Breaking Up with Evil: Escaping Coercive Control

by Jennifer Smith, Daria Gregorian (Editor)

Breaking Up with Escaping Coercive Control is a page-turning collection of five women’s stories of breaking free of narcissistic abuse and coercive control. Think five Dirty John stories in one. These five courageous women each of different backgrounds and circumstances share the tale of loving a man they first believed to be the man of their dreams. Told in journal-like entries they draw a clear picture of painful realizations and discoveries in their odysseys of awakening to who it is they truly fell in love with. They leave nothing unsaid as we ride with them through their fall from paradise and promises into a terrifying hell of confusion, sorrow, real danger, and pain to their personal triumph in escaping the spell of coercive control. Know you’re not alone in the battle to survive the danger, harm, confusion, and PTSD of escaping coercive control and narcissistic abuse. Discover you’re far from crazy in your fear of a pathological user’s influence and power in your life. If you’ve been in one of these nightmares, know they don't happen because there’s something wrong with you, but because there’s everything wrong with these people of no conscience and malignant intent. Take a ride through the surreal reality of what starts as true love and promises, then turns to terror and hell. In their own words, five women share their real-life stories of discovering the truth of who it was they fell a predator wearing a mask of Prince Charming. Nothing is left unsaid as they fight for their lives to triumph in breaking up with evil. “Time went on quicker, tighter, everything tightened and escalated after I’d lost just about everything and he became overtly disgusted with everything around him. Finally, a combination of numbness and knowledge that my children and I were in very real danger took hold of me and eclipsed the fear of what he’d do if I left or any other fear or worry. As much as I still hated to accept it, I knew that it had to end, and it had to end by me before one of those horrible fears did happen. I had to accept that leaving or staying was life or death.” ~ Chapter 4, Shannon, Entry No. 08, This Has to End "Thank you for all you do. Thank you for using your experience to help and encourage others. You’ve helped me beyond what I’ll ever be able to thank you for." ~ R.T.

312 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Darlene Nolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five compelling true stories of false love gone terribly wrong. The lives of these five women are shaken by preditors who use them for their own gain for power and control. All five women triumphantly detach from their toxic relationships to find the light at the end of the tunnel. There is life after toxic partners and it's a wonderful life.

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting collection of stories about women who escaped men who held them in cult-like control and abused them. Absolutely difficult but fascinating read. Highly recommend.