Saturday 15 February 2014

review :: Lifers by Jane Harvey-Berrick


Sometimes you come across an author that writes books which are just... different. These books are amazing, breathtaking, daring, ballsy. Real books about real topics everyone else is seemingly too scared to address, but which Jane gladly takes on and brings home in the most beautiful, unique and heartfelt way. 

I fell head over heels in love with her books "The Education of Sebastian" and "The Education of Caroline", both of which are about a relationship between a married woman in her 30's and a boy in his late teens - namely 17 years old. I'm all about these "taboo" reads because they bring that "omph" you crave in a book every once in a while, you know what I'm saying? Not only because they're shocking and all, but because they bring such real emotion out of you, in that "so wrong it's right" kind of way. It reminds you that life's not black and white, but rather black and white and grey and yellow and pink and neon. And that's what Lifers is all about!

In a nutshell, Jordan Kane was labeled the ex-con for a mistake he made when he was too young to know any better. He paid his dues in prison for eight years, but still, everyone in town hated his guts with such fiery passion, I was floored. Literally. My heart squeezed inside my chest in pity for Jordan a million times during this book. Whenever we switched to his POV - which was aaaah-mazing! -, I wanted to cuddle him, run my hands through his hair and softly whisper 'everything will be okay' in his ear. It was THAT sad. 

“Go on now! You skedaddle!” snapped Hector. “The preacher-lady has done gotten her good deed for the day and I don’t want you on my property no more.”
I nodded, expecting nothing less.
“Murderer!” he yelled after me, as I drove away.
I expected that, too.

Sigh... Can you imagine living like this? I think what slayed me the most wasn't the outspoken hatred he got from everyone in town. I think he could attempt to brush it off his shoulder if he had a good support system at home. But, alas, he didn't. And that's what punched me in the stomach that much harder.

“I don’t think you do!” she said, her voice shaking with fury. “Every time I look at you it sickens me! All I can see is your brother’s cold, dead body rottin’ in that grave, and you’re walkin’ around wearin’ his clothes, breathin’ God’s good air. It’s not fair. It’s just plain wrong!”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” I yelled back. “Don’t you think I wish a thousand times a day that it had been me and not him?”
Momma’s eyes snapped to mine. “I wish that, too.”

On the other side of the spectrum, Torrey Delaney is the daughter of a preacher lady... but is the most rebellious kid in town. You guys, you have NOT seen a firecracker until you meet Torrey. Guaranteed, 150% true, lay down my life to prove this. She is the BOMB.COM. Yes, ma'am, I said that. And yes, ma'am, Jordan did call Torrey ma'am like a gazillion times at first. It was hilarious.

We sat there in comfortable silence for several minutes. Well, I think she was comfortable—my dick was so hard, looking at those long legs of hers stretched out in front—comfortable was the last thing I was.
She seemed to be staring into the distance, but I guess she must have noticed my condition after all, because she said in a conversational tone, “If you want to use the bathroom to jack off, better do it now because I’m going to take a shower in a minute.”

And she's stuck living with her momma, the preacher lady. Her mom left them when Torrey was 13, to "pursue her true calling". Ever since that day, Torrey has resented her to hell and back...so imagine living together, with Torrey being a spitfire and Reverend a preacher lady. Yep!!

“Fine. You busted me eye-fucking the hot handyman. So sue me.”
“I don’t want you talking like that, Torrey!”
“Oh, jeez, Mom! I didn’t hump him on the porch!”
“There’s no need to be so crude!”

Aha! Funny, no? But yes, Jordan a.k.a. the introvert and Torrey a.k.a. the fearless spitfire... boooooy, what a match. What. A. Match!!! My brain was telling me to brace myself for this tough ride, and so I did. But not nearly as well as I should have.

“Well? How do I look?”
Beautiful. Gorgeous. Sexy. Off limits.
“Um, fine,” I managed to squeeze out.
She raised her eyebrows. “You smooth talking stud. I can see that I’m going to have to watch myself with you.”

It was truly a treat to see Torrey and Jordan's relationship blossom slowly, it made everything that much more gratifying. Jordan was genuinely one of the sweetest heroes I've ever come across in my lifetime, and seeing him struggle so harshly with his own demons while attempting not to think about suicide at times was the most heartbreaking thing I've had to read in a while. I will let you read on to find out what happened that lead him to prison for eight years but I'd honestly advise you to buckle up before you start this emotional ride... because there's a ton of bumps along the way! But rest assured, it's all worth it in the end.

Jane's books give you a chance to look at things from a different perspective, and to see the world in a million other shades other than simply black and white. You will laugh, you will cry and you will most definitely swoon and fall in love with the MC's!

He took a shuddering breath. “I love you, Torrey Delaney. You don’t have to say it back to me, but I love you. I didn’t believe life was worth living ‘til I met you. I’m so, so happy I was wrong.”

♥♥♥

RATING :: 5 stars
SEX SCENES :: Steamy
GENRE :: Contemporary romance, drama, dark
AUDIENCES :: 18+
LENGTH :: 382 pages
HAPPY ENDING :: Yes
SEQUEL :: No }

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