Perfect Strangers is a standalone novel by J.T. Geissinger that was released in 2019.
At the time of publishing this guide, this story was available on Kindle Unlimited.
Here’s more about the book, along with our free Dirty Dozen downloadable discussion guide for your spicy book club.
Book description
“These kisses of his…they’re demanding and possessive. They’re hungry and deep. They’re the kisses of a man who wants more of a woman—who wants everything—and isn’t going to stop until he gets it.”
Author Olivia Rossi hasn’t been able to write a word since tragedy struck two years ago and ripped her world apart. Heartbroken and still haunted by the past, she accepts an offer to spend the summer at a friend’s apartment in Paris in search of healing and her lost muse.
What she finds instead is James, an enigmatic stranger who ignites in her an unexpected and all-consuming passion.
Agreeing to tell each other nothing more than their first names, Olivia and James embark on a torrid affair. But the more time they spend together, the more Olivia begins to realize her summer fling is turning into a powerful connection…and that the magnetic man she’s falling in love with might not be what he seems at all.
J.T. Geissinger – Perfect Strangers book club discussion guide
**PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS DISCUSSION GUIDE MIGHT INCLUDE SPOILERS**
We’ve provided the Dirty Dozen below; twelve spicy and intriguing questions to spark discussion and help you uncover the spine-tingling depths of the story.
The Dirty Dozen
Foreplay – Warm Up Questions
1. What’s the overall spice level? 1 (Not Spicy) – 10 (Spiciest Thing I’ve Ever Read)?
2. How does the spice level compare to the other books we’ve read together?
3. James always had a secret—what wild theories were running through your mind before the big reveal? Did any guess come close or totally surprise you?
The Spicy Bits – Gettin’ Down and Dirty with the Plot
4. Olivia believed James was just a diplomat, but he was actually an arms dealer. Do you think Olivia was naive or in denial? What would you do if you discovered a loved one was living a double life that dangerous?
5. When you first saw the wall of guns in James’ place, would you have stuck around for an explanation or bolted like Olivia? What would your breaking point be in a situation like that?
6. How invested were you in Oliva and James riding off into the sunset in the lavender fields of Southern France with a new baby on the way? What were your thoughts when the calendar came into focus and James disappeared.
7. The author weaves real people from Olivia’s hospital stay into her delusional memories of Paris. How did this blending of reality and fantasy affect your reading experience? Did it make Olivia’s world more vivid or more confusing?
8. The book suggests memories grant immortality and that love is “the only thing that survives after death.” Do you buy this? How do you think love and memory intertwine in the story and in your own life?
9. There are plenty of twists in this story. Did it ever feel like too much? Which twist caught you off guard—or maybe felt like it stretched the story too far?
10. The perspective shift at the end changes everything. How did you feel about seeing the story from a new angle? Did it deepen your understanding or throw you for a loop?
11. The author uses real names from her life to craft characters and stories, even when altering details later. What do you think about blurring the lines between memoir and fiction like this? Would you be comfortable using real people in your own writing, especially if it meant fictionalizing painful events?
Aftercare – Final Thoughts
12. Did you like the book? Would/have you read another by this author?
Bonus: What questions do you have for the author? If you could dog-ear a page with a question for the author, what would it be?
Please feel free to use this post as a starting point for your spicy book club discussions and use the comments below to share your thoughts and insights about the book. You can also get a free downloadable copy of the discussion guide using the button below.
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