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Where the Flames Took Her: Book 1 She Rose on Scar Like Wings
The summer after graduation was supposed to be simple—one last season of freedom before life pulled them all in different directions. But for Phoenix, nothing has ever been simple.
Phoenix has spent years hiding the truth about her home a mother lost to addiction, and a stepfather whose attention is anything but fatherly. She’s learned to survive by staying invisible—until Zayne, her best friend’s older brother and the boy she’s secretly loved forever, sees the truth for himself.
Zayne steps in to protect her, old boundaries blur and years of buried feelings ignite. But their connection threatens more than Phoenix’s safety it risks her friendship with Tee, the one person who’s always been her anchor.
Tee has always done her best to keep Phoenix and her Brother, Zayne apart out of fear of best friend needing her brother more. Watching her brother and Phoenix grow closer forces Tee to confront the part of herself she’s tried to hide behind boys and bravado.
As secrets unravel and lines are crossed, all three are forced to face the truth about love, loyalty, and the scars they carry. The past ties them together, but the future may burn everything apart.
Phoenix has spent years hiding the truth about her home a mother lost to addiction, and a stepfather whose attention is anything but fatherly. She’s learned to survive by staying invisible—until Zayne, her best friend’s older brother and the boy she’s secretly loved forever, sees the truth for himself.
Zayne steps in to protect her, old boundaries blur and years of buried feelings ignite. But their connection threatens more than Phoenix’s safety it risks her friendship with Tee, the one person who’s always been her anchor.
Tee has always done her best to keep Phoenix and her Brother, Zayne apart out of fear of best friend needing her brother more. Watching her brother and Phoenix grow closer forces Tee to confront the part of herself she’s tried to hide behind boys and bravado.
As secrets unravel and lines are crossed, all three are forced to face the truth about love, loyalty, and the scars they carry. The past ties them together, but the future may burn everything apart.
404 pages, Paperback
Published April 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
After graduation, Phoenix and her friends are supposed to enjoy a carefree season together, but life has never been straightforward and simple for her.
Years spent hiding the truth of her upbringing, Phoenix has learned to survive by shrinking herself. When her best friend's older brother, Zayne, discovers the truth, boundaries begin to blur...
Tee has always tried to keep Pheonix and Zayne apart. As Zayne's sister, the last thing she wants is for her relationships with him and Pheonix to be disrupted. She also worries if Zayne and Pheonix connect on a deeper level, she'll be left behind. She never expected her best friend would rely on someone other than her.
As the relationships between the three evolve, secrets unravel and loyalties are tested. Pheonix, Tee, and Zayne are forced to face truths about love, life, and the scars they all carry.
What a phenomenal debut! Kristina Joy writes with such deep emotion and care, I could not pull myself away from the story. The dynamics of friendship and romance are handled so well in this coming of age tale, and are balanced with the complexities of growing up in an unhealthy, unsafe environment. The way each character carries themselves and weaves through struggles had me in tears! Where The Flames Took Her is a beautifully woven story of healing, friendship, love, and resilience.
Years spent hiding the truth of her upbringing, Phoenix has learned to survive by shrinking herself. When her best friend's older brother, Zayne, discovers the truth, boundaries begin to blur...
Tee has always tried to keep Pheonix and Zayne apart. As Zayne's sister, the last thing she wants is for her relationships with him and Pheonix to be disrupted. She also worries if Zayne and Pheonix connect on a deeper level, she'll be left behind. She never expected her best friend would rely on someone other than her.
As the relationships between the three evolve, secrets unravel and loyalties are tested. Pheonix, Tee, and Zayne are forced to face truths about love, life, and the scars they all carry.
What a phenomenal debut! Kristina Joy writes with such deep emotion and care, I could not pull myself away from the story. The dynamics of friendship and romance are handled so well in this coming of age tale, and are balanced with the complexities of growing up in an unhealthy, unsafe environment. The way each character carries themselves and weaves through struggles had me in tears! Where The Flames Took Her is a beautifully woven story of healing, friendship, love, and resilience.
May 31, 2026
Where the Flames Took Her by Kristina Joy gave me major teen drama vibes in the best way possible. It reminded me of the shows I used to binge-watch like 90210 and Degrassi—a group of friends trying to navigate growing up while dealing with real-life struggles, heartbreak, trauma, identity, and figuring out who they are.
What I loved most was how openly the book tackled difficult topics. The characters felt real, flawed, and relatable, and I found myself genuinely invested in all of them. And can we talk about Zayne? Definitely a win.
This book put me through the emotional wringer. I laughed, I cried, and by the time I reached the end, I immediately wanted more. Chapter 31 needs to be longer imo 😉IYKYK In fact, I texted Kristina as soon as I finished because I wasn’t ready to let go. And that ending? Ugh. The last 3-4 chapters had me gripping the book so hard I couldn’t put it down.
If you enjoy character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to tackle real-life issues while keeping you emotionally invested from beginning to end, this one is worth picking up.
What I loved most was how openly the book tackled difficult topics. The characters felt real, flawed, and relatable, and I found myself genuinely invested in all of them. And can we talk about Zayne? Definitely a win.
This book put me through the emotional wringer. I laughed, I cried, and by the time I reached the end, I immediately wanted more. Chapter 31 needs to be longer imo 😉IYKYK In fact, I texted Kristina as soon as I finished because I wasn’t ready to let go. And that ending? Ugh. The last 3-4 chapters had me gripping the book so hard I couldn’t put it down.
If you enjoy character-driven stories that aren’t afraid to tackle real-life issues while keeping you emotionally invested from beginning to end, this one is worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This novel was phenomenal. Hands down one of my top favorites of the year. I'm sure it will stay with me for a really long time if not forever.
I want to thank the author for facing her fears to write this novel and sharing her journey with me, I was an honor and a pleasure to read this outstanding novel.
Here we follow Phoenix, Tee and Zayne, childhood best friends, in their very different journeys as they approach adulthood. We also follow the evolution of their friendships, love and conflicts that came along with most friendships.
The novel deals with important topics such as trauma, sexual assault, identity, self discovery, abandonment, grief and others. It can be pretty raw and difficult to read at times, although always written with care and from a healing perspective. Be sure to check for more specific trigger warnings before reading it.
I love that we have the three main points of view, which helps connect with the characters and makes them more relatable. This novel even if talking about facing your worst fears was quite a fast read for me. I really connected with Phoenix from page one, and I quickly learn to love all the other diverse cast of characters.
I love how well written this novel is, it grips you from chapter one till the end. I truly appreciate how the author wasn't afraid to take a chance and write about the importance of mental health, self discovery, learning your limits and the sense of belonging which among others are topics that you don't usually see in mainstream books.
The novel, has some hard chapters in it but it balances it well with some more lighter ones both in present time and the past. I love that the narrative is not linear and you can see the characters as kids and teens during the book, which gives you a higher sense of development. I absolutely loved grandma Rosie, she was an icon.
The plot is very interesting, but what I loved most were the characters and how well fleshed out they were. I think all readers will be able to identify themselves with at least one of them, even if their journeys are different.
We also have great banter, strong friendships, yearning and some cute romances in it. I adored the friendships in this novel, and how this group supported each other over every obstacle no matter their skin color, sexual orientation or background.
I definitely recommend this novel to everyone. I think it's a must read. Specially if you love coming of age stories, with self discovery and self love journeys, childhood friendships, strong female characters and emotional stories that deal with trauma.
I can't wait to read the sequel and see all the characters getting back together as adults, it's gonna be epic.
I want to thank the author for facing her fears to write this novel and sharing her journey with me, I was an honor and a pleasure to read this outstanding novel.
Here we follow Phoenix, Tee and Zayne, childhood best friends, in their very different journeys as they approach adulthood. We also follow the evolution of their friendships, love and conflicts that came along with most friendships.
The novel deals with important topics such as trauma, sexual assault, identity, self discovery, abandonment, grief and others. It can be pretty raw and difficult to read at times, although always written with care and from a healing perspective. Be sure to check for more specific trigger warnings before reading it.
I love that we have the three main points of view, which helps connect with the characters and makes them more relatable. This novel even if talking about facing your worst fears was quite a fast read for me. I really connected with Phoenix from page one, and I quickly learn to love all the other diverse cast of characters.
I love how well written this novel is, it grips you from chapter one till the end. I truly appreciate how the author wasn't afraid to take a chance and write about the importance of mental health, self discovery, learning your limits and the sense of belonging which among others are topics that you don't usually see in mainstream books.
The novel, has some hard chapters in it but it balances it well with some more lighter ones both in present time and the past. I love that the narrative is not linear and you can see the characters as kids and teens during the book, which gives you a higher sense of development. I absolutely loved grandma Rosie, she was an icon.
The plot is very interesting, but what I loved most were the characters and how well fleshed out they were. I think all readers will be able to identify themselves with at least one of them, even if their journeys are different.
We also have great banter, strong friendships, yearning and some cute romances in it. I adored the friendships in this novel, and how this group supported each other over every obstacle no matter their skin color, sexual orientation or background.
I definitely recommend this novel to everyone. I think it's a must read. Specially if you love coming of age stories, with self discovery and self love journeys, childhood friendships, strong female characters and emotional stories that deal with trauma.
I can't wait to read the sequel and see all the characters getting back together as adults, it's gonna be epic.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews