Bashed by Rick R. Reed

Mar 11, 2016 Judith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, dark

*** 4.5Stars ***
Very hard to read at times but I'm so glad i did....

If you read the blurb for this you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect but nothing could have prepared me for the opening scene.
I don't normally read the Authors note at the end of books but I did here.It made that opening scene so much more powerful as it's inspired by a real life event for the Author.

Donald and Mark met at the Brig,a gay sex club where pretty much anything goes.Donald wasn't looking for romance when M ...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Cindi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, m-m, on-blog, 2014, rick-r-reed, favorites, faves-published-in-2014, dsp-arc

Rick R. Reed stopped by On Top Down Under on July 17th as part of the Bashed - Love Never Dies blog tour, with a guest post and a chance to win a signed copy of one of his books. Check it out here .

Full review can be found at -

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Bashed tells the story of a couple who are attacked solely because they are two men who love each other. One survives but the other does not. Donald is left battling the aftermath of the attack and losing the only man he's ever loved. Mark, his late partner, starts ...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Susan65 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4.5 Stars for making me cry...more than once.

Why are people so mean? Why is there such hatred and injustice and grief and pain in our world? Why does it seem like some people make it through life so easily while others suffer horribly? This story is about two men who have recently fallen in love and were just starting their lives together when they are viciously attacked...just because they are gay. Donald is majorly injured and Mark is killed. The story is about Donald learning to live again, l ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Barb ~rede-2-read~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: angst-a-lot, bdsm, dark-graphic, read-2014

Caution: contains spoilers.

Donald Griffiths is on his way home from a leather bar with his partner, Mark, late one night, when they are attacked by three youths wielding a baseball bat. When he wakes up, he finds out that Mark has been murdered and he’s totally lost, unable to even remember the attack, and unable to cope with life without Mark. (view spoiler) Caution: contains spoilers.

Donald Griffiths is on his way home from a leather bar with his partner, Mark, late one night, when they are attacked by three youths wielding a baseball bat. When he wakes up, he finds out that Mark has been murdered and he’s totally lost, unable to even remember the attack, and unable to cope with life without Mark. (view spoiler)

When his sister drops him off at his apartment once he’s released from the hospital, he’s shocked to find Mark there. He discovers that as long as he doesn’t touch Mark, it’s safe to sit with him and talk to him, seeking solace in his lonely world. It takes time, but he slowly comes to realize that Mark isn’t really there and that’s why when he touches the vision, Mark disappears. But he’s truly convinced that it is Mark’s spirit and knows it to be true the night that Mark’s spirit helps him remember the attack and clearly recall what the bat-wielding young man looked like.

It’s also Mark who encourages Donald to finally leave the apartment and visit the leather bar. Donald needs some sexual relief, even though he knows it will be brief and pointless. On his first trip out, he has sex in the back room with a very willing bottom. Then it turns out the bottom, Walter, is the new guy who moved into the apartment above Donald’s. Donald isn’t interested in pursuing a relationship, but it is nice to have someone to occasionally hook up with.

(view spoiler)

I enjoyed this story very much, even though it was tragic and heartbreaking. The author allowed us to see a bit of Mark’s and Donald’s relationship through use of flashbacks and shared memories. I also liked the use of Mark’s spirit in the story. Who’s to say it can’t happen? It was understated, not outlandish, and really helped move the story along. And the final chapters in which Donald rediscovers his memory, and in which we see the resolution of both Justin’s and Ronnie’s role in the crime were fast-paced, causing me to hold my breath until the outcome was revealed.

There’s no “real time” romance in this story, however. There’s potential for Donald and Walter to get together for the future, but the romance is primarily the romance between Donald and Mark, and I honestly don’t know how I feel about that. On the one hand, it would be difficult to believe that a quick turnaround romance could blossom so soon after that tragedy. On the other hand, not having a current romance in the story was disappointing.

If you don’t mind a sad story that’s very well done, and you don’t mind having the romance in retrospect, rather than in the present, you should like this one. I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher through Hearts on Fire Reviews in exchange for an impartial review. ...more

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Sep 07, 2014 Smith Barney rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: masc-tone, contagious-writing, mm-crime, life-affirming-pivotal, med-sex-content, mm-dark, violent, mm-dark-angst, mm-para-supernatural, homophobic-content

Compelling. Morbidly fascinating..of course I kept reading. ...more

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Feb 01, 2019 Melissa rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: grief, 201-300, dark-theme, overcoming-trauma, hoopla, borrowed, angst-medium, partner-death, 2019, ghost

This story is as hard to read as the title makes you think. This does have a good ending. Happy? Depends on how you look at it. A lot of bad does happen in this story, but good happens too. If violence in stories bothers you, you shouldn't read this. I did skip parts from the perpetrators POV because I didn't care what he thought. I know why he hated gay men - because he hated himself for thoughts he couldn't stop. This fact comes out very early in the story.

This is a well written story with gho ...more

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Aug 07, 2016 Meka♥books rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-mystery-suspense-thriller, misc-lendable, content-bdsm, genre-dark, genre-glbt, character-mm, content-hate-crime, content-amnesia, content-homophobia, character-tattoos-piercings

Bashed is a hard to read hate crime against a gay couple walking to their car after leaving a club. Author Rick R. Reed did a great job accounting the characters anxiety and fears of the tauting before the attack and the anticipation of what was to come next during the assult. I was left feeling raw while reading the crime against main characters Mark and Donald. As (view spoiler) Donald was in the in hospital battered, bruised, and frustrated with no memory o Bashed is a hard to read hate crime against a gay couple walking to their car after leaving a club. Author Rick R. Reed did a great job accounting the characters anxiety and fears of the tauting before the attack and the anticipation of what was to come next during the assult. I was left feeling raw while reading the crime against main characters Mark and Donald. As (view spoiler) Donald was in the in hospital battered, bruised, and frustrated with no memory of the attack.

Once released from the hospital Donald has a hard time adjusting living without his partner.
Home had certain connotations, and those had been erased by brutality and hate.
Mark comes to Donald in the form of a ghost helping him come to terms of what happened and coaching him to remember the faces of the perpetrators that assaulted them that painful night.

In an ironic twist of fate, Donald's new neighbor Walter is not only attracted to Donald but is also related to Justin, the sixteen year old and the youngest participant of the gay bashing. Walter is so smitten with Donald he uses any excuse to go to his home. One evening he took Justin to Donald's to borrow bay leaves for making chili but it's Justin who gets more than he bargain for.
His heart started hammering. His throat closed up. He wanted to cry and throw up and wasn't sure which would come first and how he would hold back either or explain either to his uncle... or to the man standing before them. It was him. One of the guys they had beat up two weeks ago. There was no doubt in Justin's mind, and, as if to confirm it, there was a cut on the man's forehead. There was an old bruise, faded to sickly yellow, on his neck. He was the same guy, standing right here before him!
Justin was a contradiction for me. He was raised by a single mother who didn't give him the attention he desperately needed as she was dealing with demons herself. However, his uncle Walter was always there present in his life, giving him advice, and spending time with him. I didn't understand why Justin felt the need to hang out with the wrong crowd and someone ten years his senior to feel validated to point of potentially jeopardizing his uncle's safety.

Bashed took me on an emotional roller coaster. I felt for Donald and what he lost. I was saddend by one of Mark's brother's behavior's at the wake
See, I wanted to say thanks for me making my little brother a fag
I was overwhelmed with feelings for Walter at Justin's actions, the state of their relationship, and aftermath for Justin.

Bashed is a well written book on hate. The author's Afterword was my favorite part of the book. It tells what inspired this story and his personal experience with prejudices. Some parts of Bashed were a bit long winded for me and more development needed to be shared be into the preps family life. Other than that this was a magnificant read. If you're into gay reads, descriptive hate crimes, and stories that could happen in real life this book is for you. Bashed gets 4.5 stars. ...more

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Nov 08, 2016 Daniel Mitton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)

Did you ever start reading a book and then realize as you were reading it that you’d already read it before? That happened with this one. I read the first edition a few years ago and it deeply troubled me at the time. I’m not sure what possessed me to request this book for a Flashback Friday review, but something did.

A warning. This book is about a hate crime. A gay bashing where one of the men is killed…beaten to death in the street with a baseball b (Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews.)

Did you ever start reading a book and then realize as you were reading it that you’d already read it before? That happened with this one. I read the first edition a few years ago and it deeply troubled me at the time. I’m not sure what possessed me to request this book for a Flashback Friday review, but something did.

A warning. This book is about a hate crime. A gay bashing where one of the men is killed…beaten to death in the street with a baseball bat. Similar to Matthew Broderick’s character in the movie Torch Song Trilogy and other portrayals of the violence perpetrated on gay men and women in the ‘real’ world, this story reads as if it could actually have happened. As a gay man, knowing how close to the surface hate is in many people, particularly in today’s political climate, the story was chilling. It is made worse probably by my own experience when in my early twenties I was chased several blocks in the middle of the night in Manhattan by 5 men yelling things like Fag and get him…filthy queer. Luckily like Mr. Reed’s story in the afterward, I found one of New York’s finest in a subway station where I ran to try to escape. There but by the grace of someone go I, or any of the countless other gay men and women who have faced this sort of hate and lived to tell about it.

This story is powerful in several ways. It is the story of Donald, and the love of his life taken from him too soon by hatred. It is a tale of internalized homophobia in the case of the murderer, and it is a tale of the corruptibility of youth in the case of the young man, Justin, whose combination of poor family upbringing and ignorance led him to be in the wrong place with the wrong people. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like Justin, but I thought Mr. Reed did a good job writing his character.

This is not the book if you’re looking for a feel good, dancing through the flowers, happy sort of read. It is dark, it is gritty, and sadly it is all too real. I’m writing this early on election day in my country. The last year has seen a huge increase in hatred and violence driven by a particular political candidate. Will that increase in hatred lead to more real-life stories like the story in this book? Only time will tell.

I recommend this book highly. It is very well written and powerful. Be prepared…it will leave you maudlin. If it doesn’t, there might just be something wrong with you. ...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Jeff Erno rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gay-fiction, gay-ghost-story

Rick Reed's Bashed is an amazingly compelling novel that depicts the brutality and aftermath of a horrific hate crime. In the opening chapter we are introduced to Donald and Mark, an endearingly devoted gay couple who are just approaching the second year of their romantic relationship. They are madly in love, and as they leave a leather bar together that love is confronted by unimaginable hatred. They are violently attacked by a group of three young assailants weilding aluminum baseball bats, an Rick Reed's Bashed is an amazingly compelling novel that depicts the brutality and aftermath of a horrific hate crime. In the opening chapter we are introduced to Donald and Mark, an endearingly devoted gay couple who are just approaching the second year of their romantic relationship. They are madly in love, and as they leave a leather bar together that love is confronted by unimaginable hatred. They are violently attacked by a group of three young assailants weilding aluminum baseball bats, and young Mark is killed. This is the beginning of the story.

From this point Reed takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride that surprises and frightens. He not only explores the mind and emotions of Donald, the surviving victim, but also Ronny and Justin, two of the bashers. I was in awe of Reed's ability to paint such clear pictures of his setting by describing seemingly minute and insignificant details. I felt as if I understood the emotions and thought processes of each character. I was astonished by Reed's command of the English language and by his impressive and expansive vocabulary. His writing style flowed, and he varied his sentence structure in a manner that skillfully avoided any appearance of choppiness or uncertainty.

Initially my reaction to the horrendous crime was to hate the criminals, but by the end of the story I felt compassion and pity for them. It was not so much hatred that fueled their violence as it was fear. They were afraid of who they were. They were afraid of the honesty and openness that Donald and Mark's love demonstrated. I yearned for healing and forgiveness to occur. I wanted Donald to stop hurting and to be happy. I wanted Mark to return.

Bashed is a story about love. It is a story about a beautiful, loving couple who are ripped apart by tragedy. It is about the consequences of homophobia. It is about the importance of providing parental guidance to our society's youth. It is about learning how to forgive. It is about having the courage to start over after you've lost everything you cared about. Bashed is a rare find. It is a book that touched my soul, and I recommend it whole-heartedly. ...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Sandra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it, dreamspinner-press, 2016-book-challenge, bullies-abuse-hate, contemporary, cry-me-a-river, homophobia-inside, lgbt, violence-non-con, nailbiters

I don't have a lot of clever words for this one either, other than that it made me angry, so angry, because the gay-bashing within happens still all over the world, and it enrages me to know that people like Ronnie exists, people who hate others simply for who they are.

I cried a lot. Donald's grief and pain, and even his numbness, all rang true.

I wanted to reach in and throttle the young men who commit this horrible crime before it happened, so Mark could live, and he and Donald could be happy ...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Lily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, ebook, free-arc-gifts-contest-wins, what-i-read-in-2012

What an emotionally intense story this was. From the sweet beginning as the lover's leave the club, followed by the horrific attack and all the way to the end Mr. Reed's compelling writing kept me completely engaged in Donald's story. Definitely an emotional roller-coaster but well-worth reading. ...more

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Aug 15, 2009 Kassa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Bashed is an intense story that is likely to resonate with readers and leave a lasting impression. The subject matter is intense and relevant even as many hope the kind of hatred, fear, and violence depicted is a thing of the past. While the characterization shines in this story, the writing is unfortunately uneven with some considerable problems. If you can get past these issues though, Bashed is well worth reading. The story and characters are likely to spark strong reactions in readers and qu
Bashed is an intense story that is likely to resonate with readers and leave a lasting impression. The subject matter is intense and relevant even as many hope the kind of hatred, fear, and violence depicted is a thing of the past. While the characterization shines in this story, the writing is unfortunately uneven with some considerable problems. If you can get past these issues though, Bashed is well worth reading. The story and characters are likely to spark strong reactions in readers and question the complexities of people.

The story starts with a violent crime. Lovers Mark and Donald are leaving a local gay club one night when three young men decide to attack them. Mark is killed while Donald survives the attack but is changed by the events. What happens next is Donald’s struggle to pick up his life shown alongside the regret and fear of one of the attackers. Switching viewpoints to many of the cast beyond just these two, the story shows the complexities of people and the lasting impact one night can have on so many.

Despite the violent attack at the start of the book, this story really is character driven. Thankfully the characters are fully developed and wonderfully complex. Donald is the main narrator as he reminisces about his past with Mark, how they met, and their hopes for the future. They were only together for a brief time – six months – so the agony of losing that love so soon haunts Donald as well. He starts to see visions of Mark, which he believes Mark is a ghost unable to let go. Whether Donald is hallucinating or Mark is a supernatural element isn’t really clarified, although Donald is convinced he’s not imaging things. This aspect of the book is interesting and important to Donald eventually being able to go on with his life. Donald changes from a strong, aggressive man depicted prior to the attack to insecure, almost passive with rash mood swings. His brief attempts to pick up his life seem to center on anonymous sex at a leather club, a habit he used to indulge prior to meeting Mark.

Contrasting Donald’s intense and emotional struggle are the scenes from Justin’s perspective. Justin is a sixteen year old boy from a bad home with no parental supervision. He falls in with Randy, an older boy with a drug habit and pent up rage. Randy, Justin, and their friend Luis, have frequently harassed gay men in the past but the instances had never escalated as they did the night they attacked Donald and Mark. Justin is a complicated young man and his depiction shows how a weak personality coupled with no self esteem and a desire for false bravado can produce horrific actions. Justin knows his actions are wrong and he knows they’re wrong while doing them but is too weak to remove himself from the situation. He has numerous opportunities to get away from Randy and bad circumstances but Justin is too desperate for Randy’s approval and wrapped up in his own teen angst to do the right thing. In fact, at almost every turn Justin knowingly does the wrong thing. The characterization of Justin is perhaps the best in the book as it shows the dynamics of a confused, angry teenager who doesn’t really want to hurt anyone but easily lets himself join a group mentality. He’s no misunderstood youth but neither is he one dimensional.

Some of the best scenes are between Justin and his gay uncle, Walter. Walter moves into the same apartment building as Donald and thus through a series of coincidences, Justin and furthermore Randy encounter Donald again. Here the character of Walter is perhaps the weakest as his view of Justin and his actions are somewhat weak and blind. Walter doesn’t really want to take the final step and parent Justin so instead he ignores a lot of the warning signs and problems with Justin. On the other hand, when the scenes are viewed through Justin’s perspective, the intensity increases and the real stability of the relationship comes through. Similarly Donald’s sister and even the subtle characterization of Randy all combine to present a stunning cast in often intense scenes.

The writing however keeps the story very fast and easy to read with Reed’s trademark economy of prose. Despite the intensity and difficult subject matter, the book never feels obsessively dark or depressing, letting the complex characterization tell the story with a minimum of extraneous description. There are some uncomfortable moments but the deft touch keeps this moving. Unfortunately the writing itself is also distracting while reading. Too often, brand placements seem to be included for no real reason. For example at the beginning, the story makes a point to say that Donald drives a Prius. This distracted me from the opening crime scene since a key plot point is about opening the car door and since the car is a Prius, why wouldn’t it have automatic locks and a car alarm on the keychain? This is a minor point I realize but this distraction is furthered when numerous brands are mentioned, taking the focus away from the actual story and focusing on a small, completely irrelevant detail. It doesn’t matter that Donald powered up is iMac, opened Firefox, and logged into his Gmail. The fact that Donald drives a Prius is not evident of his economic status nor do I think a statement that gay men, or Donald in particular, are more environmentally conscious so this level of random detail was distracting. The fact that it’s so pervasive in the story is also surprising and not to the betterment of the book.

Although Bashed is about an unfortunately common event, the complexities of the motivations, people, and reactions all allow something deeper to emerge. The tagline is “a love story” and truly this is depicted from the love between Mark and Donald, Walter and Justin, even the twisted affection between the closeted Randy and Justin, and finally the hope for new love. Despite the difficult subject matter, this story is anything but depressing. Though the book is not perfect and does have some problems, I was glad to read it regardless as I think most will be as well. ...more

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Jul 14, 2014 T.M. Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Donald and Mark leave the leather bar after a night of fun and drinking, walking wrapped in each other's arms, kissing and laughing as the story opens. The area they are in is painted as a gay friendly area, but shadows lurk in dark corners. And when Donald and Mark are attacked in one of those dark corners just as they reach their car, one life ends and four are irrevocably changed forever.

When Donald wakes up in the hospital sore, battered and with slight amnesia his sister has to tell him hi Donald and Mark leave the leather bar after a night of fun and drinking, walking wrapped in each other's arms, kissing and laughing as the story opens. The area they are in is painted as a gay friendly area, but shadows lurk in dark corners. And when Donald and Mark are attacked in one of those dark corners just as they reach their car, one life ends and four are irrevocably changed forever.

When Donald wakes up in the hospital sore, battered and with slight amnesia his sister has to tell him his lover is dead. But Mark was just there with him, standing next to his hospital bed. And as the story progresses, Donald continues to see Mark, hear him, smell him all around him. Is he being haunted? Losing his mind? Or has his recently deceased lover become his guardian angel?

Sixteen year old Justin is having a hard time dealing with peer pressure and his family drama. His best friend Ronny, is a violent homophobe, his mother is emotionally and pretty much physically unavailable, and while he has a good relationship with his uncle Walter, the fact that the man is gay is difficult for Justin to deal with at times.

All of these people interact and weave their way through each other's lives on a daily basis, not exactly realizing who each one of them truly are. Donald is slowly getting back his memory and putting faces to the horrible realizations of what happened that night, with Mark's help. But when all the puzzle pieces are in place, Donald faces the very real danger of joining his dead boyfriend.

This was a dark and graphically violent novel, that warning must be given. But the writing and the way the story was conveyed were kind of brilliant. There are multiple points of view and some sliding around from one chapter to the next, but there is no confusion. Whether you're in the mind of the grieving Donald while he tries to go on with his life, remember all the fine details of the night he'd rather forget and try to figure out if he's going out of his mind seeing Mark while knowing Mark is actually dead. Or young Justin who is so impressionable that he makes poor decisions following his friends lead and how the choices he has made morph themselves into making him physically sick at times.

What is frightening as hell about this novel is the reality of it. I don't even want to think about how many times I've seen similar stories on the news, or read them online. What was interesting for me was to see the lasting effects this particular case, even if it is fiction, had on Donald as well as Justin. How the violence of that night bleed over into their lives in the aftermath. The characters were three dimensional and tragically flawed coupled with a gripping storyline that makes this book a must read. ...more

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Aug 03, 2014 Lisa The Novel Approach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

What do you do when everything is taken away from you in the blink of an eye? How do you pick up the pieces and move on when your foundation is shaken and nothing feels the same anymore? We watch Donald, the main character in Rick R. Reed’s Bashed, struggle with these very questions.

This is the most powerful book I’ve read from Rick R. Reed yet. Intense and gripping from start to finish, Bashed tells the story of Donald and Mark, a gay couple in love, who are the victims of a vicious hate crime What do you do when everything is taken away from you in the blink of an eye? How do you pick up the pieces and move on when your foundation is shaken and nothing feels the same anymore? We watch Donald, the main character in Rick R. Reed’s Bashed, struggle with these very questions.

This is the most powerful book I’ve read from Rick R. Reed yet. Intense and gripping from start to finish, Bashed tells the story of Donald and Mark, a gay couple in love, who are the victims of a vicious hate crime while on their way home from the Brig, a leather bar they frequent. The beginning of the book is tough. Rick’s writing style lends perfectly to setting the stage, taking us through the details – as much as we don’t want to know – of the horrific attack. In fact, the entire story is so well written it’s obvious that along with the more lighthearted love stories in his catalog, Mr. Reed is a master at suspense.

In tandem with the actual event of the bashing and Donald’s story of how to go on with his life afterwards, we also see the POV of Justin, a sixteen year old kid who participated in the attack that night. Getting a glimpse into the minds of both Justin and Ronny, the main antagonist in the bashing and the one that causes the injury that kills Donald’s partner Mark, is a truly disturbing and scary thing. Justin is very much a scared kid who gets sucked into activities that he doesn’t entirely have the stomach for…But, Ronny is truly filled with hate and epitomizes the quote I chose to use above.

The way Rick ties everything together is very compelling, and I really enjoyed the paranormal aspect to the story. In fact, my favorite scene in the book is one in which Donald talks to his sister Grace about some things he has been experiencing, and instead of thinking him crazy, as he is convinced she will, she completely stands by him and offers him some amazing words of support.

This is definitely a recommended read. And, don’t miss the Afterword, wherein Rick gives insight into where the story idea came from. For me, reading it made this powerful story even more so.

...more

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Oct 14, 2013 Candice rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, ebook-not-a-kidney, m-m

I wanted to read this a while ago, but it wasn't available. I emailed Mr. Reed and he got back to me stating it would be available again in the Summer. Well, I forgot about it until tonight. I picked this up and I was crying during the prologue. I cried throughout this entire book, because it happens, probably nightly all across the country.

I live in STL and my friends and I used to hang out at this one place and when we would leave we would hear taunts. I've only had to deal with those. Others ...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Serena Yates rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gay

‘Bashed’ is a true masterpiece; a novel about a range of human emotions and deep psychological insight, not to forget a few plot twists that had me reeling. It was a hard story for me to read and completely emotionally drained me. And as I am sitting down to try to capture my thoughts for this review, I am realizing it is even harder for me to review. My heart broke in the first chapter at the brutality of the men attacking Donald and Mark just because they are gay, and I am not sure I ever reco ...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Kim rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I liked this book very much. The story was compelling, if necessarily brutal at times, the characters were sympathetic and three-dimensional, and the quality of the writing was very good. Overall, the book gave an excellent portrayal of the effects of grief and neglect, and of the power love can have.

I have three quibbles that keep me from giving the book five stars. One is that the plot is driven off a couple of pretty big coincidences. I'm not saying these things are impossible, but they were ...more

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Aug 03, 2020 Serena Yates rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gay, read-2020

‘Bashed’ is a true masterpiece; a novel about a range of human emotions and deep psychological insight, not to forget a few plot twists that had me reeling. It was a hard story for me to read and completely emotionally drained me. And as I am sitting down to try to capture my thoughts for this review, I am realizing it is even harder for me to review. My heart broke in the first chapter at the brutality of the men attacking Donald and Mark just because they are gay, and I am not sure I ever reco ...more

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Aug 04, 2014 Joyfully Jay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: sammy

A Joyfully Jay review.

5 stars

I am not sure one can fully appreciate the feeling of absolute helplessness and fear a person feels when surrounded by attackers set on hurting them because of their sexuality. Bashed not only explores that idea, but does so with such truth and unflinching clarity that the reader is left shaken and affected deeply. Rick R. Reed presents a story that is more than a fictitious tale; it is, in many ways, his reality as a gay man. However, I do not think that he is simpl ...more

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Aug 06, 2014 Becky Condit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I started "reading" this books as a text-to-speech listen while walking my dog early in the morning. The beginning terrified me to the point that when I drive down the quiet suburban streets where I was walking that morning I think I am going to come across Ronny and Justin. I can't walk down those streets anymore.
This entire book is that striking. Mr. Reed has painted a series of pictures that you can't forget. It's not an easy book to read but once started you can't put it down. My heart brok ...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Jen Pinto rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was really sorrowful and made me very angry. Ronnie was a disgusting evil human being and it worries me that there are people out there just like him. Justin aggravated me continuously throughout the story with his attitude towards gays. Having such a wonderful uncle in Walter, I just can't understand how he could act like he did.

I must say that I found Donald to be too much of a wimp in his actions for the character he was supposed to be. He was a big man, the D in a D/s pair, and he ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Douglas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A really well told story which shows how violence affects everybody involved - including the perpetrators. I have never come across a book which so thoroughly describes the point of view of the agressor without making them sound like the victim. That`s not to say that the victims point of view is neglected with even ghostly apparitions/delusions forming part of the tale. The story also touches on how our lives connect and getting over the death of a loved one. My only criticism is the tag line - ...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Joy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, thriller, paranormal

After he is injured and his lover is killed in a gay bashing incident, Donald Griffin knows he needs to grieve and move on--but why does his lover seem to still visit him? Meanwhile, his neighbor unknowingly has a connection to the assailants--and starts to develop a relationship with the reluctant Donald. This is NOT repeat NOT m/m romance. It is more a story of grief and violence, with paranormal touches and a hint of potential romance; and pretty good for what it is (3.5 stars rounded down).

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Oct 28, 2014 Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: _audiobook, serious-topic-issues-tear-jerker, bully, recommended-by-some1, discrimination-hate-crime

Bashed is a sad story, especially since The subject matter is a real one. I can't give the author a lot of credit for creativity since the story could actually be a true story or very similar to what has actually occurred to someone. Bashed is an entertaining book yet there was nothing extraordinary about the writing, the character development or anything else. ...more

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May 26, 2015 Kooky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mc-mm, fiction-crime-mystery

This is a powerful book about a horrible crime. What makes it all the more powerful is that it's not complete and utter fantasy; sadly this is the world we live in where people can't live and let live and hate crime is all around us.

I've not read anything by this author before but after reading Bashed I will definitely read more. ...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Nikko rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is not my taste but the storyline is great.. A really sad book..

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Dec 17, 2014 Paul rated it really liked it · review of another edition

review coming, don't quite know how to put this book into words yet ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Sammy Goode rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I am not sure one can fully appreciate the feeling of absolute helplessness and fear a person feels when surrounded by attackers set on hurting them because of their sexuality. Bashed not only explores that idea but does so with such truth and unflinching clarity that the reader is left shaken and affected deeply. Rick Reed presents a story that is more than a fictitious tale; it is, in many ways, his reality as a gay man. However, I do not think that he is simply detailing a horrific incident t I am not sure one can fully appreciate the feeling of absolute helplessness and fear a person feels when surrounded by attackers set on hurting them because of their sexuality. Bashed not only explores that idea but does so with such truth and unflinching clarity that the reader is left shaken and affected deeply. Rick Reed presents a story that is more than a fictitious tale; it is, in many ways, his reality as a gay man. However, I do not think that he is simply detailing a horrific incident that befell two gay men, no, I believe the author is casting a critical eye on hate crimes of all kinds. Rick Reed uses this example as a warning, of sorts, that there exists in this world deep-seated intolerance for any who step outside what is deemed the “norm”. Bashed is a powerful tale of love, loss and learning to live again.

Donald had met the man who he was his soul mate in many ways. A man who made him feel complete and loved. While Mark was younger than Donald, he possessed a single-minded loyalty and fierce affection for the older man. Theirs was a happy co-existence with a bright and passionate future ahead until they left a bar called The Brig late one evening and ended up on a secluded street. Little did they know that the car carrying a bunch of homophobic bullies had followed them to their quiet parking spot and were intent on doing them harm.

What follows in the story is a visceral and disturbing attack that leaves one man dead and the other irrevocably changed. Without giving away too much of this incredibly well-written story, suffice it to say that a good portion of this novel then focuses on both the survivor’s heart-wrenching attempts to put his life back together and move on from the devastating attack. But author Rick Reed does not stop there. He draws us along this frantic ride of a tale by also showing us the lengths to which the psychotic basher will go to silence the remaining witness to his crime. Along the way, a young boy who is torn between the thrill of being accepted and liked by his criminal friend and the love he has for his own family will make one mistake after another with devastating consequences.

Bashed by Rick Reed is an amazing novel that dares to question why we allow such hatred and intolerance to exist in a world where everyone should have the right to be the person they were intended to be and to love the way in which they were born to do so. ...more

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Sep 16, 2020 Becca rated it it was amazing

So, the blurb tells a lot. You basically have the meat of the story in it. And it’s a doozy.
But what you don’t have in the blurb, is the emotion, the feeling. The trauma of what happened and how it affected the victims. And how it even affected the bashers. And then knowing it was somewhat based on a true story, makes it really hit home.
Needless to say, there are super triggers in this book. There is homophobic chants, stalking, attempted murder, murder, self-defense, PTSD, and much more. So if So, the blurb tells a lot. You basically have the meat of the story in it. And it’s a doozy.
But what you don’t have in the blurb, is the emotion, the feeling. The trauma of what happened and how it affected the victims. And how it even affected the bashers. And then knowing it was somewhat based on a true story, makes it really hit home.
Needless to say, there are super triggers in this book. There is homophobic chants, stalking, attempted murder, murder, self-defense, PTSD, and much more. So if any of this is a problem for you, please take care.
I can’t tell you how much this story destroyed me. It wouldn’t be so bad, if this kind of thing wasn’t an every day occurrence. Day after day, night after night, anyone in the lgbt community is usually targeted. And when having someone in the lgbt community as a kid in my family, it terrifies me even more. You want your friends, family and so on, to be able to find love and be happy, but why does it have to be at such a cost?
How many people go to bars every day? And I got to thinking about it. There are so many predators out there. People who just don’t care. And it’s not always the lgbt community. Sometimes everyone is a target. But you have to agree that the lgbt are more often targeted. And it saddens me because ‘straight’ or ‘cis’ people get to have the same fun or go to the same kinds of bars. And yes, some of them become victims, but why does it always have to be anyone, period? Just because we want to have a good time. Just because we are different. And it breaks me even more that this story is so true. It really is a very true story. For the thousands of victims each day. I thank the heavens for the ones who survive, but even then some of them can’t take what they’ve been through or go on with the loss of the ones who didn’t make.
And then I get irritated even more because politics and the police who don’t help as much as they should. Things that could be done to make the streets safer. Lights in dark areas, emergency buttons or something somewhere.
This is a good story, it really is. But it’s going to get at you. Probably worse than me, maybe not. Either way, it’s an emotional story and one that will put you through the ringer.

https://lovebytesreviews.com/ ...more

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Oct 23, 2018 Heather rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: halloween-time, rick-r-reed

Donald and Mark were headed home after a wonderful night out at their favorite club when they have an encounter with fear, bigotry, and a baseball bat. Picking up the pieces, Donald tries to move on but even the friendliness of his new neighbor isn't enough to leave the past behind. Walter has his own troubles too trying to bring some normality into his nephews life but with Justin hiding a secret that isn't as easy as it use to be. When the secret comes to light, will Donald and Walter be able Donald and Mark were headed home after a wonderful night out at their favorite club when they have an encounter with fear, bigotry, and a baseball bat. Picking up the pieces, Donald tries to move on but even the friendliness of his new neighbor isn't enough to leave the past behind. Walter has his own troubles too trying to bring some normality into his nephews life but with Justin hiding a secret that isn't as easy as it use to be. When the secret comes to light, will Donald and Walter be able to move on?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!! Rick R Reed brings an amazing story to life with Bashed. It is absolutely horrific that in 2018 this level of bigotry still exists but unfortunately it does, and even more unfortunately we will probably never be fully free of hate. Yes, Bashed is fiction and yes there is a certain(all be it sort of small-ish but still influential) paranormal element it is also very real and heartbreaking. I don't want to say too much more than what the author has given away in the blurb so let me just say that all though this is one of the most heartbreaking stories I've read in a long time there is also a sense of growth and warmth, not really joy but definitely edges on a sense of uplifting-ness to Donald's journey.

Donald's eventual determination to move forward gives one hope and Walter's equal determination to give his nephew a sense of home and family is also filled with hope. But I think Justin's fear of being friendless, his love for his uncle, and the constraints of his conscience show the most hope. Part of me wants to say "Seriously?!?!?! That's what you get from Justin's character?" but then I realize it really is how I see him. I won't even touch on Justin's "friend" because that will open a can of thoughts, words, and anger that will lead to spoilers so I just won't even go there.

I can't help but think of Pandora's Box when I think of Bashed and the characters within. When all the evils of the world were unleashed from Pandora's Box there was one thing left at the bottom: HOPE. You will be angry, you will be hurt, and you will want to see certain characters punished in the most painful ways possible but by the end of the book(and I don't mean to keep repeating the word and sounding tedious but it doesn't make it any less true) what I felt most was hope. But whether you agree with my assessment of hope for the characters' futures or not you will be entertained and that's all I really want when I pick up a book. But I warn you, Bashed is one of those stories that once you start you won't want to put it down till you reach the final page so be sure you have the time to finish before you pick this one up. ...more

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