Epilogue by CJ Roberts

Epilogue
The Dark Duet: Book 3
by CJ Roberts
Date read: Late June 2013
Length of read time: Still not finished
Why I bought it: Couldn't wait to read this couple's HEA.
Price: $3.50
Pages: 216
Indie or traditional: Indie
Bonus: What could be better than a super long epilogue describing a HEA? Not much.
 Blurb:
I’m writing this because you begged. You know how I love the begging. In fact, you probably know too many things and know them far too well.
Who am I?
Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was a whore in my youth, a killer since my adolescence, and a monster as a man. I am the man who kidnapped Livvie. I am the man who held her in a dark room for weeks. But, most importantly, I am the man she loves.
She loves me. It’s quite sick, isn’t it?
Of course, there’s more to our story than can be surmised in a few short sentences, but I’m at a loss for justifying my behavior back then. I assume if you’re reading this, I don’t need to make those justifications. You’ve already made your own.
You’re reading this because you want to know about the rest of the story. You want to know what happened that warm summer night in September of 2010, the night I met Livvie at The Paseo. It was the night my life changed all over again.
It didn’t happen exactly as Livvie said. She’s been very kind to me in the retelling of our story. The truth is far more…complicated. 

Epilogue is from Caleb's POV, and I enjoyed that. It's also exactly what the name implies: an epilogue. I think this is exactly what the story needed, so it was perfect, but at the same time I feel compelled to point out that in terms of actual action, it's a little slow at times. (Disclaimer: I like my books with a lot of action).

I liked reading about how Livvie and Caleb find a way to make their err...unusual relationship work in the real world. It was interesting and fulfilling, and the same details that at times felt a little mundane also helped paint me a crystal clear picture of their life together, which was so vital to a) prove to me that they really can be together 'in the real world' and b) make this new, more healthy relationship of theirs feel real.

If you've ever read Shattered Promises by Jessica Sorensen or watched Japanese anime, you've seen the same story re-told with the same plot and the same characters, just in a different format, and I thought Epilogue had that feeling to it. It was a re-telling of Caleb and Livvie's love in so much as their love had to be re-structured so much to fit 'the real world' - the world of mental health, with each on equal footing - that it almost made their relationship feel totally re-imagined. This was necessary to really finish their story, to see Caleb whole, to see Livvie heal...but it was also a little weird just because book three of the Dark Duet series is so different from the first two.

That said, I'm pretty sure absolutely nobody complained about this view inside Caleb's head. I enjoyed so much seeing Caleb grow and learn to function as a healthy, 'normal'-ish person, while Livvie blossomed too and was still able to hang onto her love for Caleb.

As always, CJ Roberts puts us through unimaginably challenging paces without missing a beat. Everything feels real, and I love both characters more than ever. 

Five stars for a fulfilling conclusion, although I have to admit I haven't read the last pages! I just don't want their story to end.