Review: Shame, by Rachel Van Dyken

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“Follow your destiny and know that each step you take will be another footprint in the snow, but make the footprints strong. You want them to lead somewhere. You want the footsteps to have meaning.”

Rachel, Rachel, Rachel!!!! What are you doing to me?!?! The last few books, by Rachel, have left me feeling so emotionally drained and still totally satisfied. This book is most definitely no exception. Another emotionally charged, angst filled, leave-me-on-the-edge-of-my-seat kinda book. Right off the bat, I knew it was going to kill me. I was in a constant state of nervousness. The suspense had me reaching for my chill pills. I had no idea where this book was going to take me. Whew!!

Lisa has a past that she is so ashamed of. She has tried to keep it secret. Only a few of her closest friends knew, and they didn’t even know the full story.

Synopsis

Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.

I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can’t change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me–I felt only pain.
When they touched me–Nothing but fear.

Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn’t fool enough to think I’d ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.

I wasn’t prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie–I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.

Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I’m stronger than I knew. I’m stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don’t….after all everyone has Shame in their lives– and I’m no longer afraid to show you mine.

The title of this book is so aptly named. Shame is what Lisa lives with every day. She has done things, in her past, that she can’t change, but she is trying to move on from it. But her past isn’t letting her go so easily. No matter what she does, it won’t let her go.

Tristan is on a mission. He is searching for the truth. But what he finds, is not what he expected. When he meets Lisa he is completely transfixed. But he knows he should stay away, but there’s something about her that pulls him in. But his own secrets keep him from opening up completely.

“It won’t be easy,” I whispered. “Letting you in.”
“It won’t be easy,” She repeated. “Keeping you out.”

Watching these two tiptoe around each other, had the angst level rising. It was like a roller coaster of emotions, for these two. You wanted to root for them, but you knew that when the secrets were told, no one would be left unharmed.

“She could be my poison, and I’d drink from her cup, embracing sweet death if only for another taste.”

Now this book may seem like your typical NA, angst filled book, but I assure you, it isn’t. Right from the very beginning you’ll realize this. Shame deals with emotional bullying and domestic violence that is done in the best way possible. It will leave you reeling, however, I am so glad Rachel wrote about this. This is a subject that is hard to read about, but it does happen more often than we realize. I, for one, am so very glad she wrote about this. Very eye opening.

~Melpomene

Shame (Ruin Series Book 3) will be only 99 cents for the first week of sales, then it jumps up to the regular price of $2.99. So be sure to grab it now!!

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