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Raw Intentions
Jamie O'Neil is a troubled, misguided teen from an abusive home. She quickly becomes infatuated with Teresa Simmons, the smothered and lonely daughter of a religious pastor. Despite their distinct differences, the romance between the two teenagers begins to blossom, but ends abruptly after Jamie is forced into foster care. Seventeen years later, they collide back into each other’s lives when Jamie attends the viewing of Teresa’s father, who passed away from a sudden heart attack. By then, circumstances have become even more complicated because of their suffocating and abusive husbands. But despite the forces that drive them apart, Jamie and Teresa can’t seem to stay away from each other. What lies at stake is the solidity of marriages, families, and the hearts of those involved.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2019
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9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 4, 2019
Wow. Just wow. This book is an emotional roller coaster.
Jaime and Teresa fall in love when they are just teenagers, but their love, however complicated it was, never seemed to fade over the years. Jaime, the abused girl with the enviable "give no fu***" attitude, befriended "Jesus freak" Teresa, and the two bonded over their shared flaws and miserable upbringings. Years down the road, Teresa is in an unhappy marriage with her hollow and emotionless husband, while Jaime is married to a wealthy but abusive alcoholic. When Teresa and Jaime meet again, the sparks fly and the connection grows stronger from there. The ease of their friendship, and the inevitable passionate reconnection that follows, gives both women an escape from their lives. Of course, as these things go, keeping things a secret turns out to be difficult and, at times, dangerous.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the dichotomy between abuse and religion. That's not to say that the two are synonymous all the time, but in this particular situation, not having the courage to stand up to those who bully you—physical abusers and religious guilters—leaves both women feeling hopeless and powerless. Each gives the other the courage and strength to accept what they've always known and make decisions for themselves in the end. The romantic scenes are very intimate and well-done, especially because it has that whole "this is so wrong but so right" thing going for it. But it was the plot that kept me reading until the end, and I think the ending is perfect for the message of this book.
There are some typos, grammar issues, forgotten words, etc. but it isn't enough to take away from the book. I definitely recommend this page-turner.
Jaime and Teresa fall in love when they are just teenagers, but their love, however complicated it was, never seemed to fade over the years. Jaime, the abused girl with the enviable "give no fu***" attitude, befriended "Jesus freak" Teresa, and the two bonded over their shared flaws and miserable upbringings. Years down the road, Teresa is in an unhappy marriage with her hollow and emotionless husband, while Jaime is married to a wealthy but abusive alcoholic. When Teresa and Jaime meet again, the sparks fly and the connection grows stronger from there. The ease of their friendship, and the inevitable passionate reconnection that follows, gives both women an escape from their lives. Of course, as these things go, keeping things a secret turns out to be difficult and, at times, dangerous.
What I really enjoyed about this book was the dichotomy between abuse and religion. That's not to say that the two are synonymous all the time, but in this particular situation, not having the courage to stand up to those who bully you—physical abusers and religious guilters—leaves both women feeling hopeless and powerless. Each gives the other the courage and strength to accept what they've always known and make decisions for themselves in the end. The romantic scenes are very intimate and well-done, especially because it has that whole "this is so wrong but so right" thing going for it. But it was the plot that kept me reading until the end, and I think the ending is perfect for the message of this book.
There are some typos, grammar issues, forgotten words, etc. but it isn't enough to take away from the book. I definitely recommend this page-turner.
Displaying 1 of 1 review