Review of ‘Blue’ by Lise Gold
This book is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Lise Gold: nice and kind (but definitely not bland or boring) characters, beautiful descriptions of scenery in all its forms (colours, smells, sounds) that make me feel like I’m the one travelling the world, and hot sex. One of the reasons I’m always looking forward to Gold’s books is that she’s consistent: they’re either excellent or, at least, very good. And it never feels as if she’s writing the same story over and over. She definitely has a style of stories and characters she enjoys writing but each book brings something new.
A year wasn’t enough for Celia to forget those five minutes spent in Erin’s arms on the dance floor at her uncle Dieter’s summer ball. Celia can’t wait to find out whether Erin was as affected by these precious moments as she was and if anything more will happen when they meet again. As soon as they’re back in each other’s presence, the chemistry is just as explosive as they remember. When Dieter invites them to join him on a journey to Bermuda on a yacht (Erin’s yacht), their relationship goes from zero to sixty in half a second. Instalust grows into something deeper, something that may not be strong enough yet to withstand a secret Erin is holding.
Blue is on the longer side, which gives the characters’ journey time to develop, both literally – at sea – and in the manner emotions are built up. Some chapters end a bit abruptly but overall, the pace is good, lingering when needed, to indulge in the scenery, fast at other times. The secondary characters are well-fleshed, especially Dieter, Celia’s uncle and Erin’s friend. His boyfriend Andy is less of a cliché than he appears to be, and even Celia’s greedy mother is more complex than she seems.
In Lise Gold’s books, the drama, the angst doesn’t come from miscommunication or other artificial situations. Life itself is full of twists and hurdles which the characters face together. Challenging times bring them closer. Gold excels at telling these everyday stories, bringing out the hidden sparks, the small things that make them extraordinary. What Celia and Erin go through could happen to anyone. What makes their story special isn’t so much the fact that money isn’t an issue (even if it doesn’t hurt), it’s the way Gold tells it, how she makes the reader feel for them. With Erin and Dieter to guide her, Celia goes from content and a little bored to radiant, and watching her bloom, despite the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding her journey, is exciting and heartwarming.
