this was a really good mystery novel, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading this. It keeps you invested from start to finish and I'm glad I was able to read it.

"My understanding is that dreams are about fifteen percent reality and eighty-five percent construct, and that regressions are the exact reverse, that is, eighty-five percent reality and fifteen percent construct."

"Sometimes what you dream about is a past-life memory fragment and not a Freudian symbol or metaphor or distortion. In waking life perhaps you're traveling in a foreign country or city. You've never traveled there before but you know your way! We could call it déjà vu, but it's more than likely a past-life memory."

The McTavish Regressions explores how one's past lives may influence their current reality. It is not the first book I've read on the topic, so I have already spent some time in fascination of past lives, karma, and deja vu.

Dr. McTavish believes that, through regression therapy, one can learn about the events of their past lives, which in turn will help them unravel the mysteries of why they are who they are today. Dr. Buret is a criminologist wanting to explore the idea of criminal profiling through regression therapy as a means to understand why criminals do what they do and what events in their life or past lives led them to become the person they are today, and that perhaps by unlocking this they can understand themselves better and turn their lives around.

I imagine that they will work together more, but this first book, short as it was, merely laid the groundwork for more to come. The two doctors are credited as the authors for the book and the forward of sorts is written as though it is an actual presentation of medical findings, yet written in story form. So it is an interesting way of presenting a work of fiction.

We are introduced to Laura, a young woman whose desire is to dance despite the fact that she was born without the use of her legs. She struggles with this and, out of desperation, decides to see a therapist, thus meeting Dr. McTavish.

We get to experience one regression session in which we explore Laura's past life in 16th century Catalan. Oddly enough, when Laura was experiencing her regression as something so real for her, that was when I became really immersed into the story, as if I was also there myself. Perhaps that was the author's true goal...

The story ends a bit abruptly at the end of their session, at which point Laura wanted to learn more, as do I.

This was a quick afternoon read, and a bit of a stray from my usual genres. I can't wait for the next instalment, and I look forward to learning more about the events that led to Laura's current situation and also the interactions between Dr. McTavish and Dr. Buret and what their collaboration will uncover.

Thank-you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Whoa... I must admit that this read nothing like I expected. At. All.

The McTavish Regressions - the blurb, leads the reader to believe you'll get some romantically enhanced time travel story. What it actually brings you, and I'm sorry to say I waited this long to read it, is a deep investment in in the past and the future. What we can relive from our pasts as a way to cope with our present. That an actual past might exist is profound and almost innocent in belief.

The first quarter of the book was a bit heavy with a lot of scientific terms that meant nothing to me. But as Dr. McTavish opens his case files to Dr. Buret we find out selves willing travelers through many past lives. Each tragic and independently interesting.

Add to both Dr's and their plans for what they can learn off each other you have Laura who I can't decide how I feel about except she is capable of real emotions beyond desire to walk again.

Im interested (and invested) enough to find out with a second book.

This book was written it two different voices.

Dr Genevieve Buret, a criminology scholar is reached out to Dr Wallace McTavish to discuss, and perhaps collaborate on his work post-life regressions. Dr Buret has great regard for his work and even wrote her thesis on his work.

That being said although there was no depth to their meeting, very intimate information was shared very quickly, with little background explanation.

The introduction of Laura, and her daily dreams of needing to dance was the second voice. This part was written with depth, and first person pain; Her home life versus her dream life.

Would enjoy reading the follow on to this book or a revisited version in a full novel.

#TheMcTavishRegressionsArabesque #NetGalley

I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book because it's written by an art collective, as I understand it, and "published" under the name of two fictional characters. But regression therapy sounded interesting, as did the crime aspect of the story.
Unfortunately, there were too many factual faults for me to be able to enjoy this book. To name but one - the fact that a supposedly licensed doctor would feel free to share information, even a recording of a session with a patient, without even asking for the patient's consent first.

The writing felt unedited and inexperienced and like too much information was given in too little space.