THE TRYST
BOOK 1 OF THE RED THREAD SAGA
BY L. MARIE WOOD
REVIEW WRITTEN BY JOE COMPTON
BOOK 1 of the RED THREAD SAGA
RELEASED: FEBRUARY 14, 2026
PUBLISHER: MOCHOA MEMOIRS PRESS
LENGTH: 336 PAGES
GENRE: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE
Make no mistake about it, this isn't just a book, it's an experience.
When I finished this book and picked my jaw off the floor the only thing I could think was this was masterful and ingenious. Hopefully I am able to go into greater detail here for you as to why but I can't say it enough how impressed I am. So much so I think I will pay it the ultimate compliment I can give and that's that I will be rereading at some point. For those of you who know how much I struggle reading, you know what that means.
Now I have always been a fan of L. Marie Wood, she writes Horror like all the greats we both grew up with and sensibility of paying homage to that fortunate time that we, being of the same generation, remember with fondness and reverence. Often times that requires leaning into the silliness and supercilious nature of a generation and how its viewed today.
This is not that. This is an author who has stepped out of their comfort zone, gone beyond their normal scope, and found their footing in maybe one of the most unique and interesting ways you can. Yet when you are a fan of somebody and if you were to read anything of the past that L. Marie has written you see the subtle nods to the writer she was and the little nuances within the writer she is now. It's somehow comforting and refreshing all at once.
This book is blending of certain genres that I have only seen been presented one way before and this is not that. This is unique in its own space, utilizing multiple POV's of unreliable narration to the moment when you realize where you are being led and to the point where you almost don't believe it and don't want to believe it. Its giving credence to a type of romantic disillusion that more often holds consequences rather than its beauty.
Now if that seems cryptic, its purposeful because I am treading very careful here not to spoil or ruin the opportunity for all who read this to experience this amazing journey for themselves.
Our three main characters Nicole, Eric, and Mark are exquisite and dynamic. The manner in which they are flushed out, presented, and often times you feel for them for no other reason than to understand what they are going through is not normal but yet fundamentality its what we all crave. Their connection almost deprives us of our moral standards and drawn lines, it defies our logic, and yet it excites us and tantalizes us to the point of where we either can sit back, enjoy the ride or judge harshly and maybe honestly fairly. I love that each of these characters gets their moments of bliss, but moreover, gets their own sense of their own moral lines and how to navigate them. What is so brilliant in the way L. Marie writes this is we see them measure up, question, and choose. It is that rare achievement of having every word hang in the air with the weight and gravity its intended, even when its not dialogue. In fact the inner monologues here are so masterfully written you feel like the exposition is merely circumstance but you are never not sure where they are and what they are doing. I also love the idea of using this against us to jump ahead and foreshadow and back shadow our experience. It's a very clever device, that again is something of a generational aspect we fondly remember and that is making a comeback in this current generation.
This is not that. This is an author who has stepped out of their comfort zone, gone beyond their normal scope, and found their footing in maybe one of the most unique and interesting ways you can. Yet when you are a fan of somebody and if you were to read anything of the past that L. Marie has written you see the subtle nods to the writer she was and the little nuances within the writer she is now. It's somehow comforting and refreshing all at once.
This book is blending of certain genres that I have only seen been presented one way before and this is not that. This is unique in its own space, utilizing multiple POV's of unreliable narration to the moment when you realize where you are being led and to the point where you almost don't believe it and don't want to believe it. Its giving credence to a type of romantic disillusion that more often holds consequences rather than its beauty.
Now if that seems cryptic, its purposeful because I am treading very careful here not to spoil or ruin the opportunity for all who read this to experience this amazing journey for themselves.
Our three main characters Nicole, Eric, and Mark are exquisite and dynamic. The manner in which they are flushed out, presented, and often times you feel for them for no other reason than to understand what they are going through is not normal but yet fundamentality its what we all crave. Their connection almost deprives us of our moral standards and drawn lines, it defies our logic, and yet it excites us and tantalizes us to the point of where we either can sit back, enjoy the ride or judge harshly and maybe honestly fairly. I love that each of these characters gets their moments of bliss, but moreover, gets their own sense of their own moral lines and how to navigate them. What is so brilliant in the way L. Marie writes this is we see them measure up, question, and choose. It is that rare achievement of having every word hang in the air with the weight and gravity its intended, even when its not dialogue. In fact the inner monologues here are so masterfully written you feel like the exposition is merely circumstance but you are never not sure where they are and what they are doing. I also love the idea of using this against us to jump ahead and foreshadow and back shadow our experience. It's a very clever device, that again is something of a generational aspect we fondly remember and that is making a comeback in this current generation.
I love how careful L. Marie is in how she doesn't patronize the opportunity to be within one genre, and yet so crafty in blending the genres she is writing here together. There is a twist and is one of those you look at, reread, think about, and then you see it and its like you can't unsee it. Again rarified air for this reader that just had me so riveted.
There is also this interesting dichotomy, in that, the equal burden shared by our 3 main characters is never truly equal and yet you never gravitate to one over the other. There is no rooting for one if you aren't rooting for the others. I loved that juxtaposition here. Not that L. Marie doesn't present opportunities for you to do that, she just does it a manner where you almost have decided and then switches to the other side of the thought. It's another great writing device that I think is written with such care and such precision.
There is also this interesting dichotomy, in that, the equal burden shared by our 3 main characters is never truly equal and yet you never gravitate to one over the other. There is no rooting for one if you aren't rooting for the others. I loved that juxtaposition here. Not that L. Marie doesn't present opportunities for you to do that, she just does it a manner where you almost have decided and then switches to the other side of the thought. It's another great writing device that I think is written with such care and such precision.
This book does not waste a word, a moment, or the opportunity to bring you in and make you question everything. It makes bold statements in not so subtle manner about love, relationships, fate, and even societies ills, and up and coming ills of today.
I love that the end challenges us and I am so in for the next books. I think this book has a little spice that those who like that, enough to enjoy it. For those who don't, it may give you pause, and be hard to get through in certain moments, but trust me, stick with it, and you will be rewarded in the end.
This book is so well written, well edited, and it is one of those that will stick with me for a long time to come. Go read The Tryst.
I love that the end challenges us and I am so in for the next books. I think this book has a little spice that those who like that, enough to enjoy it. For those who don't, it may give you pause, and be hard to get through in certain moments, but trust me, stick with it, and you will be rewarded in the end.
This book is so well written, well edited, and it is one of those that will stick with me for a long time to come. Go read The Tryst.
Wow! Thank you for this review! I concur it's a fantastic story.
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