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So Much It Hurts #1
So Much It Hurts
Life is full of uncertainty, so what happens when a what-if from your past collides with your present?
Kaitlyn Thomas, a weary wife and mother, is taking a much needed getaway with her friends. All she wants to do is relax and rejuvenate on her weekend escape to the beach. Having a drink at the bar with the girls sounds like the perfect way to unwind. That is, until Kaitlyn hears a familiar voice from the stage that shakes her to her core. She grapples with her memory until Chris King, the lead singer of the band, walks up to her and eliminates the questions in her mind.
Chris King…the misunderstood bad boy who once saved her in ways that no one else could.
Kaitlyn’s friends beg to know the story behind this mystery man. Forced to revisit a painful past from which she has spent years trying to heal, Kaitlyn's recollection of Chris awakens intense feelings that she has kept buried deep inside her heart. Has time changed him, or is he still the same person Kaitlyn fell in love with so many years ago?
Marriage vows are sacred, but temptation is a powerful thing.
Seeing Chris again has caused a war between her head and her heart. In the end, which one will win the battle? Facing a difficult decision, Kaitlyn just wants to be sure of one thing when she walks away from this weekend—no regrets.
This is an emotionally gripping story of love, loss, redemption, and hope. This Contemporary Romance Novel coming in Sept 2013!
Kaitlyn Thomas, a weary wife and mother, is taking a much needed getaway with her friends. All she wants to do is relax and rejuvenate on her weekend escape to the beach. Having a drink at the bar with the girls sounds like the perfect way to unwind. That is, until Kaitlyn hears a familiar voice from the stage that shakes her to her core. She grapples with her memory until Chris King, the lead singer of the band, walks up to her and eliminates the questions in her mind.
Chris King…the misunderstood bad boy who once saved her in ways that no one else could.
Kaitlyn’s friends beg to know the story behind this mystery man. Forced to revisit a painful past from which she has spent years trying to heal, Kaitlyn's recollection of Chris awakens intense feelings that she has kept buried deep inside her heart. Has time changed him, or is he still the same person Kaitlyn fell in love with so many years ago?
Marriage vows are sacred, but temptation is a powerful thing.
Seeing Chris again has caused a war between her head and her heart. In the end, which one will win the battle? Facing a difficult decision, Kaitlyn just wants to be sure of one thing when she walks away from this weekend—no regrets.
This is an emotionally gripping story of love, loss, redemption, and hope. This Contemporary Romance Novel coming in Sept 2013!
342 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2013
97 people are currently reading
2436 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Dawn
11 books397 followersMelanie Dawn is a thinker, a dreamer, and a hopeless romantic. When her head isn't in the clouds, she spends her time as a jack of all trades to her family. Melanie resides in the hills of North Carolina with her husband, her three children, and her cat. She enjoys lazy summer afternoons cruising around the lake on the pontoon boat with her family.
Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.
Now that her last child has started Kindergarten, Melanie is ready to add a new chapter in her life. That chapter begins with her debut novel—So Much It Hurts.
Melanie graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a BA in Psychology and earned her MA in School Counseling from Appalachian State University. She spent the first six years after graduate school as a middle school counselor. Those were years she deems as some of the best years of her life. That is, until she had children of her own. The last seven years have been spent as a stay-at-home mom. She has learned some tough life lessons, like what the inner absorbent pellets of a diaper look like scattered in the washing machine. She has also learned the strength of the willpower of a two year old lacking a nap. Through it all, Melanie has learned how to roll with the punches and appreciate the time she has been able to spend at home with her children.
Now that her last child has started Kindergarten, Melanie is ready to add a new chapter in her life. That chapter begins with her debut novel—So Much It Hurts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 22, 2013
I tried, I really did! But I have to bail on this one....DNF at 32%!
It's just...
It's the same thing over and over and over again.
The story starts off with Kaitlyn on a weekend getaway with the girls. She is a stay-at-home mom, who married Michael when she found out she was pregnant. Michael works all of the time and Kaitlyn doesn't appear to be happy. On the getaway, Kaitlyn sees Chris who she knew in high school.
The story then flashes back to the past. Kaitlyn is in high school and is in an abusive relationship with Trevor. Trevor is verbally, emotionally and physically abusive. He threatens Kaitlyn, etc. Chris is new to her high school and they strike up a friendship of sorts. At least as much as Trevor will allow.
For me, this part just seemed to drag on and on and on. It was the same thing over and over. Trevor abusing Kaitlyn and Kaitlyn accepting it or getting mad and pushing him away only to take him back. I just got bored--the story didn't seem to be going anywhere.
With 500+ books on my TBR list, I decided to just move on. I know a lot of people have given this good reviews so it may very well be a case of it's not you, it's me.
October 11, 2013
MARRIAGE vows are sacred, but TEMPTATION is a powerful thing..
This is such a mind fuck of a book!! A truly emotional heart wrenching story, "SO MUCH IT HURTS" is a story of love, loss, redemption and hope!!
So many taboo subjects were broached in this, rape, abuse, drugs, unfaithfulness, small town closed mindedness god and that's only half of it!!
Reading this I felt like I was in a love triangle and on a roller coaster of an emotional ride from start to finish..Times I had to turn off the kindle and walk away to clear my head before I could attempt to read again..Seriously this book just throws punches one after the other and fucks with your mind big time..
I fell in love with Chris, the misunderstood bad boy who saved her in more ways than one, the beginning of the book I hated her husband which really was unfounded, then you also can't help but fall in love with Kaitlin and everything she had to endure..Then about the end I fell in love with Micheal her husband..See what I mean MIND FUCK LOVE TRIANGLE!!
Please don't close your mind to reading this, come in with an open mind, it's a hard book to recommend because of all the taboo subject matters displayed in this book so this is where you have to put that all aside and broach with your mind fully open to all that awaits you!! I'm glad I was able to do that!!
September 24, 2013
I just finished reading "So Much It Hurts" and am left a little hollow, a little empty--in a good way. This is a story of true first love, of forgiveness, redemption. It's sad, heartbreaking and uplifting. My heart physically hurt for Kaitlyn, for the choices she had to make, for the choices she DID make, and for the healing that had to take place. I wanted to nut punch Trevor, and I found a little piece of my heart belongs to Chris King. Congratulations on your debut novel Melanie Dawn.
August 23, 2013
I tried, I made it to 62%. But it was just so cheeseball. Kaitlyn was raking on my nerves. (Made it to 100%)
The book starts out in present time. Kaitlyn is unhappily married to Michael with a 5 year old. She's on a girls beach trip and runs into Chris. I cant even classify him as a "high school sweetheart" or "high school first love" because when the book jumps into the past, he wasnt either of those things.
In highschool she dated Trevor who was a major ASSHOLE. But she always went back for more. I get it, she was young and stupid. But then she met Chris, the boy from juvie who lived on the wrong side of town. They became friends, he helped her out a few times. Then something major happened, Chris stepped up and fought, and then went back to juvie. That doesnt sound like a "love" now does it?? Considering she was always dating Trevor.
The highschool past took up more than half the book, became boring and I started skimming through the blah blah blah moments. There ended up being quite a bit. So, with a shit ton of book on my TBR I had to ask myself, should i keepreading, skimming. Or cut my losses??
I cut.
Then came back and finished. I still stand by my rating. The "connection" Chris and Kaitlyn have doesn't make sense. She story tumbled on and was messy. I didn't enjoying it, being all over the place. It was a cluster fuck of a story and of characters. It left me feeling like this......
The book starts out in present time. Kaitlyn is unhappily married to Michael with a 5 year old. She's on a girls beach trip and runs into Chris. I cant even classify him as a "high school sweetheart" or "high school first love" because when the book jumps into the past, he wasnt either of those things.
In highschool she dated Trevor who was a major ASSHOLE. But she always went back for more. I get it, she was young and stupid. But then she met Chris, the boy from juvie who lived on the wrong side of town. They became friends, he helped her out a few times. Then something major happened, Chris stepped up and fought, and then went back to juvie. That doesnt sound like a "love" now does it?? Considering she was always dating Trevor.
The highschool past took up more than half the book, became boring and I started skimming through the blah blah blah moments. There ended up being quite a bit. So, with a shit ton of book on my TBR I had to ask myself, should i keep
I cut.
Then came back and finished. I still stand by my rating. The "connection" Chris and Kaitlyn have doesn't make sense. She story tumbled on and was messy. I didn't enjoying it, being all over the place. It was a cluster fuck of a story and of characters. It left me feeling like this......
September 12, 2013
So Much It Hurts was a So Much It had me SCREAMING, FREAKING OUT, HAPPY DANCE, WTH MOMENTS type of book! I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion ~ I HONESTLY adore this book so much it became a MUST OWN so I purchased it but when I started this book I knew, just had that gut feeling, it wouldn't be long until I started...
Kaitlyn is on vacation with the girls ~ time away from her doldrums marriage and wonderful little boy. She needed this time ~ I thought perhaps it could be a time of reflection for her but BOY OH BOY I didn't know it would be a time for me to....
I can't imagine coming face to face with my first love. Especially the way Kaitlyn does in a bar after his band Fifth Wheel just got off stage. I can imagine the goose bumps she felt hearing a voice she thought she would never hear again but that moment Chris comes up and approaches her I started....
bad Kim very bad! She's married! I knew that and even though there appeared to be issues in the marriage nothing that really is huge just those periods of times where married couples get caught up in the day to day and you actually for a moment FORGET those butterflies, giddiness, happy can't wait to see you moments you have when you first met I had this gut feeling I was going to be seriously .....
with what was going to take place. It's weird to explain a book that has issues like this one that I don't agree with but totally adored! I think not really "hearing" Michael's thoughts throughout helped me become attached to Chris. Chris is now one of those guys that you see and totally.....
not to mention HE'S IN A FREAKING BAND! Sorry, I love my band boy books! Well, a little re-connecting and Kaitlyn reliving what happened between them had me ....
and then when one night ~ a night that's a one time event ~ a night that held special meaning a night of...
where they didn't want to leave one another had me totally....
See Kaitlyn had to return home to her family and I was scared what would take place but I didn't expect what actually happened yes I was..
and then I totally....
and once I got over the...
I wondered what was going to happen. Melanie did an awesome job with Kaitlyn and Michael and I totally had moments where I ...
my heart broke for Michael but I had to ....
Kaitlyn's honesty! I loved that things just weren't normal for them and that Michael needed his time but I started ...
when they decided to make a go of it! Yes, they chose their marriage and that I loved regardless of how much I loved Chris. What I wasn't expecting was the end. I seriously had a total....
moment. If I thought I ....
earlier that was NOTHING compared to NOW and then telling myself....
before I processed and SCREAMED I WANT MORE!!!!!!! Tradition for me is if I love a book I totally do a ....
and yes I did that ~ for quite a while!!!
So Much It Hurts is Melanie's first book ~ I thought the writing was beautiful, captivating and the story flowed so well that I gobbled the book up in one sitting. It's a story of first love, second chances, honesty, yes betrayal and I think redemption. Totally worth 5 stars and more ~ I laughed, cried, pleaded, bit my nails, shook my head, rolled my eyes, said "Dear Lord" more times than I can count and ended with a shocked smile at the end. I'm totally....
Melanie for this book! I highly recommend it! It will leave you breathless at times, emotional mess and a little screwy but I know you will completely enjoy it as much as I did!
Kaitlyn is on vacation with the girls ~ time away from her doldrums marriage and wonderful little boy. She needed this time ~ I thought perhaps it could be a time of reflection for her but BOY OH BOY I didn't know it would be a time for me to....
I can't imagine coming face to face with my first love. Especially the way Kaitlyn does in a bar after his band Fifth Wheel just got off stage. I can imagine the goose bumps she felt hearing a voice she thought she would never hear again but that moment Chris comes up and approaches her I started....
bad Kim very bad! She's married! I knew that and even though there appeared to be issues in the marriage nothing that really is huge just those periods of times where married couples get caught up in the day to day and you actually for a moment FORGET those butterflies, giddiness, happy can't wait to see you moments you have when you first met I had this gut feeling I was going to be seriously .....
with what was going to take place. It's weird to explain a book that has issues like this one that I don't agree with but totally adored! I think not really "hearing" Michael's thoughts throughout helped me become attached to Chris. Chris is now one of those guys that you see and totally.....
not to mention HE'S IN A FREAKING BAND! Sorry, I love my band boy books! Well, a little re-connecting and Kaitlyn reliving what happened between them had me ....
and then when one night ~ a night that's a one time event ~ a night that held special meaning a night of...
where they didn't want to leave one another had me totally....
See Kaitlyn had to return home to her family and I was scared what would take place but I didn't expect what actually happened yes I was..
and then I totally....
and once I got over the...
I wondered what was going to happen. Melanie did an awesome job with Kaitlyn and Michael and I totally had moments where I ...
my heart broke for Michael but I had to ....
Kaitlyn's honesty! I loved that things just weren't normal for them and that Michael needed his time but I started ...
when they decided to make a go of it! Yes, they chose their marriage and that I loved regardless of how much I loved Chris. What I wasn't expecting was the end. I seriously had a total....
moment. If I thought I ....
earlier that was NOTHING compared to NOW and then telling myself....
before I processed and SCREAMED I WANT MORE!!!!!!! Tradition for me is if I love a book I totally do a ....
and yes I did that ~ for quite a while!!!
So Much It Hurts is Melanie's first book ~ I thought the writing was beautiful, captivating and the story flowed so well that I gobbled the book up in one sitting. It's a story of first love, second chances, honesty, yes betrayal and I think redemption. Totally worth 5 stars and more ~ I laughed, cried, pleaded, bit my nails, shook my head, rolled my eyes, said "Dear Lord" more times than I can count and ended with a shocked smile at the end. I'm totally....
Melanie for this book! I highly recommend it! It will leave you breathless at times, emotional mess and a little screwy but I know you will completely enjoy it as much as I did!
September 12, 2013
*I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Well, where to start? Oh yes, this should sum it up…. THIS BOOK BROKE ME. Completely broke me.
Why? I can’t put my finger on it. I have read lots of books that were emotional, and I shed a tear or two, but this book? This book had me sobbing; I went to sleep crying, with the tears actually soaking my pillow.
Perhaps it’s because I can relate to Kaitlyn, maybe a lot of women will relate to her. She’s a stay at home mom, looking after a young child. Her husband is out at work all day and when he comes home there’s not much of a relationship. This is not how she envisaged her life….
"Do you know how depressing it is when your daily goal in life is to sweep up crackers off the floor and dig rocks out of pants pockets before throwing them in the washing machine? I feel like I’m in solitary confinement most of the time…"
Kaitlyn needs a break, and goes away for a weekend with some friends. This weekend will ultimately change her life for ever. While she’s in a bar, a local band are setting up on stage and she freezes when she hears a voice that she recognises from years gone by, one that she never thought she’d hear again. When her friends realise that something has spooked her, she tells them the story of how she met Chris King.
The story then goes back to Kaitlyn's high school days, when she was in a relationship with Trevor (the high school star football player). Trevor is perfect on the outside; no one else sees the side of him that Kaitlyn does. Unfortunately for Kaitlyn by the time she realises the type of person he really is, she’s in too deep and is too afraid of him to end things.
Trevor made me so mad – there were times when I was reading that I wished someone would see what he was doing and give him the same treatment. I wanted Kaitlyn to pluck up the courage and stand up to Trevor. The only person that she does turn to is new boy Chris King.
Chris is the school pariah – everyone stays clear of him because he’s just transferred there after a stint in juvenile detention, everyone except Kaitlyn. They just click, and soon they’re spending time together in lessons and chatting on IM. Chris is the one she calls after she has a few particularly nasty run ins with Trevor, one of which had me horrified and thinking "NOW do you realise how dangerous he is?"
Just as things finally look up for Kaitlyn, fate intervenes and Chris is torn from her life never to be heard of again until that night in the bar. Back in the present, we see how all of the emotions she felt back then have resurfaced, and she is so conflicted. Chris clearly still has feelings for her and she is torn between her life now and her life back then.
"What choice would incur the most regret? Doing something I’m not proud of or walking away, wishing I had done it anyway?"
Chris is now in a band – and has never forgotten Kaitlyn. I felt for him so much. He’s just run into the only girl he truly loved only to discover that she’s married with a young child. He and Kaitlyn meet up for a drink, to talk about old times and that’s where I started to really get emotional. They never got a chance to be together; they were pulled apart before they could tell each other how they felt, and now fate was against them again.
"Promise me this" he said. "When we're old and gray and widowed, promise me you'll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together."
Then there’s Michael, Kaitlyns husband. I felt for him too – how hard it must be to know that your partner gave their heart away a long time ago, and that it wasn’t to you. He must feel like second best. He works hard for his family and yes, he may not show it, but he loves Kaitlyn and would do anything for her.
Whatever decision Kaitlyn makes will haunt her and the fallout from the weekend will affect everyone. I’m not going to say any more about that because I’ll end up giving away spoilers.
What I will say is that the end killed me – I start to get weepy just thinking about it. The whole story is just so sad. It’s a story about finding love, then losing it. It’s about making choices; which road should you go down, and which one would you regret more? It’s about making sacrifices, and it’s about forgiveness.
Melanie Dawn is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future. She really captured the emotions Kaitlyn went through, as well as Chris, it totally pulled at my heart and I know this book will stay with me forever.
Well, where to start? Oh yes, this should sum it up…. THIS BOOK BROKE ME. Completely broke me.
Why? I can’t put my finger on it. I have read lots of books that were emotional, and I shed a tear or two, but this book? This book had me sobbing; I went to sleep crying, with the tears actually soaking my pillow.
Perhaps it’s because I can relate to Kaitlyn, maybe a lot of women will relate to her. She’s a stay at home mom, looking after a young child. Her husband is out at work all day and when he comes home there’s not much of a relationship. This is not how she envisaged her life….
"Do you know how depressing it is when your daily goal in life is to sweep up crackers off the floor and dig rocks out of pants pockets before throwing them in the washing machine? I feel like I’m in solitary confinement most of the time…"
Kaitlyn needs a break, and goes away for a weekend with some friends. This weekend will ultimately change her life for ever. While she’s in a bar, a local band are setting up on stage and she freezes when she hears a voice that she recognises from years gone by, one that she never thought she’d hear again. When her friends realise that something has spooked her, she tells them the story of how she met Chris King.
The story then goes back to Kaitlyn's high school days, when she was in a relationship with Trevor (the high school star football player). Trevor is perfect on the outside; no one else sees the side of him that Kaitlyn does. Unfortunately for Kaitlyn by the time she realises the type of person he really is, she’s in too deep and is too afraid of him to end things.
Trevor made me so mad – there were times when I was reading that I wished someone would see what he was doing and give him the same treatment. I wanted Kaitlyn to pluck up the courage and stand up to Trevor. The only person that she does turn to is new boy Chris King.
Chris is the school pariah – everyone stays clear of him because he’s just transferred there after a stint in juvenile detention, everyone except Kaitlyn. They just click, and soon they’re spending time together in lessons and chatting on IM. Chris is the one she calls after she has a few particularly nasty run ins with Trevor, one of which had me horrified and thinking "NOW do you realise how dangerous he is?"
Just as things finally look up for Kaitlyn, fate intervenes and Chris is torn from her life never to be heard of again until that night in the bar. Back in the present, we see how all of the emotions she felt back then have resurfaced, and she is so conflicted. Chris clearly still has feelings for her and she is torn between her life now and her life back then.
"What choice would incur the most regret? Doing something I’m not proud of or walking away, wishing I had done it anyway?"
Chris is now in a band – and has never forgotten Kaitlyn. I felt for him so much. He’s just run into the only girl he truly loved only to discover that she’s married with a young child. He and Kaitlyn meet up for a drink, to talk about old times and that’s where I started to really get emotional. They never got a chance to be together; they were pulled apart before they could tell each other how they felt, and now fate was against them again.
"Promise me this" he said. "When we're old and gray and widowed, promise me you'll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together."
Then there’s Michael, Kaitlyns husband. I felt for him too – how hard it must be to know that your partner gave their heart away a long time ago, and that it wasn’t to you. He must feel like second best. He works hard for his family and yes, he may not show it, but he loves Kaitlyn and would do anything for her.
Whatever decision Kaitlyn makes will haunt her and the fallout from the weekend will affect everyone. I’m not going to say any more about that because I’ll end up giving away spoilers.
What I will say is that the end killed me – I start to get weepy just thinking about it. The whole story is just so sad. It’s a story about finding love, then losing it. It’s about making choices; which road should you go down, and which one would you regret more? It’s about making sacrifices, and it’s about forgiveness.
Melanie Dawn is an amazing writer, and I can't wait to read more from her in the future. She really captured the emotions Kaitlyn went through, as well as Chris, it totally pulled at my heart and I know this book will stay with me forever.
November 19, 2013
I wish this story was more then just ordinary, but it wasn't. The beginning started out with the typical cliches of, "my breath hitched", "butterflies in my stomach" and a heroine who, of course, has no idea how pretty she is. Ugh...
As a reader/reviewer, I liked to be challenged...I read a TON of books. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what was going to happen before most of it did. Make me work...make me wonder, make me want to throw my Kindle across the room because of my raw emotions. Please don't give me the same basic formula, the same cliches and a mediocre storyline.
I will say this, Ms. Dawn's writing has great potential. I could see it with every turn of the page...I just wish an editor or beta would have steered her in another direction consisting of more originality and depth.
As a reader/reviewer, I liked to be challenged...I read a TON of books. Unfortunately, I knew exactly what was going to happen before most of it did. Make me work...make me wonder, make me want to throw my Kindle across the room because of my raw emotions. Please don't give me the same basic formula, the same cliches and a mediocre storyline.
I will say this, Ms. Dawn's writing has great potential. I could see it with every turn of the page...I just wish an editor or beta would have steered her in another direction consisting of more originality and depth.
August 15, 2013
Sometimes you read a book that just resonates so much with you personally. So Much It Hurts, touched me and I am sure that it will touch so many women. This book had a lot of things that were extremely relatable to me. I think that is something that can really make a book a home run, when the author can connect with the audience so effortlessly.
This story begins with Kaitlin going on a girls weekend with her girlfriends and she comes face to face with someone from her past. We are catapulted into Kaitlin's past where she meets her first love. Slowly, his character is revealed. So much of her experience with her first love is similar to mine. He is wonderful at first and then his jealousy consumes him. He becomes a monster. Kaitlin loses parts of herself.
Personally for me, although high school ended almost 15 years ago, this book brought back memories of my controlling asshole, and how I vowed to not be that girl. It was funny in a way, while reading, I thought to myself, wow, Melanie knows, and it made me reflect when was my buttheads actions enough. I remember, and it was so true to when it was enough for Kaitlin, it was when I hated him. My problems were not as bad as Kaitlins but I completely understood. I felt so connected to Kaitlin as a teenager.
As an adult I felt even more connected to Kaitlin. There is so much about her adult life that I could relate too.
This story is about, family, love, heartache, soul mates, children and love. I want more. I want it to continue. I had to look up Melanie Dawn when I was done. Is she my age? Does she live near me? I felt so connected to this that in ways she could have sat down and plucked parts of this from my head.
I am in love with this story, my heart felt full and broken at the same time when this was over.
This story begins with Kaitlin going on a girls weekend with her girlfriends and she comes face to face with someone from her past. We are catapulted into Kaitlin's past where she meets her first love. Slowly, his character is revealed. So much of her experience with her first love is similar to mine. He is wonderful at first and then his jealousy consumes him. He becomes a monster. Kaitlin loses parts of herself.
Personally for me, although high school ended almost 15 years ago, this book brought back memories of my controlling asshole, and how I vowed to not be that girl. It was funny in a way, while reading, I thought to myself, wow, Melanie knows, and it made me reflect when was my buttheads actions enough. I remember, and it was so true to when it was enough for Kaitlin, it was when I hated him. My problems were not as bad as Kaitlins but I completely understood. I felt so connected to Kaitlin as a teenager.
As an adult I felt even more connected to Kaitlin. There is so much about her adult life that I could relate too.
This story is about, family, love, heartache, soul mates, children and love. I want more. I want it to continue. I had to look up Melanie Dawn when I was done. Is she my age? Does she live near me? I felt so connected to this that in ways she could have sat down and plucked parts of this from my head.
I am in love with this story, my heart felt full and broken at the same time when this was over.
July 12, 2014
Please excuse me for a moment while I pick up the shattered pieces of what was once my heart. I swear to you that they are strewn throughout my house; little tiny fragments, just everywhere. So Much It Hurts is the perfect title for this book, because honestly, this was painful. I think it might have been one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read. Not because it was poorly written or the story line was lacking, but because it just tore me up. It was painful to read. I loved it So Much It Hurts!
“Even if I never have the chance to be with you like I want to, at least I can say that I gave it my best shot. Just know that you will always hold a special place in my heart. Always.”
Kaitlyn Thomas is your typical stay-at-home mom. She dreams of bigger things – a life that could have been, while folding laundry and sorting socks. If you’re a stay-at-home momma, like me, you understand the feeling all too well. It’s tough having a thankless job that pays in love instead of cold hard cash, but at the same time, those few moments when you do get “paid” make it all worthwhile. Needless to say, it was easy for me to connect with Kaitlyn and her frustrations.
Through some act of God and a lot of whining, Kaitlyn is able to secure herself a weekend away with her girlfriends. Michael, Kaitlyn’s very busy husband, was apprehensive about “letting” her go away on this little trip. He basically lives and breathes work. It’s all-consuming, and has caused him to kind of slack on his husbandly duties. Anyway, Kaitlyn’s escape from reality turns into a very painful walk down memory lane. While at the beach, she runs into Chris King. In high school, Chris was a misunderstood young man. He spent some time in Juvie which, of course, labeled him a bad seed. Truth be told, he was anything but. He saved Kaitlyn. He helped her find a reason to live. He taught what love could be; what love should be. Unfortunately, fate was not on their side and they were forced to part ways. Now, 8 years later, they’ve found one another again. Only one tiny problem… Kaitlyn’s married. And the mother to an adorable little boy. She can’t just walk away from that to follow her heart. She made vows. You’re supposed to keep vows, right?
Holy hell, this was one intense read and worth every stinkin’ star I gave it. Melanie Dawn blew me away! Best of all, she didn’t blow smoke up my ass at the end of the book. She didn’t do what I thought she would at all. She kept it real and although I HATED it, I absolutely love and admire her for it.
Kaitlyn’s character was everything I would imagine her to be. The way she reacted to the shit storm that was her life… I don’t even have words. The fear she had to live with for YEARS was simply unreal. I myself have never been in an abusive relationship, and for that I am immensely grateful. Reading about the torture Kaitlyn had to endure was mind boggling and quite frankly, stomach churning.
Why couldn’t I just walk away? Trust me, it was a question I’d asked myself more times than I could count. That’s the thing about an abusive relationship – it’s a vicious cycle that you feel like you can’t escape.
Chris King… What can I say about this man? See those pieces of my heart over there? Yeah, they broke for him. The man COULD NOT WIN. He loved Kaitlyn with every piece of his heart and soul, and still it wasn’t enough. No matter what he did, it was never enough. He deserves his happily ever after. He deserves rainbows and butterflies. Just sitting here typing about him has me desperately trying to hold back the tears. I can’t… I don’t…. I just want him to be happy. He has the most understanding heart. The most beautiful soul. He deserves the good in life.
“Promise me this,” he said. “When we’re old and gray and widowed, promise me you’ll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together.” He grinned at me.
I couldn’t help but smile back, blinking back my tears.
I’ll be honest with you, when I first read about Michael, I hated him. I wanted him gone. And then a funny thing happened… I kinda, sorta, started to feel the complete opposite about him. I think in time, you’ll grow to love and appreciate him, too.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, I whole heartedly recommend reading So Much It Hurts. It’s one that you will love to hate, or hate to love…either way. It’s intense and emotionally challenging. It’s not your typical cookie cutter romance novel. You’ll fall in love with Kaitlyn and Chris…oh, and I can’t forget Michael. Ugh, just trust me on this one. It’s one you won’t want to miss!
“Even if I never have the chance to be with you like I want to, at least I can say that I gave it my best shot. Just know that you will always hold a special place in my heart. Always.”
Kaitlyn Thomas is your typical stay-at-home mom. She dreams of bigger things – a life that could have been, while folding laundry and sorting socks. If you’re a stay-at-home momma, like me, you understand the feeling all too well. It’s tough having a thankless job that pays in love instead of cold hard cash, but at the same time, those few moments when you do get “paid” make it all worthwhile. Needless to say, it was easy for me to connect with Kaitlyn and her frustrations.
Through some act of God and a lot of whining, Kaitlyn is able to secure herself a weekend away with her girlfriends. Michael, Kaitlyn’s very busy husband, was apprehensive about “letting” her go away on this little trip. He basically lives and breathes work. It’s all-consuming, and has caused him to kind of slack on his husbandly duties. Anyway, Kaitlyn’s escape from reality turns into a very painful walk down memory lane. While at the beach, she runs into Chris King. In high school, Chris was a misunderstood young man. He spent some time in Juvie which, of course, labeled him a bad seed. Truth be told, he was anything but. He saved Kaitlyn. He helped her find a reason to live. He taught what love could be; what love should be. Unfortunately, fate was not on their side and they were forced to part ways. Now, 8 years later, they’ve found one another again. Only one tiny problem… Kaitlyn’s married. And the mother to an adorable little boy. She can’t just walk away from that to follow her heart. She made vows. You’re supposed to keep vows, right?
Holy hell, this was one intense read and worth every stinkin’ star I gave it. Melanie Dawn blew me away! Best of all, she didn’t blow smoke up my ass at the end of the book. She didn’t do what I thought she would at all. She kept it real and although I HATED it, I absolutely love and admire her for it.
Kaitlyn’s character was everything I would imagine her to be. The way she reacted to the shit storm that was her life… I don’t even have words. The fear she had to live with for YEARS was simply unreal. I myself have never been in an abusive relationship, and for that I am immensely grateful. Reading about the torture Kaitlyn had to endure was mind boggling and quite frankly, stomach churning.
Why couldn’t I just walk away? Trust me, it was a question I’d asked myself more times than I could count. That’s the thing about an abusive relationship – it’s a vicious cycle that you feel like you can’t escape.
Chris King… What can I say about this man? See those pieces of my heart over there? Yeah, they broke for him. The man COULD NOT WIN. He loved Kaitlyn with every piece of his heart and soul, and still it wasn’t enough. No matter what he did, it was never enough. He deserves his happily ever after. He deserves rainbows and butterflies. Just sitting here typing about him has me desperately trying to hold back the tears. I can’t… I don’t…. I just want him to be happy. He has the most understanding heart. The most beautiful soul. He deserves the good in life.
“Promise me this,” he said. “When we’re old and gray and widowed, promise me you’ll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together.” He grinned at me.
I couldn’t help but smile back, blinking back my tears.
I’ll be honest with you, when I first read about Michael, I hated him. I wanted him gone. And then a funny thing happened… I kinda, sorta, started to feel the complete opposite about him. I think in time, you’ll grow to love and appreciate him, too.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, I whole heartedly recommend reading So Much It Hurts. It’s one that you will love to hate, or hate to love…either way. It’s intense and emotionally challenging. It’s not your typical cookie cutter romance novel. You’ll fall in love with Kaitlyn and Chris…oh, and I can’t forget Michael. Ugh, just trust me on this one. It’s one you won’t want to miss!
October 7, 2013
This is a hard review for me to write. I almost don't know what to say about this book. Let me start out by saying that Melanie Dawn has created a character in Kaitlyn that you can most definitely empathize with. You really FEEL what she feels. Kaitlyn is an unhappy wife and mother who needs a break. I really sympathized with Kaitlyn when she said "Do you know how depressing it is when your daily goal in life is to sweep up crackers off the floor and dig rocks out of pants pockets before throwing them in the washing machine?" While Kaitlyn is on a girls weekend for her much needed vacation she is reunited with her high school love. A man who saved her at a very vulnerable time in her young life. When Kaitlyn revisited her past my heart broke for her and the circumstances she faced. Melanie had such a way of drawing me in to this character and her dilemmas. Kaitlyn faces a big decision..... to reunite with her long lost love or return to her family. This is where the review becomes hard for me..... the question for me becomes - If you dislike the decisions that characters make does that necessarily mean that you disliked the book? I think the answer to that question is no. I wasn't jumping for joy at the end of the book... and I didn't agree with some of the decisions made. Given the story there really wasn't an option for a perfect ending. But in the end... I liked the book. It made me think and in many ways it worked. It was realistic. They way it worked out is the way it was meant to be. I may not have loved the ending but I enjoyed the journey. For better or worse (pun intended) I was glued to this book. I also felt the cover art was a beautiful depiction of this novel and the editing was superb! I will look forward to more novels by this debut author.
**An advanced review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
**An advanced review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2013
So Much It Hurts is a beautifully written book about living life. It’s about all the things that happen in life and living through it. Live life is full of pain, regret, fear, mistakes, happiness, and love and we see all of that and more in this book. This is a book about taking a chance to be with someone you have loved your whole life, but they slipped through your fingers because life just got in the way. Would you take that chance and risk the ones you love or would you walk away with more regret. After reading this book, my heart feels absolutely shattered and aching, yet hopeful at the same time.
Kaitlyn has had a pretty good life; that is until high school. She goes through an abusive relationship for most of her high school years. She tries to find the strength to walk away, but just like any abusive relationship, she is always sucked back in. Her self-esteem and guilt with allowing herself to be abused is at an all-time high. It isn’t until she meets Chris King, with his kind soulful eyes and bad boy image that she begins to believe in herself again. As the two become better friends and she begins to lean on him, she starts to find strength within herself. Though the two are worlds apart and life tells them that they don’t belong together, they fall in love. And life happens… They are ripped apart, severing a part of each of their hearts that only the other will hold forever.
After months of depression, Kaitlyn finally crawls her way out with the help of Michael. He has not only helped during her difficult time, but he became her best friend and love. They eventually married and had a child, Eli. However, like most marriages, time took its toll and the two began to just drift along. It became boring and stagnant while they just went through the motions of daily life. When Kaitlyn insist on a ladies retreat with her friends in order to recharge, she sees Chris again. Not only does she realize that she never forgot him, but she realized that she never really stopped loving him. This is where her crossroads lie. Does she turn her back on Michael and Eli or live with the regret of turning away from Chris again.
It’s hard to move on from that ONE love; the person who seems to complete your soul. There are always thoughts of what might have been, even after you’ve moved on and are living a seemingly perfect life. This book touched me so deeply. It is just a beautiful book about the strength of regret, love, forgiveness, and marriage. I absolutely love this glimpse of marriage and what happens after all the happily ever afters we read about. Marriage and children are work, and while I love reading a happy ending, I often find myself wondering how life works out for the characters in the books after the newness settles and some of the passion dies down. This book shows us the work that goes into maintaining love. You have to work for it. You fight for it. And in the end, if you work, fight, and love enough you are left with something much deeper and more profound.
Kaitlyn has had a pretty good life; that is until high school. She goes through an abusive relationship for most of her high school years. She tries to find the strength to walk away, but just like any abusive relationship, she is always sucked back in. Her self-esteem and guilt with allowing herself to be abused is at an all-time high. It isn’t until she meets Chris King, with his kind soulful eyes and bad boy image that she begins to believe in herself again. As the two become better friends and she begins to lean on him, she starts to find strength within herself. Though the two are worlds apart and life tells them that they don’t belong together, they fall in love. And life happens… They are ripped apart, severing a part of each of their hearts that only the other will hold forever.
After months of depression, Kaitlyn finally crawls her way out with the help of Michael. He has not only helped during her difficult time, but he became her best friend and love. They eventually married and had a child, Eli. However, like most marriages, time took its toll and the two began to just drift along. It became boring and stagnant while they just went through the motions of daily life. When Kaitlyn insist on a ladies retreat with her friends in order to recharge, she sees Chris again. Not only does she realize that she never forgot him, but she realized that she never really stopped loving him. This is where her crossroads lie. Does she turn her back on Michael and Eli or live with the regret of turning away from Chris again.
It’s hard to move on from that ONE love; the person who seems to complete your soul. There are always thoughts of what might have been, even after you’ve moved on and are living a seemingly perfect life. This book touched me so deeply. It is just a beautiful book about the strength of regret, love, forgiveness, and marriage. I absolutely love this glimpse of marriage and what happens after all the happily ever afters we read about. Marriage and children are work, and while I love reading a happy ending, I often find myself wondering how life works out for the characters in the books after the newness settles and some of the passion dies down. This book shows us the work that goes into maintaining love. You have to work for it. You fight for it. And in the end, if you work, fight, and love enough you are left with something much deeper and more profound.
August 23, 2013
This book made me feel exactly what the title says.. it made me feel so many bittersweet emotions "so much it hurts."
September 15, 2013
This is one of those books that you either love it or hate it.
I'm going to be completely honest right now. At the beginning I knew there was just something different and that I was either going to love it or hate it. By the end I was not sure what to make of it, I had to take a day just to think but that was when I realize that, that's the beauty if this book it makes you think and reflect it leaves you slumber it's not your pretty hearts and flowers but it IS REAL. In fact one of the realist I have ever read.
Life is not always a bed of roses especially marriage it's ALOT of hard work it takes time and sacrifices.
Married mother of one Kaitlyn goes on a girls weekend with her friends they go to a club where she hears a voice that struck a cord with her. After the show the lead singer makes his way over to her table and then the remembers exactly who he is THE GREAT LOE OF HER LIFE, THE BOY SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH IN HIGH SCHOOL.
So what do you do when you get a once In a lifetime opportunity?!?.....you return home with no regrets.
The first part of thins book is the present day after her heart stopping reaction to Chris her friends what to know the story with Chris And in order to do that she had to start from the very beginning.
So we went back to 10 years ago. Let me tell you it was not pretty not by a long shot. Kaitlyn entered a relationship with Trevor who she taught was sweet loving kind and respectful. But she soon learned of his true controlling abusive nature. She suffered at his hands for almost two years when a new kid transferred to her school that will forever change who she is and the course if her life. It was love at first sight a true comic connection, he gave her strength and hope when she had non. Writing this review is so hard going over all that happen between these two is just heart breaking and I can't help the tears. They love each other deeply but as faith and destiny would have it their love would forever burn bright but not together.
Love hurts it really does not everyone get to be with the one person they love. Which is sad but that reality. This book has left me with a series book hangover and a dose of reality which I actually really appreciate believe it or not. Most book are just about a few struggles lies and then working out to have a HEA.
This books showcase the other side and the more realistic side.
Sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go and just move on. There are different types of love in life sometimes it works out sometimes loving someone means letting go.
Chris was taken away from Kaitlyn defending her and proving to her that she is worth it. He wrote to her when he was sent away but Kaitlyn's mother hid those letters from her which I get why she done it but I still don't agree I can't help but imagine the what if.
This books makes you really really think and ask your self if it were you in that situation what would you do????
I asked myself a few of those question and I honesty could not come up with much answers I know I would have done the same on the weekend but the rest I'm not sure.
Each choice you make has a consequences and Kaitlyn's had major repercussions on her sate of mind and marriage.
Their is so much more I want to say but at the moment I really can't....This book has broken me complete shattered and destroyed my sanity. I have had way too many breakdowns after reading this I hate crying and if I continue I am only going to start crying again. so I'm going to wrap this up and find a book with lots and lots of sex to pacify my broken heart.
overall emotive, real, fantastic, reflective, sobering, just on a whole next level.
5 star from Natasha all the way. The beginning was over worded but as soon as the story sucked me in everything else was soon forgotten. Read with caution because you will need tissues. But its sooo worth the heartbreak I highly recommend.
I still can't believe this is a debut novel. I will never forget this book as long as I live it will stay with me for a long long time. so AMAZING just blew me away Melanie achieved something truly spectacular.
I'm still in shock This is unlike anything I have ever read as you can tell I'm still a little speechless. So Much It Hurts really does hurt and it rocked my world that's for sure.
I'm going to be completely honest right now. At the beginning I knew there was just something different and that I was either going to love it or hate it. By the end I was not sure what to make of it, I had to take a day just to think but that was when I realize that, that's the beauty if this book it makes you think and reflect it leaves you slumber it's not your pretty hearts and flowers but it IS REAL. In fact one of the realist I have ever read.
Life is not always a bed of roses especially marriage it's ALOT of hard work it takes time and sacrifices.
Married mother of one Kaitlyn goes on a girls weekend with her friends they go to a club where she hears a voice that struck a cord with her. After the show the lead singer makes his way over to her table and then the remembers exactly who he is THE GREAT LOE OF HER LIFE, THE BOY SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH IN HIGH SCHOOL.
So what do you do when you get a once In a lifetime opportunity?!?.....you return home with no regrets.
The first part of thins book is the present day after her heart stopping reaction to Chris her friends what to know the story with Chris And in order to do that she had to start from the very beginning.
So we went back to 10 years ago. Let me tell you it was not pretty not by a long shot. Kaitlyn entered a relationship with Trevor who she taught was sweet loving kind and respectful. But she soon learned of his true controlling abusive nature. She suffered at his hands for almost two years when a new kid transferred to her school that will forever change who she is and the course if her life. It was love at first sight a true comic connection, he gave her strength and hope when she had non. Writing this review is so hard going over all that happen between these two is just heart breaking and I can't help the tears. They love each other deeply but as faith and destiny would have it their love would forever burn bright but not together.
Love hurts it really does not everyone get to be with the one person they love. Which is sad but that reality. This book has left me with a series book hangover and a dose of reality which I actually really appreciate believe it or not. Most book are just about a few struggles lies and then working out to have a HEA.
This books showcase the other side and the more realistic side.
Sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go and just move on. There are different types of love in life sometimes it works out sometimes loving someone means letting go.
Chris was taken away from Kaitlyn defending her and proving to her that she is worth it. He wrote to her when he was sent away but Kaitlyn's mother hid those letters from her which I get why she done it but I still don't agree I can't help but imagine the what if.
This books makes you really really think and ask your self if it were you in that situation what would you do????
I asked myself a few of those question and I honesty could not come up with much answers I know I would have done the same on the weekend but the rest I'm not sure.
Each choice you make has a consequences and Kaitlyn's had major repercussions on her sate of mind and marriage.
Their is so much more I want to say but at the moment I really can't....This book has broken me complete shattered and destroyed my sanity. I have had way too many breakdowns after reading this I hate crying and if I continue I am only going to start crying again. so I'm going to wrap this up and find a book with lots and lots of sex to pacify my broken heart.
overall emotive, real, fantastic, reflective, sobering, just on a whole next level.
5 star from Natasha all the way. The beginning was over worded but as soon as the story sucked me in everything else was soon forgotten. Read with caution because you will need tissues. But its sooo worth the heartbreak I highly recommend.
I still can't believe this is a debut novel. I will never forget this book as long as I live it will stay with me for a long long time. so AMAZING just blew me away Melanie achieved something truly spectacular.
I'm still in shock This is unlike anything I have ever read as you can tell I'm still a little speechless. So Much It Hurts really does hurt and it rocked my world that's for sure.
August 24, 2013
This book pulled me in instantly! I loved ever moment of it. I loved Chris King hard and hated the other douchebag. The part I loved most about this book is that we all can find ourselves in a state of contentment in our own personal marriages. When you are in that point in life and are smacked with a blast from the past, how do you react? No one can possibly answer that until it happens to them. This book is about life and all it's obstacles. No one is perfect, but it's how you deal with shit that defines you. I give Melanie mad props for writing this story the way her heart lead her to do. She didn't stray because of the shit she will get...and there will be shit talkers. Some people tend to run away from books that deal with real life circumstances...not all books are flipping fairytales and not all books should end with the typical HEA. Hello, that does get boring... I loved the writing style in this book and the way she describes everything was amazing to me. Yes, I read this book before it came out, but my review is not partial to that. I will never write a fake review. And the fact that I spent the whole day after talking to Melanie about the emotions this book stirred up for me is enough to prove my love for it. I still find myself thinking about it. You will love this book so much it hurts!!
August 27, 2013
Kaitlyn falls in love in high school. Trevor is the one guy everyone likes and wants around. She should be lucky to be his girlfriend. Soon, he shows his true colors. Kaitlyn lives a life in fear. This is until she meets Chris King. A new kid who comes straight out of juvie. He is mysterious but they share a connection. Chris helps her whenever she needs him.
Years later they meet again. Now, Chris is part of a band. They never forgot each other but now Kaitlyn is married and has a kid. Can she leave her family for a chance to be with Chris?
This was hard book to read. Kaitlyn doesn't trust anybody with her secrets. The only one who she lets in is Chris. She had friends and family but she never approaches or trusts them.
Also, I have issues with cheating and her friends seem to be eager to let her stray when she has the chance.
And the worst part was the ending. I understood why it had to be that way, it just didn't make me happy.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
Years later they meet again. Now, Chris is part of a band. They never forgot each other but now Kaitlyn is married and has a kid. Can she leave her family for a chance to be with Chris?
This was hard book to read. Kaitlyn doesn't trust anybody with her secrets. The only one who she lets in is Chris. She had friends and family but she never approaches or trusts them.
Also, I have issues with cheating and her friends seem to be eager to let her stray when she has the chance.
And the worst part was the ending. I understood why it had to be that way, it just didn't make me happy.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
August 22, 2013
Once in a while, a book comes along and not only does it take you on a journey but it also teaches you important life lessons. Well, this is that book.
I received and advanced reader copy and from the moment I opened it up, I was memorized by the beautiful writing. There are many emotional and thought provoking scenarios of "what ifs" like the blurb mentions but it was so much more than that. I felt like this character was literally telling me HER story and I LOVED the ending, but won't give it away.
Grab this book as soon as you can and walk along with these characters through their life journeys.
I received and advanced reader copy and from the moment I opened it up, I was memorized by the beautiful writing. There are many emotional and thought provoking scenarios of "what ifs" like the blurb mentions but it was so much more than that. I felt like this character was literally telling me HER story and I LOVED the ending, but won't give it away.
Grab this book as soon as you can and walk along with these characters through their life journeys.
August 23, 2013
Wow.....we need more Chris please. Fantastic read and an emotional roller coaster couldn't put it down.
August 25, 2013
What happens when you fall in love with someone you can't be with, someone who saves you, when you have reached a point in your life, a life you pretty much want to just end?
So Much It Hurts is a story of exactly that. It is full of so much emotion with difficult and real, life altering decisions.
Kaitlyn is a married woman, but I must say not a very happy one, and she has a son, Eli, that is pretty much her life. What she so desperately wants and needs though, is a break. Most of us have been where she is and after some grumbling from her husband, Michael, she finally does get her break and heads off to the beach with her girlfriends for a weekend getaway.
What Kaitlyn finds there is some fun in the sun as well as some much needed peace. Then something or should I say someone happens and she runs into him. Chris Knight, the man she fell in love with 8 years ago.
He enveloped me in his arms and whispered into my ear, "I've never forgotten you."
The other women are very intrigued as to who he is and why he affects Kaitlyn the way he does, so we are brought back in time, a very painful time in Kaitlyn's life where we are introduced to Trevor, Chris and in the end Michael.
Trevor was the ultimate sports player, good looking and popular guy, pretty much every teenage girls dream. He has is sights set on Kaitlyn and the two begin their very long emotional and abusive relationship. A relationship that starts out fun but quickly turns in every wrong way you can imagine. Trevor is obsessive, abusive and I despised him as well as every vulgar thing he did!
It was so frustrating, at first, to understand why and how Kaitlyn allowed for such things to happen to her, why she wouldn't do something about it, but as the story was told, you come to realize that she is a true victim of abuse. You begin to understand her pain and empathize with her in this vicious cycle she feels like she can't escape.
No one knew the longing I had in my heart to be rescued from the nightmare of Trevor. I felt trapped, like a caged animal, desperately clawing at the metal rods.
Fear kept me tied to Trevor. Fear alone.
My thought here is NEVER JUDGE WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!
And then, Chris entered the picture. He made life just a little easier and a little more tolerable. He was her true friend that saved her in more ways than one and naturally they both fell in love.
I adored him but boy did I hate how fate played it's hand in their past, present and their future!!
I wanted to have the freedom to fall in love with the guy standing right in front of me without the fear of judgment.
Coming back to the present Kaitlyn is thrilled to see Chris but at the same time she is married. What will she do? How will she handle this encounter and her love for Chris, her husband Michael and her family.
A love I had tucked away so deeply into my soul was reignited eight years later by a single glance.
I truly truly enjoyed this book! A great debut novel from Melanie Dawn and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. This story makes you feel and think. It is very realistic in nature and while you may not agree with some of the things that took place, it will hit you emotionally in many different ways because let's face it do you really ever forget the first person you fall in love with? I would say NO! I recommend you read this book. I had a hard time putting it down and only did so when I had to, so go check it out!!
August 25, 2013
Ok...So from the start I didn't like Michael, didn't think he was right for Kaitlyn. Then we take a stroll down memory lane and get the story of Kaitlyn, Trevor, Chris, Michael. Ugh. Trevor was a complete and utter douche bag!! I'm happy in the long run he got what he deserved. I really wish Kaitlyn would of stepped up when that happened to her, she could of saved poor Eva. Also I feel I must say that Kaitlyn shouldn't of taken that crap and did something or leave. But I think all women have been in that kind of relationship one time or another and we've stayed for whatever reason we did. I personally can say I have been there. It isn't easy, I felt many things Kaitlyn did and I understand. It brought up a lot of painful memories, things I would do differen't being older and wiser. But she made it out of there, with the thanks of Chris. I was so heart broken when he left. This story breaks my heart, poor Kaitlyn and all she had to go through. I don't think my heart could ever handle it. And then Chris comes back into her night and they have an amazing couple days together. I was sooo happy! I want them together soo bad, I don't know if my heart could take them not being together. They are meant to be together. Just because you have kids with someone doesn't mean you should stay. I hope the secret at the end is true, my theory is that it is and I hope in book 2 they end up together. Her and Michael do not fit, even at the dance I knew they were going to end up together and of course he helped her move on from Chris, but you never forget that first love. We've all been there. We've all wondered about it at one point or another. I truly loved this book to pieces and I HOPE that in book 2, everything ends how I hope it does, or I don't think my heart could take it. Sigh.
Great book, must read <3
Some quotes I loved:
"I mean, if you were my girl, I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever. You would mean too much to me. Trevor should feel the same way. It's not fair the way he treats you, and he still gets the girl."
"You overwhelmed my thoughts-my dreams. It was like you were a magnet to my soul, and seeing you here tonight...it's a dream come true."
"When we're old and gray and widowed, promise me you'll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together."
Great book, must read <3
Some quotes I loved:
"I mean, if you were my girl, I would never do anything to hurt you. Ever. You would mean too much to me. Trevor should feel the same way. It's not fair the way he treats you, and he still gets the girl."
"You overwhelmed my thoughts-my dreams. It was like you were a magnet to my soul, and seeing you here tonight...it's a dream come true."
"When we're old and gray and widowed, promise me you'll look me up in the nursing home so we can finally be together."
August 25, 2013
While reading this book I had so many mixed emotions which stuck around even after I finished it. I am just not too sure how I feel about certain parts of the story.
Kaitlyn Thomas as an adult is married (not happily at the moment) with a five-year old son. She is a stay at home mom who needs a few days to herself to unwind and just get away from her everyday household duties. We moms have all been there. She is married to Michael who is a good guy, bit of a workaholic while Kaitlyn craves his attention.
Kaitlyn and her gal pals take a weekend getaway to the beach and while there she runs into Chris King, her knight in shining armor back in high school. She hasn't seen or heard from Chris in eight years, so they have some catching up to do.
While recounting her story about how she knows Chris and why they aren't together to her friends, we the reader go back to high school with Kaitlyn where we meet Trevor. This guy is a piece of work and I have a hard time wrapping my head around a guy like him, although I know they are out there. So much happens between Trevor and Kaitlyn in the open and in front of other people that I just wonder why it had to go so far. In most instances between them a friend saw or heard, yet nobody stood up for her, until Chris. I understood fear was keeping her from telling anybody else and her suffering alone was hard to take.
Just as quickly as Chris swoops in to save her, he is taken away and never heard from again. Until the night at the beach. All of her feelings come bubbling up to the surface and with the stuff he says to her, it would be heard to not take that walk on the beach with him.
I am going to stop there as I don't want to spoil the book. It runs the gamut of emotions because you are sad for Kaitlin, then you are happy for her to reunite with Chris, then sad again, then don't know what to feel about Michael and his situation. I was just all over the place by and then got hit with that last line of the book. It made me go WHAT? out loud and then I flipped as fast as possible through those acknowledgements (sorry Melanie Dawn) to see if there was another. Again, that's where the mixed emotions come from, it was a cut and dry ending, but I am not sure if I needed more.
Great book, well written, made me crazy in the head for a while after.
Kaitlyn Thomas as an adult is married (not happily at the moment) with a five-year old son. She is a stay at home mom who needs a few days to herself to unwind and just get away from her everyday household duties. We moms have all been there. She is married to Michael who is a good guy, bit of a workaholic while Kaitlyn craves his attention.
Kaitlyn and her gal pals take a weekend getaway to the beach and while there she runs into Chris King, her knight in shining armor back in high school. She hasn't seen or heard from Chris in eight years, so they have some catching up to do.
While recounting her story about how she knows Chris and why they aren't together to her friends, we the reader go back to high school with Kaitlyn where we meet Trevor. This guy is a piece of work and I have a hard time wrapping my head around a guy like him, although I know they are out there. So much happens between Trevor and Kaitlyn in the open and in front of other people that I just wonder why it had to go so far. In most instances between them a friend saw or heard, yet nobody stood up for her, until Chris. I understood fear was keeping her from telling anybody else and her suffering alone was hard to take.
Just as quickly as Chris swoops in to save her, he is taken away and never heard from again. Until the night at the beach. All of her feelings come bubbling up to the surface and with the stuff he says to her, it would be heard to not take that walk on the beach with him.
I am going to stop there as I don't want to spoil the book. It runs the gamut of emotions because you are sad for Kaitlin, then you are happy for her to reunite with Chris, then sad again, then don't know what to feel about Michael and his situation. I was just all over the place by and then got hit with that last line of the book. It made me go WHAT? out loud and then I flipped as fast as possible through those acknowledgements (sorry Melanie Dawn) to see if there was another. Again, that's where the mixed emotions come from, it was a cut and dry ending, but I am not sure if I needed more.
Great book, well written, made me crazy in the head for a while after.
September 18, 2013
Melanie Dawn delivers an emotional page-turner in her debut novel So Much it Hurts. It’s unique, it’s fresh, and it is a welcomed departure from the typical “cookie-cutter” romance.
Kaitlyn Thomas has reached a plateau in her marriage and life. Day after day, she’s going through the motions wearing herself thin taking care of her children and doing everything she can to be an exemplary stay-at-home mom. Michael, her husband, feels more like a roommate than the once romantic man who swept her off her feet in high school.
Hiding her pain beneath the surface while putting forth a flawless façade is something Kaitlyn is all too familiar with.
Kaitlyn is incredibly relatable and a heroine I truly rooted for. After a troubled past, Kaitlyn found her happily ever after in Michael, but years of marriage and children have put a strain on their relationship. I think everyone has lulls in their relationships, and I love that I found myself asking
“Does ‘Happily Ever After’ last forever or is it only something temporary?”
The novel follows Kaitlyn’s significant relationships she’s had in her past and present: Trevor -- her high school boyfriend, Chris -- the wildcard, and Michael -- her high school sweetheart and now husband.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot, but I will say that Chris was by far my favorite of the three. He was kind yet sexy and his relationship with Kaitlyn was beautifully tragic.
Melanie Dawn really pushed the boundaries with the situations Kaitlyn found herself in. The lines separating what is right and what is wrong are often muddied throughout this story. In turn, I found myself hoping for outcomes I normally wouldn’t choose.
I absolutely loved this novel and it’s step away from a traditional happily ever after. I was brought to tears, my heart ached, and I felt this book all the way to my soul. If you’re looking for a book hangover, So Much it Hurts will deliver one hell of a hangover. Melanie Dawn’s book will stay with you long after you reach ‘The End’.
Kaitlyn Thomas has reached a plateau in her marriage and life. Day after day, she’s going through the motions wearing herself thin taking care of her children and doing everything she can to be an exemplary stay-at-home mom. Michael, her husband, feels more like a roommate than the once romantic man who swept her off her feet in high school.
Hiding her pain beneath the surface while putting forth a flawless façade is something Kaitlyn is all too familiar with.
Kaitlyn is incredibly relatable and a heroine I truly rooted for. After a troubled past, Kaitlyn found her happily ever after in Michael, but years of marriage and children have put a strain on their relationship. I think everyone has lulls in their relationships, and I love that I found myself asking
“Does ‘Happily Ever After’ last forever or is it only something temporary?”
The novel follows Kaitlyn’s significant relationships she’s had in her past and present: Trevor -- her high school boyfriend, Chris -- the wildcard, and Michael -- her high school sweetheart and now husband.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the plot, but I will say that Chris was by far my favorite of the three. He was kind yet sexy and his relationship with Kaitlyn was beautifully tragic.
Melanie Dawn really pushed the boundaries with the situations Kaitlyn found herself in. The lines separating what is right and what is wrong are often muddied throughout this story. In turn, I found myself hoping for outcomes I normally wouldn’t choose.
I absolutely loved this novel and it’s step away from a traditional happily ever after. I was brought to tears, my heart ached, and I felt this book all the way to my soul. If you’re looking for a book hangover, So Much it Hurts will deliver one hell of a hangover. Melanie Dawn’s book will stay with you long after you reach ‘The End’.
October 26, 2013
I was offered an ARC of "So Much It Hurts" in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those instances where the synopsis did not aptly prepare me for what I would experience. I believed I was getting a contemporary romance book. However, I was surprised that about 50% of the book was really Young Adult, as it flashes back to the heroine’s experiences in high school to give significant back story for what is occurring in the present.
Kaitlyn’s relationship with her over-protective boyfriend, Trevor – the school’s golden-boy athlete – starts out fairly normal; however, there are soon red flags that she simply cannot ignore, but who’s going to believe her? Kaitlyn finds herself stuck in a pattern of denial and fear that threatens to become dangerous, and Trevor’s boy-next-door image, coupled with his popularity leads to the additional challenges of peer pressure and family expectations.
Fast forward eight years, when Kaitlyn unwittingly re-connects with the one person from high school who knew and protected her painful secrets. However, this time, Kaitlyn is married, albeit unhappily. Are her vows enough to keep Kaitlyn away from the one person she’s always loved and never managed to forget?
"So Much It Hurts" exposes the truth about the issue of domestic violence in adolescents in a realistic and responsible way. Kaitlyn’s story is one every young woman should read. As a parent and mentor of teenagers, I was deeply stuck by the complexities of her situation. As an adult woman, I also found myself deeply connected with Kaitlyn in the second half of the story – the wife and mother faced with the dilemma of honoring her vows or risking a second loss of the one love she’s never forgotten. It left me reflecting on which I would consider the greater regret?
"So Much It Hurts," Melanie Dawn's debut novel, earns four emotional stars.
Kaitlyn’s relationship with her over-protective boyfriend, Trevor – the school’s golden-boy athlete – starts out fairly normal; however, there are soon red flags that she simply cannot ignore, but who’s going to believe her? Kaitlyn finds herself stuck in a pattern of denial and fear that threatens to become dangerous, and Trevor’s boy-next-door image, coupled with his popularity leads to the additional challenges of peer pressure and family expectations.
Fast forward eight years, when Kaitlyn unwittingly re-connects with the one person from high school who knew and protected her painful secrets. However, this time, Kaitlyn is married, albeit unhappily. Are her vows enough to keep Kaitlyn away from the one person she’s always loved and never managed to forget?
"So Much It Hurts" exposes the truth about the issue of domestic violence in adolescents in a realistic and responsible way. Kaitlyn’s story is one every young woman should read. As a parent and mentor of teenagers, I was deeply stuck by the complexities of her situation. As an adult woman, I also found myself deeply connected with Kaitlyn in the second half of the story – the wife and mother faced with the dilemma of honoring her vows or risking a second loss of the one love she’s never forgotten. It left me reflecting on which I would consider the greater regret?
"So Much It Hurts," Melanie Dawn's debut novel, earns four emotional stars.
March 5, 2014
WOW! This book has been on my TBR list for months. (Sorry, Melanie) And what a HUGE mistake (although, I must admit, given the ending; I’m glad I waited). I read this in preparation for Then There Was You.
How does one fall in the love at first glance? First penetrating stare? Like the kind that goes so deep, your soul cries because finally, finally your life’s match has been found and it can’t help but be overwhelmed with joy. I still don’t know the answer to this, but Melanie does an excellent job of showing us what it’s like to love that deeply.
We meet Kaitlyn in her sophomore year in high school. She’s a young, outgoing, free spirited young lady, and a cheerleader. She also has a bit of a crush on Trevor, a rising athlete that was loved by the entire town…including her mother and father. Their relationship started innocent. They had the best summer, hanging out, making out etc. Then their junior year started and everything that Kaitlyn knew, everything her life was; changed.
The loathing I have for Trevor really just scratches the surface as to how I feel. I wanted to climb into this book, walk the hallways as an invisible companion to Kaitlyn, and cause bodily harm to him. (And I’m not a proponent of violence) The strong reaction I had to his behavior was at times overwhelming for me. There were several times when I needed to book my Kindle down so I didn’t smash it or anything in its path from being chucked across the room.
Thankfully for me, I didn’t have to cause bodily harm.
Enter Chris. He is a mocha eyed, messy haired, gentle giant, and Kaitlyn’s hero…and mine too. I am completely, 100% in love with him and as I told Melanie; I want him to be real!! You’ll have to read to find out why.
This book definitely is on my short list of best reads of 2014 thus far!!
How does one fall in the love at first glance? First penetrating stare? Like the kind that goes so deep, your soul cries because finally, finally your life’s match has been found and it can’t help but be overwhelmed with joy. I still don’t know the answer to this, but Melanie does an excellent job of showing us what it’s like to love that deeply.
We meet Kaitlyn in her sophomore year in high school. She’s a young, outgoing, free spirited young lady, and a cheerleader. She also has a bit of a crush on Trevor, a rising athlete that was loved by the entire town…including her mother and father. Their relationship started innocent. They had the best summer, hanging out, making out etc. Then their junior year started and everything that Kaitlyn knew, everything her life was; changed.
The loathing I have for Trevor really just scratches the surface as to how I feel. I wanted to climb into this book, walk the hallways as an invisible companion to Kaitlyn, and cause bodily harm to him. (And I’m not a proponent of violence) The strong reaction I had to his behavior was at times overwhelming for me. There were several times when I needed to book my Kindle down so I didn’t smash it or anything in its path from being chucked across the room.
Thankfully for me, I didn’t have to cause bodily harm.
Enter Chris. He is a mocha eyed, messy haired, gentle giant, and Kaitlyn’s hero…and mine too. I am completely, 100% in love with him and as I told Melanie; I want him to be real!! You’ll have to read to find out why.
This book definitely is on my short list of best reads of 2014 thus far!!
March 4, 2014
I'm hollow right now. This book was such an emotional journey through a love triangle of sorts.
The first part of the book I was appalled and could not believe what was happening to her and how it could go unnoticed or ignored by everyone else. I cried for her and shared her feeling of the hopeless situation that she felt trapped in. I was so happy when Chris intervened and was there for her in whatever capacity she would let him be.
The night before Chris went back to juvie they expressed a sweet and total love for one another. It was so hard for me to believe that Kaitlyn couldn't find a way to get in touch with Chris. I was so angry with her for not staying true to him or at least finding out how he was from his mother. I didn't think she deserved him.
Fast forward years later......
Ok, this might be the most selfish statement so no judging.... I wanted Kaitlyn to find a way to leave her husband. I wanted her husband to be cheating to justify her actions and make everything ok so that Chris could have his happily ever after with her. Instead Kaitlyn was the selfish one who had her cake and ate it too.
Even more time passes.....
I was all over the place in my head while reading this book.. should she tell Chris? why not, she came clean to her husband. I know in my heart of hearts Chris knows the truth standing in the grocery store and she was to chicken to tell him. I was infuriated with her for being such a coward and not at least letting him try to do the right thing.
At the end of the day, I calmed down and thought about it all but I'm still angry with Kaitlyn.
This was an awesome book that I would definitely tell everyone to read. Can't wait to see what book #2 has in store for Chris..
The first part of the book I was appalled and could not believe what was happening to her and how it could go unnoticed or ignored by everyone else. I cried for her and shared her feeling of the hopeless situation that she felt trapped in. I was so happy when Chris intervened and was there for her in whatever capacity she would let him be.
The night before Chris went back to juvie they expressed a sweet and total love for one another. It was so hard for me to believe that Kaitlyn couldn't find a way to get in touch with Chris. I was so angry with her for not staying true to him or at least finding out how he was from his mother. I didn't think she deserved him.
Fast forward years later......
Ok, this might be the most selfish statement so no judging.... I wanted Kaitlyn to find a way to leave her husband. I wanted her husband to be cheating to justify her actions and make everything ok so that Chris could have his happily ever after with her. Instead Kaitlyn was the selfish one who had her cake and ate it too.
Even more time passes.....
I was all over the place in my head while reading this book.. should she tell Chris? why not, she came clean to her husband. I know in my heart of hearts Chris knows the truth standing in the grocery store and she was to chicken to tell him. I was infuriated with her for being such a coward and not at least letting him try to do the right thing.
At the end of the day, I calmed down and thought about it all but I'm still angry with Kaitlyn.
This was an awesome book that I would definitely tell everyone to read. Can't wait to see what book #2 has in store for Chris..
June 24, 2013
What a flipping fantastic book !!! I can not tell you what this book did to me ! My emotions were all over the place. I laughed , cried, wanted to kill people (ok so just one person in particular ), and I swooned oh did I swoon ! This should be on everyone's Must Read List !! This is the type of story that will keep you up at night because you ..just..can't ...put.. it....down !!!! The story is about love, life, growing up, unexpected journeys (sometimes not always the kind you want ) and making the best decisions for yourself when your heart and head can't seem to get on the same page. This is an awesome book that everyone should read and the one you will be kicking yourself for when you do read it for not reading it sooner !!
August 25, 2013
I found myself at times highly frustrated with this story...not in a horribly bad way, just annoyed with the Character's and their behavior, during the past tense storyline.. I wish we had gotten to see more of Chris & Kaitlyn's relationship developed, during the past tense and a little less of that ass half Trevor! I am not thrilled with the ending....what about when their old and grey? I want them to find each other... do they later in life 20, 30 years down the road? I enjoyed this, just wanted a lil more character development, I loved Chris's POV but felt cheated, only one chapter?? :( sucker for male POV!!
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October 5, 2014So Much It Hurts is a wonderful debut novel of young love, making choices, forgiving, and moving forward. It had me invested it Kaitlyn's life and story, both past and present. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next when it came to her future. It's also a story that is thought provoking, it made me wonder what choices I would make in a situations like Kaitlyn's. I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional ride it took me on! Melanie Dawn is a talented writer and I'm looking forward to what story she creates next!
September 16, 2013
Soooooo unfair, i couldn't put this book down and now that it's finished i want it to keep going.
I was so sure of the ending, the whole time i was excited about it but no, Melanie had other ideas and now i am gutted, heart broken and really.... sad. But i have hope great hope that if we forward until retirement home time i will get the ending i was so sure i would get. Shit i am again crying my eyes out writing this..........
I was so sure of the ending, the whole time i was excited about it but no, Melanie had other ideas and now i am gutted, heart broken and really.... sad. But i have hope great hope that if we forward until retirement home time i will get the ending i was so sure i would get. Shit i am again crying my eyes out writing this..........
August 22, 2013
5 star read I'm soooo not happy with the outcome I need More Chris King wtf !!!!
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