“This was a beautiful, heartbreaking yet at the same time almost cathartic read for me. It’s a book that I don’t think I will forget.” –– Melissa Leo, BookSmacked Book Blog When I lost my child I was empty.When I lost my husband I was lifeless.Then I met him.They always say to expect the unexpected. Little did I know the unexpected also meant the unthinkable. No longer a wife or a mother, what … unthinkable.
No longer a wife or a mother, what was once a full and meaningful life was now obliterated; leaving me with nothing but emptiness in its place.
I was hollow; the shell of the a woman who had no plans to change.
Until him.
Armed in warmth and healing, Lior was determined to bring me back to life. To be my sun after the storm. Gentle, yet fierce, he came knocking on darkness’ door, challenging me. Wanting me. Loving me.
He was the possibility of more, a vision of brighter days. He was a future I didn’t think I wanted. A risk––one I wasn’t sure I was ready to take.
more
Where have you been my whole life Marley Valentine?
To say I’m surprised with this talented author, is and understatement.
Imagine my face, when I finished reading Devastate and realized I FELT DEVASTATED because it was over.
Yeap, I even want to re-read it just to transport myself to that very first moment when I knew, this author was gonna change my world forever.
I WON’T give any spoilers about the story and how it progresses, but what I do want to say is, that it’s impossible not to feel drawn by the writing of Marley. With well constructed characters and a powerful love story; Devastate will bring you to your knees without a doubt.
You will feel every tear, every smile and all the broken pieces of your heart splattered at your feet but having in mind that nothing will be the same after reading the last pages of this extraordinary book.
Maybe the pace, at some point, won’t be something people would enjoy, but I think, it was necessary for the story. It still makes you connect to the main characters in a really deep level. Forcing you to put yourself in their shoes.
I don’t usually use quotes on reviews, but this one, touched my heart:
“Death is different for everyone, like a thief in the night she takes what she wants with no regard for how much it means to you. No worry for the gaping hole left in your life, nor does she give you any ideas on how to fill it back up.”
I 100% recommend this book and I’m super excited to read the next one.
This book moved me in a way that words can barely describe. I felt all of the pain that Evie was going though. It ached in my bones. It was amazing to read about Evie’s journey through her grief. And thank goodness Lior was there to guide her along. Thank you for writing this beautiful book, Marley!
This is the story of a woman who is grieving.
Evie was broken, at least that’s what she thought.
After losing everything she had hoped for in a family, she was content with just existing instead of living. She had fallen into a routine in her life where she avoided any type of social life and just closing off on the world around her. Luckily for her, she had met Courtney.
I love Liors’ character, he’s caring and kind. And has a lot of patience whenever Evie is concern.
Lior is best-friends with Elliot. Who’s Elliot you might ask? Well, let me just say that Lior thinks Evie is worth fighting his best friend for…. (I didn’t like Evie and Elliots’ relationship/friendship/support…… whatever they have).
But everyone has a limit, have Lior reach his?
“”I don’t know what I’m fighting against or fighting for anymore.”” — Devastate by Marley Valentine https://a.co/8exaMVo
Would Evie be able to rescue something she thought she didn’t need?
“Four days where I’ve messaged Lior……. and I get nothing in return.” — Devastate by Marley Valentine
https://a.co/1WOGC8F
Reviewed On Behalf Of Kindle Friends Forever
This is a debut from Marley valentine and right from the prologue I’m dragged into the story. Totally sucked in with my emotions running deep from the words alone.
This is about Evie who has endured tragic events in her life. She shares her apartment with Elliot and I wasn’t sure what the relationship was there at first. Evie seems closed off, just existing and I wanted to find out why. What is evident is that Elliot is there for her in a comfortable silence, and most of the time with her best interests at heart. He has a good friend and work colleague in Lior and when he meets Evie for the first time, there is a deep connection from the way they first look at each other. Lior can see there is more to the girl that has caught his attention and he wants to peel the layers to discover more about her, but he could get more than he bargained for.
Evie has a work colleague called Courtney who goes by the name of Court. She is quite the forward pushy girl. She sees how Evie and Lior are looking at each other and she knows there are hidden depths to Evie. So, with a gentle shove and encouragement she starts picking at Evie and gets her to start to live again instead of just coasting along with her everyday life. Court and Lior are persistent in their crusade.
“You never need to hide your smile from me.”
Court and Evie begin to form a firm friendship, but it makes me laugh they couldn’t be more opposite to one another. Their interaction is entertaining. Lior. Elliot, Court, and Evie share a few nights out to dinner and slowly but surely Evie slightly breaks down some walls as she starts to feel a little comfortable around her new friends and Elliot.
This is told in dual point of view of Evie and Lior. I enjoyed getting into both their minds. Poor Evie surrounded by such darkness and feeling the connection to Lior wanting to open up more but afraid of revealing some of her secrets in case it scared him away. Lior is so drawn to Evie he knows there is so much more he doesn’t know, apart from one thing that has already been revealed. He just wants to be her light in all her darkness.
Devastate evoked lots of feelings. I cried, smiled, and damn well felt my heart shatter. This story is full of hope and love. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and just when I wiped my tears for a humorous part along would come something else to shatter me all over again. It has a sweet mix in the story. Marley Valentine will become a household name in the Indie book world. Her penmanship is outstanding with her ability to make you feel every word you read, and I will follow with great interest what’s offered next. There’s an awesome playlist to accompany the story and there is one track that gave me Goosebumps while listening to it and reading.
Such a good book! All kinds of emotions in this book and Evie has them all, her sorrow runs deep then she meets Lior who helps heal her. Between the sadness and happy moments this is a fantastic read, in your deepest despair light can be found.
Evie is devastated after having her hopes, dreams and heart ripped open, leaving her bleeding. Then she is abandoned by the person who promised to stand by her side forever! She becomes a shell of herself, pushing everyone away. Elliot is her only support, picking her up from work daily to ensure she gets home safely. Evie retreats to the comfort of her room, where she can avoid conversation. Her co-worker Courtney is the say it as it is, push her out of her comfort zone kind of friend all of us need. Elliot’s bromance with his co-worker Lior is tested when Lior shows an interest in Evie. Lior can see the battered and bruised woman is hiding, but he also sees a woman who wants to be released from all this weight. Marley has written a tragic story, which I’m sure many can relate to. She captured the reality of how it effects all of those who are in close contact with the sufferer.
This was my first read by Marley Valentine and Wow! As a wife and mother, this book hit close to home and a couldn’t put it down! I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to pull yourself out of the despair and darkness following great loss such as Evie experienced. Marley navigated this delicate topic with care. I’m emotionally wrung out in the best way.
So I sat on this one for quite some time waiting for the perfect evening to have my heart strings played like a puppet. Devastate was written so beautifully that I felt every emotion as the story unfolded. I cried, got angry, cried again, and even laughed! If you love emotional goosebump reads this one is it!
5 beautifully bright stars. Within the first few sentences in the prologue I have my hand over my mouth with tears in my eyes completely absorbed in the words. We’re taken through some tragic events that Evie has lived through, she’s viewed as a fragile and delicate woman and considering all that’s happened in such a short period of time it’s no surprise that she has become a shell of a woman. Elliot has Evie’s best interest at heart and he truly believes he’s helping her but it’s not until her co-worker Court starts to built a friendship that Evie starts to open up once again and even Elliot can sense a change in her character. Lior is Elliot’s best friend and when he’s introduced to Evie things will never be the same, he’s the type of man that’s patient and compassionate yet determined and he has his eyes set on her. I love the personalities of both Courtney and Lior, they speak their mind and don’t hold back and will have you chuckling at times when you need it most. This story is will pull at your heartstrings and have you feeling each and every emotion right along side them. Seeing the transformation and what it took to reach that point is incredibly beautiful. I can’t believe this is a debut from this author, the story flowed smoothly and just touched my heart. I will undoubtably be looking for more work from her in the future. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.