Apart from all the love she clearly still had for me, V seemed to be under the impression that I had wanted the relationship to end. Her breezy tone was so far removed from the V whom I knew that I wondered for a moment if she had been kidnapped and someone else was writing her e-mails, although the much more plausible explanations were that V was not herself, or that she was using her tone to send me a covert message. There were two options at play: Either she had lost her mind with the distress I had caused her at Christmas and jumped into the arms of the nearest fool, or she needed me to pay for what I’d done. This seemed by far the most likely; this was V after all and she would need me to witness my own remorse. It was as if the lines of her e-mail dissolved and behind them were her true words. This was a game, our favorite game. It was obvious that we were beginning a new, more intricate Crave.
Love versus obsession. . . Where does one draw the line? Mike and Verity are a successful couple who have been together for nine years. For the past two years, Mike was been working in New York City saving up money to purchase a dream home for V back in London. Every decision he makes is with V in mind; he decorates the house for her taste, redoes the garden just for her, even buys the groceries she would want. He seems like the perfect, attentive boyfriend. However, V broke up with him while he was in the States, and is about to get married to Angus Metcalf, one of London’s most eligible bachelors. Mike is convinced this marriage is a sham, a punishment for his own indiscretion while abroad. But is it?
Written from Mike’s perspective while in jail awaiting trial, this book will keep you questioning until the very last line. Is it love or obsession? Is the marriage real or a sham? Can you take what V says at face value, or, like Mike, should we look for hidden meaning behind everything she says? Mike is so convinced of V’s love and their future that he is willing to do anything to create their own perfect ending. He uses the rules of their own private game, called the Crave, to deconstruct every action and word from V. Does he truly know her inner most workings that well, or does he refuse to see reality?
Mike’s crime and subsequent trial will call into question every bias that you have. Mike was taken into foster care at the age of 10 after enduring a childhood of neglect, poverty and abuse. He has issues with anger and empathy. Does this upbringing make us doubt his intentions or sanity? V was raised in an upper-class family with every advantage. However, her character is called into question when the Crave comes to light. Does being a sexually adventurous woman make you less believable as a victim of assault and stalking? Each lawyer will use every tool at their disposal to prove the innocence of their client.
This book was a page turner from beginning to end. We couldn’t put it down, nor did we stop thinking about it for days thereafter. We couldn’t stop searching the London neighborhood settings, learning every little bit possible about the stage where this novel is set. Perhaps, just like Mike, we crossed the line from love to obsession.
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