Title: My Melissa
Author: Robert Beatty
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1665578202
Pages: 1032
Genre: Action & Adventure/Romance
Reviewed by: Christina Avina

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One of the most complex and difficult yet equally rewarding emotions and feelings a person can contend with in life has to be love. Love can be all-encompassing when a person has it in their life. Yet as the saying goes, the heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes love’s power can be so blinding that it leads us into situations or circumstances beyond our control. Especially when it comes to romance, when love takes many shapes and forms and can even cause us to fall for two different people.

In author Robert Beatty’s My Melissa, the author explores this type of romantic conflict through an almost historical fiction lens. The story focuses on identical twin brothers George and Arthur, college students in the 1930s who hail from a rich upper class Baltimore family. When their usual vacation to Miami gets sidetracked, the family turns to a small little resort town in South Carolina, where the brothers meet and fall in love with a beautiful woman working as a cleaning lady. The following year, the brothers return and begin a sordid affair with the young woman, both vying for her heart. Yet she desires them both, and soon their love affair leads to fighting within the family, societal woes, and violent encounters which could spell trouble for the brothers and their love. Yet only one brother may win the affections of the young woman named Melissa.

The author did an incredible job of crafting a lengthy and engaging read. The story immediately sets the stage for this powerful period piece, with awe-inspiring imagery which draws the reader into that era of time. The balance the author found between the complexities of this relationship between the brothers and this woman and the social and historical aspects of the narrative was amazing to read about. The backstories for each of these characters and the way the story of this relationship unfolded from a conversation between a granddaughter and her grandparents made this such a compelling read.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy complex romances, action & adventure, and historical fiction novels. The imagery and tension the author develops in the writing itself really elevated the thoughtful approach to relationships and family dynamics the author explored. The culture of the times and the stark differences which arose from this unusual and complicated relationship not only brought trouble from the people around them, but this family unit as a whole, and helped elevate the conversation surrounding class and family structures.

Memorable, engaging, and detailed in its writing style, author Robert Beatty’s My Melissa is a must-read historical fiction meets romance novel. The twists and turns in the narrative, from the development of the relationship over time and the introduction of the second world war as a major backdrop, to the emotional development of these characters, made this a thoughtful and well-developed narrative.