Mark SaFranko

**I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

FOUR AND A HALF STARS!

Richard Marzten is the man who seemingly has it all—at least materially—but he’s grown bored of his high-priced lifestyle and his matronly wife, Monica, who provides him financial freedom and little else. He wants to feel alive, and to that end takes out an advertisement for a mistress “no strings attached.” Scores of women respond via PO box, but it’s Gretchen Trekker who stands out. She’s young, hot, and hotel room ready. A kept woman herself, Gretchen understand Richard’s physical needs, and his desire to keep their indiscretion quiet. She is in the exact same position. Richard has done everything to cover his tracks, but he’s not the only party in the twosome. When a PI comes knocking, Richard will do anything to keep his affair hidden.
This is the first book I’ve read of Mark SaFranko’s, but it won’t be my last. Comparisons could be drawn between No Strings and Gone Girl, but the reality of it is, No Strings was in my opinion better. The story moved quickly with such unexpected twists and turns that I read the entire book in two sittings. I normally read a book a month. Two days is unheard of. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Dark, twisted, and almost humorous at times, the book felt like Very Bad Things. Richard Marzten is unapologetically self-centered, short-sighted, and sociopathic, but there’s something about him I couldn’t help liking. The author does a great job of keeping the reader in Richard’s head and endearing him. I believed his strong point of view, wondering as he wondered the whole time if he was really going to get away with “it.” What “it” am I talking about? You’ll have to read to find out. I promise you won’t be sorry.
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The Short of It:

Hating Olivia is about obsession and lust and how easily we can lose ourselves when we are confronted with it.

The Rest of It:

Max is the type of guy who cruises through life. He’s educated, but unfocused. He would rather write, than make ends meet but the writing doesn’t happen too often. Although a bit unstable when it comes to finances, overall he’s a pretty happy guy.

Enter Olivia Aphrodite. Olivia is drop-dead gorgeous. She too, is not too stable in the finance department and has made a living working dead-end jobs and letting men (with money), take “care” of her.

Although their personalities are quite different, Max and Olivia move in together and it goes downhill from there.

The story is told from Max’s point of view so what we get is the incredible frustration he experiences in loving a creature like Olivia. Max is consumed by her and completely obsessed with her. As their relationship progresses, he realizes that he needs to break it off, but how? How does one extract himself from an addiction such as this?

I must tell you right off, that there is a lot of sex in this little novel. A lot of sex, and a lot of language that you may not be comfortable with. Putting that aside, I found myself able to relate to both characters. Although you may never experience a relationship such as the one Max has with Olivia, you’ve probably known someone who has.

The story is a bit repetitive because this couple flounders over and over again while trying to make it work. But there was something about the novel that kept me reading. Perhaps, I wanted Max to find a way out. Perhaps it was a bit like watching a train wreck. Either way, I could not pull myself away from the novel and found myself completely wrapped-up in the story.

The writing is tight and the characters never waver. Also, Max is quite the reader so there are lots of literary references that you might enjoy. Overall, I enjoyed reading it even though it’s not something I would have normally picked-up on my own.… (more)