They were taken.Off the street. From parking lots. Malls. Playgrounds.Snatched from life and thrust into hell.They took Orion Darby on a perfect summer day, while she could still taste her first kiss on her lips.She joined the others with chains on their ankles and scars on their souls.They turned into nothing more than statistics. Cold cases. Lost girls.Years passed and the world forgot.Until … and the world forgot.
Until the day they escaped.
This is not about their captivity.
This is about their struggle to return to a life that’s passed them by.
This was the real world.
But for Orion, this was hell.
You see… freedom isn’t enough.
She needs blood.
more
Her childhood was lost on the high of her first kiss, with the brother of her best friend.
If only she hadn’t cycled home by herself, if only she had been paying attention then everything would of been so different.
She should never of met those girls, but alas she did, and that was the beginning of the end of Ri.
I had high expectations for this, and I was fully expecting grit, grime amd gore in minute detail.
I didnt quite get that. I got snippets and hints of events which I must admit dissapointed me a little.
The main body of this story isnt focused on the ten years of hell but the result of it. Saying goodbye to the girl named Ri and hello to Orion.
Orian is a complex character with many issues, and triggers. She’s a master at locking down her feelings and appearing callous.
Maddox is a hot and fiery tempered detective by day, but by her side he’s everything that she needs and so much more too.
I want to give this book five stars, but I can’t. It was good, with moments of greatness but overall it just needed more detail and I’m not sure I agreed with the ending knowing what I knew of the characters.
Therefore I’m giving this four stars.
It’s taken me a minute after finishing Hush to formulate my thoughts… because this book was dark, twisted and tragic. A story that truly needed to be told and one that will probably stick with me forever. Hush was a book that I’m glad that I went into mostly blind (meaning I knew that there would be triggers)… because even though Orion’s story is not for the faint of heart it’s one that will keep you captivated. This was not a love story (there are aspects of it within the story) but instead it’s a brutally raw and honest telling of the aftermath of surviving something truly devastating. Anne Malcom and BT Urruela knocked it out of the park with this one! && Hush is most definitely one of my tops reads of 2020′
Intense with psychological undertones, this is a powerful story about kidnap, torture and abuse. There is some violence which is graphic, but most of the other stuff is more in the way of discussions than graphic scenes. It is well written by both authors and has a steady to fast pace. How I felt reading this?
Sad! These girls had their lives stolen forever, they were never going to be the same again, they suffered in so many ways and I could understand how the varied coping mechanisms helped in some way or meant escape. It is gripping but tense and emotional, not a story for the faint hearted because it does play on your mind long after it ends. This wasn’t just about those taken it had a far wider affect than that, families, friends. I found it to be deep and dark, disturbing in many ways and I certainly didn’t see how it would end. Quite a different read to some of the books I’ve read by these authors but well worth reading, thankfully I used to read some far darker books in my past. So good, held my attention throughout and I really didn’t want to put it down. Engrossing plot with twists.
From the very first page, this book hooked my interest and kept it the whole way through. It is dark, it is grisly at times, but it is addictive too.
If you thought other stories had taken you on an emotional rollercoaster, then yes they probably have but this story must be the mega rollercoaster of all emotional rides ever. The depth of feeling you experience reading certain scenes is hard to explain but it almost guts you, yet it wakes you up at the same time. It makes you take a good, hard look at things in your own life.
The whole concept of this story is not new, yet the way it is delivered is, and it works. We, the reader, discover through mainly Orion, what it was like being kidnapped, tortured, and abused but it isn’t as graphic as it sounds, and I applaud these authors for the manner in which they wrote it. Snippets from the other girls also provide us with different reactions and thoughts. Without giving anything away these are important to show how different people are and how different lifestyles and situations can affect outcomes.
How would you react if this happened to you? This is a question I tried to answer after I read this book, and honestly, you can’t because until you have experienced such a soul-destroying thing you wouldn’t know. However, I can say I understand and empathize with the three girls who escaped. No judgments, no ifs or buts.
My heart broke for more than the three girls though, Maddox and April were two characters who suffered too. I really liked this brother and sister team, especially how different they were yet similar in their love for Ri/Orion.
And that ending? Well, I will let you decide for yourself but I am happy.
Reviewer: Robyn
From the very first page this book hooked my interest and kept it the whole way through. It is dark, it is grisly at times, but it is addictive too.
If you thought other stories had taken you on an emotional rollercoaster, then yes they probably have but this story must be the mega rollercoaster of all emotional rides ever. The depth of feeling you experience reading certain scenes is hard to explain but it almost guts you, yet it wakes you up at the same time. It makes you take a good, hard look at things in your own life.
The whole concept of this story is not new, yet the way it is delivered is, and it works. We, the reader, discover through mainly Orion, what it was like being kidnapped, tortured and abused but it isn’t as graphic as it sounds, and I applaud these authors for the manner in which they wrote it. Snippets from the other girls also provide us with different reactions and thoughts. Without giving anything away these are important to show how different people are and how different lifestyles and situations can affect outcomes.
How would you react if this happened to you? This is a question I tried to answer after I read this book, and honestly, you can’t because until you have experienced such a soul destroying thing you wouldn’t know. However, I can say I understand and empathise with the three girls who escaped. No judgements, no ifs or buts.
My heart broke for more than the three girls though, Maddox and April were two characters who suffered too. I really liked this brother and sister team, especially how different they were yet similar in their love for Ri/Orion.
And that ending? Well, I will let you decide for yourself but I am happy.
Hush is a fantastic collaboration by BT Urruela and Anne Malcom and had my full attention from page one until the last! Just know that this book is not for the faint of heart.
This story is extremely dark, it is horribly ugly and it is absolutely heartbreaking! The pain and suffering that these women faced leaked off the pages as their hope and their future moved farther and farther away from their grasp because being free doesn’t mean you are free. Those demons can follow you anywhere and monsters have many different faces.
How does one survive out in the real world after being taken from it for months or even years? The journey is different for each woman and this book will leave you reeling with one heck of a book hangover!
5 star review Hush by Anne Malcom & B T Urruela
Both Anne Malcom and B T Urruela are new authors to me and what an eye opening story this was. I am not sure where to start with this book, told in the third person, something I do not usually gravitate towards, this book was extremely dark. Be prepared, this is not for the faint of heart, it is violent, uncomfortable and may cause triggers for some readers, so you have been warned.
This is a well written story that certainly tested my boundaries. There was suspense and so much pain, emotion and suffering within these pages that I had a hard time putting this one down. My heart broke for Orion Darby and all that she and the others suffered through. I have no idea which author wrote what but the story flowed well .This is a raw and emotional book that had me screaming at my kindle.
Orion was a strong and courageous woman and one that I admired a great deal. I was gripped from the first to the last chapter and this one certainly left me with one heck of a book hangover. The book does not end as you would expect so again, be prepared.
Holy crap what did I just read. It doesn’t happen often but I feel at a loss for words. When I reached the end of this book I felt like I was on a really tall building and I just jumped off. Now what? Hush is a gripping and emotional story. This book has left me feeling raw and ripped open by this terribly tragic story. The closer to the end I got to the end of the book the more I knew that this was not going to end the way I wanted it to.
This is not a romance nor does it have a HEA. This is not a book that I can say that I loved. It left me feeling confused and conflicted. I feel that these authors, which both are new to me, When they leave me feeling this way man oh man did they do their job! They wrote a very good book! Even though it didn’t have an outcome that I liked. They kept me reading and totally engaged in the story. This book will not be for everyone. Anyone that has certain triggers should stay away from this book. But if you want a powerful, raw, gritty beast of a book I say read on! I guess I found some words after-all. 5 + stars.
Hush, the first collaborative effort by Anne Malcom and BT Urruela, is a fantastic book that stays in your head for weeks after reading it. It is very dark, but it also has so much courage, emotion, and empathy. The characters feel very real and the themes very timely. If you are looking for a read that pushes your emotional envelope, is dark, but in a different way, has wonderful character development, an on point storyline, and really makes you think about moral dilemma, this book will check every box and then some! I only hope these two write together again, maybe a Hush Part 2? 5 Stars!
Hush is a standalone novel by BT Urruela and Anne Malcom. I have read BT before but this is my first Anne book! I have been waiting for one of her standalone or start of a new series so when I saw that they were writing a book together, I was so excited. I can’t really say much without spoilers so this will be fast.
Three girls were stolen. Three women escaped. Three different amounts of time in the Cell. Three personalities trying to survive in a world that failed them. This was their story. It’s not pretty but it’s theirs. After years in captivity it was the only thing they had except for each other. Will it be enough to survive the hell they are in now?
Orion was taken after her happiest moment. She was out for revenge and she won’t let anything or anyone get in her way. Jaclyn wants to make up for her time away. She has missed so much. And Shelby goes home. Three different lives but they will always be linked together.
This book needed to be written. This vile shit happens everywhere. In suburbs. In poor communities. In gated communities. Everywhere. Girls and boys are lost and forgotten. Some are found but their lives will never be the same. It’s something we don’t like to think about it but it’s out there. It’s real. I have girls the same age as these girls when they were stolen and it’s not something I want to discuss with them but I have. Anyway, it’s well-written and if life didn’t get in the way, I would have read it in one day. I am hoping for a sequel.
Quotes:
“This is hell on earth,” Jaclyn said, not the least bit gently. “And you’re the newest resident.”
“Romance is for living breathing humans. Not walking tragedies.”
“I want you to be the heroine of your own story,” Maddox said, voice low.
This book!
This book is utter perfection for me. It combines my favourite genres to read and I was just in heaven.
Dark, twisted and stormy romantic suspense.
You have to read it or we’re no longer friends honestly.
It crosses some lines for people with triggers but it’s so raw and honestly and real that it pushes the limits to an extent where there’s no turning back and I loved it. No spoilers from me but that ending is what I’m looking for every single day and only a few authors can manage to deliver it for me.
Just give it a try!
This book is not for the faint of heart. And it needs to be understood that fiction imitates life. It is my prayer that everyone reading this fictional story does not “know” personally of someone that this has happened to. But, sadly this could be someone’s true life.
I enjoyed the first paragraph of the Prologue. It reminded me of my carefree summers as a young girl. I also loved the main character’s name; Orion, so unique! I also liked her best friend, April (what a spitfire), and the innocence of her heart’s affection! But then the sweet turned to bitter and the blurb doesn’t adequately warn of the Hell that ensues. This story left me with questions, not about the characters or the timeline or the content, BUT of myself. What would have been my actions? Reactions? As a neighbor, family member, or a member of the media? What this story did do, was validate my concerns and fears for my five granddaughters and two great-granddaughters. My heart breaks for the Orions that are out there and their families left without answers.
Kudos to co-Authors BT Urruela and Anne Malcom for weaving a horrendous story that includes love, acceptance, resilience and compassion. I look forward to more co-authoring from these two!
Anne review
If you are expecting a romance collaboration by BT Urruela and Anne Malcolm, then Hush is not that book. Hush is a well written dark book that kept me captivated from the beginning. It deals with several topics that need trigger warnings before reading. They make you feel deeply for these characters while leaving you to wonder exactly how this story will end. When I finished the last page, all I could think about is if there might be another book to continue this story.