#Review “The Guy on the Left” by Kate Stewart

5 The Legit Life CROWNS

I love the way this series is turning out to be nothing like I expected, each one is different, with characters who are so much more than I anticipated. The Guy on the Left is another wonderful story in this series and it knocked my socks off.

Troy and Clarissa’s relationship is so far from straightforward. It’s messy, it’s emotional, it’s raw and intense and yet so real. Troy is such a beautiful soul and he stole my heart. He’s caring and hardworking and I couldn’t help but admire his dedication and determination as he put his all into everything he did. Is he perfect? Of course not. Is he young and makes mistakes? Absolutely! However, he is not at all what you may think from the outside. He is hugely motivated, with his heart in the right place, which for me more than made up for any slight errors of judgement on his part. It certainly didn’t stop me from loving the bones of him. The friendship, for that’s what it was, between him and his son was fantastic. Hysterical at times, heartwarming at others, it couldn’t have been more perfect. To say he stepped up would be an understatement. I challenge you not to fall in love with him yourself.

Clarissa had a harder time winning me over. She did what she believed was right at the time and I guess no one can fault her for that. She’s not a terrible person, but she is not blameless either. At some point her decisions became unreasonable and I could’ve shook her. However, thanks to Ms Stewart’s wonderful writing, we were able to get into Clarissa’s mind and I understood her more and where she was coming from. After all, no one wants to put themselves or their child in a situation where they could get hurt. She certainly does not have it easy and life is a struggle for her too. She’s a great mom and I really loved her relationship with little Dante, who is an absolute darling. He’s funny and forward and precocious, in a hugely endearing way. We also got a glimpse of his vulnerabilities, which made me want to grab him and hug him tight.

The courtship between Troy and Clarissa is a slow burn, but not painstakingly so. Their physical attraction is undeniable but because of the way they initially met, it made sense that they actually needed to take their time to get to know one another. Besides, they’re both witty and it’s great fun witnessing their teasing and flirty banter.

However, the course of true love never did run smooth, as they say. There’s a lot of push and pull between this couple and Clarissa had some soul searching to do when it came to her motives. Nevertheless, I was rooting for them and I really hoped she’d come to her senses before it was too late.

The Guy on the Left is hugely enjoyable, the perfect combination of sweet and sexy, funny and emotional. It’ll pull on your heartstrings and steam up your kindle and I personally couldn’t have wished for anything more.