THE WINEMAKER’S DINNER: DESSERT by Dr. Ivan Rusilko-Review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 30, 2013

Left on bended knee, with nothing but a ring in his hand and a gaping hole in his chest, Ivan Rusilko lost everything when Jaden Thorne said, “I can’t.”

Now, six months later and despite her endless attempts to reach him, finding forgiveness for Jaden’s indiscretion is last on his list of things to do. Dr. Ivan is married to his career now, and his professional success is taking him places he’s never been before. But even the glow of accomplishment can’t heal his devastated heart. Determined to recover, to move forward at any cost, he now finds moments of respite in distractions that leave him emotionally bankrupt. He’s empty, a shadow of his former vibrant, life-loving self. On the outside, he may seem to be the man he always was. But inside, a terrible desire threatens to rip him apart and ruin him forever.

Meanwhile Jaden is haunted by the memory of the moment she saw the light wither and die in Ivan’s eyes. She knows it died at her hand. After months of trying to explain herself, of begging for mercy, she takes herself back to Miami, back into Ivan’s path, for one last chance at redemption. Can she entice him back into her arms? Convince him to give her a second chance? She’s determined to do whatever it takes to find forgiveness—even if all that’s left is forgiving herself.

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REVIEW: The Winemaker’s Dinner: Dessert is the final installment in the trilogy of the same name. The previous two storylines were co-authored by Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond, but with Desserts, Ivan has gone solo and endeavored to bring about a resolution to the previous storyline’s heartbreaking ending. As well as emotionally bankrupt, Ivan ‘s character must question his morals when he seeks to satiate his internal demon’s need for sex and retribution against the woman who broke his heart.

TWD: Dessert continues six months post break-up and follows Ivan as he searches for something or someone to dull the pain of betrayal but an invitation to dinner by an old flame puts Ivan face to face with the woman he was hoping to forget. When the not-so-deeply-buried feelings resurface, Ivan and Jaden give it one more try, but thoughts and images of betrayal once again find themselves front and center in their lives.

TWD: Dessert delves deep into the psyche of a man pushing the proverbial envelope of sexual promiscuity as well as personal failure. It is a storyline that is slightly darker than the previous two installments as the leading character fights and looses an internal battle over and over again. Much of the storyline content focuses on Ivan’s struggle to quell the anger and emotional upheaval of the betrayal he believed Jaden brought into their lives.

The Winemaker’s Dinner: Dessert is the conclusion to a journey that began a few years ago with an idea-an idea to tell the story about a man’s struggle to find love with one woman, only to lose that love and perhaps the woman, in the end. Although smooth in his approach, the character of Ivan is enveloped in a deep-seated anger and looks for an outlet to satisfy the beast. At times, his internal dialogue almost verges on obscene, especially when he views his sexual encounters as nothing more than an outlet for his needs. Although it takes ‘two to tango’, there is still something to be said about a man looking for ‘love’ in all the wrong places. All I kept thinking was…This man earns his living promoting sexual health but it seems to be the last thing on his mind when the ‘demon’ wants control.

Fans of The Winemaker’s Dinner series will see a different side to the man they have grown to love and admire. And like all romance storylines, there is a resolution and a healing of sorts, when the truth about what happened is finally revealed. A happily ever after is not that far from the horizon. Now, let’s hope the real Ivan Rusilko found a different path to travel when heartbreak and betrayal were his companions during the many feasts of The Winemaker’s Dinner.

Copy supplied by the publicist.

Reviewed by Sandy

THE GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED-Thank you

The publisher is offering an ebook set of books 1, 2, and 3 in The Winemaker’s Dinner Trilogy to ONE lucky reader at The Reading Cafe. One winner will receive all 3 ebooks WOOT !!

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4.  Giveaway runs from May 23-May 27, 2013