overall: irritating book

I found this book so irritating! The main character is so ridiculous with her constant mood fluctuations and immature reaction. I wanted to scream at one point...

84 people found this helpful

I loved it!

You know those books that make you feel like the wind has been knocked out of you once you finish it? That I-can't-pick-up-another-book-just-yet-cuz-I-need-to-think kind of feeling? Yeah, that's this one for sure.

What can I say about Olivia? She's that imperfect heroine that we can't help but both love and hate. She's so familiar yet we scratch our heads trying to figure out how anyone can do the things that she does.

And Caleb is nothing but the complete opposite as her. They are both drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, but they are both toxic for each other.

Tarryn Fisher's writing is exquisite. She knows just how to envoke every emotion under the moon - make your heart swell and break and beat and die all in one sentence. In the end, she tells the truth - how does this love story end? - reality prevails.

The narrator did an excellent job at bringing the characters to life.

I had a grand time at highlighting all my favorite lines in the book and I must have marked a million. A few of my favorites are as follows:


“I think that after the first time you give your heart away, you never get it back. The rest of your life is just you pretending that you still have a heart.”


“You will remember every day for the rest of your life because I was the one and you threw me away." And then he left.


He was my crack. I could never get enough, and when I had him I was already thinking about when I could have him next.


I had now officially secured my front row seat on the train to Hell. Choo choo

59 people found this helpful

If I could give more than 5 stars I would!!!!

Any additional comments?

I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars because it deserves it, one of the best books I have ever read! I didn’t clean, cook or pay attention to any member of my household, I couldn’t put this book down! It had everything. Love, betrayal, amnesia, weddings, backstabbing, jealousy and more love! I felt everything the characters were feeling and felt myself rooting for each character at a different time. I loved that the chapters were told from different characters points of view and that the story changed between past and present so that we could make our own opinions as we went along in the book. The ending was bittersweet and I was glad there was a sequel so that the story could be wrapped up more securely for me. Amazing book and the ending was perfect!


Andi Arndt was an amazing narrator during this story. She took this story to life, and hooked me from Chapter 1.

17 people found this helpful

Love this!!

I read the book originally, but I decided to buy the Audible version! I was not disappointed! This version does Tarryn's book justice!

19 people found this helpful

Good book by a great author

Any additional comments?

Tarryn Fisher is a great writer. I adore her ability to weave words into great stories for the contemporary reader.

This book is a journey of Caleb and Olivia. The love they have for each other is reckless and at times destructive. Olivia has so much baggage that it is hard for her to be honest about her feelings. Her character can get a bit annoying at times, but I think that is by design. Her growth into maturity is part of the story. It is part of why this story works.

Caleb's desire to make Olivia happy is sweet. He tends to push his own feelings aside to help Olivia come into her own confidence to express her feelings and desires. But he also has his share of immature decisions and moves.

All in all, this is a good book. I enjoyed reading it and will continue the series.

8 people found this helpful

I've read this book several times

And the audible version is the icing on the cake!

The narrator did a great job, made my heart skip more than once. I just love this story and Tarry's writing..this a book that will always stay with me and I will always go back to read or listen..


...on to DIRTY Red.....

8 people found this helpful

Amazing book...amazing audible

Would you listen to The Opportunist again? Why?

Have you ever read anything from Tarryn Fisher yet? Listen to me and listen good...you need to get to Amazon and get a Tarryn Fisher book immediately. She has such a unique style. This was the first Tarryn book I read and I am so glad I had a chance to listen to the audible. It has been over a year since I read this book so the audible was like a whole new experience! It was like reading (or listening) to a new book!

Olivia, Caleb and Leah are a few character you will always remember. They will all go to any lengths to get what they wants. Olivia's biggest problem is Leah. The new woman in Caleb's life. This woman will make you want to hurt another human, like you have never wanted before. Leah is absolutely deplorable, the scum of the earth, but as you read more and more Tarryn books, you will learn, she can write some crazy women like no one else.

The narrator Andi was fantastic. She was able to do Caleb's British accent and the bitchy Leah like no one's business! I am so looking forward to Dirty Red. Oh this Leah is going to have me losing it! But I just can't wait!!!!

Have you listened to any of Andi Arndt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - She's did an amazing job! Also listened to her read A Stone In The Sea

15 people found this helpful

STAR CROSSED LOVE...BUT FATE WASN'T IN A GOOD MOOD

This is an emotional train wreck of a love story which alternates in flashbacks to College years when Caleb and Olivia first meet and the cold aloof persona Olivia takes when being pursued by Caleb. This is due to her nightmare upbringing which has left her with 'issues' that not even Caleb can overcome. And also their Class differences - a handsome rich Jock and a poor uptight Virgin. It's constantly flashing forward/back in time telling a story of obsessive love and the lengths and depths Olivia and Leah (his present day girlfriend) sink to in order to keep Caleb.

The only person I felt truly sorry for was Caleb as there was always someone pulling his strings with secrets, lies, manipulation and hidden agendas all of her own. Both girls/women were 'me me me' bitches until the end when one of them finally grew a conscience, made the ultimate sacrifice and walked away..... for love. And then it turns out Caleb too had lied.

The story spans years, is full of angst, twists and regrets and I felt so angry, sad and bad for the lost opportunities that Olivia and Caleb had squandered with the naïveté of youth, pride, jealousy, anger, hurt feelings or just bad timings. They fought instead of neutered, struck out instead of hugged and withheld instead of shared. There's no real passion, or romance, or sex but longing looks and the sense of their soul deep connection...... until the end when the selfless sacrifice was made too late.

Told from Olivia's POV by a fairly good narrator.

Worth a credit? Mmmm that's a difficult question, it's an enjoyable but frustrating YA/NA romance that goes on to become a vicious poisonous web of lies and deceit by all parties as they mature and grow and I'll have to download the remaining books to find the elusive HEA. I gave it 4 stars because it was well written, unpredictable and somehow addictive, but it didn't give me, or leave me, with that feel good feeling.... it was a tragedy. So you decide - are you in the mood for Romeo and Juliet?

19 people found this helpful

Great book, clever writing...why the bad reviews?

I would classify this as romance and a *bit* of a psychological thriller. Thriller not necessarily as in murder, but there are some twists. It’s definitely a romance although it’s not corny. I generally don’t like romance but I like the Tarryn Fisher and her edgy writing style. This book is the first in a series and I’ve read all 3. I would advise starting here as you really need to understand the dynamics of the main 3 players. These books are written with humor, a bit of biting sarcasm and some genuine warmth. They don’t take themselves too seriously , so I would say they are light, easy reads.
Like all twisty stories there are some coincidences and far fetched plot devices...but they didn’t ruin the overall narrative. If you’re in the mood for a different take on romance, tired of domestic thrillers that are marketed as the next ‘Gone Girl” but never actually are...try something different. You won’t be able to say these are just like most books out there. They are refreshingly different.
There’s an antagonist that you’ll love to hate, a protagonist that you’ll want to yell at but still root for, and you’ll be turning pages just to see what they do next. I’m easily bored with a short attention span so a book needs to grab me or it will lose me. Boring is the worst thing a book can be as far as I’m concerned. I simply cannot finish a book that bores me or requires me to concentrate. I’m a multi-task reader and I don’t like convoluted , overly descriptive dialogue and metaphors....don’t even get me started! Lol. “Red” who is conniving is my favorite character...and she’s the bad girl. Really enjoyed the 2nd in the series but all 3 are so good I read them twice.
As I said my jaded self enjoyed this trilogy immensely after a run of bad “domestic thrillers” with “girl” “girlfriend”and “Lie”in the title. The narration was perfect too. Give it a chance, IMO. 💯💯💯
I personally do not get the bad reviews. Even by the pickiest standards it’s mediocre this saying it’s the “worst book ever” I feel didn’t read it....I can’t believe anyone would hate the book that much so I think some ppl are just spiteful. I’ve read hundreds...HUNDREDS of books and this is a good, entertaining book well worth the credit.
Note:: I read the really BAD REVIEWS and I want to rebutt them....I think some ppl don’t like the author and the bad reviews are because they disagree with their politics ...which is completely unfair. It’s not fair to the author and it’s dishonest to other readers. This country is so divided book reviews can’t just be a review of the writing and story? sigh. What a pity. That’s where we are. I would advise taking those bad reviews with a grain of salt. They’re most likely political agenda driven. The way you can tell if they actually read the book is how vague the review is, how hostile the review is , and again, read the subtext of the review. Are there any plot details? Then it’s a fake review.

2 people found this helpful

Are you supposed to hate the protagonist?

I'll say this for the book-I did finish it and I did find it mildly entertaining. And so silly that I could easily multitask and listen. Otherwise, it's not a good book. Through the entire thing I just kept thinking that all the characters seemed to have psychopathy and I couldn't align or connect with any of them, let alone the main character. Olivia's inner monologue was constantly judgemental and hateful. And while some of that can be funny, it's only funny if mixed with semi redeeming qualities. I kept thinking the entire book sounded like something a 14 year old girl would write. Immature, self loathing, and with a cast of female characters who seem like a caricature of rude women. I've never met anyone who acts or thinks like any of the characters. The whole thing was just irritating. I just kept wondering what Fisher's deal is, to write something so filled with spite. And please note-it's not like I'm a goody goody who can't stand a bit of mean. But I don't if it's not well done or semi believable. I'm glad I bought this as deal of the day or it would have had to become a return.

2 people found this helpful