Lost In Love's Abyss

by K.C. Mills

Flawed!
Damaged!
Cursed!Embria Taylor is an expert on fixing the lives of others but can’t seem to make sense of her own. When a handsome stranger forces his way into her world, she quickly learns that being open to new possibilities just might be the missing ingredient to securing her happily ever after.

Rahshon Allen is a man that speaks his mind and makes no apologies for who he is or how he feels. Those characteristics are what land him right in the middle of a beautiful woman’s chaos that seems to be just what he needs to escape his dark past.

Rah and Embria both crave something different but can she love him past all his flaws and will he be able to prove that love doesn’t have to be perfect as long as it’s real!

This book was originally published in 2020 and is a standalone novel

Genres: African American, Audiobook

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2024

About the author

KC Mills is an international bestselling author, speaker, and CEO. Ranked along with well respected authors, Mills has over 100 books which have hit number 1 bestsellers. She has proven herself as a leader in her industry with over 120 successful books written and published within a five year timeframe. She is committed to bringing exceptional literary works that offer a romantic twist, as well as subtlety veering away from the norm. She still however leaves you captivated by her stories, characters and always wanting more. Mills’ current focus is her cross over to the script writing arena where she will begin writing for some of Atlanta’s top production companies and the nation’s most notable television networks.

Reviews

[Annette Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost In Love's Abyss was such an adorable love story. I so enjoyed Embria and Rahshon’s love journey. Their path was beautiful but, Embria and Rah had to deal with some heavy baggage before they could love one another properly. Rah is secretly still trying to get past his uncle’s pedophile ways and Embria is battling her conditioned mind because, her mama has incessantly told her all her life that the Taylor women would never find love. Unbeknownst to them, there’s a surprise connection that threatens Embria and Rah’s happiness. Chiiiiiiile, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when that little tidbit dropped. Whew the drama! Embria and Rah are able to get past the hurdles that are thrown at them to get to their much deserved HEA. These two are definitely a couple you will root for. The narrators did a phenomenal job. Both of them really brought life into each of the characters. FYI, Phoenix McKay and Chance Smolders are pseudonyms for Adenrele Ojo and Carey Hite. In case you’re wondering. Lost In Love's Abyss was an awesome read. It pulls you in from the beginning and will dominate your attention until the very end. This book had me laughing and crying at the same. I highly recommend it.

[Kameel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the developing and later the completely blossomed relationship between Rahshon & Embria...I thought this was a unique relationship with the fact that they both had issues with their parents. I thought it was pretty cool that Rahshon did have a therapist and he sought treatment to be the best version of himself and I also LOVED the relationship with his younger brother Salim. Rahshon and Embria were really good for one another. I really enjoyed this story....Now, I'm hoping for a Salim & Cameron story....I hope she has sense enough to give him a chance.

[Msafiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, but needs a trigger warning. One of the main male characters experienced childhood sexual trauma. It’s not too graphic but it could be a trigger for some.

[Cassandra Jerido · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book!

If you’re a follower of Ms. Mills then you will not be disappointed with this book. It was a slight twist from the norm for her with the subject matter but the couple worked through it. Overall, I liked it. Raj was genuine and in pain. Ms. Mills was able to capture that pain and put it on full display.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tugged on my heart. My poor babies Embria & Rashon had to push through some serious childhood baggage before they could be together. She had to learn to get out of her way & not let her mother’s actions close her off to a love she deserved. And he had to reconcile the shame & abandonment issues from his past, and not let that affect his ability to love either. He was also a reminder of “you’re only as sick as your secrets”, because I think had he shared his childhood experience, some of the things in the book might have played out differently. At any rate, It took some work but they made it through. I love a couple that is equally addicted to one another lol. Also I don’t believe it’s a series but I wouldn’t have minded it. Because I’d love to see his brother and her best friend respectively find love

[Kema B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good! I enjoyed this story a lot. It was different and touched on taboo subjects. I loved Embria and Rah together and was glad they were able to work out. Great read!

[Kendra Broomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot to unpack but baby they unpacked and folded it real nice. KC did that!

[Jaszmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was beautiful I loved Rah and Embry's story🥹 Cam had me laugh all through this book! Definitely need a friend like Cam!

[Tonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abyss Love

Embria had to let her mother words go and realize the men she chose wasn’t the ones for her. Rah had to let his demons go to find the love he deserved. I still wish he would at least give his Father a chance. Saleem and Kam needs a book?

[Melise · Rating 4 out of 5]

K.C. Mills really doesn’t miss for me; I haven’t read a single book that wasn’t a 4 or 5-star read. This one was definitely a 4-star read because the characters and situations felt lacking or unresolved.

Embria is an intelligent psychiatrist struggling to find love and her footing in romance, largely due to her mother's trauma dumping and low-key brainwashing her into believing she’ll never get the love she deserves because it’s not in the cards for her. All the while, her mother is salty that her dad got another woman pregnant while she was pregnant, too. Embria’s father is a bum, and although we never get cameos from him, it’s clear that he’s raggedy. My issue is that as a psychiatrist, you’d think she would know to shield her mind from those projections. I get that it’s hard to see your own issues while helping others, but seriously—she thinks she’s cursed and doomed? Sister, please. Additionally, I think the problem was that the author built her up to be this big-brained, overthinking, analytical lover girl, yet nothing ever added up for her.

Rashon is a good man with a troubled past who got off that lady’s couch sooner than he should have. He was a good brother and grandson and constantly looked out for others, which was admirable. However, it sometimes felt like his plans were half-cocked or that he was very impulsive. While the childhood trauma he endured was devastating, he also had a tendency to expect people to read his mind. He spends most of the book mad at his grandma because she supports her child (unaware that he’s a predator). He genuinely wouldn’t open his mouth to tell her what was wrong, yet he dismissed her for choosing her son. Excuse me, but she doesn’t know the severity of the issues; of course she’s going to support the one son she has left. His mindset felt selfish at times, but again, he’s a victim of trauma that shaped the way he approached intimacy and his sense of self.

Now, the third-act breakup had me heated; I almost closed the book because it felt so unnecessary. It’s revealed that Embria is Rashon’s predatory uncle's therapist. Instead of discussing it like normal people, Rashon throws a tantrum and removes himself from Embria’s life. While I understand that Embria’s overthinking brain didn’t connect the dots, I felt she shouldn’t be punished for doing her job. For example, Rashon tells her about his issues one night, and the next day he shows up with bruised and cut-up hands, saying he was in a tussle with his uncle. She sees this and thinks nothing of it? No thoughts connecting what she heard to how he admits to doing something with his nephew? Sister, come on. Additionally, I don’t think Embria worked hard enough to distance herself from the creepy uncle. I’m sure she has a process and must report on her patients’ progress, especially since this was part of a parole agreement. As soon as he admitted he had no remorse, GET HIM BACK IN THE CELL. How is this rehabilitation when the person doesn’t see any error in their ways? Put that animal back in the cage.

The side stories were lackluster. I truly felt for Keva in the first two chapters when she mentioned her issues, but after that, I was over it. While I know everyone’s relationship with their parents is different, her constant crying to Embria without seeking help or standing up to her mom was exhausting. The situation dragged on too long, and waiting until the end of the book to see improvement felt very blah. I also had an issue with the meeting between Rashon and his dad. Rashon was entitled to his anger, but he went there for answers and was done as soon as his dad didn’t say what he wanted to hear. The father seemed to hint at suffering some loss or being violated as well. It appeared that the uncle may have started with the dad and done more damage, which led to his drug use. I didn’t need the father to have a full redemption arc, but why include it if it goes nowhere? The dad did get it back in blood, which felt strange because they were estranged, and he didn’t seem to have any sympathy. I also want to know how he figured out the uncle was the culprit. This solidified my belief that the uncle’s first victim was his dad.

Overall, this was a good story, and I’m happy everyone got a happier ending. I’d also be interested in reading more about the baby brother.

[Sybil Pun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo good and refreshing!

This was an excellent read albeit some details that needed to be addressed, it was still good.
Embria was the epitome strong independent educated black woman. She was at times a little bit childish but still very relatable.
Rah was a little bit disappointing as a character because come on, I know the mental abuse was strong but silence only bring about dilemma and it so happened between the two brothers. That being said, he was still a good character on the other hand and a good strong, independent black man.
These two were very strong. The only thing I didn’t like was how Embria was more invested than Rah and how the field was not leveled from Trece showing up and Nolan disappearing from the beginning. Did he ever get married? Did he found out how Embria truly moved on and how he missed a huge opportunity from having to break up with her? This background area should have been addressed and somewhat put to rest.
On a lighter note, these mothers are a trip while Kamryn is the true BFF as well as Salem. Will they be hooking up or not? Did the wedding ever happened between Rah and Embri?
Even though there were some questions, it didn’t remove the fact that this was still a wonderful story! KC Mills never disappoint, ever!

[Toya Davis-Stokley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this read! The way it was written, you felt as if you were placed right in the middle of the action. RAH! I loved him from the beginning. The way he went and checked on Embria after he saw the unfortunate scene in the café, and bossed on Nolan was everything! Rah, had a tough exterior, but was kind and had the biggest heart. You could almost feel his anger and hurt, as he tried desperately to bury the trauma from his childhood. Embria, on the outside seemed to have it all. She was beautiful, educated, great job and had her paper! But, those toxic thoughts that her mother engrained in her mind, made her feel like she would never have love and the family she craved. Rah and Embria together was different for both of them, but the way they felt around the other was undeniable! Spending time together, started to break down walls, they found peace in each other, that led to healing that they both needed. Kamryn, was hysterical! I need a friend like her! Great job! 👍👍👍

[Stephanie Mclendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conquering Family and Love!

Embrittlement a brilliant psychiatrist, Kam a successful woman and Rab also a successful and on his shid businessman. All 3 have different agendas on love and family. Rah is battling his parents past, his grandmothers love and his uncles deceitful and pedofile ways, Embria is still battling her conditioned mind and browbeating from her mother’s words..she’s not meant for love, marriage and the picket fence and Kam’s mother guilt trips her every second she can into taking care of her. As Embria is dumped from her ex Nolan Rah will step in as the man he is but will experience a new fresh feeling. Embria will find herself constantly thinking about this sexy, very suave and grown azz man. Kam has a way to go but giving yourself to one person is not as hard as you have trust in your decisions. As the past unfolds ,other decisions may cause Rah and Em to question this soo fresh relationships but if they have trust love can prevail!

[WellReadRuby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rah and Embria had baggage!!! Whew! But they didn’t let that stop them from falling in love. KC Mills really highlighted some interesting conversations throughout this romance about sexuality and beating family curses. Also Embria being a therapist didn’t exclude her from the insecurities that overtake her own patients. This story ended so sweet and I really enjoyed the journey of these two over coming the past to be in each other’s future. I will say I’m interested to see what happens with Rah’s brother and possibly Embria’s best friend Cam. I would read that! I read this book by audio and the narrators were new to me but did an excellent job on bringing these characters to life. Narration was by Phoenix McKay and Chance Smolders. This was another good read from KC Mills for me.

[Nicole D Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book with one caveat—4 stars

I have read several K.C. Mills books and what I enjoy and appreciate most is her ability to fully develop the theme, characters and supporting characters. She’s able to weave real-life situations that are interesting and relatable into her romance novels. My one caveat is the recurring theme of grammatical and typographical errors. The editing can be distracting and should be a ‘no no’ for such a talented and seasoned author. Fortunately, her stories and writing are so good it doesn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of her books. Remedy the editing issue, then for me, I would rate all I’ve read so far at 5 stars.

[rasheeda forde · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was in my kindle library for the longest time. I'm not sure why but I wasnt compelled to read it even though I had bought it.
Decided to try it after a slight reading slump (maybe not a great idea because I wasn't feeling to read it to begin with)

Or maybe the issue is that read this after watching that tik tok about words I hate to see in books cause I was just cringing cringing and cringing.

And I usually enjoy this author but very early on i got tired of hearing someone was sexy or good looking, we get it he/she is attractive.

I just ended up skimming the book tbh. It was not a horrible book by any means, it just wasn't for me.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love K.C. Mills stories, they are mostly light-hearted romances. I will say that this was the first time that a male leading character didn’t “woo” me. I just wasn’t feeling Rashad “Rah” Allen. He wasn’t a terrible character he just wasn’t it for me and that’s ok. His reasoning for going off on Embria was childish and made no sense. Embria seemed to be a bit too timid to be a psychiatrist. How could she possibly help others through there issues and not be able to address her “mommy” problems.

[BossyLadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rah and Embry's story. Recap: Rah owns auto shop. Embry's bf breaks up with her and tells her he's engaged to someone else. Rah checks on her and while she's crying and they hit it off. Meanwhile, this chick Rah was dealing with tries to pin a baby on him. Embry is a therapist. One of the layers in this book involves trauma Rah experienced as a kid. The offender is one of Embry's patient. Shit hits the fan when Rah discovers this fact. These two had a lot against them but eventually find their way to an HEA.

[Taffany Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Read

Rah and Embria were everything! Their path was beautiful. Embria listening to her mom and thinking she wasn't meant to be loved for the long haul. Rah living in his head and dealing with his past. All it took was the two of them falling in love with one another and the rest was history. I really thought Kam and Salaam would eventually hook up, but she was stuck on him being too young. Outstanding read!

[Maria Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo

Ms.Mills storyline gets me so rev up!
Love the relationships,Rah and Embria’s,Kam and Embria’s,Rah and Salem’s ,as well as Embria and her mom.
Like that Embria had a solid career,and Rah’s successful business was not due to any illegal activities.
There really wasn’t anything not to like.The issues were all daily issues that face the black community.
Would have like to see Nolan come crawling back,but that’s just my petty side😏.
5 star for sure!

[T G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written book 😍😍😍

I just love Rahshon (Rah) he was perfectly flawed and stubborn. Embria just wanted to fall in love and be loved in return. No one's perfect everyone has insecurities. It's just a matter of finding that one person who will love you regardless and help those insecurities fade. This is a well-written story with the best supporting characters everything is just so natural. It was an absolute pleasure reading this book enjoying this story.

[Sigourney Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my!

First let me say, you did this and I loved every word you wrote. With Rah and his uncle had my mind going one way but I'm glad it didn't go that route although he suffered some. I'm glad Rah and Embria had a happily ever after. What happened to the uncle was justified lol. Truly enjoyed this story and Rah is book bae. I'd love his past present and future too like Embria. Sweet couple!

[Jessica Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It hooked me

This was my first read from this author and I was not disappointed. I started this during downtime at work and got sucked in. I really liked both Embria and Rah... maybe not everything about them but overall I was definitely rooting for them to make it work. And there were several laugh out loud moments, which is always a plus.

Looking forward to checking out more books from this author.

[Abijah Grant]

3.85.⭐⭐⭐

This story was sexy but gut-wrenching. Embria was taught that she doesn’t deserve it all, and Rah was dealing with challenges from his childhood. What I like about this story is that Embria held on. I think with her background, she’s the perfect fit for Rah. This story does touch on sexual abuse, FYI.

I’m hoping there’s a book 2 soon because Embria’s best friend, Cam, is definitely dealing with some of her own challenges. I had some questions for her while I was reading the book.

[Cheryl Sherrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice

Well this was an unexpected surprise but as usual the author vwrote her behind off. I loved the dynamic between Rah & Embri. I loved how they healed each other. Chemistry was on point. Now what I need is Saleem & Kam's story. I need for him to break her down since he the "baby"... 😂 I hope he cripples her!! Definitely a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐read

[Deena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming!

This story was so sweet. Embria and Rah had to let go of their baggage to be able to love one another properly. Their story had me smiling and crying. It was so emotional, it pulled you in from the beginning and kept my attention. You fall in love with their struggle and you'll be so happy with the outcome of it all!!

[MissParker Overit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rah!!!

This was just as you said emotional overload. Im glad that you didn't write for Rah to have a relationship with his father. The choice was his and sometimes too much has been done. I appreciated that and the relatability of it. Their love story was 1 of 1 I adore it. Im crossing my fingers for Kam to get her 1. Give all of us the same hope ❣

[marguerite shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pen game is A-mazing! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I’m not gonna lie, I seriously be sweating her books!Lately we’ve been getting the couples in this “We’ll see where this goes” phase. It’s been a while since a couple love on each like this in a book, and mannnnn was I emotionally invested. I was dropping a lot of happy tears behind this book!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It!!

Embria and Rah, what a journey. They both had issues, Rah more than Embria but I loved their journey together. I loved despite their issues, they finally made it to their HEA. Love all of K. C’s books. They just keep getting better and better. Thanks K. C. Mills for your talent and gift of story telling. Be blessed❤️

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything 🥺

Omg I didn’t want it to end. I absolutely loved Rah and Embria. This book was literally so good I laughed,smiled and almost shed a tear. Embria found the love that she desired and Rah found what he didn’t know he needed. Man I’m a sucka for love ❤️ When it comes to that pen KC is the goat, periodttttt 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾