Shattered Rose by T.L. Gray

Definition:

When obsession and love blend, and darkness consumes the mind and spirit, is it even possible to recognize the light?

Set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, nineteen-year-old Avery Nichols embarks on a journey of love, loss and recognition that perfection is often an illusion. She gives all she has to the one man who cannot love her back, but still refuses let her go. Now another fights to give her everything she doesn't believe she deserves.

It is the beginning of her sophomore year at Winsor University, and Avery is determined that nothing will stop her momentum, not even the internal battle she has fought for four years. Forced to live on campus because of her alumni scholarship, Avery is thrilled when she is placed in the coveted University Apartments and is swept away by her roommate’s cousin, Jake, whose charm and charisma touches every part of her soul and shatters every piece of her heart. Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker, a man who not only offers her hope, but also teaches her to love in ways she never thought possible.

Jake is complicated and damaged, fighting to find his way after the loss of his mother, and despite his every attempt to stop it, Avery gets behind his defenses and forces him to feel once again. He doesn't want to love her, but can’t let her go. Parker is genuine, honest, and falls for Avery the moment he sees her. He wants nothing more than to love her, if she would only let him.

My Opinion:

This book was a very good read and I enjoyed it a lot. However, even though it is Christian and has a good ending it was a very emotional read. It also had a ton of adult content. I would not recommend this book to anybody under age 17, but that's my opinion. Some reasons I say this are because their is: sex before marriage, underage drinking, partying, and an eating disorder in the book. It used the word "Hell" in the book as a swear word a few times which might also bother some people. I'm not trying to make it so you don't want to read the book, because it was good, I'm putting this in here for warning that way you know what you are about to read if you decide to read it. This book doesn't sugar coat.

When those things that I listed above took place in the book Avery never really felt guilty when she was doing it, but after she felt completely horrible and worthless. She would also feel like she didn't deserve anyone's love. Through the book she realizes that she may not be worth God's love, but that he is willing to give it freely anyway if she lets him.

I'm not going to say anything about the guys, Jake and Parker, in the book because I do not want to give away which one she ends up with;)

Shattered Rose is told in first person which I liked a lot, because when I read the 'I did's or the 'I felt's I really did feel like I was going through her struggles/feeling her every emotion which was very important for the story in this case. I needed to feel these emotions so I knew what it would feel like for these things to actually happen to me. That way if I am ever put in some of Avery's situations I will not be tempted because I know the consequences of what could happen. If that makes any sense.

In my opinion this is a subtle Christian book. One that Christians and Non-Christians alike can appreciate.

This book was a self-published book, I received it in trade for a written blog review. I hope you like it:)

Rating: 4 Stars