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Mocked by Destiny (Mocked #1)

by Michele Richard (Goodreads Author)

4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 · rating details · 67 ratings · 17 reviews

For Stella Richards, life in the charming town of Virginia Beach is not as magical as one would think. Sun, fun, and sand only guarantee one thing: unwanted visitors. Stella learned long ago to never befriend anyone visiting the beach. They're here; then they're gone, drifting in and out as the tide ebbs and flows. She vowed to never connect with anyone vacationing in Virg...more

Paperback, Second, 370 pages

Published August 1st 2012 by Renaissance Romance Publishing (first published February 23rd 2011)

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Sep 14, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Teen pregnancy is never an easy issue to write about or convince others to read. The title really lives up to its contents. The reader will first note the author's ability to handle the situation delicately. Stella and Stefan could have had a bit more spark between them; Stefan is the charismatic bad boy and Stella is the slightly needy girl. The author does not sugar-coat things, she states them as they are. Financial and emotional issues are addressed and logistical issues are taken in stride....more

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Mar 21, 2012 Louann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

This is a very sweet and uplifting YA romance. I liked the changes between telling the story from Stella's pov & Stefan's pov, I've haven't read too many books that do this, and in romance especially I really enjoy it. I also enjoyed the entire storyline about a highschool girl getting pregnant. I personally had my first daughter the year after I graduated, and there really aren't many books/movies out there etc. that explore that (that I've seen at least). This may seem like touchy subject...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Karen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mocked By Destiny by Michele Richard
Let’s start by saying this was my first E-book I have ever read. Great way to read a book, but having a copy on the bookshelf is even better. I have been an advent reader since I learned to read when I was ten. I was one of those kids who just slipped through the crake until I became teacher’s pet when I was in 4th grade. Once I learned to read I could not stop reading. It took me no time to be tested at college level.
I have always read such a verity in my typ...more Mocked By Destiny by Michele Richard
Let’s start by saying this was my first E-book I have ever read. Great way to read a book, but having a copy on the bookshelf is even better. I have been an advent reader since I learned to read when I was ten. I was one of those kids who just slipped through the crake until I became teacher’s pet when I was in 4th grade. Once I learned to read I could not stop reading. It took me no time to be tested at college level.
I have always read such a verity in my types of books. If someone recommends a book I will read it not matter what type it is. This book was recommended to me by the author who is also a friend. Trust me when I say our friendship has no bearing on this review.
The book had me hooked within the first two pages. I could not put it down…. Oh I did have many interruptions, but that’s life. I had fun going from ah, that’s so sweet, to tears and then to laughing my rear off and back around.
The way she wrote the book is how I have dreamed someone would write one. I have always wondered what the guy was thinking so it was so refreshing that she would write two or three chapters of each point of view so you could feel each of their emotions.
The emotional feel of this book changes and just makes it that much harder to put down. The way she described how things looked, painted a picture in my head.
By the sixth or seventh chapter I was telling myself that I have to get a copy for my ever growing collection as this is the type of book I love to read on cold day in front of a roaring fire.
The subject was one that many authors have written about over the year’s teenage pregnancy, but unlike most of the others she kept them together and showed how they struggled to grow into a loving family.
Not many authors put an epilogue at the end of the story so you can get an idea of who the story turns out. That was one of my favorite parts to the story. I have always believed in the happily ever after, but in most teen pregnancy stories you have not gotten that.
To me this story is a must read for teens, young adults and adults of any age that loves a good love story. Life is not full of roses and is full of struggles, which was brilliantly written in this story. I for one will be looking forward to reading the next story Ms. Richard’s writes.
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Dec 27, 2011 Naitasia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Try as she might, Stella Richards cannot escape destiny. She can’t outrun it, she can’t outsmart it and she can’t change it. No one can. Generations of Richards’ women have fallen to the same fate of giving their heart and body to a man who wouldn’t be around long enough to appreciate it. Why should Stella Richards be an different? She’s a pretty girl who is smart and determined to make something of herself, the same kind of girl who thinks she has life all mapped out. What she doesn’t take into...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Bonnie (Words at Home Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Richards tackles a very difficult subject in Mocked by Destiny – the issue of teen pregnancy. As a Childbirth Educator I usually have very strong feelings about fiction dealing with teen pregnancy because so much of it tends to idealize or glorify this trend and not show the hardships that can be associated with it. I was so happy to see that Richard made Stella (and her family’s) reaction to her pregnancy to be quite realistic and she took the time to illustrate the emotional roller coaster tha...more Richards tackles a very difficult subject in Mocked by Destiny – the issue of teen pregnancy. As a Childbirth Educator I usually have very strong feelings about fiction dealing with teen pregnancy because so much of it tends to idealize or glorify this trend and not show the hardships that can be associated with it. I was so happy to see that Richard made Stella (and her family’s) reaction to her pregnancy to be quite realistic and she took the time to illustrate the emotional roller coaster that a teen might face upon discovering an unplanned pregnancy. Through Stella readers were also given a realistic view of the financial and logistical (ie. having to finish high school, get a drivers license and start college) hardships that a teen could have to deal with.

By now it is no secret that I tend to dislike when things tie up too neatly, too quickly in my reading. I started to see this happening a little too much near the middle of this book and that turned me off just a little. This is strictly a personal preference though and not a criticism of the writing as I think this part of the story was still very well written. In a perfect world I would have liked to see a little more time focused on the period immediately after Stella gave birth because the pregnancy is the easy part; it is after that baby arrives that things get hard. Towards the end of the novel I saw more of what I loved from the first half of the book shining through and overall the book had a very strong finish as far as I am concerned. I particularly loved the Epilogue and was really surprised by a few of the events that I read it in.

What I really liked about this book was that Richard was so honest in her portrayal of how someone like Stella might react to her pregnancy based on her past history. Stella was an ambitious, self-reliant girl and I was so happy to see that she kept her ambition in spit of the drastic change in her future plan. Mocked by Destiny is the first book about teen pregnancy that I have read it quite some time that painted an emotionally relevant and complex picture of teen pregnancy.

I received a free copy of Mocked by Destiny from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Nov 10, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mocked by Destiny tackles the issue of teenage pregnancy. The author tries to give a realistic view of the emotions involved when a teenage pregnancy occurs. The characters, Stella Richards and Stefan Sterling fall in love. Along the way doubts, fears, and life get in the way. There is the classic plot line where misunderstandings and lack of communication lead to situations that could be avoided if the characters just talked about their feelings.

There is a lot going on throughout the story an...more Mocked by Destiny tackles the issue of teenage pregnancy. The author tries to give a realistic view of the emotions involved when a teenage pregnancy occurs. The characters, Stella Richards and Stefan Sterling fall in love. Along the way doubts, fears, and life get in the way. There is the classic plot line where misunderstandings and lack of communication lead to situations that could be avoided if the characters just talked about their feelings.

There is a lot going on throughout the story and I admit that I read the book and enjoyed what I was reading. That isn’t to mean that I didn’t get frustrated with the characters at times but it is understandable since I am 39 and the main characters are teenagers. Our thinking is not on the same level. Stella did do things that had me baffled. At some point I was questioning “Are you nuts?, why are you doing that?”. But she was dealing with a pregnancy and I am going to chalk it up to whacked up hormones and the stress of feeling that you have to go it alone.

I do think that the author did a great job of showing the hardship of a teenage pregnancy. She didn’t glorify it or put it down and that in itself makes this a good book. Family was at the heart of this story, both Stella’s family and Stefan’s family. The author did a great job of showing all sides.

The author did leave the reader with an epilogue so we were able to see where the characters ended up years later. There were no questions as to what happened after the story ended. This was the second book I read by Michele Richard. I do like that she writes about topics that can be controversial. The topics are handled delicately and the author doesn’t throw her opinion in the mix. She just relays a story that the reader can get lost in. Her writing is detailed with smooth transitions from one event to another. Her characters are likable and relatable. I recommend giving this author a try. I have had two very satisfying reading experiences from the books by this author.
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May 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had a slow time getting started because of the Memorial Day Holiday, but when I got started reading with no interruptions, I couldn't put it down.

I was intrigued by Stella's POV during through out and could understand where she misunderstood conversations. However, I wanted to smack her at times too!

Stefan, poor Stefan. Between his parents in the beginning, his mother's attitude toward Stella, and Stella misunderstanding things over and over again, he had so much to deal with.

I was glad to...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Aine rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

I was asked to review this book by the author. I got about 1/3 of the way into the book. I had to stop. I didn't like it. The writing wasn't strong enough. There were a lot of typos. The dialogue wasn't realistic. The characters weren't likable, and I couldn't connect with anyone. Their personalities need to be pinned down so they aren't all over the place. I was excited to read it. It's the first YA book I've read with a teen pregnancy. I'm sad to say that it didn't live up to it's potential.

I...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Magicalheather603 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michele Richard had me on an emotional roller coaster from the first page til the last page. I fell in love with the characters and truly wanted to know what would come of their lives. I felt that she dealt with teenage pregnancy in a very real and down to earth way. I can not wait to read her next book.

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May 03, 2011 Butterflybetty Cullen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book. It made me laugh, smile, cry, laugh some more. Amazing book, and I look forward to her other works.

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Mar 27, 2011 Darlyn Hadley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book, so much I passed it around work for others to read - can't wait to read the next one :)

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Feb 24, 2011 Gloria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book very much. Stella wants to break the cycle of the fate of every female in her family, while Stefan doesn't even know that his fate has been sealed by his family history. The struggles of this young couple to be together and keep their family together is quite gripping. It is definitely worth your time to read.

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May 11, 2011 Book Him Danno rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-sent-by-author-publisher-for, kindle, romance, 2011

I liked the story and will give a more detailed review on my blog in June, thanks

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Jun 19, 2011 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a great read.

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Mar 31, 2011 Cullen Confection rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, kindle-books

Having grown up in a tourist town which also had a base at one time (Myrtle Beach, SC), this story evoked a lot of memories for me. I viewed the friendships differently than Stella- I saw them as brief spotlights in my life and feel that some people are put in your path for a reason. Michelle really described those feelings of new relationships well and I felt like I was in the scene- the ice scream shoppe, the beach, the base.

So this book was more personal for me and thanks for the trips down...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Donna (Girl Who Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, for-review

The story was engaging and a pretty fast read until the last bit. It probably would have been better if it had ended at the birth. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads

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Jun 15, 2012 B.F. Betty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Such a difficult storyline to take on, but Michele Richard did it justice. Raw and gritty, the truth is in the pages. A must read for anyone.

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May 05, 2013 Daisy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Shelves: used-to-be-a-fanfiction, indie-authors

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Apr 06, 2013 Kristen C rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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About Michele Richard

Michele Richard is the proud mother of 2 daughters. Married since 1997 to a wonderful husband, who for 25 years has been her best friend and supporter. Being an overly creative and caring person, she has been a volunteer co-leader for the Girl Scout Troop for five years. She takes great pride in teaching and guiding our future generations.

Her desire to continue her education drove her to attend n...more

More about Michele Richard...

Books by Michele Richard

Healing the Faith - Mocked by Faith 2 (Mocked, #3)

Affirming the Faith - Mocked by Faith 3 (Mocked Series, #4)

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“You see, there is a major downfall to living in a tourist town. You guessed it, the constant turnover of new people. You cannot really connect with anyone because no one is ever here for more than two weeks every year, if they comeback at all. The intruders never thought about what happens once they leave. ~ Stella” — 6 people liked it

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Mocked by Destiny (Mocked #1)

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