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Severance
They say first love doesn’t last. Alana’s ends on the night her boyfriend Dakota dies in a deadly shooting at a Portland club.
In an attempt to look for ways to deal with her grief, Alana reaches out to Dakota’s older brother Mikah, who’s struggling with moving on himself.
Both damaged beyond repair, neither Alana or Mikah know how to cope with their loss. What’s worse, they have zero idea how to handle the unexpected feelings they start developing for each other.
In an attempt to look for ways to deal with her grief, Alana reaches out to Dakota’s older brother Mikah, who’s struggling with moving on himself.
Both damaged beyond repair, neither Alana or Mikah know how to cope with their loss. What’s worse, they have zero idea how to handle the unexpected feelings they start developing for each other.
300 pages, ebook
First published July 25, 2019
169 people are currently reading
625 people want to read
About the author
N.N. Britt
18 books717 followersN.N. Britt is a Los Angeles-based music journalist and photographer. Her photos have graced T-shirts, billboards, and CD covers. She pens realistic, thought-provoking novels about today's world of art and music and the flawed people who live in it. When she's not writing or drinking coffee, she's probably reading or attending a heavy metal show.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
June 28, 2021
**4.5 stars**
Severance was my first book by N.N. Britt and let me say she blew me away with this hauntingly real new adult romance.
Severance tackles sensitive topics such as shooting and PTSD. N.N. Britt has created a very authentic story which slowly crept under my skin and wouldn’t leave.
Alana and Mikah survives a shooting but 24 others don’t including Mikah’s younger brother Dakota who’s also Alana’s boyfriend.
Severance is Alana’s story. Her before and after. Both parts equally important to the story and for Alana and who she was and now is becoming.
She and Mikah are forever changed after that fateful night. They now share a connection and even though Alana didn’t have a friendship with Mikah she seeks him out. To still have something of her boyfriend and for the feeling Mikah gives her. Anything but lost and the endless disconnect she feels whenever she’s around her deeply religious parents or her best friend Jess, who’s also a survivor, but on a different path than Alana.
The author portrays Alana with an authenticity that felt too real at times. Alana and her anxiety, nightmares and wanting justice for her boyfriend and the other victims was flawlessly portrayed. The feeling of being lost and scared was something that was always present throughout the story.
Alana and Mikah share a connection but it’s so much more than that. The Before and After chapters just work. They gave me a sense of who Alana was and how she saw Mikah. It’s not just Alana substituting Dakota for his older brother Mikah. It’s about moving on and finding comfort in others that helps you do that. Mikah is what Alana needs but it’s not easy when he’s also battling his own demons. Their chemistry is electrifying and always sizzling just beneath the surface. When they give in to one another it’s like a lightning bolt.
N.N. Britt is a new to me author but after finishing Severance she’s an author I will look forward to reading more from. Very impressive and fabulous.
4.5 Cupcake Queen Stars.
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC***
* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *
July 19, 2019
5 STARS
Omg loved it so much!It was emotional,heartwarming, intense and sexy! This was absolutely fantastic , full of emotions from the very start till the end!
I loved every minute of it and I could feel everything!It touched me in so many ways, my heart was aching for Alana and Mikah and for Dakota too.Thi story is about loss,healing and love.I loved how Alana and Mikah drown together, they feel the same pain and they find love to each other.
Their relationship is full of intense moments angst and slow burn. If you are looking for a heartbreaking,emotional and beautiful story this is perfect!
Omg loved it so much!It was emotional,heartwarming, intense and sexy! This was absolutely fantastic , full of emotions from the very start till the end!
I loved every minute of it and I could feel everything!It touched me in so many ways, my heart was aching for Alana and Mikah and for Dakota too.Thi story is about loss,healing and love.I loved how Alana and Mikah drown together, they feel the same pain and they find love to each other.
Their relationship is full of intense moments angst and slow burn. If you are looking for a heartbreaking,emotional and beautiful story this is perfect!
August 26, 2019
They say you hear a pop.
This gritty and heartbreaking story of a sheltered young girl caught in a love triangle between two rocker brothers—one living, one dead—grabbed me with a single sentence and held me captive till the very last page.
At eighteen, and still living at home with her overprotective parents, Alana is the last heroine I’d expect to feel a connection to, but I was drawn to her immediately. Written to perfection, her every thought, every action is so honest and genuine you cannot help but root for her.
As for choosing a hero to root for? Don’t even bother. Dakota and Mikah will own your heart in equal measure.
A tragic event separates the before and after, and I was blown away with the skill and finesse in which Ms. Britt handles both. If you read her debut, Rapture, earlier this year, you already know how talented she is. With Severance, her sophomore effort, she drives that fact home.
“I wish I was dead instead of him. For you.” Mikah’s fingers move into my hair and his mouth touches my cheek. “I would die for you…if that would make you happy again.”
I loved this. Absolutely loved this. Definitely one of my top reads of the year so far.
This gritty and heartbreaking story of a sheltered young girl caught in a love triangle between two rocker brothers—one living, one dead—grabbed me with a single sentence and held me captive till the very last page.
At eighteen, and still living at home with her overprotective parents, Alana is the last heroine I’d expect to feel a connection to, but I was drawn to her immediately. Written to perfection, her every thought, every action is so honest and genuine you cannot help but root for her.
As for choosing a hero to root for? Don’t even bother. Dakota and Mikah will own your heart in equal measure.
A tragic event separates the before and after, and I was blown away with the skill and finesse in which Ms. Britt handles both. If you read her debut, Rapture, earlier this year, you already know how talented she is. With Severance, her sophomore effort, she drives that fact home.
“I wish I was dead instead of him. For you.” Mikah’s fingers move into my hair and his mouth touches my cheek. “I would die for you…if that would make you happy again.”
I loved this. Absolutely loved this. Definitely one of my top reads of the year so far.
July 25, 2019
**It's Live!**
I don't have the words to describe how much I loved this book. This isn't simply an angsty romance or new adult fiction. It isn't simply anything. Severance is a complex meshing of terror, shock, sadness, anger, acute pain, uncertainty, and love. Gutwrenching yet heartwarming, this is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
The writing is purposeful and phenomenal--an extremely well-thought-out blending of past and present in such a unique way that you don't often see. Something that takes a real writing talent to accomplish as there's a reason for everything, albeit some more subtle than others, but they're all there.
I don't (can't) usually fall for two heroes, but I did here. This broke my heart, then lifted me up, and I cried in anger, in sadness, and in joy. Severance is one book that no one should miss!
I don't have the words to describe how much I loved this book. This isn't simply an angsty romance or new adult fiction. It isn't simply anything. Severance is a complex meshing of terror, shock, sadness, anger, acute pain, uncertainty, and love. Gutwrenching yet heartwarming, this is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
The writing is purposeful and phenomenal--an extremely well-thought-out blending of past and present in such a unique way that you don't often see. Something that takes a real writing talent to accomplish as there's a reason for everything, albeit some more subtle than others, but they're all there.
I don't (can't) usually fall for two heroes, but I did here. This broke my heart, then lifted me up, and I cried in anger, in sadness, and in joy. Severance is one book that no one should miss!
August 15, 2019
This new-to-me author gave me a gut-wrenchingly emotional story that tried real hard to drive out one of my coveted tears. It didn't, but it was a great effort.
At 18 years old, Alana still lives at home with her overprotective parents, striving for a bit of independence and grabbing every chance for escape she can get. One night takes her to a rock concert, meeting an up and coming rock star, and eventually falling in love. Unfortunately their love doesn't last forever and with him gone, her life is in shambles. Her parents want her to get over it, her friends are trying to help her push through it, and her grief wants her to just give up. When her dead boyfriend's brother offers an ear, she grasps onto it as tightly as she can, because he gives her hope, freedom, and honesty. Where will this new friendship take her when Mikah's grief proves to be so much deeper than she imagined?
The writing? Brilliant! As hard as this story was to read, it was beautifully written. Alana got on my nerves, which only tells me that the author did a great job of depicting a young girl on the brink of adulthood. She was irrational, irreverent, ungrateful, disrespectful, entitled, spoiled, and everything was about her. Sounds accurate. I was all about Mikah. This dark and mysterious boy was the one in the most pain and it was difficult to really understand it when viewed from Alana's juvenile perspective. She didn't comprehend that while she was grieving for a man she knew for three months, Mikah was grieving for a man he'd known his whole life. Different pain, girl. Not to say her pain was irrelevant, but she couldn't grasp that what he felt could possibly be more horrible than what she did. Regardless, this was an interesting story of young love and living in and then powering through grief. It was tender and sensitive and had its own bit of unique charm.
Would I read from this author again? Most definitely. I recommend this story to anyone looking to for an emotional read.
At 18 years old, Alana still lives at home with her overprotective parents, striving for a bit of independence and grabbing every chance for escape she can get. One night takes her to a rock concert, meeting an up and coming rock star, and eventually falling in love. Unfortunately their love doesn't last forever and with him gone, her life is in shambles. Her parents want her to get over it, her friends are trying to help her push through it, and her grief wants her to just give up. When her dead boyfriend's brother offers an ear, she grasps onto it as tightly as she can, because he gives her hope, freedom, and honesty. Where will this new friendship take her when Mikah's grief proves to be so much deeper than she imagined?
The writing? Brilliant! As hard as this story was to read, it was beautifully written. Alana got on my nerves, which only tells me that the author did a great job of depicting a young girl on the brink of adulthood. She was irrational, irreverent, ungrateful, disrespectful, entitled, spoiled, and everything was about her. Sounds accurate. I was all about Mikah. This dark and mysterious boy was the one in the most pain and it was difficult to really understand it when viewed from Alana's juvenile perspective. She didn't comprehend that while she was grieving for a man she knew for three months, Mikah was grieving for a man he'd known his whole life. Different pain, girl. Not to say her pain was irrelevant, but she couldn't grasp that what he felt could possibly be more horrible than what she did. Regardless, this was an interesting story of young love and living in and then powering through grief. It was tender and sensitive and had its own bit of unique charm.
Would I read from this author again? Most definitely. I recommend this story to anyone looking to for an emotional read.
February 28, 2021
I didn’t like this book at all.
The plot is already a hard pill to swallow as the heroine falls in love with her dead boyfriend’s brother and to make the readers accept this new situation, the writer needs to delicately weave the plot and make us feel OK with this weird situation; but unfortunately, she can’t. On the contrary, she presents it in the worst way possible.
*********************************************
The book is written in BEFORE & AFTER chapters.
BEFORE chapters tell you about the time before the boyfriend dies.
AFTER chapters tell you about the time after the boyfriend dies and the heroine falls for the brother of her dead boyfriend.
And, I am sorry but this was a horrible idea!!!!
I’ll explain why.
*********************************************
Our heroine is an 18-year old silly girl, who is of course hot.
Silly might be a light adjective for our heroine – she is actually dumb. She is annoying, boring and stupid. The way she speaks and acts is like a 13-year old girl. Her boyfriend Dakota was a rising rock star and he fell for her fast and I never understood why.
And while she believed she was in love with Dakota, she also had the hots for the older brother Mikah! She thought he was hot, interesting, mysterious and sexy.
*********************************************
Whatever… Let’s go on and let me tell you what bothered me most.
*********************************************
The boyfriend dies in a mass murder event and she cannot overcome the PTSD easily. She has panic attacks etc. And she starts calling the brother at inconvenient times like after midnight and expects him to console her. There was no friendship between them before the boyfriend died so what she expects from him now is absurd.
The brother, Mikah, seems to avoid her at first but all of a sudden, they start kissing and later, again, all of a sudden, they start having sex. THERE WAS NO BUILD-UP that led to it. And it happens in a matter of weeks or maybe a month after the boyfriend dies!!! It feels so weird and unacceptable. She was annoying him with her constant calls and sometimes she was paying a visit to his home, asking if he needed help with packing etc and then, bum… they are in bed. Strange… so very strange.
*********************************************
Now, look at this – this killed everything for me:
In the AFTER chapter on page 175, she has sex with her dead boyfriend’s brother Mikah for the first time.
In the BEFORE chapter on page 255, we read how she gives her virginity to the dead boyfriend, Dakota – in very much detail.
What the hell???!!!
HOW CAN I CONCENTRATE on a new love if you keep showing the times spent with the ex-boyfriend? What's the reason for showing the many times she kissed the old boyfriend and the sex with the old boyfriend all along the book till the end? What is the purpose of it? How can I forget about the dead one and concentrate on the living one in a writing style as this one?
*********************************************
I read books (Falling into You by Jasinda Wilder/ Black Swan Affair by K.L. Kreig) where the heroine ends up with the brother of her ex-boyfriend (dead or alive) and I was able to accept it because they all made sense. They all made me feel. They were all written in the best way to make the readers feel OK with the new situation. This story doesn’t make sense and plus, the way it is presented is the only way I would never accept it.
*********************************************
As I said earlier, writing a story of this kind in Before & After chapters is a horrible idea. It kills the new love with the constant reminder of the old one.
Apart from its writing style, the book also didn't make me feel and believe in their love.
1. I didn’t believe in the love with the dead boyfriend.
2. I didn’t believe in the love with the dead boyfriend’s brother.
*********************************************
Oh oh, there is more!!!!
The hero's confession that is the icing on the cake!!!
Was that supposed to make me feel better about their relationship now???
His brother was taking her virginity while the hero was in the next room, for God's sake!!! The brothers were living in the same house!!!!
Oh, kill me now!
*********************************************
Not recommending this book at all… Sorry.
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
The plot is already a hard pill to swallow as the heroine falls in love with her dead boyfriend’s brother and to make the readers accept this new situation, the writer needs to delicately weave the plot and make us feel OK with this weird situation; but unfortunately, she can’t. On the contrary, she presents it in the worst way possible.
*********************************************
The book is written in BEFORE & AFTER chapters.
BEFORE chapters tell you about the time before the boyfriend dies.
AFTER chapters tell you about the time after the boyfriend dies and the heroine falls for the brother of her dead boyfriend.
And, I am sorry but this was a horrible idea!!!!
I’ll explain why.
*********************************************
Our heroine is an 18-year old silly girl, who is of course hot.
Silly might be a light adjective for our heroine – she is actually dumb. She is annoying, boring and stupid. The way she speaks and acts is like a 13-year old girl. Her boyfriend Dakota was a rising rock star and he fell for her fast and I never understood why.
And while she believed she was in love with Dakota, she also had the hots for the older brother Mikah! She thought he was hot, interesting, mysterious and sexy.
*********************************************
Whatever… Let’s go on and let me tell you what bothered me most.
*********************************************
The boyfriend dies in a mass murder event and she cannot overcome the PTSD easily. She has panic attacks etc. And she starts calling the brother at inconvenient times like after midnight and expects him to console her. There was no friendship between them before the boyfriend died so what she expects from him now is absurd.
The brother, Mikah, seems to avoid her at first but all of a sudden, they start kissing and later, again, all of a sudden, they start having sex. THERE WAS NO BUILD-UP that led to it. And it happens in a matter of weeks or maybe a month after the boyfriend dies!!! It feels so weird and unacceptable. She was annoying him with her constant calls and sometimes she was paying a visit to his home, asking if he needed help with packing etc and then, bum… they are in bed. Strange… so very strange.
*********************************************
Now, look at this – this killed everything for me:
In the AFTER chapter on page 175, she has sex with her dead boyfriend’s brother Mikah for the first time.
In the BEFORE chapter on page 255, we read how she gives her virginity to the dead boyfriend, Dakota – in very much detail.
What the hell???!!!
HOW CAN I CONCENTRATE on a new love if you keep showing the times spent with the ex-boyfriend? What's the reason for showing the many times she kissed the old boyfriend and the sex with the old boyfriend all along the book till the end? What is the purpose of it? How can I forget about the dead one and concentrate on the living one in a writing style as this one?
*********************************************
I read books (Falling into You by Jasinda Wilder/ Black Swan Affair by K.L. Kreig) where the heroine ends up with the brother of her ex-boyfriend (dead or alive) and I was able to accept it because they all made sense. They all made me feel. They were all written in the best way to make the readers feel OK with the new situation. This story doesn’t make sense and plus, the way it is presented is the only way I would never accept it.
*********************************************
As I said earlier, writing a story of this kind in Before & After chapters is a horrible idea. It kills the new love with the constant reminder of the old one.
Apart from its writing style, the book also didn't make me feel and believe in their love.
1. I didn’t believe in the love with the dead boyfriend.
2. I didn’t believe in the love with the dead boyfriend’s brother.
*********************************************
Oh oh, there is more!!!!
The hero's confession that is the icing on the cake!!!
Was that supposed to make me feel better about their relationship now???
His brother was taking her virginity while the hero was in the next room, for God's sake!!! The brothers were living in the same house!!!!
Oh, kill me now!
*********************************************
Not recommending this book at all… Sorry.
*********************************************
You can follow my instagram page from here
August 3, 2019
Is it me or every romance I've read lately is this lame?
No spoilers, the blurb pretty much says all what I'm about to say, just in other words...
This novel has Before and After chapters. I don't really see the point, since the Before is supposed to be about Dakota, but 'our girl' felt something for Micah too, even when she was with Dakota, before the "event".
Alana:
Stupid girl, 100% stupid! After the death of your boyfriend, you just don't throw yourself to his brother. You leave him alone in his misery. Endless calls and texts, and she was furious when he didn't reply? WHY WOULD HE, you dumb-ass? He has no obligation towards you, there was never anything between you, why would he like or love you out of the blue right now?! When did you fucking fall in love with him? How? Did you love Dakota at all? Because I cannot see it in any of the 'Before' chapters. 0 emotion. Some meaningless sex, which I considered lame, since the scene with him was after the scene with Micah. Why would I want to read it? Pointless! And she is So jealous. Of her boyfriend when he speaks with every girl, or Micah. Stop, just Stop! Even when they don't speak with females At all, she still gets jealous.
An 18 year old teenager, apparently HOT, but of course, as any other novel of this kind, she has No idea. And she hasn't learnt anything from her best friend, who always knows everything! She doesn't know how to light a cigarette, not even how to hold it. Oh, please, give me a break!
I somehow understand her parents, they could be better, but our girl doesn't respect her family at all! She is nothing . I don't understand the appeal. Why do people even like her??
Dakota:
I don't like rock-star romances, they tell nothing new. Hot guys, who play music, who have had tons of girlfriends before "the h", but they were nothing, because she's the One! SAME OLD STORY.
Micah:
He was Ok in his own way. Trying to go on with his life, after loosing his brother. It would be easier if his brother's girlfriend would leave him the fuck alone. He doesn't reply to texts. A normal guy, dealing with a psycho. Of course when she throws herself at you, what are you supposed to do? I didn't like his "big confession" to Alana, it could have worked if the things weren't already lame. I just rolled my eyes, for the 1000th time.
The idea for the book was okay-ish. It would have been so much better if the things would have flown naturally. There is denial, suffer and then overcoming the hurt. You don't just seek the boyfriend's brother to obey and to like or love you as you wish. Who the hell you think you are?
There was no drama, no hurting, no angst, no heart-breaking moments in this book. Nothing emotional. Just a stupid girl who has the hots for her dead's boyfriend brother. Nothing more
No spoilers, the blurb pretty much says all what I'm about to say, just in other words...
This novel has Before and After chapters. I don't really see the point, since the Before is supposed to be about Dakota, but 'our girl' felt something for Micah too, even when she was with Dakota, before the "event".
Alana:
Stupid girl, 100% stupid! After the death of your boyfriend, you just don't throw yourself to his brother. You leave him alone in his misery. Endless calls and texts, and she was furious when he didn't reply? WHY WOULD HE, you dumb-ass? He has no obligation towards you, there was never anything between you, why would he like or love you out of the blue right now?! When did you fucking fall in love with him? How? Did you love Dakota at all? Because I cannot see it in any of the 'Before' chapters. 0 emotion. Some meaningless sex, which I considered lame, since the scene with him was after the scene with Micah. Why would I want to read it? Pointless! And she is So jealous. Of her boyfriend when he speaks with every girl, or Micah. Stop, just Stop! Even when they don't speak with females At all, she still gets jealous.
An 18 year old teenager, apparently HOT, but of course, as any other novel of this kind, she has No idea. And she hasn't learnt anything from her best friend, who always knows everything! She doesn't know how to light a cigarette, not even how to hold it. Oh, please, give me a break!
I somehow understand her parents, they could be better, but our girl doesn't respect her family at all! She is nothing . I don't understand the appeal. Why do people even like her??
Dakota:
I don't like rock-star romances, they tell nothing new. Hot guys, who play music, who have had tons of girlfriends before "the h", but they were nothing, because she's the One! SAME OLD STORY.
Micah:
He was Ok in his own way. Trying to go on with his life, after loosing his brother. It would be easier if his brother's girlfriend would leave him the fuck alone. He doesn't reply to texts. A normal guy, dealing with a psycho. Of course when she throws herself at you, what are you supposed to do? I didn't like his "big confession" to Alana, it could have worked if the things weren't already lame. I just rolled my eyes, for the 1000th time.
The idea for the book was okay-ish. It would have been so much better if the things would have flown naturally. There is denial, suffer and then overcoming the hurt. You don't just seek the boyfriend's brother to obey and to like or love you as you wish. Who the hell you think you are?
There was no drama, no hurting, no angst, no heart-breaking moments in this book. Nothing emotional. Just a stupid girl who has the hots for her dead's boyfriend brother. Nothing more
July 25, 2019
**Live Now!!**
I simply love N.N. Britt's stories. Even though they always seem to require a box of tissues, they are just beautiful and really touch my soul. However, Severance was also a difficult read and not in the way that you may think. It was difficult because the subject matter was so painful and intense. It was difficult because it was the story of two people who weren't dealing with their grief or their PTSD. It was difficult because the event in the beginning was so damn tragic and senseless. It was difficult when you understood the depth of their survivor's guilt, especially Mikah's. It was difficult because you know what happens in the beginning but then Ms. Britt takes you down "memory lane" and makes you fall in love with all the characters before "it" happens.
Ms. Britt's books are also incredibly beautiful and Severance really is in so many ways. First of all, there's the breathtaking foreshadowing that makes you cry but is truly beautiful. It's a beautiful story about the power of love and the resiliency of the human spirit. It's a beautiful albeit bittersweet tale of fate. It's 100% take-my-breath-away beautiful when Mikah sings "the song"....you'll understand this one when you read it. For me, it's a beautiful thing if I can read a book and smile through the tears. Severance was one of those books and I felt privileged that I got to know Alana, Mikah and Dakota.
As painful as the topic of this book is, it's one that is very pertinent in today's society. Even though this is a fictional account, it definitely makes one think of all the people who have been affected by similar situations whether through the loss of a loved one or surviving the event themselves. It was a painful window into what that experience must be like. Ms. Britt wrote this in a raw and honest way. It wasn't sugar-coated. It was real. It was a difficult topic and she handled it beautifully.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I simply love N.N. Britt's stories. Even though they always seem to require a box of tissues, they are just beautiful and really touch my soul. However, Severance was also a difficult read and not in the way that you may think. It was difficult because the subject matter was so painful and intense. It was difficult because it was the story of two people who weren't dealing with their grief or their PTSD. It was difficult because the event in the beginning was so damn tragic and senseless. It was difficult when you understood the depth of their survivor's guilt, especially Mikah's. It was difficult because you know what happens in the beginning but then Ms. Britt takes you down "memory lane" and makes you fall in love with all the characters before "it" happens.
Ms. Britt's books are also incredibly beautiful and Severance really is in so many ways. First of all, there's the breathtaking foreshadowing that makes you cry but is truly beautiful. It's a beautiful story about the power of love and the resiliency of the human spirit. It's a beautiful albeit bittersweet tale of fate. It's 100% take-my-breath-away beautiful when Mikah sings "the song"....you'll understand this one when you read it. For me, it's a beautiful thing if I can read a book and smile through the tears. Severance was one of those books and I felt privileged that I got to know Alana, Mikah and Dakota.
As painful as the topic of this book is, it's one that is very pertinent in today's society. Even though this is a fictional account, it definitely makes one think of all the people who have been affected by similar situations whether through the loss of a loved one or surviving the event themselves. It was a painful window into what that experience must be like. Ms. Britt wrote this in a raw and honest way. It wasn't sugar-coated. It was real. It was a difficult topic and she handled it beautifully.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2019
5 'Cupcake' Stars
There are unfortunate tragedies that happen in the world today. Despicable, unfathomable and horrendous acts that occur every single day, hour, and minute. They are acts that may be uncomfortable and unpleasant to talk about and read about. But have you ever put yourself in these people’s shoes and think what they may be going through or have gone through? N.N. Britt tackled a very heavy subject with sympathy, grace, understanding, and compassion. When she wrote, Severance, she left everything on the floor, including me. I have been drained and wrenched of any and all emotion within my body leaving me wrecked.
Alana Novak has many nicknames, Cupcake Queen, Virgin Mary, and church mouse, but who she really is, is an eighteen-year-old college freshman, who lives at home (not by choice), and has incredibly overprotective parents who are very religious. Alana is a young girl who is trying to find herself without all the restrictions laid before from her parents. Besides college, she has a passion for blogging and baking. She has a best friend, Jess, who is the quintessential friend who tries to ‘corrupt’, ahem, I mean push her outside of her box boundaries.
Alana and Jess attend a concert one night to see their favorite band, Black Rose. While there, they meet an up and coming new band, Midnight Rust and specifically, Alana meets her future boyfriend, Dakota Bennett. Immediate attraction brews between the two and they become as inseparable as two can be, with a set of overprotective parents. Dakota has a brother, Mikah Bennett, who is also part of Midnight Rust. If you think you know where this story is going, STOP, because it is so well done, that Ms. Britt has attached a part of Severance to my soul.
Mikah, Mikah, Mikah. My heart bleeds for him. He is a tortured, brooding, and silent screaming soul who is trying to find his place in this world. When a tragic event happens, this is even more amplified.
I know Ms. Britt can write and if you’ve read, Rapture, you may know this as well. If you haven’t that’s ok, because she blew it out of the park in her writing skills in Severance. While she was pulling, twisting, and dragging the emotions out of me, she was also healing me with her writing style, unique situations and incredible storyline. Let me just say that I am in awe and privileged to have gone on this journey with her. I have to say, that honestly, I don’t know if I could ever give enough kudos, props, and accolades to N.N. Britt and Severance. What I can say is a definite ‘best of 2019’ book.
Honorable mention quotes:
There are unfortunate tragedies that happen in the world today. Despicable, unfathomable and horrendous acts that occur every single day, hour, and minute. They are acts that may be uncomfortable and unpleasant to talk about and read about. But have you ever put yourself in these people’s shoes and think what they may be going through or have gone through? N.N. Britt tackled a very heavy subject with sympathy, grace, understanding, and compassion. When she wrote, Severance, she left everything on the floor, including me. I have been drained and wrenched of any and all emotion within my body leaving me wrecked.
“We’re not victims” …” Survivors”
Alana Novak has many nicknames, Cupcake Queen, Virgin Mary, and church mouse, but who she really is, is an eighteen-year-old college freshman, who lives at home (not by choice), and has incredibly overprotective parents who are very religious. Alana is a young girl who is trying to find herself without all the restrictions laid before from her parents. Besides college, she has a passion for blogging and baking. She has a best friend, Jess, who is the quintessential friend who tries to ‘corrupt’, ahem, I mean push her outside of her box boundaries.
Alana and Jess attend a concert one night to see their favorite band, Black Rose. While there, they meet an up and coming new band, Midnight Rust and specifically, Alana meets her future boyfriend, Dakota Bennett. Immediate attraction brews between the two and they become as inseparable as two can be, with a set of overprotective parents. Dakota has a brother, Mikah Bennett, who is also part of Midnight Rust. If you think you know where this story is going, STOP, because it is so well done, that Ms. Britt has attached a part of Severance to my soul.
“I think I’m dreaming and one day, I’m going to wake up and he’ll be gone. And I’m dreading that moment like I’m dreading the end of the world.’
Mikah, Mikah, Mikah. My heart bleeds for him. He is a tortured, brooding, and silent screaming soul who is trying to find his place in this world. When a tragic event happens, this is even more amplified.
“Do you wanna know what I feel?” he continues. I hold my breath; my heart’s stuck in my throat. “Do you want to know what it’s like to always be second best, Alana?”
I know Ms. Britt can write and if you’ve read, Rapture, you may know this as well. If you haven’t that’s ok, because she blew it out of the park in her writing skills in Severance. While she was pulling, twisting, and dragging the emotions out of me, she was also healing me with her writing style, unique situations and incredible storyline. Let me just say that I am in awe and privileged to have gone on this journey with her. I have to say, that honestly, I don’t know if I could ever give enough kudos, props, and accolades to N.N. Britt and Severance. What I can say is a definite ‘best of 2019’ book.
Honorable mention quotes:
“You’re my weird, Cupcake Queen.”
“I don’t know if he understands what I see is beautiful. I don’t have any other words to describe him.”
“He’s everything I ever wanted in a man. I just didn’t realize it until I got to know him.”
“I would die for you…if that would make you happy again.”
“No one wanted me. Ever.”
July 15, 2019
You only have to read the book’s description to know this story is going to be gut wrenching and heartbreaking, but it is also written in a way that is achingly beautiful.
This book starts out with a literal bang...gripping and captivating me with it’s intensity. The “Before” and “After” chapters gave me an insight into Alana’s relationship with Dakota prior to that ill fated night, as well as just who Mikah was and their interactions when she was just his brother’s girlfriend. Before and after is also a good representation of how life for all those involved is now divided. This isn’t a pretty romance, and at times it was hard to read. Alana and Mikah are both incredibly broken, but helping each other heal and giving into their intense feelings makes their messy journey that much more incredible.
I became a fan of N.N. Britt after reading her debut, Rapture, and Severance has just solidified my fandom!
This book starts out with a literal bang...gripping and captivating me with it’s intensity. The “Before” and “After” chapters gave me an insight into Alana’s relationship with Dakota prior to that ill fated night, as well as just who Mikah was and their interactions when she was just his brother’s girlfriend. Before and after is also a good representation of how life for all those involved is now divided. This isn’t a pretty romance, and at times it was hard to read. Alana and Mikah are both incredibly broken, but helping each other heal and giving into their intense feelings makes their messy journey that much more incredible.
I became a fan of N.N. Britt after reading her debut, Rapture, and Severance has just solidified my fandom!
July 24, 2019
***5 Stars***
That was intense.
An understatement and, admittedly, one that probably didn’t need to be said if you’ve read the blurb, but this book was intense in every way possible. It was also heartbreaking and heart melting and sweet, swoon worthy and all kinds of addictive as you follow the wild, chaotic and, at times, dark, journey these characters go on to find a way to move on with their lives.
I loved Alana. We get to see her before and after the shooting and in both instances I saw a girl who is, down to her very core, a really good person and is doing her best to navigate her way through the labyrinth of life and find herself. What I ended up loving about her is that while some of her decisions were suspect, she fought. She fought for herself and found a way to pick up the pieces of her life and start to move forward with it.
As for the romance part of this story, we do get the before and after, so we get as much of a sense of who Alana and Dakota were to each other as who Alana and Mikah are to each other and while I did prefer one relationship over the other ~ won’t say which ~ they both worked for me and regardless of which couple I preferred, I really liked how things ended up.
I know some will think this is a love triangle and it isn’t, not really, it’s more of a triangular second chance romance type thing (I just read a duet where that was how things were described and it fits here pretty well), which means that there was interest, but nothing ever came of it.
Severance isn’t an easy read by any means and the author lays it all out there in the description, so no one can say they didn’t know going in. For me, it was heavy but I think the author did an amazing job showing all the ways people cope, or don’t, with experiencing something so life altering and all of the ups and downs one could go through. There is no one way anyone will grieve or cope and she gave that to us. But the story isn’t all dark, she balances things out well with light and sweet moments, as well as moments of triumph as the characters slowly start to heal.
~ Copy provided via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
That was intense.
An understatement and, admittedly, one that probably didn’t need to be said if you’ve read the blurb, but this book was intense in every way possible. It was also heartbreaking and heart melting and sweet, swoon worthy and all kinds of addictive as you follow the wild, chaotic and, at times, dark, journey these characters go on to find a way to move on with their lives.
I loved Alana. We get to see her before and after the shooting and in both instances I saw a girl who is, down to her very core, a really good person and is doing her best to navigate her way through the labyrinth of life and find herself. What I ended up loving about her is that while some of her decisions were suspect, she fought. She fought for herself and found a way to pick up the pieces of her life and start to move forward with it.
As for the romance part of this story, we do get the before and after, so we get as much of a sense of who Alana and Dakota were to each other as who Alana and Mikah are to each other and while I did prefer one relationship over the other ~ won’t say which ~ they both worked for me and regardless of which couple I preferred, I really liked how things ended up.
I know some will think this is a love triangle and it isn’t, not really, it’s more of a triangular second chance romance type thing (I just read a duet where that was how things were described and it fits here pretty well), which means that there was interest, but nothing ever came of it.
Severance isn’t an easy read by any means and the author lays it all out there in the description, so no one can say they didn’t know going in. For me, it was heavy but I think the author did an amazing job showing all the ways people cope, or don’t, with experiencing something so life altering and all of the ups and downs one could go through. There is no one way anyone will grieve or cope and she gave that to us. But the story isn’t all dark, she balances things out well with light and sweet moments, as well as moments of triumph as the characters slowly start to heal.
~ Copy provided via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
July 16, 2019
That one put me through the emotional wringer!! It starts out with a literal bang...or actually, a pop! Since the story actually begins this way, this isn't really a spoiler - Alana is in a club, there is a shooting. She survives. Her best friend survives. Her boyfriend's brother, Mikah, survives. Her boyfriend, Dakota, and 23 others do not. This is the story of the before and after, told in alternating chapters.
I felt every single thing that Alana felt. When she was anxious, so was I. When she was angry, so was I. When she was lost, so was I. And that takes great writing talent, because I am as far removed from how a 19/20 year old feels, thinks and acts, as possible. There is anger and fear and torment and survivor's guilt to deal with, and Alana is just trying to get through it all, mostly by avoiding. She is the daughter of morally strict Catholic parents, who try their best to protect her and keep her on the right path. It's all done with love, but it is smothering her. Add into the mix Mikah, her boyfriend's brother, who is dark and quiet and brooding. But there is a spark between them that neither one can deny or seem to avoid.
This is deliciously angsty and sexy. The only thing that I would have liked is more of the relationship with Dakota in the before, and a hella lot more of the relationship with Mikah in the after. Although, that probably would have upped the angst level even more, and my head and heart would have 'sploded!
Keep the stories coming, NN Britt. I do love the voodoo that you do with your words!!
I felt every single thing that Alana felt. When she was anxious, so was I. When she was angry, so was I. When she was lost, so was I. And that takes great writing talent, because I am as far removed from how a 19/20 year old feels, thinks and acts, as possible. There is anger and fear and torment and survivor's guilt to deal with, and Alana is just trying to get through it all, mostly by avoiding. She is the daughter of morally strict Catholic parents, who try their best to protect her and keep her on the right path. It's all done with love, but it is smothering her. Add into the mix Mikah, her boyfriend's brother, who is dark and quiet and brooding. But there is a spark between them that neither one can deny or seem to avoid.
This is deliciously angsty and sexy. The only thing that I would have liked is more of the relationship with Dakota in the before, and a hella lot more of the relationship with Mikah in the after. Although, that probably would have upped the angst level even more, and my head and heart would have 'sploded!
Keep the stories coming, NN Britt. I do love the voodoo that you do with your words!!
August 26, 2019
A moving story but I am at that point where I feel like almost everything feels a tad predictable?
it's like watching a movie:You Know whats going to happen yet you continue to watch it.
solid 3.5 stars
it's like watching a movie:You Know whats going to happen yet you continue to watch it.
solid 3.5 stars
July 15, 2019
Severance is a story that is not only heartbreaking but also heartwarming. Mikah and Alana are tied together by loss, tragedy and love. The devastation they suffer will shatter you to the core but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, these two may discover a new life, love and future. This is a story that you won’t be able to put down and the fact I have resigned to only having two hours sleep is proof of that. As we flick between the then and now, connections will be felt, love will be dominant and guilt and confusion will reign. Their story made me cry, my heart race and my anxiety was on high alert. However it also gave hope, inspiration and had me feeling the love and healing that was Mikah and Alana. I did have one negative...... the book ENDED, I didn’t want to leave these characters and their story. This is a book that will not sever itself from your heart and your mind, it will be firmly attached even after the last page has come and gone.
August 5, 2019
Real life got in the way of me finishing this book. *sigh*
I did really like it, but had some trouble getting past Alana's "young" feeling. I understood that she was pretty much sheltered and had overprotective parents. But some of her thoughts and actions just seemed like a young teenage girl.
Anyway, of course Mikah was favored by me. Hurting, broken, tortured and brooding......yep, that's my favorite kind of book boyfriend.
The story jumps from before and after (the shooting) and how it affects her and the brother of her boyfriend who was killed. Some very emotional moments and I kept thinking about how many people in real life are going through these struggles of losing someone in such a tragic way.
What is really crazy is the current events over the last week (California, Texas, Ohio) and how much this book relates to the world we live in today. The random shootings.....I swear no one is safe anymore......
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
I did really like it, but had some trouble getting past Alana's "young" feeling. I understood that she was pretty much sheltered and had overprotective parents. But some of her thoughts and actions just seemed like a young teenage girl.
Anyway, of course Mikah was favored by me. Hurting, broken, tortured and brooding......yep, that's my favorite kind of book boyfriend.
The story jumps from before and after (the shooting) and how it affects her and the brother of her boyfriend who was killed. Some very emotional moments and I kept thinking about how many people in real life are going through these struggles of losing someone in such a tragic way.
What is really crazy is the current events over the last week (California, Texas, Ohio) and how much this book relates to the world we live in today. The random shootings.....I swear no one is safe anymore......
I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
July 16, 2019
WOW WOW what absolutely amazing read Severance was, loved this from start to finish! There were so many emotions with this read! Loved the then and now POV's, one brother gone and the other still here! I really like getting each of Dakota’s & Mikah's journey with Alana! This is a must read!
July 23, 2019
Wow... this book hits you in the feels... and you can’t say you weren’t warned lol
Alana meets Dakota, while her and Jess are at a gig. Numbers are exchanged and a relationship develops... the problems are, for one, her parents, who are super strict and religious, and two, Dakotas brother Mikah :)
Unfortunately while playing a gig, a gunman enters and Dakota doesn’t make it... but his brother who’s onstage with him, after seeing Dakota shot, helps protect Alana. Obviously these two are not going to have an easy journey but I loved reading about it.
Would definitely recommend :)
Alana meets Dakota, while her and Jess are at a gig. Numbers are exchanged and a relationship develops... the problems are, for one, her parents, who are super strict and religious, and two, Dakotas brother Mikah :)
Unfortunately while playing a gig, a gunman enters and Dakota doesn’t make it... but his brother who’s onstage with him, after seeing Dakota shot, helps protect Alana. Obviously these two are not going to have an easy journey but I loved reading about it.
Would definitely recommend :)
July 24, 2019
This book has my heart. It’s the type that will stay with you long after you finished with it. Alana and Mikah are absolutely fantastic. Natalia did an amazing job pulling me into Severance. Just from the beginning I was living Alana’s life. I could feel her emotions. Grief, anxiety, anger, love. I wanted to take her hand and say “Girl, you can do this! Guts over fears!”
Another time... I simply wanted to sit in silence with her...
I love stories like this. Real, painful, beautiful .
A.HUGE.BOOK.HANGOVER
P.S. Mikah is mine! Yes, that’s right. You can have Dakota but leave Mikah alone 😀
Another time... I simply wanted to sit in silence with her...
I love stories like this. Real, painful, beautiful .
A.HUGE.BOOK.HANGOVER
P.S. Mikah is mine! Yes, that’s right. You can have Dakota but leave Mikah alone 😀
July 27, 2019
4 Cupcake Queen
This was another new to me author, and when I read the blurb—I knew I had to take a chance on it—my never ending TBR list be damned;) Every so often, I’ll “squirrel out” with an enticing new release that I didn’t have prior knowledge of...this was one of those times, and I’m so glad I did.
“Severance,” was written in ,“ Before” and “After” formatted chapters, in the female MC’s POV. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, one that keeps you interested because of the luring way it’s written.
Alana, young and sheltered, faced a tragedy that changed her life and how she lived it. Trapped between the past and the present, with a ghost of a first love, and an enduring love who lives in his shadow. She’s left with her memories, and a new reality she struggles to cope with. This was a complex story full of heartbreak, and ultimately healing. I enjoyed this hard won HEA, and look forward to reading more from this author.
This was another new to me author, and when I read the blurb—I knew I had to take a chance on it—my never ending TBR list be damned;) Every so often, I’ll “squirrel out” with an enticing new release that I didn’t have prior knowledge of...this was one of those times, and I’m so glad I did.
“Severance,” was written in ,“ Before” and “After” formatted chapters, in the female MC’s POV. I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, one that keeps you interested because of the luring way it’s written.
Alana, young and sheltered, faced a tragedy that changed her life and how she lived it. Trapped between the past and the present, with a ghost of a first love, and an enduring love who lives in his shadow. She’s left with her memories, and a new reality she struggles to cope with. This was a complex story full of heartbreak, and ultimately healing. I enjoyed this hard won HEA, and look forward to reading more from this author.
June 2, 2019
Severance will forever be one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful books I will have ever read in my entire life. It explores themes of first loves, grief, pain, loss, healing and forbidden feelings. My heart ached, my tears flowed and I slowly fell in love.
This book will capture your attention and not let go. It stole a giant piece of my heart.
*Full review to come*
This book will capture your attention and not let go. It stole a giant piece of my heart.
*Full review to come*
July 25, 2019
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 amazing stars !!! This book was so beautifully written , I loved every emotional, intense and heartbreaking word of it ! This is a story about loss , grief and healing but also about love and finding yourself too. My heart literally ached for Alana having been a survivor of gun violence too it was easy for me to relate to what she went through being a survivor and suffering from PTSD and depression.
I simply could not put it down!
This is a amazing Rockstar romance a must read filled with angst and steam to get you through the heartbreak and loss with a guaranteed HEA ending ! This story will definitely stick with me for a while and will be hard to move on from ❤❤❤ I received an arc for my honest review 💋⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 amazing stars !!! This book was so beautifully written , I loved every emotional, intense and heartbreaking word of it ! This is a story about loss , grief and healing but also about love and finding yourself too. My heart literally ached for Alana having been a survivor of gun violence too it was easy for me to relate to what she went through being a survivor and suffering from PTSD and depression.
I simply could not put it down!
This is a amazing Rockstar romance a must read filled with angst and steam to get you through the heartbreak and loss with a guaranteed HEA ending ! This story will definitely stick with me for a while and will be hard to move on from ❤❤❤ I received an arc for my honest review 💋⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Want to read
October 27, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/27/2023)! 🎁
💝 ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 💝
💝 ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 💝
July 26, 2019
This is the first book I have read from N. N. Britt. I really enjoyed it. The book would be classified as a dark read. The writing was good. The story line is about a rockstar and who doesn’t enjoy a Rockstar romance book?
It’s about an 18 year old girl named Alana who has very over protective, strict church going parents and meets a guy in a up and coming rockband named Dakota. It all turns during a show when a tragic event occurs. It’s about Alana her friends and how her boyfriend’s brother cope Before and after the event, and what type of relationships were formed prior. The paragraphs are formed in before and after. Alana is very unstable through most of the book and turns to Dakota’s brother for comfort.
It about relationships and coping mechanisms for the community. It’s a disturbing insight into anxiety and the body’s coping mechanism.
It really is a very enjoyable read and I will be reading more from N.N.Britt.
It’s about an 18 year old girl named Alana who has very over protective, strict church going parents and meets a guy in a up and coming rockband named Dakota. It all turns during a show when a tragic event occurs. It’s about Alana her friends and how her boyfriend’s brother cope Before and after the event, and what type of relationships were formed prior. The paragraphs are formed in before and after. Alana is very unstable through most of the book and turns to Dakota’s brother for comfort.
It about relationships and coping mechanisms for the community. It’s a disturbing insight into anxiety and the body’s coping mechanism.
It really is a very enjoyable read and I will be reading more from N.N.Britt.
July 27, 2019
***4.5 Stars***
Deeply moving. This book owned me for 2 days. The subject matter is tough, the emotions are hard, the sadness, the bitterness, the fear...the love. All of it written so superbly by NN Britt. I loved this book. (And as a side, I haven’t smoked in years but Mikah made me want to grab a Marlboro! 😉)
This is not an easy read...but it is relevant and important and the author handles it so well. And if you read NN Britt’s Rapture, be sure to sign up for the bonus material at the end of the book for a very cool mention.
July 18, 2019
This is the first book I have read from this Author and wow what a book to start with.
This is written in a non linear narrative from Alana's point of view. It is a story filled with emotion, heartbreak, strength, angst and love.
I could not put it down!
There are some moments in this book where I got strong reactions from how the heroine was feeling.
The mental health issues portrayed in this book are so well written. I really felt a connection to Alana, She was so genuine you couldn't help but relate to her.
I adored the relationship between Mikah and Alana. There reactions to each other, you could feel their joint pain.
This is definitely an author I will read more of.
This is written in a non linear narrative from Alana's point of view. It is a story filled with emotion, heartbreak, strength, angst and love.
I could not put it down!
There are some moments in this book where I got strong reactions from how the heroine was feeling.
The mental health issues portrayed in this book are so well written. I really felt a connection to Alana, She was so genuine you couldn't help but relate to her.
I adored the relationship between Mikah and Alana. There reactions to each other, you could feel their joint pain.
This is definitely an author I will read more of.
July 18, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book. Severance is a heartbreaking story. Once you start reading this book you won't be able to put down the book. I fell in love with Alana, Mikah and Dakota. Give this book a try.
March 18, 2020
This was completely unexpected and I loved it all, even when I hated it.
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