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Second Chances #1
Little Things
Everything in Duke Grayson’s life was all he could ever ask for: A loving family, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and a scholarship to his top choice college. It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life.
From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear.
Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears.
For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against?
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.
From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear.
Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears.
For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against?
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.
380 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2014
22 people are currently reading
785 people want to read
About the author
Madison Street
15 books345 followersMadison began writing at a young age. She would write episodes of her favorite television shows and her passion has grown since. She decided to pursue her dreams and debuted her dark romance suspense novel, Little Things, in June 2014. It was well received by thousands of readers and became a bestseller in Romance Suspense on Amazon.
Madison Street was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11, Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country.
During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison always on the computer, whether she's on Facebook, designing websites, messing with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.
Madison Street was born in New York City and was raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11, Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country.
During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison always on the computer, whether she's on Facebook, designing websites, messing with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
August 21, 2014
Well, of course I would give this is a high rating since I wrote it. I started writing this story last December, because these characters wouldn't stop screaming. But most of all, I wanted to write a story that reflected on real-life situations. Yes, I'm a huge fan of the "cookie cutter" romance but I was getting tired of it. So, there I was, writing my own story. The inspiration behind the plot comes from experiences of abused women that I've met and a few situations in the story are literally taken out of my own experiences.
I wanted to also create a strong female, one who doesn't take shit from nobody. And then there's Duke; the boy next door. He has stolen my heart. With the never ending plot twists and the crazy suspense, I'm truly happy with this book, and am very proud of myself. Some days, I didn't think I had it in me, to keep on writing, but I prevailed.
To all of those who read my story, even if you don't like it, I just want to thank you for taking the time to read it. Just having someone read it, is a gift in itself.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!
<3 Madison
I wanted to also create a strong female, one who doesn't take shit from nobody. And then there's Duke; the boy next door. He has stolen my heart. With the never ending plot twists and the crazy suspense, I'm truly happy with this book, and am very proud of myself. Some days, I didn't think I had it in me, to keep on writing, but I prevailed.
To all of those who read my story, even if you don't like it, I just want to thank you for taking the time to read it. Just having someone read it, is a gift in itself.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!
<3 Madison
June 5, 2014
"Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review."
This is Madison Street first book and I am honored she gave me the chance to read it. She has potential and I hope she continues writing. The sky is the limit.
I must say I had mixed feelings with this story.
The beginning was too slow for me, but I know it was necessary to wrote about it so the fans could understand how the relationship between Raya and Duke grew, but I must say I almost DFN @ 46%. Almost. I kept reading instead.
I love Romance. Suspense. Erotica. Dark Erotica and I adore books that make me cry for hours. But . . . .
"Little Things" was not predictable and that's a good thing, but there was a lot of drama going on and I found it really hard to connect with the characters.
It's not a bad reading. I liked it, but didn't love it.
I did love some references about other writers and celebrities!
Just 3.5 ✴︎✴︎✴︎ stars.
This is Madison Street first book and I am honored she gave me the chance to read it. She has potential and I hope she continues writing. The sky is the limit.
I must say I had mixed feelings with this story.
The beginning was too slow for me, but I know it was necessary to wrote about it so the fans could understand how the relationship between Raya and Duke grew, but I must say I almost DFN @ 46%. Almost. I kept reading instead.
I love Romance. Suspense. Erotica. Dark Erotica and I adore books that make me cry for hours. But . . . .
"Little Things" was not predictable and that's a good thing, but there was a lot of drama going on and I found it really hard to connect with the characters.
It's not a bad reading. I liked it, but didn't love it.
I did love some references about other writers and celebrities!
Just 3.5 ✴︎✴︎✴︎ stars.
June 24, 2014
**4 Stars from Deliciously Wicked Books**
Well...where to even start with this review. For anyone that saw my Facebook status after I finished this advance copy of Madison Street’s new release, you won’t be surprised that my first words are going to be...fuckity fuck! What the hell did she just do to me?! This debut novel from Madison was completely unexpected - it started out as a romantic tale between two characters whose attraction to each other was forbidden. The first half of the book was spent watching Raya and Duke struggle against their chemistry, deny their feelings towards each other, and try to make a go at it being just friends.
Out of nowhere, this book takes on a plot twist so huge, so astronomical that it left me pretty much speechless. Madison Street , damn girl - you are a champion ring fighter of an author. Your sneaky right hook bulleted right out of this book and knocked me flat on my ass, unable to comprehend what the fuck just happened. But we’ll come back to this...let’s talk a bit about the story first.
When Raya was introduced, I connected with her character right away. Her bravery and kind heart were virtues I liked, but I LOVED that she had some spirit to her as well. She wasn’t a pushover, she had the ability to give as good as she got. Its these character traits and strengths that she has to call on later in the book, when all hell breaks loose.
Raya has a very rough home life, she lives with her mother and very abusive step-father. She dreams of the day that she can save herself and her mother from the life they have been living - of the day that she can escape. Its this hope she clings to to get through the toughest of situations. In her senior year, she starts at a new high school - I know, the worst time to have to move schools right? However, she handles it so well and manages to make a few amazing connections. Enter Duke…
Duke is your typical popular high school boy...what I liked about him most, was his genuine caring personality. He is definitely a rare find, and I found myself wishing I had known boys like him when I was in high school! Now, don’t get me wrong - he’s still a high school male..his daydreams about his current girlfriend and their sexy time had me panting a little bit, it was a delicious little peek into his naughtier side. Now, you’re probably thinking - girlfriend? Duke has a girlfriend? Yes, he does. And let me tell you - she is fantastic and you will fucking love her. Melanie, she’s a legit sweetheart, I seriously found myself wondering where the hell these two were when I was in high school. Melanie being so amazing, and Duke being such a great guy - it made them the perfect couple. It also created a complication when Raya arrived at their school…
Raya and Duke...when they first meet, the connection is so strong between them. It was like insta-attraction and jumped right out at me from my Kindle app. Despite Raya’s best efforts to stay detached from any close relationships out of fear of anyone finding out her home situation, she does develop strong feelings for Duke and a close friendship with Melanie. Watching them deny the fact that they were slowly falling in love with each other, left me with conflicted emotions. On one hand, I was cheering SO loud for Raya and Duke, on the other - I loved Melanie’s character and her and Duke were a perfect pairing. This was a love triangle at its finest, made more complicated by their true friendship. For Raya, having never let her guard down enough to have any close friends - she cherished that above any romantic feelings for Duke.
More than once, I found myself dreading the inevitable breakup that I knew would be Melanie and Duke’s fate. When it came, it was written so beautifully - you couldn’t even be mad at Duke. I thought this was really well done, and it pleased me that Melanie and Duke stayed involved in each other’s lives throughout the rest of the story.
Now, you’re probably not pleased with me for giving that little tidbit away since it sounds like the end of the book right? Melanie and Duke's breakup paving the way for Raya and Duke to find that HEA? WRONG. I thought the same thing! However, what happens next….believe me it will knock your socks right the fuck off. Hell, don’t even bother wearing socks when you read this book. They’ll only be wasted when the plot twist blows them away to smithereens.
I’m not going to give anything away about the last half of the book...I’m not even going to say much about it except for these few words -- Tragedy. Dark. Devious. Pain. Misery. And last….Derrick. Oh, not sure who Derrick is? Well, don’t look at me - Madison Street is going to tell you all about him when you buy this book.
xo Cassia
deliciouslywickedbooks.com
Well...where to even start with this review. For anyone that saw my Facebook status after I finished this advance copy of Madison Street’s new release, you won’t be surprised that my first words are going to be...fuckity fuck! What the hell did she just do to me?! This debut novel from Madison was completely unexpected - it started out as a romantic tale between two characters whose attraction to each other was forbidden. The first half of the book was spent watching Raya and Duke struggle against their chemistry, deny their feelings towards each other, and try to make a go at it being just friends.
Out of nowhere, this book takes on a plot twist so huge, so astronomical that it left me pretty much speechless. Madison Street , damn girl - you are a champion ring fighter of an author. Your sneaky right hook bulleted right out of this book and knocked me flat on my ass, unable to comprehend what the fuck just happened. But we’ll come back to this...let’s talk a bit about the story first.
When Raya was introduced, I connected with her character right away. Her bravery and kind heart were virtues I liked, but I LOVED that she had some spirit to her as well. She wasn’t a pushover, she had the ability to give as good as she got. Its these character traits and strengths that she has to call on later in the book, when all hell breaks loose.
Raya has a very rough home life, she lives with her mother and very abusive step-father. She dreams of the day that she can save herself and her mother from the life they have been living - of the day that she can escape. Its this hope she clings to to get through the toughest of situations. In her senior year, she starts at a new high school - I know, the worst time to have to move schools right? However, she handles it so well and manages to make a few amazing connections. Enter Duke…
Duke is your typical popular high school boy...what I liked about him most, was his genuine caring personality. He is definitely a rare find, and I found myself wishing I had known boys like him when I was in high school! Now, don’t get me wrong - he’s still a high school male..his daydreams about his current girlfriend and their sexy time had me panting a little bit, it was a delicious little peek into his naughtier side. Now, you’re probably thinking - girlfriend? Duke has a girlfriend? Yes, he does. And let me tell you - she is fantastic and you will fucking love her. Melanie, she’s a legit sweetheart, I seriously found myself wondering where the hell these two were when I was in high school. Melanie being so amazing, and Duke being such a great guy - it made them the perfect couple. It also created a complication when Raya arrived at their school…
Raya and Duke...when they first meet, the connection is so strong between them. It was like insta-attraction and jumped right out at me from my Kindle app. Despite Raya’s best efforts to stay detached from any close relationships out of fear of anyone finding out her home situation, she does develop strong feelings for Duke and a close friendship with Melanie. Watching them deny the fact that they were slowly falling in love with each other, left me with conflicted emotions. On one hand, I was cheering SO loud for Raya and Duke, on the other - I loved Melanie’s character and her and Duke were a perfect pairing. This was a love triangle at its finest, made more complicated by their true friendship. For Raya, having never let her guard down enough to have any close friends - she cherished that above any romantic feelings for Duke.
More than once, I found myself dreading the inevitable breakup that I knew would be Melanie and Duke’s fate. When it came, it was written so beautifully - you couldn’t even be mad at Duke. I thought this was really well done, and it pleased me that Melanie and Duke stayed involved in each other’s lives throughout the rest of the story.
Now, you’re probably not pleased with me for giving that little tidbit away since it sounds like the end of the book right? Melanie and Duke's breakup paving the way for Raya and Duke to find that HEA? WRONG. I thought the same thing! However, what happens next….believe me it will knock your socks right the fuck off. Hell, don’t even bother wearing socks when you read this book. They’ll only be wasted when the plot twist blows them away to smithereens.
I’m not going to give anything away about the last half of the book...I’m not even going to say much about it except for these few words -- Tragedy. Dark. Devious. Pain. Misery. And last….Derrick. Oh, not sure who Derrick is? Well, don’t look at me - Madison Street is going to tell you all about him when you buy this book.
xo Cassia
deliciouslywickedbooks.com
May 19, 2014
I have so many mixed feelings about this book. I could have been a 5 star read for me if things were different. too many things going on and the first half of the book I was like what? especially the stuff with duke and melanie. she was a little bit too nice after what happened at prom. i really didnt see the love between them or duke and raya.. the second half of the book pissed me off because of what was happening with raya. all these years go by and I still didnt feel connected to any of them. I dont know..this had so much more potential and I know its the author's first book so I will check out her next one. just my honest opinion.
May 19, 2014
i had the pleasure of beta reading this book. let me say, this book was amazing. it had everything you could want in a book. It had suspence, action, even some romance. madison did a fine job of making you fall in love with duke. Lots of detail and lots of action make this an A+ in my book. anticipating reading book number 2.
May 23, 2014
I received this arc in return for my honest review.
The book starts off with Raya moving into a new house and starting her a new school in her senior year. Her first day she meets Duke and there is instant attraction. Duke already has a girlfriend Melanie. Raya becomes friends with them and their group. Raya lives with her mother and step father and things aren't that great at home. Her step father is abusive physically and mentally. At this point in the book I was enjoying the characters and figured it was going to be a sweet romance novel with the normal drama of high school. After prom things go bad at Raya’s home and not long after she runs away.
From here on out the book gets dark. So many things happen to Raya ( I don't want to give anything away) Through it all Duke never stops looking for her. I couldn't put the book down at this point and had to finish reading it. It was a rollercoaster of emotion. I cried through some , cheered at parts. All the pain and brokenness that Raya went through breaks you heart. Then there is Duke, what a awesome sweet loving man. He never stops loving her.
The book starts off with Raya moving into a new house and starting her a new school in her senior year. Her first day she meets Duke and there is instant attraction. Duke already has a girlfriend Melanie. Raya becomes friends with them and their group. Raya lives with her mother and step father and things aren't that great at home. Her step father is abusive physically and mentally. At this point in the book I was enjoying the characters and figured it was going to be a sweet romance novel with the normal drama of high school. After prom things go bad at Raya’s home and not long after she runs away.
From here on out the book gets dark. So many things happen to Raya ( I don't want to give anything away) Through it all Duke never stops looking for her. I couldn't put the book down at this point and had to finish reading it. It was a rollercoaster of emotion. I cried through some , cheered at parts. All the pain and brokenness that Raya went through breaks you heart. Then there is Duke, what a awesome sweet loving man. He never stops loving her.
June 2, 2014
Thank you for allowing me to review this fantastic debut Miss Madison
"Little Things" is intense, heart breaking, courageous, romantic & gritty.
I was totally enthralled with the prologue, only for it to take a one eighty. Totally blew my socks off:)
All is well, having the best night of your teenage life only to have it taken away in a blink of an eye? Life totally sucks at times, out of our control. Can't turn back time thinking "what if"??
How do you watch someone you care for so deeply, go thru something so horrific??
Is their hope? Or is it the end? Can true love withstand anything??
This is definitely a must read,
"Little Things" is intense, heart breaking, courageous, romantic & gritty.
I was totally enthralled with the prologue, only for it to take a one eighty. Totally blew my socks off:)
All is well, having the best night of your teenage life only to have it taken away in a blink of an eye? Life totally sucks at times, out of our control. Can't turn back time thinking "what if"??
How do you watch someone you care for so deeply, go thru something so horrific??
Is their hope? Or is it the end? Can true love withstand anything??
This is definitely a must read,
July 27, 2016
Wow... This book is amazing! I love it when I can't predict the story line and ending to a book.
Well, I definitely got that, just when I thought I knew where it was going I was hit by a plot twist.
I loved Madison Street's type of writing and I would recommend her books to anyone.
Five fantastic stars!
Well, I definitely got that, just when I thought I knew where it was going I was hit by a plot twist.
I loved Madison Street's type of writing and I would recommend her books to anyone.
Five fantastic stars!
July 28, 2014
"Remember the day we met? In forensics class? That was the day that I became yours. I tried to deny it for so long but I just couldn't get you out of my head. You have completely captivated me. You're the girl-the one of a kind-who you only find once in a lifetime. You are it for me Raya, and have been for the past seven years. You have my heart. It will be yours, forever and always." ~ Duke Grayson
I can't lie, the first thing I noticed about the book Little Things is the obvious reference to the song of the same name by One Direction. Before you laugh, listen to the song, it's very sweet. I thought of the lyrics as I read Madison Street's book Little Things, because little things were the reason Duke Grayson fell in love with Raya Winters.
I will also share with you I am completely in love with Duke Grayson. I always know it's an amazing book boyfriend, when even after the story ends I can't get the boy out of my head. Duke hasn't left my brain at all.
Duke is definitely an "all American boy". A senior in high school, lacrosse captain, popular, dating the most gorgeous girl in school, he has it all. At least he thought he had it all and then Raya shows up. It's not an automatic love at first sight, Duke dumps his girl kind of thing. It's gradual. Duke finds himself drawn to Raya.
Raya Winters is a beautiful girl who has no idea she's beautiful. Her home life is extremely troubled. Her mom remarried total creep, who keeps Raya and her mom on a very tight leash. There's very little happiness in Raya's life, until she meets Duke.
They're drawn to each other from the day Raya walks into Forensic class and sits at a table with Duke. Duke spends time with Raya trying to get her to open up to him. She's very guarded, but he tries. Sometimes he thinks he's breaking through the walls Raya puts up, but then she builds them up higher than before. Obviously Raya's got a secret.
It doesn't take long for these two to figure out they have feelings for each other. And even though they realized it separately, they never put it out there. The night they realize there's some strong feelings between them and they want to be together, a terrible event happens at Raya's house. It's something so awful that as much as Raya is aware of the growing feelings she has for Duke, she runs away. She believes she'll only be a burden to him and wants to give him a chance to be happy.
You guessed it, Raya's running doesn't make Duke happy. It destroys him. He can't believe she left and doesn't give up his search for her. Unfortunately, running away has brought unspeakable horrors to Raya. Yes, I shed a lot of tears throughout this dreadful time in Raya's life.
Duke who is broken without Raya, makes it his mission in life to find her. He is relentless in his quest to find the girl he loves. He becomes an investigator, uses everyone and anyone that can help him find her.
I absolutely loved this book. I was utterly in love with Duke Grayson from the second I saw his reaction to Raya. Even though he had a girlfriend, he never led either of the girls on. He knew Melanie was his girlfriend and he tried to keep Raya in the friend zone. When his feelings got to be too much he knew what he had to do.
This is an unforgettable story for more reasons than the love between Duke and Raya. It's a story about perseverance, struggle and survival.
So, at the end of the year when I'm writing my top book boyfriends of 2014, you can bet that Duke Grayson is definitely a contender!
I really, really loved this book. I cried sad tears, I cried happy tears and I swooned over Duke. It's definitely not the usual plot and that make me enjoy it even more.
Oh and there is a plot twist that you probably won't see coming. I have to give Little Things a five lip smack review. It's a book that will stick with me even after I've read many others.
******ARC read in exchange for honest review******
I can't lie, the first thing I noticed about the book Little Things is the obvious reference to the song of the same name by One Direction. Before you laugh, listen to the song, it's very sweet. I thought of the lyrics as I read Madison Street's book Little Things, because little things were the reason Duke Grayson fell in love with Raya Winters.
I will also share with you I am completely in love with Duke Grayson. I always know it's an amazing book boyfriend, when even after the story ends I can't get the boy out of my head. Duke hasn't left my brain at all.
Duke is definitely an "all American boy". A senior in high school, lacrosse captain, popular, dating the most gorgeous girl in school, he has it all. At least he thought he had it all and then Raya shows up. It's not an automatic love at first sight, Duke dumps his girl kind of thing. It's gradual. Duke finds himself drawn to Raya.
Raya Winters is a beautiful girl who has no idea she's beautiful. Her home life is extremely troubled. Her mom remarried total creep, who keeps Raya and her mom on a very tight leash. There's very little happiness in Raya's life, until she meets Duke.
They're drawn to each other from the day Raya walks into Forensic class and sits at a table with Duke. Duke spends time with Raya trying to get her to open up to him. She's very guarded, but he tries. Sometimes he thinks he's breaking through the walls Raya puts up, but then she builds them up higher than before. Obviously Raya's got a secret.
It doesn't take long for these two to figure out they have feelings for each other. And even though they realized it separately, they never put it out there. The night they realize there's some strong feelings between them and they want to be together, a terrible event happens at Raya's house. It's something so awful that as much as Raya is aware of the growing feelings she has for Duke, she runs away. She believes she'll only be a burden to him and wants to give him a chance to be happy.
You guessed it, Raya's running doesn't make Duke happy. It destroys him. He can't believe she left and doesn't give up his search for her. Unfortunately, running away has brought unspeakable horrors to Raya. Yes, I shed a lot of tears throughout this dreadful time in Raya's life.
Duke who is broken without Raya, makes it his mission in life to find her. He is relentless in his quest to find the girl he loves. He becomes an investigator, uses everyone and anyone that can help him find her.
I absolutely loved this book. I was utterly in love with Duke Grayson from the second I saw his reaction to Raya. Even though he had a girlfriend, he never led either of the girls on. He knew Melanie was his girlfriend and he tried to keep Raya in the friend zone. When his feelings got to be too much he knew what he had to do.
This is an unforgettable story for more reasons than the love between Duke and Raya. It's a story about perseverance, struggle and survival.
So, at the end of the year when I'm writing my top book boyfriends of 2014, you can bet that Duke Grayson is definitely a contender!
I really, really loved this book. I cried sad tears, I cried happy tears and I swooned over Duke. It's definitely not the usual plot and that make me enjoy it even more.
Oh and there is a plot twist that you probably won't see coming. I have to give Little Things a five lip smack review. It's a book that will stick with me even after I've read many others.
******ARC read in exchange for honest review******
May 26, 2014
LITTLE THINGS (SECOND CHANCES 1) by MADISON STREET
My first Madison Street book and I had the chance to get a complimentary copy of this sad, raw & gut-wrenching story of kidnapping, abuse, torture and love. I know it's weird to put all those words in one sentence coz it sounds terrifying to have love where there is torture and abuse but this story have all those things. And no, it's not a dark romance kind of story. It's more real life kind of story.
I really don't know how to describe Raya's life in a way that will make you see beyond the sad and hurtful things she went through because I feel like she is one of those people who had to endure a lot of terrible things again and again and again. And that for me is so unfair.. The story, her story will make you cringe and will give you bad goosebumps. Reading this book is like watching a documentary about human trafficking and domestic violence. I have read books with the same real-life kind of story but this is as raw as it gets. Every detail will make you want to kill someone. I think Madison Street didn't even try to mellow things down when she wrote the things that Raya went through because it's so detailed and so terrible. She went all out and she wrote it as she feels like it. I admire her for that because writing such things is definitely not an easy thing to do.
Halfway through the story, I wanna question the author why she decided to write a story like this or make a character that is so unfortunate. I mean, there are more unfortunate and sad events in Raya's character than the good she experienced. I feel it's so unfair but at the same time I thought maybe there is really someone like her. And yes, there are people like Raya. We see em on the news and papers and on the net and their story is more terrifying than what Madsion created.
The other characters in the story gave hope and love in Raya's life. She needed it and they gave it fully, without hesitation and the fact that in the end things turned out to be good is the best way to end the story. 50% of reading the book, I thought the ending should be a happy one. Everyone in the book especially Raya deserves a happy ending and thankfully it did. I mean, cmon! After everything that happened? And I like that even with all the terrible, sad and unfortunate events in Raya's life she was able to move forward and learn to let go and be the person she is supposed to be.
Totally raw, honest and unapologetic with all the gruesome details of abuse and torture. Madison Street created a real-life story that will either make you want to stop reading or be brave enough to read til the very end. I am glad I chose to experience it til the last word. It was not an easy read but in the end, it was worth it.
♥♥♥♥ 1/2
** Also posted on my TUMBLR account & AMAZON
My first Madison Street book and I had the chance to get a complimentary copy of this sad, raw & gut-wrenching story of kidnapping, abuse, torture and love. I know it's weird to put all those words in one sentence coz it sounds terrifying to have love where there is torture and abuse but this story have all those things. And no, it's not a dark romance kind of story. It's more real life kind of story.
I really don't know how to describe Raya's life in a way that will make you see beyond the sad and hurtful things she went through because I feel like she is one of those people who had to endure a lot of terrible things again and again and again. And that for me is so unfair.. The story, her story will make you cringe and will give you bad goosebumps. Reading this book is like watching a documentary about human trafficking and domestic violence. I have read books with the same real-life kind of story but this is as raw as it gets. Every detail will make you want to kill someone. I think Madison Street didn't even try to mellow things down when she wrote the things that Raya went through because it's so detailed and so terrible. She went all out and she wrote it as she feels like it. I admire her for that because writing such things is definitely not an easy thing to do.
Halfway through the story, I wanna question the author why she decided to write a story like this or make a character that is so unfortunate. I mean, there are more unfortunate and sad events in Raya's character than the good she experienced. I feel it's so unfair but at the same time I thought maybe there is really someone like her. And yes, there are people like Raya. We see em on the news and papers and on the net and their story is more terrifying than what Madsion created.
The other characters in the story gave hope and love in Raya's life. She needed it and they gave it fully, without hesitation and the fact that in the end things turned out to be good is the best way to end the story. 50% of reading the book, I thought the ending should be a happy one. Everyone in the book especially Raya deserves a happy ending and thankfully it did. I mean, cmon! After everything that happened? And I like that even with all the terrible, sad and unfortunate events in Raya's life she was able to move forward and learn to let go and be the person she is supposed to be.
Totally raw, honest and unapologetic with all the gruesome details of abuse and torture. Madison Street created a real-life story that will either make you want to stop reading or be brave enough to read til the very end. I am glad I chose to experience it til the last word. It was not an easy read but in the end, it was worth it.
♥♥♥♥ 1/2
** Also posted on my TUMBLR account & AMAZON
June 12, 2014
Once again within a two week period I’m reading a book whose lead character is named Raya! Never read one with the name before these two so a bit of a surprise. This one is much darker and much grittier than the first one. Starting out about as normal as most NA stories, it doesn’t take long before the boom is lowered and the bottom drops out and anything and everything bad that could happen definitely did.
I found it hard to relate to the relationship between Raya and Duke. It felt cheated of the much needed substantive development in the early stages. I believe readers find this especially true as the story develops and matures without there being much foundation to substantiate the power of the love that presents itself.
From the beginning, it was Kapow – she’s in love with him at first sight. But first he must quickly dump his current high school sweetheart because he, too, has found “the one” at age 17. And get this: the girlfriend is best friends with Raya, and now it’s Duke and Raya forever and always. Will they all remain friends? It seems so with such an amicable breakup. I found it all a bit too unrealistically orchestrated but I moved on.
And with that move, we now find Raya enduring hideous and unbelievable horrors. She has left Duke behind for some unknown reason. Suddenly the tone of the story has turned very dark and I was jerked from a rather slow and relative unimaginative storyline into emotions that shocked and repulsed me at the horrendous situation Raya now finds herself in. The poor girl has already suffered through a less than decent and normal home life but now faces cruel and unusual treatment when she’s kidnapped and held prisoner. Seemingly, she has done nothing to deserve this type of treatment.
From here on, the story takes a dive into the lowest elements of humanity. There are scenes that are very disturbing with physical and mental abuse front and center. The suspense and drama is done well and I found myself really hooked and reading faster and faster just to find out why and how and who is behind this extremely inhumane treatment.
All in all, this was a captivating read. It certainly was not a perfect one – there seemed to be missing elements to the story and a rather weak foundation as well. The book covers a period of seven years and in the end, everything seemed a bit too hurriedly wrapped with more than a few dangling ends.
There is a 2nd book in the Second Chances series scheduled for release in November 2014 with hopefully some needed additional cleanup work.
June 6, 2014
I want to start by saying that you can't let the ages of these characters lead you to believe that this is a young adult book. It is far from it. I'll admit that it started off slow for me, and I had trouble getting into it as a result. But after getting through the first several chapters, it was clear that the author was trying to show the development of the relationships between the characters, which was a relief because there was no insta-love, no cheating, no jealous exes to deal with that so many books in this genre have.
The main characters, Raya, Duke, and Melanie, are really enjoyable. They have an incredible friendship, in which they all trust each other, they truly care about each other, they are protective of each other, and want happiness for each other. These qualities are key throughout the progression of the book.
This book took an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming at all, and I was hooked from that point on. Again, this is not a young adult book. The subject matter in certain scenes is graphic, and it is hard to read at times, but it is written in such a way that you have to keep reading to see how the character that this is happening to overcomes the situation that they are in.
That being said, there is no cliffhanger, and some of the characters do get their HEA. This was incredible debut by Madison Street, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
*****I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*****
The main characters, Raya, Duke, and Melanie, are really enjoyable. They have an incredible friendship, in which they all trust each other, they truly care about each other, they are protective of each other, and want happiness for each other. These qualities are key throughout the progression of the book.
This book took an unexpected twist that I didn't see coming at all, and I was hooked from that point on. Again, this is not a young adult book. The subject matter in certain scenes is graphic, and it is hard to read at times, but it is written in such a way that you have to keep reading to see how the character that this is happening to overcomes the situation that they are in.
That being said, there is no cliffhanger, and some of the characters do get their HEA. This was incredible debut by Madison Street, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
*****I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review*****
September 7, 2014
The book started out kind of slow for me. However, it does pick up and then you can't put it down.
The characters start out in HS and Raya, Melanie, and Duke all seem more mature than teenagers should. Melanie was way too understanding about things that normal teenage girls would get upset about and overreact. Duke seemed way to nice and caring. But it made me fall in love with him even more. The HS part seemed almost to long for me but I get it was needed to help tell the story.
After about almost 40% through the book takes off. Now, some situations are dark and disturbering to read. Street draws you in and makes you feel the emotions. You can't help but feel hurt, pain, and anger right along with the characters. And you will find yourself routing for one in particular.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it. Plus I can't wait to read Little Moments. I also wouldn't mind reading a spin off of about Taylor. ;)
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
The characters start out in HS and Raya, Melanie, and Duke all seem more mature than teenagers should. Melanie was way too understanding about things that normal teenage girls would get upset about and overreact. Duke seemed way to nice and caring. But it made me fall in love with him even more. The HS part seemed almost to long for me but I get it was needed to help tell the story.
After about almost 40% through the book takes off. Now, some situations are dark and disturbering to read. Street draws you in and makes you feel the emotions. You can't help but feel hurt, pain, and anger right along with the characters. And you will find yourself routing for one in particular.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend it. Plus I can't wait to read Little Moments. I also wouldn't mind reading a spin off of about Taylor. ;)
I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
May 19, 2014
Little Things by Madison Street holds a deep message: Cherish every moment and never judge. Raya comes from a rough life and is just looking to escape. When she transfers to a new location she meets Duke. She is taken by him and feels the strong pull towards him.
Duke has the perfect life. He has the girl, scholarship, and sports. What more could he want? The he meets Raya and feels the pull towards her.
I was impressed with Little Things simply because it doesn't follow the usual mold. Madison Street breaks outside of the mold in the gripping story about love, friendship, and struggle.
Duke has the perfect life. He has the girl, scholarship, and sports. What more could he want? The he meets Raya and feels the pull towards her.
I was impressed with Little Things simply because it doesn't follow the usual mold. Madison Street breaks outside of the mold in the gripping story about love, friendship, and struggle.
April 17, 2015
If you'd ask me to describe Little Things in one word, that word would be phenomenal. From the minute I picked up this book, I was hooked and could not put it down. Well, that is until I decided it was time for sleep but even then it was a constant struggle with myself to actually go to sleep and not finish the book. Little Things is by far the best debut novel I have ever read. It is full of suspenseful moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat wanting more. I can't wait to see what else Madison has in store for her books especially this series. If they are anything like this one, she definitely will have a me as a fan for life.
May 19, 2014
I received this as an ARC.
All in all it was a great book. I read it in one sitting not being able to put it down. Duke and Kaya are awesome together and I'm glad that they didnt wait for years before they found each other again. The supporting characters were also great. Looking forward to more from this author.
All in all it was a great book. I read it in one sitting not being able to put it down. Duke and Kaya are awesome together and I'm glad that they didnt wait for years before they found each other again. The supporting characters were also great. Looking forward to more from this author.
May 20, 2014
ok this book has a awesome story line .... and to be her first book ever im honored Madison asked me to read it. It could use a lil work which I think she is doing now .... but its still well worth reading . IT makes you feel and for me thats a sign of a great book. I cant wait to see whats next for this upcoming Author she has a bright future ahead of her.
November 18, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Raya is a good kid living under the ghastly rule and abuse of a stepfather who, by the way, is a real asswipe!
When Raya moves to yet another school, she attracts the attention of Duke (who's dating Melanie). Together, with his friends, they take Raya under their wing. They realize something is off at home, and that seems to attract them to her even more, call it compassion or the need to protect.
I'm instantly drawn to Raya, not only because my heart breaks for her and I want to change her circumstances, but we share the same intense love for reading! Raya hits the nail on the head "Reading is my outlet and always will be."
Melanie and Raya get along really well, they're actually quite close. It was heart warming watching Raya have normal teen girl fun and relax with Melanie. They're off to a party later, and I just hope Craig doesn't find out, there'll be hell to pay if he does.
Raya isn't at school for a few days, and her friends can't get hold of her. They're unsettled and worried, and rightly so. Duke goes to her house to check on her and makes his acquaintance with Craig! It doesn't take a genius to realize what Raya's secret is, and watching Duke hurt for her is simply heartbreaking! Raya swears Duke to secrecy.
Prom night arrives and everyone's looking gorgeous and dapper all dressed up and just like Cinderella, Raya makes her unexpected appearance. With Craig not being home Raya's mum let her go, bless her heart. Duke's heart is heavy, and he's come to realize a reality that he can't fight anymore. What happens at the prom is bittersweet and the maturity with which it's handled leaves me in awe and in a major snot fest! My ugly cry is on, and my Kleenex supply is being threatened again, and to think this is only the beginning!
Originally, when Duke discovered Raya's secret he was sworn to secrecy, and she shared her plan of escape with him. With their feelings now being in the open she doesn't want to leave him, and she decides to take him up on his offer to help and report Craig to the police. Things are just to good to be true, and I've a sinking feeling in my heart that something bad is going to happen .
Duke drops Raya off at home and there's a nasty "surprise" waiting for Raya, Craig is home and this does not bode well. My gut feeling was spot on, and I can feel the bile rising in my throat. I feel physically ill at what does go down!
"And with her last breath, I feel her leave me. I crouch down and cry against her still body. Cries of agony and sorrow." This must be the two most gut wrenching sentences I've ever had to read! I'm beyond shattered, I'm broken, and I don't think I can read any further! What was supposed to be a night filled with happy memories becomes a nightmare, and it feels like a piece of my heart has died and it's sacred ground, reserved for Raya, her mum, and Duke.
OK, so its two days later and I'm emotionally stable again and I brave the next 60% of "Little Things". The events that passed were just too traumatic, and Raya makes a decision that leaves Duke heartbroken, Melanie shattered, and both are confused and hurt.
I'm starting to question my decision to read on. As chapter 14 ends, I look at my Kleenex mountain, pop a biral (herbal tranquilizer) and bravely push on. I have to know what happens to Raya... Chapter 15 starts, a year later, and you can see that wounds are still very raw and very real. Duke's determined to find Raya, it's become his life obsession. He sings at a karaoke bar one night and its his dedication that has me in a blubbering mess, I'm struggling to read through the tears!
OMW! WTF!? What have I just read ?! I'm shocked, mortified, horrified, and sick to the pit of my stomach! These turn of events was totally unexpected and caught me off guard! RESPECT for Madison Street ~~ sheer brilliance! Catching me off guard with that plot twist is pure genius!
At the beginning of chapter 22, my murderous thoughts and thirst for vengeance is all consuming! Duke's visit to St. Raymond's has me adding more kleenex to the already larger than life pile! I brace myself for an emotional tsunami and the shock, horror, and emotionally draining last few chapters is just going to add to it.
Melanie and Duke reunite at the cemetery, they're both feeling Raya's loss. Duke is determined to find Raya and decides to start at the source, Craig. Melanie's convinced him that she needs to go with him. I despise Craig and I'd love to torture him myself! I can't seem to shake the feeling that Raya is living the hell she's living because of Craig.
Craig is an oxygen thief, a waste of skin, he's a f***** abomination! He's so evil that not even the devil and his minions would want him! I'm convinced now more than ever that Raya is where she is because of him! He's a damn parasite! The descriptive vocab I could use to vent my feelings where Craig is concerned will make a pirate blush! The only place I'd happily visit Craig is on a cold slab in the mortuary!
W-T-F!!? At 67% my heart literally feels like its missed a beat or two! Madison Street does it again! Another unexpected, mind boggling twist, and I'm filled with hatred! Madison Street, you're pure genius and in a league of your own!
Now, at 72%, I'm ready to book myself into a padded room! I'm a total wreck!
Chapters 30+31 must be the most difficult and emotional chapters I've ever had to read ,process, and live through! I have two words... Kleenex and tranquilizers! Raya is released from the hospital, and Duke and Melanie have their work cut out for them.
Hiding out at the beach house has its moments like when Raya experiences the ocean for the first time. I realize they must be getting cabin fever, but I feel Raya's anxiety. I don't think we've seen the last of Craig or Derrick, that thought alone chills me to the bone!
On their outing, Duke takes Raya to a bookstore and I'm covered in goosebumps! The thrill and excitement Raya feels at the sight, feel, and smell of the books just gives me that nudge that sees me adding more to mount Kleenex!
Six months down the line and Raya and Duke seem to relax a little, Raya even sings in public for the first time! My joy is is short lived though, Duke received "the call" and my nerve endings are on high alert!
In all honesty, after all that Raya has been through, I was worried that intimacy may have a negative effect on her and that she may regress. BUT having said that, the life she shares with Duke will heal all those bad memories! Well it turns out my fears are ungrounded, Raya is just fine <3. I'm so proud of her for being where she is now, she could've given up and let what happen kill her, but she rose up and chose not to be a victim, power to her! Raya is a strong woman and an inspiration!
I knew this time would come, Derrick isn't going to simply give Raya up, but our girl made a promise a long time ago and now she makes good on it!
The epilogue is beautiful and I couldn't ask for a better ending. It's filled with love, joy, peace, happiness, light, and new life <3.
"Little Things" has a piece of my heart and I've reserved a piece for "Little Moments"
A definite hell yeah 5-bombs!
Reviewed by Heidi
Raya is a good kid living under the ghastly rule and abuse of a stepfather who, by the way, is a real asswipe!
When Raya moves to yet another school, she attracts the attention of Duke (who's dating Melanie). Together, with his friends, they take Raya under their wing. They realize something is off at home, and that seems to attract them to her even more, call it compassion or the need to protect.
I'm instantly drawn to Raya, not only because my heart breaks for her and I want to change her circumstances, but we share the same intense love for reading! Raya hits the nail on the head "Reading is my outlet and always will be."
Melanie and Raya get along really well, they're actually quite close. It was heart warming watching Raya have normal teen girl fun and relax with Melanie. They're off to a party later, and I just hope Craig doesn't find out, there'll be hell to pay if he does.
Raya isn't at school for a few days, and her friends can't get hold of her. They're unsettled and worried, and rightly so. Duke goes to her house to check on her and makes his acquaintance with Craig! It doesn't take a genius to realize what Raya's secret is, and watching Duke hurt for her is simply heartbreaking! Raya swears Duke to secrecy.
Prom night arrives and everyone's looking gorgeous and dapper all dressed up and just like Cinderella, Raya makes her unexpected appearance. With Craig not being home Raya's mum let her go, bless her heart. Duke's heart is heavy, and he's come to realize a reality that he can't fight anymore. What happens at the prom is bittersweet and the maturity with which it's handled leaves me in awe and in a major snot fest! My ugly cry is on, and my Kleenex supply is being threatened again, and to think this is only the beginning!
Originally, when Duke discovered Raya's secret he was sworn to secrecy, and she shared her plan of escape with him. With their feelings now being in the open she doesn't want to leave him, and she decides to take him up on his offer to help and report Craig to the police. Things are just to good to be true, and I've a sinking feeling in my heart that something bad is going to happen .
Duke drops Raya off at home and there's a nasty "surprise" waiting for Raya, Craig is home and this does not bode well. My gut feeling was spot on, and I can feel the bile rising in my throat. I feel physically ill at what does go down!
"And with her last breath, I feel her leave me. I crouch down and cry against her still body. Cries of agony and sorrow." This must be the two most gut wrenching sentences I've ever had to read! I'm beyond shattered, I'm broken, and I don't think I can read any further! What was supposed to be a night filled with happy memories becomes a nightmare, and it feels like a piece of my heart has died and it's sacred ground, reserved for Raya, her mum, and Duke.
OK, so its two days later and I'm emotionally stable again and I brave the next 60% of "Little Things". The events that passed were just too traumatic, and Raya makes a decision that leaves Duke heartbroken, Melanie shattered, and both are confused and hurt.
I'm starting to question my decision to read on. As chapter 14 ends, I look at my Kleenex mountain, pop a biral (herbal tranquilizer) and bravely push on. I have to know what happens to Raya... Chapter 15 starts, a year later, and you can see that wounds are still very raw and very real. Duke's determined to find Raya, it's become his life obsession. He sings at a karaoke bar one night and its his dedication that has me in a blubbering mess, I'm struggling to read through the tears!
OMW! WTF!? What have I just read ?! I'm shocked, mortified, horrified, and sick to the pit of my stomach! These turn of events was totally unexpected and caught me off guard! RESPECT for Madison Street ~~ sheer brilliance! Catching me off guard with that plot twist is pure genius!
At the beginning of chapter 22, my murderous thoughts and thirst for vengeance is all consuming! Duke's visit to St. Raymond's has me adding more kleenex to the already larger than life pile! I brace myself for an emotional tsunami and the shock, horror, and emotionally draining last few chapters is just going to add to it.
Melanie and Duke reunite at the cemetery, they're both feeling Raya's loss. Duke is determined to find Raya and decides to start at the source, Craig. Melanie's convinced him that she needs to go with him. I despise Craig and I'd love to torture him myself! I can't seem to shake the feeling that Raya is living the hell she's living because of Craig.
Craig is an oxygen thief, a waste of skin, he's a f***** abomination! He's so evil that not even the devil and his minions would want him! I'm convinced now more than ever that Raya is where she is because of him! He's a damn parasite! The descriptive vocab I could use to vent my feelings where Craig is concerned will make a pirate blush! The only place I'd happily visit Craig is on a cold slab in the mortuary!
W-T-F!!? At 67% my heart literally feels like its missed a beat or two! Madison Street does it again! Another unexpected, mind boggling twist, and I'm filled with hatred! Madison Street, you're pure genius and in a league of your own!
Now, at 72%, I'm ready to book myself into a padded room! I'm a total wreck!
Chapters 30+31 must be the most difficult and emotional chapters I've ever had to read ,process, and live through! I have two words... Kleenex and tranquilizers! Raya is released from the hospital, and Duke and Melanie have their work cut out for them.
Hiding out at the beach house has its moments like when Raya experiences the ocean for the first time. I realize they must be getting cabin fever, but I feel Raya's anxiety. I don't think we've seen the last of Craig or Derrick, that thought alone chills me to the bone!
On their outing, Duke takes Raya to a bookstore and I'm covered in goosebumps! The thrill and excitement Raya feels at the sight, feel, and smell of the books just gives me that nudge that sees me adding more to mount Kleenex!
Six months down the line and Raya and Duke seem to relax a little, Raya even sings in public for the first time! My joy is is short lived though, Duke received "the call" and my nerve endings are on high alert!
In all honesty, after all that Raya has been through, I was worried that intimacy may have a negative effect on her and that she may regress. BUT having said that, the life she shares with Duke will heal all those bad memories! Well it turns out my fears are ungrounded, Raya is just fine <3. I'm so proud of her for being where she is now, she could've given up and let what happen kill her, but she rose up and chose not to be a victim, power to her! Raya is a strong woman and an inspiration!
I knew this time would come, Derrick isn't going to simply give Raya up, but our girl made a promise a long time ago and now she makes good on it!
The epilogue is beautiful and I couldn't ask for a better ending. It's filled with love, joy, peace, happiness, light, and new life <3.
"Little Things" has a piece of my heart and I've reserved a piece for "Little Moments"
A definite hell yeah 5-bombs!
Reviewed by Heidi
September 3, 2014
*Spoiler Free Review*
Synopsis
Everything in Duke Grayson’s life was all he could ever ask for: A loving family, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and a scholarship to his top choice college. It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life.
From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear.
Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears.
For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against?
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.**
*Caution: This book will make you ugly cry*
This story broke my soul in a million pieces, and have yet to be repaired. How do a 17 year old high school student endure mental, emotional, and physical abuse over a period of 6 years?
This story is told from Raya's & Duke's POV
"I'll never forget the day that changed my life forever. Raya Winters utterly captivated my heart and she has me until it no longer beats."- Duke
Raya attends Lehman High School, there in Forensics class she meet Duke Grayson, captain of the lacrosse team. The author did very with these two characters she took her time letting them get to know one another, it wasn't rushed. Duke was like the typical boy next door, thoughtful, helpful, and loyal. While Raya was shy, sweet, at times she could distance herself from others.Though Raya did seem flirtatious at times with Duke, it was harmless. Then enters Melanie, Duke's girlfriend, with that said you will have to read the book.
"I coach myself to hold on to hope, never giving up faith that my mother and I can escape this prison." -Raya
Raya's home life is in turmoil. There she lives with her mother Genna Willis and her step dad Craig Willis. Genna is the mother everyone wants to have. Raya and Genna are protective of each other when Craig starts to drink, that's when he becomes very abusive to both of them. Raya wants to protect her mom and on several occasions she stands up to Craig, but to ease tension within the home she abide by his rules so her mother and her would be spared the abuse. This is why I love Raya, because of her determination and fight.
"I feel a tear run down my face and I only wish I could take away her pain."-Duke
Tragedy strikes and no one will ever be the same. I ugly cry this section of the book so much I found myself stopping to catch my breath before I could continue. No this is not your typical HEA either.
"Tears stream down my face as I see the NYC skyline peel away in the distance, and here I'm leaving it all behind my friends, my mother, and him."-Raya
This is where the story takes a dark turn for Raya. This book will take you to the dungeons of hell and back. There are so many plots, twists and turns it will take you and Raya somewhere that's dark, with misery, pain, hurt, sorrow, tragedy, redemption and a surprising revelation.
"Everyday is a second chance."-Duke
I would recommend you read this book, I would read from this author again. Kudos to you Ms. Street on a well written book.
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.**
Synopsis
Everything in Duke Grayson’s life was all he could ever ask for: A loving family, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and a scholarship to his top choice college. It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life.
From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear.
Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears.
For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against?
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.**
*Caution: This book will make you ugly cry*
This story broke my soul in a million pieces, and have yet to be repaired. How do a 17 year old high school student endure mental, emotional, and physical abuse over a period of 6 years?
This story is told from Raya's & Duke's POV
"I'll never forget the day that changed my life forever. Raya Winters utterly captivated my heart and she has me until it no longer beats."- Duke
Raya attends Lehman High School, there in Forensics class she meet Duke Grayson, captain of the lacrosse team. The author did very with these two characters she took her time letting them get to know one another, it wasn't rushed. Duke was like the typical boy next door, thoughtful, helpful, and loyal. While Raya was shy, sweet, at times she could distance herself from others.Though Raya did seem flirtatious at times with Duke, it was harmless. Then enters Melanie, Duke's girlfriend, with that said you will have to read the book.
"I coach myself to hold on to hope, never giving up faith that my mother and I can escape this prison." -Raya
Raya's home life is in turmoil. There she lives with her mother Genna Willis and her step dad Craig Willis. Genna is the mother everyone wants to have. Raya and Genna are protective of each other when Craig starts to drink, that's when he becomes very abusive to both of them. Raya wants to protect her mom and on several occasions she stands up to Craig, but to ease tension within the home she abide by his rules so her mother and her would be spared the abuse. This is why I love Raya, because of her determination and fight.
"I feel a tear run down my face and I only wish I could take away her pain."-Duke
Tragedy strikes and no one will ever be the same. I ugly cry this section of the book so much I found myself stopping to catch my breath before I could continue. No this is not your typical HEA either.
"Tears stream down my face as I see the NYC skyline peel away in the distance, and here I'm leaving it all behind my friends, my mother, and him."-Raya
This is where the story takes a dark turn for Raya. This book will take you to the dungeons of hell and back. There are so many plots, twists and turns it will take you and Raya somewhere that's dark, with misery, pain, hurt, sorrow, tragedy, redemption and a surprising revelation.
"Everyday is a second chance."-Duke
I would recommend you read this book, I would read from this author again. Kudos to you Ms. Street on a well written book.
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.**
December 26, 2014
I received a complimentary e-copy of Little Things in exchange for an honest review.
Duke meets Raya when she transfers to his high school during senior year. Even though he's happily involved with his girlfriend Melanie, there's just something he can't resist about Raya. He and Melanie and a few of their friends welcome Raya into their circle of friends and Raya and Melanie quickly become best friends. But it's only a matter of time before Duke and Raya and the rest of their friends recognize that they are both burying their true feelings about each other. It's during this time that Duke discovers what else Raya has been hiding - an abusive home environment and persuades her to go to the authorities for help and he makes her a promise that he'll always do all he can to keep her safe. Most of the time it's just her evil stepdad beating up on her mom, but on prom night, Stepdad snaps and goes into a rage and things quickly turn tragic.
Raya makes the decision to get away, knowing that it's the best chance of ensuring that her friends won't get hurt at the hands of her stepdad. She relocates to Chicago where she's slowly putting her life back together. She's got a job at a diner where she works with a new friend Layla and is even taking kickboxing lessons to learn how to defend herself should the need arise, and thoughts of Duke never leave her mind or her heart. Her instructor Derrick is quite taken with her and tells her about a job fair and she decides it's time to get a better paying job and convinces Layla to go with her. Things are starting to look up for her or are they?
Meanwhile back in New York, Duke has graduated high school and is studying to be an investigator in college because he's never been able to get Raya out of his mind and he won't rest until he know that she's somewhere safe and can be a part of her life again. (I know that sounds creepy, but Duke is the furthest thing from creepy!)
The next few years are hell for Raya. She's trapped in a world that she never imagined with no hopes for anything else. Duke never stops looking for her and they are finally reunited but she is not at all like his old Raya and he will do all he can to help her forget all that has happened since prom night.
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Wow!! When I read the summary, I was intrigued and wanted to find out what Raya had to endure during her and Duke's time apart, but I never imagined it would be what really went down. It was a painful journey knowing what Raya went through but it was also difficult watching Duke try to track her down only to hit walls every time he made progress. I cried when she was going through the ordeal but I cried even more once she was rescued because all hope for their happiness still seemed unreachable.
Raya's strength throughout her story was amazing and I loved Duke from day one until the very last page. His determination to never give up on his search for Raya and then his tenderness as he helped her after the ordeal make him a true hero in my eyes.
I also loved Melanie. She was good for Duke and good to Raya and so didn't deserve to have Duke break up with her, but her pure heart knew he wouldn't have done it if he didn't have true love feelings towards Raya and that she was able to remain friends with both Raya and Duke say a lot about her character, even 6 years later. I hope that we'll be getting another book later down the road, about Melanie because she deserves her chance at true happiness.
I would absolutely recommend this book but be aware that the storyline is going to take you down an dark ugly road that you won't soon forget.
Duke meets Raya when she transfers to his high school during senior year. Even though he's happily involved with his girlfriend Melanie, there's just something he can't resist about Raya. He and Melanie and a few of their friends welcome Raya into their circle of friends and Raya and Melanie quickly become best friends. But it's only a matter of time before Duke and Raya and the rest of their friends recognize that they are both burying their true feelings about each other. It's during this time that Duke discovers what else Raya has been hiding - an abusive home environment and persuades her to go to the authorities for help and he makes her a promise that he'll always do all he can to keep her safe. Most of the time it's just her evil stepdad beating up on her mom, but on prom night, Stepdad snaps and goes into a rage and things quickly turn tragic.
Raya makes the decision to get away, knowing that it's the best chance of ensuring that her friends won't get hurt at the hands of her stepdad. She relocates to Chicago where she's slowly putting her life back together. She's got a job at a diner where she works with a new friend Layla and is even taking kickboxing lessons to learn how to defend herself should the need arise, and thoughts of Duke never leave her mind or her heart. Her instructor Derrick is quite taken with her and tells her about a job fair and she decides it's time to get a better paying job and convinces Layla to go with her. Things are starting to look up for her or are they?
Meanwhile back in New York, Duke has graduated high school and is studying to be an investigator in college because he's never been able to get Raya out of his mind and he won't rest until he know that she's somewhere safe and can be a part of her life again. (I know that sounds creepy, but Duke is the furthest thing from creepy!)
The next few years are hell for Raya. She's trapped in a world that she never imagined with no hopes for anything else. Duke never stops looking for her and they are finally reunited but she is not at all like his old Raya and he will do all he can to help her forget all that has happened since prom night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow!! When I read the summary, I was intrigued and wanted to find out what Raya had to endure during her and Duke's time apart, but I never imagined it would be what really went down. It was a painful journey knowing what Raya went through but it was also difficult watching Duke try to track her down only to hit walls every time he made progress. I cried when she was going through the ordeal but I cried even more once she was rescued because all hope for their happiness still seemed unreachable.
Raya's strength throughout her story was amazing and I loved Duke from day one until the very last page. His determination to never give up on his search for Raya and then his tenderness as he helped her after the ordeal make him a true hero in my eyes.
I also loved Melanie. She was good for Duke and good to Raya and so didn't deserve to have Duke break up with her, but her pure heart knew he wouldn't have done it if he didn't have true love feelings towards Raya and that she was able to remain friends with both Raya and Duke say a lot about her character, even 6 years later. I hope that we'll be getting another book later down the road, about Melanie because she deserves her chance at true happiness.
I would absolutely recommend this book but be aware that the storyline is going to take you down an dark ugly road that you won't soon forget.
August 22, 2024
Little Things is the first book in the Second Chances series and written by Madison Street. It is told from the point of view of two high school seniors, Duke & Raya. Raya has an abusive stepfather, and Duke is an all-American lacrosse player.
I have waited a few days to write a review after completing this book, mostly because I really had a hard time with it. I don't want to start out with negativity, so I will start by pointing out the positive aspects of the story. Madison did a good job of showing timeless love from Duke's point of view. She also did a good job of describing scenery. In times of abuse, there was a great amount of detail, perhaps speaking of personal knowledge.
Apart from the abuse, the book starts quite explicitly, but not in the sense of a romance novel. The sexual scenes (apart from abuse) seem to be written in a way that does not make the reader feel knowledgeable about the passion. Also a HUGE issue for me was that we know Raya is 17, but we don't know the ages of Duke or Melanie, who are in a weirdly abrupt sexual experience that may or may not be considered child pornography in many states. Not knowing if they were of legal age was very awkward and uncomfortable for me to read. I almost put the book down at this point; it made me feel gross. I tried to revisit it and give it another try with the vow that if anything started to get explicit that I was immediately deleting it from my Kindle and giving up on it.
Luckily, there were no more sexual encounters for the duration of a possible underage issue. The beginning of the book was quite awkward unless it was speaking of well-detailed abuse. The flirting and relationships came off as quite immature. I couldn't tell if this was deliberate or just the take that I got from the book. The story gets dark around the 30-40% mark and then goes on to get worse. There were a lot of detailed and horrendous scenarios, and I almost feel bad for saying that the dark parts are when Madison wrote the story at its best.
When in dark times, I could see Madison's talent shine through to the point that the thought of whether or not personal experience was intertwined was relevant or not, given the excellence at getting the feeling across. Unfortunately (well fortunately, of course, but not for the storytelling), there is some light. Still, the events in the the third part of the book didn't really add up with a realistic timeline of how someone going through such awful things would recover and move on with life upon actually opening up about them.
I tried to write this in a way not to spoil anything for anyone else. Suffice it to say that Madison does have a gift for storytelling, but it seems to be limited to darker content. Perhaps she should focus more on this in future writings because she does so fabulously. Unfortunately, the rest of the story wasn't doing it for me. I felt like the rest of the book was written almost at a middle-grade level. It made the rest of the novel feel abrupt and awkward in many places. I would request more villains from Madison, as she paints them beautifully overall though I have to go with a 2/5 stars given the weirdly possible child porn the awkward abrupt shifts in the story and the typos scattered throughout.
I have waited a few days to write a review after completing this book, mostly because I really had a hard time with it. I don't want to start out with negativity, so I will start by pointing out the positive aspects of the story. Madison did a good job of showing timeless love from Duke's point of view. She also did a good job of describing scenery. In times of abuse, there was a great amount of detail, perhaps speaking of personal knowledge.
Apart from the abuse, the book starts quite explicitly, but not in the sense of a romance novel. The sexual scenes (apart from abuse) seem to be written in a way that does not make the reader feel knowledgeable about the passion. Also a HUGE issue for me was that we know Raya is 17, but we don't know the ages of Duke or Melanie, who are in a weirdly abrupt sexual experience that may or may not be considered child pornography in many states. Not knowing if they were of legal age was very awkward and uncomfortable for me to read. I almost put the book down at this point; it made me feel gross. I tried to revisit it and give it another try with the vow that if anything started to get explicit that I was immediately deleting it from my Kindle and giving up on it.
Luckily, there were no more sexual encounters for the duration of a possible underage issue. The beginning of the book was quite awkward unless it was speaking of well-detailed abuse. The flirting and relationships came off as quite immature. I couldn't tell if this was deliberate or just the take that I got from the book. The story gets dark around the 30-40% mark and then goes on to get worse. There were a lot of detailed and horrendous scenarios, and I almost feel bad for saying that the dark parts are when Madison wrote the story at its best.
When in dark times, I could see Madison's talent shine through to the point that the thought of whether or not personal experience was intertwined was relevant or not, given the excellence at getting the feeling across. Unfortunately (well fortunately, of course, but not for the storytelling), there is some light. Still, the events in the the third part of the book didn't really add up with a realistic timeline of how someone going through such awful things would recover and move on with life upon actually opening up about them.
I tried to write this in a way not to spoil anything for anyone else. Suffice it to say that Madison does have a gift for storytelling, but it seems to be limited to darker content. Perhaps she should focus more on this in future writings because she does so fabulously. Unfortunately, the rest of the story wasn't doing it for me. I felt like the rest of the book was written almost at a middle-grade level. It made the rest of the novel feel abrupt and awkward in many places. I would request more villains from Madison, as she paints them beautifully overall though I have to go with a 2/5 stars given the weirdly possible child porn the awkward abrupt shifts in the story and the typos scattered throughout.
May 21, 2014
I had the honor to BETA read this book and all I can say is WOW, this was such an amazing book!
I couldn't get enough of the chapters as I was getting them. I totally fell in love with Duke. Where in this world do you find yourself a guy who is so dedicated and loving like him!
Duke had the perfect girlfriend and he was a sexy jock, what more could Melanie ask for right!! Well things seem to be going great between them, they are the perfect couple in school ..... up until Raya comes in the picture.
Raya comes from a broken home. Her mother married a very mean and controlling man. Raya didn't like him and she hated that her mother would always listen and do what he wanted. They had a tendency to move from city to city constantly so she could never make real friends. They finally decided to settle in one place and that's where Raya met Duke and Melanie. She became really good friends with them but she was started to feel a strong attraction towards Duke. She knew she couldn't act on her feelings because he was with Melanie and Melanie was her friend too.
Well it came down to a point where Duke couldn't take it anymore and he decided to break up with Melanie and try to pursue Raya. Unfortunately when Duke expressed how he felt about her, Raya ran. She didn't want him to miss out on school for her so she decided to skip town after a horrible and tragic accident involving her mother and stepfather.
When Raya has settled in Chicago, she starts attending self defense classes and her instructor starts pursuing her. She feels like she needs to move on and accepts to go out with him. He apparently wasn't a very nice man either because he tricked her and her friend into attending a job fare that was really fake. He was running a brothel and Raya had no idea.
Things turn for the worse and she feels broken and unemotional, she's lifeless at this point. She wants to try and escape and she's trying to figure out how to do that.
Meanwhile, Duke has decided to change his major in school and decides to become a private investigator. He vowed that he would find Raya one day and he was determined. Well that day finally comes after six years of being apart.
He finds her broken and shocked. He works with Melanie in trying to get her back. It's hard but he's working on it. Will Raya finally give in to her emotions and love for him? Can she move on after everything she's been through?
Can Duke accept her as she is now, damaged and broken? Duke has loved Raya and he doesn't want anything to get in the way. He's going to fight for her and will do whatever it takes to get his Raya back.
I can't wait to read Melanie's story. I truly did feel for this story. It touched me because it really sucks to have to be obligated to do things you don't want.
Madison, you rocked this one and hopefully Melanie's story will come soon!! Total five stars for me *****
I couldn't get enough of the chapters as I was getting them. I totally fell in love with Duke. Where in this world do you find yourself a guy who is so dedicated and loving like him!
Duke had the perfect girlfriend and he was a sexy jock, what more could Melanie ask for right!! Well things seem to be going great between them, they are the perfect couple in school ..... up until Raya comes in the picture.
Raya comes from a broken home. Her mother married a very mean and controlling man. Raya didn't like him and she hated that her mother would always listen and do what he wanted. They had a tendency to move from city to city constantly so she could never make real friends. They finally decided to settle in one place and that's where Raya met Duke and Melanie. She became really good friends with them but she was started to feel a strong attraction towards Duke. She knew she couldn't act on her feelings because he was with Melanie and Melanie was her friend too.
Well it came down to a point where Duke couldn't take it anymore and he decided to break up with Melanie and try to pursue Raya. Unfortunately when Duke expressed how he felt about her, Raya ran. She didn't want him to miss out on school for her so she decided to skip town after a horrible and tragic accident involving her mother and stepfather.
When Raya has settled in Chicago, she starts attending self defense classes and her instructor starts pursuing her. She feels like she needs to move on and accepts to go out with him. He apparently wasn't a very nice man either because he tricked her and her friend into attending a job fare that was really fake. He was running a brothel and Raya had no idea.
Things turn for the worse and she feels broken and unemotional, she's lifeless at this point. She wants to try and escape and she's trying to figure out how to do that.
Meanwhile, Duke has decided to change his major in school and decides to become a private investigator. He vowed that he would find Raya one day and he was determined. Well that day finally comes after six years of being apart.
He finds her broken and shocked. He works with Melanie in trying to get her back. It's hard but he's working on it. Will Raya finally give in to her emotions and love for him? Can she move on after everything she's been through?
Can Duke accept her as she is now, damaged and broken? Duke has loved Raya and he doesn't want anything to get in the way. He's going to fight for her and will do whatever it takes to get his Raya back.
I can't wait to read Melanie's story. I truly did feel for this story. It touched me because it really sucks to have to be obligated to do things you don't want.
Madison, you rocked this one and hopefully Melanie's story will come soon!! Total five stars for me *****
November 16, 2014
Original Blog Post: Blog Tour, eARC Review, Excerpt: Little Things by Madison Street
Stories of second chances always interest me, which is why I decided to try out Madison Street's Little Things. Honestly, I almost gave up on this until I reached a third of the way into the book then I was glad I didn't stop reading. That's where it grabs you, holds on, and doesn't let go all the way up to the end.
Raya is the new girl and catches everybody's attention, especially that of Duke, the captain of the lacrosse team and one of the more popular boys in high school. There's a problem, though. He's got a girlfriend and Melanie is one of the nicest people she's ever met. So Raya and Duke are firmly relegated to the friendzone, despite the attraction each feels for the other.
Duke is the closest to a golden boy his school could have. Despite his being a top jock and a smart guy adored by most of the school, he's truly a nice person underneath it all; someone who would go out of his way to help whoever is in need. He senses that there's something wrong with Raya's home life and vows to protect her in any way he can.
Domestic problems escalate beyond what anyone could guess, and to keep Duke on the straight and narrow, Raya runs away, allowing Duke to live his own life. But despite her setting him free, he never forgets and channels all his learning and skills into finding his girl again. Little does he know she's in real trouble and his never ending search for her could be the only thing that will keep her alive.
Despite the very slow start, the story held my interest when action followed action followed drama and more action. It reminded me a bit of a popular movie but believe me, this has a storyline all its own. It's not exactly predictable so there's a certain sense of suspense and mystery hanging over you that whole time.
What I like most is how the problems bring real life crimes to light. White slavery and prostitution are prevalent in every country and the way the victims are brought to submission are horrendous, to say the least. Drug use is just one component here, as is abuse in every way imaginable. PTSD is another nightmare that not many people care to acknowledge, either. Yet the basics - admission and treatment - would truly help in saving countless lives of people that have undergone traumas their minds cannot comprehend.
It takes courage to even talk of taboos like this, much more to write about it, which is why I admire Madison Street and Little Things. And obviously, with that kind of ending, there should be another installment or two waiting in the wings, right?
Stories of second chances always interest me, which is why I decided to try out Madison Street's Little Things. Honestly, I almost gave up on this until I reached a third of the way into the book then I was glad I didn't stop reading. That's where it grabs you, holds on, and doesn't let go all the way up to the end.
Raya is the new girl and catches everybody's attention, especially that of Duke, the captain of the lacrosse team and one of the more popular boys in high school. There's a problem, though. He's got a girlfriend and Melanie is one of the nicest people she's ever met. So Raya and Duke are firmly relegated to the friendzone, despite the attraction each feels for the other.
Duke is the closest to a golden boy his school could have. Despite his being a top jock and a smart guy adored by most of the school, he's truly a nice person underneath it all; someone who would go out of his way to help whoever is in need. He senses that there's something wrong with Raya's home life and vows to protect her in any way he can.
Domestic problems escalate beyond what anyone could guess, and to keep Duke on the straight and narrow, Raya runs away, allowing Duke to live his own life. But despite her setting him free, he never forgets and channels all his learning and skills into finding his girl again. Little does he know she's in real trouble and his never ending search for her could be the only thing that will keep her alive.
Despite the very slow start, the story held my interest when action followed action followed drama and more action. It reminded me a bit of a popular movie but believe me, this has a storyline all its own. It's not exactly predictable so there's a certain sense of suspense and mystery hanging over you that whole time.
What I like most is how the problems bring real life crimes to light. White slavery and prostitution are prevalent in every country and the way the victims are brought to submission are horrendous, to say the least. Drug use is just one component here, as is abuse in every way imaginable. PTSD is another nightmare that not many people care to acknowledge, either. Yet the basics - admission and treatment - would truly help in saving countless lives of people that have undergone traumas their minds cannot comprehend.
It takes courage to even talk of taboos like this, much more to write about it, which is why I admire Madison Street and Little Things. And obviously, with that kind of ending, there should be another installment or two waiting in the wings, right?
June 21, 2014
I have to say I didn’t quite know what to expect when I started this story but I honestly ended up loving it. This started out as a new adult book: we follow Raya, a young woman who lives far from a perfect life in an abusive home trying to disappear from the world but Duke won’t let her and quickly these two develop feelings for each other, but at the wrong time for something explosive happens that rips Raya away from Duke. From this point the story turned quite quickly into something full of suspense and darkness which I LOVED!! It was such a contrast to the beginning on the story and I enjoyed the two parts to it.
“You’re worth it. You’ve always been worth it….”
From the first few pages in I was already in love with the main characters. Duke was the sweetest and most caring book boyfriend I have read in a while: he was the perfect boy next door with how charming he was, how affectionate and caring, he was cute and sexy and honestly, I wish I could find myself a Duke!
“I promised to keep you safe and I won’t ever stop. I’ll do everything to protect you. Even if it’s from yourself.”
Raya was a lead female I could look up to and I wanted her to do well, she faces such terrible situations but she always remained strong and never truly gave up hope and I thought her and Duke together made the perfect couple!
“You’ve changed my life Duke, even before everything in Chicago happened. You make me a better person…I’m no longer numb or shut people out. I’m in touch with my emotions and I stand up to face my fears. But all of this was because of you.”
The story itself was amazing! Exactly the genre of book I love with romance, suspense, and the darker element added in. I liked how we started off sweet and hopeful and then BANG we get thrown into the story with everything that happens and the story never really slows down. The author really brings you into the both sides of the story, the sweet NA beginning and then the darker more suspense-filled middle and end.
“As we descend into the darkness of the tunnel, tears return as my body tremors in fear of the horrors that await me around the corner.”
It kept me hooked from page 1 and didn’t let me go the whole way through…. Even when it finished I was still hooked on the story and I wanted more pages to magically appear on my kindle so I could keep reading about these characters and remain in their lives!
Overall 4.5 stars for an amazing book which had a very captivating plot and characters that I absolutely adored.
Well done to the author on writing such a great debut novel!
Bethany
“You’re worth it. You’ve always been worth it….”
From the first few pages in I was already in love with the main characters. Duke was the sweetest and most caring book boyfriend I have read in a while: he was the perfect boy next door with how charming he was, how affectionate and caring, he was cute and sexy and honestly, I wish I could find myself a Duke!
“I promised to keep you safe and I won’t ever stop. I’ll do everything to protect you. Even if it’s from yourself.”
Raya was a lead female I could look up to and I wanted her to do well, she faces such terrible situations but she always remained strong and never truly gave up hope and I thought her and Duke together made the perfect couple!
“You’ve changed my life Duke, even before everything in Chicago happened. You make me a better person…I’m no longer numb or shut people out. I’m in touch with my emotions and I stand up to face my fears. But all of this was because of you.”
The story itself was amazing! Exactly the genre of book I love with romance, suspense, and the darker element added in. I liked how we started off sweet and hopeful and then BANG we get thrown into the story with everything that happens and the story never really slows down. The author really brings you into the both sides of the story, the sweet NA beginning and then the darker more suspense-filled middle and end.
“As we descend into the darkness of the tunnel, tears return as my body tremors in fear of the horrors that await me around the corner.”
It kept me hooked from page 1 and didn’t let me go the whole way through…. Even when it finished I was still hooked on the story and I wanted more pages to magically appear on my kindle so I could keep reading about these characters and remain in their lives!
Overall 4.5 stars for an amazing book which had a very captivating plot and characters that I absolutely adored.
Well done to the author on writing such a great debut novel!
Bethany
June 21, 2014
Wowsers!!! Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. Little Things is a ride and a half, I found myself laughing and then bawling my eyes out and wanting to curl up in the fetal position. You can’t help but fall in love with the characters in this story. I will say this though it does deal with some pretty heavy topics and it may upset some people who are sensitive to those. Madison Street did a beautiful job though with telling this story and not going overboard with too much gory detail. She did however bring you in to the point that I was screaming at my kindle and begging for someone to do something. So anyway here we go, bare with me on explaining the story and characters without giving too much away.
Let’s start with Raya; she is a beautiful 17 year old girl with a heart of gold. Her father passed away when she was younger and then her mother remarried a man that would start her nightmare. She however doesn’t run from it because she will never leave her mother behind to face it alone. Her story totally destroyed me, I could feel her heartache and the guilt she carries so much guilt for things that have happened that were really out of her control. I loved how Madison was able to write her character with total openness and honesty, she went the right way with it by not making her overly a victim and letting her come into herself and learn to stand on her feet. Raya kept her strength and was a fighter from the start to the end.
"I look him square in the eyes and say "I will never scream for you. You're a monster."
What can I say about Duke….OMG that man knows how to make you swoon!! He is a good man even in the beginning in school and knows how to treat the ladies. He also loves with all he is and never gave up on Raya even when they were separated for years. He keeps looking for her everywhere he goes and even uses his career to try and find her. When he does find her and she is a broken shell of a woman he never gives up on her and uses his love to try and bring her back.
"Once it's sung, the crowd cheers and I say into the mic, "I'm coming to find you Raya."
I loved this story and look forward to reading the next one in the series. My only complaint with this book was that I felt from the last chapter to the epilogue it was missing something but as a whole this is a non-cliff hanger even though there is another book coming to the series. My hat is off to Miss.Street and I thank her for bringing a love story that transcends the years and show how the heart can heal and keep loving through it all.
"I look up at her as she pulls me off the floor, "She means the world to me. Please save her."
Let’s start with Raya; she is a beautiful 17 year old girl with a heart of gold. Her father passed away when she was younger and then her mother remarried a man that would start her nightmare. She however doesn’t run from it because she will never leave her mother behind to face it alone. Her story totally destroyed me, I could feel her heartache and the guilt she carries so much guilt for things that have happened that were really out of her control. I loved how Madison was able to write her character with total openness and honesty, she went the right way with it by not making her overly a victim and letting her come into herself and learn to stand on her feet. Raya kept her strength and was a fighter from the start to the end.
"I look him square in the eyes and say "I will never scream for you. You're a monster."
What can I say about Duke….OMG that man knows how to make you swoon!! He is a good man even in the beginning in school and knows how to treat the ladies. He also loves with all he is and never gave up on Raya even when they were separated for years. He keeps looking for her everywhere he goes and even uses his career to try and find her. When he does find her and she is a broken shell of a woman he never gives up on her and uses his love to try and bring her back.
"Once it's sung, the crowd cheers and I say into the mic, "I'm coming to find you Raya."
I loved this story and look forward to reading the next one in the series. My only complaint with this book was that I felt from the last chapter to the epilogue it was missing something but as a whole this is a non-cliff hanger even though there is another book coming to the series. My hat is off to Miss.Street and I thank her for bringing a love story that transcends the years and show how the heart can heal and keep loving through it all.
"I look up at her as she pulls me off the floor, "She means the world to me. Please save her."
July 9, 2014
This is one of those surprise books I would say for sure. I go into it and it starts off with the time with Raya and a prologue that grabs you by the neck and says come with me for a surprise inside if you continue. Next it is Duke you meet, in high school the all important it would seem is man got me a girlfriend, wow she is hot and all mine type of thing. High school has started and first thing after two weeks you are then there when Raya is there for her first day after transfer. She then builds on this by giving you each their perspective going to their classes becoming fast friends. The description of Raya is very vivid you are wondering if something more could happen between these two but he is faithful to his girlfriend with her also becoming friends with Raya. You get more glimpses into her homelife that has you crunching your teeth because you as the reader want to do a rescue mission but she has a plan. But in friendships if they are real secrets do not stay secret so eventually it does come out what is up because she misses school. Time has passed quickly because I am soaking this up as fast as I can read it. Eventually though prom comes and they are finally honest with each other which is another can of worms all together because prom spells the beginning of the end as life as they all know it. Man talk about spine tingling the events that happen later. Duke he is a guy after a girls heart. Steadfast no matter how much time passes never giving up on Raya. You see she has up and gone disappearing (running away but oh will it cost her) sitting up a life away from all she wants or knows but looks will be deceiving when she meets a instructor that will be giving her instructions on a new way of life. By now this author has me by the jugular dragging me along for some wowzer events that will be uncovered thanks to Duke and the love in his heart. Raya has a life you would not wish on your worst enemy of a girlfriend but something that is happening for real and written very well in this novel. Who and why is the fascinating parts when reading. I will tell you truthfully this is one route totally unexpected when I first started but the intensity and drama is well worth the read. Love is the factor for Duke and also what keeps her alive that when things start to change for the better when his search pays off you will be whooping for sure. Anyways no giving spoilers from me but man thanks to love being the victor in this novel there are second chances which is very prevalent in this novel. So if you pick this up and read it just think of Cracker Jacks with a surprise inside is what this novel is like. Received a copy for a honest review.
June 21, 2014
4.25
I glanced through several of the other reviews and saw that some people mentioned the slow pace on the front end. In some ways, I do agree that it does seem to move slowly, but I also think that it was worth it. Duke is beginning his senior year of high school with his girlfriend, Melanie, and it sounds like he worked pretty hard to get her to date him. Raya is new to school, she's quite and somewhat withdrawn, and she never seems to expect much for herself. Duke is immediately drawn to her, but what I really liked about this book is that there was no insta-love - even for two highschoolers.
Over the course of the year, Duke and Melanie both befriend Raya, and both of them see that she has a great sense of humor, but she is also very secretive and unable to hang out with them much. As for Raya, you quickly begin to see that both she and her mother are basically being held hostage by her step-father, Craig. Everything in their household has to be run by him and approved by him, and he basically does not care much for either of them and spends more time mentally and physically abusing them. Things begin to feel very creepy about Craig...
Everything changes in the spring. Prom happens, and from there, none of their lives are the same. Duke finally realizes how much Raya means to him, and strangely enough, Melanie seems to be understanding. Around that same time, however, tragedy strikes in Raya's life. Not long after that, she just disappears. Raya's life is definitely not the same after that. After spending many years being tortured, she is rescued and Duke is able to come back into her life. Nothing is as it seems, however, and Raya may have to fight for herself one more time.
On the back end of the story, I appreciated the build up on the front end, even if it did seem slow, at times. Duke and Raya spent months building memories with one another, as friends, and these memories get both of them through some very difficult times. They also affect one another's future decisions, Raya's in a not so positive way, but Duke decides to go into Criminal Investigation and loves it. I enjoyed reading about these two. I do think that there are parts of the story that could use a little work or build up. For instance, there were a few detail things I noticed, such as someone making a sick person chicken soup at 9 am in the morning, etc. Also, it feels like music and songs are really supposed to be a huge part of the story, and I think this could have definitely been given more attention from Raya's point of view.
I glanced through several of the other reviews and saw that some people mentioned the slow pace on the front end. In some ways, I do agree that it does seem to move slowly, but I also think that it was worth it. Duke is beginning his senior year of high school with his girlfriend, Melanie, and it sounds like he worked pretty hard to get her to date him. Raya is new to school, she's quite and somewhat withdrawn, and she never seems to expect much for herself. Duke is immediately drawn to her, but what I really liked about this book is that there was no insta-love - even for two highschoolers.
Over the course of the year, Duke and Melanie both befriend Raya, and both of them see that she has a great sense of humor, but she is also very secretive and unable to hang out with them much. As for Raya, you quickly begin to see that both she and her mother are basically being held hostage by her step-father, Craig. Everything in their household has to be run by him and approved by him, and he basically does not care much for either of them and spends more time mentally and physically abusing them. Things begin to feel very creepy about Craig...
Everything changes in the spring. Prom happens, and from there, none of their lives are the same. Duke finally realizes how much Raya means to him, and strangely enough, Melanie seems to be understanding. Around that same time, however, tragedy strikes in Raya's life. Not long after that, she just disappears. Raya's life is definitely not the same after that. After spending many years being tortured, she is rescued and Duke is able to come back into her life. Nothing is as it seems, however, and Raya may have to fight for herself one more time.
On the back end of the story, I appreciated the build up on the front end, even if it did seem slow, at times. Duke and Raya spent months building memories with one another, as friends, and these memories get both of them through some very difficult times. They also affect one another's future decisions, Raya's in a not so positive way, but Duke decides to go into Criminal Investigation and loves it. I enjoyed reading about these two. I do think that there are parts of the story that could use a little work or build up. For instance, there were a few detail things I noticed, such as someone making a sick person chicken soup at 9 am in the morning, etc. Also, it feels like music and songs are really supposed to be a huge part of the story, and I think this could have definitely been given more attention from Raya's point of view.
October 6, 2014
4.25 Stars!
Review
I glanced through several of the other reviews and saw that some people mentioned the slow pace on the front end. In some ways, I do agree that it does seem to move slowly, but I also think that it was worth it. Duke is beginning his senior year of high school with his girlfriend, Melanie, and it sounds like he worked pretty hard to get her to date him. Raya is new to school, she's quite and somewhat withdrawn, and she never seems to expect much for herself. Duke is immediately drawn to her, but what I really liked about this book is that there was no insta-love - even for two highschoolers.
Over the course of the year, Duke and Melanie both befriend Raya, and both of them see that she has a great sense of humor, but she is also very secretive and unable to hang out with them much. As for Raya, you quickly begin to see that both she and her mother are basically being held hostage by her step-father, Craig. Everything in their household has to be run by him and approved by him, and he basically does not care much for either of them and spends more time mentally and physically abusing them. Things begin to feel very creepy about Craig...
Everything changes in the spring. Prom happens, and from there, none of their lives are the same. Duke finally realizes how much Raya means to him, and strangely enough, Melanie seems to be understanding. Around that same time, however, tragedy strikes in Raya's life. Not long after that, she just disappears. Raya's life is definitely not the same after that. After spending many years being tortured, she is rescued and Duke is able to come back into her life. Nothing is as it seems, however, and Raya may have to fight for herself one more time.
On the back end of the story, I appreciated the build up on the front end, even if it did seem slow, at times. Duke and Raya spent months building memories with one another, as friends, and these memories get both of them through some very difficult times. They also affect one another's future decisions, Raya's in a not so positive way, but Duke decides to go into Criminal Investigation and loves it. I enjoyed reading about these two. I do think that there are parts of the story that could use a little work or build up. For instance, there were a few detail things I noticed, such as someone making a sick person chicken soup at 9 am in the morning, etc. Also, it feels like music and songs are really supposed to be a huge part of the story, and I think this could have definitely been given more attention from Raya's point of view.
Jessica
Review
I glanced through several of the other reviews and saw that some people mentioned the slow pace on the front end. In some ways, I do agree that it does seem to move slowly, but I also think that it was worth it. Duke is beginning his senior year of high school with his girlfriend, Melanie, and it sounds like he worked pretty hard to get her to date him. Raya is new to school, she's quite and somewhat withdrawn, and she never seems to expect much for herself. Duke is immediately drawn to her, but what I really liked about this book is that there was no insta-love - even for two highschoolers.
Over the course of the year, Duke and Melanie both befriend Raya, and both of them see that she has a great sense of humor, but she is also very secretive and unable to hang out with them much. As for Raya, you quickly begin to see that both she and her mother are basically being held hostage by her step-father, Craig. Everything in their household has to be run by him and approved by him, and he basically does not care much for either of them and spends more time mentally and physically abusing them. Things begin to feel very creepy about Craig...
Everything changes in the spring. Prom happens, and from there, none of their lives are the same. Duke finally realizes how much Raya means to him, and strangely enough, Melanie seems to be understanding. Around that same time, however, tragedy strikes in Raya's life. Not long after that, she just disappears. Raya's life is definitely not the same after that. After spending many years being tortured, she is rescued and Duke is able to come back into her life. Nothing is as it seems, however, and Raya may have to fight for herself one more time.
On the back end of the story, I appreciated the build up on the front end, even if it did seem slow, at times. Duke and Raya spent months building memories with one another, as friends, and these memories get both of them through some very difficult times. They also affect one another's future decisions, Raya's in a not so positive way, but Duke decides to go into Criminal Investigation and loves it. I enjoyed reading about these two. I do think that there are parts of the story that could use a little work or build up. For instance, there were a few detail things I noticed, such as someone making a sick person chicken soup at 9 am in the morning, etc. Also, it feels like music and songs are really supposed to be a huge part of the story, and I think this could have definitely been given more attention from Raya's point of view.
Jessica
May 22, 2014
5 twisted well deserved starsIt took me a few hours to be able to start this review. I finished it in one sitting which says something, I could not put it down. But here's the thing, I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I'm still not sure how I feel about it all.Raya is a 17 year old high school student going through a rough time at home because of her abusing step father. They move to New York and she meets Duke in their forensic class, they become friends and bond instantly. She become friends with some of his friends and they grow into a tight group up until prom where everything goes down. In that one night it all changes. Starts the beginning of Raya and Duke's nightmate for 5 years when things somehow get better. "Don't you see? Those are all the little things that make up who you are and I love you."I won't say anything anymore because I don't want to spoil it but be warned that this book is a really dark read, description of abuse, rape and prostitution take place in a big chunk of this book. BUT (yes there's a BUT) eventhough I absolutely can't stand any read like that (it's just not what I enjoy reading) I'm so glad I pushed through and read the book, it had me in tears for a good part of the book and that means it's a good one. You feel for Raya and Duke. I was sucked into the story that it made me go through this book wanting to know what would happen to them and if they would find each other again.What I loved about this book is that the story is beautifully written, even the "bad" parts of it, that's what made me pull through. It's explained in such a way that it didn't made me throw my kindle at the wall and stop reading instantly, instead it made me want to continue. The characters are really sweet and loveable. Duke is not your typical jock, he's the sweetest guy ever, a good boyfriend and friend and very loyal as is Raya. She's gone through so much and still stays strong and grow into a strong woman despite everything.This book is a standalone and the epilogue is just the sweetest thing ever and it had me crying for a good 30 minutes and I mean ugly cry. So eventhough this book talked about loads of things I'm not into reading this is probably one of the best books I've ever read. I'm so glad I was given a chance to read it before it got out and discover this little gem. Thank you Madison for such a beautiful heartwrenching story!
July 8, 2016
I don't know if I should love Madison or not. Like seriously. The twists and turns are just crazy.
In one of the book groups I asked for suggestions while preparing for an author event and of course Ms. Madison was on the list of authors that will be attending. Someone told me it was a Second Chance romance. I knew nothing more about it. Not the characters names. Not the story. Nothing.
I decided to go in simply seeing the cover and the amazing artwork that was done on it. I was not disappointed.
Duke is the good guy, the lacrosse player. Basically think about the most popular man in high school. That's definitely him. He isn't mean, he particularly nice and people like him. He is the good popular guy that we all wished we had all the time. Raya, a girl who moved around a lot who has her own secrets that she hides meets Duke among his other friends the first day. Though the pair seemed like unlikely friend there is something drawing them to one another. In walks Melanie, Duke's perfect girlfriend. She is kind, sweet, beautiful and of course wants to be friends with Raya. It appears she has no issue with Duke being friends with Raya.
As their relationships change in high school so do the seasons. High School year ends with Raya making a plan to leave when she is eighteen. Not only to save herself but her mother as well. Duke doesn't want this to happen. Once he finds out what is truly happening at home he wants to save her. Duke though seems like he is always a bit jealous of anyone that likes Raya he keeps it pretty cool. Her best night turns into her worse night. When losing hte single most important person in her life destroys Raya she eventually decides she can't be there no more. Not only leaving Duke but her best friend Melanie. Duke said he would save her and would do anything for her.
Within a 5 year span you see them change. You see Raya get into the issues she has (not spoiling) and see who she becomes. She loses more, adding to her not so well mental well being. Duke tries to find her and when he does, he cannot totally understand the hell she had been through. But together these two work it out with their trusty best friend there, Melanie.
Their friendship might have been a short period of time but their bond lasted years. Nothing will break their love, their friendship and the bong that they will have for the rest of their lives.
This is why I think I FLOVE Madison. Her words like poetry.
In one of the book groups I asked for suggestions while preparing for an author event and of course Ms. Madison was on the list of authors that will be attending. Someone told me it was a Second Chance romance. I knew nothing more about it. Not the characters names. Not the story. Nothing.
I decided to go in simply seeing the cover and the amazing artwork that was done on it. I was not disappointed.
Duke is the good guy, the lacrosse player. Basically think about the most popular man in high school. That's definitely him. He isn't mean, he particularly nice and people like him. He is the good popular guy that we all wished we had all the time. Raya, a girl who moved around a lot who has her own secrets that she hides meets Duke among his other friends the first day. Though the pair seemed like unlikely friend there is something drawing them to one another. In walks Melanie, Duke's perfect girlfriend. She is kind, sweet, beautiful and of course wants to be friends with Raya. It appears she has no issue with Duke being friends with Raya.
As their relationships change in high school so do the seasons. High School year ends with Raya making a plan to leave when she is eighteen. Not only to save herself but her mother as well. Duke doesn't want this to happen. Once he finds out what is truly happening at home he wants to save her. Duke though seems like he is always a bit jealous of anyone that likes Raya he keeps it pretty cool. Her best night turns into her worse night. When losing hte single most important person in her life destroys Raya she eventually decides she can't be there no more. Not only leaving Duke but her best friend Melanie. Duke said he would save her and would do anything for her.
Within a 5 year span you see them change. You see Raya get into the issues she has (not spoiling) and see who she becomes. She loses more, adding to her not so well mental well being. Duke tries to find her and when he does, he cannot totally understand the hell she had been through. But together these two work it out with their trusty best friend there, Melanie.
Their friendship might have been a short period of time but their bond lasted years. Nothing will break their love, their friendship and the bong that they will have for the rest of their lives.
This is why I think I FLOVE Madison. Her words like poetry.
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