Coming down from that Five Star High.

You know that moment. It's the final chapter and you are suddenly hit by a quandary. You know if you finish these last few pages then it will all be over - the glorious endorphin high of a five star read will evaporate.
But you can't not go forward. These characters have made you laugh. Had you biting your nails with tension. Caused you to shed a tear, or in some rare but wonderful cases, wept buckets.
You've fanned yourself through the sex scenes and sighed over the sheer rightness of this match up. They've fought through so much, they deserve each other. They deserve their HEA.

So here you are at the final chapter. And you know you can't stop. You don't want to stop... but once those two little words appear - The End. This ride is coming to a crashing halt.
And you know what's waiting for you on the other side of those two little words.

The dishes haven't been washed yet. No one had emptied the clothes hamper. There's a thousand chores to be performed. The kids want to be entertained. The man and dog in your life expect to be fed.
Yes, you will be back in the real world.

Where gravity will seem to return with a thud. You'll feel heavier. Not dis-satisfied as such, but resigned. The escape, the wonderful world through which you have just travelled - Fighting the bad guys. Swapping snappy dialogue with an arrogant man who looks damn hot in a kilt. And even better out of it. Winning the war. Thwarting your enemy. Always knowing what to say and when to say it. And getting your HEA (which of course will involve no household chores, daily grind employment or a family clamouring to be fed) - All of that is about to dissipate like fairy dust.

And it is the rare treat when you can glare at your man, tell him to feed himself, the kids and the dog (not necessarily in that order) and dive into book 2 of the series. Or a waiting guaranteed 'untried' new book - that may or may not be the five star fix you need.

Face it. I have. I'm a five star junkie. Strung out on kick ass, sassy heroines. Hot, Alpha heroes who have a sweet side and a sense of humour. I crave witty dialogue. Worthy evil villains. A layered world where I feel instantly that I belong. I love the journey, the unravelling wonderment of getting to know this couple, learning to like and love them. Root for them. Cry for them. Sigh over them. Damn it, I want that HEA... but at the same time I don't.
Of course a story that drags on too long can just as easily kill that five star love.

To all the authors out there who are my five star enablers, I can't thank you enough. Once you have a reading habit, you can never shake it. And I am so grateful for that. There is nothing like losing myself in a five star read... even if I do dread in the back of mind those two inevitable little words. The End.
I both love and hate them.

I'm ignoring the dishes. The dirty clothes can wait. The man knows how to call for a pizza. I've just picked up a very promising book that looks like it might prove to be my next five star favourite. Because when it comes to that reading high, I don't want to ever come down.