Title: Ellie: First Mate
Author: Lois Richman
Publisher: Writers Branding
ISBN: 978-1639453306
Pages: 420
Genre: Romance / Thriller
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
The toxicity some relationships can bring in our lives is always one of the most difficult to escape. Our inherent need to find love in any way, shape, or form has led to many diving head-first into relationships which are either violent, emotionally draining, or both. Sometimes when we have a path in our lives planned out and that path grows dimmer and dimmer, it can be easy to throw ourselves into that toxic relationship to avoid a sense of hopelessness and loneliness. Yet, as Cory Booker once said, “Hopelessness is a really toxic and dangerous state.”
In author Lois Richman’s Ellie: First Mate, the author explores the life of Ellie, a young woman who has spent her life searching for that one relationship which will bring her happiness. After running away as a pre-teen, the young woman reinvented herself and went into the system. Later in life, Ellie vows to find a life for herself as a wife and mother in a loving marriage, but the men she seeks out end up not living up to that dream. One takes off with their daughter, and another is a married man who refuses to leave his wife. Then comes Brent Livingston, a rich and single man who is searching for a first mate to join his boat. Agreeing to go with him, her hopes of their commitment to one another getting him to give up his obsession with yachting doesn’t go to plan, and soon she finds herself in a dangerous relationship where one false move could prove to be a serious mistake.
The author delivered a shocking and gripping story which balances the experiences of a hopeful romantic in the character of Ellie and the shocking inclusion of a thriller element with the direction her relationship with Brent takes. What was interesting was to see the inclusion of other character’s stories playing out adjacent to the events of Ellie’s life and how they connect with her later on in the narrative. The way the author was able to layer and set a slow-burn style pacing that allowed readers to enjoy the romantic pursuits of some characters while also sitting on the edge of their seat as the domestic suspense thriller aspect of the narrative played out was so engaging to read.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy romance, suspense, and thriller-style narrative novels. As a fan of this genre, I was immediately pulled into the narrative by a shocking and traumatic opening chapter which set the tone and character arcs of this book immediately. The novel definitely plays on a lot of the fears that exist for romantics in this world, especially as far too many cases can be found that highlight the hidden selves people keep from others until it feels like it’s too late to escape that situation.
A mesmerizing, haunting, and entertaining romance and domestic thriller read, author Lois Richman’s Ellie: First Mate is a must-read novel. The way the author incorporates imagery and captures the setting of the narrative really brought this to life perfectly, and readers will be hanging on the author’s every word as the story comes to a dramatic and shocking end.