Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Random Review: Survivor Stories by JP Barnaby #Review #Giveaway







Author: JP Barnaby
Book: Survivor Stories
Stories Include: Aaron, Ben, Spencer, Anthony, Sophie
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: AngstyG
Bundle Art: Paul Richmond
Release Date: September 8, 2017
Length: 844 pages


Reviewed by Morningstar


Synopsis

Sometimes it takes everything just to survive….
In Aaron, two years after a traumatizing occurrence, Aaron is still desperately trying to pull his life back together, and when he meets Spencer at a college class, his sanity threatens to spin out of control. 

In Ben, Benjamin Martin finds temporary forgetfulness in his BDSM sessions, but when he turns to his best friend Jude for help, they will both have to find peace in each other and in submission.

In Spencer, Aaron and Spencer are still struggling to build a normal relationship, and when Aaron must testify against his attackers, can Spencer be what Aaron needs during this crisis? 

In Anthony, Aaron’s younger brother Anthony is tired of being invisible and heads to Detroit, where he encounters Brendan. Thrown together by fate and betrayal, they will have to find comfort in each other. 

And in Sophie, Spencer’s beloved Nell has died and left him custody of her three-year-old daughter Sophie; when Nell’s ex comes to claim Sophie, Aaron will have to decide if he can stand beside Spencer in his biggest fight yet.


Buy Links





Review

There is no way for me to put down words that could describe the level of emotion and heart I invested into these stories and what was given back to me ten freaking fold.

I have to admit that when I started reading it, I read with caution. I read with my hand over my eyes, peeking through my fingers, hesitating in every turn of the page. But all in a good way. Aaron’s story wasn’t easy to read, but it is one that needed to be told, one that held repercussions for those around him for years. That’s what this series did. It told a big story, one that needed to be told. 

Aaron and Spencer’s story was not easy to read. Not book one of them, not book three of them, and not the final book of them. Each one had the capability of breaking my heart because these characters were brought to life with every word written, so much life that I ached for their pain, for their happiness, for their laughs, for their hearts that they risked every damn day. I’m one of those readers that love to read books that torture me but rarely do because when done right they stay in my heart for so long I can’t stop thinking about them. THIS was one of those series for me.

Ben, oh my god, Ben he was perfect to me. He was this complicated guy who lived with such guilt and pain but was snarky and cocky all the same. I hurt for the pain he felt he deserved but grew to need and love, and Jude for taking up the goal of being everything his Ben needed even when he wasn’t sure he could.

Anthony!! He killed me with his loneliness and his bravery and his stupidity. Anthony is the younger brother of Aaron, the one forgotten in the pain and recovery of his brother. He was such a young guy who made a bad choice that could’ve turned so horrible for him. And that was the twist to the whole thing that was hard for me to grasp but was the perfect teaching moment for Anthony. Him finding Patrick and Brendan was like going home for him, especially Brendan. I loved LOVED that he got paired with him after everything he went through with Aaron. Finding someone who was broken (not as bad) but he clicked with made my heart soar for them both.


This may not be a set of stories that could be reread easily, but they are ones that will go on my all-time top favorites shelf, and one that I know will stay with me through the years. The writing, the characters, the stories...they were perfect for me, and I will highly recommend them to everyone who will listen. 





Giveaway

Enter the monthly review giveaway for your chance to win a $5.00 
Amazon gift card and this Diverse Reader tote!


Contest will end on November 30th!
Good luck!

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10 comments:

  1. I can’t wait for the new Thirds book by Charlie Cochet!

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  2. I agree the new thirds book is very high on my list. I think there are too many. I want to read them all . : )

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  3. I loved the Survivor Stories <3<3<3
    I can't wait to read Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land

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  4. I start my holiday reading in November, so I am looking forward to reading numerous holiday stories.

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  5. Just like Jen, I look forward to read some holiday stories....

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  6. I have no idea what's in my November reading queue.

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  7. I'm ready for TJ Klune's and Charlie Cochet's books.

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  8. Congrats, JP, and thanks for the good review, Morningstar. Sounds like a great set of stories. And speaking of surviving, this a real life event, the book my book group is reading this month is Flagrant Conduct, about the landmark Supreme Court case that overturned the sodomy laws 14 years ago and led the way to marriage equality.

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  9. I'm looking forward to a lot of great books including Wheels Up by Annabeth Albert.

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  10. I am looking forward to Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land

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