Published: Nov. 19, 2009
Words: 16,027 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780982214558

Short description

Merle tells us her tale of love, longing, and desperation. As she struggles with the guilt over her husband's suicide, Merle's gut wrenching quest for redemption takes her on a downward spiral into a hell of her own making. Resigned to a life of self-mutilation, abuse, and despair, will she find hope in a mysterious stranger, or will she die.

Extended description

Merle tells us her tale of love, longing, and desperation. As she struggles with the guilt over her husband's suicide, Merle's gut wrenching quest for redemption takes her on a downward spiral into a hell of her own making. Resigned to a life of self-mutilation, abuse, and despair, will she find hope in a mysterious stranger, or will she die, entangled in a sadistic relationship with her husband's best friend. The Kissing Room is a story of death and renewal, of love lost, and of salvation found in the most unlikely of places. It is the story of two hearts united in cruelty and pain who have only to look to each other for hope.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages. For more information, see the Support FAQ.

Tags

thriller, murder, literary, depression, suicide, gothic, dark

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Reviews

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Review by: Maria Romana on Oct. 01, 2010 :
"The Kissing Room" is not your typical cheery romance for a Sunday afternoon. Rather, it’s a dark, disturbing story that threatens to repel the reader with its brutal honesty, while simultaneously compelling him to read on, anxious for resolution.

This fast-paced story is hardly a chronological one, beginning in the middle of the action, and then alternating between what happens next and what happened before. The story fluctuates between gentle, romantic, or bittersweet moments and truly ugly, stomach-churning scenes of violence and despair. Even the nastiest situations, however, are not described graphically or in lengthy detail, though neither are they for the faint of heart.

"The Kissing Room" is told in the engaging, first person voice of Merle, a woman whose short life has already seen too much tragedy, making her wizened and weary beyond her years. While the reader may not agree with her choices or even understand her reasons for making them, it is impossible not to sympathize with this character and want to see her prevail. The character of Lain was less clear to me, and I wasn’t always sure I liked him, but that wasn't important; I was rooting for Merle, and if he made her happy, that was good enough for me.

The Irish pub setting of the story is unique and authentic, with both the language and the details bringing it to life. I could always see and feel the story happening as though I was a participant, rather than some disconnected voyeur. The only time I felt thrown out of the story was when the point-of-view suddenly changed from Merle's to Lain's for a brief passage near the end. I understand why the author did this, but for me, it broke the spell. Fortunately, I was so caught up in wanting to know what would happen, I just ignored it and went on.

Clearly, "The Kissing Room" is not what you'd call a “beach read” with its violence and macabre themes, but that doesn't mean you won't enjoy it. I read the book nearly straight through, and only stopped because of an unavoidable interruption. I was annoyed to have to pause the action going on in my head, and went back to it as soon as I could—I just _had_ to see how it would end. When it is all said and done, Cheryl Anne Gardner’s "The Kissing Room" is a deeply touching love story; you just won’t know it til it’s over.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: Ellen C Maze on June 01, 2010 :
The Kissing Room by Cheryl Anne Gardner

So what if The Kissing Room’s star is a little “ashtray in the head”; Irish euphemisms only add to this stunning story’s appeal. Set in a pub in Ireland, Meryl O’Byrne tends her deceased father’s business with spit, grit and wit. Although she is haunted by the suicidal death of her beloved husband Jon, she muddles through with thoughts rampant and barely controlled as they gallop past her consciousness like wild horses. When Meryl meets an intriguing stranger named Lain, she slowly learns to release the past and begin anew—shrugging off her demons at the same time.

All of this makes her the most believable character I’ve read in a long time. Told in First Person, author Cheryl Anne Gardner expertly gives us a glimpse into the mind of a widow who sees and reacts to the world with her very last ounce of passion. The reader is invited onto a roller coaster ride of delicious descriptive settings and masterfully done character development.

Gardner is a superb storyteller and you won’t regret giving her a try.

Ellen C Maze
Author RABBIT: CHASING BETH RIDER
A Unique Spin on the Vampire Myth
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

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