4 out of 4 stars
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Heartaches – Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing, is a story of Anna Simmons and Rafael Brown, who were united by one purpose, to help one another to deal with their past. They met just when Anna was recovering from ravages of rape. She had been raped by three men the previous weeks, as settlement for some debts her half-brother incurred with a certain crime linked family. Her rapists threatened to continue raping her as long as Brian, her half-brother, was indebted to them.
While explaining to Rafael what had happened, Anna recalled that she enjoyed the sensation and therefore doubted if it was rape at all. It took a lot of explanation and persuasion to convince her that she was raped and that some kind of a drug was used. This, Rafael recalled, was similar to what he had gone through, on a tour of duty in Syria, while serving in the army. He was drugged and raped by his commanding officer, not once but several occasions, as part of punishment for an operational disaster which the commanding officer himself had deliberately organized. This kind of punishment continued until he asked to be discharged.
Rafael and Anna came from families strewn with divorce, rejection and violence. Rafael had his mother killed by a man whom he took as his father. Later it transpired that his mother married the man after she was abandoned by the man who got her pregnant. This violence continued on Rafael until he was rescued by his aunt. Later on, he enlisted into the army, in trying to escape from his past. Anna, on the other hand, spent part of her life with a violent drunkard of a step father, John Simmons, who married her mother when her father died. One day her step father was clobbered to death by his own son from his former wife, leaving Anna and her mother vulnerable and, in constant fear.
Rafael was determined to help Anna to get justice and also to recover. In the course of doing this, the two fell in love, the kind of love that glued them together when their enemies pounced on them again. Together they resolved to fight.
This is a story of a society ravaged by organized crime. Where organized crime is rampart, it becomes difficult to get justice when it is needed. In most cases, the criminals have connections to high offices in justice institutions such as the police and judiciary. Anna and Rafael failed to get justice for the dehumanizing treatments each had experienced at the hands of criminals in a network that was difficult to penetrate. It is also a story of lust, insatiable sex and violence, typical of communities infested with organized crime. It is also a story of love and hatred.
The author of this book builds the story around two vulnerable individuals who were taken advantage of, when they were at their lowest in life. The author is a good story teller who knows how to build characters. The build-up to the climax of the story is impeccable and the intrigue is perfect. The book ends abruptly, with To be continue at the end, thus leaving the reader in suspense. I hope that the story indeed continues.
The book is captivating, professionally edited and the story flows nicely. The grammar is perfect, with no errors. However, there are some words that cannot be found in any English dictionary and one would wonder what the meaning of the words is. Words like tsk and tsked appear in the book several times. The book has some graphical sex scenes which may make some readers uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars.
For anybody who loves works of fiction, this is their book. They will love it. I would not recommend people below 16 years to read it.
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Heartaches
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