Author: Michele Shriver
Rating: 5 Stars
Regular followers of my blog know that Michele is one of my critique partners, so many of her ideas make their way into my own books. When she first told me about her plans for this book, frankly, I was skeptical. How in the world would the she convince me to care whether or not a drug addict lost custody of her daughter? Honestly, I didn't think she could. I have very strong opinions about people who are abusive to their children, and neglect so you can shoot up drugs is one of the most selfish things I can imagine.
Also, while the other three point of view characters are in the traditional third-person past point of view, Devin (the drug addict) was written in first-person present, which I frankly do not enjoy reading as much. Somehow, though, it all worked. That point of view was the right one for Devin, allowing the reader to get deep into her mind and understand why she had made the choices she made.
Despite my original hesitation, I love this book. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself rooting for Devin before very long. She does start out a little rough. However, I think her struggles were captured in a realistic manner and I soon became invested in her life, racing through the pages to find out whether or not she would overcome her demons and be reunited with her daughter.
I also loved the other characters. Elisa (Devin's lawyer) was an especial favorite of mine upon reading the final version after the book was released. The sense of humor portrayed throughout by all four of the main characters really kept things entertaining despite the serious themes in this book. I also loved the touch of romance in the different characters' lives (you all know I'm a sucker for romance).
Sarah (the judge) has a lot riding on this case, more than just inside the courtroom. She is a really great character who I've loved in other novels by Michele Shriver. The look into Sarah's private life and the hard choices she faces kept me intrigued and worried. You don't need to read Michele's other books in order to understand this one, though I do recommend all of them.
Another great book by this author and one you don't want to miss. Despite the fact I was afraid I might not like it, it has become, in my opinion, Michele Shriver's best yet. I highly recommend it!
You can buy it here - http://www.amazon.com/Aggravated-Circumstances-ebook/dp/B00C479UY4/
Check out her other titles as well: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Michele%20Shriver&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank
Happy reading, my friends! Have a fantastic week!
~~ Chantel ~~
I second that. This is a really good book. I too, almost didn't expect to like it but it soon took over and made for a great read. Well done, Author!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Travis!
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