A Top Read for February
Battered Not Broken
Charity West
Contemporary Young Adult
Battered and bruised, Wren has taken a lot from her father over the years, but when he throws her out of the house, she sees it as a blessing in disguise. She has no job, no home, and never finished high school, but what’s all that compared to a life without abuse? When she starts over in a new town, under a new identity, she makes it her goal to fly under the radar.
New town, new life. Only, there’s a corrupt deputy intent on stealing Deputy Gray Frampton’s family fortune, a slight case of aggravated identity fraud, and a night in the local jail. It’s enough to make any girl’s head spin. Wren Michaels has to find a way not to spend the next three years in jail, warn Gray that Deputy Pritchard is after him, and somehow hold onto the happily-ever-after that is finally within her grasp—assuming Gray wants a felon as his girlfriend. Who knew falling for a man in khaki could cause so much trouble?
Uncaged Review: Wren is a young woman who not only came from a very bad neighborhood, but was abused by her alcoholic father. When he beats her and tosses her out one night, it’s almost a blessing that she got out of the house alive. With some money her mother secretly gives her, Wren moves to a new county, with a crappy apartment in a bad part of town. But in her mind, it’s better than where she came from. After losing a job, and getting another as a waitress in a diner, she meets the local Deputy, Gray. And he makes no secret that he’s interested. But Wren is hiding her own secret, she’s changed her name and identity illegally, and isn’t ready to divulge her secrets. When she finally agrees to a date with Gray, she finally begins to see a new life.
There is a lot more going on, and it becomes even dangerous for Wren, but what I really liked about the story, is that I saw an abused, scared girl turn into a woman that fought back when it mattered, and quit being a victim. Reviewed by Cyrene
4 1/2 Stars
