The Finding Solace Trilogy Box Set

by Barbara Speak

Librarian Note: Alternate Cover Edition for ISBN: 1494370239 / ISBN13: 9781494370237.

Sadie Warren is a walking contradiction. The confidence she wears on the outside is only to cover the scars that are imbedded on her soul. Coming out of an abusive relationship where she was stripped of her security and confidence, she chooses to bury it under every man she gives her body to.

After one intoxicated night that she will never remember in its entirety, everything begins to change. Being seen more for her positive attributes and less for her faults, Sadie arises from the dark and into a place she feels safe. But with that comes a chain of events that blur the lines of everything she thought she needed and everything she's beginning to want.

Will fear keep her from the one thing she believes she desires most or will fate take a turn unexpectedly and change everything?

Genres: Romance, New Adult

572 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2013

About the author

I have a mad passion for books. It could be considered an addiction by some. After the responsibilities of work and being a mother are fulfilled each day, I escape in a book. I hope you all will enjoy what I can bring you. I have plenty more ideas to go from here.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't give an honest review of my own book with out being selfish. I can tell you its worth the read. Sadie tells you the story as if she is talking to you herself. She wraps you around her life, her friends and her feelings. You get the insight on things no one else knows. In reality not everything is perfect all the time.
Grab it up and enjoy the ups and downs that come with it!!!
LOVE, HATE, LAUGH, CRY, WANT TO SCREAM AND THEN SMILE LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE
Available on KINDLE
NOOK
SMASHWORDS
Now available on IBOOKS and on PAPERBACK through CREATE SPACE AND AMAZON

[RCA · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. The story is based on a college aged group of friends. Sadie is 20 and a local girl and hair stylist who is friends with several people who are local college students or friends from her High School days. Colt is 27 and coming back to school to finish his last two years after a divorce and leaving behind a young daughter with his ex-wife. Colt had done the right thing and married the baby mama but as time went on they grew apart and became friends. Coming to college a single guy he really wanted to sew his wild oats and just have a great time being free and uncommitted. During the first week he meets Sadie, dut dut dahhhhhh. How can anyone be so wildly attracted to the very first girl he meets??? Colt immediately treats Sadie like a princess however, there are times he goes dark and is totally MIA. Sadie takes what she can get when she can get it. The friends in the group are just wonderful and colorful in their own right. For that reason I will be reading the next two books to see who in the group may end up with one another and catch up with the couples from book 1. This book was an emotional ride with angst that you get by watching your friends fight, love, get sick or have amazing victories. In the end, emotional decisions are made and I am so glad I did not have to make them! Well done Author Barbara Speak I enjoyed your book and your endearing characters.

[Chrissy Van Der Laan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still reeling from this read WOW I'm almost at a loss for words but i do know EVERYONE needs to read this story.
Sadie is such a tortured soul she struggles with letting her feelings show. then she has to make the toughest decision ever who to choose when she loves both so much but in completely different ways.
Enter Colt sex on legs this one but with so much going on can he commit or will he let her slip through his fingers. soo much pain in just this one character.
Then there's Ash the most loving caring guy on the planet just waiting for his *time to shine* mega fan girl moment there.
Along with her group of close party hard friends this book is filled with plenty of laughter, sadness, anger and unspoken words you will regret it if you don't read this book.

[JC (Jen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Barbara Speak and I am impressed, she just gained a new loyal reader! I just finished Finding Solace and wow! Talk about an all-around amazing story. This was such an emotional, crazy ride… But oh so worth it! I found myself rooting for team Colt one minute then team Ash the next and even team Tony a few times! I wanted to hug Sadie, then slap her, scream at her, then back to hugging her! All of the characters went through hell and back and it was great to watch them grow! That Sadie is one lucky girl that have so many people in her life who care so much. You could definitely feel love  I highly recommend this book!

[JL Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Solace (Flawlessly Broken 1) was such an amazing read! I loved Sadie, I hated Colt (though once in awhile he had the occasional redeeming quality), and I loved, loved Ash. All the other guys and gals that surround our main characters you can't help but love either.

I was reading as fast as I could to see who Sadie ended up with. It was a great book with amazing characters. You will laugh you will cry and you will fall in love.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book in the young adult genre!

[Sam Spencer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know every book is not for everybody but who was she writing for, Illiterates?,
This review is from: Finding Solace (Flawlessly Broken trilogy Book 1) (Kindle Edition)
This book read like a first draft, not a final product in the LEAST.
Firstly, it started out in present tense, jumped to past tense, then back to present tense. ON WHAT PLANET DOES THAT HAPPEN?
up feeling like total shit anyway.” "But Shawn said they will all be there! Come on Sadie, I really want to see Jason! I will do the dishes and the laundry for a week. Whatever you want, just please come with me." Heather has always been one for the dramatics . She’s had a crush on Jason for the last six months and was apparently hell bent tonight was going to be her night. "Whatever. I’m in, but it’s going to be an early night for me. I can’t afford to be nursing a hangover tomorrow." What I really wanted to do is go back to sleep but Heather seemed more desperate tonight than ever before. "Oh, thank you, chica. I just need you to walk in with me so I don't look like I came there just for him. All you have to do is stay for an hour or so. I will have Jason begging to get in my pants, I just know it." I laughed secretly to myself knowing full well she probably wouldn’t even talk to him.
To quote someone who sampled the dialogue in this book while I was reading it "that's really jarring and disjointed"
I had to wonder if the author had ever had a real conversation, EVER.
Before writing a book, one should first master the language
"always hated, but most people tell me they are what makes me, me." Its not what makes her special, nope. Its what makes her, her.
"After only a few steps I was quickly scooped up into the arms of Mike," Not Mike's arms mind you, the arms of Mike. Do English people really think this? Because I do NOT.
"They were the darkest brown I have ever seen and they just kept penetrating me." This especially proved to me that descriptions are not this author's strong point, I myself have dark brown eyes. So brown they appear BLACK so what the heck is that the darkest brown crap? She didn't say his stare was penetrating either, apparently these darkest brown eyes were actually in her body. WHAT?!
"knowing I was the one night stand whore who woke up in his bed." who says one night stand whore? Anyone? And waking up in his bed seems to be the crime she feels she committed.
Should you ignore the clear warning then I feel that in order to save you some of the torture I endured you must at least know this
9/10 times
Laid should actually be Lay
Your should actually be You're
All the time
Versus should actually be Instead of
More or less should actually be Much Less

"Did I leave me phone downstairs?" Apparently she turned Scottish at this point.
This book made a sad attempt at being interactive which only seemed dumb because it was in FIRST PERSON. The main character randomly assumes you must know what is happening next or at the moment and at one point asked and answered a question she asked HERSELF!

At the fight scene I learned that you don't move someone with a head injury. Hmmm.... CPR says you don't move someone without knowledge as to whether they have sustained a NECK or SPINAL injury. I mention this because the character had his face bashed in at this point. He CLEARLY had a HEAD injury. Your face is located on your head.
After this bit of fun I saw characters leaving a crime scene, WHILE POLICE WERE PRESENT, and not one of them was detained, NOT ONE. How is that realistic?
Then the information desk at a HOSPITAL gave them ALL of the patient's information. ALL OF IT! NOT ONE OF THEM WAS FAMILY. Might be me, but they are typically not that helpful.
Characters who were in one location, apparently simultaneously are also in other locations. Case in point, the main character cried on Bryan profusely for a while AFTER the ambulance had left.
Bryan claimed to have immediately followed the ambulance to the hospital. There was only one Bryan in the story in case you thought there might be another like I initially did.
Apparently people feel blame. Where I come from people feel GUILT because blame is a verb. A verb is an ACTION word.
The word CONVERSATIONS was misused, to reference a statement IN THE SAME CONVERSATION.
"Before I met you I didn't have you to be here for me," This was either stupidly redundant or just plain juvenile.
"He pulled me closer and spun me around" the HE in question was supposed to believe the her character to be asleep. I don't go around spinning sleeping people, that seems a bit too rough, you would think he would roll her over. NOPE
"I did not understand how parents could hear of something like this happening to their child and not get the first flight out." at no point in the story was it EVER specified that the character's parents were even informed.
"the greatest things in life come to those who wait." I highly doubt the character who was asked if she had not heard this had EVER heard this. This IS NOT A SAYING. It is an amalgamation of TWO SAYINGS, those being "the best things in life are free" and "good things come to those who wait"
Leftovers is one words.
"I liked what I saw. It felt like I grew up overnight . The woman staring back at me was not the girl who woke up this morning." Someone PLEASE explain to me how this equate an overnight change when the change happened DURING THE DAY.
Girls are CATTY not "Caddy" A caddy is the person who assists when you play GOLF
One of her BEST FRIENDS did not know about her birthday party, which was ironically at he bar WHERE HE WORKED.
"Both men looked at each other like they understood silent talk" They were not having a silent conversation mind you. I can't even explain this, it makes so little sense.
"Shawn is back to health." This is not an English sentence.
"Ash was still sitting at the bar on the other side." Is he sitting on the other side of the bar? Is there another bar on the other side of the room? This is too obtuse!
"pay backs are a bitch." how do you even mess up this term?
"but it shocked me more when you punched me. You are one of the only people who know my past. You said that to hurt me, Colt. You hit me where it would hurt and you did a mighty fine job." he NEVER punched her. He lashed out at her VERBALLY.
"Sadie, I'm not trying to diminish that what I said hurt, but people do that a lot" either diminish is used in the wrong context or words ar just plain missing from the sentence.
The grill was manhandled in this story. The AUTHOR screwed up the simple term "manning the grill"
"I just can't seem to fall in my groove like I normally am this close to a fight." what the heck is this?
tight-wad is one word with a hyphen
"when the table behind us started talking loudly." HOLY COW A TALKING TABLE
"He was still glued to the guy behind Colt" Really? He was glued to the guy? That must be uncomfortable
"with short little responses" this was redundant and untrue. The responses were BITING.
backpedal is one word
People are NOT described as THAT, it is either WHO or WHOM
"I held onto Colt and had Heather in my other hand." Heather became Thumbelina apparently at one point.
"pounding a mile a minute." forgive me but the terms "pounding" and "a mile a minute" refer to two different things the first refers to intensity while the second refers to speed. How then are they crammed together?
"bright orange shorts covered with all of his sponsors." his sponsors are covering his shorts? Not their names? them?
"anything was feeling possible."
"so scared to death" the amalgamation of terms till they make no sense continues. You are EITHER "so scared" OR "scared to death"
"The entire then bar"

You drive a BOAT about as much as you drive a PLANE. ANYONE with even the least bit of nautical expertise would know that!


I'm exhausted and that isn't even HALF OF how messed up this travesty is because it certainly IS NOT A BOOK! It was an act of defamation of the English language! I got it for FREE and I STILL have not gotten my money's worth. In fact, I feel VIOLATED. It does not even deserve the one star I gave it.
The worst part is, an editor supposedly reviewed this and thought it was good enough for publication.
SHAME ON YOU.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book as a favor to a friend who wanted a second opinion of this book. I was intrigued by the summary of the book. There were SO many 4 and 5 stars. So I one clicked it. It seems like I am in the minority on how I feel about this book. I didn’t think it was okay but I didn’t hate it.

This is going to be a long pros vs. cons, full of SPOILERS review, which I don’t do. I am hoping that the author might see this review and consider these things if she revises her book.

Pros
• I liked how the author told the story almost as the main character, Sadie, was talking to you. It made it very intimate.
• I liked the concept of having a love that teaches you to love even though that relationship doesn’t work out. We can all learn from our failures. Sadie does to that eventually. More on that later.
• While I don’t agree with the lifestyles of the characters in this book, I give the author kudos for writing it for us to read. The characters binge drink, smoke pot, have multiple sex partners openly, do not use condoms while in a somewhat relationship while one person is having sex with multiple partners, and resort to violence for any form of jealousy. Plus she has the main character, Sadie, slapped a pregnant woman.

Cons- I’m saving my biggest issue for last
• It could use some editing and formatting. I caught many editing issues and I’m dyslexic. Plus the way the written letters and texts were formatted was hard to read and separate from dialogue.
• The time frame of the book takes place over 3 years. That’s a lot of time to cover. While I understand why the length of time is needed, it causes huge jumps in time that are not transitioned well.
• The book is a BEAST. It’s really long. Its 534 pages in its paperback form. I have read books longer than that which have had me completely engrossed to the last page. I wasn’t engrossed reading FS. I’ll address this more later.
• There was so much that could be cut from the book and it would be the same book. I think she wrote them to show time passing which goes back to the transitions. Many scenes didn’t move the book forward. If anything it caused the book to drag on causing you to feel irritated at Sadie, Colt, and her other friends. There are so many nights about them binge drinking that do not move the plot along. I didn’t need to read the food poisoning scene. While somewhat funny, it wasn’t necessary. IT’S NOT OKAY TO SLAP A PREGNANT WOMAN NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A B!TCH SHE IS BEING. Pregnant women are not fragile but this violence just showed Sadie’s lack of judgment in her life.
• There are many details that should have spent more time on such as Tony’s illness, mentioning Colt going to any form of wrestling meet or practice, the aftermath of Jason and Shawn’s incident, more interaction with Heather her best friend, etc. They are supposed to be this group of really tight friends but it didn’t always feel that way.
• Colt’s drug arrest was handled poorly. He would not have gotten no time/charges because he ratted some else out. While I understand this is fiction, he would have had to accept a plea of guilty, even if it was a misdemeanor, for the drug possession. That would have made the papers which would have caused him to lose his scholarship or wrestling job. Plus it would show up on a criminal history check when WIU hired him to coach there. No one wants to hire someone with a drug conviction for selling drugs coaching kids. Maybe if it was a high risk youth center and they needed someone to talk about why it’s a bad idea to sell and use drugs, but not college wrestling.
• Finally my biggest issue: Sadie and Colt. I understand when you are younger, 20’s; you do a lot of impulsive things. You drink too much, have casual sex, spend money poorly, etc. You learn over time that these behaviors do not work for you. Sadie seemed to be a door mat for Colt to walk all over. For two years, you read about Sadie and Colt having sex and cuddling just like a real relationship, how much she loves him but won’t tell him, then he ignores her for a period of time, treats her like crap or a jealous a-hole when they finally do talk again, having him screw around with other girls in front of her (literally), and she just takes it. The one time she grew some lady balls and kicked him out, she immediately takes it back and has sex with him. This was most of the book. There were moments that Colt said profound things to Sadie to make her really think about who she was, and what she wanted but they were over shadowed by all of his other bad behavior. From what I read of the story, Colt had his issues but that doesn’t excuse his behavior or Sadie taking it. Sadie is very immature. (I realize she is 20 when we start the book.) Plus her just accepting Colt’s behavior was unacceptable to me. I get that she was physically and emotionally abused, but I would have thought she would have seen this as another form of abuse and control. Then when Colt seems to quasi-rape Sadie (author’s words) when he is having an emotional time, she just takes it and gives him a pass. It all makes me sick.

When Sadie does get a good guy in her life, Asher (Ash), she makes some really stupid decisions towards him. Ash should have dumped her when she gave the “I don’t know who I love” speech on the day before she was to move in with her. Then the way she handled the pregnancy incident was appalling. Seriously, she is 23 at the time with a good job, a fiancée who has money and treats her like a princess, and living in a paid off mansion and she’s acting like her life is ruined and their parents are going to hate her.

All this drama with Sadie and Colt, I really lost interest about 33% into this beast. I would have put it my DNF pile, but my friend asked me to keep going. I guessed much of the plot. By the time Ash was had a chance to “shine” and was saying swoony things, I stopped caring that Sadie was happy and they had no effect on me. Trust me; I’m all about the swoony guy. It makes me sad that I couldn’t enjoy swooning over Ash because I was no longer invested in Sadie or the story. The only reason I kept reading was my friend and I just had to make sure she didn’t go back to Colt.

At 89%, the story ends and then Colt tells his side. I didn’t read it. Nothing the author could write could justify him treating another human the way he treated Sadie. I get that he was scared to love her and unsure of her love. I don’t need to read his POV to know that. He had other issues he was dealing with. He just didn’t love her enough to put it out there until it was too late. He was a whoring, drug dealing/using, jealous a-hole.

That being said, there are two more books in the series. I am curious about the next book. It is Kate, Ash’s sister, and Tony’s story. I knew early on when Ash was first introduced that that he was going to part of the triangle. I loved Tony though. He was honest with Sadie and called her out on her stupidity. He has been through a lot and I would love to see him happy. I MAY consider reading this story. I’m not sure yet.

[Julie Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lost 5*
Barbara Speak 22/2/16
Oh my word! That ending, well I wasn’t expecting that, totally different place to where I actually thought it was going.
How long before the next one?
So Sadie, cute, beautiful but broken or so she thought! I loved her sass, for the most part it seemed that she had her life under control, until a certain young man comes into her life. She has some terrific friends, mostly boys but there were girlfriends too. Just loved Heather.
The boys were all Adonis’s and were always looking out for her, just like brothers would.
The other characters, Sadie’s friends really enhanced the story, it flowed well the pace was about right, nothing was going too fast nor was it dragging. Although this takes place around cage fighting it doesn’t overbear the story
That certain young man, Colt… where to start. He is quite selfish although he was honest and open about their situation. Was I a little pissed off at him? Yes I blooming well was.
I really wanted her to wake up and smell the coffee, but she never did. He’d go AWOL quite a bit and she just accepted it.
Although her friends could see what was going on between her and Colt, not one of them tried to intervene, that was until Tony came onto the scene, her and Tony had a connection and he wasn’t worried about hurting her feeling when it came to giving her some cold hard home truths.
I do hope she gets what she wants and deserves not sure who is the right person to deliver it though.

Torn, Barbara Speak 5* - 3/3/16
Oh Wow, I thought Sadie had made her decision, then wham, you throw in the most massive of curve balls and left the ending in such a cliff hanger, thank goodness I have the next installment prepped and ready to go.
Love, love loved, this installment, it started immediately where Lost ended with the confusion of the Police bust, finding out why and what had been occupying Colt’s attention.
I really thought that throughout it all, Sadie handled everything in a stronger more mature way than Colt did. It seemed that when everything was going right he would throw a spanner in the works, and disappear. I was very confused by his behavior.
Tony is a fab friend to have, he has always been there for Sadie knowing the right things to do, even when she thought she was coping. I so want a bestie like Tony.
Oh Asher, he not only sounds dreamy! But a real gentleman too. I loved watching their relationship blossom, they are so great together, and she finally has someone she can rely on other than her friends.
I was a bit surprised that the dreadful person, that is Cindy appeared again, let’s hope we’ve seen the last of her.
Oh boy! The accident, what on earth made her get in that car, and thank goodness things went the way they did.
Blooming heck, just when you think you know how life is going to pan out for Sadie, bang then it’s all changed. Torn is the very best title (that this part of the story is aptly names!) because I’m sure Sadie is TORN with her decision, just like the reader. I pray she makes the right decision.

Clarity, Barbara Speak 5* - 3/3/16
Beautiful, just beautiful. This final installment of Sadie’s story really does bring it all home.
We start immediately where Torn ended, following Sadie to tell which one was going to be her forever. I must say, my heart was in my mouth, and I thought she had chosen him, with the location, blimey.
What a sad scene, but one that was needed, no matter how tough the decision was once made she had to tell the unlucky suitor.
I was rooting for Ash the whole time, and he was the sweetest guy, his love for Sadie was really exceptional.
Yes she loved Colt, but he wasn’t god for her, he helped her to believe and respect herself but he didn’t seem to be on the same page.
The surprise trip to Fiji – Ahhh… how lovely! Oh and to think the surprise didn’t end with Ash on his knees!
Absolutely loved the proposal and then the wedding plans, it certainly sounded like a fairytale wedding, even if it was organized very quickly. Just loved both sets of parents, each and everyone knew what to say and when! So glad they all got on so well.
I felt for him, when Colt reappeared at Heather and Jason’s wedding, there was unfinished business, and suffice to say Sadie handled it like a pro! She has really grown up since first meeting her, I loved that the group’s friendship remained steadfast throughout, and being there every step of the way.
This is a great story, about True Love finding its way, about fantastic friendships with some great families. It’s about Sadie learning about her self-discovery, growing and taking responsibility for her decisions and actions, she was one very tough cookie with some really hard to swallow moments, which just increased her strength.
The other characters truly made the whole experience ‘whole’ the triangle was tough but true. The pages are son devoured and before you know it, you are at the end of a lovely written story.

Now onto Colts POV

Affliction, Barbara Speak 5* 4/3/16
And what a POV!!! He thoroughly explained his behavior, but I still wanted to bash him upside the head.
I love hearing the guys POV and Colt’s was no exception. He has stupidly hidden his feelings, not reading Sadie properly and for that he never really deserved her forever.
Of course he was going to be mad that she finally chose Ash over him, but he was never really ‘man’ enough to accept his own faults, ow can he expect anyone else to either!
Everything truly happens for a reason…
Colt learned more about himself over the 2 years he had Sadie, as she also did about herself. They were great when they were truly together, until Colt bolted!
We knew Sadie made her choices and stuck by them, whilst she was undeceive where Colt was concerned, but when it really need, she followed her heart.
Colt’s new lady sounds lovely, as what he needs, she is certainly not putting up with his crap, she seems to be making him a better person which he needs.
I hope we catch a glimpse of Colt and Sabrina in the new two installments.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok... I knew pretty much 5% in that I wasn't really feeling this book.
The amount of drinking Sadie was doing was getting to me!
Slamming shots left and right.
Omg... I know she's twenty... But come on!
18% in and all the characters are all still drinking to get wasted. And screaming and fighting like they are teenagers.

The relationship between Colt and Sadie was good in the beginning.
Then BAM!
He becomes the ultimate bad guy. I thought his reasoning for treating Sadie the way he did....
Was super lame!
Colt and his "being free" and wanting to play the field. Is not sitting well with me. It's actually making me angry.
He is with SOOOOO many women!
And Sadie see it all.... Hears it all. Turns around and continues to be with him!
She keeps going along with it. Willing to see all that and she is just sanding on by. She wont even go out with another guy!

Nope... She will just slam her liquor down and wait for Colt to throw her a bone.

They both get real jealous. The only difference is... Colt steps in and chases other guys away. And Sadie just turns around when she see's Colts hand up another girls skirt. Then goes back to the bar and gets drunk. And pretends she didn't see what she just saw.

I do not like female leads like that. And I hate when the male MC goes with other girls. And then goes back to the girl MC.

I think it's safe to say.... I'm not feeling Colt at all. And... I'm having a hard time with Sadie's character too.

The whole back and forth between them. And Sadie treating Ash the way she was. Was just too much for me.

This book just wasn't for me.

[Crissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Solace was absolutely amazing. This book was everything that makes reading enjoyable for me. I love the characters and although Sadie had her flaws it shows that the most imperfect people are perfect in their own way. There is no way you can read this book and not fall in love with all of the characters; Geoff doesn't count. I am definitely picking up the next book in the series, as it demands to be read. This is the first book I have read from author Barbara Speak and I'm absolutely hooked. I found myself literally yelling at Sadie to "not do it" and she does the unexpected and I'm left with a huge smile on my face. I will definitely be reading this book again.

[JC (Jen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing trilogy! Definitely one of my top 5 favorites!