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Bruised
Facing her demons is the only key to her survival...
Allison Sellers is trying to move on from her horrifying past of abuse, using every means necessary-her new boyfriend Brett Eldridge, who cares for her deeply, the hospital where she works long hours as a nurse, and her anxiety meds she pops like candy. And when an opportunity to help her move on surfaces, she hesitates, not wanting to let anyone else in.
After all, she's told no one of her secret, including Brett. And him wanting her to meet his parents only makes her decision to reveal the truth that more terrifying. But after some convincing, she leaves her cozy apartment in Charleston, North Carolina, for a quaint three-day weekend getaway at a remote estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. But soon after arriving, multiple incidents lead her to believe the Eldridge family has a secret of their own.
An explosive psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! For fans of Alex Michaelides' "The Silent Patient", Freida McFadden's "The Housemaid", and Karin Slaughter's "Pieces of Her."
Allison Sellers is trying to move on from her horrifying past of abuse, using every means necessary-her new boyfriend Brett Eldridge, who cares for her deeply, the hospital where she works long hours as a nurse, and her anxiety meds she pops like candy. And when an opportunity to help her move on surfaces, she hesitates, not wanting to let anyone else in.
After all, she's told no one of her secret, including Brett. And him wanting her to meet his parents only makes her decision to reveal the truth that more terrifying. But after some convincing, she leaves her cozy apartment in Charleston, North Carolina, for a quaint three-day weekend getaway at a remote estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. But soon after arriving, multiple incidents lead her to believe the Eldridge family has a secret of their own.
An explosive psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! For fans of Alex Michaelides' "The Silent Patient", Freida McFadden's "The Housemaid", and Karin Slaughter's "Pieces of Her."
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 31, 2024
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 10, 2024
REVIEW TO COME!!!!!!!
May 27, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
TW: Mental Illness, Suicide, Domestic Abuse
Pros
✔ Intriguing Premise
✔ Easy to Read, short chapters
✔ Although some flashbacks touch on the main protagonist's life, the entire story takes place in one weekend.
✔ Some parts of the novel did have me on the edge of my seat.
Cons
✔ Allison, as a main protagonist, was very unlikeable and I felt that despite what was supposed to make me empathize with her was overshadowed by some of what came out of her mouth.
✔The title tagline. Any time publishers brag that a book is "unputdownable, gripping and twisty, packed with suspense." I think 🚩🚩🚩🚩.
✔ Ending could have been a jaw-dropper but it just left me disappointed.
#FightBack #NetGalley.
Expected Publication 31/05/24
Goodreads Review 26/05/24
TW: Mental Illness, Suicide, Domestic Abuse
Pros
✔ Intriguing Premise
✔ Easy to Read, short chapters
✔ Although some flashbacks touch on the main protagonist's life, the entire story takes place in one weekend.
✔ Some parts of the novel did have me on the edge of my seat.
Cons
✔ Allison, as a main protagonist, was very unlikeable and I felt that despite what was supposed to make me empathize with her was overshadowed by some of what came out of her mouth.
✔The title tagline. Any time publishers brag that a book is "unputdownable, gripping and twisty, packed with suspense." I think 🚩🚩🚩🚩.
✔ Ending could have been a jaw-dropper but it just left me disappointed.
#FightBack #NetGalley.
Expected Publication 31/05/24
Goodreads Review 26/05/24
April 11, 2024
Allison Sellers is trying to move on from her horrifying past of abuse, using every means necessary. She has a new boyfriend Brett Eldridge who cares for her deeply, the hospital where she works long hours as a nurse, and her anxiety meds she pops like candy. And when an opportunity to help her move on surfaces, she hesitates, not wanting to let anyone else in.
Disappointed to say that this book was not anywhere near as good I was hoping for, I usually vie away from anything with domestic abuse but the premise for the book was right on track for a great read, regrettably it fell severely short. A remote estate, potential in-laws/boyfriends parents and secrets hidden often lead to an exciting read but the plot turned out to be unsurprising and I knew where it was going from early on. I found Allison to be one dimentional as a character which did not allow the reader to become connected to her and the supporting cast also lacked depth. There were moments where I thought it may pick up but it didn't for me. This was a new author I had not read before but would still be open minded to try another in the future as the book had potential. Sorry to say 2 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.
Disappointed to say that this book was not anywhere near as good I was hoping for, I usually vie away from anything with domestic abuse but the premise for the book was right on track for a great read, regrettably it fell severely short. A remote estate, potential in-laws/boyfriends parents and secrets hidden often lead to an exciting read but the plot turned out to be unsurprising and I knew where it was going from early on. I found Allison to be one dimentional as a character which did not allow the reader to become connected to her and the supporting cast also lacked depth. There were moments where I thought it may pick up but it didn't for me. This was a new author I had not read before but would still be open minded to try another in the future as the book had potential. Sorry to say 2 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.
May 31, 2024
Ummmm completely bonkers but strangely captivating. This book covers some sensitive subjects such as domestic abuse but it is also a bit surreal and daft in places so I didn’t feel the brunt too badly.
A woman named Allison is recovering from being in an abusive relationship and a year into a new relationship she is taken for a weekend away to meet the parents of her new boyfriend. Their home is stunning and vast and everything seems a bit too good to be true, isn’t that usually the case before things go seriously wrong?
I didn’t really warm to the main character, she seemed a bit bratty and entitled and made some very strange decisions.
The surreal nature of the plot did make it fairly compelling to draw out the secrets and find the answers but I found it a bit too lacking in any plausibility and credibility. I am, therefore, a bit on the fence with this one. I did enjoy it but it did niggle slightly too!
A woman named Allison is recovering from being in an abusive relationship and a year into a new relationship she is taken for a weekend away to meet the parents of her new boyfriend. Their home is stunning and vast and everything seems a bit too good to be true, isn’t that usually the case before things go seriously wrong?
I didn’t really warm to the main character, she seemed a bit bratty and entitled and made some very strange decisions.
The surreal nature of the plot did make it fairly compelling to draw out the secrets and find the answers but I found it a bit too lacking in any plausibility and credibility. I am, therefore, a bit on the fence with this one. I did enjoy it but it did niggle slightly too!
April 18, 2024
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
The cover caught my eye as i was scrolling, and the summary definitely made this book sound interesting.
But that's where my positive comments will end. I always feel bad leaving a less than stellar review, but that IS the point here right? Honest reviews are important.
The writing style just ... seemed a tad disjointed and all over the place. The storyline did not not make a whole lot of sense in some areas either.
We meet our FMC Allison S first. She's a nurse at the local hospital, seemingly addicted to her anxiety meds, and seemingly happy with her boyfriend MMC Brett E. The book had all the... plot points to potentially be great, but the writing really did fall short. The story was predictable early on, and it went exactly as you thought it would. The FMC wasn't interesting and lacked any real depth. The "supporting" characters did as well.
i wish I had better things to say, but it just didn't.... work.
The cover caught my eye as i was scrolling, and the summary definitely made this book sound interesting.
But that's where my positive comments will end. I always feel bad leaving a less than stellar review, but that IS the point here right? Honest reviews are important.
The writing style just ... seemed a tad disjointed and all over the place. The storyline did not not make a whole lot of sense in some areas either.
We meet our FMC Allison S first. She's a nurse at the local hospital, seemingly addicted to her anxiety meds, and seemingly happy with her boyfriend MMC Brett E. The book had all the... plot points to potentially be great, but the writing really did fall short. The story was predictable early on, and it went exactly as you thought it would. The FMC wasn't interesting and lacked any real depth. The "supporting" characters did as well.
i wish I had better things to say, but it just didn't.... work.
April 8, 2024
This book had sooooo much promise. The premise was so good that I had to start reading right away.
Pros: It is a short book and I went through it quickly. It was thrilling to a degree as there was always something going on.
Cons: the dialogue was horrible between the characters. It made the story way too unbelievable because people don’t talk like that. There were no twists and turns, it was all pretty predictable. The ending seemed rushed and was strange.
This book could have been so great!
Pros: It is a short book and I went through it quickly. It was thrilling to a degree as there was always something going on.
Cons: the dialogue was horrible between the characters. It made the story way too unbelievable because people don’t talk like that. There were no twists and turns, it was all pretty predictable. The ending seemed rushed and was strange.
This book could have been so great!
June 3, 2024
I loved this psychological thriller it was scary and kept you guessing what was what as well as feeling how scared our main character was. Though she has been through so much and was way stronger then this wicked family imagined.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews