Chasm

Taylor Vine has returned to Estill Springs, Tennessee to move away from heartbreak. Thing is, heartbreak of a different kind was the reason why she left.  In the midst of it all is Cole Stevens, a stranger who has a story of his own that is intrinsically tied with Taylor’s life. When truths are revealed, neither of their lives will ever be the same again.

The story had merit as a romantic thriller. One of the tools authors have in their arsenal is to make the setting a character in the story. L.K. Kuhl did it here and it successfully brought a more heightened awareness of the environment that her protagonists - Taylor and Cole - lived in. The setting was symbolic of the gloom and desperation of the stranger that would later figure prominently in Taylor’s life. Unfortunately, it ends there. When reading, one got a sense of the plots and subplots not being brought to a satisfying conclusion. It may have been clear to the author where the trajectory of the story was going; but as a reader, it fell short, giving one the impression that there was still something hanging. 

It is the author’s responsibility to make sure that the idea given flesh by writing fiction is clear and can be followed by the reader in the way the story was intended. Only then will this be a story worthy of being called a romantic thriller. 

MP Ceja