My review of Shattered Identity by K. Dawn Byrd

About the book:

Lexi Branson thinks she's found the guy of her dreams. So what if he's older? Her new motto is, "Love knows no boundaries or age limits." Zack Bane loves her and treats her like a princess and that's all that matters. 

Lexi soons discovers that she doesn't know Zack as well as she thought. He has secrets, the kind that shatter the lives of those who love him. When faced with the truth, Lexi tries to hang onto him because she has a secret of her own. 

When Lexi ends up in danger, she discovers she has no one to turn to except her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy. Can Jeremey, who is still in love with her, keep her safe from Zack? When faced with a choice will Lexi choose to stay with the guy who has become a stranger or will she choose Jeremy, the guy who loves her with all his heart?

My review:

I can't say which story I enjoyed more, because this book was as wonderful as Mistaken Identity, if not better. I loved the redemption theme and seeing how someone so lost in worldly ways ultimately found it an empty life, and then seeing the challenges she faced with her boyfriend once she realizes she'd taken the wrong road. How awful it would be to work with battered women and then find yourself in a similar situation. That was well done. I've worked with a number of gorgeous teens and young women who felt trapped with their boyfriends. The author showed this well and also showed how conflicted they feel when the boyfriend is remorseful. 

Even better, this story illustrated how true Christians can impact others' lives if they are faithful friends without a hidden agenda. A lot of patience was required to deal with Lexi, but you could see her heart changing in this book, and that was something to behold. I found this novel very inspirational and hard to put down. I read this book in two sittings. I didn't want to go to bed and got as far as 96%, but I had to go to sleep or I wouldn't have enjoyed the ending so much. 

So, for an entertaining, informative, and emotional read, try Shattered Identity. You'll be glad you did, especially if you need insight into the mind of someone who has been pulled into an abusive relationship and how confusing that can be for them. You don't have to be a young adult to enjoy it, though for a time I found myself reminiscing about those days, which is half the fun of reading YA books.

Shattered Identity was published by Desert Breeze Publishing and released in April 2012.