Escaping to London and moving in with her older brother, she finds a way to manage the urges and whims of her never-too-controlled bipolar disorder. She has it all worked out: stick to her routine and everything will be okay. Ben Storm is not part of that plan. Arrogant, seductive, and her brother's best friend, he's a sure recipe for addiction. He is the wrong guy to fall in love with. He is the wrong guy to chase. There is too much at stake, too many lies to tell. She shouldn’t risk her carefully balanced lifestyle, not with the guy who could bring her down… But what if her heart has a mind of its own?
LACE & PAINT is the first installment in the explosive True Colors series, that will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions and leave you breathless as you’re swept by Talia and Ben's tornado.
Ally Sky lives in a small community called kibbutz yagur, with her husband, three children and three cats. When she turned 23 she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and she strongly believes mental illnesses and disorders should not be kept in the dark and always hopes her openness inspires others to share and seek help if they need it. You can follow Ally on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAllySky or join her readers group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/46750... where she shares her books, life story and journey.
What an intense, painful and yet captivating story of a young woman's journey through life filled with so many serious health issues (bipolar disorder, eating disorder, self-depricating and loathing notions about herself, inside and out)
...her past being filled with use and abuse, discarted and left out...takes tool on her present-self.
and now, she's used to running, she's lost yet she's struggling, she's holding on to the little pieces of sanity in this chaos....her family ties are dysfunctional and misunderstood...and when she meets and enters into a passionate sexual relationship with no strings attached with her brother's best friend and her boss, the turmoil of unrequited feeling simply crumble her and shatters her fully...cause no matter the amount of "said warnings" and "this is only sex" and "I can't give you anything more" coming from him, that simple little fact changes, whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not. Talia Blum caught feelings for Ben Storm, inspite of the warnings ahead, inspite of the brush offs, inspite of everything...and the fact that she kept coming back for more only heightens the notion of her broken-self and the need to be loved.
And Ben accepted that, he entered this sexual relationship willingly and fully and then suddenlly the odds and circumstances change and he changes his mind, just like that...starting the tornado of clusterfuck of emotions in Talia and her surrooundings...and there's no coming back from it!
I have to admit, this was a difficult book for me to read. I often disliked the actions of the heroine and the hero yet I tried to focus on the mental and emotional issues that were so profoundly described here...but just when I started to understand the position and the reasonings of the hero, he majorly fucked up...and that was it for me...no turning back from the hateful feelings I developed.
So, i know there's a second installment going out in December this year and I trully hope, Talia (the heroine) will find her way back...to life, to sanity, to feeling whole again...cause no matter what, we all deserve to love and be loved in return.
But I sure as hell hope, she makes him pay...big time...😈
First time reading this author and I m pleasantly surprised despite the heavy subjects dealt in the story.
***ARC kindely provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
wow, what a great read. I loved this book, the characters, the storyline even the playlist. A must read heartfelt book, and I cannot wait for the next one. Brilliant.
It's been awhile since my last proper review but here we go.
OH MY GOD. That was a hell of a ride. I went from elated to depressed a million times during the time I read this particular book. I can already tell it was going to be a good read from the prologue. The author really knows how to play with words and making it so meaningful.
I was very reluctant to give it a 5-star but Talia convinced to do it. Hahahah. Call it vengeful or vindictive but I really love the dinner scene at the end of the book before everything went ape-shit. It's so cathartic. I even act the whole scene out loud (by myself, of course). It was just that good!
But yeah. That cliffhanger, dude. I did not expect a cliffhanger.
What an Emotional roller coaster this Book takes you on! It has it all Angst, Heartbreak, Love, Lust, rejection Talia has been dealt blow after blow in her life and her emotional self worth is non existent. Always doubting herself and never thinking she is good enough. After years of neglect and constant degrading by her mother Talia decides to leave her home land to stay with her brother in London. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for her brothers Boss who is smart, sexy and has his eyes on Talia. Talia has a blog that remains anonymous which is quickly gathering followers and catching attention from major newspapers when she decides to write about her real life complications asking for advice.... Ben Storm is also someone who has been burnt by love in his past. He has walls set in place to protect his heart and even though he constantly tells Talia he doesn’t want a girlfriend, doesn’t want anything series they both become virtually inseparable. But after 2 months a bomb is dropped they both never saw coming, and what happens next you could call an explosion 💥
Not really 'feeling' the heroine (she smokes and a bit on the unstable side). I understand that she has bipolar disease but I'm just not feeling chemistry with the character. This was an unfinished read for me.
Lace and Paint by Ally Sky was as deep and emotional as a story can get when you are dealing with mental illness and self worth. For anyone that has struggled with or knows someone who has struggled with mental health this book will affect you differently than anyone who has not.
Talia Blum has been through it all including a bi-polar disorder, eating disorder and more. She loses herself and struggles to find her way back to the present and a good place. Her family support and history doesn’t help matters and when she meets Ben Storm, her grip on her life starts to unravel once again. A relationship that was meant as nothing more than sexual turns into the want and need for more for Talia, yet Ben is not in it for the long road. With her stability already at risk will Ben be the one who makes her lose it all again.
I really do love Talia and her struggles are real and relatable. I started to like Ben and as much as he was honest with Talia I still found that I was beginning to dislike him more and more as the story went on. Not to mention the cliffhanger, but it’s there and it’s huge. I will definitely read the next book to see how this all plays out but I am not getting my hopes up for Talia and Ben!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If you enjoy a book that you cannot put down and one that will have you on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages, then this is the book for you. I can honestly say that I could not predict this story at all and that is a huge bonus for me. I felt the angst all the way throughout the book because Talia, the lead in this book, has a history that makes her unpredictable. Talia - what a complex character she is and I couldn't help but love her. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder I felt so much empathy for her as I learned more about her and yet I was constantly on edge wondering what she could possibly do, especially to Ben who had become the man in her life. I felt that the author wrote her character fabulously, I particularly loved how Talia communicated her feelings throughout the book, and I'm really excited to see what happens next. Ben Storm... swoon worthy Ben. What a wonderful character he is too. There is so much I want to say about Ben, so much to say about the book actually but that would give away many spoilers and I would never do that! The whole story from start to finish was amazing. The book had me on an emotional roller coaster ride and I'd recommend it without hesitation.
What a beautiful and sad story. Talia is a unmedicated bipolar with an eating disorder. She needs to live her life a certain way to keep herself on track. When she loves its with an all consuming passion and the more she's told no the more her demons hear yes.
Talia is definitely one of those people that is so talented but can't see it because she's so worried about what others may or may not see. The only place she feels free to speak everything she feels is behind a screen hiding from everyone.
When her world crashes around her. I think for the first time she honestly sees the damage that she's done That this time its not just what she's done to herself. Will she be able to fix anything?
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a story they can sink their teeth in. This definitely isn't a hearts and flowers book. It's a slow dance with the devil himself and how Talia figures out how to do battle with him.
Wow! What a book! Talia is a troubled young woman, struggling with a poor self image, with bi-polar disorder. And she meets Ben. Someone that listens to her, and accepts her. But Ben has his own issues. This is a big book - 500+ pages of Talia's thoughts and her actions -her blog with its honest and explicit words and obsessive desire to 'get her man'. I loved Ally Sky's writing from the start, when I was pulled into this story. Talia is unpredictable, and that makes for a rollercoaster read. I've been reading this at every opportunity I've had. I've gone straight from the end of this book using the link and pre-order the next one - I can't wait to read more about Talia.
Fair Warning. A Book Hangover is in your future. It took me a bit to get over mine. As someone that is used to dealing with the manic and depressive cycles of someone else, I was excited to read Sky's take on the romance in this. Especially since she's open and honest in her author bio about being bi-polar. She didn't disappoint. The entire book was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Of not always rational decisions by someone that isn't always rational for a reason.
That being said, let's just say that I want to smack the men in Talia's life, HARD. I spent a lot of time crying and yelling at them through my kindle. And that ending... she hooked me and I can't wait to get to the sequel and find out everything else she has in store for Talia.
If you're looking for a book that will sweep you off your feet and make you spend sleepless nights- Do not miss this book!! Talia and Ben (especially Talia) will make your heart work overtime. An exciting book You will not want to put down. I read it several times in Hebrew and every time I couldn't leave it, as if it was the first time. Ally, in her special writing, made me feel a whole spectrum of emotions. This book, which for me is a masterpiece - is more than just recommended, it's a must read.
I loved Talia and Ben so much. The story made me some serious mood swings. I could feel Talia's pain and passion. She manage to crawl inside my heart and she will stay there for a long time.
I know she was sick but I wish talia was stronger, less of a doormat. Ben went too far and I'm pissed off because I feel like she's going to be the one who will have to grovel, and I'm not okay with that.
Talia Blum, a 26 year old Israeli blogger, lands in London at the beginning of summer. Struggling with manic depression and an eating disorder, she arrives at the house of her brother Danny, in an attempt to save herself, from herself. An encounter with Ben Storm, a successful young man, who hides secrets himself, shakes her world. She is plotting to seduce him, giving up to her desires, taking us into the depths of her soul, for a ride on the roller coaster that is her life. "Lace and paint" is the first instalment in this inflaming erotic trilogy that gives a rare glimpse of life on the edges, the ups and downs, it is about coping, loving, and the right to live. When I travelled to the book store to find a book, by fucking chance the store seller suggested I buy this book, and said "In the worst case, if you don’t like it, you can come back and replace it", and although I've already seen it a few times and didn’t even look at it because of the cover, I took her suggestion and this was the best thing I ever did (especially because the second was released already). I got home and started to read and in a couple of hours I was with tears in my eyes & car keys in my hand, on my way out to buy the second book. The combination between Talia's blog, her texting and the plot is fabulous. Let's leave Ben's character aside and focus on Talia. Her character with her manic depression, blog and coolness, is plotting to win Ben's heart. The way we're going through this story is complicated, not only with Talia, I can say we are going as her blog followers. Eyelet's writing is amazing and rich. I LOVE THAT BOOK!
This is book one in the True Colors series. This.book ends on a cliffhanger because Talia's story is just getting started. Meet Talia, she is an extremely complicated character. She is bipolar and has an eating disorder. This book makes you experience everything in the world from Talia's view and it is the strangest, most heart breaking ride to be on. Talia moves to London and in with her brother. Structure and routine is in Talia's future and she is on board with that. However, her brother's best friend, Ben enters the picture and everything goes out the window. Ben is just a no strings attached, sexual relationship. We all know that this never happens! Feelings eventually creep in and complicate things, this is no exception. As a reader you experience the highs and lows along with Talia and this book ends low. I cannot wait to read book two and I sincerely want to see Talia prevail. Ben has some grovelling to do and once he thinks he has done enough, he needs to start over again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have never really read a book that was so naked & gut wrenching. This wasn't the easiest read but it really did open my eyes to what an individual struggling with Bipolar & an eating disorder goes through. The highs & lows of just living with fairies & demons. All while trying to have fulfilling & meaningful relationships, working at a job you love, painting & writing up a storm all while falling in love with that green eyed man who just happens to be your brothers very good friend & boss. Then having to keep that relationship a secret. I am really rooting for Talia & looking forward to the next installment.
WOW! I know everyone has read those books that give you goosebumps. For me this one is one of those. I really love it! Lets be honest and agree that she wrote an amazing book. It had me at the edge of my seat and screaming in frustration. Talia is an amazing character that needs somebody to understand her and willing to held her through her moments. lets be honest and say we all have those dark moments.
What worked for me: -the honesty shared by Talia was deeply moving -the steamy scenes were well described
What did not work for me: -there was to much back-and-forth between our main guy and our main gal (ie will they stat together or not?) -it ends on a non-HEA cliffhanger
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
MmLoved the book it was great the story was well written and the characters were interesting. Talia has had a rough life with her mother, she has had bad news one after the other. She has bipolar and a eating disorder. Fed up with her mother she takes off to England to be with her brother, that is when she see Ben her brothers best friend. Thank you for allowing me to review this book it was great.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you want to look at life from a different but familiar angle - you must read this book and its sequels. I didn't know whether to rate this book 4 or 5 stars. I liked this book in the trilogy a little less, but the trilogy in its entirety is nothing short of life-changing for me. This book is the opening for everything. It is difficult to understand and appreciate the greatness of the trilogy without it.
gostei mt desses queridos só n dei 5 estrelas pq n senti q ele amava tanto assim a ex pra voltar pra ela ele falando q n pode jogar 2 anos fora 2 anos é nada se eles tivessem uns 7 anos de relacionamento eu ia preferir mas tudo bem aceito qualquer coisa pelo drama agr to mtttt empolgada pra ler o 2 só espero q n me decepcione pq da última vez q gostei assim de um livro e fui ler a continuação eu acabei lendo o pior livro da minha vida
Wow this emotional story cuts deep it really touches dark topics talia visits her brother and she gets a crush on his boss and they carry on a secret relationship but he doesn’t want a gf and she writes everything down what can happen when Ben and talia love fest come to show to public
I’ve read this entire series in Hebrew (the original language it was written in) two times already, am in the middle of my third reread, and I still wanna read in English as well?? I really don’t know why I’m so attached to this series, but give me ALL OF THE CONTENT THERE IS.