Review: Dirty Red (Love Me with Lies #2) by Tarryn Fisher

Dirty Red (Love Me with Lies #2) by Tarryn Fisher
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent 
Publication Date: 15th January 2013
My rating: 4 Stars.



*Contains some spoilers*

When I found out that this book was from Leah’s perspective, I really didn’t want to give this book a go, but being reunited with my other favourite characters even for the briefest of moments I was eager for. I didn’t think that Leah could be any more horrible and twisted than how she came across in The Opportunist, but by getting in her head in this book it made me realise that I couldn’t be more wrong. We really got to know the real Leah in Dirty Red. I could understand that she’d had a tough upbringing and with the way her parents were with her, I could understand her need to be loved and wanted. But honestly she was going about it totally the wrong way. Whenever I thought I’d finally feel some sort of emotion for Leah and even start to feel sorry for her, some other revelation would come about that made me hate her even more. And she was a mother for goodness sake, she had Caleb and a lovely baby, why couldn’t she just accept it and make the most of it? But no that could never be enough. Honestly the extremes she went to and how she couldn’t have a care in the world about anyone but herself seriously made me sick. When it comes to horrible characters I’m always willing to give them a chance, maybe they’ll come around and win you over in the end. But everything with Leah just got worse and worse. I was absolutely devastated with what happened to Caleb, you could tell that he was just about getting through and his baby girl was the only thing helping him. I just wanted Caleb to be rid of her already, but she always had a way of reeling him back in.

Again Fisher did a great job, with the alternate past and present chapters, although I did find myself once again just wanting to gobble up the present chapters, the past did give great insights into Caleb and Leah’s back story and how everything started between them. Although I was initially wary to read this book from Leah’s perspective, I didn’t completely end up hating it. Leah was a wretched, manipulative character, probably one of the worst I’ve come across in a long time, but I enjoyed this story a lot and getting Leah’s perspective although difficult to read at times, I liked that Fisher took the risk with it. 

Of course I had to buy Thief as soon as I finished Dirty Red, I’m excited to finally get Caleb’s perspective, because I’ve honestly fallen in love with the guy. I’ve been warned to prepare for all the emotions, which I’m quite nervous about, because I have my particular ending in mind, but with everyone involved and Leah’s possessiveness I just don’t know how things will end. Please don’t destroy my heart Ms Fisher!