This is a love story.It’s brutal.Heart-wrenching.Dirty, terrifying, and raw.But a love story nonetheless because it is so beautiful.Ensley:Noah Carter was the type of guy that every girl wanted.Gorgeous. Talented. Smart and kind.He was the world that revolved around me even though I didn’t deserve him.But then something went wrong.He snapped maybe, just lost his mind.I found him the night my … wrong.
He snapped maybe, just lost his mind.I found him the night my family died, their blood staining his hands.
I put him in prison. I got my revenge.
But then years later he found me again…
…and stole me away from my life.
Noah:
You couldn’t know Ensley without wanting to strangle her.
She was beautiful, she was wild, she was the girl next door
.I grew up with her by my side.
I watched her destroy herself while I held on.
I protected her when she had been blind to the danger that surrounded her.
I let her go once only to find her again.
She would see me this time no matter what.
DISCLAIMER: This book deals with sensitive subject matter that may be difficult for some readers.
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10 +++++++++ Incredible stars for this story!
Lily White outdid herself with this book.
Emotional
Dark
Steamy
Coming of age
Young love
Suspense
Lily White draws every emotion possible out of you, drags you to the bottom only to lift you back up and then bam another wallop you weren’t expecting hits you again!
Trust me YOU WILL WANT TO READ THIS ENSLEY AND NOAH’S story!
In the Garden of Discontent…what can I say?! It wasn’t anything I thought it would be, it was even better. But that’s just how this author does it. Every f’ing time. I love it!
“In the end, we’re all just roadmaps of thoughts and emotions, memories and forgotten wishes. Our jagged edges are softened only by the masks we wear to disguise our truth. That truth, when revealed, is always monstrous.”
– Stina, Book Haven Book Blog.
4.5 Stars
Ensley Bennett’s life changed irrevocably when she was just a teenager. Since then, she lived only for the next moment and never looked back to her painful past. Years of blissful ignorance was about to end when the past caught up to her and brought Noah Carter back into her life.
This book was gritty and raw. It made me equally hurt and angry for the characters. This is the kind of story that would make you question what happened to humanity.
What Ensley and Noah had to endure was brutal and ugly. Yet beyond that, there’s an unconventional beauty in their relationship dynamic.
In the Garden of Discontent is a story of sacrifice and finding closure. It would appeal to readers looking for a raw and heartbreaking dark romance.
I don’t know where to even start!
Ms. White, each and every single time, pulls so many emotions from me. Thank goodness I read this in the privacy of my home, with only my husband sending concerned looks my way for how involved I get in the story.
This is what Ms. White does. She will have you utterly captured by the words on each and every page.
Noah…oh my freaking goodness….
If you are a Lily White fan, you definitely want to spend time In the Garden of Discontent. If you aren’t yet; I think you will be!
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This book was just..WOW. Every time I am about to read a Lily White novel, I know automatically it will take me on a journey and this book did just that. The utter heartbreak I had while reading this. I cannot even describe it. I had so much contempt for certain people during my read I couldnt contain the hostility sometimes I just wanted to lash out. And its awful because this is real life issues we have in the world. I felt the love between Ensley and Noah from the very beginning. The love Noah had for Ensley and how he would do anything in this world to keep her from letting her demons destroy her was AWE INSPIRING. And Ensley was such a magnificent character all in herself. I could feel the hatred she had for herself pouring out of this book and into my fingertips. This book was much more than 5 stars in my eyes. This author did a FANTASTIC job
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie’s Book Reports.
This is a love story. It’s brutal. Heart wrenching. Terrifying, honest and raw. But a love story nonetheless…because it is so beautiful.
Ensley: Noah Carter was the type of guy that every girl wanted. Gorgeous. Talented. Smart and kind. He was the world that revolved around me even though I didn’t deserve him. But then something went wrong. He snapped maybe, just lost his mind. I sound him the night my family died, their blood staining his hands. I put him in prison. I got my revenge. But then years later he broke free and stole me away from my life.
Noah: You couldn’t know Ensley without wanting to strangle her. She was beautiful. She was wild. She was the girl next door. I grew up with her by my side. I watched her destroy herself while I held on. I protected her when she had been blind to the danger that surrounded her. I let her go once to find her again. She would see me this time no matter what.
Wow!!! Talk about a mind blowing read. You need to take the warning seriously. This book deals with some subject matter that may be difficult for some readers. I so am not going to tell you a thing about the story. I went in not knowing anything and that is how you should do it too. This book is an emotional roller coaster that will also have you one the edge of your seat and holding your breath at times. I will tell you that you are going to want to punch a character in this book so bad you can’t even stand it. I swear Lily White should make dolls of this character to go along with the book so you can take your aggression out on it. I loved Ensley and Noah and just know that these two were meant to be since the beginning of time. This is a must read if you love psychological romances. Go get it now and have fun!!!!
This is one of those stories that is just worth so much more than the 5-star rating allowed! This is a well written flawless dark story which has complex characters and plot, and is raw, gritty, heart-breaking, unpredictable, suspenseful, and with secrets and tragedy, which all lead to a powerful read. I was totally hooked throughout this riveting tale and I recommend this talented authors’ work for all. Just be aware that there may be triggers due to the sensitive subject matter!!
Lily is an author who always surpises with her books. They are all different have a unique plot that more often than not can push the readers boundaries. The story of Noah Carter and Ensley Bennett is like a flower unfurling, slowly we see how their intense connection formed over many years and how their lives fell apart. I don’t want to say too much about the storyline but it was a book that I couldn’t put down . Noah and Ensley are fascinating to read, to say they are mixed up from their pasts would be an understatment but I devoured their crazy twisted love story.
Holy amazeballs!!!! What did I just have the privilege of reading. Lily White you are a forced to be reckoned with especially with this brutal and heart breaking love story.
It’s not your conventional love story, it’s messy and raw and absolutely horrific with its very sensitive themes that might not be for everyone, but for me it was utter, brutal perfection.
I’m not going to say much because everyone should read this with virgin eyes and no spoilers but these characters will get under your skin and leave there marks on your soul. Love like this is not what you would usually read about but Noah and Ensley will break the mould in a love like no other. It’s fierce and raw and not what two people should experience in a lifetime but it’s there truth.
What will unfold will blow your minds and you will realise what an exceptional author Lily truly is
My head is still spinning around in the garden of discontent and I might have a foot in the grave with this one as well. Think my heart stopped and I held my breath wondering what the hell was going to happen with Ensley and Noah. This is a love story that could only be told by Lily White, her style is exciting, mysterious, dark and disturbing. With that said you have been warned that everything that grows in the garden of discontent is a wild weed with a very pretty face.
Holy smokes! Lily White never ceases to amaze me. This story gripped me from the start and never let go. This story is packed with emotion. Some parts so intense they were hard to read. I felt everything Noah and Ensley were going through. This story seers your heart. It’s filled with pain. It’s raw, violent, and extremely emotional. But it’s also filled with so much hope and an undying love that is absolutely breathtaking. Be prepared for a journey that will completely consume you and leave you breathless. Fantastic!
“Run to me, Ensley.”
This book just ran me through the gauntlet of dark emotions, gave me brief glimpses of hope, and then totally yanked the ground out from underneath me. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Ensley and Noah have known and loved each other since they were children. Ensley definitely has a life that is straight out of a horror film, the monster always in the next room. But with Noah’s friendship, she finds a bit of peace from the darkness that is threatening to consume her.
’Noah had owned me since the moment he watched me from his window and called out to me the first time. I may not have known it then, but I knew it now, and was a better woman for it, his name was chiseled over every bone and branded on every organ.’
Until she realizes that same darkness is a threat to every dream Noah has.
’”How long has it been since that night?”
“Twenty-two years.”
And I hadn’t lived a single day of them. I was already dead.
Nobody knew this. Not even Peter. It was a secret buried in an empty glass bottle, deep underground, in the garden of discontent.’
Ensley was one messed up chick. With each look into her past, my heart was near to bursting from my chest as the layers of what made Ensley who she was is slowly revealed. If ever there was a heroine I wanted to pull into my arms and hug the pain away, it was her. Of course, she would’ve given me what for with a lot of four letter words thrown in. Then again, a hug would never be enough to heal her. But Noah might be.
Noah was a bit of an enigma to begin with. I didn’t know if I was going to love or hate him. In the end, everything he did, thought, and lived for was Ensley, so obviously, I loved him completely. He had his own heartache and lord, I don’t know how he managed to stay the distance when confronted with all that was Ensley.
’We were connected, the two of us, by invisible strings that were unbreakable over time or distance or heartache. We were unbreakable together, bound by a lifetime of promises and secrets.’
When reading a Lily White book, you never know what you’re going to get so I sat back with this one and let her work her dark magic. And this is definitely colored in the darkest shades of gray. This isn’t a cookie cutter story. It’s unique, twisted, and had me glued to the pages. I mean, really glued to the pages. There were so many ups and downs, paths that led one direction only to cut back another way. I wasn’t sure where this was going to take me, but holy heck, was it a wild ride.