rip out your guts love story, told in a short amount of time
930961
This is Hunter's and Ever Allen's story (Sam's brother and his ex girlfriend) So I was iffy on whether or not I wanted to read this. This is a honest to Gosh pull at your heart, rip out  your guts love story, told in a short amount of time. And that really shocked me, normally short stories don't go into enough detail and leaving you wanting more, this left you feeling filled.
There is some triggers in the story, there is a drunken father who is abusive and someone does shoot and kill him, there is a strong bond between 3 people and it just strengths.
At first I was alittle bit upset with how things ended up but then you realize everybody ends up with the right person in the end.
2190721
It's a short story.  Emphasis on short, and ends rather abruptly.  Not a bad way to kill 45 minutes, I guess...
2863990
Well. The title says it all for this one! Those of you looking for a nice little love story wrapped up in a cutesy HEA-bow are not going to like this book. A Woman Gone Mad is the story of Lillian and her ability (or lack there of) to cope with love and loss throughout her life. The story is a gritty and raw read, with dialogue to match. We follow Lil through her first love, her marriage, the birth of her daughter, and several losses that all slowly lead her to spin out of control.

I liked this book because it gave an emotionally relatable account of how one small thing after another can lead a person down a dark path. It was a chilling illustration of how the small choices we make in in life can add up and to lead to large and tragic consequences. I think reads will be able to relate to many of the things that happy to Lillian, and that makes her a character that is easy to root for. The writing style is gritty just like the character, which makes the story seem more authentic and real. This is a story that will make you think, with just enough spice to enhance the book. I can't wait to read the book from Leo's POV!
3177347
Telling in detail what this is about would spoil much of the fun. But that much I can tell - if Mark had listened more carefully to the lyrics of the song, he could have spared himself lots of anguish and pain, but then again - the story would not have been so painful and still so sweet. It is short, but long enough to give the reader a story to remember.
Warning: The reader will probably need some tissue.
387518
This is a short love story, goes by quickly but not so fast that you can't delve into the characters. While it's easy to imagine how/where the author could've stretched it out a bit with more plot development, I also don't mind - it's a great little "guilty pleasure" kind of story!
2649696
I was given an advance copy by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely read novellas because I prefer stories that give the author an opportunity to really flesh out the characters. Having said that, I do feel that the author in this case did the best she could, given the brevity of the story. The entire novella took me only about one hour to read; it was really, really short. I felt like the plot was moving in fast forward setting, but that's par for the course for a novella.

The thing the kept me from enjoying this sweet romance as much as I might have was the heroine's complete naivete regarding men and relationships. Dani is 25, yet her thinking is incredibly juvenile, at the level that I would have expected of a teenager. For example, she thinks that if a man tells you he loves you, he means it, even when it's obvious he really wants to get into your pants. It never occurs to her that he would say that only to get what he wants. It was too frustrating for me to watch her set herself up for heartbreak on account of her complete cluelessness.

It's too bad this novella wasn't a full-blown novel, because I do think it has the potential to be a really good full-length book, if given the opportunity to be fleshed out more.
2588258
Harlan and Ryder dated for six months in college. Due to his insecurities, Ryder cheated and effectively broke Harlan's heart. Seven years later, Ryder is more determined than ever to win back Harlan after he made such a mess of their relationship the last time.

Even though the characters made me want to scream and rip my hair out, I quite liked this short story. Ryder was a cocky bastard, but somehow the author managed to make me feel sorry for him at various points in the story. I was naturally on Harlan's side due to him being the hurt party, so his pain really broke my heart. I think I most liked the fact that this story really made me feel the emotions of the characters so vividly. The scene in which Ryder ties up Harlan in an effort to keep him quiet and prevent him from running away before hearing him out made me a little uncomfortable, but fortunately it didn't last very long.
1504575
Well call me a hog and butcher me for bacon. I recently came out of a five month coma and know what dying is all about in a good way. Staying busy keeps you happy like in the plot. The miserable characters are sitting aroung picking bellybutton lint all too much. The strong characters you see know this secret and how to delegate and lead. As I learned the hard way dying is easy its living that is challeging and requires some higher learningg skills and a resonable IQ. Real life like fiction gets the best karma feedback the more you hone in on your altruism skills and learning to love UNconditionally. By the way this takes years of practice by trial and error. Just keep spreading that love around. Peace out.
2626619
Say you're about to die in a few minutes, maybe, like our narrator Greta Forzane, after ten minutes of being raped to death by soldiers of a Third Reich that goes from the salt mines of Siberia to the cornfields of Iowa.  And then you are offered an opportunity to escape your fate - an opportunity no one ever refuses.  Of course, you have to enroll with the Spiders or the Snakes, become a Demon in their eternal Change War, a vast cosmic struggle across millions of years to change history to ... well, no one is really sure what the war's point is.  You just serve your side as a Soldier or an Entertainer.

Greta's an Entertainer, one of the staff in the Place, a zone outside of regular time and space, an R&R stop for the Soldiers back from missions to terminate the Roman Empire early, nuke Ancient Crete, or kidnap a baby Einstein.  History is a stubborn, hard thing to change.  And, if you succeed, there's always the blowback of the Change Winds which may you take you into nonexistence.

Part party girl, part song and dance trouper, part sex therapist and comfort woman, she has a thing for Sid, former contemporary of Shakespeare - when duty doesn't have her attending to Nazi soldier boyfriend Erich.  Her co-workers are Beau, formerly of a Great South that never knew Grant's gunboats on the Mississippi, and Doc, a drunken, derelict medical officer, formerly of a Nazi occupied Czarist Russia.  And then there's Maud from the 23rd Century and New Girl who seems destined to off herself in many versions of the early 20th century - until recruited.

Enter three soldiers - a Nazi, a Roman, and a casualty of Passchendaele - back from a botched mission.  New Girl falls for the latter, a poet who starts suggesting something suspiciously like rebellion against their Spider masters.  And then a distress call, a rescue mission for three other Soldiers - two of them aliens.

In 160 pages of story, Leiber creates and explains a world of Demons, Ghostgirls, Doublegangers, and Zombies, throws out a bunch of alternate histories, convincingly shows the psychology of those who are comfortable with the chaos of the Change War, and, ripped from normal lives, what they most miss.

Leiber puts his theatrical experience to good use.  With only nine characters, one setting, and offstage action related in convincing, if sometimes poetic, dialogue, this is one classic that lives up to its billing.  In fact, it's one of those rare science fiction classics that history and technological progress have not dated, not even a bit.

The book comes with an informative introduction by Leiber about the creation of the novel and the Change War series - though this story stands entirely on its own and an afterword by Robert Thurston on the theatrical elements of the novel.
3526047
This story is about a man and his boy struggling for survival in a world destroyed by some sort of cataclysmic event. Ive read a few reviews of this book and the movie version (which I have not seen) and knew what I was getting into but I have to admit that I wasn't quite prepared for the absolute funk this book put me into while listening to it. It is about struggling to survive amongst the bleakest of odds. Its dark and its so very sad. It's terrible and awful with such painful moments of loveliness. There is very little dialogue and the conversations between the man and his boy are always very brief but the author manages to convey the desperation facing the pair and the strong bond and love between them.

Ive heard the writing style is difficult when read in book form but this wasn't an issue with the audiobook. The narrator, Tom Stechschulte, was awesome and amazing and his gritty voice perfectly suited to the material. If you enjoy audiobooks and are in the right head space for a story so grim I recommend finding a copy of this audio version. Just make sure you have something that makes you happy nearby after you're finished because youll need it.
1902034
***I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review, which was published on book blog Will Read for Feels.

I was initially asked to review Mama Cried by author Talia Haven last year, before wed introduced the crime genre, so I decided to hold off on talking about it until we opened up the blog to stories of this type. Well, that time is now, though Ill warn you that this review is going to be short and sweet as its about a short story thats about 3,600 words long, so its easily a one-sitting deal perfect for a short commute or a bedtime read.

Its difficult to discuss the plot in depth without giving away pretty much all of the story, but I will say that the concept and progression behind this novel takes you to some deep, dark places perfect for soul-searching if you don't mind that what you find might not be too pretty. The juxtaposition of iconic symbols of innocencechildren and puppiesand death and despair makes each element shine through quite brightly.

As for the characters, I might have wanted a bit more development in this area, as they sometimes felt more like agents used to bring the story forward than people to be booed or cheered on. This is true especially of the main protagonist and antagonist, which I think muted the feels in this read a little bit, since I wasn't too invested in either character. However, I did enjoy the way the author explored the ideas put forth in this novel, and despite the heaviness of the read (by subject matter, so thats a good job on the authors part), I was left satisfied with the way everything worked out.
1374157
This is a story about rape told from the viewpoint of the rapists little brother. It is horrific, unapologetically honest, lacking easy answers, and the best thing I have ever read about what is popularly called Rape Culture on the wild and often irresponsible internet.

Victoria Patterson is a ridiculously under-sung, under-appreciated novelist. She publishes with the independent press Counterpoint, giving her plenty of leeway to write in her unique voice without having to tone down or make pretty her take on current American culture.

The little brother, named after his father, acquired the nickname Even when he and his brother Gabe, just 15 months older, were working out their sibling rivalry as toddlers. The little brother wanted Gabe to have everything he had. Ms Patterson opens the novel innocently enough with the birth order, the personality differences, the soulless life in predominately white middle-class Cucamonga, CA. Then the divorce, Even moving with his dad to a nearby affluent Orange County community and Gabe staying with his mother. I wondered where she would go with this but having read her novels before, I knew it would be nowhere good.

So middle school, more jealousy between the brothers (Dad is super rich though not remotely ethical; Mom is needy, whiny, and just a bit off her rocker), high school, drugs, chicks, parties, drinking and lots of TV. Gabe likes to visit his dad and Even, which is where he holds his parties. One Fourth of July weekend the parties get over-the-top out of hand. Even is so freaked out, he anonymously turns over a video camera holding the evidence to the police. Now everyone is screwed, literally as well as figuratively. Even is torn between love, guilt, and justice.

A few words about the first person voice of Even: He is telling the tale from memory ten years later. Sometimes early in the story he sounds so clueless. Well, he was just a kid, then a preteen and teen. I found the authors handling of these memories brilliant and sensitive to the emotions of this character at each age, giving the reader a sense of going through it with Even.

Love is the subversive element. Even loves his brother and his dad. He says he loves his mother but he doesnt like being around her. He once had a grade school crush on the girl who was raped. The parents love their sons in admittedly weird ways but the moves they make are actually based on that love. Gabe might have thought his dad loved Even more, but Dads aggressive, expensive legal approach to exonerating Gabe gives the lie to that.

The victim is also a subversive element. We all know that rape victims are rarely believed and seen as guilty just by being there. This one did kind of ask for it but got way more than she asked for. Is asking for sex synonymous with asking for aggressive brutality? Does consent mean violence against a woman is condoned? As I said, no easy answers, but a ripping good summer read.

This review was originally published at threeguysonebook.com
1556288
I just bawled my eyes out for fifteen minutes. When the back of the book promised that it would leave me "reeling in emotion", I had no idea what I was in for.  This is a short book, but you quickly grow attached to the characters, Ali and Ramazan.  They have a legendary quality, like Gilgamesh and Enkidu.  Gilgamesh, of course, being the royal prince - the way that Ramazan is the "boss" of the orphanage.  Enkidu, the strong wild-man, born to be Gilgamesh's friend the way it seems Ali is destined to be Ramazan's soul-mate.  Yet the book also draws comparisons to the tragic love of Romeo and Juliet, that sense that love is doomed, and the tragedy that occurs because of missed connections and moments.

This book is no easy book to read.  It is crude, harsh, and intense.  The main characters are orphans in the city of Istanbul, thrust out onto the streets at age 18.  One a prostitute, the other a glue-sniffer, they scrape by and it's hard to imagine how.  The descriptions of this life build in intensity.  At first, the sexual acts are alluded to only, but as the book progresses, they grow sickeningly more realistic - so that the reader viscerally experiences them along with Ramazan, the main narrator of the book.  And let me be clear, it didn't turn my stomach because these characters are gay.  Their encounters with each other are beautifully written, touching.  It is what Ramazan must do to support himself, the disgust described in his own words and senses.

But despite all the darkness in this book, somehow there is something pure and bright about the love between Ramazan and Ali that kept me turning the pages, hoping they would find a way to be together.  I kept exclaiming aloud, in shock, horror, but couldn't stop reading until I had finished - all in an evening.
571250
Dropped into the middle of this story, it takes a minute to figure out that the first-person narrator is trying to survive a tragedy and is estranged from her husband, Ben. She's run out on her old life and starting a new one without any of the trappings from her last life, even her name.  About halfway through, you're treated to the fact that there was a deft piece of misdirection and it wasn't what or who you thought it was.  Through the interference of various friends from the narrator's before and after life, all comes right in the end. A gentle little story about guilt and redemption, this is a good way to spend a couple of hours with a definite "awww" at the end. Received free copy for review.
302528
Kyle Brubaker takes time out from his California life of surfing to help a sick uncle take care of the family farm in a small Wisconsin town. He quickly falls for a local girl and takes her to the town Carnival where they're brutally attacked by a trio of hoodlum brothers. Throw in a helpful gypsy and you've got yourself a story. At least that's what Brander thought when he laid this tale to paper. This is the type of work you would expect from a college student. Not a veteran writer whose book THE HOWLING was made into a decent movie. ROT is too short and quick. If your looking for a similiar story that's well done try Stephen King's THINNER.
3509744
This is a gentle story of adults, both hurt in their own ways, finding a second-chance at love.  I read the story in two sittings and was enough interest generated that I thought about it in between reading.  My only issue was that McFarland spend too much time telling, rather than showing.  I think at times she felt restricted by the task of making this relatively slowly unfolding love story into a short story rather than a novel.  I would be interested to see what she could do when she didn't feel the need to make the story so short.
4049954
Lea, a former high-society party girl turned investor, and Adam, a laid-back war-zone photojournalist meet when they stay at the same hotel in St. Martin - she is there for a wedding and a work-related conference and he is there on an enforced vacation while his wounded leg heals.

This book had its moments but it was really too short (just over 100 pages) to have any in-depth character development or to show us why they fell so hard for each other that they were willing to make huge life changes in order to stay together.

Recommended if you are looking for something without too much depth to entertain you for a couple of hours.

Adult language and explicit sexual content.