What if there was another version of you out there in the universe? What if that version had a chance at happiness, even when yours has been taken from you?
Dr. Brian Tennyson lost his wife, but
knew that there had to be more out there. Thankfully another version of her did
exist, but he was dismayed at what he found.
Tessa Barnum is a struggling artist, who until recently had lost her
inspiration for painting after having her name dragged through the mud. She is
irritated at what people believe art is these days! At times she is downright
bitchy about her opinion on art and refuses to be swayed to other views. Now
Tessa is broke, her husband left her and she is facing eviction from her
apartment. The one positive in her life is the work she does with the elderly
at her church. Always putting everyone else's needs above her own, she goes without being paid due to the lack of
donations the church is receiving. When Brian enters her life claiming to know
her and refusing to leave her alone, Tessa doesn’t know what to
believe.
Dr. Brian Tennyson, a physicist, claims
to be from an alternate universe and traveled to see Tessa for a good reason. He
is her husband, at least in his world he is. He can’t get her to believe that he
does know her, just a different version of her back in his world. Tessa
thinks Brian is a delusional homeless person who is stalking her, but yet she
feels this sense of déjà vu. His claims that he traveled through different
universes are absurd to her, or are they possible? While trying to figure out
how to help the church, Tessa and Brian become closer, but will she ever believe
his story?
I loved the idea of there being an
alternate universe where another version of you exists as well as the person you
are meant to be with. Brian was feeling so much pain when he would become
disappointed in Tessa and just wanted her to be the Tessa he knows. Tessa just
wanted to help the church out so much, that it almost cost her everything,
including her happiness. When she finally opens her eyes and moves past the
mistakes she once made, you see a different side of her.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is not
your mainstream romance by any means, but it worked. I am usually not a fan of
science fiction books; even if romance is also a theme of the book, but The Love
of My (Other) Life pulled me in and I just had to see how this was going to be
played out. If you are a fan of the TV show The Big Bang Theory, then you will
love this book. While at times it is hard to understand the scientific terms,
because let’s face it, not all of us are scientists in real life, it added to
the feel of the book. You never know what will happen, and who will point you to
the love of your life, but sometimes the unexpected and unbelievable can lead
you to your happiness.
Traci L. Slatton is a graduate of Yale and Columbia, where she taught freshman composition. She lives in Manhattan, and her love for Renaissance Italy inspired her historical novel Immortal [Bantam Dell], which is currently in film pre-production and reached bestseller status in Italy, Russia, and Brazil. Also the author of novels The Botticelli Affair, Fallen, and Cold Light, Slatton has published The Art of Life, a photo essay about figurative sculpture; Dancing in the Tabernacle, a book of poetry; and Piercing Time & Space, a non-fiction title on science and spirituality. Her forthcoming novel, The Mission, is a meaty historical saga set during World War II.
