Emma Harrington is an intelligent, confident, sweet and sassy woman.
Or she was...before him.
Emma sets out to rebuild her life and find the person she once was. A wrench is thrown into her plans when she meets Phoenix West, a sexy as hell, smooth-talking tattoo artist.
As soon as Nix meets Emma, he knows he's found something special. He can't deny their connection and despite her reluctance, Nix slowly works his way through her hidden scars and into her heart.
Just when Emma starts to breathe again, her fear resurfaces, threatening her hopes for the future.
Will she ever be free to live the life she truly wants? Or will her torturous past finally catch up to her?
A.M. Myers lives in Cody, Wyoming – a little town about an hour away from Yellowstone National Park – with her husband and their two boys. She has been writing for most of her life and even had a poem nationally published in the sixth grade but the idea of writing an entire book always seemed so daunting until a certain story got stuck in her head and wouldn’t leave her alone until she started typing. Now, she can’t imagine a time when she won’t be letting all of the stories in her head spill out onto paper. A.M. Myers writes emotional, gripping romantic suspense novels that will leave you swooning and hanging off the edge of your seat from start until finish. When she is not writing, you can usually find her up in the mountains with her boys, camping, fishing and taking photos of the beautiful landscape she is lucky enough to call home.
I was gifted this book from the Author for my honest review. I was very sceptical upon starting it but boy was I wrong!!! This is a Great story and it was written so well that it had me in it's clutches the whole way through. Emma was a strong sassy smart young woman who just happens to fall in love with the wrong guy, I like how this book showed how easy it is for a women to fall into the trap of emotional abuse and it does not make the woman stupid. Then she meets Nix well hello handsome!!! This is a past present story of a young woman through her journey of an abusive relationship and how she fights her way out, it was well written and I would happily read more from this author.
There were parts of this book that were really good. But I also had some issues.
The good parts: • Nix. I loved him. He was sweet and genuine and hot. • Emma's brothers. They were so protective and awesome. I know we find out their HEA in the epilogue but I would love to see books for both of them. • The steam between Nix and Emma. ;) • The suspense story-line revolving around her ex.
Ok, now for what I had issue with. It was really only one thing: • The alternating format of present and past.
In some books it works well. But in this one, for me, it didn't work. I get needing to know what happened to her in the past, but I kept feeling like I was spending too much time getting to know her ex-boyfriend. I also felt like it slowed the book down. Just as I would really get into the story of Emma and Nix, I'd be pulled out and thrown back into her past with Ryan. Emma's story with Ryan basically started at the beginning, same as her story with Nix did, so I kept feeling like I was reading 2 separate stories when what I really wanted to read was Nix's story.
Overall, the modern-day story was actually pretty good, and worth reading. I think the author shows great promise and can't wait to see what she does in the future.
Emma Harrington thought she had met the man of her dreams but instead of building her up and loving her like she deserved, he broke her. A year later Emma is still trying to find normalcy but she has triggers that arise every so often and when she goes to get a tattoo she meets Phoenix West. Emma feels a connection to Nix but she is not wanting another man in her life again, the last one ruined her for all others.
Nix steps up to the plate with Emma, he realizes she is scared of what is building between them but he will be as patient as he needs to be as long as Emma is by his side. However, Emma's ex wants her back and is getting increasingly out of control. Will Nix be able to keep his word and protect Emma no matter what?
This was fantastic, I liked that Emma is working on herself. I would read these in order because I think it flows better. I read #2 first but it still worked. I loved Nix, he is just wow.
4.5 nail-biting stars! When Jenn asked me if I’d like to review A.M. Myers’ Hidden Scars, I read the synopsis and said it sounded interesting so, yes, I’d be happy to read it. I honestly thought it would be a sweet and maybe sexy story about a guy who works in a tattoo shop whom meets a girl and, although she’s been through some stuff in her past, that they would build a relationship and hopefully, live HEA. Well, I was wrong on a lot of points (although parts were accurate). This guy (Phoenix although his friends call him Nix) is a guy who works in a tattoo shop; this part is true. And the girl, Emma, well, yes, she has been through some stuff (to put it mildly). They do meet and when they do, they both feel an actual spark when their skin touches for the first time (and this is when he realizes this girl is worth pursuing). And they do begin to build a relationship and work toward their own HEA. That’s where my assumptions that were correct ended and an entirely new story developed. It was rich. It was dynamic. It had me glued to my e-reader for hours; whenever I had an opportunity to pick it up to read it, I would. I basically ignored everything and everyone around me once I became engrossed in this book. I don’t know whether I’ve ever given a brand-new author 4.5 stars before, but this one earned its marks. It took, hmm, maybe five pages to pull me in and after that, I was captivated with it until the very last page. By the way, Nix is absolutely scrumptious! He was genuine, he was authentic, he was loving, he was protective, he was sexy, he was patient, he was creative, he was a healing force in Emma’s life – and she needed it. You see, Emma had left a guy who was absolutely not good to her. He did almost everything to her an abuser can do; he isolated her from her friends and family, he belittled her, he made her doubt herself and her self-worth. And it started slowly; it was very insidious – the same as can happen in real life. It hit me hard. I don’t usually get very personal about my life here. But I’m going to say a couple of things. I was in a relationship for almost 15 years that was pretty bad. My ex belittled me, made me doubt my sense of self-worth, controlled me and it was insidious too; you don’t really realize it’s just bad until you have gotten out and look back with the 20/20 clarity of hindsight. He never hit me – but he did everything else except for that. I had a friend who forced me to read a book about verbal abusers because she was sure I was about to become physically abused too. It was an eye-opener and I’ve never ceased to feel grateful to her for opening my eyes. I’m telling you this because this book deals with an abusive relationship. It honestly has triggers and if you’ve been in a violent relationship, I’m not sure whether you would want to read this one or not. But let me tell you what it did for me – it was cathartic. It was validation of what we can go through in a relationship that is bad for us; even if we are intelligent, caring, loving people. It sneaks up on you and it’s done in such a way that you doubt yourself over and over again. You look in the mirror and wonder where you’ve gone wrong. There are people who say (including to me), that we shouldn’t acknowledge the fact that we were victims because that makes us into victims and keeps us there. (And frankly, I beg to differ, it’s our abusers who made us into victims.) But if you don’t acknowledge it, you can’t begin to heal it. Living through it and getting out doesn’t keep you in a victim role; it means you became a warrior and were strong enough to get through to the other side. It changes your victimization into victory. The victory of the human spirit living through adversity. This book didn’t feel scary to me. Instead, it made me feel like I wasn’t alone. It also felt like there’s hope in finding a man out in the world who is kind, loving, and someone I could possibly learn how to trust again (with) someday. So, for some, there will be triggers. To me, there was healing. And that’s pretty special. Emma’s family felt helpless as they watched her becoming less of the self that she used to be. They didn’t know what to do. Emma had been conditioned enough by her (now) ex while they were together to blame herself rather than the man controlling her. Abusing her. Her brothers and her parents and her boss (whom is basically family) all tried to help and were rebuffed by Emma; she didn’t realize she was even in an abusive situation until her girlfriend forced her (with the help of one of Emma’s brothers) to read an article to help the reader decide whether he/she was being emotionally abused. She thought it was a cruel, useless joke at first. But once she read it, understanding began to dawn. Watching her “wake-up” felt very familiar to me as well. This book is written in both the past and the present in often alternating chapters. There are some other readers whom objected to this. But here’s my take on it; the “Then” chapters describe the time when she met and became involved with her ex, and the “Now” chapters are about the “after-the-fact” when she’s gotten away from him and is attempting to rebuild her life. I think this is the only way this book could have been written. I think if you had to read the Then sections all at once, it would be too difficult emotionally to get through. The Now chapters were generally fairly delightful; when Nix meets Emma and decided she was a woman worth pursuing – these were chapters I enjoyed tremendously. I felt between these two parts, a type of balance was created. It’s like you’ve got to go through the valleys to appreciate the hills. There were times when Emma began to realize it was safe to open up to Nix and explain some of what she’d survived, and it was profound… (excerpt) “You wanna talk about it?” I bite my lip as I pull away and stare up at him. The look he gives me in return makes me feel safe in spite of the story I am about to tell. “Mmm, I guess,” I whisper as I shrug my shoulders. He waits patiently for me and after a few moments, I begin telling him about my dream. When I finish, he mutters, “Jesus Christ,” with rage burning in his eyes. “I want to kill him for hurting you. I don’t know what else to say.” “There are no words.” Shrugging my shoulders, I roll onto my back and look up at the ceiling. “Do you know how easy it is to break a person?” I ask him and can feel the muscles grow tense next to me. “No.” His voice is raspy with barely concealed rage. “It’s easier than you think. When you love someone, they have the power to destroy you. It’s insidious and you never see it coming. All it takes is some careful maneuvering to make a person think that they are losing their mind.” “Baby, I don’t want to talk about this,” he growls, his body still tense underneath me. “No one does, that’s why people get away with it. Some people don’t even know what emotional abuse is, or it’s not taken seriously because the victim doesn’t have bruises as proof. I mean, look what Ryan [her ex] did to me. He didn’t scream at me all the time. Those times still stung but there were easier to dismiss than when he came to me in a loving manner and planted something in my head.”… This is a book that at times is difficult to read, yes. But it’s a really great story. It’s about the human spirit overcoming and being victorious over evil. It’s about a woman who finds in inner strength and learns to rely on those people whom have always loved her plus being willing to open up her heart and take a chance on a really great guy as well as his family who welcome her into their hearts. If you’ve never been abused, it will make those who are a bit easier to understand. Sitting in judgement of them does no one any good; you can’t begin to understand it until you realize this can happen to anyone. I’m a smart, strong, sassy, caring woman too. If I can let it seep into my life, it can happen to anyone. If you don’t “get it,” then I’m exceedingly happy for you and hope in a lot of ways you never do. But this book gives you an amazing window into the world of a woman who goes through it and lives to tell about it. For those of you whom have also experienced this type of situation, it can give you hope. It can give you some different insight. It can give you motivation to find an answer. Even if you yourself have not experienced this, you might very well know someone who currently is or has experienced it in their past. Knowledge and patience and compassion toward the person affected by this will go a very long way to help the person feel like they’re not isolated because someone “gets it.” And that can mean everything to them. In other words, I think everyone should read this book. And for you, whom are probably not so sure that this sounds like a good book, like at all, well, you’re wrong. This is a truly good book. The characters are (minus the bad guys) very likable. The love story within is particularly special. This is not just a depressing story. It is a strong story though and will catch your interest and keep it. You will want to see how this one plays out. It might sound like I’ve listed a bunch of spoilers here; but really, I haven’t. The way this story unfolds is not predicable in many ways and the way it’s resolved isn’t either. It’s simply a good story that will keep you on the edge of your seat at times and at other times, you’ll find yourself falling in love with Nix right along with Emma. I truly did love this story. I think I would have also loved it without a personal connection to the story because I think we’ve all known people we’ve worried about and wondered if there was something you could do to help them. I think we all long for a “knight on a shiny charger swooping in to rescue to fair maiden” type of story from time to time. This is one of those. It’s just told in such a way that it feels pretty realistic. I hope you decide to read this one. It’s simply a really good, entertaining, and nail-biting story that I think I will always remember.
Emma was a young feisty women who fell for what she thought was the man of her dreams charming, handsome, a cop. She thought he was the one, he loved her and she loved him.
After moving in together things started to change, Ryan was changing and little did Emma realize that she was being mentally abused he was playing with her mind.
Emma believed her boyfriend then fiancés lies she blamed herself she thought it was her fault a little after the mental abuse started then things become physical where he would beat her or lock her in a room.
12 months later after she left Ryan his still there he wants her and will stop at nothing to get her back and he will stop at nothing to get her back.
“Everything I do is for you and it’d just never enough. You’re never happy.”
Emma decides to get a tattoo so she goes to uncles Moe’s nephew to get one.
She has never met him.
She sees him.
There’s sparks.
She can’t do relationships.
She’s broken.
Nix really likes Emma he wants to know her, he knows she is damaged but he wants her, he needs her.
Nix tries to protect her from her ex but sometimes you can be outnumbered and out smarted.
Will Nix and Emma get the happy ever after or will Ryan come between them?
“He smiles at me and it’s like sunshine for my soul.”
We liked the book it was a great story line but we really had trouble connecting for the simple fact each chapter went back and forth between past and present…. We would find ourselves starting to feel the character and then you get to the next chapter and you would be in the present, we really struggled with the emotion side of it due to that fact, but it was a great story line!! 3.5 star
This was a story told in two parts: NOW & THEN. I really liked the two different story lines however, I wish in a way that they had been two separate stories all together. I really got into both story lines equally, but just as I got into one, it bounced me out and into the other. Both story lines start the heroine at the beginning of some type of relationship between the hero and the villain, so you are reading about two different relationships at once for the same woman.
I liked Emma's family and co-workers. I liked Nix a lot and for awhile, I really liked Ryan. I enjoyed the banter and flirtations that went on with the couples.
Over all, I thought it was a good read.
Thank you A.M Myers for the opportunity to read your story.
This book was not what I was expecting at all. I may have not picked it on my own but I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it! I even got caught up so quick in this book that I completely missed the face that the story jumped back and forth from past to present. I was a bit confused at first but I liked the fact of reading Emma living her past instead of her describing it to someone else.
I'm sure Emma's story will hit home to a lot of men and women who have been in similar situations. This was very well written and had me crying and laughing throughout. I've already recommended to several friends.
This is the first book that I have read from this author and it so wasn't what I expected. The things that Emma went through and was still able to get up in the morning were amazing of course Nix helped with that plus her brothers. So good!
Warning: For mature audiences due to graphic material. An advanced reader's copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Summary Emma Harrington is an intelligent, confident, sweet and sassy woman. Or she was...before him. Emma sets out to rebuild her life and find the person she once was. A wrench is thrown into her plans when she meets Phoenix West, a sexy as hell, smooth-talking tattoo artist. As soon as Nix meets Emma, he knows he's found something special. He can't deny their connection and despite her reluctance, Nix slowly works his way through her hidden scars and into her heart. Just when Emma starts to breathe again, her fear resurfaces, threatening her hopes for the future. Will she ever be free to live the life she truly wants? Or will her torturous past finally catch up to her?
Review Hidden Scars is A.M. Myers' first foray into published work and for her natal effort, she delivers a story that is hard to forget. Myers' characters are real, flawed, and very relatable. She presents a very touchy subject matter in a sensitive manner. The transitions of the first few chapters of the story made it a little difficult to follow at first, but once I got the hang of her style, it became clearer. I would have loved to see consistency with the transitions of the chapters, though -- as, towards the end, the chapters went from being focused on time, it became character driven. There were slight issues with the story's progress that should have been caught by the editor. With more research into the psyche of a battered woman and some assistance with the choreography of an action scene, I would give this story a 5-star rating. I do applaud her for refraining from falling into the dark hole that I call the non-ending "internal monolog." Myers' told her story with a sound mix of character musing and action sequences. For a first time author, this is a good solid effort, and well worth the 4-star rating.
****I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you****
Hidden Scars is an intense dark romantic standalone story told by Emma present POV with flashback chapters.
I want to issue a trigger warning to individuals who have issues with physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Abuse is discussed throughout the book. While it was done with care and sensitivity, reading what had happened to Emma was sometimes it is hard. I suspected from the blurb that Emma has at least a crappy boyfriend or was abused. I didn’t realize the details that would be shared. There were times I was felt panicked and had to stop reading. Even with the trigger issues there, this book was done well.
Emma was learning to be a strong woman again. When she meets Phoenix, Nix, she feels drawn to him. She’s scared to trust him after her last relationship. When she is threatened again, Nix works to keep her safe. Slowly he earns her trust and love.
Nix is patient, protective, beautiful man. From the moment he met her, she consumed his thoughts. He seems to always know what to say and do for Emma. He is everything Emma needs to move forward in life.
The secondary characters were a big part of the book. Emma’s brothers, Blaze, Moe, Daisy, Addy, Shadow and Chance gave the story a feel to richer adding to Emma and Nix’s characters. The pacing was off in a spot or two, but overall was steady. I was feverishly reading when the exciting story came to the conclusion.
Hidden Scars is the story of Emma’s efforts to heal from an abusive relationship. The book alternates between the past and present, allowing readers to witness her abuse and gain insight into her emotional state and her struggles to not only leave her abuser but to also survive, learn to thrive and find real love. Her love interest, Nix, is everything she needs but will she allow herself to have him? Can she find a way to let her self be loved and to love in return? Is her past really a thing of the past or is she haunted by more than mere memories? Is Nix Emma's lobster? I’m not telling.
The author has a very good grasp on how people come to be in abusive relationships and why it is hard for them to leave. She knows how hard it for survivors to not only trust others but to trust their own judgement when it comes to forming new relationships. She also understands exactly how abusers manipulate not only their victims and the people around them. She knows that abusers can fool their own family and coworkers, gaining sympathy from them. She portrays abuse and the struggle to overcome it in a very realistic way. Her understanding of these matters turns a good story into a great story.
I absolutely loved this book. The way the characters were developed really made me feel like I knew them and I grew to love them, even the secondary characters. (I can't wait to read the brothers stories.) Emma suffered through an abusive relationship that she found hard to escape from and harder still to press charges on when she did escape because he was a police officer. Her ex, Ryan, refuses to let her go, even a year later when its obvious she doesn't want him back. When she meets the amazingly handsome, Phoenix, and starts to form a relationship it pushes Ryan over the edge. None of that deters Phoenix though. He is super sweet and totally dedicated to protecting this woman he has fallen in love with. He is the man every woman dreams of finding. This book has some parts that jump to the past and back to the present. Normally these jumps are irritating and sometimes I don't even finish because of it. But the way the author handled the jumps in time made it very easy to read and I actually looked forward to going back and getting glimpses of Emma's previous life. I enjoyed learning why she reacts the way she does in current time. This book is so worth reading and should be on everyone's TBR list! Looking forward to reading more of this family
I wasn't sure about this book while I was reading it. It took a while to get into the back and forth of the chapters are confusing and I kept having to go back and re read some bits to make sure I was getting everything right. The story of Emma is so heartbreaking I have never read a book with abuse in it before so I had no idea what to expect. Reading some of the things that Ryan did to her made me so mad thinking just leave him! I was so glad that when the book started that she had left him but having to read the then chapters was still hard. When she meets Nix it's a bit hard to believe that she could be fine around him so quickly and I don't think they really had much chemistry. I'm all for a bad boy and Nix didn't disappoint even though some of the thing s he said was cheesy. When we meet the bikers the book really picks up and I finished the last hour and a half so quickly it's unreal. The unease of not knowing if Emma would survive kept me going. I loved the ending seeing everyone 6 years later and how all the relationships had developed it was the perfect ending. I would recommend this book to my friends and family
Review of Hidden Scars by A.M. Myers Hidden Scars By A.M. Myers
5 stars Reviewed by Donna
Hidden Scars is one of the best books I have read in a long time!!!!! This book was just plain awesome!!!! The characters and the story were well written. You could tell that the Author was well educated and knowledgeable to base her story on domestic abuse. Also, not every Author can switch back and forth from the past to the present and keep the reader intrigued at the same time. I loved how Nix and Emma's relationship grew stronger despite how insane Ryan (Emma's ex) got. Emma had a great family and amazing friends who were there to catch her when needed. I was definitely teary eyes trhough most of the book but, I definitely cried when Emma's dad shared how proud of her he was. Let's not forget how Nix got Emma back into painting again!!! Wow!!!! Is all I can say. It took some time but Emma found herself again against some really bad circumstances. This story should get no less than a 5++++++. Continue writing Ms. Myers and I will continue reading. Til next time! :)
This has the potential to be a very good read! Unfortunately, I found a few things let it down.
I loved the story, and I really enjoyed reading about what had happened in Emma's past with Ryan, and found those chapters really sucked me in and were very well written. However with the alternative now and then style chapters, I found my interest waving as would sometimes get confused.
The present day chapters, I found harder to process, and although the story concept was good, I felt that Emma and Nix had no chemistry as all, and it put me off reading about their relationship, especially the way he seemed to be constantly carrying her around as if she was a child. They also seemed to jump into a serious relationship awfully quickly, which im not sure would happen considering Emmas past.
This is a well written book and I think it could be a brilliant read with some small changes.
Wow, this one had me all over the place with my emotions! That's the sign of a great book. Emma was very authentic and real, you definitely are right there with her in her memories and thoughts. Nix is the perfect foil for Emma and he was swoon worthy in all of the right ways! The enemy was awesome and he was truly evil. The book wasn't rushed, the relationship developed at the perfect pace and the resolution of the problem happened just right. I loved this and would definitely read another by this author.
This book hit me hard on so many levels. I had to set it down and remind myself to breath several times but not once did I want to stop reading it. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. The way the book flows between Emma's past and present was flawless and perfectly balanced. Not only is this a wonderful read it also helps open your eyes to how abused women think and why they find it so hard to leave. This is a must read.
Excellent read! I won this book at a book release...had not heard of it prior to reading it and I was surprised. I loved the way the author told the story past and present, and I loved how the story developed. I love Emma and Nix, how patient and understanding he is with her issues, with her past. A.M Myers does justice to women who have had to endure abuse.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. At first the back and forth from past to present was a bit confusing, but once I really got into it, it was fine. The characters were likable and the story flowed.
This was an awesome read!! I loved every facet of it, very unexpected turns of events, and never predictable!! I fell in love immediately with Emma and her brothers!! The back story was phenomenal and made it all come together and make a great story! Fabulous job!!
I was given this book for an honest review . I enjoyed the book ,fast paced ,good story just the right amount of sex and not too much violence ,all in all a very likeable read .
Hidden Scars (Hidden Scars Book 1) by A.M. Myers Review ♡ 5✨ 2.5🌶
I absolutely loved this book!! It was so amazing and the storyline was fantastic, I didn’t want it to end. I love how we went through the characters lives and really got to know them. Phoenix and Emma were so amazing together. I thought they were so hot together but also so sweet and had great chemistry and passion. But he was also so protective and gentle with her which I loved. They had such hot sex too!!!!
I absolutely loved how Phoenix wanted to be there for her and help her heal on her own with support but also wishes to erase all her pain and make everything better. They were so perfect for each other and so sweet together. I loved how he takes his time with her because of her past and helps her grow while she heals and learns to be herself again. But he also opens up to her instead of holding back because she hasn’t shared a lot as he knows she needs more time and healing. But I also really enjoyed how he sometimes pushed her while opening up as she needed it and he knew deep down she could take it and it would help her grow as a person but also grow stronger. That’s what she needed, she needed to be pushed sometimes. However, he also respected when she couldn’t share anymore because of the pain and she also wasn’t ready. I also loved how he gets so mad when she talks about the past because he hates that she was ever hurt and wants to take it all away. It’s just so sweet how much he loves her and wants to protect her from everything in the world.
On the other hand, they were also really hot together! They had great chemistry and were so passionate together. Plus really hot sex 😂 I feel like they were just made for each other honestly. I also loved how her brothers were so sweet and protective cause that was so adorable.
Everyone, please check out Hidden Scars! This is the first book of A.M. Myers I have read and I was so pleased with it! It was so amazing! I don’t even have words.
Ryan turns on the charm and Emma quickly falls for it. What soon becomes clear is that he isn't all that he appears to be. After Emma finally leaves he won't give her up. As far as he’s concerned she belongs to him. Things settle down for while after she goes to the police. She starts to get back a little bit of the girl she used to be before Ryan and decides to get a tattoo as a reminder to never be fooled again. Once she enters the tattoo shop her life will never be the same again. Nix is such a sweetheart and goes out of his way to let Emma know that she is the woman for him. You really can't help but fall in love with all the characters in this book. This author has the ability to pull you inside her writing. Definitely a book you could read again and still get enjoyment out of it.
Wow!! This book was absolutely amazing. I laughed, cried and even attempted to throw my kindle. Needless to say I'm addicted to this series and cannot wait to dig into the next book.
Emma is recovering from an abusive boyfriend who left scars and now stalking her. Phoenix is a tattooist and family friend that becomes so much more as love saves Emma
A.M. Myers is a new author to me, another author friend recommended me trying her with this book. I in fact have 2 of hers that I have finished and will review today.
I loved the fact that with today's society, with events of good cop/bad cop is drawn into this storyline. I'm not sure if that was her intentions or not but it worked beautifully and well you will have to read it to find out what happens to the cop ;).
Anyways, we start off with meeting Emma Harrington, along with her friends and brothers. Brothers I might add that are extremely hot and very overprotective of Emma. She is a bright, funny loving, witty young women, that is ready to take on the world. She meets a man who is sweeping her off her feet. Her brother is suspicious, and later you find out why and he is rightly so.
Abused both physcially and emotionally Emma hangs on until enough is enough, her brother rescue her from the living nightmare. Emma then decides after getting some life back into her that she will get a tattoo to remind her daily of what life is and could be. Walking into the tattoo shop was the best thing she ever done, meeting Phoenix the tattoo artist and nephew to her boss at the bar she works at. Never knowing her boss's nephew was this hot, she is immediately drawn to him but knows that life is fragile right now within her and she can't get involved. While walking you through her life with a past/present kind of format (which confuses some and it did me at first) you have to follow the storyline closely.
Anyways, I've said enough, I want you to read this book so I won't give anyway anything else. BUT, I will tell you I loved this book, it kept me into it, wanting to turn page after page. ALSO know that there are TRIGGERS, for some that have lived with both emotional and physical abuse. I'm not going to tell you it's a HEA or not because you have to read to find out. I don't think you will be disappointed at all. But, what is written is enough to keep you going and finding out what happens next with the friends and brothers ;) .... a MUST READ in my opinion.
Powerful! Thought Provoking! Crazy Good! are just some of the words that come to mind when I think about this amazing story! I cried the first time I read this story. I cried the second time I read this story! The story was fictional but the basis of the story was all too real for some women and author did an excellent drop in writing the story. It was a fast paced book that I was unable to put down but kept the box of tissues close by with a box of chocolates.
All of the characters in this story were amazing! I loved that Emma was portrayed as a strong and defiant woman that had horrible things happen to her not once but quite a few times by a terrible man. It seemed that she never gave up. Emma did her best to deal with the situation the best way she knew how at the time.
The other characters in this story were also amazing from beginning to end. They were an awesome support team for Emma in her time of need! Each character came through for Emma time and time again. They were there for her even when she pushed them away as a result of all the chaos that was going on in her life. Without the phenomenal support of these characters the story may have been different for many reasons that I cannot explain!
I thought the love story itself was epic! The author was able to write a story that flowed nicely even though the timeline went back and forth between the past and present. It was awesome how the author slipped in some events that were funny like when Emma and Nix had a secret to reveal. I thought this was hysterical and cute all at the same time! There were some descriptive scenes that could definitely be defined as hot and blush worthy for any reader!
I cannot wait to read the next book! I can see this story branching off in a million different directions to make another amazing story! The author has an amazing style of writing and as a result I think this book deserves more than 5 little stars as a rating.