On Burning Mirrors by Jamie Klinger-Krebs is, essentially, a love story. But what a complex love story! The person at the center of this sensitively told love story is Jules, an arts and entertainment columnist, mother to six-year-old Jillian, wife to the good, but insecure ex-alcoholic, Will, and the part-time lover of a lesbian singer/songwriter, Erin. The potential for pain and hurt is huge if Will ever finds out about Jules and Erin. Both women are suffering with many issues from their pasts, but while readers are often privy to Erin’s thoughts on her history and her current involvement with Jules, what Jules is feeling is mostly hidden from Erin, Will and those who decide to read On Burning Mirrors.

What Jules is all about comes to light, bit by bit, after Jules is suddenly killed in a traffic accident. The author’s method of revealing the now dead Jules to readers is through a technique that can be annoying if not properly handled: flashbacks. Happily, with the same skill that Jamie Klinger-Krebs exhibits in handling dialogue, she easily slides us into and out of those flashbacks. Both Erin and Will are mourning the loss of the woman they loved. Then Will, to his shock, finds out about Jules’ affair with Erin. Erin also has reason to believe that Jules may have betrayed her trust in another way. Amazing how easily deep hurt can affect love, even bringing on feelings of hate. Will and Erin each suffer in their own private hell until Will decides he must confront Erin. What happens thereafter is totally unexpected and keeps readers turning the pages of On Burning Mirrors.

The central theme of this very moving novel is stated through Jules toward the end of the book: “Even if it kills you, real love is always worth the risk.” Erin and Jules take a risk in loving each other. Will takes a risk when he confronts Erin because he needs to know Jules did really love him and he was worthy of her love. Erin’s mother, a secondary but needed character in understanding Erin, is yet another example of real love. While primarily a love story, On Burning Mirrors also addresses important social and career issues like sexual gender preferences, gender bias and drug usage in the music industry, along with a needed wariness of media and newspaper reporting. This is a novel that keeps readers thinking while they are enjoying the story…and even after they have closed the book. Well done!

On Burning Mirrors by Jamie Klinger-Krebs is a character-driven, psychologically rich novel that explores lesbian themes and infidelity. But there is more to the story than that. Jules Kanter is at the peak of her career as an arts and entertainment editor for a reputable newspaper. Married to a handsome man, Will, and mother to a lovely daughter, everything looks perfect in her life. Then she meets Erin, a talented performer with a troubled past. Erin has risen to stardom pretty fast and has fallen as fast as she’s risen, thanks to drugs and other personal vices. Having lost a huge opportunity for a major break in her career, Erin goes back to work in a bar in her hometown in Nashville. Initially, Jules only seems interested in Erin’s story, but trying hard to get Erin to tell her story allows the two women to discover a connection that leads to an illicit affair. It’s only after Jules dies in an accident that the truth begins to surface. Will, her husband, is out to discover the truth, but is he ready to face the secret life of his wife? And has Jules been completely honest with Erin?

Jamie Klinger-Krebs writes with the simplicity of language that only a very skilled writer can use and the narrative flows with grace, featuring vivid descriptions that capture details of the story without sacrificing the main elements of plot. There are twists in the story that readers won’t see coming. Here is a tale of love and loyalty and sexuality, a tale of secrets that is crafted to keep the reader mesmerized. The themes are well developed and the character arc comes out clearly through the narrative. On Burning Mirrors could be read as a tale of betrayal, but it is also one woman’s journey to face the truth about her personality. The story is skillfully plotted, the scenes are focused, and the conflict strong enough for the reader to want to see how it plays out in the end. You’ll love the characters and the exhilarating ride.