From International Bestseller Michelle Heard comes a STAND ALONE, Suspense Romance in the Southern Heroes series. BIRDIE Escaping an unthinkable nightmare, I’m given a second chance at life. Cole Trenton is the first person to look past the broken girl. But the moment I give him my heart he leaves. Secrets never stay buried, and mine returns with a vengeance. Cole walks back into my life when I … returns with a vengeance.
Cole walks back into my life when I need him most. He shows me how to be strong, that monsters only have the power you give them.
But my biggest fear remains.
How do I silence the girl in the closet before I lose Cole again?
COLE
I always knew Birdie Liles was different, but that didn’t stop me from falling for her.
After years of being away, I return home to bury my best friend,
only to learn that Birdie’s in trouble.
If I had known about the monster from her past, I never would’ve left.
I went to fight someone else’s war while I left the woman I love unprotected.
But I’m here now, and I’m ready to send Birdie’s demon right back to hell.
Please note: The Girl In The Closet contains graphically violent scenes that may be upsetting to some readers.
Reading Order of Southern Heroes Series:
The Ocean Between Us
The Girl In The Closet
All The Wasted Time
The Lies We Tell Ourselves
We Were Lost
The Fire Between Us
more
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The Girl In The Closet by Michelle Heard is absolutely phenomenal. It’s dark and deals with abuse so this book may be triggering for some. I loved it because it’s gripping, exciting, scary and a hits all the feels. As always, she writes the most haunting tales that leave me reading with one eye open and one eye closed. This book is no exception. But even better, this book gives hope in the most hopeless of situations. Throw in a seriously swoony hero and well, it’s a match made in heaven.
The intense and gratifying ending filled me with such joy.
I LOVE THAT & I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I highly recommend this suspenseful, gut wrenching and beautiful 5 star love story…..
“I’ll fight for you if you fight for me. I can do that…
…I’ll pick up all your pieces, and I’ll cherish them in my heart, but don’t ask me to look for my pieces. I don’t know where they are.” Birdie, (chapter 23).
As I’ve read every book this year, I have a list of prompts for me to take notes or quotes. Above is my favourite quote, and showcases the intense emotion that is kept on ‘High’ right through this book. There is no reprieve. Two more prompts are my Shock/Horror and Heartbreak moments, and with Michelle Heard’s book, those moments almost never stopped. She has this way of unpeeling the plot throughout the book, and I’ve used this analogy before – like an onion. And, just like an onion does, each time a layer is peeled back it made me cry, only this time, my heart broke for Birdie and Cole, each time.
Cole is such a deep and honourable man, and in doing the right thing, has lost people to the evil that infects our world, both in war, and at home. He’s survived the first, now he’s at home to work on the second.
Cole has crushed hard on Birdie since his Freshman year, and like everyone else, bar her adoptive parents, never knew the true horror that she had barely survived as a child. I’ve seen the news, and I’ve watched Criminal Minds and other programmes of that ilk. Extreme evil exists in our world, yet Ms Heard, can imply it, and describe the humanity surrounding it’s survivors so succinctly that the despair and hopelessness pervades you: body and soul. My heart was breaking, I was a crying and headachy mess, and I couldn’t put this book down. I consumed it in one sitting. This was an early copy for review, but, I love it so much I had to one-click my own, as well as the first book in this stand-a-lone series. I’ll also be waiting for each book as it is released, because I have to read more from this author.
5 Stars for an amazing intensely hauntingly beautiful book that is your next must-read.
Bridget “Birdie” Liles has lived her life in fear but felt a little bit safer while her father has been in prison and she was adopted by Pastor & Mrs. Liles when she was 5 years old. But now 15 years later her father is out of jail and she is barely holding on.
Cole Trenton grew up with Birdie and she was a very special part of his life but he had decided to join the Marines and he left Birdie in their small town.
Now 8 years later Cole is back after the death of his best friend. Will Cole try and pick up the pieces with Birdie again or will she push him away knowing her father could come for her at any moment?
This was such an awesome read and this series is so awesome so far!!
I loved Birdie and she was just this girl that you wanted to pick up and make all her pain go away. She was coping so much better than I imagine I ever could but at the same time she wasn’t. I could understand why she was reluctatnt to get involved with Cole as part of her must have thought that she was going to die soon.
Cole was living with so much grief after what happened to Hunter that he was really struggling but then found a purpose with trying to keep Birdie safe. I liked that they had a past together and that he had cared about her for so long.
I loved watching the change in both Cole and Birdie with how they adapted to the pain of their respective pasts and how they made the decision to move on from it and grow and figure what they meant to each other.
You knew the whole time that something was going to go down but it was a matter of when and where. I liked how it all happened but I was almost expecting more due to the big lead up to it.
The very end was awesome!
The end of the book with Reece left you hanging a little bit and I can’t wait to see what happens in her book next!!
I loved this book. I cryed and laughed as this book was a amazing read that grabed my heart and twisted it with anger and warmth. this will grab your heart and take you on a dark twisted ride that will have you on a emional ride.
There is a skeleton in the closet… And you need to let it out!!!
This book is bone rattling amazing emotional everythingy… And it lured me into the abyss of dark, gritty stories and didn’t let me go again… Meet Bridget “Birdie” and Cole. In high school they had a crush on each other but the way Birdie grew up and influenced her takes the first chance they have with each other away. Cole leaves and when he comes back, Birdie’s stuck in the same dark place as before and Cole’s heart and soul joins her in hurtful darkness. They need to find a way to live with their own past, fight for each other and only then they have a chance to conquer a future together and slaying dragons and skeletons lurking in closets and outside.
It hurt to read and finish and not have any more of this book left. I love this series and can’t wait for the next book to happen.
Michelle Heard just took me, threw me in and closed the lid and there I was with all that tiny and big skeletons in everyone’s closet but mine… I shed tears, I hyperventilated, I laughed and cried even more. Because when a story starts in Michelle’s world others stories end and you can’t go back to meet this characters again and I even went totally emotional for side characters. That good!!! Go and grab it and read it.
Michelle Heard has been a go to author for me for a while now, but this series has taken her to a whole new level of amazing. I was blown away by the previous book and even more so by The Girl in The Closet. This book is absolutely riveting from start to finish. Overflowing with powerful emotion and hitting on difficult subjects while being written so wonderfully that you can’t help but truly feel what these characters are going through.
Birdie’s story is not an easy one to take at all, but it is one that is told magnificently. Her abusive past leading her to grow into a young woman who’s life is dictated by her trauma even after escaping it. Birdie is the kind of character you find yourself not just drawn to, but also cheering for. Every little baby step she made had me feeling just how huge it was for her. Cole always saw beyond her scars both physical and emotional.
With his own demons to battle and wounds to heal he comes home and is thrust right back into her life. Cole is the ultimate when you think of hero. No matter what has happened his first priority is always Birdie. That protectiveness paired with how gentle he is with her creates a swoony experience like no other while reading this book. What starts as sweet young love and becomes an epic soul deep connection for these two is full of tragedy, healing, and suspense to go along beautifully with the romance creating a book that you simply cannot put down for a second.
As a reader it’s a rarity for me to come across a novel that’s hard to review, but guys the struggle to form words is real. And you want to know why?
Because I don’t think any review will do this novel justice.
This novel literally brought me to my knees emotionally. It left me completely torn and heart broken. The subject matter in this novel is something that so many of us can relate to in the sense that as parents our job is to love and to protect our children, to guide them and comfort them, to forever shelter and protect them.
But what happens when the one person in your life that you should trust and depend on is a monster?
What happens when the one person in your life who should love you unconditionally, is intent on completely destroying you?
What happens when the man you should call your father, the man that should protect you is nothing but a pure evil man with no heart?
What you get is one very raw, gritty and confronting read.
Yeah guys look this isn’t the easiest of reads. It’s haunting, disturbing and heartbreaking, but it’s also breathtakingly beautiful and full of light and hope.
A perfectly executed and detailed novel that captured my heart and soul that wouldn’t let go.
A mixture of darkness and light, betrayal and trust, hate and love.
Sheer brilliance that tore my heart, but yet managed to mend it.
A read that I can’t rate highly enough.
Bridget and Cole…..Your story will stay with me always!
A definite 5 star read.
This is definitely a must read!!
This book from page 1 till the end absolutely amazing. I’m still reeling after reading this story.
Michelle’s writing just get in your heart and in your head with her word’s that it’s all you feel and see what her 2 MC Cole and Birdie (Bridget) go through.
This was such a hard book to put down I kept wanting to read it every chance I got till I finished it.
I highly would recommend picking this book up it was sooo damn good.
This is just my opinion and my voluntary review
5*+
Birdie really hasn’t had an easy life adopted due to negligence, but reading this book totally had me feeling all the emotions.
Cole has loved Birdie forever but didn’t confess his feelings until later as he’s about to embark on a career in the marines with his best friend Hunter.
Unfortunately life doesn’t go as planned for them both and Coles return home is with sadness.
My heart literally broke for Birdie at one stage it drew me to tears, I felt the emotion both for her and Cole.
I’ve already downloaded the next book in the series “The lies we tell ourselves ”
Brilliant story.
I have no words for this series so far, cause two books in and it’s written in such a gripping way that you can not stop no matter how hard you try. Cole and Birdie were polarizing both with there own sad story but find solace in each other. Birdie is a amazing character, her spirit is so light even though she’s seen nothing but dark and experienced nothing good in her life before Cole who she still feels she can’t let in to protect him when that’s all he wants to do. This book is flawless and I recommend hands down
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book
This was a good additional to the series.
Love love love! Another great book by Michelle Heard!! I can’t wait for the next book in this series to be released!
This is the second book in this amazing series, and is Birdie and Cole’s story. Birdie has had a traumatic childhood, and she is haunted by demons in her past. Cole comes back to town and he recognises the darkness in Birdie’s eyes. This is a beautifully written story which is dark, twisted, with secrets, redemption, healing, love, as well as covering horrific child abuse. I look forward to reading more form this talented author, whose work I recommend for all, just be aware of triggers.
I would like to start by saying that this book is incredible. The story of Cole and Birdie will most definitely pull at your heart strings. Cole liked Birdie in high school but left to join the Marines. Birdie had a horrific childhood until her Father was sent to prison. She grew up in fear of the day he is released. When Cole comes home to bury his best friend, Cole meets up with Birdie and all those old feelings surfaced. But can Cole break through the barriers Birdie puts up? Will she let him into her life? Can he help her overcome those fears? At times while reading this book, I couldn’t help but want them to be together. And the way this author writes, I could feel in my soul the emotions these characters were feeling. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
Wow this book was an unexpected page turner that I just couldn’t put down.
Was hauntingly beautiful and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the series
I’m having a hard time. I don’t really know what to tell you about this book. It’s dark, and angsty, and moody, and kind of unrealistic. I read it quickly; interested to see how it ends. And yet, I have some criticisms.
It was emotional, yet I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I didn’t really believe their connection, and that really skewed my perception about the rest of the book. In hindsight, I have many questions. Birdie is so damaged…please explain to me why she wasn’t in therapy?? Birdie just seemed like a victim (which obviously she was) yet she never grew as a character. She remained weak…just there waiting to be rescued by Cole.
The ending was slightly rushed, but I appreciated having a complete ending to their story. Writing was good, and I thought the dialogue worked well, but I just couldn’t get into this one fully.
Second book in the Southern Heroes series, we are introduced to Birdie and Cole and these two have had their share of suffering throughout their lives. Their journey is hard, full of anguish, loss, fear and pain. It is not an easy book, it is a reading that makes you think that sometimes in life, evil is closer than you might think.
The book begins with a teenager Bridget (Birdie) living in a peaceful town, with her adoptive parents and her foster brother. She is an incredibly shy girl, so she feeds a Platonic passion for Cole, a popular boy from her school. But her shy, withdrawn mood masks a distancing she imposes because of everything that has happened. Her past is terrible, sad and brutal. She was rescued with five years older after a series of unimaginable events.
What she did not expect was that Cole was interested in her, too. And on a visit that ends abruptly, those two will be close, and little by little the well-built walls of Birdie will begin to collapse. Cole with his patient, loving and detached way will win the heart of the protagonist. But with the threat of the past prowling around again, Birdie will walk away, breaking the heart of a passionate Cole.
Eight years later. Two characters marked by life. A real and close threat. A second chance. A protector. And a frightened girl desperate to stop feeling scared.
The book is very good! Birdie had a horrible childhood. The reports of what happened to her provoked tears. It is monstrous to think that whoever should love us unconditionally is capable of such atrocity. Even after so much time, she still lives in fear, does not feel safe anywhere. The beginning of the book where shows her and Cole starting a relationship was sweet and brought a calmer tone to the narrative, blending nicely with the dark part.
Cole was the perfect Prince Charming that Birdie needed as a teenager, and as an adult he was the highly trained soldier who protected her. He also suffered greatly. First to think that the girl he loved did not correspond, then losing his parents, facing the war and finally facing the greatest tragedy that shocked him and motivated him back home. Two characters broken, each one way, but they need each other so they can breathe.
The characters in the first book appear in the story, as well as a few others that will be part of the upcoming books. The plot of Reece and Clay seems to be interesting. The song and the excerpts that appear at the beginning of the chapters were brilliant.
The human being is capable of goodness and beauty but can also show malice and ugliness. We all have skeletons in the closet, but here he runs away from the metaphor and becomes literal. Birdie faced the boogeyman, left scorched, but survived. Even with scars and memories she won. Cole was her biggest prize in this madness called life.
Birdie/Bridget has been with her foster family for a while and doesn’t want to remember her father, she has been crushing on Cole for just as long.
By chance Bridget realises that Cole is interested in her but she worries about her past and how she can’t get past it. Just as Cole and Bridget find each other Cole leaves for the marines.
When Cole returns from the marines he has he’s own scares and nightmares, but when he hears about Bridget’s father threatening her he wants to do nothing more than protect her.
Cole knows some of Bridget past and that she has scares, but when he finds out more, all he wants to do is get rid of her father.
Bridget doesn’t understand how Cole can want her and often mistakes his feelings all wrong – all Cole wants to do is put Bridget back together again.
Between both of their scares and nightmares they have to work together to find love and let go of their pasts.
The Girl in the Closet was one hell of an emotionally dark read. It slowly ripped my heart out and put it back together again. I loved every agonizing minute of it! This book will stay with me for a long time!
Birdie was abused by her father until she was rescued at the age of five! She was taken in by the Pastor and his wife. Her scars run deep into her psyche, finding it hard to trust, relax and believe in herself. Even though her father is in prison she is terrified of the day he’s released. She is like a skittish animal afraid of the dark, the water and most of all the bogeyman! Cole Trenton is a senior at school who Birdie likes but he couldn’t possibly like her, could he?When he does show interest she pushes him away. Cole decides to enlist in the Marines with his best friend. Birdie is never far from his thoughts but not wanting to face rejection he stays away. Things will never be the same again when he finally does return.