Kane's Hell

by Elizabeth Finn

Kane and Helene were the best of friends until a nightmare devastated them… Hopes were destroyed, dreams shattered, a budding teenage love torn to pieces. Eleven years later their lives are nothing like they once were. Time has changed them … and not for the better.

Helene is smart, driven, and accomplished—her education and achievements a smoke screen hiding the frigid and fragile child wounded long ago.

Kane is equally obsessed with his coping mechanisms—fighting … drinking … screwing … compulsively destroying himself one vice at a time.

When their paths collide again, their past becomes an obstacle no coping mechanism in the world can protect them from. But confronting the past so they can heal in the present is no easy task. Can Kane reach Helene and recapture what used to burn so warmly between them, or will his own self destructive demons pull her into his hell?

A woman determined to look forward. A man always looking back. A love desperate to be restored.

This book contains darker subject matter and violent content that may be difficult for some readers.

Genres: Dark, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Abuse, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Second Chance Romance

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

About the author

Elizabeth Finn is a multi-published contemporary romance author. Her passion is creating stories packed full of angsty believable conflicts, characters who leave you rooting for them, and romance that might just short-circuit your e-reader. She likes her characters flawed and scarred, but they always find the best part of themselves on their journey, and her readers find themselves devoted to her authentic, honest and heartfelt voice.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!



Kane’s Hell is one the most emotional, heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romances I’ve ever read. This book made me feel, made me sob, and it made me think. It’s a story about guilt, forgiveness, tragedy, moving forward, love, and justice. It’s a story about two people broken from their past. Two people trying to move forward with their lives in different ways.

One event changed the lives of these two friends forever. One night eleven years ago put them both on a different path. A path away from each other. One traumatic experience shared. Now they are back in the same place. Facing each other for the first time in all those years. Since they’ve been teenagers, the directions Kane and Helene took were opposite. Helene buried everything. She went to college, school has been her life. Her focus. Kane hasn’t coped the same way. He’s taken a more destructive path…



Kane and Helene have a difficult time coming into each others lives once again. Helene never understood Kane’s choice of leaving her. He doesn’t do a great job explaining it, and she’s never truly moved past those feelings of being abandoned when she needed him most.

“I needed you, and you left me. You left me in this place to deal with… everything on my own.”


Kane is here now. And he wants to move forward with Helene. He knows he doesn’t deserve her, but just maybe he deserves to be able to go back to a time before their life was forever changed.

“I’m just trying to figure out how to deserve you, Helene. And when you figure out that I don’t, I’m not sure what that’s going to do to me, and that… scares the shit out of me.”

E. Finn really out did herself with this story. Emotional and steamy scenes are always something you can count on in a Finn book, it’s where she shines. And this was by far her most emotional story yet. There were parts that were devastating to read. And these characters. I completely and utterly loved both of these characters.

Kane. My beautiful broken Kane. This man has endured more than any human should have to. He’s lived with guilt. He’s lived with shame. And he’s lost the only person he’s ever truly loved. Now he knows he has to get her back, but he struggles with his feelings of deserving. I love my heroes broken and Kane is just that.

“We deserve a future,” I said quietly. “We deserve to be happy.”

I think Helene is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever encountered. She had the strength to move on and cope in the healthiest way she could. She had the ability to forgive Kane. Thats a huge deal. She went through something so hard and she had to do it alone. She was essentially abandoned by the only person who could understand. So to be able to forgive and move past, it makes her strong.

This book is real. It’s raw, intense and gut wrenching. It’s been weeks since I read it and I’m just now reviewing. Everything still feels fresh in my mind because the story never really left. To me, that just shows how exceptional it really is. I love the theme of forgiveness and second chances. Kane and Helene’s journey isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::::

“Everything in my life seems to bring me to you.”

WOAH. WOW. OMG. THE FEELS!!!!!

This book was a non-stop roller coaster ride that I could not put down from the moment I started reading. Let me warn you though that it is not for the faint of heart. Part of the storyline is raw, dark and intensely gritty, but it’s also deeply, beautifully, and painfully romantic. It’s an emotional, erotic love story that just had this spark that kept my heart racing the whole way through. I absolutely loved it!!!

“I’m not good at much in this world… But I’m good at loving you,” I whispered.

I guess you could call it a second chance romance, but it would be more accurately described as a romance between a couple reunited years after a traumatic experience drove them apart. Kane and Helene (he calls her Hell) had been best friends in high school — an unlikely match with him being the popular and untouchable bad boy, and her being a more quiet and studious type — who cared deeply for each other and likely would have ended up together as a couple shortly after if a brutal attack hadn’t destroyed their lives. (I’m going to insert a spoiler tag below because I want to be very upfront that this part of the book likely has triggers for some readers.) Unable to cope with the trauma, Kane unexpectedly left town one night and she never heard from him again until a decade later when he walked into the university class she was now teaching… as a student. Despite the pain and years of separation, their connection and pull towards each other hadn’t diminished. She naturally had questions, but he couldn’t give her all the answers. Not yet. But he also couldn’t stay away from her and they slowly but carefully rekindled their romance… while working together to help each other heal and finally confront the past that had shattered them once before.

I looked up. “Kane.” I said his name and nothing more, but it was too breathy, too quiet.

“Hell.” He walked toward me slowly, his face sly and mischievous. He’d always had that countenance to him — as though nothing, not life, not nightmares, not boogiemen, nor monsters could rattle him. I’d loved that about him once. Of course it wasn’t true, and he was just as vulnerable to the monsters as I was.

Before anything, I want to address the dark part of the book because when I was originally considering reading this book, I desperately wanted to know what to expect and I couldn’t find this information anywhere. In the hidden spoiler link down below, I’m going to include full details what what this story element is so that you can make an informed decision whether or not it’s something you want to read.

She reached for my stomach, letting her palm cover the four inch scar that ran from my navel to the left side of my abdomen. It was her scar as much as mine, and she knew damn well she didn’t need my permission to touch it.

The main couple share a very painful past which could include triggers for some readers. It is genuinely horrific and not glossed over. (Note: there are several chapters – the flashbacks – near the beginning that had me questioning whether I could or even wanted to handle this story at all, but I’m so glad I kept going). Kane and Helene do get through it and past it, and their journey back together and the way they helped each other heal through their undeniable and undying love for each other was just gorgeous.

Going back to the dark though, I can say that I honestly almost stopped reading during one of the flashbacks because I just felt it was too much. Like really, I did not want that much detail. It was horrifically painful and kinda drawn out. I think readers who are used to darker romance will be fine with the scenes (okay, not rainbows-and-unicorns fine, but you’ll be able to handle it) and others will potentially be totally turned off the book by it. It’s really fucking brutal, okay?

Please just be warned.
__________________________

For full details, read this: So basically the trauma is one incident of intense psychological and sexual assault. Eleven years ago, Kane and Helene were working together at a remote gas station and one night a deranged vagabond came in and held them at gun-point. After forcing them into a back room, he threatened to kill them if they didn’t do exactly as he said. He forced Helene to perform oral sex on him before forcing Kane to rape to Helene threatening that if Kane didn’t do it, he would do it instead. Torn between an impossible choice, Kane tried to shield her from the worst of it. Before the end, the man then raped Kane himself before letting them both just walk away. That night naturally scarred them both mentally and physically.

Unable to handle the guilt, Kane left town and turned down a destructive path. He got into fights, slept with anyone, did anything he could to numb the pain in the most self-destructive way he could.

Helene, after an intense period of depression and pain, threw herself into her studies obsessively. She used that drive as a way of blocking out everything she was trying so desperately to forget.

There are about three short flashback chapters dedicated to this scene so you genuinely get details and it’s exactly as cringeworthy and painful to read as you’d expect. It’s not eroticized (if that makes sense — this isn’t a rape-fantasy story at all) but it’s definitely not glossed over.

Ok… a few other things while we’re in spoiler-ville.

There is no cheating and no love triangle. Once they’re back together, they’re together. Kane is head-over-heels in love with Hell. He literally is incapable of hurting her more so please don’t be worried about that. He sleeps with tons of women in his destructive years but we’re given no details about those. And there are two incidences prior to them becoming a couple again where you think he may have slept with other women, but he didn’t — and as soon as the opportunity presents itself, he reassures her of that too. He’s quite devoted to her.

And finally, there is a beautifully happy ending. Promise. Cross my heart. I swooned.
__________________________

“Can’t we just forget about the monsters?” he whispered, his lips touching and teasing my earlobe. “All I want to remember is us.”

So, without a doubt, what they’d been through together was scarring in the worst way, and how Kane especially had handled it made things even more painful. The eleven years of separation had left many emotional gaps between them but their connection to each other had never faded and despite the rocky terrain they had to go over on their journey back together, you could just tell that they were both trying so hard to be functional and healthy together in an open, honest way. They were committed to each other to the point where I couldn’t help but believe that they belonged together.

I loved the way they just kept gravitating back to each other — always back to each other. Even though their worst memories were with each other, they were each also the only person with whom the other truly felt safe — both emotionally and physically. Everything about the emotions they went through made sense to me. The hesitation, the guilt, the questions, the desperation to reconnect, the love that kept pulling them together. Both their pain and their joy was portrayed in such a believable fashion.

“What do you want from me?” Tears fell down her cheeks…

“I need to be close to you,” I admitted, feeling my lips tremble to. “Please let me be close to you… I want to talk to you, and I want you to talk to me. I want to touch you, and I want you to touch me, too. I want to hold you.” I gave up hiding the tears, and when I blinked they ran down my cheeks… “I want all of you, regardless of the fact I deserve nothing from you… We deserve to go back and be us again. Not the the us that came after that night. The us before. We were good for each other. I was good for you once — even if no one else in the world saw it or understood that.”

This book is explicitly erotic so it’s definitely an Adult romance. Kane’s a dirty talker and they do spend a lot of time reconnecting sexually as well as emotionally. Despite how much sex there is in the book, I honestly didn’t feel it was too much. It made sense for the story and given the nature of their shared trauma, it made sense to me that they’d use it in part as a way of healing.

“Please don’t make me a bad memory. Let me be a good one.”

It’s worth mentioning again that my favorite part of this book was reading about characters who are trying their best to make a healthy relationship work despite many outside factors working against them. Another good example of this is the Crossfire series. Their shared triumphs and pitfalls, ups and downs, and they way they worked together to be together is what I love to read about most.

“You’re saying the emotional side of all this is more complicated?”

“Do you see it any other way?” he asked.

I turned my body toward him… “No, I don’t.”

“Hey.” He pulled my face to look at him… “Complicated is okay.”

Another thing I really liked were the scenes in her classroom where they discussed various philosophical aspects that inevitably were turned back around in a way that actually brought the story very much ‘full circle’ by the end. I thought the integration of this particular aspect of the story was very well done and greatly helped to provide balance to the story.

Please be aware that even though I loved this book, I do not think that it will be something that every single reader will necessarily love because of the darker elements. Again, if you’re hesitant, please read the spoiler tag above to help you make an informed decision. I always get nervous recommending books that have this level of grit to them because I don’t want a more sensitive reader to be too shocked by it’s content. That being said, if you’re the kind of reader who craves dark, gritty, emotionally intense stories then you definitely have to give this book a shot. Hopefully this review will help make the decision easy.

For the record though, there is nothing else dark about this book other than their past. Their present is just about healing and coping and finding a way to rebuild their lives together. But there’s no more dark.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he said quietly. “Nothing has made sense in my life without you.”

As you get closer to the end, you slowly become aware of what Kane is planning and OMG my heart sank. I understood why he wanted to do it, but I was soooo worried. I desperately flipped the pages unsure about whether or not I wanted him to go through with it or not. Like their philosophy discussions in class, this was such a grey area and I desperately needed to know they’d be okay. By 95% I was seriously freaking the fuck out. But I can reassure you without giving away too much that this book has a truly beautiful ending (that includes an epilogue). It’s completely satisfactory in a way where you could really tell that the author put in the thought to genuinely bring their story full circle.

“We’re going to be okay,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her. I had no doubt she could be okay all on her own without my presence in her life. But I also had no doubt I never would be without her. “We’re going to be okay,” I repeated.

The story is told in first person perspective and alternating points of view between Kane and Helene. The story is separated into three main parts and the first part includes flashbacks to that night. But other than that, the rest of the storyline is present-day and forward moving. I really enjoyed the writing. The author paid attention to all the right details in a way that really made me able to connect strongly with the story on an emotional level. And the steam factor is HIGH. This is definitely an erotic romance.

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down even for a moment. It was a really fantastic blend of raw gritty edginess, steamy erotic romance, and intensely emotional healing that kept me glued to the page with my heart racing. It’s not a story for the faint of heart, but it’s most definitely a new favorite for me!

“Everything in my life seems to bring me to you.”

Rating: 4.5 stars.
Contemporary Adult Romance Standalone
(trigger warning, see spoiler tag above)

PS: just a personal note. I wrote this review literally right after I finished reading the book because I wanted to get the explanations out ASAP for readers who wanted it. Usually I sit on my thoughts overnight and take more time to edit my reviews. So I apologize for any repetition or typos in this one.

_______________________________________

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[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

”How can one little thing destroy so much?”

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Elizabeth Finn starts this story off with a heart pounding beginning that will stick with me at the mere mention of this book’s title for years to come. The two main characters, Kane and Helene are friends who work together and have a strong attraction to one another in their teen years. Sadly a horrific incident occurs that leaves shadows over both characters even years in the future.

”My shadows were what separated me from Hell – not the bad Hell, the good Hell. I wanted my Hell.”

Helene is working at Penn State Hazleton as an assistant professor of Philosophy 101. She’s thrown herself in her school work since the day her best friend Kane left town. When Kane waltzes into her classroom and back to town their attraction is still strong but the past and their barriers are hard to overcome.

”She could be attached to the most painful, agonizing memories in my mind, but she also filled my most favorite memories too.”

The beginning was completely gripping but I wasn’t so in love with the idea that Kane was a whore and Helene was closed off sexually because of this past event. Still who can turn down hot Elizabeth Finn sex scenes?

”You have a hard time warming up to people physically. I get it. I have a hard time warming up to people emotionally.”

I did think the ending totally kicked ass and the story as a whole was a creative idea and was very well executed. Overall very different story line that made for an interesting thoughts on justice.

”Please don’t make me a bad memory. Let me be a good one.”

*Beta read this story for the wonderful Elizabeth Finn*

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4–Gut-Wrenching–Stars

Such a good book but, boy, did it drain me emotionally.

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIVE on AMZ- http://bit.ly/1c1Nhr9

4.5 Second Chance Stars!




Kane's Hell by Elizabeth Finn is a story filled with a lot of pain from the past yet hope for a happy future. Kane and Helene were best friends since childhood. He was the popular "player" while she was the quiet loner. Their differences didn't matter because they had a special connection, a connection they never thought could be severed. Until one dark night at age seventeen. All the carefree innocence teens savor...gone. The next day, so was Kane. Gone without a trace, leaving Helene to pick up the pieces alone.


“I needed you, and you left me. You left me in this place to deal with… everything on my own.”



Helene has lived the past eleven years since that night buried in her studies. She's never spoke of the events, internalizing her pain, letting it fuel her desire to succeed academically. A doctoral student at Penn State Hazleton, she's currently teaching a Philosophy class when her past comes colliding with her present. Kane is back...a student in her class.





Kane, in the other hand, has lived the past eleven years punishing himself for the events of that fateful night. Binge drinking, fights, one night stands...he's done anything BUT succeed. But when he hears Hell is back in Hazleton, he can't resist the chance to see her again. He knows it's a mistake, knows the past needs to stay buried yet she's a draw he can't resist.


"I want all of you, regardless of the fact I deserve nothing from you."


Kane's Hell is a torturous second-chance love story that elicited a plethora of emotions in me. The events of eleven years ago are trickle fed via chapters from the past. It's also in dual POV which puts the reader front row center in each of their heads. This was impeccably done. Sometimes back and forth timelines muddle things for me. Not so here.


It's no secret my love of this author. Her plot lines and writing style just click for me- always filled with all kinds of angst and emotions. When I'd read this book had a bit of darkness, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. That being said, I think it's imperative this book have a bit of a disclaimer. The scene from that fateful night is a bit graphic. Not because it's super detailed, more so because Ms. Finn has such an innate ability to invest her reader's hearts fully into the story. Because of this, the scene affected me more than books that are much more graphic. It's just her way and also why I love her stories the way I do. So, I'll spoiler tag this. If there's triggers for readers related to certain violence, you may want to click it. Otherwise move along and DO NOT click spoiler. Let their story play out. Kane and Helene were attacked by a customer in a gas station. Made to perform sexual acts. Raped.





It's fair to say Kane and Helene have a lot of struggles ahead. Both have chosen to deal with the past in their own non-therapeutic ways. Yet their connection stays strong from the day they see each other in that classroom. There's trust to be rebuilt yet their feelings have never changed. She is the one positive thing in Kane's life. Is it so bad to want it back?





Can Helene trust Kane again? Trust him not to cut and run when the going gets tough? Her brain says one thing. Her heart another.





I can't review an Elizabeth Finn book without highlighting the awesomeness of her sex scenes. Holy smoking panties she can write dirty talkers! I think that's why she's the whole package for me as far as authors go. She writes fairly complex plot lines of events that could clearly happen to anyone. She writes angst like no other- firmly grabbing ahold of the reader by the heart strings with thorough character development. You can't help but be emotionally invested in their love story. And the sex. Well, that's in a category all it's own. Scorching. It's read like erotica but not like the commonplace erotica we see in most books. And, most importantly, she always gives her readers a happily ever after. She may rip our hearts out of our chests throughout the book, but in the end, she heals us completely.





I'd highly recommend Kane's Hell to all Elizabeth Finn fans, to fans of angsty emotional second chance romances, and those who love a tortured hero. Kane is the ultimate tortured hero you just want to curl up to and make it all better. Helene is perfect for him. She's a tough heroine who's been through a lot of ugly as a teen and has persevered. When she could totally cut and run from Kane, she digs deep within her psyche and chooses what's right for her...not for anyone else...for her.







Advanced copy graciously received by Elizabeth Finn in exchange for my honest review.

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[SueBee★bring me an alpha!★]

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[Happy dances] I got an ARC to read as soon as I catch up.

Release date: May 1st
Stand-alone

BLURB:
Kane and Helene were the best of friends until a nightmare devastated them… Hopes were destroyed, dreams shattered, a budding teenage love torn to pieces. Eleven years later their lives are nothing like they once were. Time has changed them … and not for the better.

Helene is smart, driven, and accomplished—her education and achievements a smoke screen hiding the frigid and fragile child wounded long ago.

Kane is equally obsessed with his coping mechanisms—fighting … drinking … screwing … compulsively destroying himself one vice at a time.

When their paths collide again, their past becomes an obstacle no coping mechanism in the world can protect them from. But confronting the past so they can heal in the present is no easy task. Can Kane reach Helene and recapture what used to burn so warmly between them, or will his own self destructive demons pull her into his hell?

A woman determined to look forward. A man always looking back. A love desperate to be restored.

“You’re the brightest, warmest star in my universe. You’ll never be less than everything to me.”


ARC provided to me by author Elizabeth Finn in exchange for an honest review.

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[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I need to be near you, and I DON'T know what that looks like. But I DO know I need it. Please give me another chance.

Fans of second chance romance prepare to get your hearts ripped out. I'm talking 'reach through your throat, make you ugly cry in a corner and fuck you up' kind of ripped out. It's no secret that this author writes some ANGST, but nothing prepared me for this book. Let me start off with a disclaimer here; I don't think this book is for everyone. There's a particular scene in this book that's a potential trigger and if you're sensitive to that sort of thing, well, be advised. Being a huge fan of dark romance I'm fairly desensitized to most things, but this scene even made me cringe. It was very difficult to read even if it wasn't overly descriptive. It broke my cold and black little heart dammit. I actually had to pause the book right after it just to get my shit together. Yeah. It was that effective.

Kane and Helene were best friends in high school and had a budding romance going which Kane was always hesitant to act on. But then one night and one event changed the course of their lives irrevocably. Prepare yourselves for one gut-wrenching read because this event? It was BAD. You don't know what it is and it will be retold through present to past flashbacks in the first third of the story.

I needed you, and you left me. You left me in this place to deal with...everything on my own.

What happened made Helene a shell of the woman that she once was. It took her years to wade her way out of the pain and nightmares especially since Kane left right after it, but she did it through her focus on school. Now eleven years later, she's teaching and working on her dissertation, using her education and her career to push back the devastating memories. The last person she expects to walk into her classroom is the only person that knows what happened those years ago and shared the nightmare with her.

Can't we just forget about the monsters," he whispered....
"All I want is to remember us."

The last place Kane wants to be in is the one that reminds him of everything that he lost and the nightmares he barely keeps at bay. Where Helene uses her education and career to mask her pain, he uses self punishment in the form of fights, alcohol and sex. He craves the pain to punish himself. Back to care for his ailing father, he's determined to finally get the only girl that's ever had his heart.

I'm not good at much in this world. But I'm good at loving you."

If you've come to love Elizabeth's dirty talkers, Kane definitely delivers on that end. He also has that dash of asshole that you've come to expect from this author, though not overly so.

The story is told in 3 parts; the first third is told in alternating flashbacks of present to past, slowly retelling the nightmare that Hell and Kane shared together 11 years ago. The reader is given one small piece of the puzzle in each flashback until all the pieces begin to fit together into one devastating picture. The 2nd and 3rd part doesn't have the flashbacks and is told all in the present and focuses on Hell and Kane attempting to put their broken pieces together again.

Everything about us is fragile- our relationship, the way we communicate, the way we fuck. I always feel like I'm two seconds away from letting you slip through my fingers. It's all so very fucking fragile.

I did find the story dragging a little somewhere after the 40% mark and I found myself skimming a bit through a few of the sex scenes. I can't say that it read like a filler, not at all. But it was slower paced after the jaw dropping events of the first third.

I love you, Helene. I want you to know that. You're the only person I have ever and will ever love in this lifetime. I'm so good at loving you. It's the one thing I can safely say I will never falter at.

This was NOT a dark romance, but it certainly had much darker undertones than anything I had previously read by this author before. It had plenty of her trademark angst, dirty talk and hot as hell sex scenes. But beyond that it also had a beautifully painful second chance romance about two very broken people that slowly learn how to heal themselves and put back together their shattered pieces.

You are EVERYTHING to me," I said emphatically.
"Sometimes nothing is enough- not even everything."

It's not an easy read for sure, but it's certainly worth the pain for the beauty of their HEA at the end.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Katy Loves Romance ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75-4 Stars



Ok this is the first book I read from this author and although I wasn't wowed, I adored Elizabeth's writing where she gave me as a reader some raw characters that developed at a slow steady pace, Saying all that I had a whole lot of emotions some good, some not so good so I'm going to give you some of thoughts on a subject that maybe slightly tough for some people.

What's it about
Kane and Helene were childhood best friends, they grew up from different backgrounds and different families one family that was more of a nurturing loving and supportive where she felt safe, then a father that was cruel, mean and completely different life for Kane but they were best of friends and that grew to wanting more as they grew where they were I suppose each others sanctuary more so for Kane but they were at a place that they loved and maybe even to look into the possibility of a MORE with each other and not just friends .



Except one night changed that path where they both went through the worst kind of torment and aguish that any kind of person should go through never mind that they're friends and going through it together and they should of been through it together Kane ran away. So in present day Kane doesn't cope as well as Helene for Kane he dealt by drinking and being with lots of women a way to take the burn away, to scratch that itch and to forget it was how he dealt, but for Helene she put her whole heart and sole into her studies and forgot in the best way possible. Now Kane's come back to sort his father's house out they both are having to confront their issues and see each other again by Kane enrolling in one of Helene's night class's to help with her dissertation and studies.



First off I have to discuss slightly this scene and how that hurt me To. Be. Honest. I struggled it was really difficult for me to read because it wasn't skimmed over you go through it bit by bit read it from the past and what they went though to present and how they deal with seeing each other the first 1/4 while this was going on truthfully it was HARD for me. I took a few breaks I love Angsty reads I love to cry and I love emotion but for me I struggled I'm not saying it wasn't needed that's just me and how I felt. Saying that I love the author for making us readers see what went on that evening and so she was truthfully giving us the bigger picture when you get to the end.



The middle
It compromises of how they re-kindle or more like learn to love each other, learn to touch and feel each other and ultimately learn to let each other in to be Together.

This is a long read it took me allll week so being honest I got bored with the many HAWT scenes I just lacked a connection, I felt there were lots of explanations so it wasn't always straightforward and therefore I didn't feel a connection with them. There was just something lacking for me, they had been through a lot together to be at his point but I just lacked the depth to their emotions (this is just me so please don't let me put you off) as there's so many people who didn't feel like me I just struggled and at one point DNF'd but I hate doing that so I kept on....



But boy was I happy I did.... I know I know WHAT??? yep last 30% I Loved it!!!

The last 30%
Evan though I struggled to keep going in the middle when I got to 70% and realised what the author was doing, I was sobbing my heart out. Here I was at 1am trying to calm myself down breathing in and out so I didn't wake my house up no joke. I realised what the author did in the middle and saw for REALS what actually happened that night.



All in all this was a full circle of emotions for me, I struggled, I was with them as they gained what they had at the beginning, bored and then emotional and happy for them at the end. So a Roller coaster journey for me, I would suggest in my experience give yourself time when reading it and keep on even if your like me and lacked the connection I felt in the middle as it was worth it for the end, I had an understanding.




To sum up
So to sum up would I recommend it ~ Yes just keep going and don't give up on them.

Will I read anything this author writes in the future? ~ Yes actually I have a few on my kindle that I really need to bump up.

If you like Raw characters that aren't always perfect but flawed and scared for a life they think they don't deserve this this is your next author to try.

That.Is.All




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[MELISSA *Mel Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "You Are Everything To Me" Stars!
(BR with Sharon)





Kane Thorson & Helene Hess grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania called Hazleton. They were neighbors and the best of friends. When they were 17 they experienced something horrific together that forever alters the
course of their lives. Kane leaves town, leaving Helene when she needs him the most, and is gone for 11 years.



-"None of us can do anything in this world only to ourselves without affecting another. We're all just dominoes lined up waiting to fall."

-I had no doubt she could be okay all on her own without my presence in her life. But I also had no doubt I never would be without her.

-She was my friend first and foremost and had been since we were children, and that apparently meant something to even me.



After 11 years Kane returns home to handle some family business. He seeks out Helene, and enrolls himself in her Philosophy class at the university to be near her. They shared the most painful & the happiest moments of their lives together. They have such a complicated past, but Kane still feels the need to just be close to her. He's missed her so much, and is still addicted to her. He longs to feel again, and she's the only person who's ever made him truly feel. While Helene is trying to look forward & move on with her life, Kane was still looking back & living in the past. He feels torn because he needs her but at the same time he thinks she deserves better than him.



-No one in all the world knew her the way I did.

-"All I want is to remember us."

-"I want all of you, regardless of the fact I deserve nothing from you."

-"I need to be near you, and I don't know what that looks like. But I do know I need it. Please give me another chance."

-"My heart will always be in the right place with you."



This was such an emotional read. It has some deep subject matter & in the beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book, but the author takes you on such a journey with this couple. She takes two people whose world came crashing down around them, and we see them heal through each others love & patience. This couple shared such an intense level of intimacy and a connection that is essential to their existence and well being. They longed for each others touch & comfort, and they were each others home. They become desperate to hold onto each other & what they feel when together. Most of their lives have been in some way intertwined with each other. Their joy, their pain, & their childhood. Their pain transforms into something beautiful. Its very rare that a book makes me feel so much & touches my heart like this. I continue to love Elizabeth Finn's amazing writing & look forward to reading more from this author! :D

[Carol (StarAngel's Reviews) Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book – Kane’s Hell
Author – Elizabeth Finn
Publication Date – May 1, 2015
Genre – Romance
Type – Stand Alone
Cliffhanger - No
Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars

Complimentary Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
 
My Thoughts - Story
It took me a bit to figure out how to rate and review this because so many things either pulled at my heartstrings or pissed me off.

Ms. Finn always has a way to incorporate questionable subjects and add them in a story to really make you think about your original morals and opinions on a debatable topic. She does it again with this story of Kane and Hell with a subject so controversial that I found myself changing my stance on it a few times.



But not only does she achieve a thought provoking story but she also adds in the philosophical aspect where different opinions are massaged into the underlying tale of Kane and Hell. I think this is the reason why I love Ms. Finn’s work so much – while you are reading and are completely engrossed in the story – you don’t even realize she is making you ponder certain touchy issues. She is subtle in her message and that takes a very experienced and talented writer.

The development of these characters is astounding and even though I guessed the secret, I still had doubts until the outcome was unveiled.

What do you come away with by the end of the book?
You get a short lesson on philosophy
You feel (whether it be sadness, joy, satisfaction, confusion, or any other)
Your brain cells are put to the test
You don’t feel like you wasted a day or two reading a cookie-cutter romance

Don’t read if…
You only like traditional love stories
You are prejudiced in your viewpoints and don’t like to be swayed
You don’t like to relate to the characters
You don’t like to feel so many emotions



Re-Cap
Ms. Finn takes us on a journey from the past to the present in the POV of Kane and Hell – something happened in the past to these two that has them both leading a life of destruction or ignorance.

It’s been eleven years since that night and Kane is back in town after leaving Hell without any explanation. Is he back to make her life HELL or to reestablish their past feelings for each other? This time though, they are both different. They each have their own ways of dealing with what happened in the past but the layers they have built to protect themselves are nothing compared to the attraction they feel for each other.

As they both try to heal from the past with the help of each other, there are still secrets Kane holds that just very well may be their final downfall.

What? You thought I would reveal the story? The ending? Maybe the issue at hand?

Yeah right….read the book and find out for yourself.
 
Reason for Reading – Author request
Story Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Steam Rating – 5 out of 5 Stars
Angst Rating – 5 out of 5 Stars
Writing Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Content Flow Rating – 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Told in – Dual POV
Hero – Kane – didn’t like him from time to time but ended up loving the hell out of him
Heroine – Helene (Hell) – she was a great character and an inspiration to all
HEA? - Yes
Would Read More from Author? Yes
Recommend To – Anyone who really likes to deal with issues in their reading – issues that really make you second-guess your original stance.

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything...and nothing like I thought it would be. One thing is for sure...it's AMAZING! But a bit of a warning, there's some very dark subject matter involved.

Kane and Helene grew up together being neighbors out in the country. Kane is gorgeous and popular and Helene...is not. Seniors in high school, they work at the same gas station and Kane's decided to take things to the next level when events take a horrific turn.

The book alternates between what happened in the past, eleven years ago, and what's happening now, in the present. And for once, this didn't bother me. There's quite a separation and when there's something to be told...it's told in great detail although it never crossed the line (for me).

Presently, Helene is working on her doctorate in philosophy and teaching a night class and that's where she runs into Kane who's back in town and taking her class. This leads to some interesting events. I really loved how they tied in some of the philosophy with their own experiences and Kane's final paper was so romantic!



Helene feels she's moved on from that night eleven years ago but it's easy to see she hasn't. Kane, though, was beginning to make some progress when family matters got in the way.

I loved seeing how much these two affect each other and how coming together brings them such peace and sense of belonging. I'm not gonna lie...it was hard hearing...and seeing some of the things Kane did. It definitely lead to a lot of angst and drama.

Once these two do get together, things are all kinds of hot. Kane has a certain way of dirty talking that's just a little different but still good in all the right ways. And poor Helene, for most of the scenes, she's just trying to hang on...until Kane buys her a few things.

My favorite character is Helene's sister, Hilde. She's just what Helene needed even if she didn't always realize it. I'm glad Kane did. And OMG....Sienna and her drawings? LOL...to die for!

It's not too hard to have a basic idea of what happened but that didn't even faze me. I simply could not put the book down until I had ALL the answers. And I'm not gonna lie...when Kane went through with what he intended? OMG...HUGE crocodile tears.

The story does end well and the epilogue was amazing. The last couple Elizabeth Finn books haven't been the greatest for me but I'm glad to say...she's back!!


The Good Stuff:

Dual Pov's? Yes!

Steam Factor? (Scale 1 - 5) Off the Charts!

Angst? (Scale 1 - 5) 4 sounds good. Not too over the top but enough to satisfy junkies like me!

Next book? Standalone at this time.




Favorite quotes:

♥ “I want to talk to you, and I want you to talk to me. I want to touch you, and I want you to touch me too. I want to hold you.” I gave up hiding the tears, and when I blinked they ran down my cheeks. “I won’t look for pain from another man’s fist to release me from what hurts so much in my head. I’ll tell you what hurts instead. I won’t use sex with other women to hide from my pain. But I’ll give it to you if it’s what you need from me.”

♥ “Nothing has made sense in my life without you.”

♥ “I didn’t know it would be like this,” I finally said quietly. “To see you again. I … didn’t know I would love it.”

♥ "We're going to be okay."

♥ “I want my homecoming dance with my homecoming date.”

♥ “I’m going to teach them to draw penises on the walls and feed banana peels to the DVD player.”


♦ BR w/Melissa!

(Prior to review)


it certainly was!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOOK pre-order link :

http://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/kanes-h...

Amazon pre-order link :

http://www.amazon.com/Kanes-Hell-Eliz...

Loved loved loved this one !!! Definitely going right up there as one of my Favorites ❤️

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complimentary Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review





TITLE: Kane's Hell
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Finn
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: May 1st 2015
MY RATING: 4 1/2 Stars

This was a hard one to rate, I flipped between a 4 and 5 star and settled half way between the two..

And that was because for me (and this is only my opinion) I felt Kane was too pushy, even though I loved his character there were times when I really disliked him too..It felt at times as though instead of trying to heal he wanted to push her boundaries within experimental sex..

I loved the authors writing style, the connection I felt with both characters but mainly more with Kane and his demons..You kind of have to really think outside the box and put yourself in these characters shoes to really get those feels coursing through your body..

FORGIVENESS

This book is so heart breakingly raw, two childhood best friends that both endured an unbearable tragic night at the hands of a sadistic evil man, from that day on a carefree life ended that fateful night, two broken souls (one more than the other) needing the other to become whole again..

We're going to be okay

A woman determined to look forward. A man always looking back. A love desperate to be restored.

“You’re the brightest, warmest star in my universe.
You’ll­ never be less than everything to me.”

I needed you, and you left me. You left me in this place to deal with ... everything on my own.

SEX, FIGHTING, ALCOHOL

Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm the person I once was. You'll only be disappointed when you realise I'm not.

I fight because it feels good to hurt..I drink because it feels good to go numb..And I f*ck because it feels good to forget..

Without divulging too much about this book and spoiling it for you, please just one click it when it's released and read for yourself what this couple endured and what it took for them to overcome all obstacles..

I closed my eyes, remembering a time when being close to him felt good. Until the day one..little..thing..destroyed it all.But that was just it. I wasn't a little thing at all. It was the worst of things.

This does have a HEA but it takes a while for them to reach their "Beautiful life"

You've always been my Hell

What happened eleven years before should have destroyed the intimacy between us. But it hadn't. My shadows were what separated me from Hell - not the bad hell - the good Hell. I wanted my Hell.

[Mariℓina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kane's Hell is an amazing book with such a powerful, demanding and heartbreaking plot. Right from the start the reader feels the deep pain, the angst, the torment and awaits along with the characters for the redemption to come.


Like any other book written by Elizabeth Finn, this also grabbed me by the hand and refused to leave me until the very last page. And yes, i loved every bit of it!


I know i'm sentimental as hell on my own and i don't need much persuasion to empathize with whatever i read, but that was entirely too much! Kane and his Hell, have the sweetest friendship ever that got destroyed in the blink of an eye by the most excruciating incident. Helene stayed, Kane vanished!


Now more than a decade later those two broken souls find themselves back together still harboring a big trauma, secrets but also feelings for one another. Kane is back to fix a broken house while taking care of some unfinished business and Helene is back as an assistant professor and doctoral student writing her dissertation.


They chose different paths, Kane's was meaningless sex, fighting and drugs, Helene's was filled with books and studies. Now they have a second chance to heal each other and start a life together, will it work?


A tale of so much heartache, unbelievable remorse, intense anguish, dreams that got destroyed, awful mistakes, love, sex, justice and healing! I recommend it with a passion!




THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

- The male rape was left out wisely
- Helene was forced but it was different! It was at least with Kane someone who really loved her.
- Dual POV.
- Interesting narrative style. I enjoyed the back and forth immensely.
- I love his nickname for her! Aptly chosen!
- Hilda and her timing are out of this world.
- Mark is very likable!
- Siena and Brody are just perfect!


ARC provided by the author in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!

[Olga therebelreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utterly fabulous read, an emotional rollercoaster, a constant page turner, a heart crushing book!! I loved, loved Kane's story.....at times I was seeing red, I could feel his emotions, and then…tears…, but so glad Helene and Kane got their HEA.... The book is all about deep love, forgiveness, pain, trust and justice.

Kane and Helene are sharing a dark, incredibly-painful secret from their adolescence. Both of them have been living with the pain and deep trauma of abuse for years. The conversations that unfold are completely raw, real, vulnerable and powerful on so many levels. They haven’t spoken about it to anybody on fear of further humiliation, rejection and isolation. The painful memory of the past and shameful incidence has been tormenting them since the day it happened. That incident remained imprinted within their psyches like a photograph frozen in time, with all its memories and toxic feelings that keep the individual from living a healthy and productive life with spontaneity and flexibility.





The difference between these two broken souls is that Kane did not have his family’s support and love. On the other hand, Helene’s family became the rock she needed in her life. Kane left immediately after the tragic incident without saying goodbye to anyone, not even to his best friend Helene.

The dark secret has forced them into some kind of hyper-vigilance and an avoidant kind of lifestyle. When they meet again after 11 years, memories come back and the unbearable pain seems difficult to overcome. But, love comes down to rescue Kane and Helene. Love repairs a bond that was broken. Love becomes their distraction, the parachute that saves them.




It's a story about love, justice and fighting the obstacles we face to get where we wanna be. The writing was engaging and flowed effortlessly. I don't even remember if there were errors, but if they were, it didn't take away from the story one bit. Wonderful story Elizabeth Finn!

[FMABookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

GRITTY, RAW, STEAMY

Elizabeth Finn does not play games! Her writing is raw, gritty and very steamy. She tackles subject matter that will make you squirm, read with one eye closed and cry tears alongside her characters.

With Kane’s Hell, Elizabeth gives us two character’s with a tragically violent past who are attempting to move on with each other. The subject matter may not be appropriate for all readers, as there is graphic sexual content as it relates to a rape incident. This was not an easy read. This was a tragic read. It was emotional and heart-wrenching at times, but it was also fantastically written. I was in shock at the end that the author was able to turn this story into a second chance romance with an HEA.

Life long friends, Kane and HELL, Helene, had grown up together, flirted their way through high school, and probably would have had a future together. However, one tragic night changed the course of their futures changing what could have been into only a dream.

These two lived two lives, before the incident and after. It was the after that broke my heart for Kane. He seemed to have the hardest time coping with that night and the events that followed. He was drowning in guilt and memories. At first I had an issue with this, that he seemed most affected. But I think had the author shown us how Helene was feeling or had dealt with everything, this book would have been too heavy of a read. Instead, Ms. Finn gives us a strong Heroine in Helene. Someone who made an identity for herself. I loved these two characters. In the end, it was each other that they needed, they found healing in one another and with each other they fought the monsters and demons from outside and within.

*ARC graciously provided in exchange for review*

[Nikki ღ Navareus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whew, what an emotional, brutal read. I like dark stories, but this one felt so horrifically realistic it was scary. I kept putting it aside and starting something fluffy, then going back to it again. The story telling was tight, but the story itself was emotionally exhausting. Take the warnings for this one serious before diving in.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 “We’re going to be okay” stars

Wow, this book brings the feels! Elizabeth Finn writes wonderfully emotional stories, and this book made me feel everything!!! It’s a story about overcoming tragedy, about love, guilt, forgiveness, and moving forward, with a beautifully heart-warming second-chance-romance. I cried sad and happy tears, and got completely wrapped up in this heartachingly beautiful story.

“How can one little thing destroy so much?”

Kane and Helene were childhood best friends on the cusp of love when one tragic night shattered them both and tore them apart. It’s 11 years before they see each other again when Kane comes back to down and straight back into Helene’s life. But the years have left them both incredibly changed from the people that they once were.

The events of the past are detailed in alternating chapters with the present, and it is definitely intense reading. Heartbreaking and graphically disturbing, Finn holds nothing back as she shows us what Kane and Helene went through, and while it allows us to see the extent of their trauma, it’s definitely trigger inducing - it’s a very distressing sexual assault – emotionally, physically and psychologically .

In trying to deal with the aftermath of all that they went through, Helene buried herself in her studies, becoming an associate professor and studying for her doctorate. Kane went a different path, looking for anything and everything (alcohol, violence and women) to numb the pain of the past. The reunion between these two is painful, and full of feels. Helene has always loved Kane but was devastated that he left her to deal with everything they went through on her own, and she is understandably angry and confused. Similarly, Kane has never forgotten his first love, but he is consumed with guilt for everything that happened, and hasn’t been able to move on with his life because of it. But they very quickly realise that the connection that they always shared is still very much alive, even if it is tainted by their trauma, and they begin the battle of finding a way to move forward together despite all they have been through.

“Can’t we just forget about the monsters,” he whispered, his lips touching and teasing my earlobe. “All I want is to remember us.”

OMG, the emotions in this book are sensational! Elizabeth Finn gets you right into the heart of these characters, and you can feel everything they are feeling. My heart broke again and again as they opened up to each other, and I love how they were able to share their feelings and their vulnerabilities with each other – Kane in particular as he tried to overcome his feelings of unworthiness

“What do you want from me?” Tears fell down her cheeks as she pleaded for an answer.
“I need to be close to you,” I admitted, feeling my lips tremble too. “Please let me be close to you.” I was twisting my fingers together, begging pathetically for something I didn’t deserve.

“Please don’t make me a bad memory. Let me be a good one.”

You would think that there would be all sorts of back and forth and secretive brooding going on between these two, but I was blissfully surprised at the function in this reunion. Even though they have so much to be afraid of, neither of them hold back their emotions, and they both put themselves out there again and again, talking through their feelings, and getting everything out in the open, making sure the other is in a good place and working damn hard to move forward together.

“I want to talk to you, and I want you to talk to me. I want to touch you, and I want you to touch me too. I want to hold you.” I gave up hiding the tears, and when I blinked they ran down my cheeks. “I won’t look for pain from another man’s fist to release me from what hurts so much in my head. I’ll tell you what hurts instead. I won’t use sex with other women to hide from my pain. But I’ll give it to you if it’s what you need from me.”
I walked up to her, and she just watched me. Her body looked rigid with tension, and I could see the tendons in her neck strained tight. I stood just in front of her, not willing to touch her until she gave me permission.
“I want all of you, regardless of the fact I deserve nothing from you. Things can’t go on this way with us. It’s tearing me apart. I put myself in your life, because I wanted to see who you were now.” I shook my head as I stared off beside us for a moment. “I didn’t realize it would be so … powerful. Powerful enough I want to give it the chance to rewrite the direction of my life.”

*WAAAAAAAAIL*

It’s a breathtakingly beautiful journey for these two as they battle their demons and find their way back to happiness. I loved that they were able to tease and share sweet moments together, and I swooned over and over again at the romantic declarations and the obvious love that they have for each other.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much,” he said quietly. “Nothing has made sense in my life without you.”

“You’re the brightest, warmest star in my universe,” I whispered. “You will never be less than everything to me.”

And of course it wouldn’t be an Elizabeth Finn book if there wasn’t a healthy dose of sexy time, and holy hell, this book is hot! Kane and Helene’s connection is definitely an emotional one, but that connection translates into the bedroom as well, where they share a tender yet passionate intimacy, and a whole lot of exploration, all of which only brings them closer together.

But there are still issues that they need to overcome, and the hard times aren’t over yet. There are still secrets, and though parts of it were easy to pick, there’s a twist thrown in that I didn’t see coming and again, I was in tears as it all unfolded. And through it all, the emotional and romantic intensity continues to build as the story comes to its breathtaking ending.

She stepped right up to me, gripped the sides of my waist with her hands, and let her forehead drop to my chest.
“We’re going to be okay,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her. I had no doubt she could be okay all on her own without my presence in her life. But I also had no doubt I never would be without her. “We’re going to be okay,” I repeated.

This is such an amazing story, and Kane and Helene’s journey is beautifully written. I felt absolutely everything the whole way through and every moment of heartache is worth it to see them get their happy ending. And it’s all finished off with an incredibly satisfying epilogue which finishes off their story beautifully.

“Nothing else in the world that I’ve experienced has ever touched the importance of us to me.”

I loved it - 4.5 stars.

[Elfina Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how some people watching a horror movie will cover their face with their hands and then spread their fingers out a little to see the nightmarish scene that about to unfold? Kane's hell was that movie. I couldn't put the book down, even though I'm clutching the tissues in one hand, a bally mess with snot running. From start to finish the authors invoked so many different emotions. A recommend read!

What would you do if something horrendous happened to you and the person you loved...maybe a friend, a child or significant other? How would you cope when the memories got hellishly bad? Most of us would have some fake bull shit mask of how we're fine, managing the best we can. While on the inside clawing our guts out a little at a time, self destructing.

Now picture your only seventeen and that's where Kane's Hell begins.

But warning this isn't for the faint of heart, very dark intense subject matters!

[Jess-i-ca]

Bailed around 48% They got too comfortable to each other way too fast especially after their history and what they went through. IDK it wasn't believable enough to me and started going downhill so I bailed.

[Elizabeth Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT'S LIVE!!

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kane's Hell by Elizabeth Finn
4.5 stars!!!

“Justice is this thing that can give a victim salvation. It’s also something that can eat away at a victim like cancer when they don’t have it. It’s the difference between acceptance and peace or denial and tumult.”

This is one of the most heart breaking, emotional, second chance love stories that I have ever read. It is hard to imagine coming back from what these two went through that eventually forced them apart for eleven years, but when their paths cross again, can the past be forgotten or will it be forever lurking in the back ground.

Some things cannot be erased…cannot be overcome, but could these two work through it, together? Will their reconnection just bring back too many bad memories or will it be the catalyst for both of them to work through their issues and forge a future for themselves? So many questions…but this book will make you empathise and sympathise, you will yearn for them to make it and Elizabeth Finn draws you into their lives with a beautifully crafted story that will have you sobbing in parts but rejoicing in others.

“She could be attached to the most painful, agonizing memories in my mind, but she also filled my most favorite memories too.”

Kane and Helene as teenagers were the best of friends, they both had that connection to each other, they both felt it, but neither had the courage to take that step to finally cross the line, but it was imminent. Even though these two were total opposites, they got each other in every way, their friendship was the forever kind and you knew that if they took that next step it would be the forever kind also.

Their lives would be forever changed one night and while one went way, the other went in the total opposite direction and for eleven years these two would be apart, with devastating consequences for both of them.

Helene coped in her own way, she threw herself into her studies…that night, together with Kane’s departure had left her wasting away, but she eventually got up and dusted herself off and coped the only way she knew how, she kept her brain busy. With relentless studying she could block out her past and block out Kane together with that sense of rejection, that sense of abandonment and she worked so hard she was on her way to having her doctorate in Philosophy. On an emotional level though she was still deeply scarred and this lead to her having trouble with any relationship, Helene felt that she was destined to be alone.

“I’m just trying to figure out to deserve you Helene…And when you figure out I don’t I’m not sure what that’s going to do to me, and that…scares the shit out of me.”

Kane was the total opposite; he went to pot, literally. He threw himself into alcohol, drugs and women. He really went off the rails, but it was his coping mechanism and for all those years it worked…for him. When his father gets ill Kane is forced to come back to the town that he ran from eleven years ago, he would soon find out that these coping mechanisms only got him so far, when powerful memories resurface and the woman he left all those years ago is suddenly within arms reach, something’s cannot be repressed and finally need to be dealt with head on…but with what consequences?

“…I fight because it feels good to hurt. I drink because it feels good to go numb. And I fuck because it feels good to forget…how terrifying it can actually be.”

This was a powerful book that covered some very tough subjects, but kudos to Elizabeth Finn because it was all written sensitively and empathetically. It was so emotional and it was hard to imagine just what these two had been through, but even though it was devastating, it would ultimately be the one thing that made them gravitate towards each other, they had survived the past, now it was time for them to grab their future. These two could be each others salvation, their connection too powerful to dismiss and as old feelings resurface and though it means their past will finally have to be confronted, together they make a formidable team.

I loved Kane with a passion, he was so broken and heavily laden with guilt and shame but underneath all that you could see his heart of gold underneath that was begging to be uncovered once again. You knew that there was only one woman for the job but Helene had her own issues to deal with, she never knew why Kane abandoned her and left her to cope on her own would she be able to forgive once the truth is finally revealed?

“What would happen to this man if he unshackled his life and finally broke the chains he’d placed on himself so long ago? Could he turn around and walk out of his cave, finally seeing the shadows for what they were - a pathetic coping mechanism. Could he realign his reality with truth, rather than the twisted notions of what he’d made his world out to be.”

As I said above, this book does cover some tough subjects but sadly these things do happen and are indicative of the world that we live in today and while we would love to live in a bubble where bad things never happen it just isn’t feasible anymore. We can try and protect ourselves as much as possible but there is always someone out there who has no moral compass. Together these two fell, but at the end will they be standing?

“You were my flower too…My warmth in the cold, my beautiful thing in all the ugly. You don’t have to be afraid of this.”

One thing you can guarantee from an Elizabeth Finn book is an emotional and sexy read and this one is no different. I even felt that she was pushing her own boundaries a bit on this one and it was great to see. The emotion hit you in the heart and the sexy times hit you some place else…but you could not help but feel every emotion that these two characters bled onto the pages. Yes it was raw, yes it was gritty but on the upside it was intensely uplifting. A powerful story of forgiveness, redemption and survival. I loved this book and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I can highly recommend this book and be prepared for an intensely emotional ride but one that you will never forget and will forever be thinking about.

“It’s a good life isn’t it…a beautiful life…”

www.theromancecover.com

[Suzanne the Bookaholic and Proud · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about this book part from O....M....G....O....M....G....

I have felt love, I have been heartbroken, and loved again, I have cried and laughed and felt sadness then elation and lived happily ever after.
OMG Kane is your fantasy come alive in this book, and true style he his damaged in himself and only love can save him from him.
Everyone will feel the pain of what Kane and Helena have gone through and only they can save each other.

I read this book in an achingly 2 days it shouldve only been 1 but I ended up falling asleep lol, I didn't even want to eat till I had finished this book, I actually sobbed halfway through this book and I mean the snivelling kind too, I even sobbed at the ending even though it was a happy sob, I am so glad that everything ended well in this book I do think my heart could've handled anything else.

Every review that I read before reading this book was good and exciting and I didn't hold my hopes up wen reading this book as I know everyone has different tastes but let me tell you that you would not be disappointed in this book, so I would like to thank Elizabeth finn for a fantastic read.

[TF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread - 6/11/19

Even better the second time around!

[Ang C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars


ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review




Kane’s Hell was an emotionally gripping tale that absolutely gutted me. Elizabeth Finn has the ability to weave incredibly beautiful love stories with such intensity, angst, heartache and drama.

I have to confess, found myself stepping away from this read a few times, because it was difficult to absorb all the tragedies the main characters, Kane and Helene, endured as teenagers. It sent me reeling. Terror befell this couple and it saddened me greatly to see how it destroyed their lives and drove them apart. One night changed the course of their lives and their relationship, as they experienced a taste of hell at the hands of a madman. And be warned, some flashback scenes were disturbingly graphic, yet necessary to connect with each character’s pain.

My heart ached for both, when seeing their jovial spirit and friendship destroyed, especially Helene. Seeing her pain touched me. Although she is a strong heroine, it was tough witnessing her struggles, dealing with the aftermath and her solitude. Barely surviving, her only coping mechanism was to throw herself into her studies and her job. Kane’s abandonment left her with no other option, until he returned and fell back into her life.

Kane is a beautifully broken hero. At first, his man-whorish ways ticked me off and it took some time for me to look beyond his gritty and sometimes brutish character. I was angered that he left Helene alone to suffer silently for over eleven years. But that all changed when I dove deeper into his persona to see how guilt utterly consumed him. My adoration for Kane grew as I saw the extent of his pain and his journey towards healing. In a way, he suffered alone just as much as Helene. Above all, I wanted to reach in, grab hold and make all of Kane’s guilt, shame and troubles disappear.



Kane’s Hell is a deep, powerful love story of suffering devastation, forgiveness, hope and the healing power of love. There were moments of sadness, and moments of off the charts passion. The main characters horrific tragedies brought me to the brink of tears and emotionally devastated me…only to be slowly pieced back together through Finn’s story telling magic. As always with this author’s tales, be prepared for an intense ride.

[Gitte TotallyBookedBlog]

DNF at 60% - Sadly this one just didn't work out for us. The writing is brilliant as is the psychology of the story. However, in our opinion there was no tangible connection between the hero and heroine prior to the event that leads to the crux of the story-line. We just didn't feel the connection which despite an 11 year gap and an incredibly traumatic event was stronger than it had been all that time ago. A connection that survived everything and served as a redemption if you will. The story could have been amazing; the psychological aspect brilliant. However for us all of what could have been brilliant just wasn't executed and lacked the important thread that binds it all together to make it ONE story. We just didn't understand the emotional aspects nor believe in this couple. As always this Author's writing is beautiful and the crux of the story heartbreaking and overwhelmingly emotional; we just didn't believe in it sadly.

[Michelle]

Added another one to my ever growing pile of not finished books!
Loved this until around 40%. Tried to keep reading some more and I'm just not liking it any longer. Moving on:(

[**Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while you come across a book that just grips you and just makes you feel. Either you sit down and read it in one sitting devouring it and loving every minute of it and then feeling dejected because what could possibly follow that amazing read for you or you slow down and savor every bit of it. Feeling it. Taking it in. For me, that was Kane's Hell. I felt every part of this book deep down in my bones. I cried when Kane and Helene were brutalized and what the aftermath was, but in reality the trauma of that night was still playing havoc on both of their lives in very different ways. And sadly, I could only relate as I know of too many people in my oen life that have been victimized as well and are still trying to survive and numb themselves just as KAne and Helene were.
And then this book took a different turn that I was not expecting.. or I should say I had a gut feeling I knew Kane's secret, but I think as much as Helene did at that the affect of that secret was going to play out in both of their lives. Of how trying to live with guilt was destroying Kane and what he wanted to have will Helene.
This story was so gut wrenching and so sweet at times. You just couldn't help falling in love with both characters and what they've been through together and what that one night destroyed and built at the same time.
Absolutely amazing.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to begin???

I will take 3 of Kane please.

This book was very much about the character development. The plot actually happens at the beginning of the story; it takes place 11 years earlier and is revealed through alternating points of view. Each character has a chapter in the past and then the present in part one of this book. Once we get to part two, the story continues in only the present, except for one part at the end. I usually don't like reading stories that go back and forth like that unless they are done well, and in this case, it was done well.

A very terrible, horrible, tragic thing happens to these characters, and each chapter from the past reveals more and more. I had an idea of what was going to happen before starting the book based on the summary and some reviews, and I was even more convinced I knew what was going to happen while I was reading. While I was mostly right, I wasn't prepared for the extent of what happened. It's dark and a potential trigger for some readers, so you've been warned.

After this event, Kane takes off and the characters don't see or hear from each other for 11 years. Helene (Hell) is now working on her doctoral dissertation and teaching a philosophy class. Kane just so happens to be a student in her class. He returned to their hometown when his father had a stroke, and somehow ends up accidentally on purpose enrolling in Helene's class. They reunite, and the story takes off from there.

Now those of you who pay any attention to my reviews know that I crave drama and heart-stopping moments in my books. I like to feel on edge while I'm reading. I worried about this story because as I mentioned earlier, the plot happens at the beginning of the book. What then, will motivate me to continue reading? This story is character driven, and we deal mostly with the residual affect of the plot rather than building up to the plot. Now, of course I enjoy multi-layered, 3-dimensional characters, but again, only if they're done right. Sometimes character driven stories can get boring and become too laden with inner monologues. They can drag and cause me to lose interest. That didn't happen here because for some reason, I still felt like I was waiting for something else to happen. They couldn't just reunite, could they? That would just be too easy, right?

There were times when things got a little slow. Since Helene was working on her doctorate degree in philosophy and was teaching a philosophy course, the topic of discussion obviously centered around philosophical concepts. I happened to love philosophy in college, but I can see some of the discussions making the book seem to drag a bit. However, many of the discussions were about philosophical concepts that directly related to the situation that emotionally broke Helene and Kane and how they coped with that situation. I've read other books involving teachers, and sometimes authors can go overboard trying to make things seem relevant with academic info ad nauseam. In this case, I didn't feel the discussions were superfluous.

Anyway, I kept plugging away, waiting for some illusive thing to happen because of clues I picked up along the way. To be honest, I figured out what had happened very early on, pretty much right way, but what I didn't know was how it would be revealed and the details of the situation. I don't want to give anything away, but some may be surprised about what was reveled, and even if you aren't surprised, everything comes together in a satisfying, if not even a bit painful, way.

This story touched me in many ways and I keep thinking about it. I actually want to go back and read the last two chapters of the book and then the epilogue all over again. I just love the way these characters pushed each others' boundaries in more ways than one. Helene had intimacy issues, and Kane helped her open up and become less frigid, whereas Kane was extremely self-destructive, and Helene helped him feel worthy and deserving of love. This couple is so resilient and I don't know why but I really connected to Kane. Even though he was self-destructive, he reigned it in once Helene was back in his life. He realized how his self-destructive behavior could impact Helene, and he would consciously make a decision not to continue on whatever current path he was on when he thought about how his behavior could affect her. I loved that! Kane just had this charming, sarcastic personality. He was the cool kid in school who was just naturally cool and didn't even care if other people thought he was cool or not, even if they all did. And um....it doesn't hurt that his skills in the bedroom were....I can't think about it without needing a fan. Holy hell there were some hot scenes in this book!!!!! If I were a blusher my whole face would be red. I feel dirty just thinking about those scenes. Whew! Moving on...

Read this book! It's a second third chance love, and the first time around the love was just on the verge of being revealed to be more than friendship even though the feelings were always there, so we actually get to almost experience them falling in love for the first time....again. I'm sure that doesn't make much sense but it works for me. Just read the book!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like your dark and gritty, Kane's Hell is the book for you. Two ex-lovers, torn apart by heartbreak and circumstances (that's all I will tell you), meet up again after 11 years. Both are hard, jaded people (in different ways) but after all this time, is there such a thing as a second-chance or will Kane and Helene be forever in hell?

Raw, violent, passionate... Kane's Hell is that and more. Dark, dark romance. The violence was real and I honestly had to take breaks between readings as the pain was splashed across the pages. But if dark romance is your thing, 1-click today!

My Rating: 4 stars