Saturday 8 February 2014

PROMOTION & REVIEW - BROKEN BEAUTY (BROKEN BEAUTY NOVELLAS) BY LIZZY FORD WRITING AS CHLOE ADAMS

SERIES PROMOTION

BROKEN BEAUTY  (BROKEN BEAUTY NOVELLAS BK#1)

Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.
 When socialite party girl Mia Abbott-Renou wakes up in a garden she has little recall of the previous night -- except that she is naked...hurt...terrified. Not only has she been raped, but she knows one of her assailants: the son of a wealthy politician who happens to be her own father’s political ally.

Mia wants and needs justice. Except this privileged boy has an alibi and her father forbids her from going to the police. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose if his image as a doting father is soured due to Mia being labeled a lush or worse, promiscuous.

Devastated at not having the support of her family, Mia finds herself in a tug-of-war with her conscience over what to do, especially since she can’t remember exactly what happened that night. Worse, the men who attacked her have hurt several other girls, and Mia may be the key to stopping them.

Mia tries to forget, until the unthinkable happens, and she’s left reeling once again until she realizes that her strength will bring healing and unlocking her memories will bring justice.



BROKEN WORLD (BROKEN BEAUTY NOVELLAS Bk#2)

A confrontation is brewing … 
  
Mia realizes the aftermath of her rape is not over when she is rocked by another challenge, one that will put her publicly at odds with her father, a U.S. Senator who has made her the poster child for his re-election. But the public face he wants her to wear can’t be further from who she is inside.  
  
The latest rape victim is expected to die soon, and only Mia can identify the attackers. With pressure from the police to come forward, Mia is distraught when her father forbids her from speaking out. 

She is surprised to discover new allies in her siblings, who break ranks with her father to support her. But even they have their own agenda. 

Before Mia turns eighteen, she’ll face the ultimate choice: betraying her family or her conscience. 

MY REVIEW

Title:  Broken Beauty
Author: Lizzy Ford as Chloe Adams
Series: Broken Beauty Novellas 
ASIN: B00FCY77DC
Publisher: Evatopia Press
Pages/File Size: 85pages/243KB
Formats Available: E-Book

**Contains graphic content involving the sensitive topic of rape and its aftermath. Not intended for teens under 18.**

BLURB from Goodreads
Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.
 
When socialite party girl Mia Abbott-Renou wakes up in a garden she has little recall of the previous night -- except that she is naked...hurt...terrified. Not only has she been raped, but she knows one of her assailants: the son of a wealthy politician who happens to be her own father’s political ally.

Mia wants and needs justice. Except this privileged boy has an alibi and her father forbids her from going to the police. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose if his image as a doting father is soured due to Mia being labeled a lush or worse, promiscuous.

Devastated at not having the support of her family, Mia finds herself in a tug-of-war with her conscience over what to do, especially since she can’t remember exactly what happened that night. Worse, the men who attacked her have hurt several other girls, and Mia may be the key to stopping them.

Mia tries to forget, until the unthinkable happens, and she’s left reeling once again until she realizes that her strength will bring healing and unlocking her memories will bring justice.

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I saw this novella whilst searching Netgalley and was at a point where I wanted to read something other than my usual genre that also wasn't YA aimed. So when I saw this I requested it, was accepted and I decided to read it straight away.
I wasn't sure what to expect after reading the warning about the book being about rape. 

MY REVIEW
The cover shows a female looking upset and kind of hiding behind her hair. Upon reading the book I'd say the female fits the imagery I get from the book for the main character of Mia.
The story begins at a traumatic time for Mia as the police rescue her after she has been raped by two men. Mia is taken to the hospital by the two police officers that found her, a female officer called Keisha and a young male officer called Dom. Dom and Mia really befriend Mia and make her feel safe after her ordeal. In fact during her examination and the aftermath of the rape they are the only people Mia feels care about her. Her own father is in politics and is more interested in keeping the rape out of the news. When the story turns up in the newspapers he uses Mia to gain the abused women votes. The only time Mia's father seems to take any notice is to issue his staff with orders to give Mia. Chris is a the "law man" on Mia's fathers staff and also her Uncle, so it hits Mia even more when she is told to "forget" who did this to her as the perpetrator is the son of someone who is very important and Mia's father need the families support to keep votes. Mia is made to give a speech, a speech that her father press women Shea, has wrote. Mia has never faced the press before but she is really given no choice but to give the speech with only the support of her best friend Ari. Mia does hesitate and leaves out part of the speech as it is making out the whole thing was her own fault. Sure Mia was drinking underage, in a rather flashy dress with a Fake ID but that doesn't excuse her attackers does it? Mia is actually charged for having a Fake ID and underage drinking and her Uncle Chris manages to get an "easy" sentence of 100 hours community service. Its whilst doing the community service that Mia does a pregnancy test to check some pregnancy test strips are giving false results . . .I mean there is no way that the test is right, that she's pregnant is there? Mia's father told her that you couldn't become pregnant when you are raped . . .and he wouldn't authorize her to have the morning after pill as in his political career he is against pregnancy termination in any way.
This novella tells of how Mia has to cope relatively alone with the aftermath of the rape, sure her father has her see a "shrink" another distant relative to help her. 
This book does deal with the very sensitive subject of rape and I have to say it is written about in a realistic, believable and really insightful yet delicate way.
So did I enjoy the book? I thought it was a brilliantly written book about a highly sensitive subject. Would I recommend the book? I do recommend it, sadly it's no longer available on Netgalley but I checked the price as I was writing this review and at 49p I'd says it's a bargain! I've recommended it to my mum and daughter already too. I think it would fit from the New Adult age group upwards. Would I read another novella in this series? I am about to start reading Broken World on my kindle. I bought it immediately upon finishing Broken Beauty. Would I read other books by this Author? I will definitely be taking a closer look at other titles by this author, both as Chloe Adams and Lizzy Ford.


MY REVIEW
Title:  Broken World
Author: Lizzy Ford as Chloe Adams
Series: Broken Beauty Novellas 
ASIN: B00HPHL9OW
Publisher: Evatopia Press
Pages/File Size: 93pages, 267KB
Formats Available: E-Book

BLURB from Goodreads
A confrontation is brewing … 
  
Mia realizes the aftermath of her rape is not over when she is rocked by another challenge, one that will put her publicly at odds with her father, a U.S. Senator who has made her the poster child for his re-election. But the public face he wants her to wear can’t be further from who she is inside.  
  
The latest rape victim is expected to die soon, and only Mia can identify the attackers. With pressure from the police to come forward, Mia is distraught when her father forbids her from speaking out. 

She is surprised to discover new allies in her siblings, who break ranks with her father to support her. But even they have their own agenda. 

Before Mia turns eighteen, she’ll face the ultimate choice: betraying her family or her conscience.  


INITIAL THOUGHTS
After finishing Broken Beauty Bk#1 in the Broken Beauty Novella's I felt compelled to read the next book as soon as possible so immediately looked it up on Amazon and purchased it. I started reading this book the same day I finished Bk#1!

MY REVIEW
I purchased this novella from Amazon.co.uk.
On the cover of this book the girl representing Mia looks a little more confident as if she has come to an important decision. I like that the cover co-ordinates well with that of Bk#1 as well.
So in this book Mia finds out her attackers have struck again, this time the victim Tanya, is in a coma on life support. Mia feels responsible, in that if she had come forward instead of doing as her father wanted her to do in keeping quiet that the attackers would have been caught. Therefore they wouldn't have been able to attack Tanya.
Mia's father is still trying to make Mia cover the identity of her attackers and he is now also using her "victim" status to gain vote and garner more support for himself in his political career. 
Mia does find more support from within her family. Her step sister Molly invites her to be bridesmaid at her upcoming wedding, she also has her own secret which in turn helps Mia with a problem of her own. Then her step brother unexpectedly arrives home and shows more interest in Mia than he ever has before. 
The book certainly makes you feel angry at Mia's family on her behalf. Molly the step-sister seems to help with one hand and then withdraw her "friendship" when it suits her. The step-brother is more like Mia's father wanting to further his political career, and he is not adverse to using Mia's situation to his benefit. The only one that seem to and eventually shows he does care for Mia is Uncle Chris, part of Mia's fathers law team.
But if it came down to a choice between Mia and Mia's father who would the family stand behind? Also we know Mia's mum has an alcohol problem and has been sent away and hidden in a private clinic away from the voters ears and eyes but I found her constant promising to come home in two days infuriating.
Mia does find support outside of her immediate family though. The two police officers in the book are the true heroes, and become friends with Mia. Dom is from a family of police officers, with a sister Gianna who works at a shelter. The same shelter that Mia is doing her community service. Then there's Keisha who also supports Mia when she has to give evidence and statements at the court house.
So did I enjoy this novella? I really enjoyed it and as with novella #1 I didn't want to put it down. I even took my kindle with me to read whilst sat waiting to pick my daughter up from college! Would I read another novella in this series? I'd love to and will be researching to find out when it is available. Would I recommend this series of novella's? Definitely, I think the novella's I have read so far fit extremely well into the New Adult Genre. Will I try reading any other Chloe Adams/Lizzy Ford books? I certainly intend to check out her other titles.

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