The Abduction of Adrienne Berg

I listened to the author, Cheri Krueger, in a podcast interview the day before this novel came out, so I thought I knew what to expect: a steamy romance, some lusty sex, a soul-searching title character, things not normally on my reading list. But what I found was all of that, but so much more. I finished in a day and a half (too many life interruptions, or it would have been just one day) because it was hard to put down.

My first discovery was the easy flowing prose with organic descriptive texture. I often judge a book by how quickly I forget the author and melt into the story itself. By the 2nd page I was hooked. Adrienne Berg immediately came to life with all her secrets and frustrations and layers upon layers of her various truths. Very quickly I started to care about her. However unlikely the rollicking adventures that unfold, the narrator made me suspend any disbelief and lead the way through the rollercoaster ride that followed until the very end.

I'm reluctant to include any spoilers at all and will concentrate on my reactions and takeaways. One of this author's strengths is character development. We're presented with an array of likeable, despicable, amusing, and bumbling human beings and all of them could be people we know. This intriguing mix of characters are then let loose on an adventure that may one day end up on a big screen near you! It deserves that.

The action never really stops and is well-paced, with breaks that fill us in little by little to the inner workings of Adrienne and her companions/cohorts/antagonists along the way. The story is equally plot- and character-driven. I enjoyed the mix.

I've never been to California or to Mexico, but it felt like I travelled to both. I have felt broken and then healed and thus could relate to Adrienne and her demons and angels. I want to read more of Cheri Krueger's work. I have a feeling she's on the cusp of a remarkable writing career.