Smoke and Mirrors – Norma Marie

Contemporary Romance, Author Debut

Norma Marie’s debut novel is brilliantly written. Smoke & Mirrors was everything that I hoped it would be.

For a debut novel, Norma Marie is strong in developing her characters, sharing their backstory and leaving a little bit to the imagination of the reader.

What I Love About This Book:
I enjoyed the HEA ending. I enjoyed the backstory between the two characters. It is a heartwarming story between two childhood best friends, who go their separate ways and reunite several years later after no contact. It’s a story of love, forgiveness, trust and creating something new. While, there are difficult parts in this book, overall I am so in love with these characters. I am a hopeless romantic and the story of Natalie and Lucas tugged at my heart strings.

Why You Should Read This Book:

For a debut novel, this book is very strong. One of Norma Marie’s strengths is character development. She gives you just enough to keep reading and wanting more out of each of the characters. This is a 3 book series! I am so excited for book #2. If you enjoy Contemporary Romance, this book is for you. If you enjoy a steamy romance, this book is for you.

Background (from the author):

Natalie

When my supposedly perfect life falls apart, I turn to my best friend Lucas and relocate to BoothBay Harbor with my sole reason to push on; my daughter Savannah. Being around Lucas again makes the voices that tell me I’m not good enough fall quiet. But just as I start to heal, my past and his present threaten to tear us apart.

Lucas

In high school, Natalie was my best friend… and my secret crush. With her back in my life, she’s reawakening feelings I thought were long gone. When things start spiraling, it takes all I have to prove to her that I won’t walk away again. The further I fall, the more she pulls away. I want it all, but she has to want it too.

Can I be enough to show her that this is real, or is she living in a past filled with nothing but smoke and mirrors?

*Note* This is not for the faint of heart. 18+. Contains foul language, explicit sexual content, cheating spouses, divorce, trauma, child trauma and emotional abuse.