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Sunday, April 21, 2013

New giveaway! Now I'm giving away Tattered Innocence by Ann Lee Miller (with bonus review!)

About the book:

A tale of passions indulged, denied, and ultimately forgiven.

On the verge of bagging the two things he wants most—a sailing charter business and marrying old money—Jake Murray’s fiancĂ©e/sole crew member dumps him. Salvation comes in the form of dyslexic, basketball toting Rachel Martin, the only one to apply for the first mate position he slapped on craigslist.

On a dead run from an affair with a married man, Rachel's salvation is shoving an ocean between her and temptation.

Rapid fire dialogue and romantic tension sail Jake’s biker-chick of a boat through hurricanes, real and figurative. A cast of wannabe sailors, Rachel’s ex, Jake’s, a baby—go along for the ride.
The many-layered story weaves together disparate strands into a seamless cord. Mother and daughter look eerily alike—down to their lusts. Their symbiotic bond, forged in the blood of childbirth on the kitchen floor and cemented by their secrets, must be cracked open. A son must go home. Sin must be expunged.

Tattered Innocence is for anyone who’s ever woken up sealed in a fifty-gallon drum of their guilt.

My review:

Okay, at first I wasn't sure what to think of this book because sailing and stuff like that didn't do much for me. However, the more I read the story, the more it pulled me in. By the time the romance and the conflict picked up, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading. There is so much depth to this story and so much truth in the lessons learned. We often do things because of shame and guilt that we later regret.

I appreciated the way the author showed the pull that Brent had on Rachel. I also loved the way the author showed how a deep and abiding love trumps lust and attraction when it comes to impact over time. The faith part of the story was an integral, yet subtle part of the story, and one that packed a punch as well. Real human love based on common interests and friendship makes it truly impossible to breath when that kind of love is snatched away. The lesson Jake learned about allowing desire to keep him from visiting his gramps that summer had a impact that would last him the rest of his life. You have to read the book to find out what that consequence was.

Anyway, I was thinking it would be a good, but not amazing book in the beginning. After I got pulled in and emotionally invested in the story, I ached in my chest as much as the characters did. I loved Jake's family and I loved Rachel's brother. The way Rachel allowed her heart to be ruled by fear because of her own parents was realistically shown. The impact of the various choices characters made was far-reaching, but those decisions still had to be made. The way Jake thought and felt internally about the women he cared about was so true-to-life. I appreciated the realism and my heart grieved for him as he allowed himself to go through the pain of the loss his grandfather when he revisited the land his grandfather owned. I felt like he was a real man in every sense of the word, and I loved him more for it.

The way Rachel thought about her weakness made my heart squeeze at times. She was a passionate woman and I could relate to that aspect of her life. She didn't do anything half-heartedly. Sometimes that passion can overwhelm a person, but in this case it made her love others more intensely. After experiencing that kind of connection, loving anyone else would feel like a cheap substitute for the deep, abiding love Jake and Rachel eventually shared. I ached for them as they dealt with the pain of loss and the healing from past hurts. Anyway, I didn't see how the author could create an ending that would work after the mess they'd made of their lives, but she did it. The ending was truly sigh-worthy.

This book had emotional impact and made me think about my life and my choices in a way that I hadn't done before. Because of this connection I had with the characters, Tattered Innocence is making my favorite fiction list for 2013. I start a lot of books I never finish, but this one was worth reading. I loved it!



Tattered Innocence was published by Flawed People Press and released Feb 27th, 2013

Now for the question... What are your thoughts about kids learning from the sins of their parents? Can the cycle be broken, and if so, how?


4 comments:

Sheila Deeth said...

I'm sure the cycle can be broken, but first it has to be seen and recognized. Too often the sins of the parents are repeated when the effort to avoid them becomes too difficult. Imagining avoidance is sufficient, we fall back into the cycle.

Ann Lee Miller said...

Sheila,

Great insight--because I agree. :) I feel like parents and grandparents cut a groove into particular sins or weaknesses, making it easy for their children to fall into the same groove.

Tracy Krauss said...

Ann Lee Miller is one of my new favorite authors since reading her book THE ART OF MY LIFE. this one sounds great too!

Ann Lee Miller said...

Thanks, Tracy! :) :) :)

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