Dustin is a convicted murderer.He’s mournful, bitter, drowning in a sea of self-pity with nothing left to lose.The church has sent me to bring him into the fold.Bound by my namesake, Saint Odilia,I should be defending my spirituality and morality with my life.It only took a few letters to change everything.Odilia saved my life and gave me her heart.But I’m still mournful, bitter, and drowning in … mournful, bitter, and drowning in self-pity.
Only now I have something to lose… her.
Gaining my freedom was supposed to be the hard part, but it’s going to take much more for me to be worthy of a saint.
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When I read the blurb for Vindicated, I was thinking to myself this sounds interesting.
This story drew me in from the start, it has bad boy convict, and a sweet little naive nun, some suspense, steaminess and a crazy family. I enjoyed the story, and the characters were so good together. I found myself a new author to read, and I’m looking forward to her next book.
OMG!! What a freaking debut! This book was incredible. Misty Walker killed this story and I am so obsessed with Dustin and Odillia I feel like my heart might explode. A nun and a convict. I feel like she’s about to send me down a rabbit hole of this trope and I am so here for it! I loved the back and forth emails and the times she’d go visit him and the aspect of falling in love through letters! You don’t see this very often in books, but the few that I have it’s always like a breath of fresh (but sexually charged) air and I LOVE it. I can’t wait for more from Misty Walker!
4.5 stars for this fabulous debut novel. In fact, it’s hard to believe that this is Misty’s first published book!
With two very strong central characters in Odilia and Dustin we have a romance starring polar opposites who are perfect for each other. Dustin helps Odilia to crack the walls of her strict, restricting, upbringing, while Odilia helps to break the walls round Dustin’s heart. This is a lovely read and, though it has moments when the harshness of Dustin’s past is revealed, it also has a deep warmth at its heart, that informs the whole book. Love, the redemptive power of love, and trust that all will be well, even when times are hard, make this a book I have loved reading.
I am blown away that this is Misty’s debut novel, just in utter amazement. What an interesting pair to start with… convicted killer and soon to be nun, what should be doomed from the start blooms into a hot connection. Plus, love the communication back and forth between then.
All the emotions that run through both characters can be felt with such intensity, you can’t help but get wrapped up in their world. Dustin draws Odilia out into the big world, while Odilia shows Dustin that his world hasn’t stopped spinning yet. Each pushing and pulling the other to step outside the box they’ve been placed in.
I do wish there had been a tad bit more “drama” when his past collides with his future, but when Misty about broke my heart (and when you read it you’ll know where I’m talking about) I was drawn away from that.
She will be an author that I will forever stalk for all the new goods!
The book is about Odilia, who is a soon to be nun and as part as her discernment she needs to get a pen pal inmate. Dustin is a inmate who is in jail accused of killing his best friend.
The story is soo good I really enjoyed how the characters and story flowed. I would recommend this book.
This is a debut book from this author the writing so good and it pulls you in. Can’t wait to read more books from this new author.
Wow. This is the first book that I have read from Misty and I loved it. This was not only about a little romance but this was about redemption. Seeing the good side of someone. I just absolutely loved this storyline and the characters. It gripped me from the very beginning until the end. Very well written with two characters who had extremely great chemistry.
Dustin loses his best friend. But the sad thing about the whole thing is that he ends up going away for his murder. While in prison Odilia starts to email him. She is working on becoming a nun and as part of the program she has to reach out to someone. She wants to be there for him and try to help him become a better person. But little do either one of them realize they are going to end up helping each other. Misty wrote an amazing book. I absolutely loved Dustin and Odilia. These two are perfect for each other and were two amazing characters to read about. Highly recommend this one.
WOWZA!!!!
What a way to Debute, Misty Walker!!!
A gripping read from begging to end!
I actually started reading it on Sunday at 1AM and ended it at around Noon, and only because I was forced to make breakfast for my annoying family that decided cereal was not acceptable. So, needless to say, I became very upset to be interrupted. Anyways….
What an original story line with a fully enthralling plot.
Odilia had the perfect amount of innocence, to make me crave, that a badass like Dustin will either corrupt her or change him. The end result filled every deep seeded need I had.
If this is what this author brings to the table as her very first debut novel, I can’t wait to read everything else that she writes!
Congratulations on a most amazing Read!!!
You have a fan for life.
Can’t wait to read more! xx
***UPDATE: Add Dustin to my Book Boyfriend’s list. Thank you Misty!!!
#Claimed
First baby book from the author! And I must say she’s done a great job.
At first I was like oh yummma convict and a little nunforbidden definitly written all over my dirty mind
But then the layers peeled.
We see the sweet, innocence, naive, sheltered little Doll grow to be a strong, smart, determined young woman
And Dustin… Oh yeah he is smokin hot
That bad boy Alpha dominant aura definitly make me wet wet wet
But like his Doll, Dustin is more than that. He have demons that can hurt and destroy him and people around him.
At first I’m bit scared of how naive Doll is and how their chemistry grow. It feels like predator being given a free meal. But then the author let them both grow by them self to be stronger together. I like that.
I kinda wish the angst side of their relationship would be thicker alongside the darkness side of the crime that sent Dustin in prison.
But over all, I like this book. Excited to read more from this author.
3.5 stars for me.
Hmmm..I will say it’s well written for a debut.
Something was lacking for me..it didn’t have that “it” factor.
The majority of the book was correspondence between woman on course to become a nun and a convicted murderer.
I enjoyed the letters but the connection didn’t feel real.
They real “romance” started about 80%.
The ending was great but not enough to sell me overall.
I do look forwarding to reading more as the author evolves.
~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 3.5/5
Main Characters (hero/heroine)~ 4/5
Secondary Characters~ 4/5
The Feels~ 4/5
Pacing~ 3.5/5
Addictiveness~ 3.5/5
Angst~ 3.5/5
Steam/Hotness/Chemisty ~ 3.5/5
Theme or Tone~ 3.5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 4/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 4/5
Originality~ 3.5/5
Ending~ 4/5
Book Cover~ Hauntingly Beautiful
Series~ stand-alone
Source~ Kindle eBook – ARC for honest review
Would I read more from the author? Yes
Vindicated by Misty Walker was an excellent debut! Within minutes of starting this book, I was hooked. The dark, tortured emotions of the hero were well-written and I felt for him immediately. When the heroine came onto the pages, I was in love with her innocence and sweet demeanor. From an outsider looking in, the pair seemed like they had no chance. However, love doesn’t play by a set of rules…it’s makes them. Vindicated is about redemption, self-love, and forgiveness. This love story was sweet, but steamy, and had all the feels. Five LOVE IS FREE stars!!
Dustin has given up after being falsely convicted with no sense of worth or family. Odilia wanted to reach out and help someone, when she decides to help a convict.
Dustin has never known anyone as innocent as Odilia and is caught under her spell. Odilia has never met anyone like Dustin and will be forever changed because of him.
This is a beautifully written story of innocence, love, and redemption. As usual Misty Walker has taken a world that can be gritty and ugly and gave it a beauty that makes you care about these two characters and root for their happiness.
As Dustin Hayes States, he is not a good guy, but he isn’t a murderer. Framed for a death he is sent to prison for 21 years. Odilia Brannen is as innocent as they come, ready to become a nun. She starts corresponding with a prisoner, Dustin, that should be just as innocent but becomes more. She is the one ray of hope, a lifeline for the outside world and maybe just what Dustin needs to find himself again. A majority of this book is their emails back and forth and really comes alive at the 50% mark. As a debut book this is very well written. I loved the connection that grew between Dustin and Odilia. Very enjoyable book! Told in dual POV
This is undoubtedly the best job of many of Misty Walker. This story had it all, and the emotions made me a mess for the most part. It is also important to note that I fell deeply for this book so passionate … this is no easy task and it shows the power of writing in this book. I love it when a book delights me like this. When the book is so good I just can’t let go.
This book has covered issues such as redemption, but just because it is difficult and many cannot open, let someone in and share their pain, but it does not mean that it does NOT need to be addressed. Thank you, my sweet Misty, for your courage in writing this story; and decide to share it with the world.
At the end of this book, I felt emotionally happy and grateful. I just wish I could hug you. My heart was overflowing, and happy at the same time. It was a strange but beautiful feeling.
Dustin and Doll, God, just writing their names now makes me thrill. They are special, their love went beyond those emails.
I definitely recommend this book. I think everyone should read.
Dustin
A man who had to learn to live and fight for his life as a child and found his family together with his best friend and brother Vic, together they built an empire on the streets where they were kings, but what Dustin didn’t expect was that his life would change completely leading him to a conviction for injustice and evidence.
More than Dustin didn’t expect that in the midst of so much chaos and a hopeless life a light at the end of the tunnel could reach him and with it make his life and heart change completely.
“Doll is just different. She sees things in me that I never saw in myself. ”
Odilia
A Young Woman who always lived in her shell and hoped to be a devotee to God, for she always believed that this was her calling.
But what Lia didn’t think her good faith and messaging to comfort a criminal could make her totally change what she believed was right for her life.
“I felt a connection to him. As though he needed something … ”
Dustin and Odilia / Doll learned together how they could overcome their fears and hope for each other, even learning from the difficulties that nothing would be easy and that redemption often needs to be hard and cruel so that good things can happen and with Doll and Dustin could not be different, together they learned to deal with every obstacle in order to find their happily ever after.
“The chemistry between us is explosive and every time we touch, the fuse burns farther down. Someday we will detonate … and I can’t wait. ”
Note: 5 because it no longer allows …
Playlist: Wonderful and Addictive.
Author: Fan number 1.
Book: Best I’ve ever read this year