Roses & Thorns

Roses & Thorns
Showing posts with label Adult Reader. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adult Reader. Show all posts

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Emerging from Darkness: Seeking Love, Redemption, and Hope by J. M. Maurer



The Plots:

Seeking Love:

One thing I knew: I wasn’t that woman anymore. I wouldn’t be her anymore.

Three years after a bitter divorce, Jessica Winters isn’t sure she’s ready—or capable—to move on. The thought of another relationship terrifies her, but things quickly change when she meets the playfully witty and handsome sex therapist Matthew Moi. At first, she tries to ignore him, but something in the way he levels his sultry gaze on her awakens her soul.

Secretly in love with Jessica, Matthew has been giving her the space she needed to heal. Incapable of waiting any longer and eager to work his way into her broken heart, he seizes an opportunity to have their paths cross. But when her painful past resurfaces, revealing truths that threaten their future, Matthew must prove to Jessica that a shot at true love is worth the risk.

Seeking Love is the first book in the Emerging From Darkness trilogy, and as such, is not intended to be a standalone.

Seeking Redemption:

After surviving a bitter divorce and emerging from a darkness that became all too familiar, Jessica finds herself on top of the world, her soulful awakening allowing her to feel again, trust again, and even love again. Her painful past, however, is relentless, both physically and emotionally, bombarding her daily and not allowing her to overcome the lingering demons that ultimately control her life.

As Matthew lovingly guides her toward a healthy future, his own secrets become known, threatening to destroy the trusting relationship that had quickly grown between them. But despite what life throws her way, Jessica pledges to put the past in the past, accepting that events are often out of her control. She fights for a future with the man who drew her out of the darkness, steering her onto a healing path—seeking redemption.

Seeking Hope:

I’d been given promises in the past, all of which were broken.
Inevitably, they broke me.
I wouldn’t let those broken promises stop me from believing in new ones, though.
I couldn’t.

Matthew Moi was different.
His dimpled smile and witty sexual banter has held me spellbound since day one. Falling in love with him came easy. Marrying him—a dream come true.

Now, he wants something I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for. As I struggle, he faithfully remains at my side. Through it all, his protective nature shields me from an evil I didn’t see coming.

Together, we have it all—love, passion, trust.

Apart, the possibilities are endless, even death.

About the Author:

J.M. Maurer is the author of the Emerging From Darkness trilogy. She started working as a registered nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where she cared for critically ill children, transported them from outlying hospitals, and even picked up overtime hours treating patients of all ages while inside a hyperbaric chamber. Holding a bachelor’s degree in nursing, she loves to write about strong characters and their struggles in life.

When not writing, you can find her spending time with family and friends, exploring the outdoors, or attempting most any sport. She resides in Chicago with her husband and son.

Review:

Initially, I planned to review each book in this trilogy separately. But they all flowed together so seamlessly, I decided to review them together.

Jessica Winters' life is perfect. She loves her job as an ICU nurse, has a solid marriage, and a plans to show the ultrasound of their baby to her husband that night. The day is marred when she loses a patient. It’s ruined when a woman strides up to the nurses’ station and plunks down an ultrasound of her own, announcing Jessica’s husband is the father and she means to have him for herself. And Jessica’s life is ruined when she loses their baby the day the divorce becomes final. She’s sure she’ll never trust or love a man again.

Enter Dr. Matthew Moi. He falls in love with Jessica when she slams a softball past him in an intra-hospital game. He decides he has to meet her, but when he learns her story, he knows she needs time to heal. Until his sister, who has a rare condition that causes random brain-bleeds needs surgery and is admitted to ICU. Dr. Moi requests Nurse Matthews to be on his sister’s team. Jessica doesn’t recognize the second baseman from the long-distant game. She just knows her patient’s flirtatious visitor brings out feelings she’d long ago buried.

Jessica and Matthew’s story is rich and complex, with a cast of supporting characters who are as deeply drawn as the two main ones. There are Matthew’s partners in his sex-therapy practice, a set of triplets who can give the Weasley twins a run for their money in playful pranks (but with a sexual twist), Jessica’s best friend and fellow ICU nurse, Matthew’s sister, a womanizing brain surgeon, a musician neighbor, Jessica’s father, and of course her ex. The plot is full of twists and turns with an ending that completely blindsided me. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that most of it takes place in my favorite city in the world, Chicago.

While I hate cliff-hanger endings, Ms. Maurer at least warns her readers that Seeking Love, the first book in the Escaping from Darkness trilogy has one. Seeking Redemption, however, can stand alone, as can Seeking Hope. On the other hand, each book flows seamlessly into the next. So I can forgive the first cliff-hanger and give the entire series five roses. I highly recommend you carve out enough time to read all three books at once. It’s a page-burning story.

Author Website:  http://jmmaurer.com
Warnings:  Explicit Sex, Language
Lengths:
Seeking Love:  354 Pages
Seeking Redemption:  418 Pages
Seeking Hope:  245 Pages
Prices (Each):
Print:  $12.99
Digital:  $2.99
Buy Links:

Thanks for visiting.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Broken and Damaged Love by T. L. Clarke



Blurb:

My name is Tina and this is my story.

In the fullness of time I have gone from victim to survivor of child abuse, but it was hard work getting there.

I am fortunate; I found good friends who helped me on my journey.

Read how my life was turned from one of horror to one of happiness.

Author’s note: This is a stand-alone work of fiction. It is a survivor story followed by a romance. It is different from my other books.

Without the darkness there is no light. So we go through the horrendous start to get to the happy ending. Tina eventually finds some lovely friends who have their own stories to tell.

I have written this to offer hope to survivors of child abuse, and to help inform the general public of the signs to watch out for. There is so much help out there; you can overcome your bad experiences.

Because it is for a good cause, this book will permanently be sold for 99c/99p (or equivalent in other currencies).

*My proceeds from the first month of Broken & Damaged Love’s sales will be donated to HAVOCA* **THIS WILL NOW BE EXTENDED; ALL MY PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK UNTIL THE END OF 2015 WILL BE DONATED TO HAVOCA**

***Please note that due to the theme of child abuse and sexually explicit scenes, this book is recommended for readers of 18+***

I have named the chapters, so if you’re sensitive to certain bits/have triggers you should at least have a warning and the option to avoid the parts you really can’t face yet.

About the Author:

Hi,



I'm an indie author of romance novels. Each of my books is stand alone, so don't worry about reading them in any particular order. Just choose a theme which appeals to you. I'm writing about love from lots of different angles.

I have a full time job, so my writing can only happen in my little leisure time. Fortunately, I have a very supportive loving husband who ensures I'm still fed.

I really, truly appreciate every review that I get, so please do comment once you've read my work.

Review by Rochelle:

Broken and Damaged Love is, indeed, a serious book about serious subjects. It delves into the mind of a pedophile, his wife, and his victim. Tina’s abuse starts when she’s quite small and her mother works nights leaving her home alone with her father, who turns to her for the comfort and relief he’s not receiving from his wife. Of course, Tina doesn’t realize there’s anything wrong with the attention she receives from her father until her teacher starts explaining sex in Health class in school. That’s when she finally asks if it’s wrong for a child to do those things with an adult. The teacher realizes Tina must be asking the question because she’s a victim of sex abuse and whisks her down to the principal’s office.

That’s when the real nightmare begins. The saying “Ignorance is bliss” unfortunately is true in some cases. Tina’s classmates call her names; she has to face her father in court and testify against him. Her mother blames her for his ensuing incarceration and the poverty that results from the loss of income when he’s no longer able to run his computer consulting business from home.

Unable to trust men, Tina feels like a freak. It’s not until she becomes friends with Frank, a gay artist in college that she begins to heal. They share the stigma of being different, of having been hated and abused by their families, and of having been ostracized by their peers. Frank’s roommate Peter, a psych major, finally has the patience to erode Tina’s walls and bring true, healthy love into her life.

It’s a shame such an important book was self-published. Once again I was dizzied by head-hops and dismayed by grammar errors. I was also somewhat distracted by author’s notes warning readers when the narrative was getting heavy, but I understood that was there for people who have lived through such abuse and may not be able to read those chapters at this time. Were I such a victim, I’m sure I’d have appreciated the heads’ ups.

I also believe that since the proceeds are going to charity, the author could raise the price. I’m sure people wouldn’t mind paying another dollar or two for a good cause.

Heat Rating:  R+
Length:  207 Pages
Digital Price:  $0.99

Thanks for visiting. Donna, Julie, & Rochelle