The Kaleidoscope

Review by Serena Yates, Rainbow Book Reviews

http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/the-kaleidoscope-by-aj-llewellyn-at-extasy-books

Usually I find it pretty easy to describe a book in one or two words, just to summarize what it was like. Kaleidoscope does not easily “conform” to this habit of mine, if at all. It is surprising in so many ways, shocking even, in terms of both the characters and plot turns. The sense of humor which makes many of A.J. Llewellyn’s books such a joy to read for me was present, albeit in a somewhat subtler way than usual. This book is definitely unconventional, and not even primarily a romance. Or is it? It made me think about a lot of preconceived ideas I hold about the genre and human behavior in general. I guess the closest I can come to describing this one is multi-faceted and delightfully unexpected.

Teddy is one of those men who assume the best about other people and always try to see things in a positive light. Once faced with irrefutable evidence that his husband, of all people, was out to deceive him, his world collapses. The descriptions of his feelings and reactions made me cringe on his behalf, suffer with him and when he decided to get revenge, I was right beside him, cheering him on. His fascination with ‘the other man’ was a totally logical progression for me, and fit Teddy’s character really well. Granted, not everyone would have reacted like that, but for Teddy, it made sense.

Auguste is a total and absolute a**hole. Enough said.

As for ‘the other man’? I will not say much here, because it would spoil the surprise, but I was floored how easily Teddy made me see that he, too, is human. By the end of the book the unthinkable (for me, who hates cheaters with a passion) happened: I actually liked ‘the other man’ almost as much as Teddy. Quite an achievement for AJ to make me question my own assumptions and ideas like this!

Kaleidoscope is exactly what it promises to be: lovely, surprising, and most likely not at all what you expect. If you like to be taken by the hand and shown a new and different way of looking at a situation, you will like this book. If questioning the facts of life and your own assumptions is your thing, this is a story you won’t want to miss. And if you prefer to read about a rather serious subject (adultery) in a slightly more light-hearted way, just to be hit with the gravity of the situation in the most unexpected moments, get hold of a copy and read it yourself. I enjoyed it a lot and hope you will as well.