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Seen (Breaking Free #2)
Seen (Breaking Free #2)
A.M. Arthur | 2017 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a far more emotionally devastaing read, but equally blown away!
I was shared my copy of this book, via Amazon friends and family thingie.

This is book two in the Breaking Free series and I would STRONGLY recommend you read book one, Saved, before this one. More than strongly, I think it's very necessary for you to get a proper picture of this world and the men in it.

And, I was totally blown away by that book. This one? Equally blown away, but this is a far more emotionally devastating and difficult read.

Kell is Braun's older brother, and after three years of horrific abuse, snaps. Already reeling from the loss of his newborn, Kell now faces a murder charge. Ronin knew Kell ten years before, but moved away before their mating bonds could fully develop. Coming to Kell's rescue, via a court room, brings him back into contact with his mate, damaged though he is.

I wasn't able to read this book in one sitting, but I wanted to. It's just far too heavy a book for a one sitting read, but it was so f*cking good!

the full extent of the abuse that Kell suffered at the hands of his husband, and indeed, his father in law, is bad, even for this world, and through a series of witnesses, the story becomes clear. Braun knew about the beatings, but he didn't know how bad it really was. Kell thinks everyone will look bad on him for what was done to him. But Ronin?? He SEES Kell, makes Kell SEE, that there are better ways to live than in fear.

I don't know if the author has experienced of spousal abuse, or if they did a huge amount of research for these book, but either way, the way this is played out, it could be happening in any given court room across the globe right now. Ronin is an outstanding lawyer, and he systematically destroys the prosecution witnesses, one by miserable one.

And he pulls a blinder! Won't say what he does, but oh! I cried! For Kell, and for Ronin at that point.

Actually, there were a lot of tears in this book. Some heart breaking sobs, but also, some tears of joy too.

Attitudes they are a-changing, but these things take time. Fortunately, I have 6 more books to read to see how that all plays out!

Again, trigger warning are rife here, and you should probably not read these books if you have abuse triggers. It's a HUGE part of this story.

I can't really say what I want to say about this book, without spoilers, and I don't do spoilers, so I'll leave you with this:

READ THE DAMN BOOKS!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Resist in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
R
Resist
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read Missy Johnson before, and while I enjoyed her previous work, it did not prepare me for this novel. It was dark, intense, sexy, and complicated. I wasn’t expecting it to be such an emotional ride, but it sure was.

However, I am way past over the whole torment hero/heroine trope, so I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at some parts. It’s not the author’s fault. My reading list has just been saturated with this trope lately. I would just like some main characters who don’t need therapy. I am also confused by the storyline. Even now, I am still not 100% sure I know what happened. Maybe I missed something or skipped over pivotal parts?

I didn’t enjoy this book for one main reason: as someone who has been sexually abused, this book felt more like abuse than BDSM. I feel there are many authors who try to write BDSM but they follow the vein of 50 Shades. What I mean by this is that it seems more like a game of power with a woman not strong enough to know who to play. Thus it just comes off as abuse rather than a sexual exploration.
  
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ClareR (5996 KP) rated Love After Love in Books

Apr 17, 2020  
Love After Love
Love After Love
Ingrid Persaud | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely loved Love After Love, but I will start this review with a warning. The first chapter goes in to graphic detail about the domestic abuse that one of the main characters, Betty Ramin, suffers at the hands of her husband. It does set the scene well, and explains not only why she is such a strong character and her motivations, but also the cultural attitudes behind domestic abuse.

I really liked the characters in this novel (other than Betty’s husband, of course), particularly Betty and Mr Chetan. Mr Chetan is the glue joining Betty and her son Solo together for a time, until Solo learns a terrible secret about his mother. After this, Solo goes to live with his paternal uncle in New York. I expected to not like his uncle, but he turned out to be another lovely character, who treated Solo like his own son. Solo becomes increasingly lonely, and struggles with his mental health.

The end of this book broke my heart completely. It was so sad and unjust and again, highlighted cultural attitudes.

I loved the way this was written, and became immersed in the Trinidadian turns of phrase, made all the more immersive by the author recording themselves reading the first chapter so that we on The Pigeonhole app could hear them.

It’s a beautiful book, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.
  
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Cara Edgar (32 KP) rated The Lie in Books

Jan 25, 2018  
The Lie
The Lie
C.L. Taylor | 2018 | Thriller
7
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
engaging fast read (0 more)
may cause triggers for victims of abuse (0 more)
Best friends are there for each other through thick and thin. You trust them with your life. At least that's what Emma, Daisy, Leanne and Al think. But all that changes when they embark on a trip of a lifetime together. When they return home, only two of them are left alive and the group has been torn apart by lies and deception. Many years later, when the dust has settled and life has moved on, one girl receives a threatening letter. Someone knows the truth about what happened on that holiday and will stop at nothing to expose it.
  
Tale of a Tooth
Tale of a Tooth
Allie Rogers | 2018 | LGBTQ+
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was a little difficult to read for a few reasons. It should come with a trigger warning since it deals with domestic abuse in a realistic manner. That said it was still a well written book. One of the things that made it hard to read was a that the voice of the story is 4 yr old Danny. Everything is told from his point of view and in the way his brain sees it. To me it also seemed Danny was on the autism spectrum so that added a different twist. It is a hard hitting book but definately worth a read.