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The War Inside
Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 06:29:41
5 copies available
U.S. only
This audiobook is narrated by an AI Voice.
From the author of Things That Break Us comes a raw, emotionally charged story of first love, marriage, addiction, and the secrets we keep from the people closest to us.
Twenty-eight-year-old fitness influencer Carly Adams appears to have it a devoted husband, a successful career as a star instructor at Fuel Your Soul, and millions of followers who look to her for messages of body positivity and self-love.
But it’s all a lie.
Behind the curated images and inspirational posts, Carly is trapped in a cycle of exercise bulimia, punishing herself with obsessive workouts and dangerous calorie restriction. When the woman who shattered her family unexpectedly walks into one of her classes, Carly snaps—quitting live on-air and blowing up the carefully constructed life she’s built.
Her husband, Chase, is on the verge of realizing his own opening a restaurant in New York City. But beneath his polished exterior lies a growing dependence on alcohol and pills, fueled by the childhood abandonment he’s never truly faced.
Told through dual perspectives and across dual timelines, The War Inside traces Carly and Chase’s teenage love story on the Jersey Shore while unraveling the addictions, family secrets, and generational trauma now threatening everything they’ve built. As the walls they’ve spent years hiding behind begin to crumble, they must decide whether facing the truth will destroy their marriage—or finally set them free.
Brought to life through a multi-character audio production, The War Inside is a poignant, hopeful story about addiction, body image, marriage, forgiveness, and the invisible battles we fight every day.
Because sometimes, the greatest act of courage isn’t fighting harder...
...but finally choosing to let go.
From the author of Things That Break Us comes a raw, emotionally charged story of first love, marriage, addiction, and the secrets we keep from the people closest to us.
Twenty-eight-year-old fitness influencer Carly Adams appears to have it a devoted husband, a successful career as a star instructor at Fuel Your Soul, and millions of followers who look to her for messages of body positivity and self-love.
But it’s all a lie.
Behind the curated images and inspirational posts, Carly is trapped in a cycle of exercise bulimia, punishing herself with obsessive workouts and dangerous calorie restriction. When the woman who shattered her family unexpectedly walks into one of her classes, Carly snaps—quitting live on-air and blowing up the carefully constructed life she’s built.
Her husband, Chase, is on the verge of realizing his own opening a restaurant in New York City. But beneath his polished exterior lies a growing dependence on alcohol and pills, fueled by the childhood abandonment he’s never truly faced.
Told through dual perspectives and across dual timelines, The War Inside traces Carly and Chase’s teenage love story on the Jersey Shore while unraveling the addictions, family secrets, and generational trauma now threatening everything they’ve built. As the walls they’ve spent years hiding behind begin to crumble, they must decide whether facing the truth will destroy their marriage—or finally set them free.
Brought to life through a multi-character audio production, The War Inside is a poignant, hopeful story about addiction, body image, marriage, forgiveness, and the invisible battles we fight every day.
Because sometimes, the greatest act of courage isn’t fighting harder...
...but finally choosing to let go.
Audible Audio
Published September 16, 2026
About the author
Lisa Felkins
2 books63 followersLisa Felkins writes emotionally-driven women's fiction about the moments that break us—and the courage it takes to put ourselves back together.
When Lisa isn’t writing, she works as a nurse practitioner, spends her free time with her kids and husband, and finds joy in strength training and long walks with her dog. She’s a lifelong book lover who reads everything from book club fiction to romance to memoir.
When Lisa isn’t writing, she works as a nurse practitioner, spends her free time with her kids and husband, and finds joy in strength training and long walks with her dog. She’s a lifelong book lover who reads everything from book club fiction to romance to memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4⭐
I've read the ARC of "Things that break us", the first novel by Lisa Felkins and I loved it. I had very high expectations for this one, and maybe because of that, it was not a 5 star.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this new book, it goes deeper into topics that are very relevant these days like the addiction and the body issues that some women have with the weight. The eating disorders are serious and should be supported by everyone around and treated with someone specialist.
In this book, Carly and Chase fall in love in their teenage years when Chase moves with his two dads to the house next door.
Carly is struggling with a bipolar mother, an absent father and the weight issues that her mother passed on to her. She's obsessed with how much she weight and this is something that will accompany her for the rest of her life.
Chase has been abandoned by his mother at the age of two and all his life has struggled to feel loved. The fear of losing Carly is something that always leaves him stressed.
It was difficult to read through the chapters were they need to be apart so that they can be together. The constant struggle to live another day and to resist to the addiction is real and puts the reader in a permanent good stress.
What I really loved about this book:
♦️ The love story of Carly and Chase. The fact that their love was never a question, a doubt. They love each other more than anything and this is always present in the book.
♦️ Short chapters and shorts sentences. Makes the book very easy to read
♦️ Topics well approached even if they are sensitive
♦️ Supportive characters like Chase's Dads and Tommy
♦️ The author's note sharing the fact that this is a very personal book, and all her history with eating disorders
I really recommend this book but be prepared for lots of trigger warnings. It deals with questions that can be sensitive por some readers.
ARC provided by the author through BookSirens. Thank you 🙏❤️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Depois de ler o livro de estreia da autora ("Things that break us") estava com expetativas muito elevadas para este. É um livro que aborda temas muito duros como a bulimia, o suicídio, a dependência de droga, o desleixo parental...
O facto de a autora partilhar um pouco da sua história torna o livro muito íntimo e pessoal.
Adorei particularmente o facto de a história de amor de Chase e Carly ter sido inquestionável. Todas as dificuldades que encontraram pelo caminho nunca colocaram em causa o que sentiam um pelo outro e o facto de serem almas gémeas.
Recomendo muito a leitura mas muito cuidado com a quantidade de trigger warnings.
I've read the ARC of "Things that break us", the first novel by Lisa Felkins and I loved it. I had very high expectations for this one, and maybe because of that, it was not a 5 star.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this new book, it goes deeper into topics that are very relevant these days like the addiction and the body issues that some women have with the weight. The eating disorders are serious and should be supported by everyone around and treated with someone specialist.
In this book, Carly and Chase fall in love in their teenage years when Chase moves with his two dads to the house next door.
Carly is struggling with a bipolar mother, an absent father and the weight issues that her mother passed on to her. She's obsessed with how much she weight and this is something that will accompany her for the rest of her life.
Chase has been abandoned by his mother at the age of two and all his life has struggled to feel loved. The fear of losing Carly is something that always leaves him stressed.
It was difficult to read through the chapters were they need to be apart so that they can be together. The constant struggle to live another day and to resist to the addiction is real and puts the reader in a permanent good stress.
What I really loved about this book:
♦️ The love story of Carly and Chase. The fact that their love was never a question, a doubt. They love each other more than anything and this is always present in the book.
♦️ Short chapters and shorts sentences. Makes the book very easy to read
♦️ Topics well approached even if they are sensitive
♦️ Supportive characters like Chase's Dads and Tommy
♦️ The author's note sharing the fact that this is a very personal book, and all her history with eating disorders
I really recommend this book but be prepared for lots of trigger warnings. It deals with questions that can be sensitive por some readers.
ARC provided by the author through BookSirens. Thank you 🙏❤️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Depois de ler o livro de estreia da autora ("Things that break us") estava com expetativas muito elevadas para este. É um livro que aborda temas muito duros como a bulimia, o suicídio, a dependência de droga, o desleixo parental...
O facto de a autora partilhar um pouco da sua história torna o livro muito íntimo e pessoal.
Adorei particularmente o facto de a história de amor de Chase e Carly ter sido inquestionável. Todas as dificuldades que encontraram pelo caminho nunca colocaram em causa o que sentiam um pelo outro e o facto de serem almas gémeas.
Recomendo muito a leitura mas muito cuidado com a quantidade de trigger warnings.
September 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — 4.5 stars
The War Inside was a great read that kept my interest throughout. I continually found myself wanting to keep reading to see what would happen next, but what stayed with me most was the emotional impact of the story.
At first, I was a little concerned that the book might be difficult to follow. The story moves between past and present timelines while also switching perspectives between characters from chapter to chapter. But it really worked. After the first few pages, I had no trouble following along, and I actually came to appreciate the way the different perspectives and timelines helped bring the story together.
I think this is a book that many readers will be able to relate to, regardless of the particular trauma or difficult experiences they may have faced in their own lives. There were several moments when I actually had to stop reading and gather my thoughts. I even found myself in tears a couple of times because some of the emotions and experiences felt so relatable.
There was one additional storyline involving the families of the main characters that felt a little over the top to me. I’m not sure the book needed that extra layer of drama, and I think the story could have had just as much emotional impact and suspense without it. That was really the only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me.
The ending was somewhat predictable, but it was still very satisfying. I always appreciate a good book that leaves me with a sense of hope, and this one did.
I would especially recommend The War Inside to anyone who has overcome addiction, trauma, loss, or simply a difficult season in life—and really, haven’t we all experienced something that has shaped us? One of the strongest messages I took away from this book is the reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Everyone has something going on behind closed doors, regardless of how happy or put-together their life may appear from the outside.
A thought-provoking, emotional, and ultimately hopeful read. Solid 4.5 stars from me.
The War Inside was a great read that kept my interest throughout. I continually found myself wanting to keep reading to see what would happen next, but what stayed with me most was the emotional impact of the story.
At first, I was a little concerned that the book might be difficult to follow. The story moves between past and present timelines while also switching perspectives between characters from chapter to chapter. But it really worked. After the first few pages, I had no trouble following along, and I actually came to appreciate the way the different perspectives and timelines helped bring the story together.
I think this is a book that many readers will be able to relate to, regardless of the particular trauma or difficult experiences they may have faced in their own lives. There were several moments when I actually had to stop reading and gather my thoughts. I even found myself in tears a couple of times because some of the emotions and experiences felt so relatable.
There was one additional storyline involving the families of the main characters that felt a little over the top to me. I’m not sure the book needed that extra layer of drama, and I think the story could have had just as much emotional impact and suspense without it. That was really the only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me.
The ending was somewhat predictable, but it was still very satisfying. I always appreciate a good book that leaves me with a sense of hope, and this one did.
I would especially recommend The War Inside to anyone who has overcome addiction, trauma, loss, or simply a difficult season in life—and really, haven’t we all experienced something that has shaped us? One of the strongest messages I took away from this book is the reminder that we are not alone in our struggles. Everyone has something going on behind closed doors, regardless of how happy or put-together their life may appear from the outside.
A thought-provoking, emotional, and ultimately hopeful read. Solid 4.5 stars from me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️
ARC Review
From addiction, false self-imagery, and the crushing weight of being “perfect” is paramount, Carly and Chase do not have it figured out. The story follows dual POV and timelines between Carly and her husband, Chase, as they both deal with their internal struggles. On top of that, they are faced with some external challenges that threaten to break an already tenuous marriage between them.
I wanted to read something different, and found a book that touched on some topics I had struggled with. I liked how the author really made the two main characters deal with their struggles in a realistic manner. There was a lot of emotion and wavering on their individual journeys. It seemed like Chase was more aware of what Carly was going through than the other way around. Carly seemed more concerned about herself most of the time, and when she did wonder about Chase, it was more “what are you keeping from me” vibe rather than “I’m worried about him.” And that’s a realistic response for someone dealing with an unbearable pressure.
What didn’t work for me was the constant timeline jumps, it was extremely chaotic. Every 2-3 chapters of the past, there was more further past scenes that were there for the story. And the fact there was two prominent timelines happening, it was hard to follow. This book would have stood alone with the addiction and self imagery topics, but adding in the huge family secrets was just over the top. I felt like there was nothing happening, but then there was everything trying to happen. I think with that alone, the book would have been shorter and gotten the point across, and with all the internal things with the main characters happening, to add in one problem, after another stacked in such a short timeframe was overwhelming.
The book was worth reading, but I don’t think I’d pick it up again.
Thank you NetGalley and 222 Ventures Publishing for the advanced readers copy. My opinion is my own.
ARC Review
From addiction, false self-imagery, and the crushing weight of being “perfect” is paramount, Carly and Chase do not have it figured out. The story follows dual POV and timelines between Carly and her husband, Chase, as they both deal with their internal struggles. On top of that, they are faced with some external challenges that threaten to break an already tenuous marriage between them.
I wanted to read something different, and found a book that touched on some topics I had struggled with. I liked how the author really made the two main characters deal with their struggles in a realistic manner. There was a lot of emotion and wavering on their individual journeys. It seemed like Chase was more aware of what Carly was going through than the other way around. Carly seemed more concerned about herself most of the time, and when she did wonder about Chase, it was more “what are you keeping from me” vibe rather than “I’m worried about him.” And that’s a realistic response for someone dealing with an unbearable pressure.
What didn’t work for me was the constant timeline jumps, it was extremely chaotic. Every 2-3 chapters of the past, there was more further past scenes that were there for the story. And the fact there was two prominent timelines happening, it was hard to follow. This book would have stood alone with the addiction and self imagery topics, but adding in the huge family secrets was just over the top. I felt like there was nothing happening, but then there was everything trying to happen. I think with that alone, the book would have been shorter and gotten the point across, and with all the internal things with the main characters happening, to add in one problem, after another stacked in such a short timeframe was overwhelming.
The book was worth reading, but I don’t think I’d pick it up again.
Thank you NetGalley and 222 Ventures Publishing for the advanced readers copy. My opinion is my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I got an advance copy from the author through Book Sirens of The War Inside in an exchange for an honest review. I must say that I very much enjoyed this book!
From the very beginning, I was just hooked to the story but there was more to that. The writing style is something I very much appreciated. It captivated me with each page and it expressed all the raw emotions and thought processes. I really felt like I had Carly and Chase in front of me.
I also enjoyed the pace of the book and how the timeline was going back in forth between Carly and Chase. It gave me an understanding as a reader of what was building from adolescence to grown adults.Definitely flawed, but who isn't?
I enjoyed all the background information and I think that is what really kept me reading and wanting to learn more about these characters and the family dynamics. I also enjoyed the added mystery and family drama in which had me glued to the pages.
The turning points led to sensitive topics and definitely no sugar coating which I appreciated as it was all realistic. I really began to sympathize and root for both of them. Although there is a lot of trigger warnings, it also is an inspirational journey of just two regular people trying to figure out their next steps in a world full of chaos.
I would definitely recommend this book especially if you love emotional and character driven contemporary fiction about struggles and healing. After reading, it left me thinking with just a constant reminder that appearing to be put together does not mean other struggles are within. It was beautifully written and a hopeful read.
From the very beginning, I was just hooked to the story but there was more to that. The writing style is something I very much appreciated. It captivated me with each page and it expressed all the raw emotions and thought processes. I really felt like I had Carly and Chase in front of me.
I also enjoyed the pace of the book and how the timeline was going back in forth between Carly and Chase. It gave me an understanding as a reader of what was building from adolescence to grown adults.Definitely flawed, but who isn't?
I enjoyed all the background information and I think that is what really kept me reading and wanting to learn more about these characters and the family dynamics. I also enjoyed the added mystery and family drama in which had me glued to the pages.
The turning points led to sensitive topics and definitely no sugar coating which I appreciated as it was all realistic. I really began to sympathize and root for both of them. Although there is a lot of trigger warnings, it also is an inspirational journey of just two regular people trying to figure out their next steps in a world full of chaos.
I would definitely recommend this book especially if you love emotional and character driven contemporary fiction about struggles and healing. After reading, it left me thinking with just a constant reminder that appearing to be put together does not mean other struggles are within. It was beautifully written and a hopeful read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advanced book copy received from the author
4.5 stars
This book starts with a strong, captivating opening scene. It then holds your attention along an emotional rollercoaster until the very end. We learn about Carly and Chase, across dual timelines and POVs, from them being childhood sweethearts to navigating their adult lives. Both are grappling with unresolved childhood trauma while also managing demanding professional lives. The author showcases their struggles with empathy, allowing the reader to realize that no matter how perfect a life may look, life can be suffering.
I found the writing honest and raw. It was a fast read with short chapters. Some of the chapters were difficult to read only because the pain and trauma were so visceral. However, due to the author's adept writing and emotional intelligence, you're rooting for the characters until the very end. I can't wait to read what she writes next!
4.5 stars
This book starts with a strong, captivating opening scene. It then holds your attention along an emotional rollercoaster until the very end. We learn about Carly and Chase, across dual timelines and POVs, from them being childhood sweethearts to navigating their adult lives. Both are grappling with unresolved childhood trauma while also managing demanding professional lives. The author showcases their struggles with empathy, allowing the reader to realize that no matter how perfect a life may look, life can be suffering.
I found the writing honest and raw. It was a fast read with short chapters. Some of the chapters were difficult to read only because the pain and trauma were so visceral. However, due to the author's adept writing and emotional intelligence, you're rooting for the characters until the very end. I can't wait to read what she writes next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved this book! The emotions and trauma experienced by the characters felt so real, and I was right beside them rooting for them to overcome. Carly and Chase are both flawed individuals but I felt so much empathy for both of them. I was fully immersed in their stories and couldn’t put the book down. Highly recommend!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews