Killer Queen by L.H. Cosway Series: Painted Faces #2
Also in this series: Painted Faces
on October 20, 2014
Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome…
Come inside The Glamour Patch club to see the star of our show, Miss Vivica Blue.
Do you want to read my diary you nosy little devils? Have a glass of champagne (you’ll need it) and get comfortable because you’re in for some crazy shenanigans brought to you straight from the horse’s mouth.
I can be whatever you want me to be: boy, girl, a little bit of both.
If you have a problem with a man in a dress then best be off with you. If males in make-up give you the willies, then I’ll say au revoir and don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
So, who are we left with? Ah, a fine collection of curious souls. I want to tell you a tale of love, because those are the most glorious kind. I want to tell you about real love, a love that transcends labels and gender stereotypes.
The moment I first laid eyes on my Freda I knew that we were kindred. Well okay, I also knew I wanted to get into her pants, but that’s beside the point. My world was a grey place. I was at my lowest ebb. Then she came along and patches of colour began to spring forth. One day the daffodils were yellow and before I knew it, colour was everywhere, lighting up my life.
Love is not about how we appear on the outside, it’s about the soul contained within.
Our story was not a conventional one, but it was ours, and that’s what made it shine.
Killer Queen is a companion novel to L.H. Cosway’s contemporary romance, Painted Faces. It contains scenes that take place before, during and after the original story. It can also be read as a standalone.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Have you ever read books and thought, “Why doesn’t this author get more attention?” Well, LH Cosway fits that bill. This is the fourth book by this author that I have read. Her characters are fascinating, charming, complex and original. When you want a story that doesn’t fit into the same category as the other books you’ve been reading, pick one of Cosway’s up. You will be delighted that you did.
Killer Queen is the second book in the Painted Faces series and my favorite. During and after reading Painted Faces, I wanted so badly to know what Nicholas was thinking and feeling. I was eager to hear from him and the way Cosway presented his story to us was superb! What we get is his story told through his diary entries which makes everything much more passionate and sincere and much less of a retelling of events. This easily could have been just a re-telling of the first book through his eyes, but it wasn’t it was so much more. We learn about the life he led before he met Freda – which was only hinted about in PF and we learn more about their lives together after PF. And, if you wondered if his thoughts were as dirty as his mouth…that is answered too.
What struck me in Killer Queen was the way the author was able to portray Nicholas’s sadness without making me depressed. He was a man who had every reason to hate life and teetered on the edge of happiness and sadness much of the book.
“A lot of the time I wanted to keep the women I slept with as friends; the problem was that they wanted more. Unfortunately, it didn’t sit right with me to foist all my issues on one woman. Nobody deserved to be stuck with a head case like me.”
But reading his story wasn’t a sad one because we were also shown how he fell in love with Freda and how he slowly began to heal from the devastating circumstances of his childhood. By focusing on Freda he allowed himself to love and be loved. I loved how perceptive he was of her and the respect for her he had.
“Every woman is different. Some of them make you feel satisfied, others make you feel high, most make you feel used or dirty. But you, Fred, you make me feel cleansed. There’s no guile or ulterior motives with you. You’re just in the moment for whatever it might bring.”
This book was about the journey to healing. Learning to accept and give love was huge for Nicholas. Not knowing how to feel or accept love, he questioned Phil, “I feel like I need her more than air. Is that love?”
What also impressed me is that Cosway maintained Viv’s character. She could have had him change once he “found love” but she didn’t. She didn’t change who he was. He stayed true to himself.
This was the perfect conclusion to the love story of Fred and Viv!
If you’ve read Painted Faces, don’t pass this one up. If you haven’t yet read Painted Faces, read that one first.
About L.H. Cosway
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favorite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.
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