Unstitch
A Tantalizing Treat With Heart and So Much Heat
Elodie Hart’s Alchemy series continues to provide a stunning escape, bringing a level of seductive intensity and breathtaking sensuality in Unstitch. The characters are beautifully and thoroughly brought to life as their relationships and personalities unfurl on the pages. And as the chemistry between them ignites, the heat escalating to an extraordinary crescendo, so does the profound complexity of their relationship itself. Because as amazing as it is watching Darcy and Max learn how wonderful they are together, it is even more magnificent when their all-encompassing acceptance and love swaths Dex in a tender, yet protective layer of acceptance of his own.
Hart definitely has a way with words. The language she chooses with each character builds unique and lustrous characters, creating so much incredible insight into who they are, why they behave as they do, and how they want to be seen. Their dialogue is rich and authentic, their inner thoughts and actions flush with imagery and bold descriptions. The pictures Hart paints, the actions she evokes are vivid and visually evocative.
Woven in with the characters’ developing relationship is a solid theme of acceptance, and the understanding that it does not always come easily, and sometimes not at all. Effective social commentary, exploration of familial and professional expectations, and genuine fears accompanying revelations of sexuality and queer awakening are handled with remarkable aplomb. Max, Dex, and Darcy are truly three parts of a whole, and the roles they each play in finding their balance, providing the perfect catalysts for each other’s and their own choices, make for a fast-paced, enthralling love story.
As I started to put this review together, I paged back through my Kindle and found that several of the passages I highlighted were the ones that made me laugh, perfectly layered elements of humor that ranged from quiet snickers of delight to full-out snort-laughs that left my family staring at me and shaking their heads. But even more were deeper emotional level realizations, engaging that part of my brain that seeks life lessons and affinity with the characters and their experiences. The emotional range within the story truly kept me captivated and invested, without the themes and interactions becoming too heavy or too flippant.
Unstitch can most certainly be read as a standalone, with a complete plot and glorious HEA, but to get the full picture of the ties Dex, Darcy, and Max weave together, I highly recommend starting from the beginning of the series. Although, if you dive in here, you’ll definitely want to leave ample time to return to the start. Because Alchemy, while merely a location, a solitary setting amongst many, is also a lovely thread connecting the main and supporting characters as friends, lovers, and family.
