LOVED this book!!! I felt like I was in Scotland with Katherine, and I fell in love with Brandubh just like she did. It made me want to go back to Scotland an re-experience what I've seen before, and experience new things. I might even re-read this one...which is something I don't normally do with books!! ( )

S. J. Byrne’s My Butterfly tells a tale in several parts, starting with a scary scene of sexual violence and its aftermath. But the crux of the story is the protagonist’s road to recovery, beyond the confines of psychotherapy, away from the love of her daughter, and off among the lochs and castles of Scotland. Having been to Scotland, I truly enjoyed the author’s descriptions of familiar places. I found the dialog very convincing, well-rendered with accent and dialect, though not always easy to understand.

My Butterfly deals, not just with the fear engendered by violence, or the displacement of starting a new life, but also with issues of guilt and control. Some telling scenes reveal “the world is full of all manner sexual tastes an[d] many of them are misunderstood...” as Katherine explores the balance between pleasure and pain. Twin languages of art and romance are beautifully and evocatively rendered, with pleasing humor creating a convincing picture of two people falling in conventionally romantic, but unconventionally gratified love.

Still, love is a risk, and perhaps a holiday romance is all Katherine needs... just one of many sexual choices, where time takes away the chance to control what happens next. “The intimacy level of their relationship only deepened” says the author as the tale progresses, but will it last?

Not an easy read, nor a quick one, My Butterfly asks intriguing questions, invites the reader into scenes of both pleasure and pain, has great dialog once you get past the accent. It comes to a pleasingly satisfying conclusion too, as fate plays its part.

Disclosure: I won an ecopy a while ago and I offer my honest review. ( )