Perfunctory affection by Kim Harrison

Meg is an artist, who has struggled with depression since her mother died, and social anxiety since her boyfriend Austin was badly injured in an accident when she was driving.  Her lifeline is her therapist Dr. Jillium who has been teaching her strategies and counselling her through her bouts of anxiety - and who also placed her on a new medication that seems to be working wonders.  As Meg moves from the trial run of Fitrecepon to a therapeutic dose she has high hopes that the drug will help her regain control of her life.  It has been lonely at home since Austin moved out to giver her space, and it has been challenging at times to deal with the number of students who have flocked to her classes at the University to learn her new and innovative painting technique.  

There's a lot of pressure to be perfect - pressure from the outside and from within.  Fitrecepon seems to be miracle drug, Meg feels better almost immediately, and things get even better when she meets Haley and Rorry.  Haley is a visiting professor at the University, and she is dazzling in ways that Meg never thinks she can be, and Rorry is charming and attentive.  With Haley and Rorry by her side Meg is able to try new things, able to open doors she thought had been closed forever, and they support her in ways that Austin doesn't.  As their friendship grows it's like a veil has been lifted and Meg is starting to realise that Austin is holding her back, and that with support from Haley and Rorry she might finally be able to move forward.  The only thing worrying her is the sudden attention from a homeless man who calls himself Christopher, and warns her that if she can see 'them' she is in danger.  Meg is scared, but also determined to take advantage of Fitrecepon - but at what cost?

Perfunctory affection is one of those annoying books that was amazing to read but a nightmare to review - purely because this is a book written to be uncovered chapter by chapter, and any review runs the risk of exposing the little twists and discoveries that make the story so amazing.  This is a well written and totally absorbing book that I devoured in one sitting, determined to find out what was going to happen in each successive chapter - only to reach the end faster than I expected!  Meg and her world are very real, even though they are not described in exhaustive and minute detail, you the reader are left to fill in some elements with your own imagination and minds eye, but that's what I prefer anyway so I was thrilled to pick up a book I could read and enjoy rather than wade through.

Perfunctory affection was a real treat, and while it is not in the same vein as The Hollows, it was very well written and left me very satisfied at the end.  It can be challenging for an author to create a new world when they are well known for a particular series, but this is well worth the read for existing and new fans alike.  There is nothing particularly gruesome, horrifying, or particularly adult themed in the book, so it is also a good bridging fantasy for teenagers looking to read adult fantasy.

 If you like this book then try:

• Omens by Kelley Armstrong
• Summon the keeper by Tanya Huff
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Eight million gods by Wen Spencer
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Alien taste by Wen Spencer
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs

Reviewed by Brilla