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Personal #1
Personal Experiences
Elleny Barker and Trevor McHale have loved each other since the second grade. Growing up in a small Georgia town, they had the same group of friends and they all had dreams of leaving Richland. Elle’s life was perfect; going to the perfect college, had the perfect life plan of becoming a doctor and had the perfect boyfriend going to college on a full ride football scholarship. Until the day Elle’s life was turned upside down; making a decision that she thought would be the best for both her and Trevor, she turned to the one man she thought would be willing to help her, Trevor’s best friend, Willie “Bear” Jackson. Seventeen years later; Elleny ,is a changed woman,and it's not a good change. She has locked her heart away and refuses to give it to anyone. Then it happened, a millionaire, whose company just bought out the local plant where Elle’s husband is a foreman moves into town; or should I say BACK into town; turns out that it’s Trevor McHale. Secrets have kept them apart for seventeen years; will they end up keeping them apart for the rest of their lives? Life teaches us harsh lessons; Personal Experiences teach us life’s true meaning.
Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. And are intended for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Please be advised as part of this story the main character endures spousal abuse before escaping and setting off into a new life and grows to overcomes her past. Some scenes contain some graphic, dark scenes that are not for the light-hearted; including rape. Readers discretion advised.
(Contains: Adult language, sexual MF participation, some violence and explicit scenes of arousal).
Warning
This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. And are intended for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Please be advised as part of this story the main character endures spousal abuse before escaping and setting off into a new life and grows to overcomes her past. Some scenes contain some graphic, dark scenes that are not for the light-hearted; including rape. Readers discretion advised.
(Contains: Adult language, sexual MF participation, some violence and explicit scenes of arousal).
ebook
First published September 9, 2013
10 people are currently reading
850 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Lee
103 books191 followers"Those who truly know me can attest that I am obsessed with chocolate peanut butter anything. I write about hot, alpha men and the women who love them and the only way that I can get anything accomplished is in a crisis.
I am no good in math; as a matter of fact, I suck in math. My true love is the English language.
My children are my world that not even a hot man could come between. I am originally from outside Tampa, Florida but currently reside outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am digging the farm animals that live behind my house.
I am the author of "The Personal Series" The first book being "Personal Experiences" Check it out on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords"
Tracy lives with her husband and 4 children in a small town just outside Tulsa, Ok. Originally from Brandon, Florida she was a city girl at heart. Wanting a change of scenery, she packed her kids up and moved to Oklahoma where now she’s seen snow, touched farm animals and has cows in her back yard.
Being a stay at home mom, an avid reader and part-time blogger; she decided to put the three of them together and try her hand at writing and fell in love. In between running kids from band practice to PTO meetings, she enjoys her “me time” working on a little bit of her next book. She thoroughly enjoys head-banging heavy metal and a kickass game of Black Ops.
Be sure to add her to keep updated on her upcoming books.
Tracy can be found on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/AuthorTracyLee
She can also be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracylee32
I am no good in math; as a matter of fact, I suck in math. My true love is the English language.
My children are my world that not even a hot man could come between. I am originally from outside Tampa, Florida but currently reside outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am digging the farm animals that live behind my house.
I am the author of "The Personal Series" The first book being "Personal Experiences" Check it out on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords"
Tracy lives with her husband and 4 children in a small town just outside Tulsa, Ok. Originally from Brandon, Florida she was a city girl at heart. Wanting a change of scenery, she packed her kids up and moved to Oklahoma where now she’s seen snow, touched farm animals and has cows in her back yard.
Being a stay at home mom, an avid reader and part-time blogger; she decided to put the three of them together and try her hand at writing and fell in love. In between running kids from band practice to PTO meetings, she enjoys her “me time” working on a little bit of her next book. She thoroughly enjoys head-banging heavy metal and a kickass game of Black Ops.
Be sure to add her to keep updated on her upcoming books.
Tracy can be found on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/AuthorTracyLee
She can also be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracylee32
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 15, 2013
This book is a hidden gem. I am shocked more people don't know about this one. I think this book will stick with me for a long time to come. There are still many brutal scenes that I can't get out of my head. What the heroine endured was awful. I am pleased to say though that this book does have a hea. There were several bumps in the road but we got one. I will say this book isn't for the faint hearted. I would highly recommend it to those who can endure violence, abuse, rape, etc. So glad I read it.
April 17, 2015
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
*DNF*
1 Kiss
I knew within the first few pages that this book was not for me. But I wanted to feel like I gave it a fair shot. That was a mistake. My opinion didn’t change, it didn’t get any better for me, in fact it got worse. I make it no secret that I hate writing negative reviews but I am very frustrated because this book did have potential…but the way it was executed was just so off base for me.
The characters, the way they are all intertwined, the plot/story line…all of it had great possibility and promise. But the way this book was written was just really not for me. We are in Elle’s POV and it jumps back and forth from past to present but it wasn’t just the line of the story that was jumpy…it was her train of thought. It would jump between what was happening in the scene to her describing something…sometimes describing someone’s looks could go on and on, it was obvious and broke the flow. Actually, there were lots of points when I felt the flow was broken…I just never really got into a groove with this book. I guess that was just part of another issue because I was not connecting to Elle, in fact part of me did not like her at all and I really have to like the girl. I didn’t enjoy being in her POV which was not good because…that’s all we get.
Another thing that really got to me was the dialogue and the way they talked – sometimes this would carry over into Elle’s thoughts, which made it even harder for me. I could literally hear the characters and the way they were talking in my head and it was like nails on a chalkboard. I know what the author was trying to go for, playing up the fact that they are southern and from Georgia, I get that but it came across as uneducated and frankly a little demeaning. There was one scene in a hospital with an African American nurse that frankly embarrassed me. The time period was the 1990’s not the 1950’s! But you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with the way the author wrote the dialogue of the nurse. I understand it’s the south, but I am from Texas…it doesn’t get much more southern than that...I’ve heard it all and then some and I am very tolerant of most things but that irk’d me, big time. Plus a lot of the scenes when the characters were younger or growing up…the dialogue was just…dumb’d down, I don’t know how else to put it. I know it might be somewhat realistic but it felt juvenile, forced and fake.
When I finally figured out what the plot line was…I skimmed to confirm and then decided I didn’t care enough to know the rest because I was so frustrated with the plot line. I am never a proponent for taking choices away from a person…and that’s exactly what Elle did to TJ. I didn’t have to read any more to figure that out - I don’t agree with what she did and so I stopped caring about what happened. That combined with all the other little things that bothered me made the decision that much easier to stop.
I really think this book needs an editor, badly. The over use of the semicolon drove me to insanity (I might have threatened to kill a semicolon…that’s how bad it was)…and the improper quotations – just blatantly obvious things that even someone like me knows not to do…and I’m no queen of grammar. The biggest eye roll for me was when the author called The University of Texas...Texas University. There is no Texas University. Google it. You will not find it. Because it does not exist. I’m willing to bend and give on a few minor slip ups on details but blatantly calling one of the top Universities in the US by the wrong name…nope – I’m not going to be okay with that. At all.
I feel bad…I did want to like Elle…I really liked TJ and I didn’t even know him that well. All of the other characters felt very superficial to me and of course I hated Bear without even trying. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for me…because I really did have high hopes – it’s an extremely emotional tale…just not the style for me.
*DNF*
1 Kiss
I knew within the first few pages that this book was not for me. But I wanted to feel like I gave it a fair shot. That was a mistake. My opinion didn’t change, it didn’t get any better for me, in fact it got worse. I make it no secret that I hate writing negative reviews but I am very frustrated because this book did have potential…but the way it was executed was just so off base for me.
The characters, the way they are all intertwined, the plot/story line…all of it had great possibility and promise. But the way this book was written was just really not for me. We are in Elle’s POV and it jumps back and forth from past to present but it wasn’t just the line of the story that was jumpy…it was her train of thought. It would jump between what was happening in the scene to her describing something…sometimes describing someone’s looks could go on and on, it was obvious and broke the flow. Actually, there were lots of points when I felt the flow was broken…I just never really got into a groove with this book. I guess that was just part of another issue because I was not connecting to Elle, in fact part of me did not like her at all and I really have to like the girl. I didn’t enjoy being in her POV which was not good because…that’s all we get.
Another thing that really got to me was the dialogue and the way they talked – sometimes this would carry over into Elle’s thoughts, which made it even harder for me. I could literally hear the characters and the way they were talking in my head and it was like nails on a chalkboard. I know what the author was trying to go for, playing up the fact that they are southern and from Georgia, I get that but it came across as uneducated and frankly a little demeaning. There was one scene in a hospital with an African American nurse that frankly embarrassed me. The time period was the 1990’s not the 1950’s! But you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with the way the author wrote the dialogue of the nurse. I understand it’s the south, but I am from Texas…it doesn’t get much more southern than that...I’ve heard it all and then some and I am very tolerant of most things but that irk’d me, big time. Plus a lot of the scenes when the characters were younger or growing up…the dialogue was just…dumb’d down, I don’t know how else to put it. I know it might be somewhat realistic but it felt juvenile, forced and fake.
When I finally figured out what the plot line was…I skimmed to confirm and then decided I didn’t care enough to know the rest because I was so frustrated with the plot line. I am never a proponent for taking choices away from a person…and that’s exactly what Elle did to TJ. I didn’t have to read any more to figure that out - I don’t agree with what she did and so I stopped caring about what happened. That combined with all the other little things that bothered me made the decision that much easier to stop.
I really think this book needs an editor, badly. The over use of the semicolon drove me to insanity (I might have threatened to kill a semicolon…that’s how bad it was)…and the improper quotations – just blatantly obvious things that even someone like me knows not to do…and I’m no queen of grammar. The biggest eye roll for me was when the author called The University of Texas...Texas University. There is no Texas University. Google it. You will not find it. Because it does not exist. I’m willing to bend and give on a few minor slip ups on details but blatantly calling one of the top Universities in the US by the wrong name…nope – I’m not going to be okay with that. At all.
I feel bad…I did want to like Elle…I really liked TJ and I didn’t even know him that well. All of the other characters felt very superficial to me and of course I hated Bear without even trying. I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for me…because I really did have high hopes – it’s an extremely emotional tale…just not the style for me.
November 23, 2013
1 Violent Star
Why I didn't like this book?
1. More violence then I would have liked.
2. To much in the verbal, physical and sexual abuse.
3. Too many crass words and cussing.
4. Book started off great until it fell apart at chapter 3.
5. Couple doesn't get together officially until the end.
6. Cheating.
7. No second chance real romance or sweet swoony moments.
8. Trevor (TJ) was very angry and he even had a bad temper a lot, to me at least. Sometimes I understood why but to do the the things he did around an abused woman? I would have been scared if I were her. He definitely didn't change for the better.
9. TJ and Elle fought too much. They didn't really have a healthy affair.
10. Bear made me uncomfortable with his abuse, which it should, that I had to skim or skip those parts. He was in the book too much for me.
11. Elle keeping her big secret for way too long.
12. Elle's reason for the secret wasn't a great reason to me even though I do get it. But come on... At some point hiding it was just dumb for so long.
13. Not enough interaction with TJ, JoJo and Luc.
14. Bear's reason for the things he did and for what he did to her parents. Not good enough for me.
15. I didn't like how certain people knew the secret and kept it from TJ.
16. Bear went from a likable guy to a crazy bat @$$ guy all over a love for a woman and the hatred of her parents. (Far fetched to the degree it went. Not saying some of that stuff couldn't happen in real life but come on!)
What I liked
1. TJ getting to know JoJo and Luc.
2. Changes TJ made towards the end of the book.
3. The funny reason JoJo got community service.
4. The prologue and first chapter.
5. TJs letter to Elle.
6. Epilogue was funny.
7. The kids: Harlee, JoJo and Luc.
8. HEA
Otherwise this book was unbelievable and over the top with drama, ridiculous scenarios and violence.
I want to read to escape the world and enjoy a semi Fairytale, you can say. But to deal with so much violence the whole book? Sigh.... I can handle a little but this was over kill.
I felt no sweet love story or swoony moments. I didn't feel like this was a great second chance at love either. She was lucky she got that at the end but its not a great one at that.
Yes, I get love and life isn't pretty and can be as ugly as this story was but honestly, I need more pretty than ugly in my books. I felt the synopsis is misleading. It should include that there is a lot of violence and abuse.
Why I didn't like this book?
1. More violence then I would have liked.
2. To much in the verbal, physical and sexual abuse.
3. Too many crass words and cussing.
4. Book started off great until it fell apart at chapter 3.
5. Couple doesn't get together officially until the end.
6. Cheating.
7. No second chance real romance or sweet swoony moments.
8. Trevor (TJ) was very angry and he even had a bad temper a lot, to me at least. Sometimes I understood why but to do the the things he did around an abused woman? I would have been scared if I were her. He definitely didn't change for the better.
9. TJ and Elle fought too much. They didn't really have a healthy affair.
10. Bear made me uncomfortable with his abuse, which it should, that I had to skim or skip those parts. He was in the book too much for me.
11. Elle keeping her big secret for way too long.
12. Elle's reason for the secret wasn't a great reason to me even though I do get it. But come on... At some point hiding it was just dumb for so long.
13. Not enough interaction with TJ, JoJo and Luc.
14. Bear's reason for the things he did and for what he did to her parents. Not good enough for me.
15. I didn't like how certain people knew the secret and kept it from TJ.
16. Bear went from a likable guy to a crazy bat @$$ guy all over a love for a woman and the hatred of her parents. (Far fetched to the degree it went. Not saying some of that stuff couldn't happen in real life but come on!)
What I liked
1. TJ getting to know JoJo and Luc.
2. Changes TJ made towards the end of the book.
3. The funny reason JoJo got community service.
4. The prologue and first chapter.
5. TJs letter to Elle.
6. Epilogue was funny.
7. The kids: Harlee, JoJo and Luc.
8. HEA
Otherwise this book was unbelievable and over the top with drama, ridiculous scenarios and violence.
I want to read to escape the world and enjoy a semi Fairytale, you can say. But to deal with so much violence the whole book? Sigh.... I can handle a little but this was over kill.
I felt no sweet love story or swoony moments. I didn't feel like this was a great second chance at love either. She was lucky she got that at the end but its not a great one at that.
Yes, I get love and life isn't pretty and can be as ugly as this story was but honestly, I need more pretty than ugly in my books. I felt the synopsis is misleading. It should include that there is a lot of violence and abuse.
July 30, 2016
"Baby, I will be anchored to you forever and always."
Wow this was a roller coaster ride! I was hooked from the first page! I'm a sucker for childhood romance or second chance love story so I was really looking forward to this book!
I loved the premise of the book but Elleny pissed the shit out of me! I have mixed feelings towards the heroine.. I don't know if I want to hug Elleny or help Bear beat the sh*t out of her! She started off as a strong heroine- sassy and confident but throughout the story she became weak and stupiiiiid! I really wanted to like Elleny, I loved reading helpless-abused heroine but her decisions, unnecessary dramas and the way she handled everything was too much for me. She was stupid, weak and selfish (and yes, I put SELFISH!) I had to put my kindle down and calm myself coz seriously, she gave me a headache! The abused was well written, it triggered so many emotions on me but it also made me hate her. I wanted to strangle her for being once again, stupid for putting up with that shit for years!! Some might think that she's an amazing mother for sacrificing and protecting... yadayada! I know she has some reasons WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, HOW
but to exposed your children from all these? Soooo not worth it woman!
The part gosh... I felt betrayed!
"Babe, you're not broken your just damaged. Remember… bendable…not breakable"
I guess the only good thing about this book was TJ! He knew since second grade that Elleny was the one. He's awesome and once again, I felt like straggling Elleny for this! I just really wished we could get in his head too. I wanted to know why it took him YEARS to come back! What happened to him in those years? There was a small glimpse that he had a gf (seems serious) but he ended it all of a sudden.. WHY? There were so many unanswered questions. :(
Bear on the other hand is.. er.. BEAR. I actually liked him from the beginning and it kinda broke my heart that he became like a monster. I know he's the villain in this book but I couldn't help but feel something for this man.
Other than the heroine, I also didn't like the flashbacks and sex scenes.. It was good to see their past but the flashbacks were too many and slow. I wanted to just move forward and focus on the present.
Now the sex scenes...
Don't get me wrong, I felt their love from one another but the sex scenes felt so forced and scripted. I love me some passionate humping but all the yelling "TJ!! Ahhhhhh!" was awkward and just didn't feel right.
Sorry for my mini rant... I just finished the book and I have so many emotions running through me right now..
Despite everything, I honestly enjoyed this book! lol. I know right? Doesn't make sense with all my bitching up there. But Elleny and TJ's love story was painful yet beautiful. I loved reading something that would make me feel.. and god I felt everything!! Yes, I didn't like the heroine but I wanted to see her HEA. After all the crap they have been through, TJ and Elleny deserved it! I was totally emotionally drained but in a good contentment way. The epilogue killed me.. it was so perfect!
I highly recommend this to anyone who's looking for some gripping love story. Just grab some tissue and prepare yourself emotionally and mentally... Lol!
Can't wait for the second book and it will be in TJ's POV. OMG!!
November 26, 2013
This book was AMAZING!! The Plot was so different and there is NOT a Cliffhanger!!The story is told from Past to Present. Normally I would be so confused but it was easy to follow since the writing was fantastic.
Expect to be on a Roller Coaster for the majority of the book. Strap in Ladies it's going to be a bumpy ride. But don't fear because a HEA is on the horizon. You will feel so many emotions: hate, love, sadness, joy, excitement and maybe wet panties. ;)
I don't want to give anything away. "Some Thing" happens and Ellie makes a choice that alters the next 17/18 years of her life as well as TJ's. I disagreed completely with her decision but she thought it would be best for TJ. See, he had a four year football scholarship and she didn't want him to turn that down and stay in this small town and never amount to much.
She really hurt TJ. I felt so bad for him and he DID NOT deserve it.
TJ was THE perfect man. Super Alpha with a heart of gold. I don't think that I have EVER read about a man that loved his girl as much as he loved his Ellie-Bean. His love for her was UNCONDITIONAL!!
I don't know why Ellie didn't realize that, dammit!!
Over the years I don't believe TJ ever for a moment forgot about Ellie and he comes back to Richland to take back what was rightfully his and punish the one person who he felt took his "anchor".
I really wanted to be inside of TJ's head and I wanted to know why after all of this time he decided to come back. SO lucky for us we get to find out in Personal Possessions.
I highly recommend this book and Kudos to Tracy Lee for a fantastic story that I can't wait to continue reading.
There is some hardcore physical violence and abuse so be Warned.
Expect to be on a Roller Coaster for the majority of the book. Strap in Ladies it's going to be a bumpy ride. But don't fear because a HEA is on the horizon. You will feel so many emotions: hate, love, sadness, joy, excitement and maybe wet panties. ;)
I don't want to give anything away. "Some Thing" happens and Ellie makes a choice that alters the next 17/18 years of her life as well as TJ's. I disagreed completely with her decision but she thought it would be best for TJ. See, he had a four year football scholarship and she didn't want him to turn that down and stay in this small town and never amount to much.
She really hurt TJ. I felt so bad for him and he DID NOT deserve it.
TJ was THE perfect man. Super Alpha with a heart of gold. I don't think that I have EVER read about a man that loved his girl as much as he loved his Ellie-Bean. His love for her was UNCONDITIONAL!!
I don't know why Ellie didn't realize that, dammit!!
Over the years I don't believe TJ ever for a moment forgot about Ellie and he comes back to Richland to take back what was rightfully his and punish the one person who he felt took his "anchor".
I really wanted to be inside of TJ's head and I wanted to know why after all of this time he decided to come back. SO lucky for us we get to find out in Personal Possessions.
I highly recommend this book and Kudos to Tracy Lee for a fantastic story that I can't wait to continue reading.
There is some hardcore physical violence and abuse so be Warned.
November 29, 2013
This book was terrible! Do not waste your time or money! The plot is so stupid. Supposedly, a very wealthy girl, Elle, gets pregnant in high school. The father of her twins, TJ, is the love of her life, but she wants him to not get tied down and have a bright future, so she marries another guy who immediately abuses her. She doesn't take her millions and leave the sick jerk no, she stays with the "Bear" for 17 years taking terrible abuse. The spousal rape scene was so gross it made me sick. The real baby daddy is so upset after trying weakly to get her back, that he goes off never coming home to see his relatives in the small town where they live. Yet, when he finally comes back 17 years later and accidentally sees his son, he knows immediately that it is his child, because the young man looks just like him So, his relatives never mentioned that to him? Another example of the dumbness of this book is at one point, Elle, the lead female-I'm not calling her a heroine-is told that the state of Georgia, where she lives, does not allow abortions, which is a crock, but to compound it, later she says Bear forced multiple abortions on her. And, the baby daddy,TJ, is described in some reviews as an Alpha....but he finds out about the abuse then lets Elle and his kids stay with the abuser for 3 more weeks until Bear almost kills "the love of his live." I just read Remy before this one and can you imagine that from him or any other real book boyfriend? No way! To top it off, an editor is badly needed! Writing several pages in all caps is just annoying plus it has numerous misspellings and grammatical errors! This is a rare bad review from me. I usually just move on, but I had to warn my fellow romance readers to avoid this one!
October 3, 2013
Ok so this book deals with some tough issues that some readers are not going to like. There is some very graphic and descriptive violence and rape if you can't handle that then maybe this isn't the book for you. This book took me on an emotional journey I was angry and heartbroken over some of the choices the Elleny made but who knows in her situation what I would have done. My emotions ran the gamut I was angry, sad, frustrated, happy, joyful and at points I wanted to jump into the pages and tear Bear apart with my bare hands. I don't fully understand what made him feel that way about TJ who was his best friend so I do wish we had gotten more insight into what made Bear how he was. This book started with a beautiful pure love between Elleny and TJ and it ended with well just read it to find out!! I look forward to the next book from Tracy Lee! Thanks for the ride!
November 14, 2013
4 stars
I liked this book. It's hard to to say that I loved this book just because of the horrific abuse that Elle went through. It was very graphic too. So for me it just doesn't seem like to say I loved this book doesn't an right. Elle endured 17 years of abuse in all forms verbal, physical, and rape.
I did love TJ though. He was amazing. The only thing I don't understand is why it took him so long to come back and claim his "anchor". The love that Elle and TJ shared was a beautiful thing to read about.
So if you can handle a book that has very graphic abuse in it . And you love to read about a beautiful love that is "bendable but not breakable" then this one is for you.
I liked this book. It's hard to to say that I loved this book just because of the horrific abuse that Elle went through. It was very graphic too. So for me it just doesn't seem like to say I loved this book doesn't an right. Elle endured 17 years of abuse in all forms verbal, physical, and rape.
I did love TJ though. He was amazing. The only thing I don't understand is why it took him so long to come back and claim his "anchor". The love that Elle and TJ shared was a beautiful thing to read about.
So if you can handle a book that has very graphic abuse in it . And you love to read about a beautiful love that is "bendable but not breakable" then this one is for you.
December 29, 2014
It is hard to believe that this is Ms. Lee's first novel; and it is incredibly admirable for her to take on the very sensitive subject of domestic violence on top of that. Yes, this book is violent at times; however, is domestic violence ever warm and cuddly? Does real life ever censor itself? As a reader it can be hard to digest, but it also gives us a glimpse into what a victim/survivor has to deal with on a daily basis. If you've never been in an abusive relationship, it could be easy to discount the decisions made by Elleny (our heroine) in her fight for not only her survival, but for her children as well.
I love how Ms. Lee wove the back story and history throughout the novel. You could really get a sense of the depth of the relationships that each of the characters have with each other. Even though we had flashbacks throughout the book, it was easy to follow along. The dual POV was very effective. In the past I have not been much of a fan of having more than one voice in a book, but the relationship and storyline is so complex in Personal Experiences that I think the addition of a viewpoint really adds to the story. Yes, there were some grammatical/spelling errors, but guess what? Even mass marketed authors have things that make it past editing every once in awhile. Spell check does not find the difference between then/than or you're/your, and often times spell check is the closest thing to a copy editor that an indie/self-published author has. I am in awe of anyone that can sit down and craft words into a cohesive story. Not just anyone can do that.
Elleny's evolution throughout the book from victim to survivor was inspiring. It was fraught with emotion and if rape and domestic violence are triggers for you it would best be wise to steer clear of this book. And while the book is chock full of pain and heartache, we do get a HEA at the end, that makes the pain all the more tolerable.
Again, this was incredible for a freshman effort and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment of the Personal series! (Please keep us updated on TJ and Elleny too!)
I love how Ms. Lee wove the back story and history throughout the novel. You could really get a sense of the depth of the relationships that each of the characters have with each other. Even though we had flashbacks throughout the book, it was easy to follow along. The dual POV was very effective. In the past I have not been much of a fan of having more than one voice in a book, but the relationship and storyline is so complex in Personal Experiences that I think the addition of a viewpoint really adds to the story. Yes, there were some grammatical/spelling errors, but guess what? Even mass marketed authors have things that make it past editing every once in awhile. Spell check does not find the difference between then/than or you're/your, and often times spell check is the closest thing to a copy editor that an indie/self-published author has. I am in awe of anyone that can sit down and craft words into a cohesive story. Not just anyone can do that.
Elleny's evolution throughout the book from victim to survivor was inspiring. It was fraught with emotion and if rape and domestic violence are triggers for you it would best be wise to steer clear of this book. And while the book is chock full of pain and heartache, we do get a HEA at the end, that makes the pain all the more tolerable.
Again, this was incredible for a freshman effort and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment of the Personal series! (Please keep us updated on TJ and Elleny too!)
September 9, 2013
I had the honor of beta reading Personal Experiences and I want to start off saying that this book is not for the faint of heart. Author Tracy Lee doesn't pull her punches with her details in her book, so if you have problems with reading about abuse and rape, this may not be the book for you.
Personal Experiences is the story of Elly. It takes you on a ride from her first love with TJ (which starts in the 2nd grade), through very difficult decisions that she makes that lead her away from TJ and to a very abusive relationship with someone she had thought was a friend. It details the struggles that Elly has trying to keep everything together and protect the people she loves and ultimately, it shows the path that leads Elly back to TJ and thankfully a HEA.
Personal Experiences made me feel a lot of different emotions, I laughed and cried. I wanted to bash Elly's husbands head in. I cheered at the end. I know all the hype about leaving abusive relationships but this really made me think about the dynamics that are in play in abusive relationships and why Elly didn't just walk out. I commend Tracy Lee for taking this subject on in such a graphic way.
I guess all I can truly say is that:
Personal Experience is an experience.
Personal Experiences is the story of Elly. It takes you on a ride from her first love with TJ (which starts in the 2nd grade), through very difficult decisions that she makes that lead her away from TJ and to a very abusive relationship with someone she had thought was a friend. It details the struggles that Elly has trying to keep everything together and protect the people she loves and ultimately, it shows the path that leads Elly back to TJ and thankfully a HEA.
Personal Experiences made me feel a lot of different emotions, I laughed and cried. I wanted to bash Elly's husbands head in. I cheered at the end. I know all the hype about leaving abusive relationships but this really made me think about the dynamics that are in play in abusive relationships and why Elly didn't just walk out. I commend Tracy Lee for taking this subject on in such a graphic way.
I guess all I can truly say is that:
Personal Experience is an experience.
December 18, 2013
4.5 Stars.........
This was really close to a five star book for me. I'm not sure why it is getting some really bad reviews, because I thought it was extremely good.
It certainly can be considered dark and raw, and most certainly disturbing but the storyline is very unique and the characters captivated me.
Give this book a shot...
This was really close to a five star book for me. I'm not sure why it is getting some really bad reviews, because I thought it was extremely good.
It certainly can be considered dark and raw, and most certainly disturbing but the storyline is very unique and the characters captivated me.
Give this book a shot...
November 26, 2013
Well that was exhausting!!!!
September 30, 2013
I don't know where to start with this. I will say that before you start be prepared to experience A LOT of emotions - love, happiness, sadness, and anger just to name a few. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart that just want to read a happy go lucky book. This is far from that. The story topic is focused around a decision that an eighteen year old girl makes with the devil. Literally! She thinks she is making the best decision for herself and the love of her life only to end up living in hell. If you can not read about abuse, rape, and torture then this is not for you. Or if you are a victim of it, then it suggest depending on where you are in your life I would think twice beforehand reading. I would not want someone to read this book and have their personal experiences relived again. I guess the name of the book is very fitting - Personal Experiences.
The writing is amazing. Tracy Lee wrote scenes that made me feel that I was actually experiencing what Elle was not only feeling but experiencing. I felt like I was right there with her. The story is written all in Elle's POV with the exception of the last chapter which is in TJ's. The book switches back and forth from past to present day. Normally I don't like books that do that. I usually get lost in the present and don't remember what had happened before the switch; however, in this book it worked flawlessly. Each transition from past to present fit in perfectly and gave a better understanding of what had happened with TJ and Elle as early as second grade. I loved the friendships developed in this book with Rachel and Lilly and Curtis and Bear.
As I was transported back in the past and learned how each of the girls and guys had become friends and loved each other and had plans for the future only to have one couple still stay together after all the years. Rachel had become the glue to Elle as well as Elle's daddy. And unbeknownst to Elle her stepmom who she originally did not care for become a source of support for her and gave her excellent advice in dealing with her douche bag jack ass husband.
Elle suffered through seventeen years of abuse and rape from her so called husband. Everything she did she did for her children. Some may feel that she had the support of her family - daddy, Mona, and Rachel to escape the abuse but she felt the opposite. I think this is the key that many people that have not experienced this before may not understand. Her husband made it very clear that he would take her kids and she would never see them again. As a mother, I could relate to this. I would do anything for my children. Even if that meant suffering silently. She did everything she could to protect her children. She set up code words, alerts, and what to do if she didn't meet them in the morning.
Now the best part... TJ comes back and decides that it is time to make her his. He more or less makes her an offer that she can't refuse. She is to spend eight days working with him in another city and he will pay her an ungodly amount of money. Now Elle has money that was left to her from her momma and daddy. But this money she thinks she can do something with it for her children to make their lives better. All she has to do is survive eight days with TJ. TJ does not make it easy for her. He actively pursues her instantly and never let's up. He makes it known that even though she is a married woman he knows that she still loves him and he still loves her.
This book sent me on an emotional roller coaster with so many loop da loops, twists and turns, and drops where my stomach literally did feel like it dropped. Have tissue ready for this book. It will be needed. And keep your iPad, nook, or kindle fully charged when reading. You don't want to get cut off because of low battery.
The writing is amazing. Tracy Lee wrote scenes that made me feel that I was actually experiencing what Elle was not only feeling but experiencing. I felt like I was right there with her. The story is written all in Elle's POV with the exception of the last chapter which is in TJ's. The book switches back and forth from past to present day. Normally I don't like books that do that. I usually get lost in the present and don't remember what had happened before the switch; however, in this book it worked flawlessly. Each transition from past to present fit in perfectly and gave a better understanding of what had happened with TJ and Elle as early as second grade. I loved the friendships developed in this book with Rachel and Lilly and Curtis and Bear.
As I was transported back in the past and learned how each of the girls and guys had become friends and loved each other and had plans for the future only to have one couple still stay together after all the years. Rachel had become the glue to Elle as well as Elle's daddy. And unbeknownst to Elle her stepmom who she originally did not care for become a source of support for her and gave her excellent advice in dealing with her douche bag jack ass husband.
Elle suffered through seventeen years of abuse and rape from her so called husband. Everything she did she did for her children. Some may feel that she had the support of her family - daddy, Mona, and Rachel to escape the abuse but she felt the opposite. I think this is the key that many people that have not experienced this before may not understand. Her husband made it very clear that he would take her kids and she would never see them again. As a mother, I could relate to this. I would do anything for my children. Even if that meant suffering silently. She did everything she could to protect her children. She set up code words, alerts, and what to do if she didn't meet them in the morning.
Now the best part... TJ comes back and decides that it is time to make her his. He more or less makes her an offer that she can't refuse. She is to spend eight days working with him in another city and he will pay her an ungodly amount of money. Now Elle has money that was left to her from her momma and daddy. But this money she thinks she can do something with it for her children to make their lives better. All she has to do is survive eight days with TJ. TJ does not make it easy for her. He actively pursues her instantly and never let's up. He makes it known that even though she is a married woman he knows that she still loves him and he still loves her.
This book sent me on an emotional roller coaster with so many loop da loops, twists and turns, and drops where my stomach literally did feel like it dropped. Have tissue ready for this book. It will be needed. And keep your iPad, nook, or kindle fully charged when reading. You don't want to get cut off because of low battery.
May 4, 2014
With a leisurely warm up in the beginning and careful world-building to set the mood, Personal Experiences by Tracy Lee will hit every nerve and emotion you possess. From the cringing disgust of graphic physical abuse to tear-worthy moments, Ms. Lee slams her words down with force and confidence in where she is taking her tale.
Trevor and Elle’s story begins as children, their relationship sees them through school, until college makes Trevor leave their small town. Elle is hiding a secret from Trevor and to spare herself the wrath of small town gossip, marries his best friend who spends the next seventeen years brutalizing her, and seeking ways to get his hands on her family’s money. Through it all, Elle still hangs on to the love she shared with Trevor, their past giving her the strength to endure what her life has become.
Trevor returns after all those years and his love and devotion to Elle is still there. But has her misguided sacrifices years before damaged her beyond repair? Will Trevor avenge her suffering? Will they get their happily ever after?
Tracy Lee spares nothing in this emotionally draining tale of young love that matures and endures, even through the miles and years of separation. She creates so much tension that it hums like high voltage wires throughout this tale. Guiding her characters to make questionable decisions that will affect their futures, Ms. Lee doesn’t ask for the reader’s permission to be controversial, she boldly colors her world in her own way, brilliantly drawing us in, as we try to understand the moves of each character.
Riveting, nail biting tension, and raw romantic feelings, Personal Experiences is a diamond in the world of romantic drama.
I received this copy from the author as part of the Personal Experiences Tour.
Series: Personal Book 1
Publication Date: October 31, 2013 Second Edition
Publisher: Tracy Lee
ASIN: B00GDK9E4E
Print Length: 435 pages
Genre: Adult Romantic Erotica
Available From: Amazon
Trevor and Elle’s story begins as children, their relationship sees them through school, until college makes Trevor leave their small town. Elle is hiding a secret from Trevor and to spare herself the wrath of small town gossip, marries his best friend who spends the next seventeen years brutalizing her, and seeking ways to get his hands on her family’s money. Through it all, Elle still hangs on to the love she shared with Trevor, their past giving her the strength to endure what her life has become.
Trevor returns after all those years and his love and devotion to Elle is still there. But has her misguided sacrifices years before damaged her beyond repair? Will Trevor avenge her suffering? Will they get their happily ever after?
Tracy Lee spares nothing in this emotionally draining tale of young love that matures and endures, even through the miles and years of separation. She creates so much tension that it hums like high voltage wires throughout this tale. Guiding her characters to make questionable decisions that will affect their futures, Ms. Lee doesn’t ask for the reader’s permission to be controversial, she boldly colors her world in her own way, brilliantly drawing us in, as we try to understand the moves of each character.
Riveting, nail biting tension, and raw romantic feelings, Personal Experiences is a diamond in the world of romantic drama.
I received this copy from the author as part of the Personal Experiences Tour.
Series: Personal Book 1
Publication Date: October 31, 2013 Second Edition
Publisher: Tracy Lee
ASIN: B00GDK9E4E
Print Length: 435 pages
Genre: Adult Romantic Erotica
Available From: Amazon
January 10, 2014
2.25 'Because I Can' Stars
(spoiler free)
I can handle reading violence. I can.
I know a lot of people gave this book low ratings for the strong domestic violence in the book, but's that not why I gave it a low rating.
Lee had great intentions and a great story in mind but...
Have you ever seen something poorly written that you begin to rewrite it in your head as you're reading along?
Here's my advice: Editor's.
Found some grammar mistakes, but that was tolerable. It was the phrasing of sentences. It was the unnecessary details. It was the irrational and stupid choices our main protagonist made.
Seriously Elleny...
What I can't understand is why Elleny, a rich country girl, decided to marry her boyfriends friend because she got pregnant and didn't want to ruin his life.
I understood WHY she chose to hide it ("Love is about being selfless") from Trevor (her boyfriend) but why go and marry Bear (Trevor's friend). What purpose did that serve? To save face? Who gives a rat's ass what people think. She went about the whole situation all wrong and I just could not relate to any of it.
And some of those sex scenes... they were as uncomfortable as watching Dan Rad do this
I swear, if I hear the word 'juices' one more time...
And this whole switching between past and present thing was not cutting it for me. They were tolerable at first but they should of stopped half-way through the book. I started skimming through them because, common... too much is too much.
Meh....
(spoiler free)
"He had nothing to do with any of this, but yet I hated him for my choices"
I can handle reading violence. I can.
I know a lot of people gave this book low ratings for the strong domestic violence in the book, but's that not why I gave it a low rating.
Lee had great intentions and a great story in mind but...
Have you ever seen something poorly written that you begin to rewrite it in your head as you're reading along?
Here's my advice: Editor's.
Found some grammar mistakes, but that was tolerable. It was the phrasing of sentences. It was the unnecessary details. It was the irrational and stupid choices our main protagonist made.
Seriously Elleny...
What I can't understand is why Elleny, a rich country girl, decided to marry her boyfriends friend because she got pregnant and didn't want to ruin his life.
I understood WHY she chose to hide it ("Love is about being selfless") from Trevor (her boyfriend) but why go and marry Bear (Trevor's friend). What purpose did that serve? To save face? Who gives a rat's ass what people think. She went about the whole situation all wrong and I just could not relate to any of it.
And some of those sex scenes... they were as uncomfortable as watching Dan Rad do this
I swear, if I hear the word 'juices' one more time...
And this whole switching between past and present thing was not cutting it for me. They were tolerable at first but they should of stopped half-way through the book. I started skimming through them because, common... too much is too much.
Meh....
December 12, 2013
Well, not a very believable story.
She was loaded with money, she could escape Bear when she wanted and even hire protection for her and the kids. In my opinion she did not have any excuse to put up with all the abuse.
Also, if her father was so protective of her and had money... he could of offered Bear a shit load of money to get him out of the picture. (after all it was clear from the beginning he had no interest in being a good husband and father so his only interest would be money)
Another point is that if she was raped by her husband and left bleeding and bruised all over, I don't think she would be up for sex straight away... it really isn't like that in real life.
It also didn't make any sense to me if it was her doing pushing TJ away all those years ago and she still loves him, why does she have all that attitude against him since the first time they reunite.. its as if he did something wrong, which is not the case!! Only further down the line does she admit that she wants to push him away again but... still makes no sense and again its not believable.
There are other points in the book that make no sense, but theres no point going on and on about it.
To me this book is a total mess, and there are alot of errors.
Shame really... I had high hopes for this book and was really disappointed! :-(
She was loaded with money, she could escape Bear when she wanted and even hire protection for her and the kids. In my opinion she did not have any excuse to put up with all the abuse.
Also, if her father was so protective of her and had money... he could of offered Bear a shit load of money to get him out of the picture. (after all it was clear from the beginning he had no interest in being a good husband and father so his only interest would be money)
Another point is that if she was raped by her husband and left bleeding and bruised all over, I don't think she would be up for sex straight away... it really isn't like that in real life.
It also didn't make any sense to me if it was her doing pushing TJ away all those years ago and she still loves him, why does she have all that attitude against him since the first time they reunite.. its as if he did something wrong, which is not the case!! Only further down the line does she admit that she wants to push him away again but... still makes no sense and again its not believable.
There are other points in the book that make no sense, but theres no point going on and on about it.
To me this book is a total mess, and there are alot of errors.
Shame really... I had high hopes for this book and was really disappointed! :-(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2014
4 solid, INTENSE stars!! Wow, where to begin? It started out great…sweet and fluffy with steamy sex scenes. It was sweet reading about this group of friends that were close in high school and the couples (TJ and Elle especially) were so cute. While TJ was always very alpha when it came to Elle and their connection, they were all just normal seniors looking forward to college. Then the string of bad decisions leads to a huge twist in the story and this is where I needed to take breathers. It took me longer to read this book b/c it was so intense and the abuse was so disturbing. To say I hated Bear is really an understatement! Although I didn't agree with Elle's decision, my heart went out to her for what she endured as a result. I was happy to have a HEA for TJ and Elle, but I was sweating there for a bit when I was at the very end and it still hadn't come!!
This book will definitely stay with me as it was one of those books that you can't stop thinking about long after finishing it. I keep having to tell myself "it's just a book!" An awesome book :-) I looked on GR and there will be other books in this series in addition to Personal Possessions, which is TJ's POV. I love TJ and I look forward to reading what was going through his head all those years!
This book will definitely stay with me as it was one of those books that you can't stop thinking about long after finishing it. I keep having to tell myself "it's just a book!" An awesome book :-) I looked on GR and there will be other books in this series in addition to Personal Possessions, which is TJ's POV. I love TJ and I look forward to reading what was going through his head all those years!
September 22, 2013
This was an amazingly strong book. Ms. Lee has terrific character development that has you crying one minute and wanting to throttle someone the next. Elleny is a heroine that you can't help but want to slap for the choices she made all the while knowing you may make the same choices in her shoes. TJ is the ulitmate alpha male though I was left wondering why it took him so long to finally come home and claim what's his. The violence was graphic and horrifying while providing an insight into all the characters and giving the heroine a well rounded iron strength. I really felt the secondary characters were as vital to the story as the main charaters and I was left wanting that next book to see what happens next.
This book is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, the language is graphic, the violence is horrific and the sex leaves you feeling sated yet wanting to come back for more.
I gave the book 5 stars because it truely has all that I look for in a book. A unique look at humanity using strong characters and a great plot line. There was nothing about this book that "done before", and we rarely find that in erotica.
This book is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended, the language is graphic, the violence is horrific and the sex leaves you feeling sated yet wanting to come back for more.
I gave the book 5 stars because it truely has all that I look for in a book. A unique look at humanity using strong characters and a great plot line. There was nothing about this book that "done before", and we rarely find that in erotica.
October 8, 2013
When I first saw the title of this book, I was really uncertain as to what sort of book this would be. Then I started reading it and nearly put it down, because it starts from a 17 year old girl's perspective. Well, I stuck with this book, and with each page, each paragraph, each sentence, each word, I became fully invested in this story. This is not another YA romance, in fact there is nothing YA about this book. This story was written by a fully grown, passionate woman for that same audience. This story was so powerful, I didn't realize I was crying until my face was suddenly wet. There are so many themes at play here, youthful indiscretion, the ugliness that sometimes accompanies true love, lust,jealousy, motherhood, abuse, rape, passion, love in all it's many forms. As well as encompassing every emotion known to man, the author assigns them properly. There is nothing here for wow factor, nothing to assure assignation to a genre. This a story that is real and raw, and life like. For a first book, it is powerful, well written prose. I wait with baited breath for the next book and the many more I know reside in the heart and mind of this impressive Indie author!
July 26, 2015
It was a good read but there wasn't any wow factor , I mean I will read it again but it isn't memorial. It hasn't captured my heart that it would stay with me forever.
November 2, 2015
I won a copy of this book in a giveaway about 6 months ago and figured it's about time I read it. It's self published - a fact that I applaud the author for. It also came signed and personalized which is always exciting. Thank you Tracy!
I stayed up all night to finish this. It usually takes an exceptional book to make me do that.
The story started off really nicely. With descriptions of each character and their traits. There's 6 characters (3 males, 3 females). They've been friends since second grade. In high school they become couples. The story is told from Elleny's point of view. She is the main female protagonist.
The hints for the plot twist come early on. There's a mention of a weekend when everything changed. That got me thinking...what could happen to completely change Elleny and TJ's (our main characters) lives in a matter of days. I expected something terrible. Must have seemed so in her eyes. Not in mine. I hated her for what she did to TJ. She pushed him away without any explanation whatsoever.
We travel back and forth in time with each chapter.This is a style of writing that I've recently discovered that I don't like at all. From 1992 when they were high school seniors to 17 years later. I hated this. Elleny's constant flashbacks. What was and what is.The present time part was the part where bad things went down.
There are some quite disturbing scenes. And they were described really graphically. I admit I skimmed through those parts. I just couldn't handle reading the scenes of abuse. I know the book comes with a warning on the synopsis. I want to emphasize it in my review too. Do not read this if you're not ready for such graphic scenes!
There was a lot of drama going on and yet it all wrapped up really fast. It ended happily - Thank God! The abusive relationship is over. Love is stronger. There is a second book out. Personal Possessions is in TJ's POV. I will not be picking that up. I'm fine with just Elleny's perspective. I feel like if Personal Experiences had a couple more chapters there would've been absolutely no need for a second book. Goodreads says there's gonna be 4 books. No idea what the other 2 are going to be about. In my mind, this story is over.
My final verdict is - this book is quite disturbing! I think it was really the wrong time for me to read it. First of, I've been reading mostly YA recently. I guess I wasn't ready to jump into New Adult. Second, my midterms just ended on Friday so I wanted to read something quick and relaxing after them. This was anything except that. I was aware of the warning coming with the book but didn't expect it to be that bad.
I ducked stars out for 2 things. First, the language. It was quite repetitive. Elleny becomes 10 shades redder or 9 shades of embarrassment show on her face etc. And there's 2 pages written in CAPS LOCK. Could barely read those. They did the job of making the screaming seem more real though. The second is my bookish PET PEEVE. Was this books even edited? Cause it was either unedited or the editor did a pretty lousy job. I get distracted by grammar and spelling mistakes, ok?
Rating - 1.5 stars. Wish I could have given it more. But, like I said above, I read it at the wrong time. The extra half star is for the message of this book!
Who would I recommend it to - hmmm?
I stayed up all night to finish this. It usually takes an exceptional book to make me do that.
The story started off really nicely. With descriptions of each character and their traits. There's 6 characters (3 males, 3 females). They've been friends since second grade. In high school they become couples. The story is told from Elleny's point of view. She is the main female protagonist.
The hints for the plot twist come early on. There's a mention of a weekend when everything changed. That got me thinking...what could happen to completely change Elleny and TJ's (our main characters) lives in a matter of days. I expected something terrible. Must have seemed so in her eyes. Not in mine. I hated her for what she did to TJ. She pushed him away without any explanation whatsoever.
We travel back and forth in time with each chapter.This is a style of writing that I've recently discovered that I don't like at all. From 1992 when they were high school seniors to 17 years later. I hated this. Elleny's constant flashbacks. What was and what is.The present time part was the part where bad things went down.
There are some quite disturbing scenes. And they were described really graphically. I admit I skimmed through those parts. I just couldn't handle reading the scenes of abuse. I know the book comes with a warning on the synopsis. I want to emphasize it in my review too. Do not read this if you're not ready for such graphic scenes!
There was a lot of drama going on and yet it all wrapped up really fast. It ended happily - Thank God! The abusive relationship is over. Love is stronger. There is a second book out. Personal Possessions is in TJ's POV. I will not be picking that up. I'm fine with just Elleny's perspective. I feel like if Personal Experiences had a couple more chapters there would've been absolutely no need for a second book. Goodreads says there's gonna be 4 books. No idea what the other 2 are going to be about. In my mind, this story is over.
My final verdict is - this book is quite disturbing! I think it was really the wrong time for me to read it. First of, I've been reading mostly YA recently. I guess I wasn't ready to jump into New Adult. Second, my midterms just ended on Friday so I wanted to read something quick and relaxing after them. This was anything except that. I was aware of the warning coming with the book but didn't expect it to be that bad.
I ducked stars out for 2 things. First, the language. It was quite repetitive. Elleny becomes 10 shades redder or 9 shades of embarrassment show on her face etc. And there's 2 pages written in CAPS LOCK. Could barely read those. They did the job of making the screaming seem more real though. The second is my bookish PET PEEVE. Was this books even edited? Cause it was either unedited or the editor did a pretty lousy job. I get distracted by grammar and spelling mistakes, ok?
Rating - 1.5 stars. Wish I could have given it more. But, like I said above, I read it at the wrong time. The extra half star is for the message of this book!
Who would I recommend it to - hmmm?
January 3, 2014
5 stars isn't enough for this book... **Arc given in exchange for an honest review**
Personal Experiences is the story of Elly. It starts out with her happy and so in love with her long time boyfriend TJ. TJ has loved Elly since the second grade. Even told her once that they would be married one day.
"When I grow up I'm gonna marry Trevor Jordan McHale" -- Elly
"Oh... It'll happen Elleny Jean Baker." --TJ
Well when Elly receives some unexpected news that she is pregnant she starts making one bad decision after another. She doesn't want to tie TJ down to the town they grew up in. She wants him to have his dreams. So Bear their other long time friend (also since second grade), comes up with a plan to help Elly. He agrees to marry her and raise the baby as his.
"You marry me and let me raise that baby as my own. My last name and other then the three of us, no one else knows any different." --Bear
When Elly agrees my heart broke for TJ. I knew she was making the wrong decision, but I didn't realize how bad a choice she was making at the time.
"Go ahead, finish me off! Fucking kill me Bear. I ain't got nothing now. Come on, do it you Asshole; finish this! You've taken the only thing in life that matters to me, I'm fucking nothing." --TJ
I have to warn you, Personal Experiences is not for everyone. There is graphic scenes of abuse and rape. Elly is really put through it. Bear is an awful person. The way he treated her, just broke me. Bear is the epitome of evil. Elly endures seventeen years of torture. She is much stronger then she thinks she is. She is made to believe she is nothing. Yet, she is trapped there in that marriage with that awful man because she is scared Bear will run off with her kids. Being a mother and survivor of abuse I totally understand her reasoning for staying. Elly does have a strong support system with her best friends Rachel and Lilly. These girls are awesome I LOVED how they were their for Elly.
When Elly and TJ meet up seventeen years later their chemistry is HOT as ever. You can see TJ still really loves Elly so much. Elly believes she is to tainted for him. Oh my how I LOVED TJ, he is such a sweet, caring, sexy man. He wants Elly back and stops at nothing to have her. When he discovers the things she has been hiding it just breaks him. It broke my heart when he finds out about the abuse that Elly has went through. He really took it hard. Then when he finds out that the twins are his, he is PISSED at her for keeping them from him for all these years. He has missed their whole lives.
I don't want to give to much of the story away so I'll just say you need to read Personal Experiences NOW!!! Just be prepared it is a gut wrenching book. You will cry and be shocked by the violence. I felt a full range of emotions from being angry to happiness. Let me also say that TJ and Elly had some smoking HOT scenes between them. Tracy Lee has given us an AWESOME debut novel. I gave Personal Experiences 5 stars, but would give it more if I could. AWESOME BOOK!!!
Personal Experiences is the story of Elly. It starts out with her happy and so in love with her long time boyfriend TJ. TJ has loved Elly since the second grade. Even told her once that they would be married one day.
"When I grow up I'm gonna marry Trevor Jordan McHale" -- Elly
"Oh... It'll happen Elleny Jean Baker." --TJ
Well when Elly receives some unexpected news that she is pregnant she starts making one bad decision after another. She doesn't want to tie TJ down to the town they grew up in. She wants him to have his dreams. So Bear their other long time friend (also since second grade), comes up with a plan to help Elly. He agrees to marry her and raise the baby as his.
"You marry me and let me raise that baby as my own. My last name and other then the three of us, no one else knows any different." --Bear
When Elly agrees my heart broke for TJ. I knew she was making the wrong decision, but I didn't realize how bad a choice she was making at the time.
"Go ahead, finish me off! Fucking kill me Bear. I ain't got nothing now. Come on, do it you Asshole; finish this! You've taken the only thing in life that matters to me, I'm fucking nothing." --TJ
I have to warn you, Personal Experiences is not for everyone. There is graphic scenes of abuse and rape. Elly is really put through it. Bear is an awful person. The way he treated her, just broke me. Bear is the epitome of evil. Elly endures seventeen years of torture. She is much stronger then she thinks she is. She is made to believe she is nothing. Yet, she is trapped there in that marriage with that awful man because she is scared Bear will run off with her kids. Being a mother and survivor of abuse I totally understand her reasoning for staying. Elly does have a strong support system with her best friends Rachel and Lilly. These girls are awesome I LOVED how they were their for Elly.
When Elly and TJ meet up seventeen years later their chemistry is HOT as ever. You can see TJ still really loves Elly so much. Elly believes she is to tainted for him. Oh my how I LOVED TJ, he is such a sweet, caring, sexy man. He wants Elly back and stops at nothing to have her. When he discovers the things she has been hiding it just breaks him. It broke my heart when he finds out about the abuse that Elly has went through. He really took it hard. Then when he finds out that the twins are his, he is PISSED at her for keeping them from him for all these years. He has missed their whole lives.
I don't want to give to much of the story away so I'll just say you need to read Personal Experiences NOW!!! Just be prepared it is a gut wrenching book. You will cry and be shocked by the violence. I felt a full range of emotions from being angry to happiness. Let me also say that TJ and Elly had some smoking HOT scenes between them. Tracy Lee has given us an AWESOME debut novel. I gave Personal Experiences 5 stars, but would give it more if I could. AWESOME BOOK!!!
August 9, 2016
…bendable….not breakable…”
I took a chance on this one. If you have read some of my reviews from the past months you would know that I do not find stories that contain graphic violence that enjoyable especially if those details were just added in to give it unwarranted “shock value”.
It is rare that I find a story of this nature where an author was able to pull it off and make those elements justifiable. In Personal Experiences I was impressed how the author was able to do just that. She manipulated all that ugliness and created something so moving and so powerful.
The characters of this story were remarkable. From the very beginning I knew that Elle and Trevor were destined to be together. They loved each other like no other and were willing to give up anything for each others’ happiness. That is what this story is about -Elle sacrificing her entire life for Trevor. She made these rash decisions that she thought would protect Trevor. She endured so much to protect those she loved. She tries to forget and learn to love again for her sake and her children but Trevor was always bound to her heart.
Trevor character was also outstanding. I loved the way that he went about reconnecting with Elle. I loved that he was persistent and knew when to give her that little push in the right direction. Even when they weren’t together it seemed that Elle was always the center of his universe and that he was building his entire life around hers. The chemistry and the passion between the two was outstanding. I loved the alpha male persona that Trevor exhibited inside and out of the bedroom.
The supporting characters were also impressive. I was glad that Elle always had someone to turn to. First there was her father. Their relationship was unparalleled. Her best friends were Elle’s backbone. I thought that she would have never been able to survive so much pain without them. At times I was disappointed that they didn’t do more but it was their loyalty that prevented them to do so.
Bottom line is I think this story was very heart breaking and amazingly beautiful at the same time. I can not tell you how many times this one pulled at my heart-strings and made me an inconsolable mess.
There are some aspects that will make you cringe but if you start it out with an open mind, I think you will agree with me that story is a diamond in the rough.
liezelsbookblog.net
I took a chance on this one. If you have read some of my reviews from the past months you would know that I do not find stories that contain graphic violence that enjoyable especially if those details were just added in to give it unwarranted “shock value”.
It is rare that I find a story of this nature where an author was able to pull it off and make those elements justifiable. In Personal Experiences I was impressed how the author was able to do just that. She manipulated all that ugliness and created something so moving and so powerful.
The characters of this story were remarkable. From the very beginning I knew that Elle and Trevor were destined to be together. They loved each other like no other and were willing to give up anything for each others’ happiness. That is what this story is about -Elle sacrificing her entire life for Trevor. She made these rash decisions that she thought would protect Trevor. She endured so much to protect those she loved. She tries to forget and learn to love again for her sake and her children but Trevor was always bound to her heart.
Trevor character was also outstanding. I loved the way that he went about reconnecting with Elle. I loved that he was persistent and knew when to give her that little push in the right direction. Even when they weren’t together it seemed that Elle was always the center of his universe and that he was building his entire life around hers. The chemistry and the passion between the two was outstanding. I loved the alpha male persona that Trevor exhibited inside and out of the bedroom.
The supporting characters were also impressive. I was glad that Elle always had someone to turn to. First there was her father. Their relationship was unparalleled. Her best friends were Elle’s backbone. I thought that she would have never been able to survive so much pain without them. At times I was disappointed that they didn’t do more but it was their loyalty that prevented them to do so.
Bottom line is I think this story was very heart breaking and amazingly beautiful at the same time. I can not tell you how many times this one pulled at my heart-strings and made me an inconsolable mess.
There are some aspects that will make you cringe but if you start it out with an open mind, I think you will agree with me that story is a diamond in the rough.
liezelsbookblog.net
August 29, 2014
This story gripped me from the beginning. It was dark, harsh and very violent. If domestic abuse hits any trigger points for you than please do not read this story. It was extremely graphic. With that being said, I could not put it down.
Elle and Trevor were meant to be since the second grade. But after circumstances unravel in highschool, Trevor goes away to school. Elle stays behind and marries Bear. She thinks she is doing the right thing for everyong. I just wanted to shake her. But we all know that sometimes there is no reasoning with an 18 year old.
Her life passes her by and soon she has three children and it is seventeen years later. She has not been happy. She is in a horrible situation for the sake of ther children and like all abused women she is scared to leave and scared to stay. She does anything and everything to protect her children.
Then all hell breaks loose and Trevor returns to town and her dreams are right in front of her again. The love of her life, the one she has never forgotten is standing so near to her and yet he is so far away. A dream that can never be. She has her life and she must live it.
I felt so sorry for Elleny, I felt so much compassion for her. I just wanted to be able to go to her and help her. It was such a beautiful portrayal of somebody in her situation. This author did a great job of describing her thoughts, feelings and dreams down to the last detail. I alternated being wanting to turn the pages and wanting to put the book down.
This woman has so much love to give, it is evident in how she interacts and shelters her children, how she acts around her girlfriends and yet she has suffered so very much. It was such a hard read. It make me really reach down into my heart to finish it. It truly made me want to hug my children and my husband. I feel so blessed to be where I am in my live right now.
Elle deserves every happy thing that happens to her. I was routing for her. I was hoping that Trevor could be the bond to her that he was in highschool. I was hoping that he could be her happy ever after and rescue her from the hell that she was living.
I would rate this story a 4/5. The author did a fantastic job of bringing everything to the service and making me truly feel for these characters. Awesome job!!
*reviewed by Monica
Elle and Trevor were meant to be since the second grade. But after circumstances unravel in highschool, Trevor goes away to school. Elle stays behind and marries Bear. She thinks she is doing the right thing for everyong. I just wanted to shake her. But we all know that sometimes there is no reasoning with an 18 year old.
Her life passes her by and soon she has three children and it is seventeen years later. She has not been happy. She is in a horrible situation for the sake of ther children and like all abused women she is scared to leave and scared to stay. She does anything and everything to protect her children.
Then all hell breaks loose and Trevor returns to town and her dreams are right in front of her again. The love of her life, the one she has never forgotten is standing so near to her and yet he is so far away. A dream that can never be. She has her life and she must live it.
I felt so sorry for Elleny, I felt so much compassion for her. I just wanted to be able to go to her and help her. It was such a beautiful portrayal of somebody in her situation. This author did a great job of describing her thoughts, feelings and dreams down to the last detail. I alternated being wanting to turn the pages and wanting to put the book down.
This woman has so much love to give, it is evident in how she interacts and shelters her children, how she acts around her girlfriends and yet she has suffered so very much. It was such a hard read. It make me really reach down into my heart to finish it. It truly made me want to hug my children and my husband. I feel so blessed to be where I am in my live right now.
Elle deserves every happy thing that happens to her. I was routing for her. I was hoping that Trevor could be the bond to her that he was in highschool. I was hoping that he could be her happy ever after and rescue her from the hell that she was living.
I would rate this story a 4/5. The author did a fantastic job of bringing everything to the service and making me truly feel for these characters. Awesome job!!
*reviewed by Monica
January 17, 2014
This book made me cry, scream, toss my kindle, want to pull my hair out.
You will laugh, cry, get ticked off, want to yell at the characters and find peace by the end.
All that emotion in one little book.
Be forewarned, there is physical abuse in this book and a bit graphic at times.
I couldn't put the book down, I read it in one day, barely stopping.
The story started out a little slow but I promise it will pick up.
Personal experiences starts in the 2nd grade when T.J. meets Elle. Their relationship moves on to high school, graduation and going off to college.
Everything changes at this point.
Elle doesn't want to hold T.J. back so she hides her pregnancy from him, sending him off to school as if nothings wrong. Meanwhile she's agreed to marry his best friend, to keep the town from talking about her being a single mom, small town politics.
Over the next 17 years Elle deals with horrible physical abuse from her husband, who only married her to get his hands on her fathers money. Going as far as to kill her father and stepmother thinking he would gain control.
After 17 yrs T.J. comes back to town, Elle is forced to work with him while he acquires the company her husband Bear works for.
She has to go out of town with him to get his business out of town squared away before moving back home.
It's takes awhile or T.J. to find out whats going on at home, he swears to protect her and get her out of her marriage so she can be with him, only to have the bombshell of the twins paternity smack him in the face.
A few weeks later she hears from T.J. again, he wants to meet his childrent, Elle agrees and they move forward with plans to let him spend more time with the kids.
Elle goes home and her husband makes her pay like he never has before.
Will T.J. be able to save her??
For all the suffering by both parties in this book it has it's happy ending. I'm glad I read this book though generally any more than one or two instances of domestic abuse and rape would have had me putting the book down, this one I couldn't, it kept me intrigued enough to get through to the end.
I know this is a stand alone book but I do hope there's something more coming from Tracy Lee soon, I'll be sure to read it.
You will laugh, cry, get ticked off, want to yell at the characters and find peace by the end.
All that emotion in one little book.
Be forewarned, there is physical abuse in this book and a bit graphic at times.
I couldn't put the book down, I read it in one day, barely stopping.
The story started out a little slow but I promise it will pick up.
Personal experiences starts in the 2nd grade when T.J. meets Elle. Their relationship moves on to high school, graduation and going off to college.
Everything changes at this point.
Elle doesn't want to hold T.J. back so she hides her pregnancy from him, sending him off to school as if nothings wrong. Meanwhile she's agreed to marry his best friend, to keep the town from talking about her being a single mom, small town politics.
Over the next 17 years Elle deals with horrible physical abuse from her husband, who only married her to get his hands on her fathers money. Going as far as to kill her father and stepmother thinking he would gain control.
After 17 yrs T.J. comes back to town, Elle is forced to work with him while he acquires the company her husband Bear works for.
She has to go out of town with him to get his business out of town squared away before moving back home.
It's takes awhile or T.J. to find out whats going on at home, he swears to protect her and get her out of her marriage so she can be with him, only to have the bombshell of the twins paternity smack him in the face.
A few weeks later she hears from T.J. again, he wants to meet his childrent, Elle agrees and they move forward with plans to let him spend more time with the kids.
Elle goes home and her husband makes her pay like he never has before.
Will T.J. be able to save her??
For all the suffering by both parties in this book it has it's happy ending. I'm glad I read this book though generally any more than one or two instances of domestic abuse and rape would have had me putting the book down, this one I couldn't, it kept me intrigued enough to get through to the end.
I know this is a stand alone book but I do hope there's something more coming from Tracy Lee soon, I'll be sure to read it.
September 14, 2013
For my first experience with beta reading, it was fantastic. I am so glad I started with Tracy and Personal Experiences. When I first got the file, I told myself to just read the first chapter and go from there. Four hours later I realized that I was not going to be able to stop reading. Tracy gets you gripped right off the bat with her story. As other reviews have said, it is not for the faint of heart. Personal Experiences is filled with intense love and attraction between two characters and horrific abuse both physical and sexual between a married couple. Writing about subjects or rape and abuse are hard, especially if you don’t explain both sides, both motive and pain. Tracy puts you right in there with the character and you feel every bit of emotion with them.
Elleny is the main female character who I both loved and hated. Whereas I could understand her motives and devotion to Trevor, it’s the whole I’m doing this for your benefit that gets me, but where would the story be without it. She has such a strong backbone and the fact that she is a devoted mother through and through protecting everyone, shows such courage.
Trevor is so swoon worthy and your heart breaks every time he enters a scene.
So what happens when we choose the path that would benefit others above ourselves? Well in Elleny’s case, utter devastation. Saying goodbye to her heart and soul, Trevor, was the biggest mistake of Elleny’s life, along with trusting their mutual best friend “Bear”. For 17 years, Elleny has made the best of her life with the decisions she made all those years ago. Never thinking she would see Trevor again, she is forced to work with him on a business merger between her employer and Trevor. When Trevor finds out what the real reason was behind Elleny’s betrayal and the life she needs now, Trevor will go through everyone and everything to get her back. When it proves that a man’s madness will take away everything Trevor wants, death might just prove the winner.
Elleny is the main female character who I both loved and hated. Whereas I could understand her motives and devotion to Trevor, it’s the whole I’m doing this for your benefit that gets me, but where would the story be without it. She has such a strong backbone and the fact that she is a devoted mother through and through protecting everyone, shows such courage.
Trevor is so swoon worthy and your heart breaks every time he enters a scene.
So what happens when we choose the path that would benefit others above ourselves? Well in Elleny’s case, utter devastation. Saying goodbye to her heart and soul, Trevor, was the biggest mistake of Elleny’s life, along with trusting their mutual best friend “Bear”. For 17 years, Elleny has made the best of her life with the decisions she made all those years ago. Never thinking she would see Trevor again, she is forced to work with him on a business merger between her employer and Trevor. When Trevor finds out what the real reason was behind Elleny’s betrayal and the life she needs now, Trevor will go through everyone and everything to get her back. When it proves that a man’s madness will take away everything Trevor wants, death might just prove the winner.
December 4, 2013
Well...it was rough. The plot was interesting and good for a bit of escapism but I had a lot of trouble with it. I was so excited to read this and I do love the author and wish her the best but this one just didn't work for me. Elleny (which is an awesome name by the way) was not a convincing strong female lead. She had money and could have left but refused for the sake of a lost love that she let go. While that is all sweet and sad, she was risking her children's lives and well-being. As someone who works with children, I see what kids who come from homes similar to this have to deal with, and this was absolutely awful.
There were a lot of issues with this plot that I can't seem to understand. How a doctor, and her own father, gave her the advice he did about TJ and agreeing that she was doing the right thing is completely messed up. Her line of thinking was so backwards it made me wonder if she had some sort of mental instability issues. I also can't understand how she could risk her kid's lives, say she was doing it for TJ, and then when she sees him again, she treats him so horribly. Then, his treatment of her is appalling (though I sometimes felt she deserved it). She was an abused woman and he KNEW it and still treated her with so much anger.
The spelling and grammar mistakes, which some could argue was due to the language of the Southern accent, were pretty bad. There were times when then was used in place of than and other issues such as this caused me some confusion.
I suppose I went with two stars because it was definitely an original plot, despite the fact that it was very unbelievable, and I was able to finish it. I wish the author the best of luck and would encourage her to go back through just for the sake of the writing conventions.
There were a lot of issues with this plot that I can't seem to understand. How a doctor, and her own father, gave her the advice he did about TJ and agreeing that she was doing the right thing is completely messed up. Her line of thinking was so backwards it made me wonder if she had some sort of mental instability issues. I also can't understand how she could risk her kid's lives, say she was doing it for TJ, and then when she sees him again, she treats him so horribly. Then, his treatment of her is appalling (though I sometimes felt she deserved it). She was an abused woman and he KNEW it and still treated her with so much anger.
The spelling and grammar mistakes, which some could argue was due to the language of the Southern accent, were pretty bad. There were times when then was used in place of than and other issues such as this caused me some confusion.
I suppose I went with two stars because it was definitely an original plot, despite the fact that it was very unbelievable, and I was able to finish it. I wish the author the best of luck and would encourage her to go back through just for the sake of the writing conventions.
January 30, 2015
http://alittleturtlesworld.com/2014/1...
Personal Experiences by Tracy Lee is a story that pulls you in. The author clearly knows how to write to pull the reader into her world, get to know her characters, even care about what happens to them. It is definitely worth reading. My qualification, however, is that I would not by any stretch call it a romance, or erotica.
The story does include sex, even between two characters who love each other. It has the boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl gets pregnant, girl decides to protect boy from life (pregnancy) and hides her pregnancy, years later boy comes back and rescues girl. This is a story that could be fleshed out to be something akin to Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
That being said, I like many of Nicholas Sparks novels, this is a good short story. I would just re-categorize it to sexual drama, not romantic erotica. This has too many triggers for me to be willing to put that label on it. Even in its “romance” sex scenes the heroine, Elleny, said no multiple times – which takes even the sex positive scenes to the verge of rape.
This story delves into the life of an abused wife. Her fear for her family, fear for her life and for those around her is something many abused women deal with. I prefer more consent in my romances. I would give this book a 4 star rating… but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who triggers on rape or abuse. That is a very real subject and a very real trigger. Before I could recommend this to anyone I would have to know they don’t trigger on those, and though it is labeled erotica and does have explicit scenes that I would call it a sexually explicit drama not romantic fiction.
Personal Experiences by Tracy Lee is a story that pulls you in. The author clearly knows how to write to pull the reader into her world, get to know her characters, even care about what happens to them. It is definitely worth reading. My qualification, however, is that I would not by any stretch call it a romance, or erotica.
The story does include sex, even between two characters who love each other. It has the boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl gets pregnant, girl decides to protect boy from life (pregnancy) and hides her pregnancy, years later boy comes back and rescues girl. This is a story that could be fleshed out to be something akin to Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.
That being said, I like many of Nicholas Sparks novels, this is a good short story. I would just re-categorize it to sexual drama, not romantic erotica. This has too many triggers for me to be willing to put that label on it. Even in its “romance” sex scenes the heroine, Elleny, said no multiple times – which takes even the sex positive scenes to the verge of rape.
This story delves into the life of an abused wife. Her fear for her family, fear for her life and for those around her is something many abused women deal with. I prefer more consent in my romances. I would give this book a 4 star rating… but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who triggers on rape or abuse. That is a very real subject and a very real trigger. Before I could recommend this to anyone I would have to know they don’t trigger on those, and though it is labeled erotica and does have explicit scenes that I would call it a sexually explicit drama not romantic fiction.
January 2, 2014
If you are sensitive to rape situations, physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, this book will not be for you.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Personally this book was extremely hard for me to read. Thank God my husband was home when I read this book... Personal Experiences brought back a lot of personal experiences that I had myself. Oh Elle. I kept putting myself in her place because I have been there... Not to her extreme, but there.
I am so emotional writing this. Elle and TJ (Trevor) were school sweethearts until Elle got pregnant. And instead of telling TJ the truth, she decides to not tell TJ so he can go to college and live his dream, while she marries his best friend instead. And he turns out to be an abusive asshole, that's actually putting it nicely.
17 years pass and TJ comes back into town and threatens everything Elle has worked on keeping a secret...
I can understand why Elle did what she did, but it wasn't her choice to completely make. However, it made me physically ill that Bear treated her the way he did, along with the children. TJ has a hell of a temper but once he sees the whole picture, he calms down. Oh Lord that man.
I am giving this story 5 stars. I love Rach and Lils... Two AMAZING friends. I love them. This story is cutting and leaves you raw. You want to find out more, so you keep reading. I liked reading the the horrible stuff, then reading about the love that Elle and TJ shared. The ending... Thank you for making it as beautiful as it was.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Personally this book was extremely hard for me to read. Thank God my husband was home when I read this book... Personal Experiences brought back a lot of personal experiences that I had myself. Oh Elle. I kept putting myself in her place because I have been there... Not to her extreme, but there.
I am so emotional writing this. Elle and TJ (Trevor) were school sweethearts until Elle got pregnant. And instead of telling TJ the truth, she decides to not tell TJ so he can go to college and live his dream, while she marries his best friend instead. And he turns out to be an abusive asshole, that's actually putting it nicely.
17 years pass and TJ comes back into town and threatens everything Elle has worked on keeping a secret...
I can understand why Elle did what she did, but it wasn't her choice to completely make. However, it made me physically ill that Bear treated her the way he did, along with the children. TJ has a hell of a temper but once he sees the whole picture, he calms down. Oh Lord that man.
I am giving this story 5 stars. I love Rach and Lils... Two AMAZING friends. I love them. This story is cutting and leaves you raw. You want to find out more, so you keep reading. I liked reading the the horrible stuff, then reading about the love that Elle and TJ shared. The ending... Thank you for making it as beautiful as it was.
September 20, 2014
This book was very well written and I actually didn't mind it being written in past and present. It was easy to follow. The emotions were just seeping off the pages and you can't help but feel them. I felt anger, sadness, joy and love. I cried and I talked to it like they could hear me. Thats how strong the emotions are.
Elle and TJ are high school sweethearts. TJ wants to marry Elle and she refuses till after college. Somethings happen before they are to go off to college. She decides to forgo college and gives TJ a Dear John letter so to speak with the instructions not to read it till he is very home sick. She stays in their small town and marries Bear TJ's best bud from high school.
It is so not a good marriage. There is lots of emotional, physical and verbal abuse. She has her reasons as to why she stays with the POS.
TJ has never forgot about Elle she is Forever Anchored to him. His love for her has never died he will do anything to get her back.
Fast forward 17 yrs..... TJ walks into her place of employment and boy can you feel the attraction that is there between these two. They still have that sexual and emotional pull to each other.
Will Elle risk TJ finding out her secret? Will she risk her life and the only things that matter to her by the hands of Bear?
You have to buy this book to find out. Oh there are no cliffhanger either.
Elle and TJ are high school sweethearts. TJ wants to marry Elle and she refuses till after college. Somethings happen before they are to go off to college. She decides to forgo college and gives TJ a Dear John letter so to speak with the instructions not to read it till he is very home sick. She stays in their small town and marries Bear TJ's best bud from high school.
It is so not a good marriage. There is lots of emotional, physical and verbal abuse. She has her reasons as to why she stays with the POS.
TJ has never forgot about Elle she is Forever Anchored to him. His love for her has never died he will do anything to get her back.
Fast forward 17 yrs..... TJ walks into her place of employment and boy can you feel the attraction that is there between these two. They still have that sexual and emotional pull to each other.
Will Elle risk TJ finding out her secret? Will she risk her life and the only things that matter to her by the hands of Bear?
You have to buy this book to find out. Oh there are no cliffhanger either.
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