Double Vision by L.M. Halloran [Review] – Spellbound Stories Book Blog

Ever pick up a book and are so blown away you can’t immediately put it into words to write a review? I have…usually because I want to rate a book a certain way and have to take into account that I am an extremely harsh critic. No Joke…as a blogger and editor, that’s just my higher than fair standards. Yet I am going to shout at you right now. Double Vision by L.M. Halloran is HANDS DOWN THE MOST AMAZING dark romance I have ever (EVER!!!) read! L.M. Halloran was recommended by one of my favorite authors and while I had some of her back stock already in my kindle library, this is my first book by this author. Where in the ever lovin’ hell have I been?!?!?! I feel like with as much reading as I do, this author would have been my favorite from the first time I read her words. Seriously, she has mad skills and you shouldn’t bother reading this review – just buy the book and get sucked in!!! Cause there isn’t a chance that you’ll find this less book than a five star read.

I couldn’t provide you with a better synopsis for the book then L.M. Halloran herself wrote…so really, I am not going to try. Instead I want to tell you why this book was just so superior to everything I have read to date in this genre. First, the writing? Its exceptional! This book is beautifully written and has an amazing pace to it. As a long time lover of horror, thrillers and psychological thrillers, when I read the synopsis that described Double Vision as a dark romance, I felt like this books seriously called to my soul. I was given the chance to read the book as a beta reader and then as an ARC reader. Halloran sets the ground work from the first sentence and honestly, you’ll carry your heart in your throat right on through the epilogue. I certainly did. I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that I am a mom of 3 young children and my sleep is precious. But I couldn’t stop reading this book from beginning to end. AT ALL! Her plot is just the tip of the iceberg and the twists and turns in the story just keep winding you up tighter and tighter with only one clear fact, all other books in this genre will have to live up to impossibly high standards after reading Double Vision! Her characters, Eden and Liam are incredible. Seriously, Eden is this mix of sweet and sexy that a woman with her desires can be. She is also quite possibly the strongest heroine I have ever read. And let’s not forget Liam – the king of lies and a true puppet master. You’ll be both attracted and put off by aspects of his personality. His blend of master and lover is incredibly enthralling. As both the Hero and anti-hero of this story, you will absolutely be kept guessing about him from the very being. The story really did cast me under its spell, but I am not the only one by the incredible list of reviews. If I could read books like this every day of my life, maybe I would be less inclined to rate it as a five star but lets face it? Maybe! Books are not written with the same standards today that our forefathers got a chance to consume. But authors like L.M. Halloran are why the bar for indie authors continues to rise again and again. You can tell that she lays it all on the line when she writes to give the best, (absolutely, the most incredible story she can possibly release) to those of us who pick up her books.

Do you still need more supportive evidence for why this book is so so vastly supreme? This book checks boxes that I usually hate. Examples include: combining too many genres or tropes, jumping around in the timeline, lack of POV for the hero or heroine and more. Yet, in Double Vision, all of these issue that I struggle with in other books became null. This book checks so many tropes. Its got BDSM, Mafia, dark romance, psychological thriller…you get my point. Then, the timeline twists and turns like crazy and again, I usually hate this because inevitably it will have me lost at one point or another. But like a true master, L.M. Halloran makes these transitions seamless and you’ll be too busy biting down your nails to the quick to lose your footing. Next, there is a lack of voice so often exhibited in single perspective books. Readers can’t grasp the hero or heroines emotions and therefore they don’t connect with this character. Only it is this lack of voice, (in this case Liam’s) that truly pulls you in…and you will be thankful to her for not providing his perspective! I honestly don’t think I have EVER said that before. First and third person works can be well done yet I always seem to gravitate to duel perspectives as a clear favorite…

Honestly, my reasoning for offering this a 5+ star review are many, and if I give away too much, it will ruin aspects of the book. So instead I highly suggest you forgo reviewing reviews…you can not go wrong with this book if even one aspect of my review calls to you about this review. I walked into this author completely blind from past experience and walked away with a new favorite read…

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