only sparks their chemistry. This leads to a quick dalliance. Overwhelmed by it, Carina runs away from the man, Ian, avoiding exchanging last names and contact information. Fast forward six weeks and Carina realizes shes pregnant. Without contact information for Ian, she determines to raise the child by herself until, one day, she meets Ian again, and they begin the journey of parenthood and partnership. Will Ian and Carina find love? Will Carina allow herself to fall in love again, or will she be destined to live in her strength, raising her child on her own?

In reading this story, there is an ease in liking Ian. He is affable, easy-going, and he moons over Carina and their child. There is no doubt you should fall in love with Ian Bergamo; Cole forms him into this hero we should pine for. Even in moments when he fails Carina (like all male heroes, he makes mistakes), Cole makes it easy to forgive him, rooting for him and Carina to find a happy ending. I think its easy to be distracted by Coles hero.

However, the crux of this book is Carina. I had commented out to Cole in her Facebook fan group that Carina needed a big book, one that would remedy the heartbreak of Lovers. And Cole does not disappoint. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, the mark of genius in a writer is his/her ability to create characters where the reader finds a bit of herself in a character. Cole does this beautifully with Carina. One aspect that Ive admired about this character in other stories within Coles universe is Carinas acceptance of other women. In Savior, she buoys Alexandra. In Liar, she admires Olivias ability. In this book, she continues to build relationships with women like Eriks sister, Hanna, even when Hanna makes some unwise choices and hurts Carina in the process. Carina is a woman in the business of building up other women in the workplace and out of it. You cannot help but admire Coles commitment to creating this type of character, especially in a genre where female characters can be awful to each other. And especially in the world outside of books, where women are still fighting for equitability and respect.

Secondly, Carinas struggle with vulnerability truly resonated with me. Over and over again, when Carina comments on her walls that she has constructed through heartbreak and surviving a predominately male workplace, this evoked feelings of solidarity within me. Women who carry internal strength struggle with making ourselves soft. We worry it will be taken advantage of, or, in the case of Carina, we will realize, once given, we wont be someones priority, their first choice, that our vulnerability will be diminished in favor of anothers feelings. When this happens, its crushing to the soul. Each moment when Carina struggled with this, I felt it in my soul. I knew that struggle, and it connected me deeply to her.

But whats truly amazing about this trial is Coles resolution of it. In the real world, most of us walk around with gaping fissures in our walls without people to help fill them up with apologies or actions to protect us. In Another, Cole specifically creates Ian to bring about this resolution, this repair of the heart, to show us that women can both carry a strength of being AND be loved into submission. That the two are not mutually exclusive, but, rather, they work best residing together in a persons soul.

There is so much to love about Fiona Coles newest book, Another. An indelible woman coupled with a man who loves her beyond herself plus a surprise baby is the best of romance. If you truly want to live in the genius of Fiona Cole, if you want to appreciate her ability to craft a woman of substance, and if you finally want Carinas happily-ever-after, then Another should be at the top of your booklist. This is one of Coles bests.

Another by Fiona Cole will end up on every short list for Best Romance Reads of 2019. Trust me, everyone should read Another immediately. Carina stole my heart from the first flirt and Ian Bergamo is the book boyfriend who will haunt your dreams long after youve read his final sweet declarations.

I read Another in one sitting, it’s so darn good. It’s unique and torturous. Sure, it has Coles signature carnal delightshot and dirty from the first flirt, the humor singes every page. However, Cole has created something really special here. I LOVE THIS STORY.

Cole surprises with page after page of low key swoon that grows into high octane sex, building a sultry, slow burn of a story. With Another, she has a command for nuance, where in an earlier book she might have gone for the carnal 3rotic visual, here she lingers on the emotional flow of the relationship, on the intimate moments between people falling in love.

It’s beautiful and raw. Carina and Ian have chemistry to burn, and their self-awareness of what is happening is a joy to read. Coles signature suspense lies not in some outside trauma here, but in the anguished histories that scarred their hearts and made their first meeting possible. So clever. I cant wait to reread.

Carina, oh my Carina. She is strong and brilliant and a fantastic heroine. But shes complicated, not the least of all because her past and her family hold her back. She is skittish, and thank god her journey is safe in the tender hands of Ian. The ribbing between these two is so easy and pitch perfect.

Iiiaaaann! Ian Bergamo is FlockHot and we all need a man like him in our lives. He’s gonna end up in the book boyfriend Hall of Fame, he’s so damn incredible and REAL. Ians not some cookie cutter jerkhole of the week, invented to torture a good woman with low self esteem. He’s a great lead with a strong moral code, and a hole in his massive bleeding heart from his own backstory. Hes written so well, just waiting for a family to devote himself to. I crushed hard.

Im not going to spoil this fantastic story. But I wanted to call out Coles choice to use a light touch to write a story with massive stakes on such a subtle, nuanced scale. The major conflict derives from within Carina and Ian themselves. Its an internal journey of the soul. And its a credit to her maturing writing that she escalates it so well, and she makes it look effortless.

Cole goes one step further, and doesnt simply vilify anyone. It’s a familiar storytelling trope to make the parents complete monsters, or to rely on the ghoulish mom or the absentee dad, to explain away the hurdles to HEA.

This story is told with a subtle yet humorous hand and SUSTAINED. It’s so good I was wrapt. There are no easy predictable moments here. I was drawn into every scene, and felt the moments between these two. Frankly, I didnt even need anyone else in the story, Carina and Ian together are such a compelling couple, they twisted me up, my throat clenching for them, and I felt their internal drama and the longing, so much love and need. Its a winner.

I have been waiting for Carina and Ians story since, well, I first found out they were getting one. Another DOES NOT disappoint. It is steamy, sweet, romantic, and just pure perfection from the start.
I LOVE Carina. She is a woman in a mans world. She is hard working and could work circles around all those guys. It was always just her and her father, plus her four totally awesome aunts who set her up on a blind date that forever changed the course of her life. Ian, what is not to love about him? One, he is HOT. Two, daddy Ian (that is all you need to know). Three, he is so sweet! I love that he is willing to do anything for Carina. He is the ULTIMATE book boyfriend and will have you fanning yourself and swooning all at the same time.
Ian and Carinas chemistry is off the charts from the moment they meet. Even after their initial meeting the chemistry is fantastic and when you add in the banter? I LOVE it. I couldnt get enough of these two. I devoured this book in a matter of hours because I just couldnt stop reading. There is also some drama throughout the story, but who doesnt love a little drama? If youve read any other the other books in the Voyeur world youll recognize a few of the secondary characters that pop up and I was super excited for that, if you havent read them you can still enjoy Carina and Ians story without any issues.
Another is a FANTASTIC, STEAMY, and SWEET romance story with a ultra swoon-worthy baby daddy and a pretty awesome heroine. This is a MUST READ and one of my FAVORITE books of 2019.

I didnt like the heroine very much – couldnt really connect with her though her behaviour was understandable. The hero was better – he brought the comic element but again, his insecurities or his deeper emotions were never explored by the author. Till around 50%-60% this book was fairly boring. It got better towards the end but I didnt find anything fascinating with this book as such. 3 stars

Another (Voyeur #4) is a lighthearted and fun read for the most part as Ian and Carina reacquaint whilst waiting for their (one night stand) baby to arrive. Once its here things change. And as they work together to care for their baby, their emotions are high, tender moments are frequent, and sexual tension… you could cut with a knife. I highly recommend it, you wont be disappointed!

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