She Was No One

by S.J. Stewart

Her whole life was belonging to him. She was his like his newest Rolex, or the Aston Martin in the drive. He was her owner, her keeper, and most of the time, he was her torturer. A leap of faith brought an end to that, a leap away from him. A leap into her destruction. Completely ruined and shattered, she could be rebuilt. Reborn into the person she needed to be to finally escape him and the life she'd been sold into. Bishop retired a long time ago. Used his money to buy himself a private island and open up a clinic where only the rich and famous could afford to go. It was his way to escape what and who he was once. Though he could never truly escape, at least there were no reminders here, and without the reminders, he could find peace. A peace that was disrupted when the body of a young woman washes ashore and to his surprise, she's alive. She's keeping secrets and those secrets are a bomb dropped into the life he's built. But he made a promise to himself long ago that if the opportunity to get his hands on DuPont ever fell into his lap, he would take it. And that's exactly what happens, when the body of a woman who used to belong to him washes up on his island. A woman who knows the DuPonts better than anyone. She's no longer the woman they knew. With a new face and the promise of a new life on the horizon, she's going to do whatever it takes to end their reign and throw a wrench into every aspect of their lives. She was no one once, but finally free, she'll do whatever it takes to be someone again.

The Children Of Refuge books are dark crime stand alone books that can be read in any order.

Genres: Suspense

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2022

About the author

SJ Stewart is a genre jumper who likes to write primarily in Fantasy and Horror. After writing stories for over a decade, she made the decision to finally publish her first novel: Hidden In Darkness, which will be the first in the Fantasy series Seven Realms Books.

Reviews

[LaTosha Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Review*

It’s stories like this and writers like SJ Stewart that make be feel privileged to be a reader. With all I knew about this book going in, I thought I had it basically figured out, but I got so much more than I bargained for. This is a crime fiction but the romance is very much there and it’s incredible sweet. Like a rose growing from concrete. This was a gripping read from start until about 79% in before it hit any type of lull. It’s not action packed but it’s an emotional roller coaster. Amelie/Kia is by far one of my favorite FMCs ever and Bishop is top of my book boyfriend list for sure. Cause I love a man who choose violence about his girl. Content warning: This is a story about a human trafficking survivor, while the harshness of that circumstance isn’t played out in vivid detail (and why would you want it to be) there are flashbacks and triggering phrases and situations so please take that into consideration. Thoughts of and attempted suicide, kidnapping, mental, emotional, and physical abuse are prevalent. This is a beautifully written story and while it is understandably low on spice the passion and chemistry between the main characters is palpable. This is book one in a standalone series but they will be best experienced in order. If you haven’t read an SJ Stewart story you really are missing out on amazing stories written by a brilliant wordsmith.

[Britton Brinkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I needed and then some. A perfect mix of crime, thriller and slow-burn. But even beyond that the journey of recovering from trauma, hurt and pain. Growing into someone you never thought possible.

An amazing story of a woman healing from the terrors of being a human trafficking victim. Also Bishop is such a well-written MMC. Definitely adding to the book boyfriend list.

Check your triggers, but this is a definite must read!

[J.L. Casten · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me from page ONE. SJ always delivers and this foray into a new genre is no exception. The vibe for me was very fictional true crime meets spy novel meets crime family meets thriller and I freaking loved it. The Children of Refuge series is now on my “need the next book please” list. ♥️

[Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I seem to be on the minority.
I found this book unreadable- not for the content but the writing style.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I would've ever picked this book up if it wasn't for Indie Reads book club on Geneva. First, I've never seen anyone talk about this book yet, but it did just come out back in December. Second, the cover doesn't scream at me to read it; finally, it deals with very heavy topics and is really intense. However, I was obsessed with this book from the second I picked it up. It was a really intense book. The main topic in the book is trafficking. We see different points of view throughout the whole book, so we cycle through all angles of this story, and it gets really intense! We focus on Kia's journey out of the captivity of the DuPonts and how she moved on from a life she was stuck in for so long. It was insane and, at times, very hard to read, but it was a book I could not stop reading. I really want to read the next book in the series when it comes out because not everything gets answered in this one. It does kind of end on a cliffhanger, so I'm really curious to see where this story goes next.

[OoohGoshTara Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

She Was No One is a suspenseful crime thriller with a sweet slow burn romance. It's a story of a woman's fight for survival through years of abuse and trauma. Her journey to healing, finding herself, reclaiming her sense of self worth and discovering her power. I loved that the romance wasn't rushed and was handled with care. The MMC was so supportive in helping the FMC grow into someone who had a voice and tools to take care of herself. She wasn't just some damsel in distress. I love that she ultimately was tasked with saving herself. This story was emotional and tense. Those last few chapters had me on edge. The twists and revelations had me mind blown. The plot was plotting. All elements flowed together so well. When I saw this is supposed to be a series I immediately looked for the next book and was sad it hasn't been released yet. Hope it's still in the works! In the meantime I'll be checking out more from this new to me author. I'm a fan!

[Krystal Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amelie jumped from the cliff because she was tired and wanted freedom. She was tired of being used and abused. She didn’t care the pain she caused from jumping from the cliff it had to be better than what she endured. Her appearance being changed was a plus that just meant the DuPonts wouldn’t have any way of knowing who she really was. The only issue she had with this is she didn’t have any control of how she looked and this just went back to the fact that she never had any control of her life of who she was. She landed in another man’s lap with Bishop however, it was totally different he taught her how to trust again, attentive to her needs, asking her how she felt, catered to her needs. He gave her power back. He helped her love. He taught her how to be a fighter. He built up her confidence.

[Angelbelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

First 5 star of the year

This crime fiction follows Amelie/kia who escapes from her life of being trafficked and Bishop, the doctor who stumbles on her

Whew! Talk about heavy. This one touched me ❤️‍🩹

Amelie went through it and witnessing her heal and transform into Kia was beautiful. It wasn’t easy nor simple but she didn’t give up and kept moving forward 💪🏾 and then there’s Bishop with his strength and patience with Kia. Letting her set the pace and stand on her own even though he would have preferred to keep her bubble wrapped and safe

I don’t even want to give her captors any of my words so I’m leaving this with just the MC’s

It was suspenseful, emotional and beautiful. Also most of the traumatic events happen off page and Kia and Bishop scenes are closed door which I feel was right for these characters 💕

[Jasmine Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I was expecting from Stewart, but at this point I should learn to expect the unexpected from her. I’ve read all her books so far, but would actually love to see more like this. It feels very much like a BIPOC Nora Roberts with diverse characters. I really liked that. The action, the suspense, the villains… this was great. I hope she releases the next book in this series soon or a new book in the same genre.

Bishop has my heart but really… I read this book for Brute! Adorable!

[Soulflower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s isn’t enough.

I am almost at a loss for words.

Had I not been encumbered with life’s responsibilities, I would have finished this book in a day.

SJ, this book is beautiful. I want so much more. 🩶

You are such a brilliant and gifted writer!

If you enjoy organized crime fiction with protective male leads and strong female leads that turn their surviving into thriving, She Was No One should be in your hands. The suspense, the action. The revenge.

[Tesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author & WOW. I absolutely loved every part of this book. It felt like I was reading & watching a movie at the same time. Her writing flowed so well and felt like poetry. Read this NOW. It does not disappoint.

[Fern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read from S.J. Stewart. This story was really interesting and brings the issue of human trafficking to the forefront. I also loved the story about Kia and Bishop and their journey and how they fell in love as well. A really good story.