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A review by niaforrester
The Truth of Things by Tasha L. Harrison
5.0
Just 'discovered' Tasha L. Harrison recently, and am so happy I did. The Truth of Things is great women's fiction. There is romance, family drama, great development of an interesting and endearingly imperfect heroine -- all the things I like in fiction. It also doesn't hurt at all that there is a great nuanced treatment of the issue of police-community relations. The thing I liked most (okay, there were a few things, but this is up there) about this book was the author's skillful slow burn between the main characters, giving us a chance to watch their relationship grow, and even continue to develop even after the physical intimacy has begun. Once there's sex, you can almost feel some authors in relationship-focused fiction sigh with relief and then stop trying. As though once the characters climax, they do too, and are ready for a nap. Not so in this book. Here, the growth in the main protagonists' relationship happened not just through how they related to each other, but the way they watched how each of them related to the world, and the other people in their respective worlds. It made the characters full, and complete people to me, not just cut-out characters plopped into an interesting plot.
Also, alternating first person (or even third with dual POVs) seems to be the current approach in popular fiction, and I've come to enjoy it when skillfully done. Here, the author restricts herself to the heroine's POV in first, and I did not miss the other character's voice at all. I knew him just as well as if he were speaking to me, which I think the author made sure he did, though in action, rather than in voice.
And, the plot (which I generally couldn't care less about in women's fiction) was in fact interesting, so there was that as well. Complete with backstories for each of the main characters, and even most of the secondaries. I feel lucky to have stumbled across this author's work and look forward to reading all she has out now, and whatever she produces in the future. If you haven't read Tasha L. Harrison, you really should. I predict she's going to have work as good as this and even better, in store.
Also, alternating first person (or even third with dual POVs) seems to be the current approach in popular fiction, and I've come to enjoy it when skillfully done. Here, the author restricts herself to the heroine's POV in first, and I did not miss the other character's voice at all. I knew him just as well as if he were speaking to me, which I think the author made sure he did, though in action, rather than in voice.
And, the plot (which I generally couldn't care less about in women's fiction) was in fact interesting, so there was that as well. Complete with backstories for each of the main characters, and even most of the secondaries. I feel lucky to have stumbled across this author's work and look forward to reading all she has out now, and whatever she produces in the future. If you haven't read Tasha L. Harrison, you really should. I predict she's going to have work as good as this and even better, in store.