Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Not What It Seems

AUTHOR:  Nicky James

PUBLISHER:  Self Published

LENGTH:  314 pages

RELEASE DATE:  September 6, 2021

BLURB:

Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Cyrus Irvine takes his job and his life very seriously. He is well-respected in his field and has worked hard to get where he is. But he’s lonely.

When called in to evaluate a murder suspect, the last person he expects to find is the man he slept with a few months ago. The man who ghosted him and wounded his fragile heart.
Ethically, he should turn around and walk away, but he doesn’t. For as much as Cyrus understands the human brain, he can’t understand the pull he feels toward the patient.
One session with River Jenkins and Cyrus is sure of three things: River and everything about his preliminary diagnosis is a lie, his feelings toward River haven’t gone away, and despite his professional code, he isn’t going anywhere.

Someone needs to get to the bottom of this.
Cyrus’s world is turned upside down as he and River team up to find the truth.
During their quest for answers, Cyrus discovers the hardest part of his decision isn’t the risk to his career, it’s the risk to his heart.

REVIEW:

Not What it Seems is a phenomenal thriller. The suspense was enough to get my heart pounding, literally. When Dr. Cyrus Irvine, an esteemed psychiatrist, gets roped into helping a man charged with three murders – a man he slept with after meeting at a bar two months prior – he faces quite a predicament. He’s tasked with determining if River Jenkins is of sound mind, in which case he’ll go to prison for life, or if he’s criminally insane, which will sentence him to life locked inside a mental institution indefinitely.

Nicky James’ writing engaged me so fully it was impossible not to picture myself in Cyrus’ shoes as events morph into a non retractable situation where he’s aiding and abetting a suspected serial killer. His moral struggle with right and wrong and not knowing what to do is terrifying. Any choice he makes will have life changing legal and ethical consequences he can’t live with, but can’t escape either. There’s no way back.

Despite his professional success, Cyrus is a man lacking any self-esteem and is burdened by insecurity. He’s painfully lonely, he’s broken, he’s tormented by indecision. And that’s on a good day. Now, his fears and desperation are palpable and I could imagine how badly I’d come apart at the seams, too. Heck, I completely flaked out when I stole a piece of 5¢ bubblegum from 7-Eleven when I was five.

Does that sound riveting enough yet? Let’s add in a complex love story. I would call this a combined suspense/romance because the primary focus of the book is not strictly on the romantic relationship, but on solving the crimes, too, and the accompanying suspense. The book is beautifully well-written with respect to how the men fall in love in the midst of a life-or-death crisis.

River, like Cyrus, is not always a character who’s easily likable, but both men will garner your sympathy. River can be brash and cocky. He takes pleasure in goading – even manipulating – Cyrus, and teasing him with his body. You’ll cut him some slack, though, because he has a tragic backstory. Cyrus, on the other hand, had an ideal childhood but perhaps one with expectations that were too high. Then an emotionally abusive partner left him a massive mess of a man. River, though, is the opposite of Cyrus’ ex and builds him up, truly seeing and understanding where Cyrus’ insecurities come from. River recognizes the sincerity, kindness, and realness in the man. He challenges Cyrus to take a risk rather than continue to be mired in inaction, living the unsatisfactory life he currently endures. Maybe risk won’t result in throwing his life away; maybe it’ll direct it down a better path.

So, is Not What it Seems worth the stress and nail-biting fear? Heck yeah, it is. I wasn’t able to solve the mystery until it was laid out in front of me. The sex is fantastic, the foot fetish doesn’t become too uncomfortable, and ultimately, you’ll fall in love with River and Cyrus. Once again, Ms. James astounds me with either her apparent knowledge of the field of psychology, or her thorough research. One of the reasons I enjoy her books so much is because I’m often gifted with more knowledge about some type of mental illness, a subject that needs to be better understood by everyone. To top it all off, this book has the best proclamation of love in the history of ever. The epilogue is the only part I would call sweet, and it’s a good one. Plus, with the way my heart rate rose, I won’t have to exercise today. What more could you ask for?

RATING:

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