You have to save yourself… alone.
Sometimes you need a little help…
Marcus just might be the light Ebony needs to show her how beautiful life can truly be, if she would just notice him. He knows nothing is ever easy, but it is always worth it in the end. He’s got his own story to tell and she’s the only one he wants to share it with.
What would it take to let someone in?
Letting Marcus into her world might be the hardest thing Ebony has ever done, and when her past threatens to drag her back under again, will he be able to handle it? Can Ebony win against, what has always seemed like, insurmountable odds?
This is a standalone romance with content that some might find triggering.
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Be My Light turned out to be an emotionally evocative story about a young girl who suffered in silence and finally found her voice. It’s about how she barely lived an existence and how she found reasons to thrive. It’s about confronting the very thing that serves to break us and the beauty and pain of healing, hoping, and happily ever after.
Without getting too personal, it was entirely too easy to identify with Ebony. Anyone who has been abused as a child, who has lived in a home of dysfunction, and/or who has experienced any type of childhood trauma could relate, even a little, to Ebony’s journey. I felt like the author was telling my story with a wee bit of embellishment. When did she get inside my head and dig through some of my ugliest memories? It was absolute insanity reading this story and while at times I felt overwhelmed by my emotions, I couldn’t loosen my grip on this book. It held me within its thrall from start to finish. Reavis captured Ebony and her truth so stunningly that it was impossible to look away.
This story wasn’t technically perfect but for the way that it spoke to me, for the way that it will forever touch so many of us, it is more than deserving of all of the stars I can give.
An emotionally challenging read, I felt it ALL!
Just when I thought this book could not surprise me or make me feel anything more, it did on more levels than I could have ever seen coming. The highs and lows are beautifully written and allow the reader to experience them right alongside of the characters. I found myself laughing through tears, angry and indignant, to feeling touched only to start all over again!
Ebony is an embattled young woman who has had to endure more than anyone’s fair share of heartache and pain. After enduring something ugliness at the hands of those who were meant to protect her, she turned to the one person she should never have to question being in her corner, only to be brutally rebuffed and disbelieved. She found herself full of rage, sadness, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. She has younger siblings who she must protect, but there is none to protect her, to offer a balm to her ravaged soul. Her young life has been riddled with abuse after abuse and she finds herself losing hope she will ever find her way out of the darkness.
Just when she felt like she had truly had enough, she meets Marcus. An extraordinary young man who slowly shows her it is ok to live, really live and let go of the hurt and anger that weighed her down. She meets new people who are willing to help her climb out of the fog she has been in for so long. Marcus is patient, kind, and so loving that it opens her eyes to new possibilities. Their chemistry is off the charts! He shows her what it is to be truly loved.
To finally, after all of what she has been and continues to go through, have someone who not only believes her without question, but is there to help carry her burdens is a small glimmer of hope, a true light in darkness.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good read. This book is deeply satisfying on many levels and will not disappoint.
Ari Reavis’ debut novel, Be My Light is about a young girls journey of overcoming trauma and finding first love.
Ebony was raised by her mom although she was more of a parental figure to her younger siblings. She meets Marcus for the first time when he stops by her house with school work because of a suspension.
It was an insta-love between Marcus and Ebony which was believable because we all know how teenage love goes. They share their love and communicate a lot of their feelings through music. Ebony learns what trust and love is all about through Marcus.
There are some heavy topics that are discussed and dealt with. This books contains issues with sexual assault, suicide and abuse.
Overall, Be My Light is a book I recommend. I look forward to reading more from Ari Reavis.