Refuge: A Novella

by Violet Haze

Zee has no idea who she is, or how she ended up in the psych ward of a hospital three months ago. Living a rather blissful life of quiet time, three meals a day, and therapy involving two doctors — one of which has a sexy voice and nice hands — Zee isn’t ready to cope with her truth.

As her memory returns, Zee discovers exactly who she is and what happened, and reality catches up with her in a way she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to deal with.

Ultimately, Zee makes choices which lead her and the one person closest to her down new paths neither of them could’ve seen coming.

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2014

About the author

Violet Haze is a big fan of writing & reading romance. The autistic mother of one, she currently lives in Ohio and is self-employed. When not working or writing, she spends her days reading, procrastinating, & listening to her son play video games she doesn't understand, at all.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I really enjoyed this novella and can't wait for more!!! This was a really emotional read so make sure you have your tissues!
When the book begins Zee is in a psych ward with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Through the use of flashbacks we learn the circumstances that caused her memory loss.
So far this is a heartbreaking story and I am super intrigued to find out what happens next!!!

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crazy unexpected ride! Ok, you think you know what this story will be about but let me tell you that you are going to be twisted and turned and blown away. I won't give it away. Zee is in a psych ward which the description tells you and when you piece together why/how … well, it's amazing. There is great romance involved built on an incredibly honest and heartfelt situation so be prepared with your tissues.

[Jo Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed a sample of Refuge when the author pitched it to me during my 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog. Mental illness? Yes, please! I'm familiar with Haze's writing from her other name, C. S. Janey, so I figured I'd enjoy it. Well, I was intrigued enough by the end of the sample to snag a copy and add it to my TBR for 2015. Okay, enough about how I came to own the book, let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
This was a quick, short read that packed a lot of punch. I enjoyed the author's storytelling. There were moments when I wondered what the heck was going on, only to have a chapter that took me back in time to show me. While short stories usually don't give you much of a feel for the main character, I felt like I got a good handle on the main character, Zee. Much of her life is completely identifiable, and her reasoning in the end was on par with what someone in her situation might do. Flow/pacing was great, and the plot was a most excellent one. Completely tore at my heartstrings. I wanted more, but the end of this novelette says there's a book two, so I'm okay and not okay with the way it left me hanging.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I found a number of misplaced commas, but they were only slightly bothersome. While I'll have to detract half a star, because it's such a short work and I expect fewer mistakes, it's nothing to worry over. There's plenty of structure variation to keep you interested.

Rating:
1 Star for plot and engagement of my emotions
1 Star for character development
1 Star for twisting and turning in a most excellent manner
.5 Stars for the ending (me being sort of okay)
-.5 Stars for the ending (me wanting more but being sad)
.5 Stars for construct and variation of sentences
-.5 Stars for comma usage

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended if you're looking for a short read with an excellent plot and good character development.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, heart-breaking short book about a woman who wakes up in a mental hospital unable to remember who she is or why she is there. It was a tad confusing at times and the chapters jumped around a bit so you have to pay attention to follow...but it was eventually cleared up to where you get it and slowly the story of who/why/what happened to her is revealed.
I just was disappointed things ended so quickly and without enough resolution for me (book ended at less than 80%...the rest was filler and previews)...but it was definitely an original and emotionally touching read. A freebie that was a sweet but sad surprise.

**** 4 **** "escape but you can't run away from your own cruel reality" stars

[April Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughhhh! I'm in love with this. Broke my heart to the point where I want more! Beautifully written... the way their love was described... it was just beautiful. It rendered me speechless. I highly recommend this novella.. it's completely amazing, intriguing, thought provoking, and different from anything Violet Haze has done before.

Zee isn't quite sure of anything at this point... She's in a mental institute with no recollection of who she is or how she came to be there. All she knows is her therapist makes her feel safer than he should. After overhearing a conversation between the therapist and another woman, memories start to come back, but she doesn't want to accept them.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this a great book, it was interesting and kept me on my toes. I really wished that they would end up together again. But they didn't. This showed just how hard loosing a child is and how bad it can make you. I loved it. It made me cry like a baby and touched my heart! Violet is an amazing author who is so talented. I love her writing and it keeps getting better!

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So moving

Loved the chapters named after songs. This books was so touching and moving. You can't help but feel for this couple and cry.