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Give Yourself Away
an alternate cover edition can be found here
One guy intent on caution. One an adrenaline junkie. Love could be one risk too many.
March is determined to lose the numbness that accompanies a history of loss and blame. Desperate to feel something—anything—the adrenaline junkie base jumps off cliffs, soars on hang gliders, and embarks on dangerous sea-borne rescue missions. But any release he feels is fleeting, and when you play Russian roulette with fate, eventually you come crashing down.
No matter how hard Caleb tries to forget his past, a dark shadow is always behind him. When a bizarre turn of events results in him being trapped in a sea cave, Caleb wonders how his mantra—safety at all costs—could have failed him. On the point of drowning, he’s stunned when March surfaces in the cave.
March’s disregard for the rules saves Caleb’s life but gets March into a heap of trouble. Not least of which is the guy shivering in the boat next to him. March tries to ignore Caleb but it’s already too late. Together, they take small, awkward steps toward love. But Caleb’s past is waiting to sink in its claws…and this time, it could drag him to his death.
Warning: This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence, but also the incredible perseverance of two men who never give up on love—or each other. Bring your tissues and a heart that believes in the resilience of the human spirit.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 9, 2016
38 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Elsborg
100 books1,677 followersBarbara Elsborg lives in Kent in the south of England. She always wanted to be a spy, but having confessed to everyone without them even resorting to torture, she decided it was not for her. Volcanology scorched her feet. A morbid fear of sharks put paid to marine biology. So instead, she spent several years successfully selling cyanide.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
After dragging up two rotten, ungrateful children and frustrating her sexy, devoted, wonderful husband (who can now stop twisting her arm) she finally has time to conduct an affair with an electrifying plugged-in male, her laptop.
Her books feature quirky heroines and bad boys, and she hopes they are as much fun to read as they are to write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
December 16, 2015
2.5 stars. Review posted December 16, 2015
March might usually look and sound like a confident guy, but his hands shook as he tried to open a box of lube. He ended up ripping the box apart.
“Er…as a lesson for what’s to come, when things don’t open up on the first attempt, don’t resort to brute force,” Caleb said.
(…)
“Volume seven, rimming is,” Caleb blurted. “Jedi definitely you are. Master of everything.” He stared down at March who stared up at him with a ridiculously pleased expression. “Smug is not attractive,” Caleb said. “Shyly pleased is preferable.”
“So I’m doing okay?”
“You want to talk? Now? Just keep going. You obviously wrote this section in the book, you bloody fraud.”
THIS! ^^^^^^^
March is totally new at the game; he's so nervous that his hands shake when he tries to open a box of lube. Yet it doesn't prevent him to win a gold medal at rimming.
Master at Gay Sex.
Yeah, Baba, you have no idea what watching a bit of gay porn can do for one's ego and skills. Right? *cue eye roll*
BEWARE OF…
“We don’t have to hold back. We were both instantly turned on. We know exactly what we like and we like a lot of it and that’s okay. Wanting sex and having sex is okay. Thinking about having it is okay too because when you’re with a guy you know he’s thinking the same as you.
“You have no idea how hard it is to make a woman come. They all need touching in a different place, in a different way. You have to work at it. They have to work at it. If they lose concentration for a moment, that’s it, you’ve lost them.
Now this annoyed the hell outta me! What kind of BS is that? Stop whining, you jerk!
It connotes that women don't have a lot of sex, or they don't want to have a lot of sex. And then we're coming closer to the sensitive subject matter of men being fantastic studs when they have plenty of sex and women who dare to claim the same right for themselves are dubbed sluts.
It also connotes that a woman is a nuisance between the sheets because a man has to actually work to get her off. WTF? There is nothing wrong with needing time to reach an orgasm.
And some need and want plenty of sex, others only a little and others none at all. Whether we are straight, gay, bi or whatever, we are all different and we all have different needs, so please respect that.
“Changed your mind? Not gay at all?” Caleb managed to say.
March laughed. “Jury’s out.” Then he buried himself inside Caleb in one swift plunge that drove a guttural cry from both their throats. “Jury’s in,” March grunted. “Verdict is guilty. Sentence is…” he looked into Caleb’s eyes, “…a lifetime of you.”
Seriously. Cheesy, much?
March doesn't really know Caleb, has met him recently, came out recently, yet he knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with him. Oh, wait. This must be some kind of
I've been This is fiction, all right, but what are the odds that something like that would happen in real life? I'm sorry to say that it only made me roll my eyes.
The plot is so ridiculously unrealistic I don't even know what to say.
How convenient is that? There are way too many coincidences. Also, the alleged was a bit over the top too.However, I must admit that I wouldn't mind reading more about him. At the end of my review I said that I might have outgrown an author, so I guess that's not a good idea then.
Jasim is a mysterious guy and even at the end of the story, there remained unanswered questions.
Caleb spent in captivity and has experienced abuse of the worst kind and then this:
SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF again and again and again and again. The incrediblity killed this story for me.
At 88%
I couldn't agree more. It was incredibly annoying and it was predictable what would going to happen next.
I liked Andy, but he only had a very small cameo.
“I’m gay.” But March muttered it quietly, didn’t shout it from the rooftops. Then he was irritated by his cowardice, though relieved he’d said it. Now he waited to see what Andy would say. Andy didn’t say anything for a long moment, just gaped at him. “When the fuck did that happen?”
March shocked himself by laughing.
(…)
“Shit.” Andy blew out a long breath. “That changes everything.”
March stiffened. “Like what?”
“I have to look for a guy for you instead of a woman. Christ, how do I do that? Where do gay guys hang out?”
March relaxed again, knowing Andy was okay with it. “You don’t need to look.”
“You’ve found someone?
In a nutshell
Dr. March Durant is a history teacher who's living in Dorset. He's also a crazy adrenaline junkie who defies the terms 'secure' and 'ordinary' on a regular basis. March also volunteers at the town's lifeboat station. That's how he meets Caleb Jones, a carpenter; while ignoring important safety regulations, March happens to save Caleb's life when he tumbles into a cave and comes close to drowning.
The warning didn't scare me off. Give Yourself Away is by far not the darkest or "ugliest" story I read. And to make it clear, my rating has nothing to do with the "darkness" factor of the story. Where Give Yourself Away most certainly failed for me was the lack of credibility. Sure, abduction and sexual abuse is a very realistic subject. Although how the author told the tale and how everything panned out didn't convince me at all. If you want to know why this story didn't do it for me, I suggest you open the spoilers. It was too fairytale-like, too easy and way too neat. Everything fell into place like perfectly cut out puzzle pieces. Another issue I had was the amount of sex. Once they started they couldn't stop and you could follow a specific pattern:
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
Like I said already, some want plenty of sex and others less. And the more books I read the less I like those that have a lots of sex in it. These days I only love few erotica books from authors who write smut with class, and only very, very few authors write fantastic erotic scenes. I like a good fuck like everyone else, but I happen to end up bored fast. Oh fuck, oh god, yes, fuck yes, that's good *pant* *pant* *pant* ohhhhhh, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck, oh god oh god, don't stop, don't stop, soooo good! only makes me roll my eyes. It.Gets.Old.So.Bloody.Fast. I just don't like my sex to be a filler in a story, either.
Both MCs inner ramblings tired me out and somewhere along the way, the entire story deteriorated into a cheesy soap opera. I'm also allergic the the constant laughs in romance books. When protags don't have to say anything interesting or don't know what to say, they seem to resort to laughter. They laugh all.The.Time.
141 x laugh, laughed, laughter, laughing
And as if the laughter isn't enough, let's add a few smiles.
89 x smile, smiled
Give Yourself Away ends on a unicorns and rainbows note. Cotton candy sweet, without the slightest flaws. The rose-colored world is totally shiny and perfect, at least for March and Caleb. After all, Caleb freed March from his guilt. Caleb is March's savior, simple as that.
Ahem…Baba, remember? It's fiction.
It's been ages since I read one of Barbara Elsborg's books. Maybe it's a case of it's me, not you. I might have outgrown another author. Fact is, it's not the first time it happened and it won't be the last, that's for sure.
Warning
This book contains flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence.
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy
**ARC courtesy of Samhain via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
March might usually look and sound like a confident guy, but his hands shook as he tried to open a box of lube. He ended up ripping the box apart.
“Er…as a lesson for what’s to come, when things don’t open up on the first attempt, don’t resort to brute force,” Caleb said.
(…)
“Volume seven, rimming is,” Caleb blurted. “Jedi definitely you are. Master of everything.” He stared down at March who stared up at him with a ridiculously pleased expression. “Smug is not attractive,” Caleb said. “Shyly pleased is preferable.”
“So I’m doing okay?”
“You want to talk? Now? Just keep going. You obviously wrote this section in the book, you bloody fraud.”
THIS! ^^^^^^^
March is totally new at the game; he's so nervous that his hands shake when he tries to open a box of lube. Yet it doesn't prevent him to win a gold medal at rimming.
Master at Gay Sex.
Yeah, Baba, you have no idea what watching a bit of gay porn can do for one's ego and skills. Right? *cue eye roll*
BEWARE OF…
“We don’t have to hold back. We were both instantly turned on. We know exactly what we like and we like a lot of it and that’s okay. Wanting sex and having sex is okay. Thinking about having it is okay too because when you’re with a guy you know he’s thinking the same as you.
“You have no idea how hard it is to make a woman come. They all need touching in a different place, in a different way. You have to work at it. They have to work at it. If they lose concentration for a moment, that’s it, you’ve lost them.
Now this annoyed the hell outta me! What kind of BS is that? Stop whining, you jerk!
It connotes that women don't have a lot of sex, or they don't want to have a lot of sex. And then we're coming closer to the sensitive subject matter of men being fantastic studs when they have plenty of sex and women who dare to claim the same right for themselves are dubbed sluts.
It also connotes that a woman is a nuisance between the sheets because a man has to actually work to get her off. WTF? There is nothing wrong with needing time to reach an orgasm.
And some need and want plenty of sex, others only a little and others none at all. Whether we are straight, gay, bi or whatever, we are all different and we all have different needs, so please respect that.
“Changed your mind? Not gay at all?” Caleb managed to say.
March laughed. “Jury’s out.” Then he buried himself inside Caleb in one swift plunge that drove a guttural cry from both their throats. “Jury’s in,” March grunted. “Verdict is guilty. Sentence is…” he looked into Caleb’s eyes, “…a lifetime of you.”
Seriously. Cheesy, much?
March doesn't really know Caleb, has met him recently, came out recently, yet he knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with him. Oh, wait. This must be some kind of
I've been This is fiction, all right, but what are the odds that something like that would happen in real life? I'm sorry to say that it only made me roll my eyes.
The plot is so ridiculously unrealistic I don't even know what to say.
How convenient is that? There are way too many coincidences. Also, the alleged was a bit over the top too.
Jasim is a mysterious guy and even at the end of the story, there remained unanswered questions.
Caleb spent in captivity and has experienced abuse of the worst kind and then this:
SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF again and again and again and again. The incrediblity killed this story for me.
At 88%
I couldn't agree more. It was incredibly annoying and it was predictable what would going to happen next.
I liked Andy, but he only had a very small cameo.
“I’m gay.” But March muttered it quietly, didn’t shout it from the rooftops. Then he was irritated by his cowardice, though relieved he’d said it. Now he waited to see what Andy would say. Andy didn’t say anything for a long moment, just gaped at him. “When the fuck did that happen?”
March shocked himself by laughing.
(…)
“Shit.” Andy blew out a long breath. “That changes everything.”
March stiffened. “Like what?”
“I have to look for a guy for you instead of a woman. Christ, how do I do that? Where do gay guys hang out?”
March relaxed again, knowing Andy was okay with it. “You don’t need to look.”
“You’ve found someone?
In a nutshell
Dr. March Durant is a history teacher who's living in Dorset. He's also a crazy adrenaline junkie who defies the terms 'secure' and 'ordinary' on a regular basis. March also volunteers at the town's lifeboat station. That's how he meets Caleb Jones, a carpenter; while ignoring important safety regulations, March happens to save Caleb's life when he tumbles into a cave and comes close to drowning.
The warning didn't scare me off. Give Yourself Away is by far not the darkest or "ugliest" story I read. And to make it clear, my rating has nothing to do with the "darkness" factor of the story. Where Give Yourself Away most certainly failed for me was the lack of credibility. Sure, abduction and sexual abuse is a very realistic subject. Although how the author told the tale and how everything panned out didn't convince me at all. If you want to know why this story didn't do it for me, I suggest you open the spoilers. It was too fairytale-like, too easy and way too neat. Everything fell into place like perfectly cut out puzzle pieces. Another issue I had was the amount of sex. Once they started they couldn't stop and you could follow a specific pattern:
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
blah blah
sex
Like I said already, some want plenty of sex and others less. And the more books I read the less I like those that have a lots of sex in it. These days I only love few erotica books from authors who write smut with class, and only very, very few authors write fantastic erotic scenes. I like a good fuck like everyone else, but I happen to end up bored fast. Oh fuck, oh god, yes, fuck yes, that's good *pant* *pant* *pant* ohhhhhh, fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck, oh god oh god, don't stop, don't stop, soooo good! only makes me roll my eyes. It.Gets.Old.So.Bloody.Fast. I just don't like my sex to be a filler in a story, either.
Both MCs inner ramblings tired me out and somewhere along the way, the entire story deteriorated into a cheesy soap opera. I'm also allergic the the constant laughs in romance books. When protags don't have to say anything interesting or don't know what to say, they seem to resort to laughter. They laugh all.The.Time.
141 x laugh, laughed, laughter, laughing
And as if the laughter isn't enough, let's add a few smiles.
89 x smile, smiled
Give Yourself Away ends on a unicorns and rainbows note. Cotton candy sweet, without the slightest flaws. The rose-colored world is totally shiny and perfect, at least for March and Caleb. After all, Caleb freed March from his guilt. Caleb is March's savior, simple as that.
Ahem…Baba, remember? It's fiction.
It's been ages since I read one of Barbara Elsborg's books. Maybe it's a case of it's me, not you. I might have outgrown another author. Fact is, it's not the first time it happened and it won't be the last, that's for sure.
Warning
This book contains flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence.
All quotes are taken from the pre-published copy and may be altered or omitted in the final copy
**ARC courtesy of Samhain via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Read
December 13, 2015~DNF~
Please look at the tags: This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence.
I enjoy Elsborg's work. I loved both of her Fall or Break books, even though they're heavy on the angst.
But I was not prepared for this one.
Let me firmly say: That is NOT the author's fault. She DOES include a warning.
The writing here is spot-on. And there IS a HEA (yes, I peeked at the epilogue).
I read the first few chapters, skimmed through the middle, and decided that I couldn't continue. I prefer lower angst, happy books, especially around the holidays.
Give this story a go if you don't mind darker themes that don't skirt around the issues of abduction and child sexual abuse (and the inevitable emotional and mental trauma that follows).
I have a feeling there's some beautiful comfort/healing and redemption themes amidst the darkness.
Please look at the tags: This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence.
I enjoy Elsborg's work. I loved both of her Fall or Break books, even though they're heavy on the angst.
But I was not prepared for this one.
Let me firmly say: That is NOT the author's fault. She DOES include a warning.
The writing here is spot-on. And there IS a HEA (yes, I peeked at the epilogue).
I read the first few chapters, skimmed through the middle, and decided that I couldn't continue. I prefer lower angst, happy books, especially around the holidays.
Give this story a go if you don't mind darker themes that don't skirt around the issues of abduction and child sexual abuse (and the inevitable emotional and mental trauma that follows).
I have a feeling there's some beautiful comfort/healing and redemption themes amidst the darkness.
January 14, 2016
HEED THE WARNING!
This book will not be for everyone. Just take a gander at the ratings thus far. To be completely honest, I had my doubts going in, but (a) I really have come to love Elsborg's writing over the last year and (b) the part of perseverance and never giving up on love appealed. I will also say that my job undoubtedly has inured me to childhood sexual abuse, so take this next bit with the proverbial grain of salt-I did not think there were any explicit mentions of the abuse but it is referenced and there is little doubt that it was a heinous and miserable experience. This is the sad reality of the population I work with and the truth is hardly any of them have overcome and/or persevered; they're simply existing. Some better than others. So the prospect of one experiencing abduction, abuse and slavery for an unimaginable period of time and coming out of that to find his destiny and that karma has rewarded him tenfold? I'll take that every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I do lurve me some destiny trope.
It does require a bit of suspension of disbelief and, again, my cup of care is bone dry.
Both these characters are well drawn but I really loved Caleb. I loved that he maintains his zest for life, that he doesn't allow his fears to dictate every aspect of his life, that he still has the ability to trust others. All of it pulled at my heart strings. There's something about resiliency that always draws me in like a moth to a flame and Caleb has it in spades. He's not perfect by any means. He stumbles along the way; he has shitty taste in friends and men until he meets March. Part of me wants to say they are opposites but that's not necessarily so. I think they're more like two halves of a whole. They are stronger together but not codependent. The cherry on top was their relationship development being extra heart warming.
Elsborg gives a decent portrayal of PTSD and a really accurate portrayal of a sociopathic pedophile. Every time I started to think, 'ohhhhh... that's not very accur... Ohhhppp! Will ya look at that. Atta girl!'
The secondary stalker plotline was good but I couldn't reconcile the dismissal of Jaime's initial disclosure with someone who's been subjected to everything Caleb's has. Very incongruous and difficult to swallow.
Pacing was a bit spotty in the last 40ish% and I think that could've been tightened up for continuity's sake.
If you can focus on the perseverance and resiliency over the abduction and abuse portion of the warning you will be rewarded with a richly deserved HEA.
Recommend for hopeful romantics and those who enjoy escapist reads that don't give it up easily.
p.s. Were someone with the initials B.E. to be considering a follow up with Jasim, I would be all over that. Like white on rice. Just thought you should know.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book will not be for everyone. Just take a gander at the ratings thus far. To be completely honest, I had my doubts going in, but (a) I really have come to love Elsborg's writing over the last year and (b) the part of perseverance and never giving up on love appealed. I will also say that my job undoubtedly has inured me to childhood sexual abuse, so take this next bit with the proverbial grain of salt-I did not think there were any explicit mentions of the abuse but it is referenced and there is little doubt that it was a heinous and miserable experience. This is the sad reality of the population I work with and the truth is hardly any of them have overcome and/or persevered; they're simply existing. Some better than others. So the prospect of one experiencing abduction, abuse and slavery for an unimaginable period of time and coming out of that to find his destiny and that karma has rewarded him tenfold? I'll take that every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I do lurve me some destiny trope.
It does require a bit of suspension of disbelief and, again, my cup of care is bone dry.
Both these characters are well drawn but I really loved Caleb. I loved that he maintains his zest for life, that he doesn't allow his fears to dictate every aspect of his life, that he still has the ability to trust others. All of it pulled at my heart strings. There's something about resiliency that always draws me in like a moth to a flame and Caleb has it in spades. He's not perfect by any means. He stumbles along the way; he has shitty taste in friends and men until he meets March. Part of me wants to say they are opposites but that's not necessarily so. I think they're more like two halves of a whole. They are stronger together but not codependent. The cherry on top was their relationship development being extra heart warming.
Elsborg gives a decent portrayal of PTSD and a really accurate portrayal of a sociopathic pedophile. Every time I started to think, 'ohhhhh... that's not very accur... Ohhhppp! Will ya look at that. Atta girl!'
The secondary stalker plotline was good but I couldn't reconcile the dismissal of Jaime's initial disclosure with someone who's been subjected to everything Caleb's has. Very incongruous and difficult to swallow.
Pacing was a bit spotty in the last 40ish% and I think that could've been tightened up for continuity's sake.
If you can focus on the perseverance and resiliency over the abduction and abuse portion of the warning you will be rewarded with a richly deserved HEA.
Recommend for hopeful romantics and those who enjoy escapist reads that don't give it up easily.
p.s. Were someone with the initials B.E. to be considering a follow up with Jasim, I would be all over that. Like white on rice. Just thought you should know.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2021
4.5 stars from me. Well…you can see by the warnings that the author/publisher gives that this is a story of child abduction and sexual abuse BUT ultimately, at the end of the day for me at least, this is a story of incredible HOPE. Of 2 children and eventually one man’s bravery, resolve, grit and determination not to give up and give in, to be able to live the life that he chose, to escape the confinement and the sexual and drug abuse he’d been subjected to for 12 years, and break free from the ‘life’ that was forced upon him without his consent. It’s also the love story of two friends, boys who then grew into men…not knowing, due to circumstances way beyond their control and the lies they were told, that the other was still alive.
Tye and Baxter were school friends. Baxter was Tye’s protector, and even at the age of 11 Tye knew that Baxter was more than just a friend to him. Then came the fateful day when a guy they’d befriended fishing decided it was OK to kidnap and drug both boys, imprisoning them in a house that was miles from anywhere with seemingly no chance of getting free...until the two boys worked in tandem and Tye sacrificed his innocence to his abductor to help Baxter escape and ostensibly get help.
There are clues throughout the story if you look closely to help you identify who Tye and Baxter become and who their stalker is. Most of the abuse is ‘off page’, although you obviously know what’s going on but at least it’s not there ‘in your face’. The sex between Caleb and March [and don’t forget this is a Barbara Elsborg story], was hot, there were laughs too [as you would expect], the RNLI and Dorset [lovely county and a great charity to donate to]…and of course, for those of you that are interested in such things, there is an element of GFY in this one.
Yes, this IS fiction but the main storyline concerns the sordid, sleazy and disgusting underworld of paedophilia, of the sick individuals [mainly men it has to be said, but maybe even some women, who knows?] that ARE the utter dregs of humanity [to my mind at least] and who ‘groom’ children either by personal day to day contact or on-line; how contact is made with other like-minded perverted pieces of filth who think it’s perfectly OK to kidnap, rape and sell young boys and girls to other buyers AND to make videos of children who are drugged, abused and raped to post on the internet. This is REAL LIFE in the 21st century folks, we all know it goes on 😕...
Tye and Baxter were school friends. Baxter was Tye’s protector, and even at the age of 11 Tye knew that Baxter was more than just a friend to him. Then came the fateful day when a guy they’d befriended fishing decided it was OK to kidnap and drug both boys, imprisoning them in a house that was miles from anywhere with seemingly no chance of getting free...until the two boys worked in tandem and Tye sacrificed his innocence to his abductor to help Baxter escape and ostensibly get help.
There are clues throughout the story if you look closely to help you identify who Tye and Baxter become and who their stalker is. Most of the abuse is ‘off page’, although you obviously know what’s going on but at least it’s not there ‘in your face’. The sex between Caleb and March [and don’t forget this is a Barbara Elsborg story], was hot, there were laughs too [as you would expect], the RNLI and Dorset [lovely county and a great charity to donate to]…and of course, for those of you that are interested in such things, there is an element of GFY in this one.
Yes, this IS fiction but the main storyline concerns the sordid, sleazy and disgusting underworld of paedophilia, of the sick individuals [mainly men it has to be said, but maybe even some women, who knows?] that ARE the utter dregs of humanity [to my mind at least] and who ‘groom’ children either by personal day to day contact or on-line; how contact is made with other like-minded perverted pieces of filth who think it’s perfectly OK to kidnap, rape and sell young boys and girls to other buyers AND to make videos of children who are drugged, abused and raped to post on the internet. This is REAL LIFE in the 21st century folks, we all know it goes on 😕...
March 16, 2016
4.5 stars.
I just love Barbara Elsborg!
Yep, simple as that.
I enjoyed her books way back in 2012, when I started reading m/f romance, and when I moved on to m/m romance in 2013 (gosh, has it really been that long?) and found out Elsborg also writes m/m erotic-romance, I was so happy to realize I love here writing in that genre too!
There are few things that I love in her books-
1. Is that I love the UK and her stories are not only very British, but some of them are in a specific place called Greenwich, a place that is dear to me and I happen to know almost as the back of my hand, and that is just great and wonderful.
2. Her writing is beautiful and she never fail me in that aspect.
3. She is SO good with sex scene (I'm she has a masters degree on the subject of delayed- orgasm, yet I can't prove it!)
I can't say too much on this book without reviling too much and spoiling it.
The blurb is good in describing the plot, and the warnings are rightly there.
This book contains elements of abduction of children, abuse of children- mentally, physically and sexually. BUT, I must say the abuse is mentioned but the sexual abuse is not detailed at all (thank you!) but can be a trigger for some.
Thank you Barbara Elsborg for another great read!
I just love Barbara Elsborg!
Yep, simple as that.
I enjoyed her books way back in 2012, when I started reading m/f romance, and when I moved on to m/m romance in 2013 (gosh, has it really been that long?) and found out Elsborg also writes m/m erotic-romance, I was so happy to realize I love here writing in that genre too!
There are few things that I love in her books-
1. Is that I love the UK and her stories are not only very British, but some of them are in a specific place called Greenwich, a place that is dear to me and I happen to know almost as the back of my hand, and that is just great and wonderful.
2. Her writing is beautiful and she never fail me in that aspect.
3. She is SO good with sex scene (I'm she has a masters degree on the subject of delayed- orgasm, yet I can't prove it!)
I can't say too much on this book without reviling too much and spoiling it.
The blurb is good in describing the plot, and the warnings are rightly there.
This book contains elements of abduction of children, abuse of children- mentally, physically and sexually. BUT, I must say the abuse is mentioned but the sexual abuse is not detailed at all (thank you!) but can be a trigger for some.
Thank you Barbara Elsborg for another great read!
February 11, 2018
2,5 stars
I've read the warning and I knew what I was getting myself into, but I can't say it got to love it. Actually it seemed to drag and I wanted to give up many times. If I wouldn't be so determined to finish each and every book I start, I think I would have put it aside and never return to it.
The first half of the book was so full of unnecessary scenes and details. I just wanted Caleb and March to realize who the other is.
At first all the painful flashbacks didn't make sense. Until they did, and I was heartbroken.
This story contains many triggers and isn't for everyone. Child abduction and abuse are very difficult topics. While I completely understand Caleb's determination to forget the past, I can't stop thinking it wasn't realistic how he healed after 12 years of living hell. And later he's getting saved from drowning by none other than March - I mean, what were the odds?!
I am glad I sticked till the end because it ended being a good book and I am glad I've read it.
Mostly I enjoyed the writing. We get some suspense in the last chapters and the epilogue is unexpectedly sweet. I just wanted more and I am not happy about the easy-falling-into-place after all the drama and the heartbreak.
I've read the warning and I knew what I was getting myself into, but I can't say it got to love it. Actually it seemed to drag and I wanted to give up many times. If I wouldn't be so determined to finish each and every book I start, I think I would have put it aside and never return to it.
The first half of the book was so full of unnecessary scenes and details. I just wanted Caleb and March to realize who the other is.
At first all the painful flashbacks didn't make sense. Until they did, and I was heartbroken.
This story contains many triggers and isn't for everyone. Child abduction and abuse are very difficult topics. While I completely understand Caleb's determination to forget the past, I can't stop thinking it wasn't realistic how he healed after 12 years of living hell. And later he's getting saved from drowning by none other than March - I mean, what were the odds?!
I am glad I sticked till the end because it ended being a good book and I am glad I've read it.
Mostly I enjoyed the writing. We get some suspense in the last chapters and the epilogue is unexpectedly sweet. I just wanted more and I am not happy about the easy-falling-into-place after all the drama and the heartbreak.
July 17, 2021
4.25 stars.
don’t think too deeply about the plot and this book is enjoyable, despite the dark subject matter.
don’t think too deeply about the plot and this book is enjoyable, despite the dark subject matter.
September 26, 2016
Overall book rating: 4.25 Stars
Audio book: N/A
Book cover: 4 Stars
“Don’t read this if you are easily upset or offended – read the warnings!”
This is my second Barbara Elsborg and I’ve decided it will not be my last. I like her writing style and I like the “dark” aspect in her books. Don’t misinterpret! I’m not some crazy person who condones child kidnapping and molestation/rape!
I’m just a FICTION READER who can appreciate realistic hard topics and the HEA that come from them. This story is not for everyone.
I really liked the idea of March and Caleb. I liked the way they met, that was somewhat different and different is sometimes a good thing when done right.
I liked March, the daredevil within him, driven by something he subconsciously searches for. He is not perfect. Not by a long shot, and his blatant disregards for “safety” cost him dearly, even from a young age. But he is loyal and fierce and he steps up to the plate when the lines are drawn.
Caleb...well if your heart didn’t break into a million tiny little pieces for this boy/man you don’t own one. It’s really as simple as that. The nightmare he lives through and survives is just horrific and it makes you want to implant your kids with tracking device.
Caleb is sweet and he’s a fighter, even if he is “scared of his own shadow” I don’t think he fully understands just how “Strong” he really is for a great deal of the book.
I won’t go into a whole lot more. But if it’s something you think you can handle, it’s a really good read.
Audio book: N/A
Book cover: 4 Stars
“Don’t read this if you are easily upset or offended – read the warnings!”
This is my second Barbara Elsborg and I’ve decided it will not be my last. I like her writing style and I like the “dark” aspect in her books. Don’t misinterpret! I’m not some crazy person who condones child kidnapping and molestation/rape!
I’m just a FICTION READER who can appreciate realistic hard topics and the HEA that come from them. This story is not for everyone.
I really liked the idea of March and Caleb. I liked the way they met, that was somewhat different and different is sometimes a good thing when done right.
I liked March, the daredevil within him, driven by something he subconsciously searches for. He is not perfect. Not by a long shot, and his blatant disregards for “safety” cost him dearly, even from a young age. But he is loyal and fierce and he steps up to the plate when the lines are drawn.
Caleb...well if your heart didn’t break into a million tiny little pieces for this boy/man you don’t own one. It’s really as simple as that. The nightmare he lives through and survives is just horrific and it makes you want to implant your kids with tracking device.
Caleb is sweet and he’s a fighter, even if he is “scared of his own shadow” I don’t think he fully understands just how “Strong” he really is for a great deal of the book.
I won’t go into a whole lot more. But if it’s something you think you can handle, it’s a really good read.
July 24, 2020
I'm glad I read this book! It is true, some pages are hard to read but the end was so beautiful. It is a story that I will not easily forget... I would love to read Jasim's story.
Want to read
February 18, 2016Too hard for me to read. I don't do well with anything child abuse related.
February 17, 2016
I love this author so was really looking forward to reading this one, her M/M's are fantastic reads. Although I enjoyed this story I found some of the plot devices a bit unbelievable and too coincidental, while I appreciate that this is fiction and anything is game there has to be a certain amount of plausibility and for me that just didn't ring true with this book. I loved the way the author went for the dark side, she certainly delivered and while I appreciate the story sometimes less is more. But none the less, still an enjoyable read.
Read
January 26, 2021This is a really hard book to rate and review. It’s a really hard book to read. I thought about not reviewing at all but I’m going to try anyway.
I first read Give Yourself Away just under 5 years ago, shortly after it was first published and before I started leaving reviews on GR. I was coming out of a really dark and incredibly hard time in my life. A time marked by daily thoughts of suicide that lasted around 5 years and ended up in hospitalization once. During this time, I found it impossible to read or watch tv that had sweet, fluffy, happy stories; they made me feel worse, hopeless, misunderstood and lost. Dark, hard, gritty, painful stories on the other hand consumed me; I found great comfort in the perseverance of others in the face of hardship. They gave me hope and helped me find goodness and light in the dark. They also helped me feel understood in my pain and less lost and alone.
I had never emailed or messaged an author before but partway through GYA, I messaged Barbara Elsborg to tell her how much I appreciated how she was always able to infuse hope and humor into even the grimmest of circumstances and the darkest of themes. At that time, it really meant a lot to me to find those kind of messages, lights in the dark. Hard books like this one saved me when I was struggling, when I felt like I was drowning. They helped me persevere.
Why am I telling you this? Because around that same time, maybe within that year or the next, I would see Twitter rants about “trauma porn” and how sick it was... how sick the authors were for writing it and how sick readers were for reading it. Maybe books like Give Yourself Away weren’t the kind of trauma to which they were referring but those threads still stung. They still made me feel ashamed and uncomfortable for finding comfort and hope in fictional trauma. I hope sharing my experience will help others like me and will enlighten those who are harsh and critical.
Reading GYA now when I’m on solid ground and past that deep, dark, hopeless place, felt different than the last time. It was hard both times and I can still see why I gravitated to such a hard and fraught story but it wasn’t the lifeline for me that it was back then. So my review today is different than the one I would have left at that time, but only in so much as my emotional space and attachment to it is different.
I don’t have it in me to be too critical because of how much comfort it gave me in the past, but I will say reading it now, I found some aspects too coincidental and for that reason a bit incredible. Given its content, this book will be too difficult and disturbing for many, heed the trigger warnings, this one is a rough ride.
I first read Give Yourself Away just under 5 years ago, shortly after it was first published and before I started leaving reviews on GR. I was coming out of a really dark and incredibly hard time in my life. A time marked by daily thoughts of suicide that lasted around 5 years and ended up in hospitalization once. During this time, I found it impossible to read or watch tv that had sweet, fluffy, happy stories; they made me feel worse, hopeless, misunderstood and lost. Dark, hard, gritty, painful stories on the other hand consumed me; I found great comfort in the perseverance of others in the face of hardship. They gave me hope and helped me find goodness and light in the dark. They also helped me feel understood in my pain and less lost and alone.
I had never emailed or messaged an author before but partway through GYA, I messaged Barbara Elsborg to tell her how much I appreciated how she was always able to infuse hope and humor into even the grimmest of circumstances and the darkest of themes. At that time, it really meant a lot to me to find those kind of messages, lights in the dark. Hard books like this one saved me when I was struggling, when I felt like I was drowning. They helped me persevere.
Why am I telling you this? Because around that same time, maybe within that year or the next, I would see Twitter rants about “trauma porn” and how sick it was... how sick the authors were for writing it and how sick readers were for reading it. Maybe books like Give Yourself Away weren’t the kind of trauma to which they were referring but those threads still stung. They still made me feel ashamed and uncomfortable for finding comfort and hope in fictional trauma. I hope sharing my experience will help others like me and will enlighten those who are harsh and critical.
Reading GYA now when I’m on solid ground and past that deep, dark, hopeless place, felt different than the last time. It was hard both times and I can still see why I gravitated to such a hard and fraught story but it wasn’t the lifeline for me that it was back then. So my review today is different than the one I would have left at that time, but only in so much as my emotional space and attachment to it is different.
I don’t have it in me to be too critical because of how much comfort it gave me in the past, but I will say reading it now, I found some aspects too coincidental and for that reason a bit incredible. Given its content, this book will be too difficult and disturbing for many, heed the trigger warnings, this one is a rough ride.
March 23, 2017
I fell in love with Barbara Elsborg’s stories a while back. Tragic pain, wounds to be healed, and a HEA are the combinations that do it for me. Of course when I read the blurb for Give Yourself Away, I saw all that happening. March trying to numb pain, Caleb with a dark past, March rescues Caleb, attraction, passion, drama, romance, HEA. Yes, I could see these two fitting the bill for what I’ve come to expect from Ms. Elsborg’s books. The blurb, however, did not prepare me for how bad it was going to be. I expected two guys with heartbreak in the past, meeting, have a bit of drama, work it out and boom HEA. I got that, except it wasn’t in the package I was expecting.
Let me breaking it down. The book is done in alternating timelines; the past for Baxter and Tye and the current for March and Caleb. The past starts out innocent and moves into the horrific realm, something no parent every wants their child to experience. The present has them now as adults and what has happened in the past still has a lingering impact on how they think /feel/act. The past is the equivalent of a train wreck. It’s horrible and you really don’t want to look but for some reason you just can’t pull your eyes away. It’s very obvious from the very beginning that Caleb is Tye and he was held captive and sexually abused…for a very long time. I almost felt this Give Yourself Away was more of his story than March’s only because what has happened to Caleb plays such a focal point.
Caleb, oh Lordy, I just wanted to give him a hug. He’s so sweet and gentle but so skittish. He has no problem admitting he is gay but what he does have problems with is his past. March is a thrill seeker/ adrenaline junkie but the reasons right away aren’t so obvious. He’s been holding himself back for so long, not willing to admit he is gay. The interactions between them is mesmerizing and tears at your heart. Slowly they begin to heal but not without pain from the present and the shock from the past invading their story. There are quite a few twists too that, while I was able to guess a few, there were some that caught me off guard. Despite the horrible childhood of Caleb, I really did enjoy this book. It full of angst and heartache, but underneath it all is a love story of two people separated, coming together and healing.
Spoiler and about the warning….
Did you notice the author posted a warning about ‘difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence’? Ms. Elsborg has some real hard hitting issues here that are not for the faint of heart. Do not take that warning lightly if that is an issue for you. Caleb’s past contains child abduction, abuse, rape and captivity. If any of that bothers you in any way,do not read this book. While sex between March and Caleb was hot, steamy, and deserving of a 3-Flame rating, the horrific experiences Caleb goes through requiring something higher, which is why I am giving it 5-Flames. However, if you can see beyond that then know there is a great story to be read.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars - 5, Flames - 5
Let me breaking it down. The book is done in alternating timelines; the past for Baxter and Tye and the current for March and Caleb. The past starts out innocent and moves into the horrific realm, something no parent every wants their child to experience. The present has them now as adults and what has happened in the past still has a lingering impact on how they think /feel/act. The past is the equivalent of a train wreck. It’s horrible and you really don’t want to look but for some reason you just can’t pull your eyes away. It’s very obvious from the very beginning that Caleb is Tye and he was held captive and sexually abused…for a very long time. I almost felt this Give Yourself Away was more of his story than March’s only because what has happened to Caleb plays such a focal point.
Caleb, oh Lordy, I just wanted to give him a hug. He’s so sweet and gentle but so skittish. He has no problem admitting he is gay but what he does have problems with is his past. March is a thrill seeker/ adrenaline junkie but the reasons right away aren’t so obvious. He’s been holding himself back for so long, not willing to admit he is gay. The interactions between them is mesmerizing and tears at your heart. Slowly they begin to heal but not without pain from the present and the shock from the past invading their story. There are quite a few twists too that, while I was able to guess a few, there were some that caught me off guard. Despite the horrible childhood of Caleb, I really did enjoy this book. It full of angst and heartache, but underneath it all is a love story of two people separated, coming together and healing.
Spoiler and about the warning….
Did you notice the author posted a warning about ‘difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence’? Ms. Elsborg has some real hard hitting issues here that are not for the faint of heart. Do not take that warning lightly if that is an issue for you. Caleb’s past contains child abduction, abuse, rape and captivity. If any of that bothers you in any way,do not read this book. While sex between March and Caleb was hot, steamy, and deserving of a 3-Flame rating, the horrific experiences Caleb goes through requiring something higher, which is why I am giving it 5-Flames. However, if you can see beyond that then know there is a great story to be read.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars - 5, Flames - 5
March 15, 2018
"Caleb longed for someone to hold him, to brush the floppy hair from his eyes, tell him everything was going to be all right, and for it to really be all right. But everyone who’d ever done that for him had either died or lied to him, left or hurt him. So it had to be his fault, didn’t it? He was the common denominator. There had to be something about him that was inherently unlovable."
I have no personal frame of reference in terms of being a young child, kidnapped, and abused. Since I was an extremely naive and trusting child, I'm actually very surprised nothing like that ever happened to me. Unfortunately, it happened to Caleb, and the ramifications of what he suffered still linger even into his late twenties. March suffered in a different way, by losing the one guy he liked when he was a teenager, and just realizing he was gay. March has lived in denial all these years, but some of that is because he feels like he's betraying the young boy he loved and lost. Two men with serious baggage.
It took a while for Caleb and March to come to the realization that I had understood long before. It was heartbreaking when they did, and I hurt for the pain both of them suffered. But I was happy that they talked, that they started to communicate, open and honestly. Especially since as fast as Caleb was falling for March, he knew he'd have to tell him about his past at some point. Probably sooner rather than later, since it was starting to look as if part of their past wasn't willing to let Caleb go.
"Oh, Caleb. “How did you cope?”
"I did whatever I had to do. I even tried praying. I didn’t think my prayers had been answered, but now I’m not so sure.”
The look in his eyes made March’s heart ache."
'Give Yourself Away' is an emotional ride, but as the author says in the description, it very much is a story celebrating the strength of the human spirit. Caleb never ceased to surprise me at his strength of will, to live through what he had and still try hard to make a life for himself. His and March's love was inevitable, and I'm so glad the author gave them the ending they both deserved. I can easily recommend this novel, although I will warn you that you'll need tissues.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
I have no personal frame of reference in terms of being a young child, kidnapped, and abused. Since I was an extremely naive and trusting child, I'm actually very surprised nothing like that ever happened to me. Unfortunately, it happened to Caleb, and the ramifications of what he suffered still linger even into his late twenties. March suffered in a different way, by losing the one guy he liked when he was a teenager, and just realizing he was gay. March has lived in denial all these years, but some of that is because he feels like he's betraying the young boy he loved and lost. Two men with serious baggage.
It took a while for Caleb and March to come to the realization that I had understood long before. It was heartbreaking when they did, and I hurt for the pain both of them suffered. But I was happy that they talked, that they started to communicate, open and honestly. Especially since as fast as Caleb was falling for March, he knew he'd have to tell him about his past at some point. Probably sooner rather than later, since it was starting to look as if part of their past wasn't willing to let Caleb go.
"Oh, Caleb. “How did you cope?”
"I did whatever I had to do. I even tried praying. I didn’t think my prayers had been answered, but now I’m not so sure.”
The look in his eyes made March’s heart ache."
'Give Yourself Away' is an emotional ride, but as the author says in the description, it very much is a story celebrating the strength of the human spirit. Caleb never ceased to surprise me at his strength of will, to live through what he had and still try hard to make a life for himself. His and March's love was inevitable, and I'm so glad the author gave them the ending they both deserved. I can easily recommend this novel, although I will warn you that you'll need tissues.
NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews
February 11, 2016
I had Give Yourself Away sitting on my Kindle for a while before I got around to reading it. For some reason I keep convincing myself that I don’t want to read books that are on the darker end of the spectrum—that is, until I actually read the book and then realize, once again, that those are usually the books that end up being my favorites.
I absolutely adored this book! Now, I was completely and utterly confused at first, and was sure I must have missed something right at the beginning that was obviously important because it didn’t make sense to me, but then… I got it. And then, I sat back and waited for the guys on the page to catch up to me.
There are definitely horrible acts depicted throughout this book, so if you have triggers, please read the warning at the end of the blurb. If you are able to look past this, and to see the strength and will these men have for life and for each other, you’ll find the most beautiful and loving story. I was blown away by watching these men, who, at first glance, seem so broken that it’s hard to imagine how they could get past what they’ve gone through, and to find any kind of normalcy in their life and relationship, but the way it all unfolds is even better than I could have imagined when I started reading.
I can’t recommend this book enough; it’s definitely one I’ll read time and again.
Reviewed by Karen for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
I absolutely adored this book! Now, I was completely and utterly confused at first, and was sure I must have missed something right at the beginning that was obviously important because it didn’t make sense to me, but then… I got it. And then, I sat back and waited for the guys on the page to catch up to me.
There are definitely horrible acts depicted throughout this book, so if you have triggers, please read the warning at the end of the blurb. If you are able to look past this, and to see the strength and will these men have for life and for each other, you’ll find the most beautiful and loving story. I was blown away by watching these men, who, at first glance, seem so broken that it’s hard to imagine how they could get past what they’ve gone through, and to find any kind of normalcy in their life and relationship, but the way it all unfolds is even better than I could have imagined when I started reading.
I can’t recommend this book enough; it’s definitely one I’ll read time and again.
Reviewed by Karen for The Novel Approach
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
February 22, 2016
4 stars
Damn this book was heartbreakingly beautiful .
The story made me feel happy/sad because of the emotional rollercoaster ride it took me on .
I needed a lot of tissues reading this.
While a lot of books have flashbacks which I don’t like that much
The flashbacks in this book just kept me going I wanted to know when he would get out and get his HEA .
Before reading this book beware of:
Warning: This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence, but also the incredible perseverance of two men who never give up on love—or each other. Bring your tissues and a heart that believes in the resilience of the human spirit.
November 22, 2015
Not for me. Too much.... Too many plot twists. Too much drama. Too much suspension of reality needed. Full review to follow.
May 11, 2021
3.5 Stars
Since the last book I read by Elsborg was Jonty, this was nothing like what I expected. There was occasional bouts of the same wit, but overall this was darker and much grittier. I still enjoyed it, and was definitely unable to put it down at times, but definitely don't be expecting something light when you pick it up.
Since the last book I read by Elsborg was Jonty, this was nothing like what I expected. There was occasional bouts of the same wit, but overall this was darker and much grittier. I still enjoyed it, and was definitely unable to put it down at times, but definitely don't be expecting something light when you pick it up.
March 26, 2022
This was a heavy reading, some parts are difficult to digest so be aware of the triggers before reading. I really love barbara's style
January 27, 2016
Despite the warnings and the dark themes, ultimately, this is a romance novel. I was able to read the flashback scenes, knowing there would be some happiness here, some reward for all the sadness, the darkness, and the growing horror of Caleb's past.
But had I known that reveal at about 70%, I am sure my reading would have been quite different. Not worse, just different. I can't believe I didn't guess. I suspect I was still focused on the kidnapping, not the future.
Anyway, it took a while to resolve that huge element. But then I thought, why not? Maybe this is possible. Both these boys certainly deserve such fortune.
It's hard to talk about a book like this. I found the journeys of Caleb and March to be absorbing and full of emotion. I found the mystery element exciting, as this is what Elsborg does very well.
If you can make it through the pain, and the coincidences, then you will be rewarded by a glorious resolution. Copy provided by Netgalley. Out on Feb 9.
But had I known that reveal at about 70%, I am sure my reading would have been quite different. Not worse, just different. I can't believe I didn't guess. I suspect I was still focused on the kidnapping, not the future.
Anyway, it took a while to resolve that huge element. But then I thought, why not? Maybe this is possible. Both these boys certainly deserve such fortune.
It's hard to talk about a book like this. I found the journeys of Caleb and March to be absorbing and full of emotion. I found the mystery element exciting, as this is what Elsborg does very well.
If you can make it through the pain, and the coincidences, then you will be rewarded by a glorious resolution. Copy provided by Netgalley. Out on Feb 9.
August 2, 2017
I know all about the problems other readers have had with suspending belief because of all the coincidences in this story, but do it. It's fiction. And it's still a lovely story with two very hot, broken men, with Barbara Elsborg's unique way of fixing them. Loved it.
September 6, 2021
Wow…
This was painful to read because of what Caleb went through. I don’t know to be thankful or not that I’ve read quite a few spoiler reviews who pointed out Caleb’s age during those difficult to read times. It was disturbing reading it, heart breaking and soul destroying but I think I’d have been worse off if I’d only found out his age later.
Anyways, I’m happy for the happy ending. Truly, happy for it. Not sure I’d consider myself truly enjoying this book. But I think it does show human resiliency at its best.
Whenever I read these books, two things comes to mind. One, I’m happy to read a fictional person struggle through life and triumph in the end. And the second, is a deeper, more bleak understanding that there are many people living this fictional life I’m reading about and I’m somewhat enjoying their pain and suffering. Gives me perspective in life and always puts me in my place. For that I’m thankful 🙇🏻♀️
So, good authors make you feel good and laugh and smile and sometimes cry. Great authors touch your heart, make you contemplate life and sometimes inspire epiphanies. So I’d dare say, Ms Elsborg is a great author 🙌
This was painful to read because of what Caleb went through. I don’t know to be thankful or not that I’ve read quite a few spoiler reviews who pointed out Caleb’s age during those difficult to read times. It was disturbing reading it, heart breaking and soul destroying but I think I’d have been worse off if I’d only found out his age later.
Anyways, I’m happy for the happy ending. Truly, happy for it. Not sure I’d consider myself truly enjoying this book. But I think it does show human resiliency at its best.
Whenever I read these books, two things comes to mind. One, I’m happy to read a fictional person struggle through life and triumph in the end. And the second, is a deeper, more bleak understanding that there are many people living this fictional life I’m reading about and I’m somewhat enjoying their pain and suffering. Gives me perspective in life and always puts me in my place. For that I’m thankful 🙇🏻♀️
So, good authors make you feel good and laugh and smile and sometimes cry. Great authors touch your heart, make you contemplate life and sometimes inspire epiphanies. So I’d dare say, Ms Elsborg is a great author 🙌
May 31, 2021
This was sweet. I wish there was more interaction though between the two main characters as adults. I'd really would have liked to spend more time as they Also would have liked delving more into the stuff going on psychologically. Maybe some scenes with therapists.
Other than that, pretty enjoyable even if it was super dark.
Other than that, pretty enjoyable even if it was super dark.
July 25, 2021
I've read the book the first time in Sept.2018. After finshing Barbara Elsborg's newest release "Wating For Ru" I had to reread it. You'll know why when you have read it, too.
So - OMG, I love this book. The whole story is captivating, despite knowing what had happened, I was glued to the pages again. I loved how this book was more about the hope, the starting new than concentrating on the abuse part. My most favorite part is the positivity of the characters.
So - OMG, I love this book. The whole story is captivating, despite knowing what had happened, I was glued to the pages again. I loved how this book was more about the hope, the starting new than concentrating on the abuse part. My most favorite part is the positivity of the characters.
December 29, 2015
It pains me to say that I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted, or thought I would.
A long time ago I came across Every Move He Makes and it's still one of my all time favorite reads. As is Bloodline. Barbara's writing style is quite addictive and she's got a bunch of awesome guys in her repertoire, there is no doubt about that! Zac and Logan, Micah and Inigo, Ezra and Roman? Yeah, exactly.
March Durant is one of them awesome guys!
I truly, truly loved March. Caleb on the other hand?
Hm. Not sure about him. His attitude as an adult sadly kind of bugged me. I never warmed up to him, which resulted in me not fully enjoying this, I'm afraid :(
The story begins Fifteen Years Ago with March and Caleb as kids, back when they were innocent, happy boys. Known as Tye and Baxter, two close friends exploring the neighborhood on their bikes. Having fun, being free, and doing what kids do.
That day Baxter and Tye met Liam, a stranger on the beach, promising them fishing rods. When they followed him to his van, Liam abducted the boys, planning on keeping them, only Baxter got away a few days later. Tye on the other hand spent the following twelve years in the mad man's hands...
I instantly liked Tye and Baxter and wanted to actually read the story from their POV, when they were kids. What we got in the flash backs wasn't satisfying.
I'm really sorry, but I was hoping for more angst. A grittier story. More pain and torture on the page.
As it was, with the constant changes in time, the many, many short flashbacks, I felt nothing.
NOTHING.
And it saddens me, you have no idea!
I wanted to love it....
I wanted to feel Tye's pain, his desperation and sadness. I never got the time to connect with him because we were back in the NOW AND THEN before anything could even happen with young, scared Tye. Nothing happened on page anyway :(
It was irritating to read one page where Tye talks about losing his best friend, sad and crying himself to sleep, and the next page we are back with Caleb and March having sex. Just. What?
The story flow was truly messed up :(
There was also too much sex. I mean, I do want my sex scenes to be plenty when the couple has that certain chemistry, but it didn't feel all that right with Caleb and March. Or was it because I just wanted there to have been an earlier "Oh it's you!" moment? A different reunion? I don't know!
Some readers said the plot was too "unrealistic", many events even too "convenient". That was all quite fine with me, the story itself was entertaining. I don't expect everything to be realistic when reading fiction....
But what did bother me, a lot, was the fact that Caleb did not recognize March, like at all. Even after they spent some time together, got intimate etc..
March not recognizing Caleb bugged me too, despite the colorful contact lenses I feel like he should have known somehow.
It just bothered me throughout the story that they finally met again and didn't know!
I do want to recommend it, I truly do.
If you love second chances as much as I do, please pick it up and paint a picture for yourself !
And if you're worried about the whole "abduction" and "torture" part, don't let the "angst" keep you away, it wasn't angsty much, really.
I hope you have a good experience :)
***
Many thanks to the Publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
A long time ago I came across Every Move He Makes and it's still one of my all time favorite reads. As is Bloodline. Barbara's writing style is quite addictive and she's got a bunch of awesome guys in her repertoire, there is no doubt about that! Zac and Logan, Micah and Inigo, Ezra and Roman? Yeah, exactly.
March Durant is one of them awesome guys!
I truly, truly loved March. Caleb on the other hand?
Hm. Not sure about him. His attitude as an adult sadly kind of bugged me. I never warmed up to him, which resulted in me not fully enjoying this, I'm afraid :(
The story begins Fifteen Years Ago with March and Caleb as kids, back when they were innocent, happy boys. Known as Tye and Baxter, two close friends exploring the neighborhood on their bikes. Having fun, being free, and doing what kids do.
That day Baxter and Tye met Liam, a stranger on the beach, promising them fishing rods. When they followed him to his van, Liam abducted the boys, planning on keeping them, only Baxter got away a few days later. Tye on the other hand spent the following twelve years in the mad man's hands...
I instantly liked Tye and Baxter and wanted to actually read the story from their POV, when they were kids. What we got in the flash backs wasn't satisfying.
I'm really sorry, but I was hoping for more angst. A grittier story. More pain and torture on the page.
As it was, with the constant changes in time, the many, many short flashbacks, I felt nothing.
NOTHING.
And it saddens me, you have no idea!
I wanted to love it....
I wanted to feel Tye's pain, his desperation and sadness. I never got the time to connect with him because we were back in the NOW AND THEN before anything could even happen with young, scared Tye. Nothing happened on page anyway :(
It was irritating to read one page where Tye talks about losing his best friend, sad and crying himself to sleep, and the next page we are back with Caleb and March having sex. Just. What?
The story flow was truly messed up :(
There was also too much sex. I mean, I do want my sex scenes to be plenty when the couple has that certain chemistry, but it didn't feel all that right with Caleb and March. Or was it because I just wanted there to have been an earlier "Oh it's you!" moment? A different reunion? I don't know!
Some readers said the plot was too "unrealistic", many events even too "convenient". That was all quite fine with me, the story itself was entertaining. I don't expect everything to be realistic when reading fiction....
But what did bother me, a lot, was the fact that Caleb did not recognize March, like at all. Even after they spent some time together, got intimate etc..
March not recognizing Caleb bugged me too, despite the colorful contact lenses I feel like he should have known somehow.
It just bothered me throughout the story that they finally met again and didn't know!
I do want to recommend it, I truly do.
If you love second chances as much as I do, please pick it up and paint a picture for yourself !
And if you're worried about the whole "abduction" and "torture" part, don't let the "angst" keep you away, it wasn't angsty much, really.
I hope you have a good experience :)
***
Many thanks to the Publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.
February 9, 2016
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Reviewer's note: I almost didn't read this book because of the warning at the front of it: "This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence...." However, I read it because this is an author who has never let me down. I won't lie and tell you it wasn't hard getting through it, but I'm also not sorry that I read it.
GUTTED...emotionally exhausted, and my brain won't stop looping back through this story, however Give Yourself Away was everything I've come to expect from author Barbara Elsborg and more. This was a brutal story, but it was also one that makes you aware of the dangers in our world and how the human spirit can persevere even in unfathomable situations. It is also a story about love, devotion and never giving up hope even in the darkest of times.
Two men are brought together during a rescue mission in which one disobeys orders to save the other's life. There is an instant connection one that the ever cautious man wants to explore and the adrenaline junkie man wants to ignore, but one neither one can deny.
March is a risk taker and craves the high he gets from putting himself in danger. He does it to fight the pain of loss and to numb the blame he feels for not being able to help the best friend he lost as a child and his father whose death he blames himself for. While he claims he doesn't have a death wish, it is also easy to see that he would be okay if it happened. March is gay, something he has never explored and something he has hidden his whole life so when he meets Caleb his life is turned completely upside down.
Just when Caleb begins to feel somewhat settled and even a bit safe, he finds his live in boyfriend cheating on him, a series of strange incidents make him think he has a stalker and then he accidentally winds up falling into an ocean cave and has to be rescued. When March saves him, he feels grateful beyond reason but there is something about the man that makes him want more even when he's not sure of his sexuality or interest.
These two men couldn't be more different in their temperaments or the way they lead their lives. Neither one has had a picture perfect life, in fact that is so far off the mark for both of them it isn't even funny but more so for Caleb whose history is incomprehensible. They get off to a rough start with March trying to come to terms with his sexuality even though he feels he's know he's gay since his early teen years. Caleb was surprisingly forward with March, but I think he realized he was going to have to push him in order to get him to open up and accept his true self. These two men go through a lot of self discovery during this story, they open up old wounds and they build a trust that was necessary in order for them to deal with the past and move forward.
It is very difficult to review this book without spoilers, so I'm just going to say that this is a well written, well thought out and beautiful story of two men finding just what they always wanted in each other. While their love story is pretty wonderful, there are many events in this book that are hard to read, comprehend and understand. What I loved is that despite everything they've been through, they still managed to see the good in their lives, in each other and in the world. I applaud Ms. Elsborg for tackling this sensitive subject and for exploring it without being overly graphic. Take my word for it folks; you will need tissues when reading this story.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
Reviewer's note: I almost didn't read this book because of the warning at the front of it: "This book contains difficult flashbacks of child abduction and sexual violence...." However, I read it because this is an author who has never let me down. I won't lie and tell you it wasn't hard getting through it, but I'm also not sorry that I read it.
GUTTED...emotionally exhausted, and my brain won't stop looping back through this story, however Give Yourself Away was everything I've come to expect from author Barbara Elsborg and more. This was a brutal story, but it was also one that makes you aware of the dangers in our world and how the human spirit can persevere even in unfathomable situations. It is also a story about love, devotion and never giving up hope even in the darkest of times.
Two men are brought together during a rescue mission in which one disobeys orders to save the other's life. There is an instant connection one that the ever cautious man wants to explore and the adrenaline junkie man wants to ignore, but one neither one can deny.
March is a risk taker and craves the high he gets from putting himself in danger. He does it to fight the pain of loss and to numb the blame he feels for not being able to help the best friend he lost as a child and his father whose death he blames himself for. While he claims he doesn't have a death wish, it is also easy to see that he would be okay if it happened. March is gay, something he has never explored and something he has hidden his whole life so when he meets Caleb his life is turned completely upside down.
Just when Caleb begins to feel somewhat settled and even a bit safe, he finds his live in boyfriend cheating on him, a series of strange incidents make him think he has a stalker and then he accidentally winds up falling into an ocean cave and has to be rescued. When March saves him, he feels grateful beyond reason but there is something about the man that makes him want more even when he's not sure of his sexuality or interest.
These two men couldn't be more different in their temperaments or the way they lead their lives. Neither one has had a picture perfect life, in fact that is so far off the mark for both of them it isn't even funny but more so for Caleb whose history is incomprehensible. They get off to a rough start with March trying to come to terms with his sexuality even though he feels he's know he's gay since his early teen years. Caleb was surprisingly forward with March, but I think he realized he was going to have to push him in order to get him to open up and accept his true self. These two men go through a lot of self discovery during this story, they open up old wounds and they build a trust that was necessary in order for them to deal with the past and move forward.
It is very difficult to review this book without spoilers, so I'm just going to say that this is a well written, well thought out and beautiful story of two men finding just what they always wanted in each other. While their love story is pretty wonderful, there are many events in this book that are hard to read, comprehend and understand. What I loved is that despite everything they've been through, they still managed to see the good in their lives, in each other and in the world. I applaud Ms. Elsborg for tackling this sensitive subject and for exploring it without being overly graphic. Take my word for it folks; you will need tissues when reading this story.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
February 11, 2016
4.5 Heart Review by Amber
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. More often than not with stories as dark as these the victims involved are hopeless, incredibly damaged and the pain usually outweighs any of the hope. With this story that wasn’t the case. There is no denying that this is a very dark and very painful story but I’ve never read characters so incredibly hopeful after enduring such unimaginable pain. The perseverance really struck a chord with me and made this story incredibly moving.
Tye and Baxter had their childhood stolen from them after making one decision that changed they’re lives. Tye having to deal with physical and emotional abuse that most couldn’t imagine for years and years on end.
Flash-forward several years Caleb is starting over, trying to build a new life while leaving his memories of being Tye and being in captivity behind.
He meets March under traumatic circumstances and they connect on a level that surpasses anything else. They realize there bond is incredibly strong and strive to start something special.
I don’t want to give too much away because this is a suspenseful story chalked full of “whoa” moments. Tons of thrills and certain chills this one doesn’t disappoint. I’m without a doubt a huge fan of this author and she out did herself with this amazing story. The writing was incredible but these characters were out of this world amazing.
Overall, I’m awed and humbled by this story. It’s amazing…highly recommend!!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. More often than not with stories as dark as these the victims involved are hopeless, incredibly damaged and the pain usually outweighs any of the hope. With this story that wasn’t the case. There is no denying that this is a very dark and very painful story but I’ve never read characters so incredibly hopeful after enduring such unimaginable pain. The perseverance really struck a chord with me and made this story incredibly moving.
Tye and Baxter had their childhood stolen from them after making one decision that changed they’re lives. Tye having to deal with physical and emotional abuse that most couldn’t imagine for years and years on end.
Flash-forward several years Caleb is starting over, trying to build a new life while leaving his memories of being Tye and being in captivity behind.
He meets March under traumatic circumstances and they connect on a level that surpasses anything else. They realize there bond is incredibly strong and strive to start something special.
I don’t want to give too much away because this is a suspenseful story chalked full of “whoa” moments. Tons of thrills and certain chills this one doesn’t disappoint. I’m without a doubt a huge fan of this author and she out did herself with this amazing story. The writing was incredible but these characters were out of this world amazing.
Overall, I’m awed and humbled by this story. It’s amazing…highly recommend!!
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
Read
December 16, 2015DNF @ 75%
Ugh.
This book.
Annoyed the shit out of me.
For as heavy as the angst is in this book, and come on I freaking love angst, this just didn't have the right angst.
Let me explain that.
With any book, I crave angst, I crave breathing in the words that are going to destroy my world and then lift me up in the end.
Books like Split or like Rock where a separation btwn the 2 MCs (and this is no matter the consequences because every book is different) is felt right to the marrow of your bones.
In this book, I felt nothing. No connections, not anticipation in the finally meeting back up again.
I felt 0.
Maybe it's me, maybe it's not. It is what it is.
This book definitely has trigger warnings so tread carefully.
And a big thank you to Alissa for discussing this book with me.
Mare~Slitsread
Ugh.
This book.
Annoyed the shit out of me.
For as heavy as the angst is in this book, and come on I freaking love angst, this just didn't have the right angst.
Let me explain that.
With any book, I crave angst, I crave breathing in the words that are going to destroy my world and then lift me up in the end.
Books like Split or like Rock where a separation btwn the 2 MCs (and this is no matter the consequences because every book is different) is felt right to the marrow of your bones.
In this book, I felt nothing. No connections, not anticipation in the finally meeting back up again.
I felt 0.
Maybe it's me, maybe it's not. It is what it is.
This book definitely has trigger warnings so tread carefully.
And a big thank you to Alissa for discussing this book with me.
Mare~Slitsread
January 6, 2016
So I will start of this review with a warning... There are parts in this book that will be hard for some to read in this book, I know they were very hard for me and some that I just could not read.
Okay well this book I just do not know how to explain exactly how I felt about this book... So I will try without giving away too many spoilers. The first part of this book was just ugh I cried so much for these boys. Then there was the second part of this book which I have to be honest and say was just way to much for me. I guess there is drama and then there is just way to much where you reach the point in a book that is becomes unbelievable and sadly a little annoying.
Now I really did like Caleb's character and I did feel so bad for these two men. But I have to be honest and say even though I really do like dark novels, this one was just way to much for me and I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
Okay well this book I just do not know how to explain exactly how I felt about this book... So I will try without giving away too many spoilers. The first part of this book was just ugh I cried so much for these boys. Then there was the second part of this book which I have to be honest and say was just way to much for me. I guess there is drama and then there is just way to much where you reach the point in a book that is becomes unbelievable and sadly a little annoying.
Now I really did like Caleb's character and I did feel so bad for these two men. But I have to be honest and say even though I really do like dark novels, this one was just way to much for me and I am sad to say this book was just not for me...
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review from Inked Rainbow Reads.
February 7, 2016
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This is an intense read all the way through. It slips from the past to today in ever increasing frequency and I got the twist fairly quickly, but the reveal worked well, and was beautifully handled. Actually the whole story is surprisingly beautiful - given the subject matter and the long term impact of it on the protagonists.
This is undoubtedly a romance, but as with many of Ms Elsborg's books, the reader is treated to much, much more than a simple story. The plot is deep, difficult, and keeps the reader thinking all the way through. It is very clever because it could fall over the edge, but instead it skirts along a fine line, and is so sensitive to the lead characters, that the reader can completely embrace the closeness that develops.
A really good read. Thank you Ms Elsborg!
This is an intense read all the way through. It slips from the past to today in ever increasing frequency and I got the twist fairly quickly, but the reveal worked well, and was beautifully handled. Actually the whole story is surprisingly beautiful - given the subject matter and the long term impact of it on the protagonists.
This is undoubtedly a romance, but as with many of Ms Elsborg's books, the reader is treated to much, much more than a simple story. The plot is deep, difficult, and keeps the reader thinking all the way through. It is very clever because it could fall over the edge, but instead it skirts along a fine line, and is so sensitive to the lead characters, that the reader can completely embrace the closeness that develops.
A really good read. Thank you Ms Elsborg!
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