The Love of My (Other) Life

I requested this book from Net Galley based on its interesting premise but unfortunately the execution did not deliver. Artist Tessa is shocked and dismayed to find a homeless man named Brian who claims to be her soul mate from a parallel universe. What could have been a romantic novel is bungled badly by an uncomfortable mishmash of styles - romance, erotica, sci-fi, and caper. The most glaring mistake is the use of a thug who likes to quote philosophy while threatening to cut off Tessa's thumbs; he seems to have wandered onto the scene from a Tarantino movie. It doesn't help that Tessa acts more like a teenager than a 30-something year old woman. The book is never funny, sexy or romantic enough to work, and the author even seems to switch theories about Brian's relationship with Tessa midstream, making the resolution very unsatisfying.