Review: L.M. Halloran's "The Muse."

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2uUFTf5

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2x2F2Go

Synopsis: 

What happens when the future brings the past?

Iris Eliot has survived a lot in her twenty-seven years. Despite the emotional and physical scars she carries, she refuses to be labelled a victim. Now in her final year of graduate school, her dream is within reach. She’s ready to put the past behind her and embrace whatever the future brings.

Until the future brings him.

Professor James Beckett, internationally bestselling author and award-winning poet, is the new head of the Creative Writing Department at her university. Brilliantly talented and obnoxiously sexy, he’s more dangerous than Iris knows.

When Beckett sets his sights on Iris, it’s not just her heart on the line, or her academic and professional careers. Surrendering to the way he makes her feel will rewrite her past.

Review: Jo 

"As far as first kisses go, that rewrote the book." 

As soon as I discovered that this book was a teacher/student romance, I was beyond excited and then I met the hot, brooding and arrogant male protagonist and I became even more thrilled for what was to come from this story. "The Muse" turned out to be so much more than a tale of forbidden love and with each new chapter, this novel continued to get better and better. I was well and truly hooked and devoured Iris and Beckett's story in less than 24 hours. This novel ticked every single one of my boxes and was so much more than I expected. 

"From the moment I saw you, I've been yours. Mind, body and heart." 

The story follows Iris in her final year of university who falls hopelessly in love with her professor, Beckett. This was a book that consumed from the very beginning and kept me frantically turning the pages as I was desperate to know what was in store for this passionate couple. Iris and Beckett's relationship kept me on the edge of my seat. So much was going on with this couple and their romance was full of highs and lows that made my head spin time and time again. 

"In the following seconds, nothing exists but the two of us.

 Our beating hearts, out gasping breaths. The yearning of our bodies and minds, 

manifesting in the savagery of our kiss." 

Iris's tragic back story made for some emotional scenes and was the catalyst for so many gut-wrenching challenges for Iris and Beckett. My heart broke for Iris and I wanted so much for things to work out for the couple. I truly thought that he was the man who could help her heal. As for Beckett, he was a bit of an arse, but he was also gorgeously swoon-worthy with the most dirtiest of mouths. I do love a good dirty talker, so I completely understood why Iris fell so hard for him. Beckett was like the bad boy that you knew you shouldn't want but was impossible to resist. Sometimes I thought that he was a complete bastard, but then there were moments where I would have been more than willing to jump into bed with him. No wonder Iris and Beckett's romance was a bumpy ride! Lol. 

"There will never be a last, little muse. 

You have my heart, my soul and whatever afterlife waits for me. 

You are the first and the last." 

"The Muse" was beautifully written, captivating and hugely addictive roller-coaster of a read. It easily gets 5 hearts from me.