Becky

by Hristina Bloomfield

Her life will pass through your fingers as you read this book.

Sixteen-year-old Becky is raped and left lying with multiple stab wounds on the Cornwall coast. Instead of supporting and helping her in this difficult time, her parents send her to London, where her cousin Arnie promises to take care of her. Arnie and his roommates Paul and Alex help her recover. When the police fail to find the perpetrators, the three men hire private detectives to help with the investigation. Becky accepts their help and in time, she and the lawyer Alex become very good friends. The difficulties they have to go through even bring them closer together. Becky and Alex fight both against her abusers and against her family, which keeps causing her trouble. After many vicissitudes, Becky finally finds justice. But fate does not let her enjoy her new life. She experiences loss after loss.

Becky’s story has pain and betrayal as well as friendship, hope, and very strong love, the loss of which will be difficult for her.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2022

About the author

Based in London, Hristina Bloomfield is an author who has written and published a few books.

Focusing on her work and stories, Hristina Bloomfield is a peculiar writer who takes pride in her writing and the well-rounded characters she creates for her novels.

From May 1 st, 2023, 10 percent of the profits from the sale of her books will be donated
to Brain Tumour Research.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was such a difficult book to get through. Yes, the subject matter is heavy and can be triggering at times, but it was so poorly written that I almost didn’t finish it.

The characters are so two-dimensional that it’s hard to muster any empathy for them. The reader is told what a character is feeling rather than figuring it out through the story. Simple dialogue between characters rarely builds on scenes and scenarios. And characters lack any type of complexity - they’re either comically evil to or completely enamored with our title character.

The pacing was just as frustrating. There were jumps in time that were unexplained or unnecessary, making it feel rushed. Other times it would slow down and crawl for pages that I kept checking to see if I was making progress.

I truly wanted this book to redeem itself. I thoroughly enjoy books that explore how characters respond to adversity and the premise was intriguing enough for me to express an interest. At the end of it all, however, I can’t think of something that I enjoyed about this book.

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Nicola Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow Becky was an incredibly tense and emotional read. The story was good and the concept was strong. I liked the cover. It didn't give anything away about what the book would entail! The writing is good and the story flowed well. The tone was tense at times and I also found Becky's story incredibly sad. One of the themes is Becky's rape. Hristina wrote about this with such care and sensitivity. The setting is good and worked well in the story. I thought the characters were excellent. I really liked Becky. She was resilient. Her support network was good and I liked Arnie, Paul and Alex. I would recommend this book.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written story. The book is sad and shocking with many twists and turns. I didn’t know what ending to expect. A deeply emotional book.

[polimagicallibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

И тук авторката продължава да ни представя силно емоционалните преживявания на своите герои. Агресивното поведение и нараняването на друго човешко същество насочва вниманието на читателя към разследването на едно жестоко престъпление.

Главната героиня е едва шестнадесетгодишно момиче, живеещо в малък град със своето консервативно и затворено семейство. Един ден след училище, прибирайки се уморена от работа в тъмнината, тя среща четирима пияни мъже, които я отвличат на затънтено място, изнасилват я брутално и едва не я убиват.

Ужасът, изживян от Беки, се поднася по един много тактичен и сдържан начин. Още тези първи страници показват истинското майсторство на авторката да се постави на мястото на героя, за да съумее да представи случката с толкова смразяващи подробности. Детайлните проучвания, направени за съдебната система и развитието на подобни случаи в съда, отделно свидетелстват за отдадеността, с която е подходено.

На пръв поглед се предполага, че написаното крие само болка, тъга, самота и неразбиране, но според мен изпъква силата и волята за борба, както с вътрешните белези, така и с физическите такива. Борба, която не е само на един човек, а на цяло общество, което не желае техни близки да страдат по подобен начин.

Действието обхваща един по-дълъг времеви диапазон, в който се представя цялата тежест на извършеното престъпление, както и какво коства на едно толкова младо момиче да преодолее подобна травма.

Специално внимание е отделено и на човешките взаимоотношения, имащи важна роля в процеса на рехабилитация.

Дали ще успеят да намерят извършителите и ще има ли справедливост? Любовта и доверието ще намерят ли своето място в сърцето на Беки?

На тези и още много въпроси ще намерите отговори, само ако прочетете тази толкова емоционална история.

[Rustic_Reads_ Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an emotional and intense read right from the start. It follows sixteen-year-old Becky after a horrific attack completely changes her life, and it doesn’t shy away from showing the trauma and aftermath she has to deal with.

One of my favourite things about the book was how real Becky felt. Her pain, strength, confusion, and determination all felt so believable, and I was rooting for her the entire time. It’s definitely a heavy read in places, but mixed in with all the heartbreak there’s also friendship, healing, loyalty, and love.

I really enjoyed Becky’s relationship with Alex and loved seeing those connections develop throughout the story. The investigation side kept me turning the pages, but it was the emotional side that stuck with me the most.

Because of the themes, I’d definitely suggest checking the trigger warnings before reading, but if you like emotional crime thrillers with psychological elements and a bit of romance, this is definitely worth picking up.

[Rachel Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gut wrenching but fabulously well written. My heart ached for Becky through every tragedy. Only reason is wasn't 5 stars was due to several glaring errors missed in editing.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Becky by Hristina Bloomfield

I thought Becky was a traumatic book to read but also, an inspirational story that I found hard to put down. It was written so realistically throughout that I forgot it was just a story and not real life. I believe the author may have done some indepth research before writing this book as the wealth of information contained within the story covers attack, pain, recovery, betrayal, friendship, hope, love and loss which Becky must endure. Becky is only sixteen years old when she is attacked and shunned by her parents who send her off to London where she struggles so much. Will she ever get justice?

Blurb :

Her life will pass through your fingers as you read this book.
Sixteen-year-old Becky is raped and left lying with multiple stab wounds on the Cornwall coast. Instead of supporting and helping her in this difficult time, her parents send her to London, where her cousin Arnie promises to take care of her. Arnie and his roommates Paul and Alex help her recover. When the police fail to find the perpetrators, the three men hire private detectives to help with the investigation. Becky accepts their help and in time, she and the lawyer Alex become very good friends. The difficulties they have to go through even bring them closer together. Becky and Alex fight both against her abusers and against her family, which keeps causing her trouble. After many vicissitudes, Becky finally finds justice. But fate does not let her enjoy her new life. She experiences loss after loss.
Becky’s story has pain and betrayal as well as friendship, hope, and very strong love, the loss of which will be difficult for her.

[Aarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while, you read a book that doesn’t feel like fiction. It feels like " A LIVED LIFE " - brutal, beautiful, broken 💔

Becky is only sixteen when her life is shattered.
A brutal assault.
A devastating betrayal.
And a family that chooses silence over support.

Sent away to London, Becky finds unexpected strength in strangers... a cousin, his compassionate roommates, one being a rising young lawyer named Alex who becomes her anchor. But healing doesn’t come easy. Especially when justice feels just out of reach!

As Becky fights to reclaim her life, she gets pulled into a deeper, darker mystery... one that adds tension and danger to an already fragile journey

Twists unfold. Secrets surface. And the line between truth and survival begins to blur

And just when you think the story is settling into peace… fate has more heartbreaks to deliver🥺

✨ This book is for you if you love:
✔️ Emotionally intense stories
✔️ Found family & slow-burning love
✔️ Courtroom drama & deep healing
✔️ A murder mystery that keeps you guessing
✔️ A heroine who refuses to be a victim

⚠️ Trigger warnings: rape, trauma, grief, parental neglect, emotional loss

This is not just a story about what happened to Becky.
It’s a story about "who she became" despite everything

I finished it in tears😭 And sat in silence for a long time after ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

If you like to read unforgettable, heartbreaking and hauntingly real story, you should definitely give this one a try🫶🏽

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

tragic, sad, hopeful, happy, inspirational, tragic

Becky by Hristina Bloomfield

Couldn't put it down. Great FMC. However the story telling and dialogue felt rather wooden. BUT, the story was compelling and it was easy to overlook the delivery. Began with Becky's unimaginable trauma of being brutally raped then stabbed by each of her four attackers and left bleeding to death. She was saved just in time, had a lengthy physical recovery but was left with crippling PTSD. Her parents disown her and send her away to live with her cousin Arnie. Becky has to endure multiple investigations and three jury trials where she has to recall the details over and over again leading to additional trauma and despair. However, she's able to survive because her cousin and his two roommates have taken her in and have her back. In particular, roommate Alex is especially sensitive, patient and encouraging, helping Becky feel safe and protected.

Her persistence and growth and PMA make this a hopeful and fulfilling story. But the ending slayed me. Though it could be said that this is an inspirational love story complete with a HEA. All in all I believe this is a story that should be read by all.

While reading this I couldn't help but recall when I read "Tess of the d'Urbervilles". It had a crushingly tragic ending which left me angry for a long while. Oh well, I'll read my new Murderbot Diaries story and a coupla romances to get back my happy.

[Ney oh the thrill of it FN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Hristina Bloomfield and Zooloosbooktours for this gifted copy and for a place on this tour. This review is being left voluntarily and all opinions expressed are my own.

This book shattered my heart to pieces from page 1! Such vivid and heinous scenes, the abject fear, the rawness, the realness and the suffering of a young girl.

I'm not one to cry at books but Becky's character and all she endured genuinely brought a little tear to my eye. She shows such strength and resilience in the face of adversity. A key take home message is definitely that we are often much stronger than we think we are.

No, Hristina my heart was already in pieces and you circled back round and just made sure it was still shattered (it was, it is and I've still not recovered). I just can't even cope with the directions this book went in!

To the final page Becky's journey gets under your skin and makes you feel all the feels. You want to cry with her, laugh with her, wrap her up in cotton wool so she can never be hurt again.

Major trigger warning for this book so reader discretion advised.

This book is one I'll continue to think about long after I finished the last page. Life is precious and we should cherish those we love and say the things you need to say as you do not know what will happen tomorrow.

Becky might just be the book for you if you love an emotional, character-driven story filled with survival, justice, strength, healing, love, and loss. ❤️📖

[Emma book blogger Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @zooloosBT For letting me be part of this tour. Becky is a contemporary fiction genre that is 294 pages long. The story is about Becky who is 16-year-olds and who is raped and had multiple-stab wounds and left lying there unconscious. The story is set on the Cornwall Coast to start with, and then Becky moves to London, where she meets three men who try to help her. This story is about love, friendship, pain, and hope. I found the story easy to get into straightaway and was pretty hooked. Becky is a very emotional read, and some of the things that she goes through are absolutely devastating, and the way the author, Hristina Bloomfield, has written has made it so lifelike and realistic that it’s scary that this could happen to anybody. I really like getting to know Becky, and I kind of felt sorry for her for everything that she’s been through, but it was so lovely to see that she had a support network in the end that helped her, and she went through so much pain and loss. The story is written beautifully, and I’m being honest, it's a tough read because of the topics that are raised, but I’m thrilled I read it, and she wrote it so elegantly. I read it to the end, and it kept my attention all the way through. And I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster reading this book. Brilliantly written—five stars

[Yvonne Marks · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part I enjoyed the book; but I found some of it unbelievable. It was very sad at the beginning especially when her parents were so cruel after what she went through. The book needed better editing as sometimes it didn’t read smoothly. There were unnecessary or wrong words in the sentences. I also questioned some of the timing in the story. I felt as though a lot of bad things happened to the main character which we focused on but a lot of really good things happened that almost seemed a bit unrealistic. I felt that with all she had to deal with because of the negative things, how did she had time to become so successful with her business? Sometimes she was so dependent on others that it is hard to see how she was able to accomplish so much on her own.
Thanks for the free book from a giveaway.

[Jane Ruff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very dark and disturbing - it is also a story about survival and strength and finding a way to move forward after crippling events.

Becky is 16 years old and is walking home when she is brutally attacked, raped, and left for dead. A couple nearby find her and get her to a hospital just in time.

When she really needs her family - they completely shun and disown her.

As she recovers, her cousin Arnie steps up and takes her in. Becky slowly begins to trust people and; finds some comforts and friendships in her life.

Becky fights, but the deck seems always stacked against her. Her life is full of struggles and loss after loss.

This was a difficult book to read, but the subject matter is handled gently.

[Hannah Boyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

🤍 Becky 🤍

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Becky’s story has pain and betrayal as well as friendship, hope, and very strong love, the loss of which will be difficult for her.

This was a heartbreaking read. It's definitely one to read the TWs for, as it deals with a lot of heavy and difficult topics. I did feel as though Hristina dealt with those topics in a delicate manner.

This was very fast paced, which I did mostly enjoy, as nothing felt too dragged out. But there were often things that felt unexplained, and I struggled a lot with the writing style, as it felt very robotic. I think part of the issue may have been a lack of editing, as it just didn't flow well, and there were a few errors.

This was an emotional read, about a heartbreaking story.

[Lisa reads alot Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book didn’t hold back any punches it broke me time and time again, putting me back together In between.
Becky was a character whose strength was amazing and I loved the relationships she made with Arnie, Paul and Alex, her family story was heartbreaking. There were twists and turns galore, tough to read at times, but a story that will stay with me.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becky by Hristina Bloomfield.
I really did enjoy this book. I did like the cover and blurb of this book. It took me a few chapters to get into this book. I did like Arnie and Alex and Paul. I did feel for Becky. I loved the writing style and the story. This was a tense and emotional read. very well written. Twists and turns I didn't see coming. I do recommend this book.

[Angelina Pelova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I would highly recommend it. I don't typically read crime fiction, but I liked it, although this is not my preferred genre. I found it interesting, and all the twists and turns kept me guessing what may happen next. The characters are very likeable.

[Nelly Yordanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!

The story just grabs you from the beginning. The story is so deep that I couldn’t wait to finish it.
It is written nicely and easy to read.
I loved it so much, I have purchased 2 more books from this author!
A pure hidden gem!

[Spartak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story really pushed me emotionally sad and brutally written in places it was impossible not to finish the story I had to know what would happen at the end of the book heart wrenching I was in the main characters shoes as I read the story amazing read

[Samantha Siera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becky's story made me cry three times while reading and the ending made me rethink my life. The book is very impactful and the story has many unexpected twists and turns.

[Liannevw · Rating 3 out of 5]

the book had me on the edge of my seat but the ending felt a little rushed, almost like she had to wrap up the book quickly. i wouldve easily read another 100 pages for a slower ending.

[Graham Withers]

A little disappointed in the writing style which didn't flow well and some spelling mistakes. More could have been done to make a good story line more engaging.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great crime book. The story starts a bit slow but once it begins unwrapping it gets really interesting and I couldn't put the book down till the end.
It is suspenseful and it has unexpected turns and ending.
After I read the other book from the same author 'deeply in the soul' I think the author is getting better with every next book.
I recommend it!
In fact I can't wait to see what else the author has to show us in near future!

[Pavel_71 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Christina Bloomfield's books and Becky is my favorite. The story is different and the ending shocking at least for me. Bloomfield's style is unique and engaging. The themes in this book are heavy and sad, but the author manages to recreate the story so well that I couldn't put the book down.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written

I only finished this book because I have a hard time starting books and leaving them unfinished. But this book was bad. It felt like the book was written in another language and very poorly translated. It was full of error and felt incredibly dry and literal. The story itself felt pointless. I wish I hadn’t wasted time on it.

[S.A.Varbeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book with surprising twists and dynamic story. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and looking forward to the author’s next books