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Defining Her
Nellie Hawthorne is a woman who has it all. A devoted husband, her own business, a wealthy lifestyle. But the Nellie she is now is much different from her past. A past filled with abuse, addiction, and men. Nellie’s carefully constructed new life is suddenly in jeopardy when a blast from the past emerges in her small town and her overbearing mother-in-law starts pushing for grandchildren and questions start being asked. A budding new friendship presents itself at an opportune time, and a once friendless Nellie finds herself growing closer to Prue Doherty.
Prue Doherty is the quintessential good girl. Always making the right decisions, always playing it safe. Until she meets a man that could change all of that. Still reeling from a devastating breakup and betrayal that had her fleeing from Chicago and settling into suburb life with her mom close by, Prue finds herself in a damaging funk. But everything changes when she befriends Nellie Hawthorne.
Nellie is trying to escape her past. Prue wants that perfect future. While both women strive to change their lives, they continue to cling to the past. But what defines us? Who we were then . . . or who we are trying to be now? Lies, manipulation, and deceit are woven throughout the pages of this edgy women’s fiction novel, with an ending you won’t see coming.
Prue Doherty is the quintessential good girl. Always making the right decisions, always playing it safe. Until she meets a man that could change all of that. Still reeling from a devastating breakup and betrayal that had her fleeing from Chicago and settling into suburb life with her mom close by, Prue finds herself in a damaging funk. But everything changes when she befriends Nellie Hawthorne.
Nellie is trying to escape her past. Prue wants that perfect future. While both women strive to change their lives, they continue to cling to the past. But what defines us? Who we were then . . . or who we are trying to be now? Lies, manipulation, and deceit are woven throughout the pages of this edgy women’s fiction novel, with an ending you won’t see coming.
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About the author
Samantha March
13 books478 followersSamantha March is a published author, blogger, and has been passionate about creating stories since a young girl. After starting her blog ChickLitPlus in 2009, she set out to make a childhood dream a reality, and published her debut novel in 2011. She now has six published novels – Destined To Fail, The Green Ticket, Up To I Do, A Questionable Friendship and Defining Her – and one holiday novella, The Christmas Surprise, and Kristy, book 1 in The Six series. In addition to her bookish pursuits, she is also a beauty blogger with a growing Youtube channel and shares her love for makeup and beauty in review and tutorial videos. When she isn’t reading, writing, or creating videos, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs. Samantha currently lives in Iowa with her husband and Vizsla Aries.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 25, 2017
What a different style of book from Samantha March and what an amazing one! I had a sneaking suspicion that Prue knew what was going on and what she was doing. Emotions play a huge part in people's actions. The beginning of the story may cause some trigger emotions but what a way to begin the story. Suspenseful read that had me intrigued the entire time!
March 15, 2017
This review was originally posted on karaneleni.com
I’ll preface my review by saying that I hand a hand (or two) in the publishing of this book. I designed the cover, formatted the book, and did some proofreading as well. This is no way affects how I feel about the book and story itself, and I have purchased my own copy of the book for my collection.
I’m not gonna lie. This book is dark in places…most places. But so is life (unless you live wearing rose-colored glasses…and if you do, please send me a pair). People get hurt, and they hurt others. They make mistakes, and hopefully they grow from them. Love and life are messy, and DEFINING HER portrays the very messy side and what happens when those in love veer off path. (Path pun not intended, although I wish it would have been.)
To keep this completely spoiler free, I’ll keep the review fairly short, but I do want to say that this book is a must read if you don’t mind the graphic details and language that that messy sides of love, life, and betrayal bring with it. In case you missed it in the summary above, Samantha has provided this disclaimer: This novel contains adult content, graphic language and disturbing situations. The disclaimer is accurate.
March 30, 2017
Dark, raw, real and twisty.
I've read a few of Samantha's other novels which I class as chick lit, this one is firmly in the women's fiction category. Darker than her other novels, it deals with deeper issues such as infidelity, entitlement, friendship and trust. The opening scene is quite graphic, but this is definitely not erotica.
I love the cover. It appears black and white, just like the characters thought they were, but when you look closer, there are many shades of grey. The characters grow and change throughout the novel. I found all the characters compelling and I was intrigued to see what they believed defined them, their past, present or future.
I reviewed a complimentary copy.
I've read a few of Samantha's other novels which I class as chick lit, this one is firmly in the women's fiction category. Darker than her other novels, it deals with deeper issues such as infidelity, entitlement, friendship and trust. The opening scene is quite graphic, but this is definitely not erotica.
I love the cover. It appears black and white, just like the characters thought they were, but when you look closer, there are many shades of grey. The characters grow and change throughout the novel. I found all the characters compelling and I was intrigued to see what they believed defined them, their past, present or future.
I reviewed a complimentary copy.
May 11, 2017
I so wanted to LOVE this book. But I didn't. It was a good book, but I feel like the plot was a bit underdeveloped. Like there were holes that made me have to go back and make sure I hadn't missed something. Some of it was explained later, but I wish it had been more cohesively done. (There were also a lot of typos, but I feel like that's just a flaw in all e-books.) The ending seemed kind of sudden to me. She does touch on rape and abortion, so if those are triggers, be aware. It's not graphic by any means, but it's still there. I will check out another of her books. But this might be one to borrow instead of buy. (And I really hate to say that because the author is so super sweet.)
March 20, 2017
This was a really different read regarding women’s fiction, but I loved how thought-provoking and emotional that it was. Nellie’s past is absolutely not picture-perfect and she has kept that past hidden from her husband Harrison. They are a successful, active couple but he wants children and she’s not so sure. Prue is trying to make a fresh start and feels that she’s been robbed of happiness too many times. Nellie and Prue become friends although it always appears to be strained and awkward. At the same time, Harrison meets a new friend and the appropriateness of the friendship isn’t exactly what you would expect from him. The good girl Prue seems like the wronged woman and damsel in constant distress, but you quickly realize she’s not as innocent as she seems.
To be honest, none of the characters are very likable in this novel, each doing, saying, or thinking things that they shouldn’t, however, I preferred Nellie to anyone else. Yes, Nellie came from a horrible upbringing with a horrible mother, but she did turn her life around. She wasn’t honest with Harrison about her past, but she did become a better person, a good wife, and a successful business owner. It appeared that her marriage to her successful attorney husband was in a bit of a rut, but Harrison was struggling with desires to become a father and reconciling Nellie’s complete opposite mindset on the subject. Prue just grated my last nerve, playing the outcast and wronged person in basically every relationship. At first, I just found her weak and felt sorry for some of her pathetic thoughts and ramblings, but later realized she was really just a few shades off of crazy.
I loved Samantha March’s honest and raw development of all of these characters, whether I liked the characters or not. Her writing style generously allows readers a window into the character’s minds and souls. However, silly, cringe-worthy, or inappropriate, the reader knows exactly how the characters are feeling, as well as, knowing their innermost thoughts. When I first finished this novel I was thinking to myself that there wasn’t that much “meat” to the plot, however, after thinking it over for awhile, I realized that I got a lot from reading it. Nellie had a dark and shameful past and was afraid of her husband learning the truth – but was trying to overcome it. Prue considered herself a victim for the majority of her life and decided that she was within her rights to deceive and hurt others because that had been done to her. Both women were living their lives based on the past and as the title alludes, allowing the past to define them as a person, rather than focusing on the present and future and the happy lives that they could lead. The author conveys an important message of being honest and truthful, as well as, provides a strong reminder that our past doesn’t make us who we are, it’s what we choose as adults on our paths forward that demonstrates who we are as a person.
This is not light-hearted chick lit but a great read that makes you think and reflect on your own life and actions. I definitely categorize this as a must-read, especially for Samantha March fans or lovers of more in-depth women’s fiction.
*Thanks so much to Samantha March for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To be honest, none of the characters are very likable in this novel, each doing, saying, or thinking things that they shouldn’t, however, I preferred Nellie to anyone else. Yes, Nellie came from a horrible upbringing with a horrible mother, but she did turn her life around. She wasn’t honest with Harrison about her past, but she did become a better person, a good wife, and a successful business owner. It appeared that her marriage to her successful attorney husband was in a bit of a rut, but Harrison was struggling with desires to become a father and reconciling Nellie’s complete opposite mindset on the subject. Prue just grated my last nerve, playing the outcast and wronged person in basically every relationship. At first, I just found her weak and felt sorry for some of her pathetic thoughts and ramblings, but later realized she was really just a few shades off of crazy.
I loved Samantha March’s honest and raw development of all of these characters, whether I liked the characters or not. Her writing style generously allows readers a window into the character’s minds and souls. However, silly, cringe-worthy, or inappropriate, the reader knows exactly how the characters are feeling, as well as, knowing their innermost thoughts. When I first finished this novel I was thinking to myself that there wasn’t that much “meat” to the plot, however, after thinking it over for awhile, I realized that I got a lot from reading it. Nellie had a dark and shameful past and was afraid of her husband learning the truth – but was trying to overcome it. Prue considered herself a victim for the majority of her life and decided that she was within her rights to deceive and hurt others because that had been done to her. Both women were living their lives based on the past and as the title alludes, allowing the past to define them as a person, rather than focusing on the present and future and the happy lives that they could lead. The author conveys an important message of being honest and truthful, as well as, provides a strong reminder that our past doesn’t make us who we are, it’s what we choose as adults on our paths forward that demonstrates who we are as a person.
This is not light-hearted chick lit but a great read that makes you think and reflect on your own life and actions. I definitely categorize this as a must-read, especially for Samantha March fans or lovers of more in-depth women’s fiction.
*Thanks so much to Samantha March for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2018
I liked the book, but it wasn't one of my favorites from Samantha March.
I liked that the story was told from two different perspectives, that of Nellie and that of Prue, but I mixed their backstories up in my head a lot. I'm not sure if it was the writing or just me, but it threw me off several times.
As for the characters, I thought Nellie was written the best. She was very likeable despite having big flaws, she had compelling motives, and the things she said and did seemed to fit her. She was also just an interesting character. Prue seemed less well written to me. Most of her actions were based around her ex-boyfriend, and her actions and personality didn't seem to line up reasonably to me. She mostly just confused me, but I could definitely follow her reasoning. Harrison, Nellie's husband, was fine, but he didn't really grow or change much throughout the story. I liked the supporting characters a lot, though.
The ending was nice, but it felt kind of sloppy, like there were a bunch of loose strings to tie up and they weren't tied up well. After the sad tone of most of the book, it was nice to have something happy, but that didn't make it great. However, I did really love the message of the ending of the book about what defines a person. I think it was very impactful and so true, and a lot of people need to hear it.
That being said, the book was entertaining. I really felt for the characters and I finished it in just over a day. Although it was sad, it was fun to read and I couldn't put it down.
Overall, while I probably wouldn't recommend it, I definitely don't regret reading it and I did like it.
I liked that the story was told from two different perspectives, that of Nellie and that of Prue, but I mixed their backstories up in my head a lot. I'm not sure if it was the writing or just me, but it threw me off several times.
As for the characters, I thought Nellie was written the best. She was very likeable despite having big flaws, she had compelling motives, and the things she said and did seemed to fit her. She was also just an interesting character. Prue seemed less well written to me. Most of her actions were based around her ex-boyfriend, and her actions and personality didn't seem to line up reasonably to me. She mostly just confused me, but I could definitely follow her reasoning. Harrison, Nellie's husband, was fine, but he didn't really grow or change much throughout the story. I liked the supporting characters a lot, though.
The ending was nice, but it felt kind of sloppy, like there were a bunch of loose strings to tie up and they weren't tied up well. After the sad tone of most of the book, it was nice to have something happy, but that didn't make it great. However, I did really love the message of the ending of the book about what defines a person. I think it was very impactful and so true, and a lot of people need to hear it.
That being said, the book was entertaining. I really felt for the characters and I finished it in just over a day. Although it was sad, it was fun to read and I couldn't put it down.
Overall, while I probably wouldn't recommend it, I definitely don't regret reading it and I did like it.
July 16, 2017
I know Samantha virtually through our YouTube beauty channels and when she started talking about releasing her 5th novel I immediately emailed her for a signed pre-order copy. Although I have only talked to Samantha through social media, I can tell how genuine of a person she is. Writing is her passion and it definitely shined through in Defining Her. This story transported me to a situation that felt extremely similar. The characters in this novel were eloquently created and their growth throughout the story was portrayed in the best way possible. There were times when I found myself loathing each character because of the decisions they made, but that just made the story so much more enjoyable. I connected with them on a level that was raw and human. It revealed that pain that all humans go through when they make life changing errors. But it was the characters' realization of their mistakes that really captured my heart. As long as we learn, we can grow. Samantha did an excellent job conveying the struggles that everyone goes through and her story's ending left me with a fuzzy feeling. I highly recommend this read, especially to women!
September 7, 2021
This one surprised me.
I am only familiar with Samantha March from her YouTube channel. I am an avid watcher and enjoyer of her content. From this, I know she is a self-published author but hadn't read any of her books until this one and boy was I surprised.
Samantha is only 4 years younger than me yet I somehow still see her as an innocent child. The first page of this book shocked me into the reality that she is a grown woman and, as I read, a great author. Once I processed the initial shock, I could not put the the book down. The story within is of two initially unlikable women and the growth they find in their "friendship".
This story touches on some pretty heavy topics and adequately describes the ways childhood can affect adulthood, how important gratitude is, and how the lack thereof can negatively affect us.
I know Samantha was going through a devastating time in her life while writing this but I do not believe the quality of the story suffered at all. I gave this book 4 stars only because there were a fair number of spelling and grammatical errors but I would have given it 4.75 if I could have. I highly recommend you read this one.
I am only familiar with Samantha March from her YouTube channel. I am an avid watcher and enjoyer of her content. From this, I know she is a self-published author but hadn't read any of her books until this one and boy was I surprised.
Samantha is only 4 years younger than me yet I somehow still see her as an innocent child. The first page of this book shocked me into the reality that she is a grown woman and, as I read, a great author. Once I processed the initial shock, I could not put the the book down. The story within is of two initially unlikable women and the growth they find in their "friendship".
This story touches on some pretty heavy topics and adequately describes the ways childhood can affect adulthood, how important gratitude is, and how the lack thereof can negatively affect us.
I know Samantha was going through a devastating time in her life while writing this but I do not believe the quality of the story suffered at all. I gave this book 4 stars only because there were a fair number of spelling and grammatical errors but I would have given it 4.75 if I could have. I highly recommend you read this one.
May 30, 2018
Real story of real people
I knew the author as a beauty blogger and when i came to know of her books, I knew I had to try one. This was on Kindle Unlimited and I am so glad I got it. It is such a true life story; I loved both the characters nellie and pure. The author was so good in drawing both the characters so well, that you feel rooting for both. At the end Nellie wins but you feel so sorry for prue. A must read book for any reader.
I knew the author as a beauty blogger and when i came to know of her books, I knew I had to try one. This was on Kindle Unlimited and I am so glad I got it. It is such a true life story; I loved both the characters nellie and pure. The author was so good in drawing both the characters so well, that you feel rooting for both. At the end Nellie wins but you feel so sorry for prue. A must read book for any reader.
October 16, 2017
First off I am a huge Samantha March fan!! (Samantha I miss your book hauls and reviews on youtube) She is an amazing author who always makes me feel like I know her characters personally. I'm not sure if that even makes sense but it does to me! The book really shows you that who you were is not who you have to continue to be!
November 12, 2017
Highly recommend!
This was samantha march’s best book so far. Her characters were so well crafted and the story kept me gripped. Her books make you think and reflect about your own life. I recommend this book to anyone ready to look into themselves and decide how they want to be defined. Will your past, present, or future be what defines you?
This was samantha march’s best book so far. Her characters were so well crafted and the story kept me gripped. Her books make you think and reflect about your own life. I recommend this book to anyone ready to look into themselves and decide how they want to be defined. Will your past, present, or future be what defines you?
May 26, 2019
Wow...This is my first book from Samantha March. I had to know the end. It definitely held my interest. Was hard for me to figure out which female character to root for. Both are relatable in some ways. Overall a good book to read I like how the relationships formed in this book. How Prue and Nellie met then her meeting Harrison...that was planned out really nicely like fate I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2018
Really good story and plot, the writting is sometimes is not put together very well. Overall great quick read!
December 11, 2017
Brilliant
Loved this book so much. Couldn't put it down and even when I did I kept on thinking about the characters and trying to guess what would happen next. Beautifully written
Loved this book so much. Couldn't put it down and even when I did I kept on thinking about the characters and trying to guess what would happen next. Beautifully written
March 17, 2017
Great Read
I have read other books by this author and loved them. I was not disappointed in this book either. I loved how the characters all told their separate stories but still intertwined. I look forward to more books by this author. Read it, you won't regret it.
I have read other books by this author and loved them. I was not disappointed in this book either. I loved how the characters all told their separate stories but still intertwined. I look forward to more books by this author. Read it, you won't regret it.
March 17, 2017
great read! couldn't put it down! my favorite of samantha's yet! can't wait for her next book!
March 15, 2017
It seemed as if Prue Doherty has quite a lonely life; whereas Nellie Hawthorne keeps busy with a semi false persona; that she's worried will fall apart or be revealed. I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read
March 14, 2017I've been a fan of Samantha March for a very long time, so I was very excited to receive an ARC of "Defining Her." I read almost half of it the first night--it was that good!
Coming from a horrific background as a child and young adult, Nellie's life is quite different now that she's a married woman and a business professional. Having the pressure from her husband and mainly her mother-in-law about having a baby, I felt like when Nellie befriends Prue, it's a way of a distraction. Like Nellie, Prue had a rough time as a younger woman, but not nearly as bad. In the beginning, I felt sorry for her and even liked her, but toward the end, I was a little surprised at how she handled herself. Maybe she was jealous of Nellie's life, I don't know, but in her case, it was easy to understand that her past caught up with her.
Over time, I thought it was interesting to see how the bond between them grows, but what I really loved was the ending, and how certain secrets are divulged. I don't give any spoilers, but I was so happy with how everything ended and would love to see this book as part of a series.
While this book was dark in a lot of cases, the mystery of secrets between the women and their past was written beautifully. If you're looking for a quick read over the weekend, I recommend "Defining Her."
I give "Defining Her" 5 stars!
Coming from a horrific background as a child and young adult, Nellie's life is quite different now that she's a married woman and a business professional. Having the pressure from her husband and mainly her mother-in-law about having a baby, I felt like when Nellie befriends Prue, it's a way of a distraction. Like Nellie, Prue had a rough time as a younger woman, but not nearly as bad. In the beginning, I felt sorry for her and even liked her, but toward the end, I was a little surprised at how she handled herself. Maybe she was jealous of Nellie's life, I don't know, but in her case, it was easy to understand that her past caught up with her.
Over time, I thought it was interesting to see how the bond between them grows, but what I really loved was the ending, and how certain secrets are divulged. I don't give any spoilers, but I was so happy with how everything ended and would love to see this book as part of a series.
While this book was dark in a lot of cases, the mystery of secrets between the women and their past was written beautifully. If you're looking for a quick read over the weekend, I recommend "Defining Her."
I give "Defining Her" 5 stars!
March 24, 2017
Defining her is a wonderful women’s fiction novel about what defines us as individuals. We are not defined by who we were and what we’ve done in the past, but by who we are now and our current actions. We are not defined by where we come from and what our upbringing was like, but on where we are now and what we have made of our lives. Just because you have a history of being a good person, doesn’t give you a free pass to be a bad person now. And just because you’ve had a tough past, doesn’t mean that you can’t be a better person today.
We all have different experiences in life and have taken different paths to where we stand today. It’s so important to be true to yourself and sometimes that includes being 100% honest with those you care about, even if you have a rocky past.
One of the major themes of the novel is infidelity and the effect it has on both those that cheat and those that are cheated on. There’s a difference between having a physical affair and an emotional affair, and neither is okay but both have the capacity to be put in the past to move together towards a brighter future.
Samantha created complex characters that were thoroughly intriguing. The story is written in the first person and rotates between Prue and Nellie. It includes a bit from their past in order to help you understand how they got to where they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it.
Side note: be aware that there is a blush-worthy sex scene, but it is not included just for the sake of including a sex scene and it does add something to the story. This story also contains emotional situations that one might find uncomfortable, but sometimes it’s good to get a bit out of your comfort zone to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see things from their perspective.
We all have different experiences in life and have taken different paths to where we stand today. It’s so important to be true to yourself and sometimes that includes being 100% honest with those you care about, even if you have a rocky past.
One of the major themes of the novel is infidelity and the effect it has on both those that cheat and those that are cheated on. There’s a difference between having a physical affair and an emotional affair, and neither is okay but both have the capacity to be put in the past to move together towards a brighter future.
Samantha created complex characters that were thoroughly intriguing. The story is written in the first person and rotates between Prue and Nellie. It includes a bit from their past in order to help you understand how they got to where they are today. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would highly recommend it.
Side note: be aware that there is a blush-worthy sex scene, but it is not included just for the sake of including a sex scene and it does add something to the story. This story also contains emotional situations that one might find uncomfortable, but sometimes it’s good to get a bit out of your comfort zone to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and see things from their perspective.
April 4, 2017
For a women's fictional read, I love how raw, dark, and real this was. I think we all enjoy fluffy nice reads but it is nice when those categorical reads goes further into depth. Right as you open the book, you are thrown into the deep issues and enthralled into the story-line. This story deals with and puts the reader on an emotional roller coaster and makes you really think.
Prue has a right to feel the way she does but, at some point, you need to take the power back. It is the pursuit of happiness after all. Then there's Nellie who also has a past that Nellie can't seem to shake or forget about and her husband is in the dark about it too. How do you even do that? Marry someone without knowing their story? This story gets deeply intertwined but you never get lost or confused but, you do keep turning the pages and slowly, the knots get untied and it all makes sense. Such a good and though-provoking read!
For my full review, go to:
http://bookjunkiemom.blogspot.com/201...
Prue has a right to feel the way she does but, at some point, you need to take the power back. It is the pursuit of happiness after all. Then there's Nellie who also has a past that Nellie can't seem to shake or forget about and her husband is in the dark about it too. How do you even do that? Marry someone without knowing their story? This story gets deeply intertwined but you never get lost or confused but, you do keep turning the pages and slowly, the knots get untied and it all makes sense. Such a good and though-provoking read!
For my full review, go to:
http://bookjunkiemom.blogspot.com/201...
April 10, 2017
Review to follow ...
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews