Monday, August 26, 2013

Saving Amy by Nicola Haken {Review}

Genre: New Adult Romance
Publication Date:  June 26th 2013
Format: Mobi Ebook
Source: Provided by author for review



Eighteen year old Amy’s surname may be Hope, but her life contains anything but. She drinks, she sleeps around, she cuts… anything to help her escape the agonising existence growing up between her mother’s drunken wails and her father’s fists. But nothing works. There is no escape. And Amy wants out…Enter Richard Lewis – the doctor responsible for saving Amy’s life after her drink and drug-fuelled suicide attempt. Thanks to his own hidden demons, Richard is drawn to Amy and her situation, and despite the incessant warnings from both his own mind and his jealous ex-lover Joanna, he feels compelled to help her. But how will Amy feel when she discovers Richard’s attachment to her is born out of his own guilt? He was her last resort – her last chance at being saved. Can anybody save Amy, or has she finally reached the end of a very long, torturous road? (Not recommended for younger readers due to language, scenes of self-harm and sexual content) 

My Take:
It's books like this that make me thankful that I grew up in a warm and loving environment but at the same time makes my heart ache for anyone who has had to live like this. Amy's character was hard to identify with at times for me. Having been abused since childhood she turned to drugs, alcohol and cutting herself to cope with the pain. This book was intense and emotional yet at times romantic and endearing.

The first 1/3 of the book details the daily beatings Amy receives at the hands of her father. A powerful and respected attorney she fears for her life if she tries to get tell the authorities about her abuse so she keeps quiet. I have never lived inside the mindset of anyone in Amy's position so it was hard for me to understand why she didn't say anything to anyone. Her mother was a deteriorating drunk who never would step in and help Amy either so she was truly alone. IN order for Amy to deal with the pain swimming inside her head and heart she cuts herself as a way to release the burden she carries. This is another aspect I couldn't relate to but I found myself sympathizing with her and wanting to comfort and console her. She hid her scars from everyone choosing only to cut her legs so it wouldn't be noticeable even to her best friend Julie. During a party one night Amy tries cocaine for the first time and the instant high helps her forget all her problems. That brief reprieve from her internal suffering was all it took for her to search out another high and this time finding something much stronger. I have seen firsthand how drugs can affect someone having lived with a man who did cocaine and through that experience I found myself understanding where Amy was coming from. I was just thankful someone found her in time.

When Richard Lewis comes into the picture during the middle of the story I was extremely excited about this new development. From his first scene caring for Amy after she passes out basically in front of his apartment building I knew I would love him. It wasn't until after she attempts to end her sorrow for good that Richard steps in and tries to help her. I'm usually not into stories where the broken damsel in distress needs a man to save her, but in this case I think the author did a wonderful job of showing that Amy needed someone to notice her suffering and step in to help. Richard recognized the signs and got her set up with counseling and ends up moving her into his apartment when he finds out about her abusive situation at home. These two develop intense feelings for each other as the story progresses and naturally blossoms into love the more they get to know each other. What I wasn't prepared for was how broken Richard was an how much he needed Amy as much as she needed him. I honestly loved Richard's character, even when he messes up and causes some unnecessary tension between them. See Richard has this ex girlfriend/Best Friend Joanna, who starts out counseling Amy but becomes a jealous harpy when she sees Amy has captured Richards heart.

Joanna adds unnecessary drama to Richard and Amy's life with her constant presence and negative opinion of Amy. Being a counselor, Joanna was supposed to help Amy get better but ultimately adds more grief to her already full plate. I hated Joanna's character very much. By this time in the story I was already in love with Amy and Richard and Joanna did nothing but try to drive a wedge between them. She almost succeeds because Richard is so blind to her viciousness that he overlooks it until Amy can't take any more and disappears. My heart broke for Richard because he loves Amy so much and watching him suffer after all he has been through not just in his past but watching Amy try to survive was very emotional. I loved how patient and caring Richard was to her. He had moments of stupidity as all men do but I never doubted his character and integrity. Amy was all over the place and by the time the story ended I felt like I grew up with her. Richard's family was absolutely amazing and I loved how honest and sweet they were in accepting Amy into their lives. They were a very strong group of support for Amy that added more depth to the story for me. 

Overall I really enjoyed this gut wrenching story of one young woman's struggle to overcome abuse and pain and find something truly beautiful in return. Richard and Amy go through a lot in this story and prove just how strong love can be. The epilogue nearly killed me with how amazingly sweet it was. I won't lie I had tears in my eyes. I mean after watching this girl suffer tremendously it was magical to see her finally find peace in her turbulent world. Saving Amy was a winner for me and if you enjoy stories of struggle and heartache with an ending that will bring you to your knees then this is the book for you.


Quotes:

The reality was, being high – and even coming down – hurt a hell of a lot less than being sober. I guess I was more than willing to risk becoming addicted to ‘forgetting’. Loc. 565


This was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before and the feeling was intoxicating. The warmth, the desire, that delicious inexplicable charge spreading through my veins faster than heroin… This was more than just sex – more than just physical. We were bearing our souls through our eyes and it was an exquisite sensation that I couldn’t even begin to understand. Loc. 2304

We lay together for what could’ve been forever. Two guilt-ridden souls, laid bare in every sense of the word – both silently begging to be saved. Loc. 3375



About The Author:
I live in Rochdale, England with my wonderful family. I have two novels under my belt (Inevitable and Saving Amy) and am currently working on a new book to be released in the next few months. When I'm not playing with my imaginary friends I can usually be found looking after my four adorable (sometimes!) children (five if you include the dog, six if you include the hubby!) or studying towards my English Literature degree. All in all I'm just an ordinary mum with an addiction to reading about hot book guys, writing about hot book guys and Pepsi Max!

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4 comments:

  1. Courtney reviewed this and was really impacted by the story, too. It sounds crazy emotional, and like the author did a really good job with Richard and Amy.
    Great review, Baby!

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  2. This does sound emotional and probably difficult to read. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  3. Fuck! I want to read this book, do you have it in mobi? Can you lend it to me? Damn! I love books like this! I saw this at Andrea's blog and immediately added it to my TBR.

    Man, oh, man! I need this book!

    Braine

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  4. Not sure I could read this - it's sounds too emotional for me right now. Glad you enjoyed it.

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks.com

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