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Over My Shoulder
When Freya falls for the manipulative Kane, her life changes beyond her wildest imagination. When the luxurious life she craves gradually becomes intolerable she realises escape is out of reach. Her life has changed, and so has she. She knows that when she least expects it, he will return and make good his promise to exact revenge and ensure she pays the price he felt he is owed.
Can Freya ever be free?
Who ever knew love could be so dangerous?
Can Freya ever be free?
Who ever knew love could be so dangerous?
Audible Audio
First published August 24, 2018
214 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Dixon
21 books169 followersPublished by Bloodhound Books
Author of -
Over My Shoulder, They Don't Know, The Secrets of Tenley House, Liars, #MeToo, Blame. The Other Woman, Coming Home, Resistance, Birthright, Venus Was Her Name, A Good Mother, Rosie and Ruby, Anna, Tilly, Grace, Destiny, The Complete Destiny Series Box Set, The Suspense Boxset.
All titles available on Amazon -
amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00I1YV2RM
Author of -
Over My Shoulder, They Don't Know, The Secrets of Tenley House, Liars, #MeToo, Blame. The Other Woman, Coming Home, Resistance, Birthright, Venus Was Her Name, A Good Mother, Rosie and Ruby, Anna, Tilly, Grace, Destiny, The Complete Destiny Series Box Set, The Suspense Boxset.
All titles available on Amazon -
amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00I1YV2RM
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
September 10, 2018
4☆ A Gripping Compulsive Page Turner!
Over My Shoulder is a hard hitting story about Domestic Abuse, Survival and Hope and a strong main character.
Freya met Cane. He was everything she wanted. He was likeable, Charismatic, Charming, Popular, lavish lifestyle and she fell in love.
Things were good but then things started to go terribly wrong.
Freya was trapped in Cane's world and he wasn't about to let her go. As the relationship progresses, the abuse escalates.
Patricia draws the reader into Freya's world and you literally experience everything she does.
Freya's Strength was the thing that kept me reading, I wanted her to come out the other side a survivor.
Cane is in no way likeable character. But he isn't meant to be nice you are meant to despise him and boy did I hate him!
Patricia has done a fantastic job at her character development they are The perfect characters!
The pace and suspense ramps up as the story unfolds to a point you feel like you are holding your breath.
This was in no way an easy read, but it isn't meant to be easy. It's dark undertones really make for a Gripping Compulsive page turner. A dark Pyschological Thriller that will get under your skin!
Thank you to Bloodhound books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
August 26, 2018
This was a well done, compelling, and dark story... this is not a love story this is a survival story.... last couple weeks I have read three books that all dealt with domestic abuse and one way or another.... three very smart strong women getting involved with the wrong man... what I appreciated about all three of these books was the fact that they emphasize the fact that it could happen to anybody and it wasn’t as easy as just “leaving“.... as I mentioned in a previous review I was in an emotionally abusive relationship for many years and so all three of these books spoke to me on a very personal level... I appreciate that this topic has had more light shed on it recently. it will start dialogue, and it will make people realize that they should not blame the victim.... it is my hope that somebody in this situation reads one of these books and realizes that they are not alone and that there is light at the end of the tunnel....
Freya meats Cane and he seems like the perfect guy, but things aren’t always as they seem.... as in most situations like this the abuse and control slowly escalated until Freya found herself trapped in a very abusive relationship.... this book was tough to read and made me feel very uncomfortable at times... Freya was such a fighter so I was determined to fight my way through these pages.... I think the fact that the author made me feel everything right along with Freya definitely says something about her writing....
It’s hard to say that I enjoyed this book, but I am extremely glad I read it.... The characters were extremely well developed, some of them I liked, a lot of them I hated.... The pace of this book was perfect and the last three or four chapters were extremely intense.... I felt as though I was holding my breath....
Recommend when you are in the mood for a darker compelling story that touches on some very important issues....
Freya meats Cane and he seems like the perfect guy, but things aren’t always as they seem.... as in most situations like this the abuse and control slowly escalated until Freya found herself trapped in a very abusive relationship.... this book was tough to read and made me feel very uncomfortable at times... Freya was such a fighter so I was determined to fight my way through these pages.... I think the fact that the author made me feel everything right along with Freya definitely says something about her writing....
It’s hard to say that I enjoyed this book, but I am extremely glad I read it.... The characters were extremely well developed, some of them I liked, a lot of them I hated.... The pace of this book was perfect and the last three or four chapters were extremely intense.... I felt as though I was holding my breath....
Recommend when you are in the mood for a darker compelling story that touches on some very important issues....
September 26, 2018
"Before I begin to tell you what happened and how I find myself in this situation, I'd like to warn you that most of it isn't pleasant, but all of it is true. By the end, you will probably think I am one of the most stupid people you have ever read about, or feel irritated that someone of a moderate intelligence could allow it to happen. Perhaps you will pity me or hope for a happy ending to this tale, catching a glimpse of light at the end of what will be a very dark tunnel."
Now that is how you grab my attention!!! For some reason I gravitate to love-gone-bad stories and this one makes the others look like kid play.
This is Freya's story of how she met, fell in love with, and eventually became terrorized by Kane and let me assure you that this story is not for the faint of heart.
I have met and dated my fair share of losers in my younger years so I have a soft spot for the Freya's of the world. I wish with all my heart that I was like the strong confident women I admired but I always lacked self confidence and it was no one's fault but my own. I had a loving family that cared and sheltered me and always provided for me with no questions asked. So why my lack of confidence? I thinks it stems mostly from the societal pressures of what is considered beautiful and when my 14 year old self would read the latest issue of Cosmopolitan with drop dead gorgeous models of unrealistic proportions gracing it's pages I would then in turn analyze every aspect of myself and would always come to the conclusion that I didn't quite measure up and never mind the fact that I was fairly quiet and introspective anyways. The teenage years are difficult in the best of times but also formative and I managed to convince myself that I wasn't good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. This mindset made me a perfect victim for these narcissistic assholes. Let me tell you I have come a long way since those days and feel better about myself now in my 40's than I ever did in my youth BUT I still relate to the Freya's of the world. I'd never be one to say "Why doesn't she just leave?" or make comments such as "What an idiot she is to stay." because the effects of psychological warfare run very, very deep and are actually much harder to recover from than say a black eye or a split lip.
Sorry for spilling my guts but my point is this: THIS BOOK ENRAGED ME! BLOOD = BOILING!
There were several times while reading this that I questioned my own sanity when I was plotting Kane's death. Like, crime of passion, I totally fucking get it and I'd of gladly cut this dudes balls off.
This book was relentless which I think made for incredibly effective storytelling as if you are trapped in this relationship with Freya. Seriously, at 87% I looked down and was told yet again that her story was not over yet and I screamed inside myself to please give this woman (and myself!) a break. Patricia Dixon did not shy away from making you squirm or making you angry or making your heart break. She gave no shits to your feelings when she wrote this and for that I thank her.
On a serious note, please seek help if you find you or anyone you love or care about in this situation. You are not alone even though it feels like you are. People do care!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Now that is how you grab my attention!!! For some reason I gravitate to love-gone-bad stories and this one makes the others look like kid play.
This is Freya's story of how she met, fell in love with, and eventually became terrorized by Kane and let me assure you that this story is not for the faint of heart.
I have met and dated my fair share of losers in my younger years so I have a soft spot for the Freya's of the world. I wish with all my heart that I was like the strong confident women I admired but I always lacked self confidence and it was no one's fault but my own. I had a loving family that cared and sheltered me and always provided for me with no questions asked. So why my lack of confidence? I thinks it stems mostly from the societal pressures of what is considered beautiful and when my 14 year old self would read the latest issue of Cosmopolitan with drop dead gorgeous models of unrealistic proportions gracing it's pages I would then in turn analyze every aspect of myself and would always come to the conclusion that I didn't quite measure up and never mind the fact that I was fairly quiet and introspective anyways. The teenage years are difficult in the best of times but also formative and I managed to convince myself that I wasn't good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. This mindset made me a perfect victim for these narcissistic assholes. Let me tell you I have come a long way since those days and feel better about myself now in my 40's than I ever did in my youth BUT I still relate to the Freya's of the world. I'd never be one to say "Why doesn't she just leave?" or make comments such as "What an idiot she is to stay." because the effects of psychological warfare run very, very deep and are actually much harder to recover from than say a black eye or a split lip.
Sorry for spilling my guts but my point is this: THIS BOOK ENRAGED ME! BLOOD = BOILING!
There were several times while reading this that I questioned my own sanity when I was plotting Kane's death. Like, crime of passion, I totally fucking get it and I'd of gladly cut this dudes balls off.
This book was relentless which I think made for incredibly effective storytelling as if you are trapped in this relationship with Freya. Seriously, at 87% I looked down and was told yet again that her story was not over yet and I screamed inside myself to please give this woman (and myself!) a break. Patricia Dixon did not shy away from making you squirm or making you angry or making your heart break. She gave no shits to your feelings when she wrote this and for that I thank her.
On a serious note, please seek help if you find you or anyone you love or care about in this situation. You are not alone even though it feels like you are. People do care!!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
December 23, 2021
This is an absolutely fantastic novel that had me hook, line and sinker from page one. Patricia Dixon has taken a change of direction from her popular romance novels and taken this book into the realms of a dark psychological thriller with a plot that blew me away and a message that is all too important.
The book is about a young woman who falls for a very seductive, charming and clever man. However, he is not all that he seems and it's not long before she realises he has a VERY dark side and is caught up in a horrible abusive relationship on every level. It's quite harrowing and disturbing watching the journey of these two and Patricia Dixon has done an exceptional job of defining the very real downward spiral that a woman takes mentally and emotionally when under the snares of a cruel, narcissistic, dangerous and controlling man.
It's like watching a pretty butterfly fly into the sticky web of a big ugly spider and the more she struggles to be free the more the web tangles around her and the more stuck she is. It's desperate and it's hard to read at times. My heart broke, I felt angry, I was moved, I was left stunned in places.
As the brilliant plot rolls out we get to know much more about the complexity of the situation and what she has got herself into and the book becomes really thrilling bringing in elements of crime and taking you on what becomes a horrendous journey for our protagonist. Patricia has done justice to the pain and desperation of any woman who has been trapped in an abusive relationship.
Why doesn't she just leave? It's not that simple. It never is. It isn't for real victims either. Broken down on every level is the intention of the abuser. I loved watching the characters develop, some you are going to love, many you are going to hate - there is not one boring moment in this novel! I read it and absolutely loved it.
I purchased and read the Kindle version of this novel via Amazon.
The book is about a young woman who falls for a very seductive, charming and clever man. However, he is not all that he seems and it's not long before she realises he has a VERY dark side and is caught up in a horrible abusive relationship on every level. It's quite harrowing and disturbing watching the journey of these two and Patricia Dixon has done an exceptional job of defining the very real downward spiral that a woman takes mentally and emotionally when under the snares of a cruel, narcissistic, dangerous and controlling man.
It's like watching a pretty butterfly fly into the sticky web of a big ugly spider and the more she struggles to be free the more the web tangles around her and the more stuck she is. It's desperate and it's hard to read at times. My heart broke, I felt angry, I was moved, I was left stunned in places.
As the brilliant plot rolls out we get to know much more about the complexity of the situation and what she has got herself into and the book becomes really thrilling bringing in elements of crime and taking you on what becomes a horrendous journey for our protagonist. Patricia has done justice to the pain and desperation of any woman who has been trapped in an abusive relationship.
Why doesn't she just leave? It's not that simple. It never is. It isn't for real victims either. Broken down on every level is the intention of the abuser. I loved watching the characters develop, some you are going to love, many you are going to hate - there is not one boring moment in this novel! I read it and absolutely loved it.
I purchased and read the Kindle version of this novel via Amazon.
August 6, 2018
Freya is just your everyday type of girl who sadly falls under the charms of Kane. Kane is a highly unlikable character. I don't think at any point did I ever feel sorry for him. He is a vile and nasty piece of work of who I was praying something bad would happen to him so it would free Freya.
Even for people who have been fortunate to not have been part of an abusive and controlling relationship, this still makes for very uncomfortable reading. I felt like I was going through what Freya was. It's so easy for people to say, why didn't you just leave, but the author shows how easy it is to become as such a hostage in these sorts of relationships. As much as I wanted Freya to get away, I could understand why she would feel that she couldn't.
It's hard to say I enjoyed this book as it's such a hard subject to digest. It does make for a compelling read though and it shows just how strong people can be even when life feels like it can't get any worse. I hope that it may help people see the signs early on in a relationship though and get themselves well away before things get any worse.
Over My Shoulder is a dark domestic noir story that draws you in and holds you there until the end. I actually read it in one evening as I felt I owed it to Freya to see the journey through with her. Whilst some parts made me very uncomfortable, I had to salute Freya with her strength at times and how she just picked herself up and carried on. It gives readers the brutal reality of what it is like to be in an abusive relationship and if anything it will help raise awareness.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Even for people who have been fortunate to not have been part of an abusive and controlling relationship, this still makes for very uncomfortable reading. I felt like I was going through what Freya was. It's so easy for people to say, why didn't you just leave, but the author shows how easy it is to become as such a hostage in these sorts of relationships. As much as I wanted Freya to get away, I could understand why she would feel that she couldn't.
It's hard to say I enjoyed this book as it's such a hard subject to digest. It does make for a compelling read though and it shows just how strong people can be even when life feels like it can't get any worse. I hope that it may help people see the signs early on in a relationship though and get themselves well away before things get any worse.
Over My Shoulder is a dark domestic noir story that draws you in and holds you there until the end. I actually read it in one evening as I felt I owed it to Freya to see the journey through with her. Whilst some parts made me very uncomfortable, I had to salute Freya with her strength at times and how she just picked herself up and carried on. It gives readers the brutal reality of what it is like to be in an abusive relationship and if anything it will help raise awareness.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
August 23, 2018
'Over My Shoulder' is Patricia Dixon's second psychological thriller after signing a two-book deal with thriller publishers, Bloodhound Books. In theory, this shouldn't have worked for me, but I am pleased to report that it did. Even I was surprised by that! I would classify this as romance/domestic noir/romantic suspense rather than a full-blown thriller. Either way, it worked for me.
Freya meets Kane and falls head over heels for his charm and personality. Little does she know that he is rotten to the core. She begins to fall under his spell, and once she is under the thumb she finds it impossible to escape. This is difficult to read in parts due to some of the abuse Freya is subjected to. Every move she makes is controlled by Kane, and she feels her life is no longer hers any longer. The story reads a lot like a memoir as it is told in first-person narrative and tells the harrowing tale of Freya's ordeal at the hands of a psychotic boyfriend. Compelling, emotionally resonant and very disturbing - I felt I struggled at times with how bad it got for Freya.
Well written, pacy and deeply dark, this is a book I am not likely to forget in a hurry. The characters are realistic and believable and are developed really well. I do feel that you need to be able to suspend your disbelief if you are to enjoy reading it, and if you particularly appreciate crime fiction that is as close to reality as possible, you may want to avoid this. However, I did enjoy it but felt there was a lot of emphasis on the way Kane treated Freya and not enough on helping her to be strong enough to escape from his clutches. I like the idea of books showing confident women who are no-nonsense and don't stand for being treated badly, this then serves to empower real women who may be REALLY going through this situation.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Freya meets Kane and falls head over heels for his charm and personality. Little does she know that he is rotten to the core. She begins to fall under his spell, and once she is under the thumb she finds it impossible to escape. This is difficult to read in parts due to some of the abuse Freya is subjected to. Every move she makes is controlled by Kane, and she feels her life is no longer hers any longer. The story reads a lot like a memoir as it is told in first-person narrative and tells the harrowing tale of Freya's ordeal at the hands of a psychotic boyfriend. Compelling, emotionally resonant and very disturbing - I felt I struggled at times with how bad it got for Freya.
Well written, pacy and deeply dark, this is a book I am not likely to forget in a hurry. The characters are realistic and believable and are developed really well. I do feel that you need to be able to suspend your disbelief if you are to enjoy reading it, and if you particularly appreciate crime fiction that is as close to reality as possible, you may want to avoid this. However, I did enjoy it but felt there was a lot of emphasis on the way Kane treated Freya and not enough on helping her to be strong enough to escape from his clutches. I like the idea of books showing confident women who are no-nonsense and don't stand for being treated badly, this then serves to empower real women who may be REALLY going through this situation.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
August 13, 2018
Patricia Dixon's Over My Shoulder, tells the story of Freya, a normal twenty something independent girl who finds herself falling head first into a relationship with a "successful businessman" named Kane.
Kane, is an evil vindictive man who manipulates the woman in his relationship. He loves nothing better than to mentally, physically and sexually abuse woman and sees them only as inferior.
Some parts of the book I found hard to read but only because it makes you aware of the abuse that can be suffered in the real world.
Although I found it to be a gripping book, I feel the last 20% dragged somewhat and I found my attention waning.
Kane, is an evil vindictive man who manipulates the woman in his relationship. He loves nothing better than to mentally, physically and sexually abuse woman and sees them only as inferior.
Some parts of the book I found hard to read but only because it makes you aware of the abuse that can be suffered in the real world.
Although I found it to be a gripping book, I feel the last 20% dragged somewhat and I found my attention waning.
August 16, 2018
Freya falls for Kane. She thinks he's pretty great, but as they get more involved, she realizes just how manipulative he is. Eventually his manipulation gets dangerous, very dangerous. Freya decides to escape from her life with him, but she fears he will come back for revenge one day.
The story is told from Freya's viewpoint. She is recalling her past with Kane to explain her current situation. Freya has a difficult story to tell, as it involves a lot of mental and physical abuse. Freya is a little naive and entranced by the lifestyle she thinks Kane can offer her. Kane is never really likable, but he gets more sinister as the story progresses.
Dark and intense. Good for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.
I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told from Freya's viewpoint. She is recalling her past with Kane to explain her current situation. Freya has a difficult story to tell, as it involves a lot of mental and physical abuse. Freya is a little naive and entranced by the lifestyle she thinks Kane can offer her. Kane is never really likable, but he gets more sinister as the story progresses.
Dark and intense. Good for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.
I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 9, 2019
4.5 stars. Yikes, this is a warning for anyone on how to spot, avoid or deal with domestic abuse. It is pretty confronting but explains really clearly why women (and some men) don't just leave. My husband always says "why don't they just leave?" Its never that simple as I tried to explain. The majority of intimate partner murders occur just then - when they try to leave!
Freya thinks she has won the lottery when she meets Kane who is charming, handsome and well off. He sweeps her off her feet and once she has been swept he starts to change. He gets manipulative, constantly finding fault and verbally abusing her. He very subtly cuts her off from family and friends. By the time she realises what is happening it is too late and she is trapped in Kane's web. She knows he will not let her go willingly. He will not let her dump him. He will dump her when he has drained every ounce of life from her.
But Freya is not having it and fights back. While Kane didn't used to beat her he now starts to do that as well. Freya realises that leaving will not be as simple as just walking out the door but she vows to find a way. Little does she realise just how hard it will be. Her journey makes pretty daunting and confronting reading.
Freya thinks she has won the lottery when she meets Kane who is charming, handsome and well off. He sweeps her off her feet and once she has been swept he starts to change. He gets manipulative, constantly finding fault and verbally abusing her. He very subtly cuts her off from family and friends. By the time she realises what is happening it is too late and she is trapped in Kane's web. She knows he will not let her go willingly. He will not let her dump him. He will dump her when he has drained every ounce of life from her.
But Freya is not having it and fights back. While Kane didn't used to beat her he now starts to do that as well. Freya realises that leaving will not be as simple as just walking out the door but she vows to find a way. Little does she realise just how hard it will be. Her journey makes pretty daunting and confronting reading.
August 10, 2018
Trigger Warnings: abuse, violence, rape, drugs.
This is a very disturbing book, it will scare you, shake you and it will stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. It is an emotionally exhausting book. This is not a pleasure read, that much I assure you of.
The book starts off with a prologue that is almost like a Ted Talk! It’s relevant for almost every reader who picks the book. It addresses you and speaks to you.
The book is a page turner. Not only do you want to find out what is going on but you are literally on the edge waiting to finish the page and turn to the next one. The tag line is apt ‘a psychological drama about power and control’ is the briefest and most accurate description of this book.
The way the book goes will make you feel like you are talking to Freya, like she is confiding in you. You are her only shoulder to cry on and all you can do is listen. You almost want to interrupt and give her advice but you stop, not because you realize it’s a book but because you realize that it’s all done and over with and anything you say now will not help her. You become invested in her.
The book draws you in and entangles you as if you are a fly and the book is a spider’s web. It doesn’t let you go, it puts you smack in the middle and makes you want to keep reading because honestly it’s difficult to figure out what Freya’s exit strategy should be and when, if ever, will the nightmare end for her.
Coming to the finer details of the story, the characters are all believable. Freya and Kane’s love story is pretty standard but boy does the man have a dark side! His nastiness builds up slowly getting more and more depraved, little by little until there is so much of it that there is no escape. He is a debased individual who will do whatever it takes to be in control and get what he wants. Kane evolves from a domestic abuser to a full blow sociopath. Freya on the other hand is a nice friendly girl living a carefree life. She has a very ‘girl next door’ vibe. She falls for Kane hard even though she has a boyfriend. She’s not meek and mousy at all. The story touches on many topics around domestic abuse and even violence and is not easy but the author has done a good job with communicating the pain and yet not making you want to stop reading. I love that every time you as a reader recognize the red flag, so does Freya and the author has made sure to explain why Freya chooses to let it pass or not think of it as a flag. I was happy to see that Freya is portrayed as a strong sensible person. Often suck books show the victims of abuse as weak, as needing strength to leave. But this book shows that its not only weak people who get abused. It shows that being strong also makes you susceptible to abuse because most strong people believe that ‘I can handle it, I’m not a quitter, I need to be smart, I need to bide my time’ and worse of all ‘maybe I can help him’. That’s the pitfall of being strong. That is what makes the story and the characters so believable. Other books around domestic abuse leave these thing a as questions in your mind and you need to suspend disbelief in order to read the book. In this book each situation is picked apart and the pros and cons are explained. Patricia Dixon has written a book where you do not need to suspend anything in order to understand and follow the plot. She has actually written a book that is based on a story to accurately convey to the world the facts that surround abuse. The conversations that Freya has with the reader are very explanatory and insightful. At times I felt that a good chunk of the content in this book could serve as a dissertation on understanding domestic abuse, and I’m not complaining one bit because it is a brilliant idea to use fiction and impart real knowledge to the readers. At around 55% mark it almost feels like Ms. Dixon is sharing her research with you instead of Freya narrating her story and while some readers may not like this, I think it was a great way to bring forth many great insights on this subject. As an author she has tackled the subject very well and the effort she took in her research shows. The last 20% of the book has things in there that will make you shudder and will make your stomach churn. It takes a very dark turn. You can feel Freya’s fear and this part of the book can bring on a serious panic attack for anyone who has been in an or around an abusive relationship.
This book is no doubt written to help abuse victims see their options and understand that leaving an abuser is a process and not an event as Freya rightly says. It shows that leaving may not be enough and a victim needs a very strong support system to help them see things through. It also helps friends and family of a victim understand the whole situation better.
The book is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book despite the trigger warnings because reading it will ensure that you’ll be better prepared to either deal with abuse (God forbid you find yourself in that situation) or to identify, understand and help someone in your circle who maybe dealing with it.
Take a bow Patricia Dixon, this book is a masterpiece!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**
Also shared on:
https://romasharma.blogspot.com
This is a very disturbing book, it will scare you, shake you and it will stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. It is an emotionally exhausting book. This is not a pleasure read, that much I assure you of.
The book starts off with a prologue that is almost like a Ted Talk! It’s relevant for almost every reader who picks the book. It addresses you and speaks to you.
The book is a page turner. Not only do you want to find out what is going on but you are literally on the edge waiting to finish the page and turn to the next one. The tag line is apt ‘a psychological drama about power and control’ is the briefest and most accurate description of this book.
The way the book goes will make you feel like you are talking to Freya, like she is confiding in you. You are her only shoulder to cry on and all you can do is listen. You almost want to interrupt and give her advice but you stop, not because you realize it’s a book but because you realize that it’s all done and over with and anything you say now will not help her. You become invested in her.
The book draws you in and entangles you as if you are a fly and the book is a spider’s web. It doesn’t let you go, it puts you smack in the middle and makes you want to keep reading because honestly it’s difficult to figure out what Freya’s exit strategy should be and when, if ever, will the nightmare end for her.
Coming to the finer details of the story, the characters are all believable. Freya and Kane’s love story is pretty standard but boy does the man have a dark side! His nastiness builds up slowly getting more and more depraved, little by little until there is so much of it that there is no escape. He is a debased individual who will do whatever it takes to be in control and get what he wants. Kane evolves from a domestic abuser to a full blow sociopath. Freya on the other hand is a nice friendly girl living a carefree life. She has a very ‘girl next door’ vibe. She falls for Kane hard even though she has a boyfriend. She’s not meek and mousy at all. The story touches on many topics around domestic abuse and even violence and is not easy but the author has done a good job with communicating the pain and yet not making you want to stop reading. I love that every time you as a reader recognize the red flag, so does Freya and the author has made sure to explain why Freya chooses to let it pass or not think of it as a flag. I was happy to see that Freya is portrayed as a strong sensible person. Often suck books show the victims of abuse as weak, as needing strength to leave. But this book shows that its not only weak people who get abused. It shows that being strong also makes you susceptible to abuse because most strong people believe that ‘I can handle it, I’m not a quitter, I need to be smart, I need to bide my time’ and worse of all ‘maybe I can help him’. That’s the pitfall of being strong. That is what makes the story and the characters so believable. Other books around domestic abuse leave these thing a as questions in your mind and you need to suspend disbelief in order to read the book. In this book each situation is picked apart and the pros and cons are explained. Patricia Dixon has written a book where you do not need to suspend anything in order to understand and follow the plot. She has actually written a book that is based on a story to accurately convey to the world the facts that surround abuse. The conversations that Freya has with the reader are very explanatory and insightful. At times I felt that a good chunk of the content in this book could serve as a dissertation on understanding domestic abuse, and I’m not complaining one bit because it is a brilliant idea to use fiction and impart real knowledge to the readers. At around 55% mark it almost feels like Ms. Dixon is sharing her research with you instead of Freya narrating her story and while some readers may not like this, I think it was a great way to bring forth many great insights on this subject. As an author she has tackled the subject very well and the effort she took in her research shows. The last 20% of the book has things in there that will make you shudder and will make your stomach churn. It takes a very dark turn. You can feel Freya’s fear and this part of the book can bring on a serious panic attack for anyone who has been in an or around an abusive relationship.
This book is no doubt written to help abuse victims see their options and understand that leaving an abuser is a process and not an event as Freya rightly says. It shows that leaving may not be enough and a victim needs a very strong support system to help them see things through. It also helps friends and family of a victim understand the whole situation better.
The book is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book despite the trigger warnings because reading it will ensure that you’ll be better prepared to either deal with abuse (God forbid you find yourself in that situation) or to identify, understand and help someone in your circle who maybe dealing with it.
Take a bow Patricia Dixon, this book is a masterpiece!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**
Also shared on:
https://romasharma.blogspot.com
May 17, 2017
Wow, this is Patricia Dixon's best yet. A complete change from her earlier romance novels, this is a dark and gripping story of how lovely Freya becomes manipulated and controlled by Kane.
Freya's character is portrayed to be a normal working young woman of the 1990s. She has a very real personality, the sort of girl we could have worked with and from a family we could know of. She meets Kane whilst at work and quickly becomes quite besotted by him, even though she has a steady boyfriend. She's not a saint, she has her faults, but is at heart a kind and caring person. Right from the beginning of their relationship Kane is a manipulator and engineers meetings with Freya until their relationship takes off, just as he had planned it. Kane is a complex character and is well portrayed to be a truly nasty piece of work – one who is able to morph from being a fairly affable person to a controlling, manipulative and later, a sinister and cruel person. As Freya and Kane's relationship grows, Kane's depravity flourishes. He has a beautiful and kind young woman by his side, one who would do anything for him, but his cruel side surfaces when least expected, and as Freya becomes more isolated from her friends and family, her traumatic life becomes insufferable. There are some very humorous areas too, and being set in 1990s Manchester it's of the northern variety. One of the parties Freya and Kane attend is like a scene from Rita, Sue & Bob Too!!!
Much of the early and middle part of the book is set in 1990s Manchester and we see a real reflection of how times have changed in such a short time, the lack of technology, few mobile phones and attitudes of the police. Later, we move forward to the present day to conclude the story in a nail bitingly tense final few chapters. It is truly a gripping and shocking story from start to finish and just shows how easy it is to fall in with the wrong people.
This book covers lots of issues which might shock some readers, so be warned there is some violence and domestic abuse. Patricia Dixon has written sympathetically and emotionally about some very difficult issues and I think she's done a great job of giving realism to a fictional story.
Freya's character is portrayed to be a normal working young woman of the 1990s. She has a very real personality, the sort of girl we could have worked with and from a family we could know of. She meets Kane whilst at work and quickly becomes quite besotted by him, even though she has a steady boyfriend. She's not a saint, she has her faults, but is at heart a kind and caring person. Right from the beginning of their relationship Kane is a manipulator and engineers meetings with Freya until their relationship takes off, just as he had planned it. Kane is a complex character and is well portrayed to be a truly nasty piece of work – one who is able to morph from being a fairly affable person to a controlling, manipulative and later, a sinister and cruel person. As Freya and Kane's relationship grows, Kane's depravity flourishes. He has a beautiful and kind young woman by his side, one who would do anything for him, but his cruel side surfaces when least expected, and as Freya becomes more isolated from her friends and family, her traumatic life becomes insufferable. There are some very humorous areas too, and being set in 1990s Manchester it's of the northern variety. One of the parties Freya and Kane attend is like a scene from Rita, Sue & Bob Too!!!
Much of the early and middle part of the book is set in 1990s Manchester and we see a real reflection of how times have changed in such a short time, the lack of technology, few mobile phones and attitudes of the police. Later, we move forward to the present day to conclude the story in a nail bitingly tense final few chapters. It is truly a gripping and shocking story from start to finish and just shows how easy it is to fall in with the wrong people.
This book covers lots of issues which might shock some readers, so be warned there is some violence and domestic abuse. Patricia Dixon has written sympathetically and emotionally about some very difficult issues and I think she's done a great job of giving realism to a fictional story.
Read
October 7, 2018DNF at 18%
This book is not bad written. My problem was not the writing style but the female protagonist. She annoyed me to such an extent that at 18% I had enough of her empty twaddle and couldn't imagine to spend even a second longer in her company.
Besides, a psychological thriller where I know from the very beginning how it will end, doesn't work for me.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
This book is not bad written. My problem was not the writing style but the female protagonist. She annoyed me to such an extent that at 18% I had enough of her empty twaddle and couldn't imagine to spend even a second longer in her company.
Besides, a psychological thriller where I know from the very beginning how it will end, doesn't work for me.
***ARC provided kindly by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***
August 27, 2018
Freya is like any normal twenty-five year old working class woman. She is carefree, smiles a lot, has friends, and loves every aspect of her life. Like all working class women, bills become a struggle and she finds her pay doesn’t quite afford her all of the things she needs. So, when she meets Kane, a debonair businessman, she can’t help but think he could be the answer to her struggles. Even though Freya has a boyfriend, she goes out with Kane and quickly falls in love with him. She eventually breaks up with the man she has been dating because Kane was a top of the line boyfriend and with him she was on her way to leaving the working class lifestyle behind her for good. When Kane starts showing his true colors, Freya makes excuses for him, convincing herself his terrible upbringing is the cause of all of his anger issues, but when the abuse becomes to much to handle, will it be too late for Freya to get away from her controlling, manipulative and abusive boyfriend?
I really wish that I can say that I sympathized with Freya throughout this entire story, but I didn’t. Before you can say “OMG, but she was abused how can you not sympathize with what she was going through!?” Let me explain and start from the beginning. At first I was upset knowing that there would be horrors Freya would speak of as she reels you into her story. She is locked in a room, by who? We don’t know yet. She begins by telling a really sad story about her life, but Freya is flawed and in parts comes off as a god digger especially when she first meets Kane and feels as if he is the answers to all of her money problems. Yes, she is falling in love with him, but she also likes the stability he can give her in return. This is probably the only part of the story where I did not like Freya. Other than that one small part, I could feel the terror through her words, the feeling of hopelessness being in a domestic abusive relationship. The first time Kane becomes violent towards her she makes excuses. Kane apologizes saying it will never happen again and Freya believes in him. The abuse though takes a toll on Freya and she quickly finds herself alienated from her co-workers, her friends, and her family. It was utterly heartbreaking to read through Freya’s narrative detailing the humiliation, the degradation, and constant abuse she suffered through. I really hoped for a positive outcome, but little by little, I wasn't sure how it would even be possible.
Kane is the worst of the worst abuser I have ever read in any book and I read a lot of dark books. He is controlling, deceitful and sadistic. He puts Freya through so much in such a short period of time. I don’t think I have ever hated a character so much. He shows all of the classic signs of an abuser from the punches to the I’m sorry’s. He is a master manipulator and shows time and time again how easy it is to wiggle his way back into Freya’s good graces even after every evil thing he has put Freya through.
I really have to give credit to Patricia Dixon for showing the other side of domestic abuse and how a smart woman can forgive someone as evil as Kane all because she loves him. How women make excuses for their abusers, saying maybe it is their fault their boyfriend/husband beats them. How maybe they should not have antagonized them or made them angry. Even though this is a fictitious story, in many ways it is also true to real life. We can always ask ourselves “how can a woman stay with a man who abuses them?” Patricia Dixon said it all in just a few sentences. You don’t know what your answer would be until you are in that situation. That just completely gutted me. I am a pretty strong minded woman and I dated a guy briefly, but his jealousy and controlling nature really made me stop and think “what am I doing in this relationship?” Not that I ever let him control me although he tried to. It all came down to one night where he punched me in front of friends of my mother’s. Right in that instant I snapped and attacked him. My mother’s friends had to pull me off of him. From that day on, I knew that if a man ever laid a hand on me again, he would be dead. I am as sweet as can be, but if you punch me, choke me, or use any other abusive tactic to harm me, you better run because I’m coming for you.
Please if you are in a situation like this, get help now. No woman or man deserves to be physically or mentally abused. Your life matters. Call the police, or your family, or your friends. Don’t stay because you think you have no other option. You are worth more than that. Your life is worth more than that.
Over My Shoulder is compelling and frightening story of one woman’s fight for survival. This is one story that has left me shaking and filled with so many emotions and at times, I was blinded by my tears by the gripping and harrowing narrative. Patricia Dixon has created a story that mirrors real life in the darkest and dirtiest secret that many women are too ashamed to admit to. There are not enough stars I can give this story to show you how much I loved this book. Another book to add to my favorite list for the year!
I really wish that I can say that I sympathized with Freya throughout this entire story, but I didn’t. Before you can say “OMG, but she was abused how can you not sympathize with what she was going through!?” Let me explain and start from the beginning. At first I was upset knowing that there would be horrors Freya would speak of as she reels you into her story. She is locked in a room, by who? We don’t know yet. She begins by telling a really sad story about her life, but Freya is flawed and in parts comes off as a god digger especially when she first meets Kane and feels as if he is the answers to all of her money problems. Yes, she is falling in love with him, but she also likes the stability he can give her in return. This is probably the only part of the story where I did not like Freya. Other than that one small part, I could feel the terror through her words, the feeling of hopelessness being in a domestic abusive relationship. The first time Kane becomes violent towards her she makes excuses. Kane apologizes saying it will never happen again and Freya believes in him. The abuse though takes a toll on Freya and she quickly finds herself alienated from her co-workers, her friends, and her family. It was utterly heartbreaking to read through Freya’s narrative detailing the humiliation, the degradation, and constant abuse she suffered through. I really hoped for a positive outcome, but little by little, I wasn't sure how it would even be possible.
Kane is the worst of the worst abuser I have ever read in any book and I read a lot of dark books. He is controlling, deceitful and sadistic. He puts Freya through so much in such a short period of time. I don’t think I have ever hated a character so much. He shows all of the classic signs of an abuser from the punches to the I’m sorry’s. He is a master manipulator and shows time and time again how easy it is to wiggle his way back into Freya’s good graces even after every evil thing he has put Freya through.
I really have to give credit to Patricia Dixon for showing the other side of domestic abuse and how a smart woman can forgive someone as evil as Kane all because she loves him. How women make excuses for their abusers, saying maybe it is their fault their boyfriend/husband beats them. How maybe they should not have antagonized them or made them angry. Even though this is a fictitious story, in many ways it is also true to real life. We can always ask ourselves “how can a woman stay with a man who abuses them?” Patricia Dixon said it all in just a few sentences. You don’t know what your answer would be until you are in that situation. That just completely gutted me. I am a pretty strong minded woman and I dated a guy briefly, but his jealousy and controlling nature really made me stop and think “what am I doing in this relationship?” Not that I ever let him control me although he tried to. It all came down to one night where he punched me in front of friends of my mother’s. Right in that instant I snapped and attacked him. My mother’s friends had to pull me off of him. From that day on, I knew that if a man ever laid a hand on me again, he would be dead. I am as sweet as can be, but if you punch me, choke me, or use any other abusive tactic to harm me, you better run because I’m coming for you.
Please if you are in a situation like this, get help now. No woman or man deserves to be physically or mentally abused. Your life matters. Call the police, or your family, or your friends. Don’t stay because you think you have no other option. You are worth more than that. Your life is worth more than that.
Over My Shoulder is compelling and frightening story of one woman’s fight for survival. This is one story that has left me shaking and filled with so many emotions and at times, I was blinded by my tears by the gripping and harrowing narrative. Patricia Dixon has created a story that mirrors real life in the darkest and dirtiest secret that many women are too ashamed to admit to. There are not enough stars I can give this story to show you how much I loved this book. Another book to add to my favorite list for the year!
July 12, 2017
If I could give this book further stars, I would.Patricia Dixon has excelled.This book deserves more than the words I can even describe it by but I shall indeed try.
This book is written in first person, I know some people find that difficult to read so lets get that out of the way now. In this book, it works and I can't for the life of me see how Patricia could have written it in third person anyway. It was written almost like a personal diary where the person is telling the story but then talking to the actual reader which gave it a slightly different feel and setup.This was the first time I had experienced this when reading a book and yes, I enjoyed it.It showed smooth change overs back and forth so as a reader you didn't feel lost.
I quickly took the role of a counsellor or a police lady with a clip board sitting in front of Freya in a little plain room.This was how I imagined and the best part of first person reading.You can be in that story especially when as I have said, the character turns to talk to the reader.
I think Patricia swallowed a thesaurus as she was writing this masterpiece.The words that popped up every so often through out were great, such as metamorphosis, irascible and burgeoning. What? What's that about? luckily, I do know most and reading it on kindle did honour me with a dictionary for the ones I fell foul of. Phew, so there's no excuse.There aren't many and my word, they are such good words, they just seemed to pop out of nowhere.
This book, I'm sure held some mystical powers.A drug that made me want to read on and on and on.
It wasn't dull and wasn't full of violence but as the book went on, you knew exactly how dark it was getting.It was almost like it was in two halves and started off as a beautiful love/romance (I thought, hmm this may not be for me, a chic lit style thing going on here)but developing into a heart pounding, nail biting, and yes it did turn me into a cannibal of myself at about 3am, leg jiffling scary thriller!
With the plot, Patricia wrote with empathy and sympathetically. This is a very hard, deep topic to start writing about and you do need to get it right.I don't know because I didn't ask her but felt she had done an amount of research prior to writing this story.I don't feel she could have written it without.
How can you get your readers to feel what you want them to feel if you as an author do not or have not tried to feel what you want them to feel yourself is something I heard very recently.I thought about this when reading Over My Shoulder and I do honestly feel that Patricia through whatever way she did it researched this subject and put herself right in the thick of the feel of her writing. She really plunged all she had held back into this book.
She made me, as a reader feel.Made me feel anxiety and butterflies flying around in my stomach.
The book was packed.Packed from start to finish, packed with scenario's and lots of little adjoining stories that connected to the main quite nicely.
I do wonder whether Patricia herself is aware how much anxiety she gave to her readers, then the calm, the anxiety, the calm.Like waves.
I do have a negative.My negative would be that I felt Freya was way too strong throughout.She had elements of 'weakness', but she just seemed extremely strong all the way. With the manipulation and put downs, in reality, I do not feel she would be as strong as she was portrayed by the end or at least have some elements of low self esteem that wasn't shown.This, however is just my own opinion.
The story had a few places where I actually thought, reading on kindle it must be the end, but happily for me it wasn't. I really wasn't prepared for what came after but was so glad of it. The author really did squeeze out every drop.
I don't do sad books, books that are about domestic violence or child abuse, animal abuse etc because I fail to see why anyone can find pleasure from reading about these things especially when you feel that sadness, that pain BUT this book wasn't written in that way.Obviously there is some but enough and written well.
I found this most excellent work which I most certainly will read again.In fact, I can safely say, I think it is so far one of my top three reads this year.
This book is written in first person, I know some people find that difficult to read so lets get that out of the way now. In this book, it works and I can't for the life of me see how Patricia could have written it in third person anyway. It was written almost like a personal diary where the person is telling the story but then talking to the actual reader which gave it a slightly different feel and setup.This was the first time I had experienced this when reading a book and yes, I enjoyed it.It showed smooth change overs back and forth so as a reader you didn't feel lost.
I quickly took the role of a counsellor or a police lady with a clip board sitting in front of Freya in a little plain room.This was how I imagined and the best part of first person reading.You can be in that story especially when as I have said, the character turns to talk to the reader.
I think Patricia swallowed a thesaurus as she was writing this masterpiece.The words that popped up every so often through out were great, such as metamorphosis, irascible and burgeoning. What? What's that about? luckily, I do know most and reading it on kindle did honour me with a dictionary for the ones I fell foul of. Phew, so there's no excuse.There aren't many and my word, they are such good words, they just seemed to pop out of nowhere.
This book, I'm sure held some mystical powers.A drug that made me want to read on and on and on.
It wasn't dull and wasn't full of violence but as the book went on, you knew exactly how dark it was getting.It was almost like it was in two halves and started off as a beautiful love/romance (I thought, hmm this may not be for me, a chic lit style thing going on here)but developing into a heart pounding, nail biting, and yes it did turn me into a cannibal of myself at about 3am, leg jiffling scary thriller!
With the plot, Patricia wrote with empathy and sympathetically. This is a very hard, deep topic to start writing about and you do need to get it right.I don't know because I didn't ask her but felt she had done an amount of research prior to writing this story.I don't feel she could have written it without.
How can you get your readers to feel what you want them to feel if you as an author do not or have not tried to feel what you want them to feel yourself is something I heard very recently.I thought about this when reading Over My Shoulder and I do honestly feel that Patricia through whatever way she did it researched this subject and put herself right in the thick of the feel of her writing. She really plunged all she had held back into this book.
She made me, as a reader feel.Made me feel anxiety and butterflies flying around in my stomach.
The book was packed.Packed from start to finish, packed with scenario's and lots of little adjoining stories that connected to the main quite nicely.
I do wonder whether Patricia herself is aware how much anxiety she gave to her readers, then the calm, the anxiety, the calm.Like waves.
I do have a negative.My negative would be that I felt Freya was way too strong throughout.She had elements of 'weakness', but she just seemed extremely strong all the way. With the manipulation and put downs, in reality, I do not feel she would be as strong as she was portrayed by the end or at least have some elements of low self esteem that wasn't shown.This, however is just my own opinion.
The story had a few places where I actually thought, reading on kindle it must be the end, but happily for me it wasn't. I really wasn't prepared for what came after but was so glad of it. The author really did squeeze out every drop.
I don't do sad books, books that are about domestic violence or child abuse, animal abuse etc because I fail to see why anyone can find pleasure from reading about these things especially when you feel that sadness, that pain BUT this book wasn't written in that way.Obviously there is some but enough and written well.
I found this most excellent work which I most certainly will read again.In fact, I can safely say, I think it is so far one of my top three reads this year.
August 21, 2018
Over My Shoulder by Patricia Dixon
Mixed feelings on this one…why? Well, I tell myself that I would never fall into a situation like the one Freya found herself in. I wouldn’t let someone manipulate me or change me or…then I started thinking about it a bit and remembered that one guy in college that told me I was a bit too heavy and with his help and one meal a day I could be perfect. I did lose weight and eat one meal a day and feel guilty if I snacked in between and…I did leave him behind but what if I hadn’t…???
The blurb pretty much lets the reader know they are in for a dark psychologically intense story but for the first part where Freya is being drawn in I kept asking myself WHY? And how much longer will she be so stupid…yes…stupid. And then it dragged on to the point I was ready for the story to move on and…it did. There was a horrific event that capped the drawing in and manipulation and then Freya was faced with stalking and terror and more until finally there was a change that left Freya able to breathe a bit more easily for a time. And, as the blurb mentioned, that doesn’t last forever. What happens next is perhaps over the top but did give Freya a way to save and strengthen herself in a way that might not have happened if that horrific event had not happened.
In summary: I came away thinking that Freya was TSTL (too stupid to live) and yet…she was eventually strong enough to find a way out. It made me think about women who don’t find a way out and women forced into the sex trade and also about warped twisted despicably evil people that should not be allowed to live…
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
Mixed feelings on this one…why? Well, I tell myself that I would never fall into a situation like the one Freya found herself in. I wouldn’t let someone manipulate me or change me or…then I started thinking about it a bit and remembered that one guy in college that told me I was a bit too heavy and with his help and one meal a day I could be perfect. I did lose weight and eat one meal a day and feel guilty if I snacked in between and…I did leave him behind but what if I hadn’t…???
The blurb pretty much lets the reader know they are in for a dark psychologically intense story but for the first part where Freya is being drawn in I kept asking myself WHY? And how much longer will she be so stupid…yes…stupid. And then it dragged on to the point I was ready for the story to move on and…it did. There was a horrific event that capped the drawing in and manipulation and then Freya was faced with stalking and terror and more until finally there was a change that left Freya able to breathe a bit more easily for a time. And, as the blurb mentioned, that doesn’t last forever. What happens next is perhaps over the top but did give Freya a way to save and strengthen herself in a way that might not have happened if that horrific event had not happened.
In summary: I came away thinking that Freya was TSTL (too stupid to live) and yet…she was eventually strong enough to find a way out. It made me think about women who don’t find a way out and women forced into the sex trade and also about warped twisted despicably evil people that should not be allowed to live…
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound books for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
August 24, 2018
Oh boy, this is a ‘hold the front page’ story that just makes you so darn grateful that it isn’t your daughter, sister or best friend and pray that is never is! Kane was every girl’s dream man. He was attentive in every way, a man to catch your eye, wealthy and generous but if something seems too good to be true well it probably is. Freya had been the girlfriend of good old reliable Ryan for quite a while so when Kane arrived on the scene and spoilt her rotten she wanted more.
I thought that I could see where this story was going within the first couple of chapters, but bloody hell was I wrong, it was like a Duracell battery that kept its power way beyond where other books would have stopped. I was sooooo bricking it because there I am a reader that at times can become very verbal with the characters, giving them useless advice, now totally speechless. I just couldn’t think. Every page that I turned seemed like Freya was just spiralling into an end that I couldn’t see a good conclusion for.
I loved that Patricia Dixon could make me so emotionally while I read her book so there was no way that I could put this story to one side and finish later. The more I read the darker the story became with more than a couple of tissue moments that really got to me. You just don’t realise how powerful the title of this story is until you have read the book. Absolutely Wowed! Perfect end. Loved it. Loved it. Totally emotionally spent!
I thought that I could see where this story was going within the first couple of chapters, but bloody hell was I wrong, it was like a Duracell battery that kept its power way beyond where other books would have stopped. I was sooooo bricking it because there I am a reader that at times can become very verbal with the characters, giving them useless advice, now totally speechless. I just couldn’t think. Every page that I turned seemed like Freya was just spiralling into an end that I couldn’t see a good conclusion for.
I loved that Patricia Dixon could make me so emotionally while I read her book so there was no way that I could put this story to one side and finish later. The more I read the darker the story became with more than a couple of tissue moments that really got to me. You just don’t realise how powerful the title of this story is until you have read the book. Absolutely Wowed! Perfect end. Loved it. Loved it. Totally emotionally spent!
August 14, 2018
Hey, well this is the longest book I have read for some time, just under 500 pages.....
Firstly the story started with a prologue that irritated, it basically was a few pages ( in the narrative of the main character ) asking you to beware of all men!, their intentions and how they can bully and abuse you...even going so far as saying ‘have you noticed the woman at work who has gone quiet lately?’, ‘shes probably being abused’ and words to the effect that almost all men are at it in one form or another, no mention of women doing it ( be it in a lesser % rate )...( however at the end of the book there is a number for male victims of domestic abuse )she asks the reader to ‘look closely at their partner to see if you can see ‘it’ in his eyes as its there ( probably ) and almost says as a woman if you’ve not been a victim then you are extremely lucky, it was offputting and a zealous way to start a book.....this did happen again part way through with similar comments ie ‘are you recognising the signs yet’........
The other irritating thing in the book is throughout the book the character ( always as first person narrative ) says ‘bet you think Im crazy don’t you’ and ‘bet your sat there judging me aren’t you’ etc
ALSO!!!! ( soz ) moat chapters were ended with the ‘ and thats when I thought it had got as bad as it could, trust me it hadn’t’ or ‘I was about to find out just how bad things get’ this lost all effect as it was repeated
The story is a grim one, and oft told, Freya falls in love with the ‘dream man’ but he’s not, in fact he’s vile and subjects her to abuse, physical and mental, rape, drug overdosing, bullying, alienation of her parents, work mates and everything else in her life, irritatingly she keeps giving him more chances ( and then she quickly adds ‘ yes your thinking Im daft, anno I was but do you know the % of women that go back for more etc )
Kane, her partner is nasty personified and has NO redeeming features, awful manipulative character
The story goes on ( and on ) and Freya does leave him and he subjects her to continued stalking and abuse which ends in her being taken to a farmhouse where women are being abused and filmed and killed, not pleasant in the slightest, her incarceration at the farmhouse was very eerily described and the tension and claustrophobia the author managed to portray was scarily believable, her escape ( no real spoiler as she tells you early on) goes on way too long and described in minute second by seconds detail, the ending and epilogue are more compact and it finishes pretty much as expected
The writing is at times repetitive and as other reviewers have written You want to shout ‘Ohhhhh not again, do this, do that and end it for goodness sake’
The characters are easy to get to know inc the supporting cast of family and friends and work mates
A real hocus pocus and up n down of a book but one I wanted to finish and with all I have said above a good if not turmolic ( made up word ) read that did get my emotions going and did have me fighting for Freya
7/10 ( difficult to star rate it tbh will go with 3.5 on here and 4 with Amazon and Goodreads and NG )
Firstly the story started with a prologue that irritated, it basically was a few pages ( in the narrative of the main character ) asking you to beware of all men!, their intentions and how they can bully and abuse you...even going so far as saying ‘have you noticed the woman at work who has gone quiet lately?’, ‘shes probably being abused’ and words to the effect that almost all men are at it in one form or another, no mention of women doing it ( be it in a lesser % rate )...( however at the end of the book there is a number for male victims of domestic abuse )she asks the reader to ‘look closely at their partner to see if you can see ‘it’ in his eyes as its there ( probably ) and almost says as a woman if you’ve not been a victim then you are extremely lucky, it was offputting and a zealous way to start a book.....this did happen again part way through with similar comments ie ‘are you recognising the signs yet’........
The other irritating thing in the book is throughout the book the character ( always as first person narrative ) says ‘bet you think Im crazy don’t you’ and ‘bet your sat there judging me aren’t you’ etc
ALSO!!!! ( soz ) moat chapters were ended with the ‘ and thats when I thought it had got as bad as it could, trust me it hadn’t’ or ‘I was about to find out just how bad things get’ this lost all effect as it was repeated
The story is a grim one, and oft told, Freya falls in love with the ‘dream man’ but he’s not, in fact he’s vile and subjects her to abuse, physical and mental, rape, drug overdosing, bullying, alienation of her parents, work mates and everything else in her life, irritatingly she keeps giving him more chances ( and then she quickly adds ‘ yes your thinking Im daft, anno I was but do you know the % of women that go back for more etc )
Kane, her partner is nasty personified and has NO redeeming features, awful manipulative character
The story goes on ( and on ) and Freya does leave him and he subjects her to continued stalking and abuse which ends in her being taken to a farmhouse where women are being abused and filmed and killed, not pleasant in the slightest, her incarceration at the farmhouse was very eerily described and the tension and claustrophobia the author managed to portray was scarily believable, her escape ( no real spoiler as she tells you early on) goes on way too long and described in minute second by seconds detail, the ending and epilogue are more compact and it finishes pretty much as expected
The writing is at times repetitive and as other reviewers have written You want to shout ‘Ohhhhh not again, do this, do that and end it for goodness sake’
The characters are easy to get to know inc the supporting cast of family and friends and work mates
A real hocus pocus and up n down of a book but one I wanted to finish and with all I have said above a good if not turmolic ( made up word ) read that did get my emotions going and did have me fighting for Freya
7/10 ( difficult to star rate it tbh will go with 3.5 on here and 4 with Amazon and Goodreads and NG )
August 10, 2018
Trigger Warnings: abuse, violence, rape, drugs
This is a very disturbing book, it will scare you, shake you and it will stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. It is an emotionally exhausting book. This is not a pleasure read, that much I assure you of.
The book starts off with a prologue that is almost like a Ted Talk! It’s relevant for almost every reader who picks the book. It addresses you and speaks to you.
The book is a page turner. Not only do you want to find out what is going on but you are literally on the edge waiting to finish the page and turn to the next one. The tag line is apt ‘a psychological drama about power and control’ is the briefest and most accurate description of this book.
The way the book goes will make you feel like you are talking to Freya, like she is confiding in you. You are her only shoulder to cry on and all you can do is listen. You almost want to interrupt and give her advice but you stop, not because you realize it’s a book but because you realize that it’s all done and over with and anything you say now will not help her. You become invested in her.
The book draws you in and entangles you as if you are a fly and the book is a spider’s web. It doesn’t let you go, it puts you smack in the middle and makes you want to keep reading because honestly it’s difficult to figure out what Freya’s exit strategy should be and when, if ever, will the nightmare end for her.
Coming to the finer details of the story, the characters are all believable. Freya and Kane’s love story is pretty standard but boy does the man have a dark side! His nastiness builds up slowly getting more and more depraved, little by little until there is so much of it that there is no escape. He is a debased individual who will do whatever it takes to be in control and get what he wants. Kane evolves from a domestic abuser to a full blow sociopath. Freya on the other hand is a nice friendly girl living a carefree life. She has a very ‘girl next door’ vibe. She falls for Kane hard even though she has a boyfriend. She’s not meek and mousy at all. The story touches on many topics around domestic abuse and even violence and is not easy but the author has done a good job with communicating the pain and yet not making you want to stop reading. I love that every time you as a reader recognize the red flag, so does Freya and the author has made sure to explain why Freya chooses to let it pass or not think of it as a flag. I was happy to see that Freya is portrayed as a strong sensible person. Often suck books show the victims of abuse as weak, as needing strength to leave. But this book shows that its not only weak people who get abused. It shows that being strong also makes you susceptible to abuse because most strong people believe that ‘I can handle it, I’m not a quitter, I need to be smart, I need to bide my time�� and worse of all ‘maybe I can help him’. That’s the pitfall of being strong. That is what makes the story and the characters so believable. Other books around domestic abuse leave these thing a as questions in your mind and you need to suspend disbelief in order to read the book. In this book each situation is picked apart and the pros and cons are explained. Patricia Dixon has written a book where you do not need to suspend anything in order to understand and follow the plot. She has actually written a book that is based on a story to accurately convey to the world the facts that surround abuse. The conversations that Freya has with the reader are very explanatory and insightful. At times I felt that a good chunk of the content in this book could serve as a dissertation on understanding domestic abuse, and I’m not complaining one bit because it is a brilliant idea to use fiction and impart real knowledge to the readers. At around 55% mark it almost feels like Ms. Dixon is sharing her research with you instead of Freya narrating her story and while some readers may not like this, I think it was a great way to bring forth many great insights on this subject. As an author she has tackled the subject very well and the effort she took in her research shows. The last 20% of the book has things in there that will make you shudder and will make your stomach churn. It takes a very dark turn. You can feel Freya’s fear and this part of the book can bring on a serious panic attack for anyone who has been in an or around an abusive relationship.
This book is no doubt written to help abuse victims see their options and understand that leaving an abuser is a process and not an event as Freya rightly says. It shows that leaving may not be enough and a victim needs a very strong support system to help them see things through. It also helps friends and family of a victim understand the whole situation better.
The book is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book despite the trigger warnings because reading it will ensure that you’ll be better prepared to either deal with abuse (God forbid you find yourself in that situation) or to identify, understand and help someone in your circle who maybe dealing with it.
Take a bow Patricia Dixon, this book is a masterpiece!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**
This is a very disturbing book, it will scare you, shake you and it will stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. It is an emotionally exhausting book. This is not a pleasure read, that much I assure you of.
The book starts off with a prologue that is almost like a Ted Talk! It’s relevant for almost every reader who picks the book. It addresses you and speaks to you.
The book is a page turner. Not only do you want to find out what is going on but you are literally on the edge waiting to finish the page and turn to the next one. The tag line is apt ‘a psychological drama about power and control’ is the briefest and most accurate description of this book.
The way the book goes will make you feel like you are talking to Freya, like she is confiding in you. You are her only shoulder to cry on and all you can do is listen. You almost want to interrupt and give her advice but you stop, not because you realize it’s a book but because you realize that it’s all done and over with and anything you say now will not help her. You become invested in her.
The book draws you in and entangles you as if you are a fly and the book is a spider’s web. It doesn’t let you go, it puts you smack in the middle and makes you want to keep reading because honestly it’s difficult to figure out what Freya’s exit strategy should be and when, if ever, will the nightmare end for her.
Coming to the finer details of the story, the characters are all believable. Freya and Kane’s love story is pretty standard but boy does the man have a dark side! His nastiness builds up slowly getting more and more depraved, little by little until there is so much of it that there is no escape. He is a debased individual who will do whatever it takes to be in control and get what he wants. Kane evolves from a domestic abuser to a full blow sociopath. Freya on the other hand is a nice friendly girl living a carefree life. She has a very ‘girl next door’ vibe. She falls for Kane hard even though she has a boyfriend. She’s not meek and mousy at all. The story touches on many topics around domestic abuse and even violence and is not easy but the author has done a good job with communicating the pain and yet not making you want to stop reading. I love that every time you as a reader recognize the red flag, so does Freya and the author has made sure to explain why Freya chooses to let it pass or not think of it as a flag. I was happy to see that Freya is portrayed as a strong sensible person. Often suck books show the victims of abuse as weak, as needing strength to leave. But this book shows that its not only weak people who get abused. It shows that being strong also makes you susceptible to abuse because most strong people believe that ‘I can handle it, I’m not a quitter, I need to be smart, I need to bide my time�� and worse of all ‘maybe I can help him’. That’s the pitfall of being strong. That is what makes the story and the characters so believable. Other books around domestic abuse leave these thing a as questions in your mind and you need to suspend disbelief in order to read the book. In this book each situation is picked apart and the pros and cons are explained. Patricia Dixon has written a book where you do not need to suspend anything in order to understand and follow the plot. She has actually written a book that is based on a story to accurately convey to the world the facts that surround abuse. The conversations that Freya has with the reader are very explanatory and insightful. At times I felt that a good chunk of the content in this book could serve as a dissertation on understanding domestic abuse, and I’m not complaining one bit because it is a brilliant idea to use fiction and impart real knowledge to the readers. At around 55% mark it almost feels like Ms. Dixon is sharing her research with you instead of Freya narrating her story and while some readers may not like this, I think it was a great way to bring forth many great insights on this subject. As an author she has tackled the subject very well and the effort she took in her research shows. The last 20% of the book has things in there that will make you shudder and will make your stomach churn. It takes a very dark turn. You can feel Freya’s fear and this part of the book can bring on a serious panic attack for anyone who has been in an or around an abusive relationship.
This book is no doubt written to help abuse victims see their options and understand that leaving an abuser is a process and not an event as Freya rightly says. It shows that leaving may not be enough and a victim needs a very strong support system to help them see things through. It also helps friends and family of a victim understand the whole situation better.
The book is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book despite the trigger warnings because reading it will ensure that you’ll be better prepared to either deal with abuse (God forbid you find yourself in that situation) or to identify, understand and help someone in your circle who maybe dealing with it.
Take a bow Patricia Dixon, this book is a masterpiece!
**Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**
June 28, 2019
Really badly written
Tried so hard to finish this book. I kept going back to it in between other books, thinking I’d try to finish it. But it’s just so badly written.... skimmed through the last quarter. Drawn out and boring.
Tried so hard to finish this book. I kept going back to it in between other books, thinking I’d try to finish it. But it’s just so badly written.... skimmed through the last quarter. Drawn out and boring.
October 13, 2017
I bought this after reading a 1* review which slated the book because it was unlike the author's other books. Well I am thrilled I read that review because this is a fantastic read and one of my favourite novels so far this year.
Freya is a 25 year old girl enjoying her life, living with her best friend and in a relationship with a steady but loving local guy. During work she meets Kane an older charismatic man who draws her into his more sophisticated world. Soon she dumps her boyfriend much to the horror of her friends and family.
She is enthralled with Kane and dazzled by his lifestyle and the attention he showers on her. Soon however he begins his little games, manipulating and scheming and then finally comes the abuse both physical and emotional. Patricia Dixon shows how easy it can be to become embroiled in a passionate affair and how quickly it can change by a few words and threats. Freya defends Kane to her loving family who are worried by her loss of weight and lack of communication with her family and friends.
Freya slowly becomes alienated from her family, friends and even her boss and co-workers thanks to Kane's mastery in manipulation and guilt tripping.
This story starts in the 1990's before cell phones and social media became so prevalent. It shows the working class of Manchester beautifully. A close knit family willing to protect and defend their family members even if it's slightly on the shady side of the law.
This book is written in the form of Freya talking directly to the reader about her younger self. Although this is unusual this method totally works, Freya asking us directly what we would do in that situation.
Patricia Dixon is masterful in conveying the threat and emotional blackmail that Freya must have felt throughout the ordeal.
The characters are extremely well developed and I loved the family dynamics. We all have that one dodgy member of the family who is a wheeler and dealer. To make me hate Kane so much and wish for his comeuppance takes great skill by an author.
This is a dark emotional tale which tugs at the heartstrings one minute then makes you want to bash Kane over the head the next. I hope there will be more to come in this genre from this talented writer.
Freya is a 25 year old girl enjoying her life, living with her best friend and in a relationship with a steady but loving local guy. During work she meets Kane an older charismatic man who draws her into his more sophisticated world. Soon she dumps her boyfriend much to the horror of her friends and family.
She is enthralled with Kane and dazzled by his lifestyle and the attention he showers on her. Soon however he begins his little games, manipulating and scheming and then finally comes the abuse both physical and emotional. Patricia Dixon shows how easy it can be to become embroiled in a passionate affair and how quickly it can change by a few words and threats. Freya defends Kane to her loving family who are worried by her loss of weight and lack of communication with her family and friends.
Freya slowly becomes alienated from her family, friends and even her boss and co-workers thanks to Kane's mastery in manipulation and guilt tripping.
This story starts in the 1990's before cell phones and social media became so prevalent. It shows the working class of Manchester beautifully. A close knit family willing to protect and defend their family members even if it's slightly on the shady side of the law.
This book is written in the form of Freya talking directly to the reader about her younger self. Although this is unusual this method totally works, Freya asking us directly what we would do in that situation.
Patricia Dixon is masterful in conveying the threat and emotional blackmail that Freya must have felt throughout the ordeal.
The characters are extremely well developed and I loved the family dynamics. We all have that one dodgy member of the family who is a wheeler and dealer. To make me hate Kane so much and wish for his comeuppance takes great skill by an author.
This is a dark emotional tale which tugs at the heartstrings one minute then makes you want to bash Kane over the head the next. I hope there will be more to come in this genre from this talented writer.
August 5, 2018
This is not a Romance or Dark book. This is a psychological thriller
Firstly this book felt like a biography. That’s not bad though. But this was sooo lengthy.
Freya falls for a handsome guy named Kane. She even cheats on her boyfriend and leaves him for Kane.
Kane!!!
He is not any obsessed lover. He is a vile and disgusting creature.
I don’t understand why she didn’t leave him soon. He made her think he loves her madly, lured her away from her friends and family and once he had her exactly where he wanted her, started manipulating her with his pervy, creepy shit.
She didn’t leave him when he abused her mentally and physically.
She didn’t leave him when he forced her to watch porn, then did these role play thing with her where she is a hooker
She didn’t even leave when he admitted that he is a criminal.
She didn’t leave him when his previous girlfriends sister warn her.
She didn’t even left him when he actually admitted about discarding his ex and ruining her life.
It’s just he cries and she takes him back. And then the cycle repeats.
The stupid woman had her last chance when he actually tells her to Go Away. But no. The idiot stays.
And why the hell did she didn’t got to the police when he drugged her and allowed many men to Rape her.
Why didn’t she went to the police when he beat her very badly on the christmas eve.
Ah....
It was not like he has forced her into his house. She was free to go. She was not even married to him. She never even liked sex with him. Still I don’t understand why she is with him. There’s absolutely nothing good about him.
I don’t know what era she lived in but it was the time when mobile phone were new. Not everyone had them. Only rich people could afford them. But why didn’t she just went to the police. Surely the phones could be tapped for evidences by police right? She could have gotten restraining order against Kane right? And why the hell did her dad take her to him for giving back his money??? Is he a stupid? Couldn’t have he just given it to him rather than take his fragile daughter to him?
ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion
Firstly this book felt like a biography. That’s not bad though. But this was sooo lengthy.
Freya falls for a handsome guy named Kane. She even cheats on her boyfriend and leaves him for Kane.
Kane!!!
He is not any obsessed lover. He is a vile and disgusting creature.
I don’t understand why she didn’t leave him soon. He made her think he loves her madly, lured her away from her friends and family and once he had her exactly where he wanted her, started manipulating her with his pervy, creepy shit.
She didn’t leave him when he abused her mentally and physically.
She didn’t leave him when he forced her to watch porn, then did these role play thing with her where she is a hooker
She didn’t even leave when he admitted that he is a criminal.
She didn’t leave him when his previous girlfriends sister warn her.
She didn’t even left him when he actually admitted about discarding his ex and ruining her life.
It’s just he cries and she takes him back. And then the cycle repeats.
The stupid woman had her last chance when he actually tells her to Go Away. But no. The idiot stays.
And why the hell did she didn’t got to the police when he drugged her and allowed many men to Rape her.
Why didn’t she went to the police when he beat her very badly on the christmas eve.
Ah....
It was not like he has forced her into his house. She was free to go. She was not even married to him. She never even liked sex with him. Still I don’t understand why she is with him. There’s absolutely nothing good about him.
I don’t know what era she lived in but it was the time when mobile phone were new. Not everyone had them. Only rich people could afford them. But why didn’t she just went to the police. Surely the phones could be tapped for evidences by police right? She could have gotten restraining order against Kane right? And why the hell did her dad take her to him for giving back his money??? Is he a stupid? Couldn’t have he just given it to him rather than take his fragile daughter to him?
ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion
May 19, 2017
It’s rare for me to be up until after midnight because I can’t put down my book, but I found myself almost reading through my fingers, with a copy of Patricia Dixon’s Over My Shoulder in my hands.
This is a tale where something dark is afoot: a tale of secrets unearthed, and of how we deceive ourselves.
All stories take us on a journey, but this was especially apparent in Over My Shoulder, which leads us into realms intentionally provoking and uncomfortable.
The final portion of the book takes a dramatic turn, realizing the worst fears of the female protagonist Freya, and those of the reader. It was at this point, reading at around 11pm, alone in a tiny cottage on the Shetland Island of Unst, during a snow blizzard, with a gale rattling the windows, that I decided I couldn’t close the book without finding out what happened. The tension of Patricia’s storytelling became overwhelming. I knew that I’d be unable to sleep unless I gained closure on the story.
'Over My Shoulder' will have you rooting for Freya, hoping that she’ll find the courage to escape her abuser, and the terrible, disturbing situation in which she ultimately finds herself.
Some stories are so provoking that they cannot help but stay with us.
I remain haunted by ‘Over My Shoulder’.
Patricia Dixon is an author with serious storytelling skills. She’s one to watch.
This is a tale where something dark is afoot: a tale of secrets unearthed, and of how we deceive ourselves.
All stories take us on a journey, but this was especially apparent in Over My Shoulder, which leads us into realms intentionally provoking and uncomfortable.
The final portion of the book takes a dramatic turn, realizing the worst fears of the female protagonist Freya, and those of the reader. It was at this point, reading at around 11pm, alone in a tiny cottage on the Shetland Island of Unst, during a snow blizzard, with a gale rattling the windows, that I decided I couldn’t close the book without finding out what happened. The tension of Patricia’s storytelling became overwhelming. I knew that I’d be unable to sleep unless I gained closure on the story.
'Over My Shoulder' will have you rooting for Freya, hoping that she’ll find the courage to escape her abuser, and the terrible, disturbing situation in which she ultimately finds herself.
Some stories are so provoking that they cannot help but stay with us.
I remain haunted by ‘Over My Shoulder’.
Patricia Dixon is an author with serious storytelling skills. She’s one to watch.
May 15, 2017
5** Stunning, Gripping, Captivating!! OMG!!! What a read! The story of a young woman enamoured by a "flamboyant and wealthy" boyfriend who turns out to be more- so very much more in a way that she could never envisage. Freya starts to realise Kane's power and that his reach is far beyond anything she thought possible. How is she ever going to break free from his grasp?
This is a brilliantly written book, the latter section especially (I won't give anything away) which made me turn faster and faster to find out what happens, so taken was I by the story and the very strong determined lead character. A story of hope, of positivity against all odds, of fighting for yourself in every way possible, and that domestic abuse doesn't have to be the end. A truly magnificent read.
I only award 5** to the books that make me think, have memorable characters and have a good ending. This has all of them in spades. I read 250+ books a year. Last year only 14 made the shortlist. This is most definitely one of them.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
This is a brilliantly written book, the latter section especially (I won't give anything away) which made me turn faster and faster to find out what happens, so taken was I by the story and the very strong determined lead character. A story of hope, of positivity against all odds, of fighting for yourself in every way possible, and that domestic abuse doesn't have to be the end. A truly magnificent read.
I only award 5** to the books that make me think, have memorable characters and have a good ending. This has all of them in spades. I read 250+ books a year. Last year only 14 made the shortlist. This is most definitely one of them.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
September 1, 2018
5** Stunning, Gripping, Captivating!! OMG!!! What a read! The story of a young woman enamoured by a "flamboyant and wealthy" boyfriend who turns out to be more- so very much more in a way that she could never envisage. Freya starts to realise Kane's power and that his reach is far beyond anything she thought possible. How is she ever going to break free from his grasp?
This is a brilliantly written book, the latter section especially (I won't give anything away) which made me turn faster and faster to find out what happens, so taken was I by the story and the very strong determined lead character. A story of hope, of positivity against all odds, of fighting for yourself in every way possible, and that domestic abuse doesn't have to be the end. A truly magnificent read.
I only award 5** to the books that make me think, have memorable characters and have a good ending. This has all of them in spades. I read 250+ books a year. Last year only 14 made the shortlist. This is most definitely one of them.
This is a brilliantly written book, the latter section especially (I won't give anything away) which made me turn faster and faster to find out what happens, so taken was I by the story and the very strong determined lead character. A story of hope, of positivity against all odds, of fighting for yourself in every way possible, and that domestic abuse doesn't have to be the end. A truly magnificent read.
I only award 5** to the books that make me think, have memorable characters and have a good ending. This has all of them in spades. I read 250+ books a year. Last year only 14 made the shortlist. This is most definitely one of them.
August 16, 2017
I read a lot of books, enjoy a lot of books but there are very few books that have that special something meaning I know they will impact upon me and stay with me...the story of freya had that special something. this may have been a tale of fiction but unfortunately not all freya and kane stories are and Patricia managed to do that more than justice. There were parts of this book that made the reader feel uncomfortable but not because of any excessive use of theatrics the writer didn't need that to make this book as good as it was but through the use of careful atmospheric writing and exploration of the coercive and violent relationship between the two central characters. a book that will stay with me for a long time and one which ended with a positive message.
September 15, 2019
A fantastic read. Over My Shoulder is one of my top reads of 2017. Hard to believe I bought this book based on a 1* review. This is not just another domestic noir read, it is a compelling domestic noir read. Freya's relationship with Kane seems idyllic at the outset, but how things develop from bad to worse makes for fraught reading. It is impossible to judge Freya as she asks throughout the book the many questions based on her situation. I am unable to answer what I would do in her situation. A very emotional and disturbing read. I cannot stop thinking about this book and I know it will stay with me for a long, long time. A 5***** recommendation .
May 19, 2017
omg what a read . i just couldnt put it down so much happening from start to finish. an easy read that you will just love. from the moment i started i knew that i would enjoy it. a love affair with plenty of twists and turns
September 1, 2018
A gripping, almost physical in it's power, story of domestic abuse. It demonstrates a lot of insight into power and control, the impact and fear inducing effect on the victim and those around her. It is extreme, but believable.
September 4, 2018
Brilliant
I can't remember when I enjoyed a book so much, I felt like I was sitting with my friend on big comfy sofa and she was telling me her story personally, a book you won't want to put down
I can't remember when I enjoyed a book so much, I felt like I was sitting with my friend on big comfy sofa and she was telling me her story personally, a book you won't want to put down
June 6, 2017
Slow to start with but once it gets going it's a fantastic read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews