book banter . . . the opportunist

By Lindsay Saint Clair

The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher

Have you ever wished you could have a do-over? Tarryn Fisher’s debut novel, The Opportunist, available as an ebook, explores this concept fully as she unravels a clever plot in which a relationship has the possibility of beginning again.

Olivia Kaspen has spent the last three years obsessing about Caleb Drake: the-one-who-got-away. Or, rather, the-one-whom-she-drove-away. And when I say obsessing, I mean borderline stalking. She knows that even though he has moved on, there’s no one else for her and she is still in love with him. She also knows that after having broken Caleb’s heart when their relationship crumbled, it is only fair to let him go. But when she runs into Caleb in her local record store and learns that he has amnesia after a car accident, Olivia finds herself following the ruse that they’ve just met and begins to rekindle a relationship with him.

This, however, will not surprise the reader who will already be clued in to the fact that Olivia is not exactly a nice person. In fact, she is really a terrible, manipulative, self-serving person. It is only the honesty of Olivia’s voice as Fisher writes her that will have the reader cheering her on as she delves into the deception of worming her way back into Caleb’s heart.

I shift from one foot to the other, distracting myself with a bottle of maraschino cherries. I could grab the bottle, toss it at his head and run, or I could go get coffee with him.

And whether we can agree with her choices or not, she has one of those irresistibly honest voices, reminiscent of Bridget Jones, that will grab you from the first page. And as we watch her navigate her life (and lies) we alternately want to strangle her and kiss her, but absolutely want everything to work out for her and Caleb.

As the book switches back and forth between their relationship in the past and the present, Olivia seems incapable of making headway as a good person, continually choosing to do the wrong thing. But ultimately, her saving grace is that she was and is madly, passionately in love with Caleb, and all’s fair in love and war, right?

The potent mix of a love story is so quirky, fun, and adorable that it’s like eating candy to read it. The Opportunist is hugely enjoyable while completely emotionally immersive. It is one you’ll want to read and reread and definitely recommend.