Fallen

by Rochelle Karina

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

I was extremely surprised when I started reading this book, mainly because it was not at all what I thought it was going to be.

This is a story about Serena who after 15 years of being in an abusive relationship with her husband and his religious cult finds her way out and tries to rebuild her life. As she is reconnects with friends and gets her life back on track she also works through her issues around relationships and sex and finding true love again.

While I appreciate the authors attempted of showing how Serena rebuilds her life I did have quite a few issues. There are definitely some dark turns that happen throughout the story everything from stalking, abuse, kidnapping, rape and torture that the heroine goes through. I found it very difficult getting emotionally involved with Serena and what was happening to her. The story is written in what felt like segments with a lot of start and stops that made it difficult for me to get emotionally invested. Also things happened in such a positive way for Serena throughout the book that when the “bad stuff” happened it seemed almost disjointed. In the first few weeks after leaving her husband Serena had a great job, apartment built a relationship with her friends again and had a guy interested in her. It all seemed unrealistic considering the way her abusive husband kept tabs on her before and after she left him. While it was mentioned she had sisters we never were introduced to them and it felt like it was an after thought that she should have family.

I unfortunately did not have a big pay off when the climax of the story surrounding her ex husband happened and I was disappointed – it all happened very quickly and out of the blue. I was happy that Serena found the love of her life but again did not feel the pay off – I was just ok, none of the anticipation I have felt in the past in the books I have read.

I believe the author’s intention with this story was a good one – over coming extremely difficult situations and coming out on top. I just wish I had felt her emotion in the writing.

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