HURTAward Winning Author Lydia Michaels enters the world of DARK ROMANCE with an unforgettably suspenseful psychological thriller!IT’S GOING TO HURT…Callan MacGregor might speak with the eloquence of a Scottish poet, but a hard life has turned him into a merciless killer. With a first-hand account of hell, he trusts nothing and no one but the hollow hurt tortured into his bones. Sacrificing … his bones. Sacrificing all, he must escape Scotland to survive.
Emery Tanner is captivated—to the point of obsession—by the stunning Scotsman tending bar at the Imperial Hotel. With as many dark secrets as he has scars, she hungers to know every exquisite inch of him, but her shy nature leaves her tongue-tied. Despite her sense that innate kindness rests beneath his savage surface, Callan MacGregor is a man to approach with caution—if not fear.
When tragedy strikes and Emery’s world is shattered, she learns just how ruthless Callan can be. Violence has shaped his soul and love has always led to loss in both their broken lives. But as secrets are exposed, they find truth within the hurt and awaken a desire to become whole once more.
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Love can drive you. Love can destroy you. Love can save you. Lydia Michaels can tell a story, even a horrific one, like no other. For Callan and Emery this is a dark, violent, and tearful journey, filled with vengeance and tons of cruelty and Hurt but also hope, on their way toward healing, trust, and Love. So many emotions while reading, and I wanted to get to the end, but I also didn’t want to. You will love Callan and Emery, so enjoy this intense read, but be warned – there are parts that will Hurt. Definitely for mature readers only.
I received an ARC and wrote my honest review voluntarily.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. The writing is hauntingly beautiful. The chilling tragedies and heartache seep into your bones and linger long after the story ends. The tortured hero is my favorite trope, and my gawd, this hero embodies everything I look for in a character–complicated, brutal, vulnerable, sympathetic, possessive, protective, and hot as hell. Add in his Scottish accent, and lord help me, I can’t get enough. Gah, this love story is so dark and perfect. Everyone needs to read this book.
An Intense & Thrilling Ride! Awesome Story & Listen
Hurt
The Hurt Series, Book 1
By: Lydia Michaels
Narrated by: Thomas Bestwick, Lucinda Gainey
The truth is in the hurt, wow this book moved me like no other, it is a heart-rendering and gut-wrenching story, with raw and intense moments that are difficult to get thru yet I could not put the book down. Lydia Michaels is a gifted author, not too many can pull off such a beautifully written “ugly” story, and no, it is not all ugly but the parts that are live up to the title, they hurt your heart. Her characters are complex after watching what they endured it is easy to understand how they got to that breaking point. Life in Scotland has not been good the Callan MacGregor and his family, but he always tried to do the right thing for them, taking care of his sister Innis and his younger brother Gavin and looking to better their lives, as well as their future. He fought in the underground circuit to make money once he made enough he was going to retire. The payoff was going to be large enough from his last fight to get him and his family out of the hellhole they lived it. But everything goes to hell that night, he gets approached by some trying to pay him off the throw the fight; he refuses the money and wins the fight but that payoff money never made it back to the one wanting him to throw the fight and he retaliated in the worst possible way, against his family. Callan goes off the deep end and lives for one thing, revenge. The story jumps time lines and brings us to the US, seven years later, Callan is working in a hotel bar. Emery Tanner works the desk, a sweet, quiet girl whom he has his eye on, he cares about her but does not know how to have a relationship and is afraid if he tried he would hurt her. Emery has her eye on him as well and he turns out to be the one to help her after a brutal and vicious crime. It is he who is there for her and it turns out she can help him too. This dark and intense romantic thriller takes you on a wild and thrilling emotional rollercoaster ride, it is a cleverly plotted story with plenty of drama, angst, twists and turn, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and a beautiful romance for two broken souls. Lydia Michaels, thank you for this beautifully written and moving story, it is one that will stay with me for a very long time. I would love to see Innis get her own book.
And for the amazing narration, Thomas Bestwick and Lucinda Gainey were the perfect cast to bring these characters and their story to life. They had a complete understanding of the characters they portrayed, giving each a voice that suits their character’s persona to a tee, sounding believable in every role they play and just as I pictured the character to sound. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into their performance. These talented narrators are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this awesome listen!
Do not ignore the author’s TRIGGER WARNINGS.
Callan MacGregor is an underground prize fighter trying to save enough money to make a better life for himself, his young brother, and his barely adult sister. A lot of money changes hands at these fights and he comes to the attention of some dangerous people.
Emery Tanner is a young woman who has a secret crush on Callan MacGregor. She herself comes under the attention of another dangerous man. Soon Emery and Callan’s lives are thrust together and Callan must face his demons as he helps Emery face hers.
This is the first book I’ve ever read by Lydia Michaels. At 9% I had the general overall plot of the book figured out but the details of the story are what make this book spectacular. Lydia Michaels is a master at extracting the most exquisitely painful details. How she described the first fight scene had me hooked. There was a lot of foreshadowing in the story but I always hoped that I was wrong. The story was told in flashbacks. Generally this style really irritates me but it was necessary to draw out the kind of emotion needed to experience the story as it needed to be experienced.
The characters are well developed and you felt their emotions like they were your own. Ms. Michaels shows you the story instead of telling you. You can picture the scenes as if you are there. She really knows her craft.
There are twists that I didn’t see coming. There are brief moments of humor that made me laugh out loud. There were times that I actually cried for the pain these characters endured.
I didn’t want to put the book down. If I’d had my druthers I would only have taken breaks to go to the bathroom and eat, but life gets in the way sometimes. I hated for the story to end but our hero and heroine get their HEA and I couldn’t ask for more.
The overall message this story gives is a timely one referring to the lack of women’s rights in our male dominated world.
I understand that the book is part of a series. There is one piece of the story that is left unresolved so I think that’s where the next book will spring from. I loved this book and hope to read the next one in the series. Hopefully it won’t take the author three years to write it.
5 stars for Hurt by Lydia Michaels. This is book 1 in the Hurt Series. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is book is a dark romance, filled with suspense. I am going to warn anyone right now that if you have triggers, then this book is not for you. The first thing that made me want to read this book was the cover. I like how at first you aren’t sure if it is a paranormal book or not. Just so you know, it is not a paranormal book in any way. The flames surrounding him, make you think about fire and the hero being in pain. This made me want to read this story and discover what had hurt him so much. In the book we meet Callan and Emery. Callan is a Scottish man who has been in America know for 3 years. He has been working at a hotel where he meets Emery. He is instantly attracted to her but knows he can never have her because she would be hurt. He has been thru so much , and suffered every day because of the things he has done. Emery is shy but wants Callan more than anything. After a tragic event happens these two are brought together. They are both suffering, just in different ways. “The hurt, though enduring, never permanently removed those pleasant emotions. It only temporarily obstructed his ability to feel them.”
This story is not for the faint of heart. It does go back and forth between the past and the present so we can better understand who Callan is. I hope that we will learn more from these characters. I did feel like the ending was a little rushed , but other than that I look forward to reading more about this series.
Hurt is all he knew since his beginning. Hurt is what he gave. Fighting is what he knew. He was unstoppable. Then the unthinkable happened, he lost everything. He became a weapon. When he thought he had nothing left to lose, they stripped him a shred more. They should’ve stopped.
She is everything beautiful in the world. Simple, beautiful, and sweet. Then the world has it’s way with her in one destructive act. She is left broken.
Broken people have never been more beautiful than this story. It is dark and not for the feint of heart. Its gruesome and will make you fear for others then leave you in tears. In the end, you will breathe a sigh of relief you didnt know you needed.
Triggers abound here. Dark and twisty.
Rape, drugs, murder, trafficking, abuse in the highest forms, mention of pedophilia.
A beautiful HEA. This blew me away
This book absolutely SHATTERED ME! So many emotions. It was dark but it was so so so good. I was in fact shattered for days afterwards, needing some recovery time as it was very graphic and had trigger after trigger after trigger. This couple has gone through so much it is absolutely heart breaking. And he especially has seen done a lot. Lydia wrote a fantastic book! I can’t say enough good….and I can’t wait for more.
Between the emotional ups and downs and all of the hauntingly beautiful writing. It could possibly be a hard read, but for those who like dark romance it is a great addition to your library. The writing is griping! I was hooked from the first few pages! I can not wait to see where she takes this series!
This dark romance has many trigger warnings and is not for everyone. But it is a written with so much depth and emotion, it will take you on a twisted journey of love and hate. Callan and Emery are polar opposites, but each character is broken and has to rebuild their lives after traumatic events. They help each other heal and to love, to find beauty in what is shattered.
unusual and captivating!! Intense and dark!!
This was my first Lydia Michaels book and what a shockingly emotional, dark and devasting read it was!! This dark psychological romance thriller will rip you apart with the tragedies and torture Callan endures during his life while trying to protect and care for those he loves. The hero is everything in this book…he is protective, complex, possessive, ferocious, and devoted! And his Scottish accent….well who doesn’t love that!
Callan and Emery’s are both subjected to very painful scenes that not only Hurts them but will Hurt you in the process. The heartache will chill you to the bone while these characters fight for survival to come out on the other side. This book mesmerizing and beautiful written and blew my mind. It is a must read for Dark Romance lovers that have no triggers.
TAKE NOTE TO THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!!!! Lydia Michaels warns you up front that this book has some major triggers warnings. Therefore, adhere to those before diving in!! If you have triggers, this book will certainly pull them out of you so proceed with caution!
Sometimes I wonder why I love dark romance… I now have a new dark romance writer who reminds me. It’s the emotion that is drawn from every pour, the signals your brain makes to your heart, to your tear ducts, to your fingers, to your toes! What an amazing story. Callan and Emery… WOW! Thw words in this novel kept me glued to the pages, and caused me to neglect almost everything I was supposed to do!
This was an amazing book!! It definitely has triggers so take notice of the warning posted by the author. Hurt was raw and emotional! It is a DARK but Romantic Thriller that kept me wanting to read more. There were some parts that was hard to get through but you’re glad you kept reading because the book blows you away!!
This book was really well written. I can’t wait to read more from Lydia Michaels! I definitely recommend reading this book if you enjoy a DARK storyline!!
5 Stars
Not sure how to begin. This book gutted me. It is dark, beware. But it has light at the end of the tunnel. I was enraptured with this tale. The characters, all of them, I felt I knew personally and went through everything they did. The truly sorrowful time Callan and his family and best friend went through was unimaginable. And Emery. The bond between her and Callan is special. The story is told from the past and is weaved into the present. It was genius how Lydia Michaels wrote it. This is a story no review can do justice. It is something you have to experience firsthand. It is perfectly sorrowful and cruel, yet tender and loving. You will feel everything that these characters felt. Perfectly written!
This book is considered a dark book, I advise to please read the warnings before entering this book.
First of all what can I say this is the first book I read from this author, and what haunting sad and dark book. I have to say I fell in love with these characters. The Hero is a person who’s whole life has seen nothing but pain and misery, trying to save his siblings. The heroine is also a strong woman who goes thru some dark moments in her life.
I loved how the book gives you both characters POV, some scenes as mention before are dark but at the same time so haunting beautiful of what some people will do and go through for their love ones.
Loved this book, can’t wait for book 2 in the series.
Wow, my head is still spinning from Callan’s tale of events. Going into this story I knew he was a fighter in Scotland, but I had a hard time connecting with his story in the beginning. Once Callan’s story started to unfold, it was soon hard to keep up.
Callan is a dark beast, not to be messed with. He’s been through some really tragic events that turned him to only having dark left within himself. He learned he was capable of doing things he’d never thought possible. He was hurt, mourned for loss. He was caught in the ring of people he wanted nothing to do with and needed to escape. He sought out revenge to justify his hurt and pain. When he meets Emery, his softer side slowly starts to appear and he wants nothing more then to be a protecter. He will do so without a hesitation. He doesn’t know how to love and still fears his dark beast that resides in him.
All in all, this story was good. Sadly it went from starting out so slowly to having way to much going on. I felt like I was reading two books at the same time throughout most of this book. The time jumps were too often and too eventful.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review.
Callan MacGregor might speak with the eloquence of a Scottish poet, but a hard life has turned him into a merciless killer. With a first-hand account of hell, he trusts nothing and no one but the hollow hurt turtured into his bones. Sacrificing all, he must escape Scotland to survive. Emery Tanner is captivate-to the point of obsession by the stunnint Scotsman tending bar at the Imperial Hotel. With as many dark secrets as he has scars, she hungers to know every exquisite inch of him, but her shy nature leaves her tongue-tied. Despite her sense that innate kindness rests beneath his savage surface, Callan MacGregor is a man to approach with caution-if no fear. When traged strikes and Emery’s world is shattered, she lears just how ruthless Callan can be. Violence has shaped his soul and love has always led to loss in both their broken lives But as secrets are exposed, they find truth within the hurt and awaken a desire to become whole once more.
Holy wow. Just grab this book and start reading. It is one of the best books I have read all year. This book is equally haunting and hearbreaking and you will feel everything down to your very bones. If you just read one book this year then this needs to be it. I went into this story blind and I think that is the way y’all need to do it to. I loved it. I devoured it!!! And I am absolutely dealing with one heck of a book hangover.
This was a dark emotional heart wrenching read about Callan and Emery. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. This story had all the feels: heartache, hurt, trauma, so much darkness, tragedy, sacrifice, hope, light, forgiveness and such beautiful love. I couldn’t stop reading until I finished this dark, thrilling, twisty, delicious story. Loved this story and I can’t wait to read more
When Lydia Michaels announced she was writing a dark romance, I was immediately intrigued. Heeding her cautionary trigger warnings, I trusted her to entertain me with a story that is outside my normal realm of reviewing. It took me a week to work up the nerve to read the arc, but once I started I found myself captivated by Callan and Emery’s stories. This book is NOT for the faint of heart and the content warnings were appropriate. The H/h individual stories are full of pain and suffering, and I found myself choking back tears on more than one occasion. My insides hurt, my shoulders were stiff, and I felt gut-wrenching heartbreak. There were a few times I closed the book, thinking to myself, “That’s it. I have to tap out now.” Ultimately, I was drawn back in each time by the need to know that Callan and Emery get a happy ending. And they did. Lydia Michaels is a superb storyteller and convinced me that despite all of the terror and trauma they’d endured, this couple found peace with one another. In spite of some really tough moments where I found myself uncomfortable reading certain scenes within the book, I absolutely trust this author enough to look forward to book two in the series. I’m really hoping it’ll be Innis’ story.
*Personal notes:
*I honestly struggle with rating this a 4 star book. The storytelling was compelling on nearly every level. The deciding factor for me came down to a few statistical information dumps that were just overwhelming enough to pull me out of the story, and an issue with the disappearing/reappearing Scottish accent towards the end of the book.
*CW: violence, torture, rape, sexual abuse
Eloquent and haunting, capturing both the brutality and beauty of humanity. This book has it all, love, protection, sacrifice, vengeance, loyalty, heartbreak, and redemption. Seamlessly transitioning between past events in Scotland to the present in New York with no interruption of the storyline. This is a definite must read.