Ache

Bea and Liam’s story will stick with you long after you finish reading it. It’s such a beautiful tale about love, loss, resilience, and second chances. Highly recommended!

First of all, let me start by saying I have NEVER read a novel that has torn me up so much inside and yet brought me so much happiness! This was a tough read, but yet so rewarding! Ache tells the story of how true love and determination can help someone overcome such devastation as abuse. This was so much more than Bea and Liam’s story! This is real life people! Ache is a story I will not be forgetting anytime soon because it touched me so much more than I can explain!

Thank you S.M. Soto for such a beautifully written story and not giving up by leaving it after being told it was too closely written about real life! There are so many people I know you have touched by this story including me. So many that have thought after any form of abuse that there’s nowhere else to go from the pain. This story will give you the hope you desperately need to know you’re not broken forever!

Bea is a carefree teenager that loves Astronomy, her best friend, and her mother. When she meets Liam, her best friends cousin she knows she will never be the same again. Together they become friends and fall completely in love with each other. After Liam realizes to reach his dream by playing professional baseball he’s going to have to move back home. Bea is devastated and after that night she will never be the same.

Although what Bea experiences, you will see she really is a strong, courageous woman. I could keep going but if I go any further with my thoughts it will be a total spoiler. If you’re thinking you can’t read anything like this because these are touchy topics, put that behind you! In the end you will be glad you read it! Grab some tissues and a bottle of wine and dive in!

Ache by S.M Soto has jumped straight up to my TOP 3 favorite reads of 2019! This book is EVERYTHING!

So first off let me say that there is a warning for a reason, there are quite a few graphic scenes including rape, suicide, and abuse that could be a trigger for some.

I wasn’t even 4 chapters in when I realized I was completely captivated in Bea and Liam’s story. Reading Ache took me a lot longer than it normally would have because at some points I had to just stop and catch my breath. Ache is a really emotional read that will break you down over and over again, but just remember there is a HEA. I won’t lie and say I didn’t shed a few tears because I most definitely did. S.M Soto is a brilliant writer and you truly feel like you aren’t just reading, you are totally IN the scene with them and feeling the emotions come straight off the page… it was absolutely magical.

Soto turned a truly tragic story into a story of love, understanding, and hope.

Bea Norwood at 13 years old has had a normal childhood. Bea’s father isn’t in the picture so it’s just been her and her mom. They aren’t rich but they are comfortable and Bea has had a nice life. But life for Bea is about to change. Her mother just married Robert and he and his son Connor are moving in with them.

When her best friend, Myrah that lives directly across the street tells her that her cousin is moving in with her for the Summer it’s enough to take her mind off the impending changes happening over at her own house.

The first time Bea sees Liam she’s immediately fascinated by the shaggy-haired, blue-eyed, bad boy.

The two of them develop a friendship and a relationship that’s just… more. Bea and Liam have the kind of first love romance that every young girl dreams of having.

Their relationship continues to grow but in order to follow the dreams that Liam has for Bea and him, he has to leave Lakeport.

Which means leaving Bea behind.

What Liam doesn’t know is that the night he left was the catalyst to Bea’s life being completely shattered.

After what happens that night… and continues to happen. Bea pushes everyone away. She stops answering Liam’s calls, she stops talking to Myrah. She is a shell of the girl she used to be, and she’s drowning with no one to help pull her up. Memories of the love she had before are her only solace now.

For 6 long years, Bea’s life has been unimaginably traumatic and lonely.

But Bea’s life is about to change once again because Liam Falcon is back in Lakeport.

But now Liam isn’t just her ex-best friend’s cousin and the boy next door. Unbeknownst to Bea, he’s now known as Liam ‘The Gunner’ Falcon, the San Francisco Giant’s all-time best pitcher.

Liam went on to complete those goals that Bea and he had set together, the only thing he’s missing is the girl that he left behind.

Liam doesn’t understand why Bea just stopped answering his calls, and once he catches a glimpse of the girl she is now, he doesn’t even recognize his “sweet Bea” anymore.

Liam is still madly in love with Bea, he’s never been able to get over her and he’s determined to either win her heart back or finally get some closure.

But what Liam doesn’t know is he’s never not had her heart. Bea still loves him but there are other factors at play… and things that Liam nor anyone else knows.

What is Bea hiding? What’s happened to her in the 6 years that Liam has been gone? Can he win her heart again or will he finally get the closure he needs to walk away…?

You’ll have to read Ache to find out for yourself.

Liam is the sweetest boy, and as a man, he’s even better! The way he loves and protects Bea leaves you with no doubt that he literally LIVES and BREATHES for this girl. It’s incredible to watch their story unfold. Even though there are a couple of times you want to shake him, it’s clear that he would do absolutely anything for her.

“Bea, I’ve wanted you to be mine since I first laid eyes on you. I don’t just want to be your boyfriend, I want to be your everything.”

“Listen to me, Bea, I don’t care how many girls you think like me, because I don’t want any of them. I don’t even see any of them. I just want you. Sweet B, you’re easily the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on. With your thick brown hair, pink plump lips,” he runs his finger over my lower lip sensually. “and that beautiful milky skin. Don’t even get me started on those eyes…they’re my favorite part of you. I could stare into your eyes all day, and never get tired of it. You are everything to me, Bea. I don’t want to rush into this, not with you.”

Sweet Bea. Bless her heart. You can literally feel the pain she goes through in every single word during her worst moments. My heart broke over and over for her. She is the strongest heroine I’ve ever read. No matter how beaten down she was, she endured and she survived!

That ending… I can’t even put it into words.

“And I can finally breathe. The pain is gone. The ache is gone. I’m finally free.”

Thank you to S.M. Soto for bringing light to something that doesn’t get talked about very often, if at all. Things like this happen all the time, and most of the time it’s happening in the homes where you would LEAST expect it.

I’ve seen a few reviews saying why didn’t she just tell someone, her friend, her mom, etc. or why let it go on for so long. Well, let me just tell you, until you or someone you care about is in a situation like that, please don’t judge how we all deal.

This story is RAW and REAL! If you aren’t ready for that then think again before opening this one up, but if what you are looking for is a book that will envoke a plethora of emotions with every single sentence, then trust me when I tell you, Ache is the book for you.

*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.

Ache was a beautifully heartbreaking story. I knew it was going to be emotional going in but I was not prepared for this book.

Ache is a story about young love that takes a dark and devastating turn. Bea and Liam find each other young in life and both knew each other was it. Life happens though and dreams still need to be reached and when a break is taken the unthinkable begins. I don’t want to give anything away but what happens to Bea in her life is not something I can put into words. It’s horrifying, however as you continue to read her story you see her struggling to come back to herself. To shine brighter than her tormentor and it is so uplifting to see her fight. Liam does what he thinks is best with only knowing half a story but thru it all he is such a stand up guy you can’t help but love him.

It really was a great story and one that I couldn’t put down once I began.

Liam and Bells story broke me to pieces. They found each other and as things were going so well fate takes another turn leaving Bells behind with a broken heart and the beginning of her nightmares. She endures so much from a monster that she is a shell of the person she used to be so when Liam comes back to town, he doesn’t recognize the girl who has his heart even years later. Liam is determined to get his girl back, but monsters lurk at every turn and fate may not allow them to find their way back. The only person that seems to soothe her soul is the guy that left and never came back until now, but she sees herself as and worthy disgusting person and thinks Liam can do so much better. This book goes through so many twists and turns as Bells tries to find herself again and Liam is determined to help her every step of the way. This story shattered my heart in ways I can’t describe, and I hurt so bad for all that Bells goes through but I also hurt for the love that her and Liam lost. Can she fight her demons or will she let them drag her down and lose the love of her life while doing so or will Liam show her she is worthy of everything beautiful and most of all worthy of their love? (triggers for some readers)

There are no words that could possibly even describe what the heck this book did to me. It was, just, WOW. There are so many triggers, so many moments that haunted me, but the best part was watching Bea rise up from the ashes. She is so strong, so beautifully and generously strong, I was rooting for her (girl power!). I honestly wouldn’t recommend this if you’re not into crying. Because this book will make you cry. It’s not just about love, it’s about perseverance and finally confronting demons. The title is quite appropriate because this book will have every single part of you aching. I came out, in the end, a bit battered but my heart was honestly so full. A beautiful, beautiful story.

I thought I knew what I was getting into. I love SM Soto, but I had been putting off reading this book because I knew I couldn’t read it if I myself was in a fragile place- I’d heard the warnings, I knew this story would gut me, it would tear my heart out and leave me raw. I wasn’t wrong- this isn’t an easy love story. Ache is aptly named- this is a complicated story, a story of the survival of horrific trauma. This story is about what happens to love, to lovers, when love is steeped in tragedy, when love is battling brutality, when love might be too late.

Ache is the love story of Bea and Liam- who found passionate young love as teenagers that grew out of a friendship. A love that superseded that shallow teenage obsession, it was a true connection- this was a soulmate kind of love. But Ache is also the story of the complete degradation and descent into darkness of Bea, a tale of fragile survival and hope- the story that begins when Bea and Liam’s young love is tragically cut short when life and fate intervenes- Liam’s dreams call him away. That story picks up 6 years later, when Liam returns to find a heartbreakingly different version of Bea. How can he figure out how their relationship unraveled when it is Bea herself that has unraveled- when Bea is a shell of herself? Happiness is hard-earned as these two find their way back to each other.

Oh Bea. I’m not sure my heart has hurt for any character I’ve read as much as her. She truly suffers- her journey is devastating and gutting. Her strength, her will to survive unthinkable physical and emotional abuse, is nothing short of astoundingly beautiful. SM gives us an unflinching look into the experience and mindset of the abused-the gradual destruction of a person psychologically blow by blow. She loses herself, doubts her worthiness- and this story is about her battle to reclaim herself, the battle for love, and battle for her to be able to accept love. Her quest to recognize she can be both a victim and a survivor- and survive she does.

And Liam, we get to see the best and worst of him. At his core, he’s a sweetie. He’s so compassionate and caring, he truly lives for Bea. He wants to support her, protect her. But he’s flawed, makes mistakes- at times ones that had me screaming, but Bea was always his heart, always his purpose.

This story hurts- it leaves a gaping wound in your chest, and even when we reach the end, that wound was still bleeding. Months later, I’m pretty sure it still is. I screamed, I cried, I got pissed, and then I cried some more. There is so much emotional contrast here- so many highs and loves. SM does a brilliant job of using the narrative structure to really take us through the gauntlet- with our story moving back and forth in time to help us understand our characters and their connection. To fully immerse us in Bea’s reality. This structure not only keeps us immersed in the heartwrenching lived experience of our heroine, shattering us over and over, but it also heightens that romantic tension- that LONGING for something good, for real and healthy love. The moments of sweetness and joy, when I swooned and sighed, felt even more vivid as the result of the juxtaposition to the emotional lows, the moments when my heart hurt so much I felt like I needed to pause to remember how to breathe. This book is an emotional experience, felt rather than read.

I’m glad I finally made my way here- even though my heart is still raw- because like so many SM stories, this is about hope- hope that there is restoration after destruction, hope that from the ashes we can rise. Hope that love can heal, can inspire. Hope that we can overcome, just like Bea, and find something beautiful on the other side of the pain.

Ache (A Second Chance Romance) is scripted in very explicit vivid details, told in two parts; past and present with flashbacks. I personally would not categorize this as a second chance romance as it is more like women’s literature with a dabble of romance. The romance is not the spotlight and plays a secondary role. The cover is beautiful and a bit misleading, but the title fits. The writing style is eloquent. A very dark listen/read with lucid scenes of rape/sexual abuse, not for the faint at heart. I struggled with the character’s decisions and ways of thinking. I was hoping to see more of a survivor finding her courage but it
was more about letting someone ride to the rescue. I wanted to love Liam, but couldn’t as there was zero character development for him. His character felt two dimensional and extremely disappointing as part of the book is told in his pov. I didn’t find the chemistry between Bea and Liam to be very exciting. The ending is the reward with a sweet epilogue.

Narrators Ava Erickson, Joe Arden flawless performance brings the character’s to reality. However, this one is all Ava as most of the narrative is told in Bea’s pov. Her impeccable performance personifies her talent. Her inflection was smooth and changed when needed. Excellent choice for narrator who brings the character’s and narrative to a whole new level.

Ache was such a difficult book to read but I know that Bea and Liam’s story is one that will stay with me forever. There is a content warning for a reason. It is raw, it is emotional and I applaud S.M. Soto for creating a story that must have been just as tough to write as it was for me to read. I really appreciated her letter to the reader that was waiting for us once the story ended. She questioned whether publishing a book with the amount of detail that she goes into was appropriate and the correct decision to make. Personally, I believe a story should be written in the way that the author feels it should be conveyed and I do feel that her decision is the right one. I don’t think the book would have the same impact if the content had been left to our imaginations, as it was vital that we got to see and understand exactly what Bea was going through. Real life isn’t all sunny days and roses, and because of how the story was told, I had more understanding.
The author also said that as readers we would probably have wanted to put the book down and walk away a couple of times, well actually no, not me! There was no way I could have put my kindle down as I needed to know if everything was going to be okay – if Bea was going to survive her ordeal. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t have walked away no matter what.

Ache is the one book that I can say is outstanding, but one I’ll possibly never re-read. Don’t get me wrong I am so pleased that I read this heart wrenching story, but I don’t think I will be able to re-live it. I had a steady stream of tears seeping from my eyes as I turned the pages. The heartache, the angst, the love, the loss, the pain, the need for someone to stop what was happening were all there – and I know these emotions are going to be with me for quite some time.

I have taken the positive message from the story though, and I think it is very important to recognise this. For all the heartache and sadness that you will experience reading this book, there is the message of hope and survival. The importance of love and friendship which can provide the strength that is often needed when going through tough times, and we see this throughout the book.

This book gets a full five star rating from me, although it has left me with a few questions. I will often end a review asking you to read the books that I’ve rated highly but this time I leave that decision up to you. I thought the author did an incredible job of telling this story and even though I will say once again it was a tough story to read, I have absolutely no regrets about reading it.

Ache is a difficult read. It deals with some less than appetizing subject matter. But it is an inspiring book, with some very endearing characters. Characters that are complex, but also frustrating. You will want to club one or two with your Kindle. But Ache is also a book that makes you want to root for it’s characters. It isn’t always pleasant, but good books aren’t always easy to read. 4 Fantastic Stars!