REVIEW: Blurred by Kim Karr

Posted September 24th, 2014 by in Blog, HJ Recommends, New Adult, Review / 2 comments

In Blurred by(Connections #3.5) by Kim Karr, After being forced to hide under a new name when getting in too deep with his story about a drug cartel, Ben Covington has finally been allowed to return home to California. He definitely wasn’t ready to face the truth that the woman he had intended to marry, Dahlia London, had moved on after years of believing he had died. Ben has a difficult Blurrtime coming to terms with her shutting him out of her life once she knows the truth. Especially when she finds out about his one night of weakness with Bell during his and Dahlia’s otherwise unblemished relationship.

‘Giving in to temptation, I allowed weakness to conquer strength, desire to win out over love.’

Ben’s life spirals out of control as more tragedy surrounds him, forcing him to take a serious look at what he wants out of his future. He’s not sure who he can turn to in light of his past decisions and has to attempt to piece his world back together. But through it all, Ben keeps a glimmer of hope that not only will his friends and family forgive him, but that he may get a chance to see Bell again. The night they had together so long ago has never left his mind, right or wrong, and now he has the opportunity to perhaps see where things might lead with her.

‘Do you ever try to pinpoint any one event in your life that may have changed everything? I do–all the time.’

Blurred is a novella which gives us Ben Covington’s raw and honest look at what has happened the past few years since going into witness protection, leaving his beloved fiancee Dahlia behind.

We get Ben’s heartbreaking story as we follow along with him since his return from New York City and during his reintroduction into his former life in California. Along the way, we also get more information about past events from his point of view via flashback scenes while he’s reminiscing or seeing something that causes him to remember certain things. I did like the seamless way author Kim Karr incorporated these flashbacks into the storyline. It felt like a natural part of Ben’s return to the place in which he grew up and where he fell in love.

I’m glad to finally get a glimpse into Ben’s mind, to see why he’s made certain choices over the past few years (Bell!). And while I’m still not letting him off the hook for some of the bad decisions, at least they make more sense now. I will warn you that it would be best to read this series in order, so you can really understand what went on between Ben, Dahlia, and Bell, plus the reason he had to assume another identity. And you should know this is not a super-happy tale. It is Ben’s gritty, introspective look at his life and his attempt to find his new place in the world.

I know if you’ve been following the Connections series you’ve been waiting to get the lowdown on Ben. Here’s your introduction into his life, which will soon to be followed up with his own full length novel, Frayed.

Book Info:

4SPublished August 5th 2014 by InterMix | (Connections #3.5)

The story before the love story….

When he lost the only woman he’d ever loved, it seemed there was nothing left to live for.

Even as a boy, all Ben Covington ever wanted was to spend forever with Dahlia London, the beautiful girl next door…then one life-altering decision tore them apart and he was forced to leave her.

Now, despite having returned to win her back, he’s still alone. She’s with someone else—someone she’s never going to leave.

Resigned to a future without his former girlfriend, Ben numbs his broken heart in a haze of liquor and women. But then the only woman who ever even turned his head while he was with his girl reappears unexpectedly. And he’s never forgotten their one incredible night together. But will Ben’s destructive behavior destroy his future with her before it even begins?

Includes a preview of Kim Karr’s Connections novel, Frayed.

 

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2 Responses to “REVIEW: Blurred by Kim Karr”

    • Michele H

      This is actually a continuation of the story/saga between Ben, Dahlia, and Bell. There are flashback scenes that explain Ben’s POV on what happened in the past. But it’s set in the current day.