Ugly Mirror – Paperback

Sometimes your fairytale romance is merely an illusion of smoke and mirrors that cracks when you look at it more closely.

Payton is a talented young artist with all the world in front of him. He has a good circle of friends, a comfortable home, and a rich lover who is happy to fund his artistic education. Despite seemingly having it all, though, Payton starts to feel dissatisfied with his life after he meets an ambitious and charismatic musician named Lexie. Lexie is the romantic opposite of Payton’s current lover. Lexie writes poetry, plays sappily romantic ballads for Payton, and lavishes him with attention and chocolates. Lexie does floor picnics and wants to watch meteor showers together. Lexie gives compliments and calls Payton his muse. Of course Payton is seduced by the over-the-top passion of this compelling young violinist.

But while Lexie’s pursuit of Payton might have seemed like a romantic meeting of two like-minded, artistic souls, it isn’t long before he begins to question whether reality holds up to the fantasy. What if there was something more sinister behind the disintegration of Payton’s prior relationship? What if Lexie sees Payton more as prey than a potential partner? Maybe all those too-good-to-be-true promises of endless love really are too good?

What if Lexie is a malignant narcissist and Payton is just collateral damage?

Ugly Mirror is a dark and twisted psychological drama about narcissistic abuse and the struggle of one man to escape…