The Event by Tori Shannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Adult Romance, Erotica
“Last year I held an exhibition of my work at this gallery. The show was entitled Love on the Rocks and it featured a number of works depicting couples at the end stages of their relationships (that should give you a pretty good sense of where my head was at that time). “
“That night was the night I gave in to the devil, the night when my carnal desires overcame me and I threw myself at the guy I’d been fantasizing over for months. Never before had something so wrong felt so right, but that one act led to the end of everything.”
After 20 years, Libby and Terry Gardener’s marriage has hit its breaking point, climaxing with “The Event”. The moment that Libby made the conscious decision to step out on her marriage. A year after The Event, Libby reflects back on how they got to that point.
“I accept the fact that while my husband crafted the coffin, I hammered the nails into it.”
After taking several workshops on self awareness, she creates a written record on what she has learned to potentially help others spot troubles that may creep into a marriage before it’s too late.
They met at a liberal arts college, he was majoring in English, she in art. Libby was rebelling against her father, a high powered Manhattan lawyer, and a starving writer was right up her bohemian alley. The chemistry was electric and Terry knew right away that she would be his wife.
“Tonight I stared into my future. Libby Anderson has captured my heart and soul and tonight we consummated our love for one another by becoming one person, one body, one heart. When I was inside her, I felt complete—as if all of my fears had melted away and she became my everything. No other woman has ever had this kind of effect on me—it’s been an hour since we stopped making love and I’m wide awake with restlessness. The thought of her has taken over my mind and I want nothing more than to take her again so that I may feel that completeness, that comfort, that passion—but she looks so sweet sleeping, I dare not wake her.”
As with so many marriages, this one also has degraded over time. The things you found sweet early on, now cause irritation. As the two drift further and further apart it opens the door to resentment, loneliness, and ultimately infidelity.
“I wasn’t just upset with Terry for his chosen career path or because he worked long hours—I simply missed who he was back then. I missed the hopeless, starry-eyed romantic in him—the guy who would write me love letters and who could never wait to see me. In his place, I had this ambitious, driven man who took care of me financially but not emotionally. In turn, I found that the emotional void in my life was longing to be filled, and it was that which was pulling me towards extramarital attention.”
“I should have been more open with Terry about how I was feeling and with what I wanted from him physically. Why is it that we expect our partners to know what we want through some kind of osmosis? I’m now aware that we have to break down the barriers that make it so hard for men and women to have honest conversations about sex in order to have truly fulfilling relationships.”
There are three main characters, Libby, Terry, and Libby’s best friend Marley. You will catch yourself rooting for and hating each one them throughout the book. To me, this makes them more realistic, they all make mistakes and do things that frustrate you or disappoint you but they also love each other so much. It is no surprise they have remained friends for so long.
This was a very thought provocating read. I was expecting just your typical erotic novel about infidelity but it was actually so much more. It really dives into the truth of what can happen if you allow your attention on your marriage to waiver. Something that all of us could use as a reminder. If you want a hot, sexy, fast read with some body to it, this ones for you.
Marriage rules to live by:
1. Keep your partner No 1.
2. Talk about sex and what you want from your partner, don’t expect them to read your mind.
3. Don’t use sex as a weapon or bargaining tool. Nobody wins with this tactic.
