Skin

Tania is going through a special therapy program courtesy of her best friend, who had put down the hefty deposit to save her a spot. She’s horribly intimidated by men, especially Kane, one of the men in the program who has major anger issues. To Tania’s horror and Kane’s chagrin, the instructor has given them a project to work on together. Tania is to photograph Kane. During their photo sessions, they get to know one another and Tania discovers he isn’t a big scary guy who is going to hurt her. Kane learns that all women are not the same and this one might be worth risking his heart for.

Author Dale Mayer has crafted an artful tale filled with imagery that can mean many things to different people, depending upon their individual life experiences. That the project only shows skin means she’s ready to get past the superficial trappings in relationships and wants to get beyond the skin level and go deep into the psyche. Tania is at first so timid that she wants to hide behind anything; clothing, a homework assignment, or even her camera. Her fear could be seen as unrealistic even for a rape victim, given that so many years have passed. She works past that and in doing so helps Kane heal. The gym scenes are very realistic and the reader is transported to all the photo sites. The therapy group is a unique idea to use for a story backdrop.

"Skin" is an emotional, passionate, highly readable romance that will leave readers aching for more.

Belinda Wilson