Brianna Hale-Control Freak

I don’t normally give content warnings on here, but I will on this one. Control Freak talks about anorexia and disordered eating fairly extensively. I know that talking or reading about certain things can trigger people who are dealing with that problem. If you have problems with disordered eating, please take this under consideration before you read this book. Brianna handles it really well and isn’t glorifying it or wallowing in it, but I just need you to be aware. Please read responsibly and make sure you are OK.

Now, on to the book.

Stian is a museum curator who has just driven away his latest assistant. One who was nice enough to use his key to carve the words control freak into the side of his car. He’s been working really hard to set up a Greek exhibit in his museum, but now he has to go to a modern art show. He really hates modern art, but being the top dog at the museum means he gets all kinds of invites. Plus, the artist thinks they are friends, so, you know, he’s kind of got to do it. While he’s there, he sees a young woman nearly fall down the stairs and yells at her.

Lacey is there at her father’s showing because, well, he’s her father. She also helped him out by writing up all the catalog descriptions. She starts being upset because there are so many people there, more than she can handle, so she searches her purse for her affirmations that she uses to help deal with the anxiety from her anorexia, and nearly falls down the stairs. Her father suggests that she goes to see this museum dude that he knows needs an assistant so that she can get a job over the summer. And the rest, of course, is history.

Stian is a control freak. He’s also a perfectionist. He wants everyone to work hard and do their best possible work. But the thing is, he doesn’t expect anything from anyone that he doesn’t expect from himself, and he works really hard and he does expect the best from himself. But, not all his assistants can do that or even get that. Which is why Lacey is pretty perfect for him. She is a pleaser. And she has a great eye for detail. That makes her perfect on all kinds of levels for a bossy, Dom-ly type.

I really like Lacey. And I can really relate to her. I don’t have any eating disorders, but I do fight mental illness. It’s hard to fight that little voice or not so little voice inside your head. There are times when it really just too loud to get away from. But, I think that she’s really brave and a lot stronger than she thinks she is. Strong doesn’t mean never failing. Strong means failing and getting your ass up and trying again. And really, that’s what Lacey does. Like I said, I really like her.

Stian might be a perfectionist and a control freak, but he really is a good and caring man. He deeply cares for Lacey, and he shows that in so many little ways, as well as some big ones. But he takes the time to research anorexia and makes sure that he puts the things that he learned into effect so that he doesn’t cause Lacey any problems. I mean, doing things like policing his language may not seem like a huge thing to do, but it’s those little things that mean everything. He is also occasionally an idiot, but everyone is at some point, so I won’t complain about it too much.

There are times when this book is really intense, but it isn’t dark or anything. There are some times I cried, because, well, there are.

I don’t have anything that I want to put down here, really.

That’s all I have to say about this one. Go check it out! Happy reading!