Mirrors (Reflections Book 1) by A.L. Woods

Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Published on: 28 October 2020
Type: cliffhanger – trilogy, series, standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance Fiction, Inspirational Romance
Author: A.L. Woods
Read: 07 March 2021
Shelved: 09 March 2021
Rating: 4 / 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Complete the Reflection series through Amazon US.

Synopsis

Raquel

I live my life by one rule: fight to survive.

I don’t like people; I don’t like my job, and I definitely do not like the broody man I’m interviewing.

I’ve built up these walls to keep me safe, Sean’s presence in my world would only complicate things.

He wouldn’t know what to do with me if I came with an instruction manual–because women like me don’t get the happily ever after.

He might just be the one to break the mirror of my fragile identity.

And if I’m not careful? I’ll let him.

Sean

I live my life by one rule: family is everything.

I do this for the money; I don’t care about flipping houses, and I don’t like being interrogated about it by this wannabe Hemingway.

But I can’t deny my immediate attraction towards her, it fills my mind with what if’s–and I only just met her.

Raquel doesn’t know what she wants, but I know what she needs.

I’m ready to give her it all.

Even if she needs to hate me first.

Review

Sean is a real estate investor. He buys run-down homes at rock bottom prices and “flips” them through renovations, then sells them at a profit. He intends to sell his current property quickly and move on to the next project. Too bad markets are down, and he is having trouble bringing inquiries to the said property.

In comes Raquel Flannigan, a journalist at a small-town newspaper, to the rescue. As a favor to her best friend, Penelope – coincidentally hired as the interior stager for the property Sean is selling, Raquel agrees to promote the property. Her first encounter with Sean was electric to both of them but was an odd interview. There was no denying the tension radiating in the. When it all came out, it was explosive and spectacular! It raised the standards in steam and angst!

Raquel is a complex character. She went through a tragic past that changed her. Filled with much guilt and torturing emotions, Raquel was crumbling from the inside while maintaining a calm, no-nonsense, tough journalist facade. Outside of her job, her life is pure chaos that Sean seems to be willing to dive into to “save her.”

I wasn’t the woman who got the fairy tale ending; I was the one who got the war.
— Raquel, Mirrors

Without giving so much, readers will surely get the gravity of Raquel’s situation midway through the book. It is dark and sinister. It will change how you perceive things. I did not like the road that Raquel took to “save” the people around her. I was frustrated with her reckless decisions. Yes, she had terrible things happen to her and her family, which she blames was her doing. Because of this, she lost herself, her passion and decided that she was not worthy of peace and happiness by taking on the “bad things” in her life as penance.
Sean has his issues, but it’s a lot safer than what Raquel had around. He gave up his dreams to be able to support his family after a tragic loss. It was not uncommon, but now, his family is on him going back to pursue his passion and think of himself. It was driving him crazy because Sean believes he is fine where he is…or so he thinks.

The theme of “mirrors” or “self-reflection and perceptions” runs well into the book. There is a lot of “push-pull” in Sean and Raquel’s lives for their daily interaction with family and friends – how they see themselves – potential, ambition, and expectations.

I like to note that I love Raquel’s best friend and forever confidant, Penelope. She and Raquel are opposites but bonded together in college when they became roommates. Penelope has gone through a lot with her family and background, but they become an unstoppable team with Raquel’s support. Penelope also is integral in having Raquel realize the destructive path she was heading towards. Without that realization, this story would turn out badly.

Mirrors is a poignant, slow-burn, enemies-to-friends story. It is a gut-wrenching story that dives into two broken characters’ lives: one accepting it while the other is in denial. Both need each other to find their redemption and healing to move to live with their choices.
The scenes and points of view are very detailed. The writing may get overwhelming at times, so I had to sit and reflect. This book took me longer than expected to finish because of the immense information coming from interesting characters – each detail of a scene, person’s points written and described in vivid word descriptions.
There is a lot of character development that will surely make readers also reflect and empathize with them. Note that the plot is heavy and complex, with various issues between Sean and Raquel. Expect the book to be pulling out all types of “feels” for readers.

About the Author

A.L. Woods is an author of rollercoaster romances, caffeine aficionado, and collector of Sailor Moon paraphernalia.
She lives 40 minutes west of Toronto, Ontario with her partner, Michael, and their 8lb larger-than-life miniature dachshund, Maia–whom they lovingly refer to as their ‘doghter.’
Woods can be found holed away in her office writing her next novel with a bowl of Nibs within arm’s reach. When she’s not writing, she’s likely belting out an ad-libbed song, emotionally investing in a fictional bad boy with a strong jawline and fluency in sarcasm or inventing fresh ways to procrastinate.
She believes that burritos should be in their own food group, loves the fall, winged liner, and listening to metalcore at an offensive level.