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Pieces of Us #1
Handfuls of Shattered Pieces
Eight years ago, nine year old Olivia Byrd was abducted on her way to school leaving no trace.
With no memory of how, she has now escaped and finds herself running for her life, fleeing eight years of darkness, pain and silence, suddenly terrified by every sound and movement around her.
Rescued by police, she finds the life she left behind long gone. Instead, surrounded by a world she now has very little knowledge or experience of, she is lost, scared and alone, drowning in a sea of harrowing flashbacks and soul destroying nightmares.
Just when her terrifying memories threaten to pull her under for good, a light appears, in the shape of Dr Xander King. He has been where she is, scared and alone and he wants to do all he can to help her, including bringing her into the amazing family that, years earlier, had rescued him.
In a home she does not know or want, Olivia finds a family she didn't realise she needed, and four men who will forever change her life. They do all they can to show her the way out of the terrifying darkness and into the light, and to help her discover who she is now that she is free.
Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt all have dark pasts of their own, which they still fight every day to survive, but they are determined to show Olivia that together, they can all find a way to repair their shattered pieces and find some happiness.
But with the kidnapper's whereabouts unknown, and a serial killer lose on the streets of Chicago, keeping Olivia safe is their first priority. This proves harder than they ever thought, when it becomes obvious Olivia is the key to stopping a series of brutal murders. Now they must do all they can to protect the woman they are all falling fast for, from the evils of this world.
This is a reverse harem story with one woman and four loving, protective men. It is the first book in the Pieces of Us series.
With no memory of how, she has now escaped and finds herself running for her life, fleeing eight years of darkness, pain and silence, suddenly terrified by every sound and movement around her.
Rescued by police, she finds the life she left behind long gone. Instead, surrounded by a world she now has very little knowledge or experience of, she is lost, scared and alone, drowning in a sea of harrowing flashbacks and soul destroying nightmares.
Just when her terrifying memories threaten to pull her under for good, a light appears, in the shape of Dr Xander King. He has been where she is, scared and alone and he wants to do all he can to help her, including bringing her into the amazing family that, years earlier, had rescued him.
In a home she does not know or want, Olivia finds a family she didn't realise she needed, and four men who will forever change her life. They do all they can to show her the way out of the terrifying darkness and into the light, and to help her discover who she is now that she is free.
Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt all have dark pasts of their own, which they still fight every day to survive, but they are determined to show Olivia that together, they can all find a way to repair their shattered pieces and find some happiness.
But with the kidnapper's whereabouts unknown, and a serial killer lose on the streets of Chicago, keeping Olivia safe is their first priority. This proves harder than they ever thought, when it becomes obvious Olivia is the key to stopping a series of brutal murders. Now they must do all they can to protect the woman they are all falling fast for, from the evils of this world.
This is a reverse harem story with one woman and four loving, protective men. It is the first book in the Pieces of Us series.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2020
1026 people are currently reading
1639 people want to read
About the author
Kerry Taylor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
May 11, 2020
2 stars because the book was actually pretty good, but what kept it a 2 instead of a 4? The fact that we have a 17-18 yr old who spent 8 years in a basement being beaten, raped, starved daily and sensory deprived.... I am all for a strong woman/man who went through hell and is stronger for it but it takes time to become stronger for it. At only a day or 2 she was saying she needed to get over it, then at 3 weeks she was basically completely over it. That is not realistic and I think portrays a bad image on people who go through much less but spend years dealing with the aftermath. Also being kept the way she did she would have had eyesight problem for several days if not a week due to the long term low or no light. It wouldn't have caused her to go blind simply because that does not happen after infancy, but it would of been similar to physical therapy for someone who broke their leg badly. The eyes would of needed time to become adjusted again and would cause constant headaches until the sensitivity went back down. And well while I am on it, her being kept in a basement with no form of education or social interaction, while yes she was a smart 9-year-old who was in 6th grade instead of 4th she still would have been around the same naivety as a 6th grader. Too much of her thought process and even words she used (daren't???) would not have really been used or known by a 6th grader. The math part makes sense sorta because while her math skills would have been far beyond anything for a 9 yr old, she would have been stuck at what she knew when she was still in school just being able to do it like it's nothing. She wouldn't really be able to do college-level math equations in the snap of her fingers because she had never been taught past the 6th grade in math.
December 10, 2020
Ok. Here's my problem with this book. Books about the H saving an abused h need to have a balance between the level of abuse h received, time it takes/method of h recovery, and the time it takes for the h and H to become romantic or see eachother in that light.
This book (spoiler) is about an abused h who has been kidnapped and basically tortured (physically, emotionally, and sexually) for 8 years since she was 9. The amount of time and therapy and healing it would take to be able to begin functioning 'normally' would be astronomical, let alone trust anyone.
This book takes this tortured girl, throws her in a house with 5 or so young men who are somehow all attracted to the terrified and severely malnourished girl and she somehow trusts them all within a week of escaping her kidnapper. I call bullshit.
If the author wanted to make this an insta love, she should've toned down her abuse backstory, instead of shoving insta love romance down the throat of an essentially abused child who has never had a relationship with anyone other than her parents (years ago) and her abuser.
This book (spoiler) is about an abused h who has been kidnapped and basically tortured (physically, emotionally, and sexually) for 8 years since she was 9. The amount of time and therapy and healing it would take to be able to begin functioning 'normally' would be astronomical, let alone trust anyone.
This book takes this tortured girl, throws her in a house with 5 or so young men who are somehow all attracted to the terrified and severely malnourished girl and she somehow trusts them all within a week of escaping her kidnapper. I call bullshit.
If the author wanted to make this an insta love, she should've toned down her abuse backstory, instead of shoving insta love romance down the throat of an essentially abused child who has never had a relationship with anyone other than her parents (years ago) and her abuser.
March 30, 2023
I started this book with a lot of expectations (it HAD potential) but it failed to impress. I understand the h being jumpy & scared after enduring endless torture for 8yrs. 8YRS!!! So, my point is why is she not being helped by a specialist who deals with such victims (I'm not asking her to be thrown in some psych ward)!!!
Xander is a doctor and Kade works for the police department, so aren't they supposed to gradually ease her into consulting a specialist?!? Shouldn't they be knowing better!?!
And the other two takes her to a high school party, when she is jumpy of loud noises and wary of people. Seriously!?! WTF!!!
We are talking about extensive damage here, people!!! What the hell!
And there was a mention of her fracture not setting properly because of negligence from the kidnapper so how was she able to run so much!?!
So... yeah... it wasn't making much sense among other things.
Xander is a doctor and Kade works for the police department, so aren't they supposed to gradually ease her into consulting a specialist?!? Shouldn't they be knowing better!?!
And the other two takes her to a high school party, when she is jumpy of loud noises and wary of people. Seriously!?! WTF!!!
We are talking about extensive damage here, people!!! What the hell!
And there was a mention of her fracture not setting properly because of negligence from the kidnapper so how was she able to run so much!?!
So... yeah... it wasn't making much sense among other things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2020
The good thing is that Taylor is engaging a lot of the tropes that readers are really looking for right now.
- Olivia is a bit of a damsel in distress, having escaped from a long-standing kidnapping and abusive situation. Because of this, she has trauma to overcome, and there are a lot of ways in which she interacts with the people and world around her differently. She's in need of a lot of support, and she really has to relearn how to enjoy "normal" life because she's been missing affection, patience, understanding, and warmth for about half her life.
-There's a bit of an age-difference with the harem, so that ticks another box for a lot of readers. Olivia's 17, but two of the guys are in their mid-twenties.
-This is definitely a case of broken pieces coming together to try and create a new whole. Each of the harem members has had their fair share of struggles, and one of the reasons they all come together is that their broken pieces and the darkness that haunts each of them calls to others like them. They know that together, they are more than they each are apart.
Alright, here's my main issue- and some people will be fine with this, so it's a matter of taste, for sure.
- So, there's no insta-love in the sense that there's no magic or mating bonds or anything like this since it's a contemporary novel. HOWEVER, the guys get attached to Olivia an vice-versa super quickly. It makes sense to me that they are all pulled to each other in that sense of being kindred spirits. I just wish the L-word hadn't been thrown around yet because, to me, I would have liked to see them get to know each other beyond their innate similarities before that card was played. I think that Taylor does a good job at keeping the guys' romantic moments with Olivia in an appropriate place- two of the harem members are fully-grown adults, and I didn't feel like their interactions were ever creepy, but I'm a little skeptical that 20-something year old men would so quickly be OK with developing a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old girl who has a lot to overcome. I'm curious to see how the relationship progresses since the situation with Olivia's kidnapper is still open-ended.
-Sometimes it felt like there was too much that Olivia could do. She was taken when she was relatively young, but she's a math prodigy, she pretty much dives right in to high-school level reading, and to me, that was just a bit too "easy". She was left in the dark and not educated in all of her time with her abuser, so I feel like there should have been more gaps in her development. Again, this is totally something that some readers may be fine with, but it was something that just pickled at me a bit.
Overall, I was entertained by Handful of Shattered Pieces, so I don't want anyone to think that these issues ruined the book for me. There's definitely a sense of intrigue and will they/won't they about finding Olivia's kidnapper and how she'll deal with that, and even if the relationships aren't starting off the way I'd prefer, I think there's definitely a lot of potential for them to turn into something really good in book two. I'll be checking it out once it's available!
- Olivia is a bit of a damsel in distress, having escaped from a long-standing kidnapping and abusive situation. Because of this, she has trauma to overcome, and there are a lot of ways in which she interacts with the people and world around her differently. She's in need of a lot of support, and she really has to relearn how to enjoy "normal" life because she's been missing affection, patience, understanding, and warmth for about half her life.
-There's a bit of an age-difference with the harem, so that ticks another box for a lot of readers. Olivia's 17, but two of the guys are in their mid-twenties.
-This is definitely a case of broken pieces coming together to try and create a new whole. Each of the harem members has had their fair share of struggles, and one of the reasons they all come together is that their broken pieces and the darkness that haunts each of them calls to others like them. They know that together, they are more than they each are apart.
Alright, here's my main issue- and some people will be fine with this, so it's a matter of taste, for sure.
- So, there's no insta-love in the sense that there's no magic or mating bonds or anything like this since it's a contemporary novel. HOWEVER, the guys get attached to Olivia an vice-versa super quickly. It makes sense to me that they are all pulled to each other in that sense of being kindred spirits. I just wish the L-word hadn't been thrown around yet because, to me, I would have liked to see them get to know each other beyond their innate similarities before that card was played. I think that Taylor does a good job at keeping the guys' romantic moments with Olivia in an appropriate place- two of the harem members are fully-grown adults, and I didn't feel like their interactions were ever creepy, but I'm a little skeptical that 20-something year old men would so quickly be OK with developing a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old girl who has a lot to overcome. I'm curious to see how the relationship progresses since the situation with Olivia's kidnapper is still open-ended.
-Sometimes it felt like there was too much that Olivia could do. She was taken when she was relatively young, but she's a math prodigy, she pretty much dives right in to high-school level reading, and to me, that was just a bit too "easy". She was left in the dark and not educated in all of her time with her abuser, so I feel like there should have been more gaps in her development. Again, this is totally something that some readers may be fine with, but it was something that just pickled at me a bit.
Overall, I was entertained by Handful of Shattered Pieces, so I don't want anyone to think that these issues ruined the book for me. There's definitely a sense of intrigue and will they/won't they about finding Olivia's kidnapper and how she'll deal with that, and even if the relationships aren't starting off the way I'd prefer, I think there's definitely a lot of potential for them to turn into something really good in book two. I'll be checking it out once it's available!
April 24, 2022
The concept and idea aren’t bad, but the execution needs to be reworked
The concept was good, but the execution of the plot and overall stories were much to be desired.
The premise starts off with our FMC Olivia, she was kidnapped when she was 9 and was tortured, sexually abused, left alone otherwise, malnourished, and left in the dark. She somehow escapes, we still don’t know the details about this event as her brain has blocked it from her, but sunlight doesn’t bother her eyes….I would have expected more issues with her being in sunlight, aside from being pale, but a vitamin D deficiency among other malnutrition issues. So she basically gets found and then finds out about her family, and then is placed in foster care.
Now there’s a bunch of issues with this book and if they were addressed and this was reworked, it’d totally be 4-5 star read. Firstly and most importantly the editing for errors and typos. I’m terrible at grammar and such but it is annoying when you see tons of typos in a book where quotation marks or random apostrophes are showing up. It makes the book feel like a first draft that wasn’t proofed before sending out. And again I’m not the best at this type of thing either but I do try to pay attention to my typos and punctuation.
Next is about Olivia and her health and all that. There should have been more time spent to her acclimatizing to the sensory overload. Also what was with the rude psychologist to evaluate her for the trauma she went through it was weird. Xander, one of the brothers, is suddenly very protective of Olivia and weirdly attached. He automatically gives her a nickname, which I thought was odd. It made him seem overly familiar with her and had me wondering if he was in league with the kidnapper early on. But he’s a plot device, much like Olivia’s age to get her to his parent’s house.
That’s the next issue, while I see that it was slightly needed for Olivia to be 17, I really dislike how the relationship aspect of the book came to be. This honestly would make for a very slow burn RH, but for her to feel so comfortable so quickly with the guys isn’t logical imo. I find it odd that in some povs we are TOLD how the characters feel about Olivia and all of them, Kade the 24 year old detective, and Kyle the 20 something year old bodyguard, plus Cole and Matt who are around the same age as Olivia. It’s just weird. I can’t see how the guys, Kyle and Kade could be interested in Olivia. She’s probably sickly looking, and according to Cole it’s only been 3 weeks. The timeline needs adjusting.
The writing could have been better due to it being told. Tons of things happen off page and we barely get a picture of the guys and Olivia together or her working through her issues. It was always retold the next day which is annoying imo. I want to live in the moment with the characters, not be briefly summarized retelling of the event. I also wish that Olivia was older because of the fact that Kade and Kyle are older and while I typically don’t have an issue with that type of trope, my issue here is that Olivia started out sounding kinda naive and young and scared. Suddenly toward the end of the book she’s this changed person…I would like to have seen growth.
Not only that but the relationships are suddenly throwing around I Love Yous and it’s just too soon. This could make a really epic slow burn Rh. Have the guys get to know her, show scenes of them all slowly opening up to her, explaining their pasts, Olivia could be slightly older and still be offered a place to stay.
Other reviews with similar rates definitely hit on the issues I had with the book as well.
One bigger thing aside from the telling and not showing was the use of British English. I understand the author may be an British writer BUT if you’re going to make the internal monologue of the main female character then you’re going to have to write it in American English I think it make it more believable…
I really wanted to like this but the writing is also a bit stilted in some areas, too descriptive in others, repetitive and recycled, so I started skimming.
Another plot issue I had is basically, Every. Single. Time. Olivia went out something happened. And that just isn’t always the case in stories and didn’t need to happen every single time in this book.
I think the idea is good but this series or book could use a huge revision and an editor or even some beta readers or peer reviews. It needs tidying up. There is not enough dialogue for me, and pages on pages of things being repeated but said in a slightly different manner.
I also would have liked to see why Grant and Keira liked Olivia. I just wanted more from this book and I’m honestly surprised at the high high reviews.
I almost DNF’d at 70%
The concept was good, but the execution of the plot and overall stories were much to be desired.
The premise starts off with our FMC Olivia, she was kidnapped when she was 9 and was tortured, sexually abused, left alone otherwise, malnourished, and left in the dark. She somehow escapes, we still don’t know the details about this event as her brain has blocked it from her, but sunlight doesn’t bother her eyes….I would have expected more issues with her being in sunlight, aside from being pale, but a vitamin D deficiency among other malnutrition issues. So she basically gets found and then finds out about her family, and then is placed in foster care.
Now there’s a bunch of issues with this book and if they were addressed and this was reworked, it’d totally be 4-5 star read. Firstly and most importantly the editing for errors and typos. I’m terrible at grammar and such but it is annoying when you see tons of typos in a book where quotation marks or random apostrophes are showing up. It makes the book feel like a first draft that wasn’t proofed before sending out. And again I’m not the best at this type of thing either but I do try to pay attention to my typos and punctuation.
Next is about Olivia and her health and all that. There should have been more time spent to her acclimatizing to the sensory overload. Also what was with the rude psychologist to evaluate her for the trauma she went through it was weird. Xander, one of the brothers, is suddenly very protective of Olivia and weirdly attached. He automatically gives her a nickname, which I thought was odd. It made him seem overly familiar with her and had me wondering if he was in league with the kidnapper early on. But he’s a plot device, much like Olivia’s age to get her to his parent’s house.
That’s the next issue, while I see that it was slightly needed for Olivia to be 17, I really dislike how the relationship aspect of the book came to be. This honestly would make for a very slow burn RH, but for her to feel so comfortable so quickly with the guys isn’t logical imo. I find it odd that in some povs we are TOLD how the characters feel about Olivia and all of them, Kade the 24 year old detective, and Kyle the 20 something year old bodyguard, plus Cole and Matt who are around the same age as Olivia. It’s just weird. I can’t see how the guys, Kyle and Kade could be interested in Olivia. She’s probably sickly looking, and according to Cole it’s only been 3 weeks. The timeline needs adjusting.
The writing could have been better due to it being told. Tons of things happen off page and we barely get a picture of the guys and Olivia together or her working through her issues. It was always retold the next day which is annoying imo. I want to live in the moment with the characters, not be briefly summarized retelling of the event. I also wish that Olivia was older because of the fact that Kade and Kyle are older and while I typically don’t have an issue with that type of trope, my issue here is that Olivia started out sounding kinda naive and young and scared. Suddenly toward the end of the book she’s this changed person…I would like to have seen growth.
Not only that but the relationships are suddenly throwing around I Love Yous and it’s just too soon. This could make a really epic slow burn Rh. Have the guys get to know her, show scenes of them all slowly opening up to her, explaining their pasts, Olivia could be slightly older and still be offered a place to stay.
Other reviews with similar rates definitely hit on the issues I had with the book as well.
One bigger thing aside from the telling and not showing was the use of British English. I understand the author may be an British writer BUT if you’re going to make the internal monologue of the main female character then you’re going to have to write it in American English I think it make it more believable…
I really wanted to like this but the writing is also a bit stilted in some areas, too descriptive in others, repetitive and recycled, so I started skimming.
Another plot issue I had is basically, Every. Single. Time. Olivia went out something happened. And that just isn’t always the case in stories and didn’t need to happen every single time in this book.
I think the idea is good but this series or book could use a huge revision and an editor or even some beta readers or peer reviews. It needs tidying up. There is not enough dialogue for me, and pages on pages of things being repeated but said in a slightly different manner.
I also would have liked to see why Grant and Keira liked Olivia. I just wanted more from this book and I’m honestly surprised at the high high reviews.
I almost DNF’d at 70%
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
Angsty Slow Burn NA RH
I'd probably give this book 3.5 ⭐ if I could.
Olivia Byrd was taken from her family aged 8 years old and held for 9 years by a monster. She was tortured and lived in the dark and silence until one day she was running away through the woods unable to remember how she got there.
A young doctor, Xander, was working in the ER when she was brought in and he connected with the traumatised victim when no one else could. Hoping to return to her family, Olivia was further devastated to learn that her family was gone and she was alone.
Xander was adopted by wonderful people who also fostered others. He reached out and managed to get her placed with his adopted parents because he knew that if anyone could reach Olivia it was Keira and Grant and their family.
I felt wrung out by the end of this book. Olivia goes through so much before we even meet her in this book and then she goes through more stuff. I just want to wrap her up in cotton wool and give her armed guards, her foster parents felt the same, unsurprisingly.
I think my main problem with this book is that this incredibly traumatised young woman refuses to speak to a psychologist because of unreasonable fears and they don’t push her to reconsider. They also do really dumb things like taking her to the mall and a party, both of which go wrong, unsurprisingly. For experienced foster parents of traumatised young people, Keira and Grant don’t seem very sensible.
There are lots of really unrealistic parts of this story, but it doesn’t really detract from the narrative. The author is able to get the reader to skim over why a part is a bit unfeasible quite well, by wrapping them up in the story.
We don’t get much information about the guys in this situation. We know they have experienced their own trauma, but we don���t know what or why. As this is a series I imagine more information about the other characters may be forthcoming.
If you want to feel a lump in your throat and gasp in sympathy for how awful Olivia’s life is, then this is the book for you. If you want something cheerful, this is NOT the book for you.
I'd probably give this book 3.5 ⭐ if I could.
Olivia Byrd was taken from her family aged 8 years old and held for 9 years by a monster. She was tortured and lived in the dark and silence until one day she was running away through the woods unable to remember how she got there.
A young doctor, Xander, was working in the ER when she was brought in and he connected with the traumatised victim when no one else could. Hoping to return to her family, Olivia was further devastated to learn that her family was gone and she was alone.
Xander was adopted by wonderful people who also fostered others. He reached out and managed to get her placed with his adopted parents because he knew that if anyone could reach Olivia it was Keira and Grant and their family.
I felt wrung out by the end of this book. Olivia goes through so much before we even meet her in this book and then she goes through more stuff. I just want to wrap her up in cotton wool and give her armed guards, her foster parents felt the same, unsurprisingly.
I think my main problem with this book is that this incredibly traumatised young woman refuses to speak to a psychologist because of unreasonable fears and they don’t push her to reconsider. They also do really dumb things like taking her to the mall and a party, both of which go wrong, unsurprisingly. For experienced foster parents of traumatised young people, Keira and Grant don’t seem very sensible.
There are lots of really unrealistic parts of this story, but it doesn’t really detract from the narrative. The author is able to get the reader to skim over why a part is a bit unfeasible quite well, by wrapping them up in the story.
We don’t get much information about the guys in this situation. We know they have experienced their own trauma, but we don���t know what or why. As this is a series I imagine more information about the other characters may be forthcoming.
If you want to feel a lump in your throat and gasp in sympathy for how awful Olivia’s life is, then this is the book for you. If you want something cheerful, this is NOT the book for you.
October 15, 2023
It could have been great but there was something missing.
May 9, 2021
First things first, I want to say is that I wish I could reach over and give Olivia the biggest hug in the world. Seeing the trauma bleed into her life, watching her self-destruct and doubt herself at every step of the way almost brought tears to my eyes. It's fucking terrible that things like this happen to real-life, innocent, undeserving people, and I really wish I could go capture Shadow and torture him for a fucking year before peeling every inch of his skin off until he dies from blood loss.
Descriptive? Scary? Yes, but I don't give a single shit. Adi-fucking-os, dickbag. People like you don't deserve to live to take another breath and find joy in the world.
However, there were a few things that bothered me about this book. Some of these things are subjective, some not, and I want to reiterate that this is purely constructive criticism and I'm not trying to nark on the author for the beautiful book she's written.
Technically, the writing in this book fell off the mark for me. There were a multitude of grammatical and punctuation errors, like "mempries" in the first or second chapter, "braun" instead of "brawn," etc. There was also a HUGE overuse of pet names. Nobody has a regular conversation and infuses a pet name into their sentences every time they speak, and when it's happening with multiple people even outside the relationship, it becomes really annoying and hard to read at times. The writing was also just really stunted and hard to read in general. There were many parts where I had to skim or just read quickly without retaining too much information because it was either unnecessary or written in a weird way, sort of like something I would expect from Nikita Parmenter.
Read my Secrets Worth Keeping (Finding Home #2) review here.
I've also done a review on Uncovered Truths (The Lost One's #2) and found similar issues. There really wasn't much filler, just a lot of accidents and getting hurt, but I guess they added to the plot and character development. The grammatical quality is also slightly better, mostly because the author isn't switching back and forth between British and American English, but the readability and writing quality are close in level between the three novels.
Nevertheless, I guess if you're looking for a quick read that won't completely bore you out of your mind, this one's okay. This novel is higher in rating than I expected it to be, but I think that's also playing into how addicting stories like this are. The writing's okay, but the plot and mystery is just so addicting that you need to know what's going to happen next or what's going on behind-the-scenes with characters.
Oh, and did I forgot to mention insta-lust and insta-love? Three weeks was all it took for a girl who had been abused and assaulted in the most horrible ways possible to fall in love with four men and vice versa. I'm not hating, just skeptical. And also wishing that authors started to take more time to develop meaningful relationships between main characters, because if novels are trying to go for realistic, I'm sorry, I just don't think it's possible that it's possible to fall in love multiple people who have just as much deep-rooted trauma that Olivia does.
And on that note, please, if you're ever in this sort of situation, ask for help.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Visit the online forum here: Online Forum Link
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers
Contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Call or text 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip line
Report online sexual exploitation of a child or if you suspect that a child has been inappropriately contacted online. Information will be made available to law enforcement in order to conduct an investigation.
And to EVERYONE - man, woman, or anyone in between and confused- who have gone through what Olivia or the boys have or something similar, I'm so sorry that you had to experience that and live through that for the rest of your life. Nobody EVER deserves that. Nobody ever deserves to have their power taken away like that. It's not your fault. You matter. I've never met you, but I love and care for you. I believe you, and I would do anything to help you. Hope this helps anyone in need.
Descriptive? Scary? Yes, but I don't give a single shit. Adi-fucking-os, dickbag. People like you don't deserve to live to take another breath and find joy in the world.
However, there were a few things that bothered me about this book. Some of these things are subjective, some not, and I want to reiterate that this is purely constructive criticism and I'm not trying to nark on the author for the beautiful book she's written.
Technically, the writing in this book fell off the mark for me. There were a multitude of grammatical and punctuation errors, like "mempries" in the first or second chapter, "braun" instead of "brawn," etc. There was also a HUGE overuse of pet names. Nobody has a regular conversation and infuses a pet name into their sentences every time they speak, and when it's happening with multiple people even outside the relationship, it becomes really annoying and hard to read at times. The writing was also just really stunted and hard to read in general. There were many parts where I had to skim or just read quickly without retaining too much information because it was either unnecessary or written in a weird way, sort of like something I would expect from Nikita Parmenter.
Read my Secrets Worth Keeping (Finding Home #2) review here.
I've also done a review on Uncovered Truths (The Lost One's #2) and found similar issues. There really wasn't much filler, just a lot of accidents and getting hurt, but I guess they added to the plot and character development. The grammatical quality is also slightly better, mostly because the author isn't switching back and forth between British and American English, but the readability and writing quality are close in level between the three novels.
Nevertheless, I guess if you're looking for a quick read that won't completely bore you out of your mind, this one's okay. This novel is higher in rating than I expected it to be, but I think that's also playing into how addicting stories like this are. The writing's okay, but the plot and mystery is just so addicting that you need to know what's going to happen next or what's going on behind-the-scenes with characters.
Oh, and did I forgot to mention insta-lust and insta-love? Three weeks was all it took for a girl who had been abused and assaulted in the most horrible ways possible to fall in love with four men and vice versa. I'm not hating, just skeptical. And also wishing that authors started to take more time to develop meaningful relationships between main characters, because if novels are trying to go for realistic, I'm sorry, I just don't think it's possible that it's possible to fall in love multiple people who have just as much deep-rooted trauma that Olivia does.
And on that note, please, if you're ever in this sort of situation, ask for help.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, it’s not your fault. You are not alone. Help is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE. Visit the online forum here: Online Forum Link
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers
Contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency.
Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Call or text 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip line
Report online sexual exploitation of a child or if you suspect that a child has been inappropriately contacted online. Information will be made available to law enforcement in order to conduct an investigation.
And to EVERYONE - man, woman, or anyone in between and confused- who have gone through what Olivia or the boys have or something similar, I'm so sorry that you had to experience that and live through that for the rest of your life. Nobody EVER deserves that. Nobody ever deserves to have their power taken away like that. It's not your fault. You matter. I've never met you, but I love and care for you. I believe you, and I would do anything to help you. Hope this helps anyone in need.
Read
April 19, 2022Ok, I have to stop reading this book before I end up combusting. I'm at 42% in.
The author started with an idea in her head and it was good.
But the delivery was just … not good. I think that's the politest way I can say it.
We have Olivia. She was a smart 9-year-old girl, maybe even a mathematical genius-level smart from what the author tried to tell us, able to solve mathematical computations 2 years above her academic year. Her mother was a math teacher so mom probably trained her well. Olivia's dad was a music teacher and she said in the story that he had her playing before she could walk. At 42% spot of the book, she played "To a Wild Rose". I had to look it up because uncultured me has not heard it before and watched it on YouTube being played. Beautiful composition, played by an adult male. I watched one of his hands as his fingers stretched out to reach keys far away from his thumb and pinkie finger as they pluck those keys to produce one beautiful note while his left hand played further down the keyboard to produce accompanying chords. I'll come back to this in a bit.
The author also told us that Olivia was a small child, smaller than girls her age. She also lived in a safe area, five minutes away from her school. Most kids walked home from school. Mom was a teacher so she was probably still at work by the time Olivia finished school. Did Dad work from home teaching music? Or was he teaching at school as well? So, 9-year-old Olivia would be going home to an empty house after school? It didn't sound like they were well off enough to afford a housekeeper since in one of Olivia's musings she remembered "they didn't have enough money, every purchase was carefully planned and clothes came from sales rails". Very adult thinking from a 9-year-old. Parents obviously discussed financial woes with their daughter back then.
Anyway, 9-year-old Olivia walked home, that 5-minute walk from school, and got kidnapped by a large man in a huge van. Olivia said he must have been 6 feet tall and he can stand upright inside the van. Remember she was a tiny girl so everything was bigger than her. Nobody heard because, in that short walk home, the man managed to jump her, throw her in the back of the van, and drive away. I mean that's possible, right? 20 plus kids (seemed like she came from a small town) coming out of school, probably running around and minding their own business, no parents or adult around to pick up or mind any of those children and didn't see or hear anything. But we don't know that since Olivia didn't know that because she didn't tell us. Also, she must have blacked out after hitting her head when she was thrown inside the van because she didn't scream or made any sound, and the next thing she remembered she was in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. The man took her to a bomb shelter, that's what Olivia said, how a 9-year-old who lives in a safe, typical neighborhood knew of a bomb shelter is amazing to me. Or maybe MY childhood was so innocent.
Ok, moving on.
So, 9-year-old Olivia was then beaten, raped, and almost tortured to death for 2,928 days. I know that because Olivia kept saying it. She kept track of time for that long from the start. She's a math girl remember? On top of that, she was kept in darkness and confinement (There was no light in there as well. The man brought a lantern with him every time he came down to do terrible stuff to her) She knew how to track day and night ... in the dark ... for 2,928 days. Genius. She had nobody to talk to since her captor didn't speak a word to her all those years. Her food was indescribable, dirty water to drink, washed every now and not often, also dirty water according to Olivia. She had not had her hair cut all those years, nails also probably not cut unless she bit them off herself. Where did she pee and poop? Also in the basement? In a corner maybe? Did the man clean it after her? He probably did since she was not allowed to leave the basement for 8 years.
Imagine this, 9-year-old (and aging daily) Olivia must have been filthy, hair as long as Rapunzel's, caked in unmentionable grossness, malnourished to the point of starvation, had not spoken a word for 8 years while in isolation. But somehow she managed to look after all her trauma wounds: cuts, burns, lacerations, various bleeding parts, all of them healed using antibiotic creams and meds that the man left her because he didn't do it for her and our smart beyond her years Livie knew what the medications were for without being told what they were for and can use them in the darkness. Being malnourished probably stopped her menstrual periods right? She was also raped and didn't get pregnant so it would make sense that her reproductive system didn't mature properly. Or maybe Man was always so careful to use condoms or conscientious enough to put her on the pill to make sure she didn't get pregnant whenever he raped her all those years? Or maybe he was sterile? I don't know, I didn't get far enough into the book to know for sure.
Anyway, so now 17-year-old Olivia, malnourished, not even yay-high, managed to escape. Good for her. The best thing in the book so far. But I don't know how yet since Livie can't remember and I only know what she told me. She got picked up by the police and taken to a hospital where she met a young doctor who for unbelievable reasons was allowed by the hospital to look after her exclusively while she was there. I mean the hospital must be flushed with doctors, right?
Now here's the most amazing bit. For somebody who had not spoken for 8 years, had been in almost total darkness, breathed stale air that's probably more carbon dioxide than oxygen, she managed really well not to be blinded by sunlight, breathe outside air without her lungs collapsing, not had her eardrums bleed or burst from all the noise in the environment, not go insane with sensory overload, also know words and phrases like "give somebody a coronary", know words like OCD (what advanced curriculum her elementary school must have had!), let alone still know how to talk and hold a full conversation within HOURS and DAYS of her confinement. I mean ... medical miracle, right?!?!?
She also knows how to cuss. Obviously, her parents had potty mouths since those words were ingrained in her 9-year-old young mind. She remembered and knew how to use them in context. Wow, parents these days! She also solved a math equation that the Police Department's incompetent math-tech-geniuses were not able to solve for weeks (!) with her 2-years-above-academic-year-level-math-knowledge-brain managed to solve within hours of looking at the said equation. I mean, mind-blowing, right?!?!?!? She must have been pouring into University level mathematical equations kept in that basement and was reading them in the darkness all those years ... while practicing her piano skills so her tiny child-like hands could reach two keys the width of an adult man's hand on the keyboard and be able to play from muscle memory. I mean, who needs practice, right? My parents should have hired her dad for me when I was learning the piano. I managed to get as far as Chopsticks.
She's also quite receptive to touch, especially male touch because she was ok with being touched by 5 hot boys. I mean she had no physical contact for 8 years apart from being raped and tortured, so ... obviously, she was craving touch ... riiiiiiight?
Hang on a minute, am I reading a paranormal story and these men are her fated mates. Surely that explains that mystery because who am I to question fate and refute destiny? Lemme check? Hmmmm ... Err ... nope, definitely contemporary. Dark. Interesting. In serious need of research for realism. In serious need of alpha or beta readers or whatever-they-are-called-first readers, before going into publishing to avoid disasters (or miraculous situations) like this one.
So again, I did not finish so I am not giving or taking away any stars. The story idea is good. But delivery ... not so good.
The author started with an idea in her head and it was good.
But the delivery was just … not good. I think that's the politest way I can say it.
We have Olivia. She was a smart 9-year-old girl, maybe even a mathematical genius-level smart from what the author tried to tell us, able to solve mathematical computations 2 years above her academic year. Her mother was a math teacher so mom probably trained her well. Olivia's dad was a music teacher and she said in the story that he had her playing before she could walk. At 42% spot of the book, she played "To a Wild Rose". I had to look it up because uncultured me has not heard it before and watched it on YouTube being played. Beautiful composition, played by an adult male. I watched one of his hands as his fingers stretched out to reach keys far away from his thumb and pinkie finger as they pluck those keys to produce one beautiful note while his left hand played further down the keyboard to produce accompanying chords. I'll come back to this in a bit.
The author also told us that Olivia was a small child, smaller than girls her age. She also lived in a safe area, five minutes away from her school. Most kids walked home from school. Mom was a teacher so she was probably still at work by the time Olivia finished school. Did Dad work from home teaching music? Or was he teaching at school as well? So, 9-year-old Olivia would be going home to an empty house after school? It didn't sound like they were well off enough to afford a housekeeper since in one of Olivia's musings she remembered "they didn't have enough money, every purchase was carefully planned and clothes came from sales rails". Very adult thinking from a 9-year-old. Parents obviously discussed financial woes with their daughter back then.
Anyway, 9-year-old Olivia walked home, that 5-minute walk from school, and got kidnapped by a large man in a huge van. Olivia said he must have been 6 feet tall and he can stand upright inside the van. Remember she was a tiny girl so everything was bigger than her. Nobody heard because, in that short walk home, the man managed to jump her, throw her in the back of the van, and drive away. I mean that's possible, right? 20 plus kids (seemed like she came from a small town) coming out of school, probably running around and minding their own business, no parents or adult around to pick up or mind any of those children and didn't see or hear anything. But we don't know that since Olivia didn't know that because she didn't tell us. Also, she must have blacked out after hitting her head when she was thrown inside the van because she didn't scream or made any sound, and the next thing she remembered she was in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. The man took her to a bomb shelter, that's what Olivia said, how a 9-year-old who lives in a safe, typical neighborhood knew of a bomb shelter is amazing to me. Or maybe MY childhood was so innocent.
Ok, moving on.
So, 9-year-old Olivia was then beaten, raped, and almost tortured to death for 2,928 days. I know that because Olivia kept saying it. She kept track of time for that long from the start. She's a math girl remember? On top of that, she was kept in darkness and confinement (There was no light in there as well. The man brought a lantern with him every time he came down to do terrible stuff to her) She knew how to track day and night ... in the dark ... for 2,928 days. Genius. She had nobody to talk to since her captor didn't speak a word to her all those years. Her food was indescribable, dirty water to drink, washed every now and not often, also dirty water according to Olivia. She had not had her hair cut all those years, nails also probably not cut unless she bit them off herself. Where did she pee and poop? Also in the basement? In a corner maybe? Did the man clean it after her? He probably did since she was not allowed to leave the basement for 8 years.
Imagine this, 9-year-old (and aging daily) Olivia must have been filthy, hair as long as Rapunzel's, caked in unmentionable grossness, malnourished to the point of starvation, had not spoken a word for 8 years while in isolation. But somehow she managed to look after all her trauma wounds: cuts, burns, lacerations, various bleeding parts, all of them healed using antibiotic creams and meds that the man left her because he didn't do it for her and our smart beyond her years Livie knew what the medications were for without being told what they were for and can use them in the darkness. Being malnourished probably stopped her menstrual periods right? She was also raped and didn't get pregnant so it would make sense that her reproductive system didn't mature properly. Or maybe Man was always so careful to use condoms or conscientious enough to put her on the pill to make sure she didn't get pregnant whenever he raped her all those years? Or maybe he was sterile? I don't know, I didn't get far enough into the book to know for sure.
Anyway, so now 17-year-old Olivia, malnourished, not even yay-high, managed to escape. Good for her. The best thing in the book so far. But I don't know how yet since Livie can't remember and I only know what she told me. She got picked up by the police and taken to a hospital where she met a young doctor who for unbelievable reasons was allowed by the hospital to look after her exclusively while she was there. I mean the hospital must be flushed with doctors, right?
Now here's the most amazing bit. For somebody who had not spoken for 8 years, had been in almost total darkness, breathed stale air that's probably more carbon dioxide than oxygen, she managed really well not to be blinded by sunlight, breathe outside air without her lungs collapsing, not had her eardrums bleed or burst from all the noise in the environment, not go insane with sensory overload, also know words and phrases like "give somebody a coronary", know words like OCD (what advanced curriculum her elementary school must have had!), let alone still know how to talk and hold a full conversation within HOURS and DAYS of her confinement. I mean ... medical miracle, right?!?!?
She also knows how to cuss. Obviously, her parents had potty mouths since those words were ingrained in her 9-year-old young mind. She remembered and knew how to use them in context. Wow, parents these days! She also solved a math equation that the Police Department's incompetent math-tech-geniuses were not able to solve for weeks (!) with her 2-years-above-academic-year-level-math-knowledge-brain managed to solve within hours of looking at the said equation. I mean, mind-blowing, right?!?!?!? She must have been pouring into University level mathematical equations kept in that basement and was reading them in the darkness all those years ... while practicing her piano skills so her tiny child-like hands could reach two keys the width of an adult man's hand on the keyboard and be able to play from muscle memory. I mean, who needs practice, right? My parents should have hired her dad for me when I was learning the piano. I managed to get as far as Chopsticks.
She's also quite receptive to touch, especially male touch because she was ok with being touched by 5 hot boys. I mean she had no physical contact for 8 years apart from being raped and tortured, so ... obviously, she was craving touch ... riiiiiiight?
Hang on a minute, am I reading a paranormal story and these men are her fated mates. Surely that explains that mystery because who am I to question fate and refute destiny? Lemme check? Hmmmm ... Err ... nope, definitely contemporary. Dark. Interesting. In serious need of research for realism. In serious need of alpha or beta readers or whatever-they-are-called-first readers, before going into publishing to avoid disasters (or miraculous situations) like this one.
So again, I did not finish so I am not giving or taking away any stars. The story idea is good. But delivery ... not so good.
October 4, 2022
this was SLAYING!!!! loved it. Def had a few spelling/grammar errors but I didn’t mind. They were quite minor.
March 25, 2021
I went into this book completely blind and boy, am I regretting it.
It's a YA (which I was definitely not in the mood for) but to top that off, it was boring and repetitive as hell. I don't know how or why I finished it but I did. Whew.
The story had a LOT of potential but it got lost. Those two stars are for that potential. Not continuing with the story though . 😑
It's a YA (which I was definitely not in the mood for) but to top that off, it was boring and repetitive as hell. I don't know how or why I finished it but I did. Whew.
The story had a LOT of potential but it got lost. Those two stars are for that potential. Not continuing with the story though . 😑
September 6, 2021
3.5 Stars
I think there must be something wrong with me because normally this book would have been my every dream and addiction mixed into one. I did enjoy the book don’t get me wrong, it just feels like I’ve read 500 variations of the same book by now, only this one is RH. I don’t know why I didn’t LOVE this book as it has all my favorite tropes: damaged heroine who needs rescuing and protecting but is also working hard to overcome her experiences after being taken in (out of nowhere) by a family of perfect strangers who immediately love and accept her.
I’m not going to go into many details because the book did read very cut and dry to me. The end was pretty crazy but also hard to believe Oddly enough the book ends on a pretty solid note. By this I mean it doesn’t end with all the answers and details, especially about her childhood and abductor, but I’d certainly count it’s finality as a HEA. This would work perfectly also for someone who is a clean reader. There is absolutely nothing explicit in the book, which does obviously make sense given the heroines past and even that is only mildly brought up. I’m jumping into the next book and and really hoping it plays out better for me.
My biggest complaint
I think there must be something wrong with me because normally this book would have been my every dream and addiction mixed into one. I did enjoy the book don’t get me wrong, it just feels like I’ve read 500 variations of the same book by now, only this one is RH. I don’t know why I didn’t LOVE this book as it has all my favorite tropes: damaged heroine who needs rescuing and protecting but is also working hard to overcome her experiences after being taken in (out of nowhere) by a family of perfect strangers who immediately love and accept her.
I’m not going to go into many details because the book did read very cut and dry to me. The end was pretty crazy but also hard to believe Oddly enough the book ends on a pretty solid note. By this I mean it doesn’t end with all the answers and details, especially about her childhood and abductor, but I’d certainly count it’s finality as a HEA. This would work perfectly also for someone who is a clean reader. There is absolutely nothing explicit in the book, which does obviously make sense given the heroines past and even that is only mildly brought up. I’m jumping into the next book and and really hoping it plays out better for me.
My biggest complaint
July 1, 2022
This was dark, a whole new level of damsel in distress.
When Olivia was 9 she was kidnapped. She was tortured, raped, and kept in silent darkness for 8 horrific years. Somehow, she manages to escape and she’s found walking down the street, in dirty, blood soaked clothes, by a couple of cops. At the hospital, Olivia meets Xander- who was adopted by Keira and Grant, along with their other 4 adopted sons; Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt.
Finding that her mother died of cancer, and her father in a car accident, Olivia goes to live with the Grant and Keira, and their birth daughter Evie, where Olivia, with the help of the entire family, begins to heal.
This one had strong Dollar series vibes from Pepper Winters. This first book is rather slow, giving Olivia time to get adjusted and the boys time to get to be there for her. It picks up again at the end with another kidnapping for blood. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the boys, especially Matt and Kyle, who seem to have a lot they’re hiding.
3 stars for pacing
4 stars for the story
When Olivia was 9 she was kidnapped. She was tortured, raped, and kept in silent darkness for 8 horrific years. Somehow, she manages to escape and she’s found walking down the street, in dirty, blood soaked clothes, by a couple of cops. At the hospital, Olivia meets Xander- who was adopted by Keira and Grant, along with their other 4 adopted sons; Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt.
Finding that her mother died of cancer, and her father in a car accident, Olivia goes to live with the Grant and Keira, and their birth daughter Evie, where Olivia, with the help of the entire family, begins to heal.
This one had strong Dollar series vibes from Pepper Winters. This first book is rather slow, giving Olivia time to get adjusted and the boys time to get to be there for her. It picks up again at the end with another kidnapping for blood. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the boys, especially Matt and Kyle, who seem to have a lot they’re hiding.
3 stars for pacing
4 stars for the story
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
DNF 85%
Look. I can suspend some disbelief up until a certain point BUT goodness this was just so bad.
A 9 year old gets kidnapped for 8 years, and survives to find out that her family is dead, so she moves in with her doctor’s family and falls in love with his 4 brothers. Already off to a rough start, but then this same child who was kept in a torture room for 8 years somehow magically has the math skills that no one else does? They need her specific skills to solve a serial killer mystery? Really? The local cops are on the case for a serial killer? No FBI? And they need a 17 year old girl??
Never mind all the editing errors….
I’m out.
Look. I can suspend some disbelief up until a certain point BUT goodness this was just so bad.
A 9 year old gets kidnapped for 8 years, and survives to find out that her family is dead, so she moves in with her doctor’s family and falls in love with his 4 brothers. Already off to a rough start, but then this same child who was kept in a torture room for 8 years somehow magically has the math skills that no one else does? They need her specific skills to solve a serial killer mystery? Really? The local cops are on the case for a serial killer? No FBI? And they need a 17 year old girl??
Never mind all the editing errors….
I’m out.
Read
June 20, 2021How is this so highly rated?
Seriously? I'm truly curious.
Olivia was kidnapped when she was 8 and escapes 9 years later. After spending time in the hospital, she goes to stay with a foster family that has experience with cases similar to hers. There she meets Cole, Matt, Kyle, and Kaden, and begins to heal from spending 9 years kidnapped and surviving in terrible conditions.
Where to start? So, Olivia has spent all that time being abused in all sorts of ways and living in horrible conditions. She meets this group of guys and almost instantly warms up to them and allows them past her barriers. Is it just me, or is that weird? You would think someone who has been through what she's been through would be a little hesitant to be all touchy feely with complete strangers. The guys aren't young either, one of them is a detective for law enforcement, another works for some security business... Olivia (if I'm doing my math correctly) is 17. So on top of being a survivor of all the things, now she's getting all cozy with grown ass men.... yeah, no. None of this is plausible and frankly it makes the older guys in her future harem seem kind of pervy while they get all sweet on a 17 year old trauma victim.
Also, the insta-love is real on this one. The guys talk about knowing that she was the one and that they have to take care of her after knowing her for one afternoon. WHY? Aside from surviving some truly horrendous shit, why do they have this extreme attachment to her? It's not like she's bursting with personality. By the time they decide that they will anything for her, they've not even had a real conversation with her.
I didn't really connect with Olivia. I felt bad for her, but really she just got annoying. She was always crying or whining about something. Constantly getting hurt and needed to have the attention of EVERYONE because she's so precious and fragile (*gag*). It's a constant theme in this book where something happens and Olivia needs all of the guys (and sometimes the foster parents and the foster sister) to dote on her like she's going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment.
There were also a lot of typos. That in addition to a lot of talking in circles and way too long inner monologues and I just lost interest. When I have to go back pages to remind myself of what the characters are talking about because there are pages of inner thinking, I get annoyed.
Maybe if I made it to the end, I'd understand why this book is so highly rated, but I don't know if I can take anymore of Olivia's whining or the guys forcing her to eat and fussing over her like she's a toddler who is incapable of doing anything for herself.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes overprotective MMCs and a damaged heroine. However, personally, this one is not for me.
Seriously? I'm truly curious.
Olivia was kidnapped when she was 8 and escapes 9 years later. After spending time in the hospital, she goes to stay with a foster family that has experience with cases similar to hers. There she meets Cole, Matt, Kyle, and Kaden, and begins to heal from spending 9 years kidnapped and surviving in terrible conditions.
Where to start? So, Olivia has spent all that time being abused in all sorts of ways and living in horrible conditions. She meets this group of guys and almost instantly warms up to them and allows them past her barriers. Is it just me, or is that weird? You would think someone who has been through what she's been through would be a little hesitant to be all touchy feely with complete strangers. The guys aren't young either, one of them is a detective for law enforcement, another works for some security business... Olivia (if I'm doing my math correctly) is 17. So on top of being a survivor of all the things, now she's getting all cozy with grown ass men.... yeah, no. None of this is plausible and frankly it makes the older guys in her future harem seem kind of pervy while they get all sweet on a 17 year old trauma victim.
Also, the insta-love is real on this one. The guys talk about knowing that she was the one and that they have to take care of her after knowing her for one afternoon. WHY? Aside from surviving some truly horrendous shit, why do they have this extreme attachment to her? It's not like she's bursting with personality. By the time they decide that they will anything for her, they've not even had a real conversation with her.
I didn't really connect with Olivia. I felt bad for her, but really she just got annoying. She was always crying or whining about something. Constantly getting hurt and needed to have the attention of EVERYONE because she's so precious and fragile (*gag*). It's a constant theme in this book where something happens and Olivia needs all of the guys (and sometimes the foster parents and the foster sister) to dote on her like she's going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment.
There were also a lot of typos. That in addition to a lot of talking in circles and way too long inner monologues and I just lost interest. When I have to go back pages to remind myself of what the characters are talking about because there are pages of inner thinking, I get annoyed.
Maybe if I made it to the end, I'd understand why this book is so highly rated, but I don't know if I can take anymore of Olivia's whining or the guys forcing her to eat and fussing over her like she's a toddler who is incapable of doing anything for herself.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes overprotective MMCs and a damaged heroine. However, personally, this one is not for me.
May 11, 2020
Olivia Byrd was abducted at the age of nine. Eight years later she finally escapes, but with no memory of how she does. Bruised, battered and it is obvious of the abuse she has suffered over the years. Olivia is found wondering. Taken to the hospital it is there she meets a kind Doctor. Dr. Xander King recognizes one who has suffered, just like he had. When it is discovered that her parents have passed and she is left all alone with no place to go , Dr. King has a solution. The same family that helped him, can help her. So she goes to live with a family that she does not know. But one that opens their arms up to the scarred girl that needs a loving home. There she meets four men who will change her life forever. They will protect her, teach her and love her. Each one having a dark past of their own, they fight for her. But with a past that is still looking for her and a serial killer out on the loose, can the guys protect the girl that they have come to love?
So I came upon this by accident, and absolutely fell in love. I could not put down my kindle. Every step of the way I was hooked on Olivia and her story. What a story it is too. I will say that if you have a trigger warning for kidnapping, sexual abuse, and violence you may want to go slow on this one.
Olivia is such a strong character, and I fell hard for her. Going through what she had for years,
learning things all over, not to mention new things. Learning to trust, love and recover is going to be a hard road for her, but she does it. With the help of this loving family. I want to be a part of this family. You feel the love and support that they give her and it just melts you.
Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt take her in and protect her. They understand her fears, hurts and mind. The only way someone who has been through the same kind of past can. These guys will melt you heart and win you over just like they did me.
The story reads like you are watching a movie. The descriptiveness of the story just flows so perfect. The characters are engaging, the plot keeps your interest and the pace is just right. That cliffhanger was an unexpected one, but leaves me needing book two. So overall this is a darker read, and if you do not have any triggers, a great one for an interesting read that will leave you needing more of Olivia and her men.
So I came upon this by accident, and absolutely fell in love. I could not put down my kindle. Every step of the way I was hooked on Olivia and her story. What a story it is too. I will say that if you have a trigger warning for kidnapping, sexual abuse, and violence you may want to go slow on this one.
Olivia is such a strong character, and I fell hard for her. Going through what she had for years,
learning things all over, not to mention new things. Learning to trust, love and recover is going to be a hard road for her, but she does it. With the help of this loving family. I want to be a part of this family. You feel the love and support that they give her and it just melts you.
Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt take her in and protect her. They understand her fears, hurts and mind. The only way someone who has been through the same kind of past can. These guys will melt you heart and win you over just like they did me.
The story reads like you are watching a movie. The descriptiveness of the story just flows so perfect. The characters are engaging, the plot keeps your interest and the pace is just right. That cliffhanger was an unexpected one, but leaves me needing book two. So overall this is a darker read, and if you do not have any triggers, a great one for an interesting read that will leave you needing more of Olivia and her men.
April 29, 2021
I’m not really sure how this book is listed as NA. It reads very much a YA to me. No sexual situations other than It was exhausting to read, the same drama over and over again. She is triggered, her guys try to sooth her, she is triggered, her guys try to sooth her. It started getting ridiculous at a point, I mean how much trauma can one poor 17 year old girl take?? The guys saying “you’re never leaving our sight again” and then she does and something bad happens and she’s triggered.
Some things that bothered me.
-She was abducted at 9, escaped at 17. No mentioned of having her period, or learning to wear a bra? She jumps right into a somewhat normal existence other than not knowing how to use a cell phone or an iPad?
-Her adopted parents are ok with the boys spending the night in her room? Really? I would think CPS would have a field day and take all the "kids" away from them for this. AND two of the men are around 25 year old!
-Her nickname on of the boys gives her. "Brains". Maybe I've read too many zombie stories, but every time I saw that I would read it as brainssssssss.
-She's a mathematical genius
Let's see if book two can make the jump from YA to NA and help these broken characters heal in a healthy way.
Some things that bothered me.
-She was abducted at 9, escaped at 17. No mentioned of having her period, or learning to wear a bra? She jumps right into a somewhat normal existence other than not knowing how to use a cell phone or an iPad?
-Her adopted parents are ok with the boys spending the night in her room? Really? I would think CPS would have a field day and take all the "kids" away from them for this. AND two of the men are around 25 year old!
-Her nickname on of the boys gives her. "Brains". Maybe I've read too many zombie stories, but every time I saw that I would read it as brainssssssss.
-She's a mathematical genius
Let's see if book two can make the jump from YA to NA and help these broken characters heal in a healthy way.
May 19, 2020
Entry level
I think, maybe, if you were brand new to this sort of drama, young adult, RH genre you might get caught up in the plot. I also initially thought maybe there would be growth, many freshman writers I’ve read recently have naive angsty first books but come on in leaps and bounds as they move forward. This book did not have any of that hope for me. I could barely read the last 2 chapters. It is soap opera levels of drama and shallow depictions feeling and character, but every single situation is so drenched in wannabe emotion is just rings false and childish. I won’t be following up myself. But as I said, it may be that this is more suited to a reader who is new to this genre or maybe the following books will be better and deeper
I think, maybe, if you were brand new to this sort of drama, young adult, RH genre you might get caught up in the plot. I also initially thought maybe there would be growth, many freshman writers I’ve read recently have naive angsty first books but come on in leaps and bounds as they move forward. This book did not have any of that hope for me. I could barely read the last 2 chapters. It is soap opera levels of drama and shallow depictions feeling and character, but every single situation is so drenched in wannabe emotion is just rings false and childish. I won’t be following up myself. But as I said, it may be that this is more suited to a reader who is new to this genre or maybe the following books will be better and deeper
June 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and read it in less than 24hrs!
It’s not something I would usually enjoy so much as there was no smut in this first book at all (and only 2 kisses throughout the entire book!) but nonetheless I really enjoyed it and found ir hard to put it down!
- RH (4 guys / No MM)
- Adopted siblings & foster sister
- FMC is 17
- H’s are 18,18,24 and last age unknown
- FMC has been held captive for 8 years
- Harem is very protective and supportive of her
- Nothing much romantic happens until around 60% in when the first kiss happens (even though they both put a stop to it pretty quickly and apologise for it)
- 75% in they form the relationship (although nothing smutty has happened yet)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars
0/3 🌶 Steam
It’s not something I would usually enjoy so much as there was no smut in this first book at all (and only 2 kisses throughout the entire book!) but nonetheless I really enjoyed it and found ir hard to put it down!
- RH (4 guys / No MM)
- Adopted siblings & foster sister
- FMC is 17
- H’s are 18,18,24 and last age unknown
- FMC has been held captive for 8 years
- Harem is very protective and supportive of her
- Nothing much romantic happens until around 60% in when the first kiss happens (even though they both put a stop to it pretty quickly and apologise for it)
- 75% in they form the relationship (although nothing smutty has happened yet)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars
0/3 🌶 Steam
August 16, 2024
DNF at 70%
The writing style wasn’t for me
The writing style wasn’t for me
May 7, 2020
Once again 2.5 stars.
This was an okay read, it was more of an It’s not you, it’s me book.
I just had some major issues with a few things. The ridiculously short time table being the most tiring. It all just happens in such a short time. Basically everyone loves everyone in the span of a few minutes, it was just so unnatural and simply not to my liking. Just to name a few more: FMC just wasn’t my cuppa, the whole math genius solves the murder puzzle, was just so over the top and badly done. The whole extra added mystery just felt forced and wasn’t well done. The boys are basically one and the same person, characterization was really lacking. Some thing just didn’t make any sense - why am I going to big parties or a fucking mall with a person that spent the last nine years locked up and in the dark - without any kind of counselor? And then surprise, drama happens. There just was no natural flow at all. This is a difficult trope and for me to enjoy it, it needs to make sense and has to be handled with utter care and am just didn’t feel, it was done well enough here.
And what I just always really struggle with: The love heals everything trope.
Although I am sure, that a lot readers, that don’t mind as much as much, can enjoy this one.
This was an okay read, it was more of an It’s not you, it’s me book.
I just had some major issues with a few things. The ridiculously short time table being the most tiring. It all just happens in such a short time. Basically everyone loves everyone in the span of a few minutes, it was just so unnatural and simply not to my liking. Just to name a few more: FMC just wasn’t my cuppa, the whole math genius solves the murder puzzle, was just so over the top and badly done. The whole extra added mystery just felt forced and wasn’t well done. The boys are basically one and the same person, characterization was really lacking. Some thing just didn’t make any sense - why am I going to big parties or a fucking mall with a person that spent the last nine years locked up and in the dark - without any kind of counselor? And then surprise, drama happens. There just was no natural flow at all. This is a difficult trope and for me to enjoy it, it needs to make sense and has to be handled with utter care and am just didn’t feel, it was done well enough here.
And what I just always really struggle with: The love heals everything trope.
Although I am sure, that a lot readers, that don’t mind as much as much, can enjoy this one.
August 7, 2021
*****Rounded up to 3.5 stars*****
This is a hard one for me to review/rate mainly due to my enjoyment of the book vs structural issues and believability.
I instantly fell right into this story. It was captivating and kept me turning the pages. It was not a short book and even toward the end I was thinking, I need more than these last few chapters are going to give me so I was relieved to see that it's a trilogy. I fell in love with each of the guys. They all have their own demons and personalities. While this story was predominantly about Livy, I do hope we delve deeper into the guys' stories in the other books. There were so many layers to this story, so many players and I loved how much thought the author put into the characters and story.
There's a huge soap-opera-ish feel to this book. Lots of angst and drama.
The reason this book is difficult to review/rate is that while I was consumed from page one, I did have a few issues with the book. Continuity was a small issue, but what was more difficult to overlook was how much the reader must suspend reality to accept the events of the book. The heroine's healing and adjusting to society again, the progression of the relationship between Livy, Matt, Cole, Kade, and Kyle, and the miraculous healing ability of everyone in this book after major accidents, as well as civilians being allowed to be a part of a police investigation, were all things that irked me just a tad. Ok, more than a tad. I do believe had these issues been addressed and the timeline of the story altered somewhat, the story would have benefitted tremendously, and suspending reality wouldn't be such an issue for readers.
That being said, the issues I had with the book did not interfere with my ability to enjoy the book. I still can't wait to see what happens next in this series and where the author will take us.
This is a hard one for me to review/rate mainly due to my enjoyment of the book vs structural issues and believability.
I instantly fell right into this story. It was captivating and kept me turning the pages. It was not a short book and even toward the end I was thinking, I need more than these last few chapters are going to give me so I was relieved to see that it's a trilogy. I fell in love with each of the guys. They all have their own demons and personalities. While this story was predominantly about Livy, I do hope we delve deeper into the guys' stories in the other books. There were so many layers to this story, so many players and I loved how much thought the author put into the characters and story.
There's a huge soap-opera-ish feel to this book. Lots of angst and drama.
The reason this book is difficult to review/rate is that while I was consumed from page one, I did have a few issues with the book. Continuity was a small issue, but what was more difficult to overlook was how much the reader must suspend reality to accept the events of the book. The heroine's healing and adjusting to society again, the progression of the relationship between Livy, Matt, Cole, Kade, and Kyle, and the miraculous healing ability of everyone in this book after major accidents, as well as civilians being allowed to be a part of a police investigation, were all things that irked me just a tad. Ok, more than a tad. I do believe had these issues been addressed and the timeline of the story altered somewhat, the story would have benefitted tremendously, and suspending reality wouldn't be such an issue for readers.
That being said, the issues I had with the book did not interfere with my ability to enjoy the book. I still can't wait to see what happens next in this series and where the author will take us.
June 18, 2020
3 stars.
This book to me started out really well but then at the end a lot was happening to Olivia that I was loosing interest in areas that should have really hooked me.
Olivia was kidnapped when she was 9 and was help captive by "The Shadow" for 8 years. Then she mysteriously escapes with no memory of how she did that. She then has to live with a foster family and within that family she meets 4 guys (Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt). They take her in right away since they have similar dark pasts.
Overall this book at the beginning hooked me the premise was interesting, but then somehow all of these little quirks that Olivia was doing didn't really make sense since she was captive and pretty much alone for 8 years with no one to talk to. I also was not caring what happened to any of the characters anymore. I don't know if that is just due to my head space while reading it but I was just loosing interest really fast.
I did like all of the guys, although Kyle started becoming annoying towards the end.... I didn't like that because at the beginning he was great.
This was just an okay RH for me, I haven't decided on if I am going to continue with the rest of the series when it comes out.. which I don't know when that will be.
This book to me started out really well but then at the end a lot was happening to Olivia that I was loosing interest in areas that should have really hooked me.
Olivia was kidnapped when she was 9 and was help captive by "The Shadow" for 8 years. Then she mysteriously escapes with no memory of how she did that. She then has to live with a foster family and within that family she meets 4 guys (Kade, Kyle, Cole and Matt). They take her in right away since they have similar dark pasts.
Overall this book at the beginning hooked me the premise was interesting, but then somehow all of these little quirks that Olivia was doing didn't really make sense since she was captive and pretty much alone for 8 years with no one to talk to. I also was not caring what happened to any of the characters anymore. I don't know if that is just due to my head space while reading it but I was just loosing interest really fast.
I did like all of the guys, although Kyle started becoming annoying towards the end.... I didn't like that because at the beginning he was great.
This was just an okay RH for me, I haven't decided on if I am going to continue with the rest of the series when it comes out.. which I don't know when that will be.
January 16, 2021
Representation: Hispanic Hero, Gay Supporting Character, Gay Side Character, MM Side Romance
Overall: 3.5-stars
Note: I included the book on my 'Best of RH' shelf despite the 3-star rating because I sometimes get in the mood for this kind of RH read: prioritizing entertainment and drama over reality.
Handfuls of Shattered Pieces is a guilty-pleasure dark contemporary reverse harem romance. I like RH romances, where the series starts with the Heroine having to overcome her past. There are a few standalone romantic suspense contemporary RH novels I've read in the past and really enjoyed. But, I always felt a single book didn't dedicate enough time for the Heroine to get used to her new life and affirm her relationships with her boyfriends.
Now, there's a lot about Handfuls of Shattered Pieces that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief (the Heroine is kept in complete darkness, or at minimum incredibly low-lighting, which would necessitate months of recovering to regain proper eyesight). The Heroine, Olivia, also has multiple physical injuries that she somehow overcomes in weeks instead of months. The fact that the hospital let her out (after she was discovered) after only a week was not realistic. However, I found myself really enjoying the story once I stopped rolling my eyes at the unrealistic medical details.
I loved that her doctor, Xander was not one of her love interests. I hate when romance books blur that line, especially when the main character (patient) goes to the doctor (physical or psychological) for trauma-related injuries. It comes across – to me – as if the doctor is taking advantage of their patient. Back to Handfuls of Shattered Pieces: Xander ends up becoming one of Olivia's closest friends. He also (conveniently) was raised by wondering foster parents and works with Child Services to get Olivia placed with them (Olivia is 17 years old, almost 18).
Despite Olivia's speedy physical recovery, I appreciated that Olivia's PTSD was the main focus of her recovery. I felt that Olivia grappling with wanting to forget what happened to her and live 'normally' came across as genuine. Even her fear of therapy – Olivia was kidnapped at age 9, so her only reference to psychology was from history textbooks where she learned about asylums – was believable as it was rooted in not wanting to be sent away. However, by the end of the book, I got fed up that none of the supporting characters or Olivia's boyfriends were speaking up about the benefits of therapy. Of course, having no autonomy for 9 years, Olivia must have control over what she does and doesn't do. But it was incredibly frustrating to read Olivia's repetitive narrative that she should've been "over it" already... when it had only been a week. Nevermind that for some people, learning to cope is a life-long commitment. I wanted any character to counter Olivia's thoughts that therapy does help.
For readers who don't like Mary Sue Heroines... Olivia is kind of a Mary Sue. She's a genius with math, plays the piano incredibly well, and is thought to walks on water by her foster family and boyfriends. But she obviously also has a lot of problems. Throughout Handfuls of Shattered Pieces, she slowly starts to trust her found-family. But, she grapples with survivors' guilt, which has adverse effects on her mental health.
Olivia's four boyfriends are technically her foster brothers... although, she was just staying with the (of course, wealthy) foster family while she recuperated and found her footing before turning 18. They range in age from 17 to 22/23. Two are in high school with her: Cole and Matt. The other two are very similar in personality and have names that start with the same letter, which made me so confused while reading: Kade and Kyle. They also have similar jobs: one is a cop, and the other is ex-military and is now in private security. I constantly got them mixed up, which really frustrated me while reading. It's acknowledged pretty early on in the book that all the guys had really difficult (read: traumatic) childhoods. However, we only find out the details of Kyle and Matt's pasts in the first two books. (Note, the series is a trilogy, so I'm curious if Olivia and the readers will ever find out what happened to Cole and Kade.)
It was so odd how EVERYTHING (including a hike in the local park and a high school party) gets turned into a life-or-death situation. Why can't Olivia experience anything in a mundane way? There's already a romantic suspense plot with her kidnapper still being at large; there was no need for even more drama. I admit that I found it entertaining, but it, again, required a suspension of disbelief.
Overall, I found Handfuls of Shattered Pieces a captivating, quick read. I also became invested in the relationship between Olivia and her boyfriends. I liked how the Heroes had decided before meeting Olivia that they wanted a reverse harem relationship and had already decided they would be mono/poly for each other (meaning while Olivia is with all of them, they are all monogamous to her).
Note before reading: This book covers some very dark content. Please read the Possible Triggers tab before purchasing. While the romance itself is not dark, the author does not "fade to black" when the Heroine has flashbacks and nightmares.
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers:
Ending:
Overall: 3.5-stars
Note: I included the book on my 'Best of RH' shelf despite the 3-star rating because I sometimes get in the mood for this kind of RH read: prioritizing entertainment and drama over reality.
Handfuls of Shattered Pieces is a guilty-pleasure dark contemporary reverse harem romance. I like RH romances, where the series starts with the Heroine having to overcome her past. There are a few standalone romantic suspense contemporary RH novels I've read in the past and really enjoyed. But, I always felt a single book didn't dedicate enough time for the Heroine to get used to her new life and affirm her relationships with her boyfriends.
Now, there's a lot about Handfuls of Shattered Pieces that requires the reader to suspend their disbelief (the Heroine is kept in complete darkness, or at minimum incredibly low-lighting, which would necessitate months of recovering to regain proper eyesight). The Heroine, Olivia, also has multiple physical injuries that she somehow overcomes in weeks instead of months. The fact that the hospital let her out (after she was discovered) after only a week was not realistic. However, I found myself really enjoying the story once I stopped rolling my eyes at the unrealistic medical details.
I loved that her doctor, Xander was not one of her love interests. I hate when romance books blur that line, especially when the main character (patient) goes to the doctor (physical or psychological) for trauma-related injuries. It comes across – to me – as if the doctor is taking advantage of their patient. Back to Handfuls of Shattered Pieces: Xander ends up becoming one of Olivia's closest friends. He also (conveniently) was raised by wondering foster parents and works with Child Services to get Olivia placed with them (Olivia is 17 years old, almost 18).
Despite Olivia's speedy physical recovery, I appreciated that Olivia's PTSD was the main focus of her recovery. I felt that Olivia grappling with wanting to forget what happened to her and live 'normally' came across as genuine. Even her fear of therapy – Olivia was kidnapped at age 9, so her only reference to psychology was from history textbooks where she learned about asylums – was believable as it was rooted in not wanting to be sent away. However, by the end of the book, I got fed up that none of the supporting characters or Olivia's boyfriends were speaking up about the benefits of therapy. Of course, having no autonomy for 9 years, Olivia must have control over what she does and doesn't do. But it was incredibly frustrating to read Olivia's repetitive narrative that she should've been "over it" already... when it had only been a week. Nevermind that for some people, learning to cope is a life-long commitment. I wanted any character to counter Olivia's thoughts that therapy does help.
For readers who don't like Mary Sue Heroines... Olivia is kind of a Mary Sue. She's a genius with math, plays the piano incredibly well, and is thought to walks on water by her foster family and boyfriends. But she obviously also has a lot of problems. Throughout Handfuls of Shattered Pieces, she slowly starts to trust her found-family. But, she grapples with survivors' guilt, which has adverse effects on her mental health.
Olivia's four boyfriends are technically her foster brothers... although, she was just staying with the (of course, wealthy) foster family while she recuperated and found her footing before turning 18. They range in age from 17 to 22/23. Two are in high school with her: Cole and Matt. The other two are very similar in personality and have names that start with the same letter, which made me so confused while reading: Kade and Kyle. They also have similar jobs: one is a cop, and the other is ex-military and is now in private security. I constantly got them mixed up, which really frustrated me while reading. It's acknowledged pretty early on in the book that all the guys had really difficult (read: traumatic) childhoods. However, we only find out the details of Kyle and Matt's pasts in the first two books. (Note, the series is a trilogy, so I'm curious if Olivia and the readers will ever find out what happened to Cole and Kade.)
It was so odd how EVERYTHING (including a hike in the local park and a high school party) gets turned into a life-or-death situation. Why can't Olivia experience anything in a mundane way? There's already a romantic suspense plot with her kidnapper still being at large; there was no need for even more drama. I admit that I found it entertaining, but it, again, required a suspension of disbelief.
Overall, I found Handfuls of Shattered Pieces a captivating, quick read. I also became invested in the relationship between Olivia and her boyfriends. I liked how the Heroes had decided before meeting Olivia that they wanted a reverse harem relationship and had already decided they would be mono/poly for each other (meaning while Olivia is with all of them, they are all monogamous to her).
Note before reading: This book covers some very dark content. Please read the Possible Triggers tab before purchasing. While the romance itself is not dark, the author does not "fade to black" when the Heroine has flashbacks and nightmares.
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers:
Ending:
February 10, 2022
I did read a few reviews before reading in this one. One of them said that it wasn’t realistic how quick she could have contact with boys again. Although I do afree with this, it really depends on the victim. We can’t decide for her if she is allowed to feel and think the way she did.
But I did feel not realistic at all for me, so I imagined she stayed with them more then 3 weeks. Because in my mind I wouldn’t be that quick to move on.
I did enjoy the fact that this story didn’t over-sexualise reverse harem-trope.
Although I really enjoyed it, I was a little repetitive at the end. So I am not quite sure I will read the second one. Although I do want to know what happend to her kidnapper. So I think the fact that that is still a mystery, does wonders.
I also thought that the guys did looked a like as characters. They were all thoughtful and stuff but at the end when she discribed the boys’ personalities, I didn’t saw them that way because of how the writer showed them in the book. I just didn’t add up. Also it really is a bummer that Keira and Grant don’t have more scenes.. i mean they are their when something bad happens to her, but in the book the author describes how caring Keira and Grant are and how they love her and vise versa, but how could they? Livy is still underage and Keira and Grant have been bearly mentioned just if something bad happends. But that’s not how I see parents.
But I did feel not realistic at all for me, so I imagined she stayed with them more then 3 weeks. Because in my mind I wouldn’t be that quick to move on.
I did enjoy the fact that this story didn’t over-sexualise reverse harem-trope.
Although I really enjoyed it, I was a little repetitive at the end. So I am not quite sure I will read the second one. Although I do want to know what happend to her kidnapper. So I think the fact that that is still a mystery, does wonders.
I also thought that the guys did looked a like as characters. They were all thoughtful and stuff but at the end when she discribed the boys’ personalities, I didn’t saw them that way because of how the writer showed them in the book. I just didn’t add up. Also it really is a bummer that Keira and Grant don’t have more scenes.. i mean they are their when something bad happens to her, but in the book the author describes how caring Keira and Grant are and how they love her and vise versa, but how could they? Livy is still underage and Keira and Grant have been bearly mentioned just if something bad happends. But that’s not how I see parents.
April 29, 2022
This was a mixed bag for me. I picked this up because I heard it was a similar trope to "Find Me" and in many ways it was. The one big way it wasn't though was the time line and that was a big part of the problem for me. Where the FMC in "Find Me" had a year away from the serial killer that attacked her to recover from the immediate trauma in this story Olivia has only had a couple of days. Most of this story takes place in under 3 weeks' time and that makes Olivia's healing very rushed with a lot of very traumatic other stuff was being added in that should have made things worse for her mentally. While that was very rushed the writing itself did drag for me, there were a lot of descriptions of things that seems unnecessary and I did skim over many. Ultimately while I did enjoy the overarching premise of this story I don't really feel I want to read the next book
May 3, 2020
Heartbreaking, Beautiful
This was my first read by Kerry Taylor and it was shockingly good. I would put the quality of writing up with some of the most talented authors I read. This was an emotionally charged story and Kerry knows how to build the characters and the world so that you find yourself quickly and deeply invested. You are going to be rooting so hard for the fmc and her H's all of whom have had a damaging life that has tried to break them. You can really see why they all need each other and the unique qualities they each bring to the new family group they are developing. This story has it all, action, intensity, loads of emotional connection, the beginnings of a beautiful romance. I can NOT wait for the second part to release. This is definitely going into my re-read library.
This was my first read by Kerry Taylor and it was shockingly good. I would put the quality of writing up with some of the most talented authors I read. This was an emotionally charged story and Kerry knows how to build the characters and the world so that you find yourself quickly and deeply invested. You are going to be rooting so hard for the fmc and her H's all of whom have had a damaging life that has tried to break them. You can really see why they all need each other and the unique qualities they each bring to the new family group they are developing. This story has it all, action, intensity, loads of emotional connection, the beginnings of a beautiful romance. I can NOT wait for the second part to release. This is definitely going into my re-read library.
May 4, 2023
First, I want to say that I loved the story.
What I didn't love was all the friggin grammar errors!
Holy shit.
First....SLOWLY is spelled with an S not a C.
Secondly, thank you is TWO words, not one.
And thirdly, bigger is spelled with a B not an N...
Yeah I read that just as I was drinking milk and let's just say, it didn't end well.
So many spelling errors but that one shocked me. You may want to fix that before someone becomes offended.
Other than those points, it was a good story. Can't wait to see what happens next.
What I didn't love was all the friggin grammar errors!
Holy shit.
First....SLOWLY is spelled with an S not a C.
Secondly, thank you is TWO words, not one.
And thirdly, bigger is spelled with a B not an N...
Yeah I read that just as I was drinking milk and let's just say, it didn't end well.
So many spelling errors but that one shocked me. You may want to fix that before someone becomes offended.
Other than those points, it was a good story. Can't wait to see what happens next.
August 5, 2020
Extremely dark but absolutely brilliant
*Trigger Warning*
This story was intense. I couldn't put it down, I felt compelled to keep reading the book. I loved it. Very emotional story, very dark story. Absolutely brilliant book. I'm not speechless often but this story leaves me speechless. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
*Trigger Warning*
This story was intense. I couldn't put it down, I felt compelled to keep reading the book. I loved it. Very emotional story, very dark story. Absolutely brilliant book. I'm not speechless often but this story leaves me speechless. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.
May 21, 2020
3,5 stars
I really enjoyed reading this book, it reminded me a lil of the cardinal series by Mia Smantz. Both mc characters have been abused for a couple of years, kidnapped and they are crazy smart with math and stuff i guess i would say. Yess no fucking chliffhangers, finally i am so relieved!
I really enjoyed reading this book, it reminded me a lil of the cardinal series by Mia Smantz. Both mc characters have been abused for a couple of years, kidnapped and they are crazy smart with math and stuff i guess i would say. Yess no fucking chliffhangers, finally i am so relieved!
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