Cookies by
Teodora Kostova
Blurb
I went to war,
running away from myself. I came back in pieces to find out who I really was...
It took me nearly ten years, two tours in
Afghanistan and losing a leg to come to terms with who I really am.
Two years after coming back from war, I can say
that I’m finally content. I’m as fit as ever, my prosthetic leg allowing me the
freedom to move and exercise as if nothing has changed. I own a small bakery in
the centre of Cambridge, and I have a loyal circle of friends that I can always
count on.
And yet...
Yet, there’s something missing. A part of me
craves the intimacy, the deep connection to another human being. But another –
bigger – part of me is terrified of letting anyone in.
My internal conflict didn't stand a chance when I
met Jay. He stormed through my defence walls like a hurricane, wrapping around
me with gentle force until I had no choice but to surrender.
Surrendering
has never felt so good.
Will Jay want to stay when he sees the real me?
When he sees the nightmares and insecurities clawing at my soul? When he
realises the burden I come with may be heavier than we both can carry?
My name is Amir Gopal and this is my story.
My
thoughts:
Cookies is a
wonderful and sweet story. Amir and Jay were adorable together. Clearly
attracted to each other from the moment they first set eyes on each other their
story is never about whether or not they love each other, or outside forces
trying to split them up. What angst there was in this story (and there wasn’t a
lot of it) was all related to Amir past and the scars, both physical and
mental, he carries around with him. And this resonated with me. I completely
get why anybody would believe that they weren’t (good) enough for the person
they’ve fallen for and I know from personal experience how hard it can be to
learn to trust that the other really does love you exactly as you are.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this story, there were a
few things in this book I really loved. First and foremost it was Amir’s slow
but steady progress from firmly believing he wasn’t what Jay wanted or needed
to the point where he trusted both Jay’s and his own feelings. The insight into
the lack of support for military personal after they’ve given their all and
return damaged, was shocking, enlightening and frustrating. And then there was
the food, or should I say cookies. I feel this book should have come with a
warning. You really do not want to read this book while you’re hungry, because
those cookies and the way they’re enjoyed give a whole new meaning to the word
food-porn J
This was, for
me, a gentle, relaxed and rewarding reading experience. And before I forget to
mention it, it was also rather sexy. Amir and Jay are good together both in and
outside of the bedroom and I thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours with them.
Author bio and contacts
Hi, my name is Teodora and I live
in London with my husband and my son. I've been writing ever since I can
remember, but it became my full time job a few years ago when I decided that
everything else I've tried bores me to death and I have to do what I've always
wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I've been a journalist,
an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but
as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to
writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a
writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of
the day, but I absolutely love it. It's the only time that I'm truly at peace
and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time - my son has a
bigger attention span than me.
When I'm procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Nintendo Wii game by a very inventive kid.
Don't be shy and get in touch - I love connecting with my readers.
Instagram: teodorika1
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