Review by Echo Haapala -- Lara's Journal by A. Gavazzoni

[Echo Haapala]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Lara's Journal" by A. Gavazzoni.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Simone is a sex psychiatrist that is attempting to regain control and happiness after being kidnapped. This seems to be difficult for her as her kidnapper is still on the loose. What better way to heal than by staying busy with work? So, when a patient asked Simone to do him a favor, she jumped at the chance. He asked her to read the journal of his dead girlfriend, Lara. Her journal is not typical. Instead, it is about her secret life as a minor that is filled with luxury and sex. Meanwhile, as Simone attempts to heal and recover, she falls in love. Just as she thinks life is getting better, people begin to die. Is her kidnapper back? Will there finally be an end to this madness? Or will the kidnapper win this time?

My favorite part of Lara’s Journal was the setup. Although it is just one book, there are several stories, which made it seem like I was reading multiple novels at once. For example, there is a tale about Simone’s life. This story is about healing, growth, sex and the thriller of finding out who is tormenting her and why. Then there is Lara’s journal. As a reader, I had to strap myself in for this emotional roller coaster. The story was quite graphic but eloquently done by A. Gavazzoni. During this ride, the reader will feel many emotions, including, anger, sorrow, and empowerment. Lastly, there are Simone’s patients. Meeting them and reading about their issues was another one of my favorite things about this book. They were intriguing and out of this world. I also enjoyed how the author included Simone’s inside thoughts as she listened to her patients. It made me laugh out loud a few times.

Lara’s Journal captured a piece of me and never released it. It was an incredible read. This story was gripping, emotional, and powerful. Additionally, A. Gavazzoni is an amazingly detailed writer. Her words moved me. I believe I have found a new favorite author and will read her other books. It is for these reasons plus many more that I rate Lara’s Journal a 4 out of 4.

As a side note, Lara’s Journal is the second book in this series. There are multiple references to the first book throughout this story. I did not read the first one and I made it through this book just fine. Although I don’t believe it is necessary to read it, I feel like it would be beneficial.

I enjoyed this book and would love to recommend it to everyone but I don’t think it is appropriate to do so because of the graphic and erotic nature of this story. For those reasons, I would recommend this book to a mature audience. I would not recommend it to a younger audience or to those that do not like to read erotica. Additionally, I did note some grammar errors but they were only minor and didn’t disrupt my reading.

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Lara's Journal
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[Rupali Mishra]

I appreciate you; I liked reading your review.