Monday, 4 February 2013

Review: Consequences


Bartender Claire Nichols has always kept her customers at a friendly distance. But one serious lapse in judgment causes her life to take a drastic and brutal turn. She finds herself thrust into a life she never knew or wanted. She must depend on her intuition and adaptability. Yet she has difficulty trusting her own instincts. Now, every aspect of her livelihood depends on a tall wealthy dark-haired, dark-eyed businessman. Did fate bring Anthony Rawlings into her life? Or was it something more calculated? More sinister?

With very limited options, Claire attempts to endure a hellish existence that has changed her beliefs, her personality, her looks, and even her name. Actions have consequences. Will Claire be able to control the actions to accomplish her new goal—survival? Follow her tumultuous journey as she struggles to fight back and regain her freedom no matter what the Consequences…

Title: Consequences (Consequences ~ Book 1)
Author: Aleatha Romig | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Website
Publication Date: October 21 2012
Publisher: Romig Works
ISBN: 9780988489
Length: 533 Pages
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Buy ItAmazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: It is quite fitting... but as the puzzle piece has a picture of Claire's neck I just keep thinking that it is a giant puzzle made of skin and that creeps me out a little.
Point of View: 3rd person, following mostly Claire but there is a bit of Tony and others

My Rating: 5 Stars 

Follow my rules: Number one, do as you are told, do not divulge personal information, actions have consequences, appearances are of vital importance, and public failure is not an option.
There is no way that I can go into depth or get across to you the emotions that I went through while reading Consequences.  It has now been days after I finished and I am still in awe and shock over what I have read.

You need to go into this book with as little knowledge of it as possible and just let it take you on the ride of your life.  I assure you that there will be plenty of ups but I also guarantee you that there will be even more downs.   Countless books have been described as a ‘roller coaster’ but never before have I felt that definition fit more perfectly than I do with Consequences.

The easiest way for me to write this review and to not give too much away is to simply talk about the characters and give my thoughts about them.

“Claire believed she was teetering literally on the edge of sanity. A strong wind was all it would take to blow her one way or the other. Iowa had its share of storms, strong winds and tornadoes, they were all unpredictable. It made an ironic parallel for her life.”

Claire.  There were so many times I just wanted to hug Claire.  To simply let her know that somebody was truly there for her and that it was all going to be okay.  However, there were just as many times that I wanted to slap her.  To call her a spineless excuse for a human being and leave her to rot in her misery.

Yes, I promise you my emotions toward Claire were this contradictory and dramatic.

I was and still am confused by Claire.  One minute I was yelling at her to fight her way free but then I would understand why she wasn’t doing just that.  This is not to say I agreed with all of her actions, no way, no how.  Let us be honest with each other, she made some really stupid mistakes and I strongly believe she has a series case of Stockholm Syndrome.  

“I want you to make me a promise.  A promise, that you will do your best to follow my rules.  That you will do your best – to never give me cause to hurt you again.”

Anthony/Tony.  I honestly think I need to see a therapist before I can fully explain the feelings I have for Tony.  If you believe my emotions toward Claire to be conflicting then you haven’t heard anything yet.  I’m not even sure I can go into detail about him.  Just the thought of Tony sends a shiver down my spine.  I have had dreams about this man, and no not in a good way.  It was frightening.  It wasn’t a scene from the book and let’s just say it wasn’t one of the happy times between Tony and Claire.  It was bad.  And to be honest when I woke up I had to actually sit and think if the scene that was in my dream was in the book because even how terrible it was I could actually see it being something that Tony would do.  Needless to say, I despise Tony.

“I have spent most of my life only concerned with myself.  I’m truly trying even if it does not always appear so… Perhaps I’m afraid of losing you, afraid you if you truly know me you will not want to stay with me.”

But then... he does something nice and you see him trying to be a better person.   As Claire says many times throughout the book, when things are good they are really good.  He is just so sweet sometimes and just when you find yourself starting to think things will be okay and somehow after all that has happened maybe, just maybe, this will all work out perfectly.  And then BOOM.  You are hit with another curve ball.  Because when things are bad, they are really bad. 

“God she hated the dance.  A blow to the cheek one minute and discussing a romantic getaway the next.  It was the one step forward, two steps back waltz.  She wanted to scream.  Sitting on the side of the bed, Claire allowed herself tears and swallowed”

You honestly feel like you are walking through a mind field as you are reading.  You experience the highs and the lows right along with the characters.  As mentioned before when things are good you are smiling and going along thinking all is right with the world then something will happen and you are just waiting for the dam to burst.  Your heart starts to beat a bit faster as you anticipate how the scene is going to play out.  I felt the emotions right along with Claire as I awaited to see how Tony would handle the situation and waited to see if there were any more accidents.

Yes there is violence and sex, I wanted to make sure and point this out in my review.  However it is never gone into with descriptive detail.  You know it is happening and there are some scenes that go into more detail than others but I never felt uncomfortable reading them.  Honestly do not let the fear of there being scenes of graphic violence and sex discourage you from starting this book because that is just not the case.

Along with my strong suggestion for each and every person I know to read this book I have a couple other helpful hints that will get you through to the other side with your sanity intact.  I don’t care if it is the hardback, paperback, Kindle, Nook, iPad, phone, etc...  There are going to be many times while you are reading that you will want to throw it across the room.  Please refrain from doing so because trust me when I say you are going to want to see how Consequences ends.  My second helpful hint is to have Truth, the second in the series, ready to be started right away.  You will be emotionally drained and exhausted by the end but I promise that you will be unable to not want to immediately start book two.

“The heat of the summer transformed the green grass into long brown straw, only the weeds were green.  Claire didn't mind, the weeds had pretty flowers.  Unlike Tony's flowers, which had been sentenced to his yard, gardens, or clay pots, these flowers grew free wherever they wanted.  Furthermore, weeds were survivors.  When all else died, the weeds remained.  Yes, Claire liked weeds.”

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