Sunday, August 27, 2017

Book Review and Giveaway for Frayed Silk by Ella Fields


Our marriage wasn't just in trouble—mere threads were all that held it together.

What was once my perfect happily ever after had dissolved right before my eyes.

I can tell you when it started to happen.
What I can't tell you is why. 

And after seven months of watching my husband turn into someone I didn't recognize, I'd given up hope in finding answers.

So I decided to break his heart
... and he did nothing to stop me.





REVIEW: 4 "Only Ever You" STARS
"My eyes beg him for things my mouth is sick of asking for."

I love finding a new to me author that can speak to me. One that can tell a story that hijacks my mind and makes me feel what is going on in a book with just their words. And if you know me, this synopsis immediately grabbed me. This book was the perfect introduction to Ella Fields for me and I am SO happy I read it! This book had a very well thought out storyline and some heartache to boot! Not too angsty, but there was a good dose of it in there, and we all know how much I love angst. <sigh> Happy reader here. 

I know we all like different genres, but I especially love a cheater/triangle love story that is told with depth and emotion. I was shocked at how this one affected me the way it did, to be completely honest. It was an emotional take on one woman's struggle through her confusing emotions and her battered mentality, to come to grips with what was happening in her marriage. Her feelings were raw and legit for what was going on. She was easily understood in her heartache, but I was also very angry at some of her actions, justified or not. She was an emotional mess, which made her decisions that much more reckless....and that's what I love about a book like this. Because it happens. It's real. Emotions get taken advantage of, your mind and heart do NOT speak to each other, and you begin to question reality. Again, these actions were the catalyst for the story and everything meshed so well to tell the story, but it definitely led to some angry thoughts. Having said that, I think one of my favorite things about this book was the fact that it was told entirely in a single POV. Reading it that way allowed me to sink into and feel everything Lia was going through; the pain, the anguish, the desperate need to feel loved again. It was the perfect way to tell this story, and what a story it was.

LOOKING IN: This was such a sad world to be peeking in on; watching an emotionally wrought woman while she desperately tries to save her sanity and her marriage. But it begged the question: at what cost? What order of responsibility did she owe herself? Save herself, her sanity, and her kids? Save her marriage that was crumbling, quite rapidly, right in front of her, no matter what she did? Or should she save herself, move forward and pick up the pieces since there was no fight left? It was a heavy read; it was even a sad read at some points. But man, it was a goooood read. I really enjoyed this one a lot.

I have to say, I absolutely, unequivocally fell in love with Leo, her husband. The twist broke my heart in this book, but it made me see him in a whole new light. I understood his actions. I understood his pain. But Lia and Leo had a love that did not have an expiration date. They needed to fight for what they knew was true in their hearts. It was a journey, one that I needed to take with them and feel alongside them. I. Loved. This. Story.

REAL TALK: In the beginning, I had a very hard time with the way the scenes just abruptly ended; there wasn't any follow through. A big fight would happen and then nothing was done, we'd just move on. The angst would be building perfectly, the tension would be mounting and then.....nothing. It would just quit. It made for choppy feelings in some parts and made me pause for thinking. But after reading the entire book, I understood exactly why she did that. It aided in the storytelling, added a bit of intrigue, but in the beginning, it was a rough start for me. So please don't let that stop you....push through it and keep going. This one was truly a great story and I can't wait to discuss it.

This one also took me a little longer to read. Once or twice I was able to put it down and walk away, but not because it was bad. Gosh, no. I wasn't completely taken in the beginning because, while it was a new voice for me, it was also a new cadence. It flowed just fine, but it was still an adjustment period for me. The synopsis piqued my interest immediately, so that wasn't an issue for me. I was able to walk away at first, but not completely. My mind was still held captive. I thought about the story the entire time I was away, busying myself with my thoughts while I debated what was happening. It drew me back each time, and I am so glad I finished this one. Look, I know cheating is a trigger for some and it pisses off many readers, but it doesn't for me. Not even a little bit, because I'm a firm believer that there are always three sides to every story: yours, theirs and the truth. But when cheating is the drive, the catalyst for the emotions in the book, I like to look at the reasons, the circumstances, the emotions that are happening during the book so I can better understand the WHY. And Ella told this story with all that in mind. All my questions were answered. It felt real. It felt heartbreaking and true. I love the intricacies of cheating/triangles, and why the heart gets so caught up when the mind isn't always on board. The why is what drives me to seek answers. I love that part and I loved that about this book.

I will say this much; this quote right here summed up the emotions in the story for me quite literally. It was a passage that made me pause because after seeing what Lia and her husband went through, this just spoke to me. It doesn't give anything away, but it makes you think:

Memories are funny things. Some are so palpable that you feel as if you’re right there, experiencing everything all over again. The scents, tastes, the weather, the sliding of skin on skin, and the feelings that made your heart swell double in size. 


Whereas others flit away, like cast off threads in your mind, feeling forever out of reach. Forgotten. Until one day, they decide to unravel from your conscience and knock you sideways by taking you back. Back to someplace you’d give anything to forget, or that you’d sell a piece of your soul to revisit just one more time. 

~BEE

PURCHASE 



~MEET ELLA FIELDS~
Ella Fields is a mother and wife who lives in the land Down Under. While her kids are in school, you might find her talking about her characters and books to her two cats. She's a notorious chocolate and notebook hoarder who enjoys creating hard-won happily ever afters.

~CONNECT WITH ELLA~

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