Review: 'Behind the Glass' by Kristen Morgen (2014)

Rebecca Jordan’s life is simple, disciplined, and uncomplicated, at least on the surface. Then she meets a handsome stranger/secret admirer named Michael Vale one fateful late night at a bookstore café. As a focused but struggling photographer with a passion for art, her outwardly happy world is turned upside down during this life-changing encounter when she quickly realizes she has met her soul mate. The undeniable attraction between them and their intense, immediate connection seem picture perfect as they discuss the shop’s local artwork, until Rebecca abruptly ends the chance meeting with no explanation. 
Betraying Brett, her loyal, loving boyfriend, is something Rebecca can never bring herself to do. Driven by a strong moral code and molded by divorced parents and a tumultuous childhood, she struggles to stay away from Michael, but fate and circumstance intervene, bringing them back together time and time again. As much as she resists, there is no denying her true feelings for him and the simple fact that Michael understands her in a way Brett never has. Michael proves to be everything she’s ever wanted, but remains just out of her reach.
When I first laid eyes on the cover of Kristen Morgen's 'Behind the Glass', which was released in 2014, I wasn't completely sure about what to expect from the book. At first sight, it seems quite dark and doesn't give too much away about the novel. The blurb, however, hints at a romantic story and it definitely managed to intrigue me. I was curious to check out the story and was lucky enough to receive a review copy from the author herself. I still wasn't too sure about what to expect, but it's always good to step out of your comfort zone and give something you might have doubts about a try, so that's what I decided to do with 'Behind the Glass'!
Rebecca Jordan is a disciplined, introvert twenty-something who works two jobs to get by. During the day, she works as a photographer for a local newspaper and in the evenings she works as a waitress in a restaurant. Photography is her passion and Rebecca secretly dreams of turning it into a career someday and she's willing to make the needed sacrifices for that. On her Friday evenings, she likes to hide away from the world by visiting her favourite bookstore, Behind the Glass, where she spends hours reading her favourite novels, hidden away in a comfy chair. One evening, she's interrupted by a handsome young man named Michael Vale. Both Rebecca and Michael immediately notice the connection and sparks between them. But Rebecca knows she has to ignore it because she already has a boyfriend, Brett, who is crazy about her. Yet, Rebecca can't seem to get Michael out of her mind, and this is made even more difficult when she bumps into him again at a party and discovers they have mutual friends. Rebecca tries her very best to focus on anything but Michael, but can you really turn away from true love...?
'Behind the Glass' is a relatively short novel (about 200 pages) that proves you should never judge a book solely by its cover. I wasn't quite sure what to expect at first because of the slightly dark and modern book cover (which didn't really speak to me personally), but the story inside is a captivating and romantic one which definitely made an impression on me. I was intrigued by the two main characters, Rebecca and Michael, and really enjoyed the fact that the story is told from both their points of view. I was rooting for them from the start, mainly because of the author's wonderful descriptions of the emotions they experience. The characters are well-developed and the reader really gets the chance to get to know them, their backgrounds, and their feelings, which made it quite an up-close and personal read.
I ended up really enjoying the author's calm and detailed writing style, even though I did occasionally feel like more could have happened in the story. However, at the same time it's quite refreshing to read a calm and slow-paced story like this one in the world we live in where almost everything is fast, fast, fast. Some people might find this quite a cheesy romance story (which you definitely would not expect by just seeing the cover) but I personally loved it from start to finish. Overall, 'Behind the Glass' is a well-written, emotional, sweet story about finding the one you love; a promising debut novel from author Kirsten Morgen!

Rating:8/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.