Beautiful Delusions

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Title: Beautiful Delusions
Author: Ember Raine-Winters
Publication date: 02/08/2017
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: Yes
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Amazon blurb
Kaylee

One night . . .

One terrible accident . . .

That was all it took to turn my entire life upside-down. My PTSD is worse than ever. The terror I thought I left in my past is back, and this time I might not survive the horrors he promises to bring.

An old friend, Griffin, my best friend at one time bulldozes his way back into my life. 

He has the power to consume me. I want him... and that is terrifying. Can he actually protect me from the evil that wants to tear me apart? 

Griffin 

Fifteen years . . . 

That's how long I have let the guilt eat me alive for hurting her with my words the way I did. I never thought I would get the chance to atone for my sins. Now that I do, I will stop at nothing to help her, save her . . . keep her. 

The only thing I want, apart from Kaylee in my bed, is to protect her from the monster who wants to destroy her.

My Review
This is one of those super-tough-to-rate books. As always, I’ll start with the positives:

• Kaylee is a survivor. She’s made mistakes, she’s owned up to them, and she’s working to straighten her life out and be the best mom she can be. Her determination and fire make her a relatable, likable heroine.
• The depiction of non-combat-related PTSD in this book feels super genuine. It’s obvious that the author is passionate about the subject and has done her research. Kudos to her for that. It’s admirable.
• Griffin is a great hero. Tough but vulnerable, protective but not stiflingly alpha.
• The pacing of the story is good. Plenty of action to keep things interesting, but not so much action that I feel like I need a nap after reading.
• The author clearly has a snarky sense of humor, which I TOTALLY appreciate

​“My insurance didn't cover psychotic breaks. Go figure!”

All that said, there were a few things that either had me scratching my head in confusion or ready to reach through my Kindle and throttle someone:

• Early on in the book, Kaylee is in a car accident that happened as a result of one of her PTSD episodes. When she’s out of the hospital, she’s in a snit about not being allowed to drive again. Really? Lady, you have two kids. You wrecked your car because of a PTSD episode so bad you basically blacked-out at the wheel. You should THANK someone for taking your license away so that you don’t end up killing yourself or your kids.
• Dialogue was a little stilted in spots. With Griffin especially, I found myself wishing he’d use contractions a little more.
• This is probably just me, but romantic suspense tends to be a little too angsty for my liking. Big fans of the genre will probably feel differently, but towards the end, I suffered a little bit of angst overload. Having a sicko stalker AND a worthless ex AND unsupportive, meddling parents to deal with at the same time just got to be a little too much for me as a reader.
• Spoiler alert: the dog dies. I hate that shit. You know how some people need trigger warnings for stuff like violence and dirty, racy sex? Well, I need trigger warnings for dead dogs. In my opinion, dogs should ALWAYS live happily ever after.
• So, Griffin is a therapist who is also an ex-Special Forces badass who just happens to run a big time security firm? Wow. Does he wrangle unicorns and save burning orphanages in his spare time? Guess what I’m trying to say is that the level of his perfection strained the bonds of reality a bit (in my opinion).       
• There were some minor spelling and grammar issues throughout. Nothing so bad that it hurt my overall reading enjoyment, (and I never deduct stars unless there are ton of really egregious errors, which there weren’t in this one) but this book could probably benefit from the help (just a quick once-over) of a good editor.

But minor gripes notwithstanding, this is a read that, I’m sure, a majority of romantic suspense fans will enjoy. I’m probably more critical than most readers in the genre because it’s just not my particular brand of catnip. (Paranormal and light, contemporary romances are my thing.) For the rest of you, this one is definitely worth a read, and Ember Raine-Winters is an up-and-coming author that I’ll be keeping my eye on. I expect big things from her!

Full disclosure: the author generously provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
It’s definitely within kissing distance of being unrealistic in spots, but overall, I’d say it neither crushes nor contributes to the romance stigma in any way.

Other reading suggestions
For romantic suspense with plenty of sexy elements and a sicko stalker/serial killer (seriously, he’s creepy as all hell), try Jami Alden’s Beg for Mercy. For a read about the worst ex in the history of shitty exes, try Lisa Gardner’s The Perfect Husband. ​

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