From the outside, my life was picture perfect. On the inside, something sinister lurked.I thought he was sick. I thought I could fix him.All I wanted was for him to love me.I was used and abused. Sold to the highest bidder.Unloved. Unseen. Unheard.Until Declan.He was my saviour. He helped me believe in the power of unconditional love.Then, he was gone. When love is lost, and there’s no hope left, …
When love is lost, and there’s no hope left, how do you go on?
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How the fuck do I fully explain how this book effected me. I know if I was a crier, this book would of been the one that would have made me cry. And it would have done so from beginning to the end. The way that Addicott crafted the characters and this entire story just reached into my chest and gripped onto my soul. I went into this book completely blind, having never read anything by this author. And I will say that I so glad that I took the chance with this one.
Carlie doesn’t have a life really. She’s just a way for her father to make money and to use anyway that he wants. And for her to this is how life is, no matter the pain she believes this is what live is. Then comes people that help her change. She’s taken away from the life she only knew and was given the chance to start a new one. Her life doesn’t come without it’s really happy moments and some really soul shattering moments. But, it’s during this new life she is able to finally see what live really is.
The entire time I read this book I was on the verge of throwing my e-reader, and was cussing up a storm. This story was able to grab hold of my heart and didn’t want to let go. I found characters that I wished bodily harm to. Hell I was plotting how to kill and dispose of their bodies in my head. Then there was the character that I wanted dead, but yet I wanted to know what made him the way that he was. Trystan being this character. I just know that there’s parts of his life that will paint the tragic picture that will show how the monster was created.
I am not ashamed to say that there was a couple times that I was saying; “ok I can stop here, she’s found happy. I don’t need to go any further.” I just new that something else was going to happen. But, then I would continue reading and more and more of my heart would break. How I made it thru this book without crying I will never know. Hell I made the torture last longer by reading slower than normal because of how emotional this book was.
This author expresses their passion like no other. With each book she rips out the hearts of her readers, stamps on them then nurses them back to health. This book certainly has every emotion going. This book made me cry so hard and the very realness of the situations she puts her characters in makes you feel every gut-wrenching emotion. This book will capture your very soul and not want to let you go.
If I were able to talk about everything I love from Love Lost Her Way by Julie Anne Addicott, I would find myself writing all day long! Since I am unable to do that, I want to make sure that I can do this wonderful story a justice, and touch upon the major points that not only gave me ALL the feels, but also even helped me to grow as a person!
Love Lost Her Way begins as a tragic story, where the heroine, named Carlie, recounts the extreme trauma she endures, and has endured the majority of her life. While the trauma the main character endures can be considered a trigger, I just want to make it known that Julie handled these tough subjects with grace and respect.
During these first few chapter’s, you will begin to build a bond with Carlie, and as a reader, you will be able to feel the emotions she experiences pour out through the pages. I don’t want to give away too much information because I do feel that this book is best to go into somewhat blind, so I am going to try and remain somewhat vague throughout this area of the review.
After enduring so much trauma, Carlie finds herself meeting some wonderful people that help to create a net of safety around her. In this safety net, Carlie is finally able to blossom as her own person, and begin working on herself, along with getting help to deal with and move forward after the countless years of trauma that she endured. While in this safety net of support, Carlie is finally able to experience the true meaning, of what she thinks is love. A love that is unending, and what all humans strive for. She also begins to find strength and her once very fragile demeanor has thickened,
There is just so much to this incredible story, but I feel it is important for the reader to experience the rest during their own reading experience, so I feel it is best for me to stop here with the description. Just know, the story absolutely does not end there. There are twists and turns, and events that you could never predict would happen, but are very necessary in making this story as incredible and unique as it is.
I feel so blessed to have read such an inspiring book, in which I experienced so much emotion, and such pride, because Carlie’s character shows a rare strength, in which she uses for so much good!
Julie’s hard work shines through each page, and I can promise that you will get so much out of taking this journey alongside Carlie. I have no doubt that this unique read will leave an imprint on your heart. So, go ahead, and make sure to take a chance on this phenomenal story!
-P.S.-
Julie also happens to be a very talented poet, so, make sure to pay attention to the little poems that are at the beginning of each chapter, because they are yet another unique addition and give insight into what will happen in the upcoming chapter. They are another one of my favorite things about this book.
Love Lost Her Way is a raw, gritty and chilling story of devastation, loss, injustice, love, friendship and hope. This book touched me on such a deep level that I felt it down to my core for weeks after reading it. Zahra’s story is one that I won’t ever forget and will think of her often. Wondering how she is doing and where life has taken her.
Addicott did an amazing job writing a story that contains such darkness. This book captured me from the beginning, often times making me feel like I was living the story right along with the characters. I have never felt such strong emotions of animosity, fear, heart break, desperation, hopefulness, love and sorrow. This is not a romance story. This is a story of survival, redemption and rebirth.
I’ll be completely honest and tell you that the subject of this book is one I would normally not read. I tend to stay away from books such as this one.
However I decided to give this book a try and I can’t tell you how happy I am that I did. I would be missing out on such an amazing story had I not. It will remain one of my all time favorite stories ever published. (
Carlie is an amazing female that overcomes some of the most horrific thing a young girl/woman could ever go through. The transition and heartache that she goes through once she is saved is real and heart wrenching. She nailed it with “I was choosing to live in happiness instead of utter, heartbreaking despair.”
What a delicate story that needs to be told. Human trafficking is real and not as openly spoken on as it should be. Thank god for the real life Eli’s
This story had me emotional from the beginning, because it is a topic near and dear to my heart.
Love Lost Her Way, is the best book of 2019. The story surrounds the life of Carlie, a girl forced into sex slavery from childhood and her journey through the darkness to freedom. This book toys with your emotions as you are drawn into the dark, tragic life of this atypical heroine. She is not always strong. She fails, she loses and she redeems herself over and over again She is simply a girl doing the best she can in a world set up for her failure. We follow her as she lives as a free person, and how her past influences her relationship with Declan. Learning to love after knowing only ugliness and pain, Carlie is thrust into one painful experience after another. Your heart breaks for this woman. The story continues on a roller coaster of events that make your heart rend, your mind rage, your soul weep and rejoice over and over again. A masterful, if not painful story. The topic of sexual abuse and child sex slavery is rather dark, and may not be for everyone, particularly if they are easily triggered. The story is a masterpiece.
* Review provided from ARC copy of Love Lost Her Way*
Addicott does this phenomenal job of capturing every fiber of your heart and soul with Love Lost Her Way! The emotions just ensnare you and immediately makes you love and hate the characters in this book! Love Lost Her Way is beautifully written, it touches on subjects that are horrifyingly dark, painful, and tragic. Addicott does an amazing job of not glamorizing the dark parts, rather feeds you the emotions that dwell in those depths. There is hurt, pain, disgust, horror, rage, sadness, love, and hope. I’ve felt it all.
Love Lost Her Way is a book that will not let me go. Its gonna be with me for a long time. It is Addicotts best work, and she did it with such poise and grace. You can tell she spent her time researching the subject matter; you can tell she poured her entire soul into creating such a masterpiece.
There’s not enough stars
This book was so brilliantly written. My review would never give it justice.
The raw emotions and scenes in this book can not be put into words.
I cried…. I cried so much.
It’s deep. It’s raw. It’s emotional. It’s everything.
Love Lost Her Way is a heart-wrenching romance that held me hostage from page one. The author didn’t miss a thing when writing this book.
This book has wonderful characters and a heart-wrenching storyline that left me with a book hangover for days. LLHR is a HEA but their journey to get there isn’t always sunshine and roses. These characters face some of the toughest hardships and giving up is always on the forefront of Carlie/Zahra’s mind. I smiled, laughed, and ugly cried my way through Zahra’s story. The author’s writing is amazing and I felt every emotion possible and connected with Zahra’s throughout her story.
I highly recommend LLHW, but please not it isn’t for the fainted-heart.
Monsters are real. They hide in plain sight. They appear as the best of us while hiding their very worst.
Carlie is used from preschool age in the most depraved of ways bu her own relatives. While simultaneously being sold to the highest buyers. She is brave and broken. She does it all to save her much younger sister from the same pain.
She is bought and rescued from the life. Declan teaches her how to cope, try living, and what love really means. They are what fairy tales are made of.
Most fairy tales are wrought with tragedy.
This story. There are not enough words or stars to give this dark and gruesome tale the love it deserves. It is NOT for the feint of heart. It is haunting and beyond disturbing at its worst. Yet, it instills beauty and strength in the human ability to hope beyond reason.
So, so many triggers- just beware, you’ve been warned and you still wont be prepared.
This book was amazing! It was so much more than I imagined! I literally could not put it down! I read it in one sitting! It was such an emotional read! This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time!
This book was so hard to rate. The cover is breathtakingly beautiful and the story is so raw. I found the topic extremely hard to digest, it physically made me feel sick. The author wrote in such detail and in such a way that it felt like I was reading a true life story. Never in my life had I ever read anything like this before. The author is extremely talented and I wanted to read through the whole book as the topic is so hard to handle, most people shy away from it even in real life as it is so much easier to pretend things like this never happens in the real world, but the harsh reality is that these monsters are in fact real. I had to take several breathers and break away from the book as the sorrow was all-consuming. One life that has to suffer so much turmoil, abuse, sadness and torture is beyond me….
This book will grips you by heart and soul,
…take the warning seriously, this book deals with serious issues..
The book is written beautifully that each word, takes you on emotional journey.
Love lost her way, is a tragic story. It’s not for everyone I will say that. Some things that were written will affect some. If you love tear jerkers, well you came to the right place. Couldn’t stop reading, it was a page turner. It was an emotional rollercoaster for sure. I cried hard and I felt the pain and the loss!!
I can’t even begin to express my love for this book.
It’s not for the faint hearted. It’s a beautifully broken story. It’s painful, raw and emotional. No words could ever do this story justice.
Wow.
I’ll start by saying this book was a tough read, and I don’t mean that in a bad way, in fact the opposite.
This was one of the most raw and heart wrenching books I have read in a long time.
There isn’t much you can say about this book without giving anything away, but I will say that although I almost put it down a few times as it was so heart wrenching, I’m so glad I stuck with it.
Grab a box of tissues and one click. You won’t regret it.
Love Lost Her Way is a compelling, if not emotional, read wth well-defined characters who drive the story and it’s themes. Julie Zane Addicott sensitively tackles the real-world problem of sex trafficking with this amazing fictional story. It is a wonderful, successful departure from Addicott’s previous works. The novel is filled with fine sentences and paragraphs, Addicott painting such vivid pictures the reader just climbs in. This is not a romance novel, though romance is in it, but a tragedy that takes one on a thrilling emotional rollercoaster. I find five stars limiting in rating this book. Addicott’s caveat that those eighteen and older read this book, should be heeded. One of the best books of the year.
Julie Anne Addicott has blown me away!! This is not a typical read. It is dark, raw, and heartbreakingly beautiful! This is a trigger book, but that should not stop you from reading it!! You will go on a journey of what a young girl thought was love, to find out nothing is as it seems. Carlie/Zahara will show you so much strength while she struggles with founding her life was far from normal. This was so thoroughly thought out and written so well you can’t atop reading!! It is a very emotional story but a must read!!
Love Lost Her Way is one of the most powerful stories I’ve ever read. The story of Carlie’s life is a raw, horrific, dark tale that is occasionally sprinkled with just enough light to keep the reader from going mad. Addicott sheds light on a subject that most people turn a blind eye to, believing that it will never happen in their safe little world. The details are graphic and stomach-turning, but written so matter of factly that the reader can absorb them as part of this necessary tale. Normally when I read a book, I’m looking for a strong heroine that takes no crap and brushes everything off. For me, the power in this story came from the heroine being able to break down and admit that she was not ok. Her strength and healing were forged in the fire of admitting that at times she couldn’t and didn’t want to deal with the life she was given. This is one of the most thought-provoking and emotional books I’ve ever read. I’m talking full on ugly cry, throw my Kindle across the room pain. This is also one of the most phenomenal books I’ve ever read. Congratulations Julie Anne Addicott on this masterpiece you have created.
This book is packed full of a roller coaster ride of emotions! It will take you from the lows to the highs of life in a blink of an eye. I strongly encourage everyone to give LLHW a chance and lose yourself in the characters world. I’ve never in my life been able to fall this deep into a book but I couldn’t separate myself from book to real life, I literally felt like I was walking in the life of these people in the book. It’s very well written. It will suck you in instantly!