โ๐~A Magickal Book-Blog Featuring A Free-Spirited & Custom Made Bibliophile ~๐ฎ
Posted on April 4, 2018 by DaniโTouch My Spine Book Reviewsโ
I want thank Rachel’s Random Resources and H.A. Herschel for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity and all views expressed are my own.
Author: H.A. Herschel
Publication Date: June 8, 2016
Page Count: 273 pages
Categories and Genre:
Purchase Link – https://books2read.com/u/49P2MJ
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Manipulated Lives
Five stories โ Five Lives
Have you ever felt confused or at a loss for words in front of a spouse, colleague or parent, to the extent that you have felt inadequate or, worse, a failure? Do you ever wonder why someone close to you seems to endure humiliation without resistance? ย Manipulators are everywhere. At first these devious and calculating people can be hard to spot, because that is their way. They are often masters of disguise: witty, disarming, even charming in public โ tricks to snare their prey โ but then they revert to their true self of being controlling and angry in private. Their main aim: to dominate and use others to satisfy their needs, with a complete lack of compassion and empathy for their victim. ย In this collection of short novellas, you meet people like you and me, intent on living happy lives, yet each of them, in one way or another, is caught up and damaged by a manipulative individual. First you meet Tess, whose past is haunted by a wrong decision, then young, successful and well balanced Sophie, who is drawn into the life of a little boy and his troubled father. Next, there is teenage Holly, who is intent on making a better life for herself, followed by a manipulator himself, trying to make sense of his irreversible incarceration. Lastly, there is Lisa, who has to face a parentโs biggest regret. All stories highlight to what extent abusive manipulation can distort lives and threaten our very feeling of self-worth.
I absolutely loved this book and how each of the five stories brought a unique group of characters and a steady paced plot to keep you hooked from start to finish. I’m going to be honest, I devoured this whole book in one night and stayed up all night with it! #WorthIt!ย
I really enjoyed the different backgrounds of each character and how it brought a fresh perspective to the table for every one of the five stories. I became heavily invested in the characters and I ended up scrolling through my kindle as fast as I could so that I could discover the twists and outcome. Out of all the stories, I really adored Tess and Tattoos. It was a bittersweet story but like the rest of the novellas, it really made you think of the effects that abuse has on someone and what they all go through.
ย As a woman who has been in a couple of emotionally abusive relationships, I really felt Tess’s pain but in the same sense I felt her joy!๐ Even though I faced abuse throughout my life, I thankfully didn’t find these psychological dramas a trigger. This beautiful collection of novellas are full of depth, heart-wrenching and heartwarming moments that I am sure many readers will love! I highly recommend these stories and am excited to see what the author comes out with next!
Author Bio โย
Helene Andrea Leuschel grew up in Belgium where she gained a Licentiate in Journalism & Communication, which led to a career in radio and television in Brussels, London and Edinburgh. She now lives with her husband and two children in Portugal and recently acquired a Master of Philosophy with the OU, deepening her passion for the study of the mind. When she is not writing, Helene works as a freelance journalist and teaches Yoga.
Social Media Links โย
https://twitter.com/HALeuschel
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15337013.H_A_Leuschel
Giveaway โ Win a signed copy of Manipulated Lives by H.A. Leuschel (Open Internationally)
*Terms and Conditions โWorldwide entries welcome. ย Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. ย The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. ย Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winnersโ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. ย I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c6949473/?
Category: ARC, bibliophile, blog tour, blogger babes, blogosphere, book, book blitz, book blogger, book bloggers, book blogging, book giveaway, book giveaways, book lover, book nerd, book nerdigans, book obsessed, book review, book reviewer, book reviews, book spotlight, book-blog, book-review, bookish, books, Bookstagram, follow for follow, free, free book, free books, freebies, giveaway, goodreads, I follow back, kindle, library, literature, Manipulative Lives, reading, UncategorizedTags: 5 star, 5 stars, ARC, bibliophile, blogger babe, blogger babes, blogosphere, book nerd, book news, book recommendations, book related, book review, book reviewer, book reviews, book-blog, books, bookworm, ebook, egalley, follow for follow, goodreads, I follow back, wordpress
Hey everyone! I'm Dani and I am a free spirited bibliophile!๐ I love meeting new people and being a part of this community. I have met the best people in the world being a book blogger and love them as family.๐ Here's some words that describe who I am in a nutshell: Book Nerd Girl, Custom-Made, Hippie Chick, Empath, Open Minded, Spiritual(but doesn't push), A Random Rambler, Loves Humor, Pansexual, Poly, Animal Lover, Book Molester, Life Coach, Psychology Major, Dyslexic That Was Self Taught With Books, Inspiring Author, Loves Others to a Fault!๐๐ The only thing I ask for on this blog is respect! Craziness and dirty joking welcome.๐ฏ Discrimination and disrespectful comments can hit their asses with the door!๐ฏ๐๐
Glad to hear that this connected with you, honey. Sounds like a very interesting collection indeed.
Best wishes, Pete. xx
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Thanks so much, Pete! So sorry for my late response once again. I got caught up in my grief. Hugs! Xoxo
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No problem at all, honey. Always here when you get the chance. x
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I’ve seen a lot of praise going around for her novellas. I’m glad that it was fantastic for you too, Dani! ๐
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Thanks so much, Lashaan!๐ I really enjoyed them!๐ I hope you have a great week!๐
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Great review, Dani! Sounds like a great read! โค ๐ โค
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Thanks so much, Dee! I loved it!โคโคโค
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Lovely review again Dani. Definitely an intense read.
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I’m glad you agree, Nina! I loved your review!โคโคโค You rock!๐
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Well written Dani, beautifully explained. Not my kind of read at the this moment of my life. ๐๐๐
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Thanks so much, Shalini!โค Yeah, I totally understand this may not be best. I appreciate your support!๐
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I just participated on the giveaway ๐ at first I thought I didnt want to read this book because of triggers but I think I will give it a try after you said it wasn’t triggering for you ๐ huuugs โค โค
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I completely understand your fear Alicia. I am glad it didn’t trigger me but not sure about anyone else! That’s awesome you also participated!โค๐
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Another wonderful review, Dani!! โค โค โค
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Thanks so much sweetheart!โคโคโคโค
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Beautiful review Dani. This sounds like quite an incredible read and I am glad to hear that relate with Dani’s story hence understand her portrayal even more. I will definitely keep an eye out for this title!
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Thanks so much, Diana!๐๐๐๐
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Lovely review Dani. Iโm glad you connect with these without triggering.๐
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I’m glad you enjoyed it even with some heavy topics! Great review!! ๐
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This looks so good! I loved Tess and Tattoos, I’ll have to check this one out too!
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