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Portland ME #1-4

Portland ME: 4-book Box Set

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From award winning author Freya Barker comes the complete set of her Portland, ME series. Including Kindle Book Award Finalist - From Dust. Four Friends—Four Women—Four Stories Celebrating Resilience, Redemption, and Rebirth! Start these poignantly heart-stirring tales of loss, intrigue, friendship and love TODAY! ***** “FROM DUST”: Pain punished her… The bottle numbed her… Guilt kept her trapped… In the dark alley of a pub, she tentatively grabs on to the slim thread of hope that unfolds inside of her. He never expected the shadow of a woman he finds in his bar, to bring him the air and the light he’s been missing. ***** “CRUEL WATER" Innocence marked her… Violation crippled her… Love left her raw… The life she carefully rebuilt is challenged when she is faced with her past, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. No stranger to hiding pain, he questions his own rules of detachment, as the feisty blonde with old pain marring her clear-blue eyes, gets under his skin. ***** “THROUGH FIRE” Violence corroded her… Obedience defiled her… Fear kept her chained… Freedom is hard to embrace when she’s never learned to trust or known friendship. Yet she finds herself surrounded by people who accept her as she is. He likes his life predictable and uncomplicated, but the moment he looks into a pair of liquid brown eyes, all control is gone. ***** “STILL AIR” Deprival haunted her… Regret troubled her… Silence left her detached… She soothes her personal hell by pulling victims from theirs, helping them on their path to survival; never finding her own. When he finds his family slipping through his fingers, he calls on the one person who has the ability to heal and the power to break the woman who sees right through him.

1109 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2018

41 people are currently reading
104 people want to read

About the author

Freya Barker

77 books1,900 followers
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about 'real' people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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Community Reviews

5 stars
86 (76%)
4 stars
17 (15%)
3 stars
8 (7%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for DJ Sakata.
3,274 reviews1,777 followers
December 5, 2018
Favorite Quotes:

“I used to think I was dropped off by aliens when I was little and a bit over-imaginative. I can see why now. They are like something from a different planet, aren’t they?”… “Uranus, more than likely.”

Amazing how my brothers can’t find a pair of clean socks to save their lives, but put them in a strange house and they easily find the kitchen.

Sometimes I don't like Pam, particularly when her arguments start to make sense. But most of the time I appreciate her brutal honesty - I just prefer it directed at someone else.

Kissing this man is a full body experience, with every one of my senses fully engaged. Except perhaps my common sense.

My jawline is definitely softening, and I don't even want to get going on what's happening under my original chin. Since I discovered a long hair where it most definitely does not belong, I've avoided getting too close to a mirror.

My Review:


Engrossing, sensual, heartbreaking, emotive, evocative, eventful, dramatic, frighteningly accurate… these are just a few of the adjectives that flit through my addled mind while I attempt to describe Freya Barker’s body of work. She writes people I would like to know and now resides on my must read/must have/will surely die without it list. She excels at writing compelling, relevant, and life-affirming stories. Her emotive and thoughtful stories have never failed to squeeze my cold heart or remind me that there are far worse things occurring in this world than my petty nonsense.

Her stories are expertly crafted, well plotted and detailed, deeply moving, highly intriguing, and totally consuming. She seems to have a special gift for providing endearingly flawed characters that feel inadequate and weak in themselves, yet are undeniably strong in that they were capable of coming out of the worst types of devastation and tragedy that would have ruined even the best of us. In addition to that awe-inspiring ability, she also magically conjures the perfect swoon-worthy partner to support, heal, and complete their recovery and transformation from fractured to whole. And along the way - she tosses in lots of sensual sizzle, a tender romance, and typically a bickering pair or two for periodic comedic relief. Impressive and highly addicting - to say the least!
Profile Image for Sheri Bishop.
507 reviews7 followers
March 7, 2019
This review is going to be short and straight to the point. These books are amazing! They're about real women and their real life problems. These women are the ones we wish were our sisters, our best friends. Grab this box set, block off a week or so, and read read read!
1,077 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2024
4 good stories

It's difficult to review each of these stories without some background.
They all center around 2 physical places, a restaurant and a woman's shelter.
Each woman in these stories has experienced some incredible trauma. And each is working her way out of it.
These stories show strong women who have had some serious tests in their lives and how they are working to make their lives better.
The man in each story is also struggling in some way. They are caring, strong family men and make great matches for these women.
I do think it is so important that this author uses older characters who live real lives.
Profile Image for Lesley Bradley.
318 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2022
fantastic collection of stories

This author is one of my favourites, I love the way she can weave a story and the depth and emotion in all her characters. Each story in this box set is fantastic. I love how they are all connected, yet each is standalone.

Every character throughout the 4 books is perfectly placed, good or bad they all make the story perfect.

Loved getting lost in Portland. Wish there were more books or novellas for some of the character we met, especially Mark and maybe a book about Jonas and Emmy, heck books for all the kids!
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,345 reviews888 followers
December 28, 2020
These were the first books that I read by Ms. Barker and I instantly fell in love with everything about this world as well as the author. The characters are mature, well developed and exciting. The storylines are original, well planned out and kept me engaged as well as on the edge of my seat at times. There is no denying each of these couples have a believable chemistry and the steam between them is off the charts. I hated seeing the series ends and I have reread them numerous times.
Profile Image for KIMBERLY BURTON.
39 reviews
June 22, 2021
Labor of love met & received …

These four stories are some of your best writing ever. Lol but I say that with each series I read! … and it is true of each story🙃!

I laughed, I cried, I moaned… each emotion that was brought to the table, I felt deeply. I became invested in each life, and felt the growing pains of each child, man & woman in these four stories.

If you haven indulged take a weekend and be enriched!
6 reviews
March 8, 2022
Fantastic Reading

This is the 1st series that I have read by the author. It was amazing how 's. Barker covered so many sad, serious human experiences and brought the characters through their journeys to find friendship, love and and new outlook on life. I will be searching for more of her books.
Profile Image for Angela Ayres.
14 reviews
July 15, 2020
What a book

Wow, Freya Barker, just slayed me with this boxed set, I love books with strong women, who have over come adversity.
This boxed set will be put in my favs to be read again, just loved it!
Profile Image for Sue.
4,267 reviews5 followers
December 30, 2021
I think anyone who has been in any of these situations can relate. They keep you rooted to the here and now. To get to know these families and their stories were heartbreaking. But all and all there is a light at the end of the tunnel. HEA.
Profile Image for Misty Roule.
509 reviews1 follower
December 31, 2021
An emotional roll coaster ride that you won't regret!!!

WOW... what an experience!!! From start to finish I was hooked. It's as if you're in the background but very much a part of this series.
Happy reading : )
Profile Image for Midniteandwolves.
651 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2024
Wow just wow

Each and every story was emotional, scary, happy, loving each other. Watch these men, women, friends and The Skipper which happens to be the place for everyone. You will love each story as much as I have.
Profile Image for Jess.
3,155 reviews25 followers
January 3, 2022
4 Stories

I absolutely loved books one and four. Two and three were both just okay to me. Overall, I do recommend this series.
Profile Image for KDLediting.
1,734 reviews3 followers
June 1, 2024
5 stars

I love a box set! Four amazing books all in one download. No need to search for the next in the series, its right here!
Profile Image for Jessica.
313 reviews
May 8, 2025
Great stories.

These stories brought on every emotion possible.I enjoyed every word .All so very different but as good as the last.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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