Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

Leah Smith's story



Dirty Red (Love Me With Lies book 2)

by Tarryn Fisher

Book Blurb:
Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he's mine I'll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn't ever think about you anymore. I won't let him go....ever.

Dirty Red

Leah Smith finally has everything she has ever wanted. Except she doesn't. Her marriage feels more like a loan than a lifelong commitment, and the image she has worked so hard to build is fraying before her eyes. With a new role and a past full of secrets, Leah must decide how far she is willing to go to keep what she has stolen.

I would wager that the author Tarryn Fisher had a lot of fun creating this psychotic, unbalanced female character named Leah. Leah is the product of festering jealousy and an extremely unhealthy love attachment to her boyfriend and then husband, Caleb. 

"My name is Leah, and I will do anything to keep my husband."

"It was exhausting trying to hide yourself from everyone."

Dirty Red is the second book in a series called "Love Me With Lies." These are not stand alone books. You need to read book one "The Opportunist" first to fully understand Leah's crazy. Oh yeah, she is right crazy. Off the charts cracked. I can't remember reading a more despicable female character. If Leah ever makes it to a psychiatric ward, she'd never get out. Can I just add that the cover for this book is spectacular. Exactly Leah. 

Jealousy is the evil monster in Dirty Red. Leah's jealousy of Olivia (from book 1 The Opportunist) actually starts off being warranted. She has a boyfriend that she loves, that she has invested time and energy into and she feels she is starting to lose him to another woman. She does things that are a little crazy and granted there are a lot of women that have been known to be a little crazy in a similar circumstance. 

You see, Leah's jealousy starts off as a little slice and then has grown to a stage 5 raging cancer with no hope of remission. Leah ends up deranged and the reader is privy to everything she feels and thinks because Dirty Red is told from her first person point of view. The story flips back and forth from past to present and scenes that you read in The Opportunist are now revealed from another POV. I loved that! It was not repetitive as in did not feel like I was reading duplicated scenes at all. 

The author sometimes throws in tiny bits of information that can make you feel a tidbit of sympathy for Leah BUT then then turns around and makes her do something even more wretched. Reading Dirty Red is another roller coaster ride. Another 5 star roller coaster ride. At times the story made me think that Leah had forgot that this was about love and it became more of a determined goal. A goal that she will anything to reach. 

"I have done a number of things to keep this man. I have lied and cheated. I have been sexy and meek, fierce and vulnerable. I have been everything but myself."

I could not put this book down. It was unputdownable. I am so invested in these characters at this point. I am typing this review waiting for my iPad to charge so I can dive right into book 3, The Thief. I'm glad it is the last book because I don't think my emotions can take much more. 

Teasers: baby girl Estelle, day care disaster, Sam the manny, chocolate covered raisins