Ellesea Loves Reading: 05/04/22

Wednesday, 4 May 2022

New Publication Spotlight & Review: Dissatisfied by Ksenija Nicolova

Dissatisfied b Ksenija Nicolova

Who is to be blamed for a woman's unhappiness?

Margot's unhappiness is contrary to what you might expect, considering that she lives in Paris and is married to a handsome, successful man she loves. However, as time passes, she feels more certain about her emptiness and realizes how little time her husband Arthur has for her. Finally, she decides to leave him, but then something changes. Not only does Margot not know her husband as well as she thought she did, but she also comes to see that she didn't even know herself that deeply.

Margot's life starts changing when she discovers countless new things about her marriage, which also reawakens old traumas.

But have these signs always been there?

Has Margot's journey been waiting for her long before she became aware of it, and can her marriage be saved?
Margot is surprised to discover Arthur knew her much better than she ever thought possible.

'Riveting ... eye-opening ... evoking the quest for happiness' - Author Taryn Leigh

'It lingered with me long after the pages had ended' - Book Reviewer

http://mybook.to/Dissatisfied

To the outside world, Margot has a perfect life and a handsome, successful husband, so why does she want to leave her marriage?

Dissatisfied is an emotional and thought-provoking journey, where Margot looks at and assesses her life. Her thoughts are written down as daily letters to her husband, where she begins by summing up all that is wrong with her life… her husband, who has no time for her. Her intention is to give Arthur the letters, telling him why she feels like she does. Only she doesn’t...

“At that moment it was clear that we’re uncomfortable around each other, even though we know each other. We’re like two strangers meeting, nervous, with a sense of uncertainty, but at the same time, there is promise of something more”.

The author highlights how this couple has somehow lost their way due to bad communication, which in turn has led to misunderstanding and presumptive thoughts. Of course, this is from Margot’s point of view, so we only hear about their daily interactions from her perspective. As a reader, I wanted to know more about how Arthur felt about their marriage, as Margot wallows in hopelessness. However, her despair slowly begins to wane as she finds a new purpose for her life.

The twist at the end is satisfying and answers many of the questions that seemed unanswered. Their resolution enhances how relatable Margot’s story is. After jumping into the narrative with no pre-conceived ideas on what to expect, I’m left with thoughts that will linger for a while.

***arc generously received courtesy of the publisher***

Ksenija Nikolova is a Macedonian fiction author. She is the author of six books, and this is her second novel translated into English. Her work is also translated into Bulgarian and Russian.

She says people inspire her, and she thinks of art as an ice breaker that pushes boundaries and changes the way they see things.

The world has become very judgmental and ignorant, and Ksenija believes that writing stories that smash discrimination and stereotypes can make us better and happier.

Ksenija is currently working on a new novel she is very excited about. She is writing it in English, and she is enjoying every step of the process.