THE UNREQUITED by SAFFRON A KENT

‘I know he’s married. I know he’s an asshole, rude and mean and some kind of genius poet – but maybe that’s the appeal. I don’t want him to love me back. ‘

What a deliciously f***ed up, deeply emotional and utterly addictive read this was! The Unrequited was that unputdownable train wreck type of love story we devour. We couldn’t look away from for a minute,  at times holding our breath through this rapid and thoroughly absorbing and compulsive story.

‘No matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, reciprocation is important. It’s what keeps the love going. Without it, love just dies out, and then it’s up to you. Do you bury it, or do you carry the dead body for a while. I want to see reciprocation. What does requited love look like? I want to see it.’

Now, there are forbidden love stories and then there are forbidden love stories. You know what we mean? Some make the claim but don’t deliver on the tense, gut churning emotions we love to experience in this theme. In this case, The Unrequited certainly lived up to its claim. Our hearts were in our mouths as Thomas and Layla took risk after risk in their need for one another. Their story was nerve wracking, exhilarating, emotional, tender, volatile and gripping! We read the entire book with baited breath wondering if their elicit desire was going to be uncovered and if/how it could ever prosper.

‘Thomas Abrams is magic. He’s a wordsmith, a baby whisperer, a blue eyed asshole, but most of all, he’s like me…..brokenhearted.’

To label this as simply forbidden or a cheating book wouldn’t do justice to the layered and complicated characters and story created by Saffron A Kent. On the surface this is a coupling that felt somewhat toxic. Two emotionally exhausted characters trying to ease their pain and evolve through lustful, dirty, forbidden sex. And boy the sex was hot, erotic and intense and plentiful, but the story was more than that.  More than appeared on the surface. The characters more complex than first thought and our hearts ached for them.

“…I’m selfish, Layla. I’ll ruin you, set you on fire, and won’t even look back. I’ll take and take until you’re empty and hollow.”

Layla was a character whose actions and internal monologue came across at times a little disturbing. With Layla we found we were always waiting for that other shoe to drop and could never truly settle into getting to bond with her, to feel comfortable around her chaotic and impulsive behaviour, yet her air of vulnerability did draw us to her.

Thomas’ actions gave us whiplash as he danced between kindness and cruelty, and just at the time we questioned if we could relate to the man and his coldness, the author gave us his POV providing a whole new perspective and layer to him and his story, changing our thinking about this man completely. Thomas, was a man with a wounded heart – responsible for such beautiful, painful and heartbreaking poetry, and yet could sprout such panty melting dirty talk….wow! What a contradiction.

“You’re…the poem I can never write. Yeah, you’re the piece of poetry I can never hope to finish, no matter how hard I try.”

Saffron A Kent delivered an emotionally charged story about two messed up lonely, vulnerable people. Sure, they weren’t the easiest characters to love at times, but they certainly made for interesting reading! Each a casualty of unrequited love who share an inherent need to be loved in return, and in doing so find  some sort of solace in the physical form with one another.  An exquisitely written erotic, thought provoking, moving and exciting story, delivered with potent storytelling and multifaceted characters showing us love in all its ugly, painful, sad and yet somewhat beautiful form.

‘My heart has many faces. Restless heart. Desperate heart. Selfish heart. Lonely heart.’

Saffron A Kent showed them all! Be prepared to be engrossed by this one!