Right Guy, Wrong Time by Louise MacGregor

 Right Guy, Wrong Time by Louise MacGregor follows Edie in her journey after being raped. This book starts in the immediate aftermath of her being raped and shows the journey of her sharing the traumatic experience with her friends whilst having to put up with negative males in her life and work and cope with her feelings of love towards another individual whom she genuinely loves and wants to be with. Edie then quits her job after the situations which happened at her place of work.

I really enjoyed this book, and the first few chapters genuinely had me in tears. This book is one of the most accurate depictions, in my opinion, of what the aftermath of being raped must be like, but also how it feels to be supporting a friend who has been raped. The story is also very gripping with some very tense chapters but also some lighter chapters where Edie feels true love despite all her experiences. The book also touches on how therapy may feel for someone who has been in a similar situation, and I would go as far as to say that in terms of the romance elements of this novel, it may even be seen as a quasi-erotica.

I do not have many negative things to say about this book at all. At times, it is a shame that Edie did not disclose her rape to her place of work after the situation. This may have added more suspense and drama to the book, which would have had an interesting effect. However, wouldn't a rape victim disclose this in real life? I would say it is unlikely as such victims tend to only tell those they trust the most, and so by going the way that MacGregor goes, it really ensures the book is an accurate depiction of one's life. I would also point out that it was an interesting decision to include erotic details in this novel. I will start by saying that there are no specific details about the rape itself, per see, although there are rather detailed descriptions of consensual sexual intercourse. This is interesting to me for two reasons. Firstly, I am unsure whether this is a book which rape victims would want to read, but if it is, I am unsure whether they would want the erotica even if it is consensual. This maybe to show the victims that things do get better over time? Secondly, I believe it is an interesting choice to include erotic themes in a book which has a central theme of rape. It is an interesting combination, but this definitely adds to the book, making it as good as it has been to read.

As I have touched on above, this book seems to offer a very accurate depiction of what it is like in the aftermath of being raped, both for the victims and their friends who may be trying to support them. I feel that I have learnt more about what victims may be going through which has been great. It really shows how immediately after such an event, people are at their most vulnerable, and although it never goes away, it gets better. This could definitely be a potentially good book for those who find themselves in similar situations.

Altogether, I must rate this book 4 stars as it is a very good book which is incredibly gripping and emotional throughout. This book had me in tears and laughter and put lots of smiles on my face! I also feel like I have learnt a lot despite this being a work of fiction. I think the author did an incredible job at writing this novel and I hope she continues to publish similar content. I would definitely recommend this book but would advise individuals to be warned that there are references to rape and details of sexual intercourse interspersed throughout. I must thank both NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in return for an honest book review.