Review by Kaitynblack519 -- Heartaches by H.M. Irwing
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Kaitynblack519
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- Latest Review: Heartaches by H.M. Irwing
Review by Kaitynblack519 -- Heartaches by H.M. Irwing
[Following is a volunteer review of "Heartaches" by H.M. Irwing.]
3 out of 4 stars
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When looking to read my next book I wanted to find something I would enjoy. For me your typical romance is not something I enjoy, I am drawn to the more dark perverse “romance novels”. Heartaches-Bad Boy Vibes drew me in because it seemed to be on the darker side, abuse and betrayal were very prominent components in this novel.
Anna Simmons is a young woman living in the suburbs of Melbourne, this story starts with the death of her step-father John who we come to know was not the nicest man. After his death Anna’s home life should get better but things turn for the worst, Brian Anna’s step-brother is much like his father John is living with herself and her mother Jane who has faced many hardships in her life. Despite everything going on at home Anna’s social life seems to be getting better she was once constantly bullied by her fellow classmates but now she is the girlfriend of Matt Preston who many others want. Anna is over the moon she loves him, and she feels he loves her until one night when he betrayed her. Anna is being torn up inside over what has happened she has no one to turn to if her mother knew what happened and that Brian was part of it would break her heart. Rafe has just left the army after serving in Syria and is trying to battle his own demons over what has happened while on duty, until he meets Anna. Right away Rafe knows something is wrong he cannot see someone else suffer as he has, once he knows what has happened he is determined to help. This story is about abuse, betrayal, and finding comfort and love even when you are sure of your unworthiness.
Right away you can see the sign, Anna, is the perfect example of how someone may become a victim. Anna’s home life is not good she lost her father at a young age and her mother remarried to a very unkind man with an unkind son, she is bullied by her peers and when a young good-looking classmate takes a liking to her she will do whatever she can to hold on and be loved. When she is ultimately betrayed she finds it very hard to forgive herself and her reaction to it. I think this is a very good piece to place in this novel many women feel the same and maybe if more people talked about it and how it is ok maybe things could possibly change women could stop beating themselves up and placing the blame on the perpetrator and not themselves. Was the authors intent to show how hard it can be to come forward and how the police and the justice system fail women all the time, maybe but it does a great job at this.
I like dark romance novels and this is one, this novel is fairly light compared to some of the ones I have read but it has a different tone. Rape, drugs, and forgiveness in yourself are big themes, the dynamic between Rafe and Anna is spectacular they have both been hurt and feel unworthy of each other, but they find a way to one another and not just as friends. When Anna and Rafe finally speak the truth of what happened and how they feel their true love for each other comes out, which I love.
I desperately want to give this book 4 out of 4 stars but there are some things I couldn’t ignore. I found the use of some descriptive words in the beginning in the book where out of place at times it seemed H.M.Irwing was trying too hard. The use of these words didn’t continue throughout the novel which I also didn’t like it almost seemed that at first the author wanted to use all these large words but soon forgot. The change in POV was very sudden and I had to go back and figure out when and why it was changed it was all over the place. Other things that stuck out to me was that at times I felt that the characters who were in college seemed a little too young the way they picked on Anna the snickering in class made them all look like 15 year-olds and not college students, adults, which was pointed out a few times by the police that they were all consenting adults but the way in which they behaved again made them seem like 15 year-old high school students.
I really enjoyed Heartaches-Bad Boy Vibes, so I am going to give it 3 out of 4 stars. When I started reading it I couldn’t put it down which is always a great sign right! The story and character development was superb. Anna and Rafe both came a long way through this book, Anna in particular grew from a self-conscious young girl to a confident young woman , I can’t wait to see what will happen next and the growth that will come with it
******
Heartaches
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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When looking to read my next book I wanted to find something I would enjoy. For me your typical romance is not something I enjoy, I am drawn to the more dark perverse “romance novels”. Heartaches-Bad Boy Vibes drew me in because it seemed to be on the darker side, abuse and betrayal were very prominent components in this novel.
Anna Simmons is a young woman living in the suburbs of Melbourne, this story starts with the death of her step-father John who we come to know was not the nicest man. After his death Anna’s home life should get better but things turn for the worst, Brian Anna’s step-brother is much like his father John is living with herself and her mother Jane who has faced many hardships in her life. Despite everything going on at home Anna’s social life seems to be getting better she was once constantly bullied by her fellow classmates but now she is the girlfriend of Matt Preston who many others want. Anna is over the moon she loves him, and she feels he loves her until one night when he betrayed her. Anna is being torn up inside over what has happened she has no one to turn to if her mother knew what happened and that Brian was part of it would break her heart. Rafe has just left the army after serving in Syria and is trying to battle his own demons over what has happened while on duty, until he meets Anna. Right away Rafe knows something is wrong he cannot see someone else suffer as he has, once he knows what has happened he is determined to help. This story is about abuse, betrayal, and finding comfort and love even when you are sure of your unworthiness.
Right away you can see the sign, Anna, is the perfect example of how someone may become a victim. Anna’s home life is not good she lost her father at a young age and her mother remarried to a very unkind man with an unkind son, she is bullied by her peers and when a young good-looking classmate takes a liking to her she will do whatever she can to hold on and be loved. When she is ultimately betrayed she finds it very hard to forgive herself and her reaction to it. I think this is a very good piece to place in this novel many women feel the same and maybe if more people talked about it and how it is ok maybe things could possibly change women could stop beating themselves up and placing the blame on the perpetrator and not themselves. Was the authors intent to show how hard it can be to come forward and how the police and the justice system fail women all the time, maybe but it does a great job at this.
I like dark romance novels and this is one, this novel is fairly light compared to some of the ones I have read but it has a different tone. Rape, drugs, and forgiveness in yourself are big themes, the dynamic between Rafe and Anna is spectacular they have both been hurt and feel unworthy of each other, but they find a way to one another and not just as friends. When Anna and Rafe finally speak the truth of what happened and how they feel their true love for each other comes out, which I love.
I desperately want to give this book 4 out of 4 stars but there are some things I couldn’t ignore. I found the use of some descriptive words in the beginning in the book where out of place at times it seemed H.M.Irwing was trying too hard. The use of these words didn’t continue throughout the novel which I also didn’t like it almost seemed that at first the author wanted to use all these large words but soon forgot. The change in POV was very sudden and I had to go back and figure out when and why it was changed it was all over the place. Other things that stuck out to me was that at times I felt that the characters who were in college seemed a little too young the way they picked on Anna the snickering in class made them all look like 15 year-olds and not college students, adults, which was pointed out a few times by the police that they were all consenting adults but the way in which they behaved again made them seem like 15 year-old high school students.
I really enjoyed Heartaches-Bad Boy Vibes, so I am going to give it 3 out of 4 stars. When I started reading it I couldn’t put it down which is always a great sign right! The story and character development was superb. Anna and Rafe both came a long way through this book, Anna in particular grew from a self-conscious young girl to a confident young woman , I can’t wait to see what will happen next and the growth that will come with it
******
Heartaches
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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Latest Review: Heartaches by H.M. Irwing
