We all have our vices. Fear.Betrayal.Loss.I’m trailer trash in the slums of Carillon.Until I met him, the mysterious neighbor who speaks through handwritten notes. He never shows his face, only comes and goes late at night, and I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame.I shouldn’t want him.I don’t need him.But when I close my eyes, he’s all I see.He’s my addiction. The secret I keep close to my … I see.
He’s my addiction. The secret I keep close to my heart.
But sometimes things aren’t what they seem, and secrets don’t stay secrets forever.
And together, we’re just two lost souls on the wrong side of heaven.
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The Broken Wings Duet was my first reading experience with author Gia Riley. I’m choosy when it comes to reading angst, so I was taking a leap of faith when I agreed to tackle the Wrong Side of Heaven, followed by The Edge of Heaven.
The books center on Winnie Dawes, a seventeen-year-old girl, who battles every day to survive. She fights for what few things belong to her and she has no one she can trust. A mysterious yet protective stranger moves into the trailer across from Winnie’s at just the same time she makes her first real friend, Jasper.
Although they recognize each other from school, Winnie’s friendship with Jasper is established when they end up working at the same place. He is kind, compassionate, and loyal. He offers Winnie nourishment, comfort, and safety whenever she needs it. But it’s the secretive neighbor across the way who captures her heart. What follows is a gripping and emotional love triangle between the three that put me on the edge of my seat.
I read the Wrong Side of Heaven last month, while flying home after a book signing, and loved it. Then real life interfered with my ability to sit down and compose my review. I felt awful for being late with it, but then within a few chapters of beginning The Edge of Heaven last week, it became clear that this was meant to be.
The Wrong Side of Heaven was an incredible read, ensuring that I would move on to the second book. The Edge of Heaven picked up right where the first book left off, and just when I thought the story couldn’t get any better, it exploded on me. By the time I devoured the opening chapters of the second book, I knew I was dealing with a 5-star series.
The Broken Wings Duet is not for the faint of heart. All of the characters are struggling with personal demons, some of which are more evil than others. Despite the tragedy, there is an unmistakable surge of hope that buzzes beneath the surface. This hint of anticipation keeps both the reader and the characters moving forward, in search of the elusive light at the end of the tunnel.
If you’re interested in learning what happens when the paths of these fascinating characters converge, I eagerly recommend this pair of books. This duet is for those looking for something mature, edgy, and suspenseful in their next read.
This book was gut wrenching but amazing all the same. You will cry and feel so sorry for some of the characters. I could not put this book down.
Wrong Side of Heaven…
I can’t even describe how messed up this poor girl’s existence is. I would say life but it isn’t a life. She exists on the Wrong Side of Heaven and that thought makes me want to cry.
This is going to be an incredibly complex story. There are so many factors out to destroy one lost 17 year old. Wrong Side of Heaven is intense. It’s passionate in its despair. There’s little hope…but just enough to keep her alive.
I am both terrified and anxious for the next part. I hope that hope is enough. This brutally horrifying depiction of life in the trailer park is the every bad stereotype and yet it’s so raw and true. Sometimes there is truth in stereotypes and in this case Carillon is definitely the furthest from Heaven Winnie could be.
reviewed for Naughty Book Blog
I honestly don’t know if my heart can handle the books that I’ve been reading lately. As of now I’m pretty sure that my heart has found its forever home in the pit of my stomach especially if I keep torturing myself, a sweet torture nonetheless, with these kind of stories that capture you whole body and soul. You know the stories that not only give you all the feels, but somehow manages to keep a tight grip on your heart for long after you turn the last page.
If I had to describe this book in one word I think it would have to be SPEECHLESS. I am seriously at a loss for words right this moment because no matter what I say it will never convey the abundance of emotions that I experienced while devouring this extraordinarily captivating read. Gia Riley you have forever ruined me girl…RUINED ME! I don’t know how I am going to wait for the conclusion, especially after that ending. That ending was pure perfection and the very definition of torture. Can we please just fast-forward to April because I don’t think this intense feeling in my chest is going to disappear anytime soon.
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for March 22 because you don’t want to miss the release of Wrong Side of Heaven, the first book in the highly anticipated Broken Wings Duet!
Wrong Side of Heaven by Gia Riley is the first book in her Broken Wings Duet. Told in multiple POV, mainly between Winnie and Jasper this book has a cliffhanger and the story will conclude in The Edge of Heaven, releasing April 12, 2018
The story of Winnie is a bleak one. Her life so far has been dark, tragic, and abusive. She has suffered loss, emotional and physical abuse, and worse, indifference for so long it has become her normal. When pushed into working underage at a local strip club, a boy from her class in high school (yes she is only 17 and almost a senior) steps in and tries to help her, befriend her.
Jasper has been watching Winnie for a while now, trying to find a way to approach her that doesn’t make him seem like a crazy stalker and her working at The Whip is the perfect opportunity. He knows she keeps to herself and living where they do and working at The Whip is a clear sign all is NOT well in her life. But he feels this pull towards her. A need to protect her and help her. To put a smile on her face, bring hr a moment of happiness.
Things are complicated with Winnie’s situation, and dangerous and the story built to a wonderful point before the cliffhanger ending that I cannot wait to read when the conclusion to this story comes out. Enjoy!
Compelling, intense and emotional coming of age story. This is book 1 in a series that promises to be exceptional. Book 1 lays the foundation to uncover the secrets, the lies and the choices that beset these characters.
The writing was fantastic. The characters relatable though not always likable. It’s gripping with a “sinisterish” edge. (Yeah I know you’ll see what I mean when you read it.)
Be prepared and get the tissues ready this book will pull at your emotions! This is the story of 17 year old Winnie, a tortured soul with unimaginable baggage, but a survivor at heart. Her circumstances with Jasper and Trey lead to an intriguing predicament.
And then there’s the mother load of cliffhangers! Normally I’m not a fan of those but book 2 releases soon (April 2018) so I can accept knowing that I’ll find out the final outcome of Winnie’s story!
So this book was nothing like I expected. Wrong Side of Heaven is the 1st book in the Broken Wings Duet. This story was a slow burn but OMG it had you hooked from start to finish. Heart-breaking, riveting and to an extent tragic this story will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride and believe me you will feel all the emotions, as each character will evoke a different emotion from you.
Gia Riley was able to create such different characters in this novel, from the strong to the weak, from the good to the bad and they all played an important role to some extent in the story.
I thought I knew where this story was going, but I can safely say I really have no idea. What I do know is that it ends in a cliff-hanger and I can’t wait for book 2. This was an excellent read and worthy of 5 stars.
Gia Riley is one of my one click authors. I have read every one of her books. This one had a different feel to it then her previous one. Even though it felt different then her other works it was still an amazing read.
Winnie has a tough life. Her father has passed away and she is living his girlfriend, Tess. Tess is a druggy and a mess. I wouldn’t give Tess a dog to raise and she definitely doesn’t know what she is suppose to be doing with Winnie. Winnie is pretty much on her own. She had her Dad’s friend Trey for a bit but he left for a while. I felt for Winnie. She is such a likeable character. I just wanted to scoop her up and bring her home with me. Jasper is a sweet nice boy. He has a completely different life from Winnie. He wants to be the friend and knight in shining amour that Winnie needs. I would love for him to be that for her. Winnie is closed off but she lets Jasper in a little bit. Trey is around too. Trey makes Winnie feel safe. I’m not completely sure how I feel about Trey. I think Trey has a lot more story then we got in this one. The ending has me on edge and I can’t wait to read more.
Wrong side of Heaven( Broken Wings Duet #1) by Gia Riley. I have to start this review with I was so excited to read this author as a solo author. I have been exposed to her when she cowrote a book with another author. I truly enjoyed that story. This book was somewhat of a tough read for me. After the accidental overdose of her father Winnie is left in the hands of her stepmother. Now living in a trailer park she is subjected to all types of abuse at the hands of her stepmother.Winnie ends up forced to work at a job she isn’t legally old enough to work at. She meets a classmate who also works at the same job. He has taken a liking to her but she fantasies about the leather clad biker who lives across the street. This story was more of a set up for book 2 which will be out next month. There lies my issue. Yes I enjoyed the story. The author can tell a story but there were some things in the story I couldn’t go along with. Winnie at 17 is at the crossroads in her life and things can go either way based on the decisions she makes. I give the story 3.5 stars