Belinda Boring

‘Forgiveness came by being brave enough to follow your heart, wherever that journey took you’

Having read ‘Bittersweet Melody’, (which I absolutely loved) I was eagerly awaiting the release of ‘Bittersweet Symphony’. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to complete Cooper and Caylee's’ story. This was an incredible conclusion to what I considered to be a heart-wrenching, bittersweet and unforgettable story of two people whose love for each other has endured pain, loss, and show more tragedy.

The story picked up where book one left off. Caylee and Cooper are officially a couple. Things appear to be going well, despite Cooper’s ongoing struggles with PTSD. Caylee was his healing balm. Because of her, he was able to get through each day, however, due to his failure to let go of the guilt over his best friend’s death he risked destroying the very thing he held dear. Would Cooper allow the demons of his past to destroy what he and Caylee had?

The pacing was slow, however, the story was not boring. In fact, I was compelled to read on as I was curious to discover how the story would unfold. This is not the type of story that can be rushed. It has to be consumed as one would consume fine wine. I must confess, that as I approached the last few chapters, I was afraid to continue. Why? Well, to be honest, I didn’t like the route that Cooper and Caylee's’ relationship was taking. I was thinking, ‘That can’t be happening not after all they have been through’. However, I moved past the fear and continued and I am glad I did.

In reading this series my eyes were opened to the effects that PTSD can have on an individual as well as their family and friends. My heart went out to Cooper, seeing him struggle on a daily basis not knowing when an incident, a word or anything for that matter would trigger an episode. I know it could not have been easy living like that. As for Caylee all I can say is ‘Wow!’ She demonstrated how much she loved Cooper with her patience and kindness. While reading, I was reminded of the fact that no matter how strong we may believe we are, we are unable to overcome pain and trauma without emotional and physical support.

‘Bittersweet Symphony’ was more than a romantic story. It spoke of healing, forgiveness, love and letting go of the pain of our past. It demonstrates that letting go of the pain of our past is the first step in the healing process. Holding on to the past will destroy our future happiness. Blaming ourselves for things outside of our control is not healthy and will eventually destroy us physically, mentally and emotionally.

I enjoyed the author's writing style. The manner in which she conveyed the emotions of the characters and described every scene made me feel as if I was a part of the story and not just viewing from the sidelines.

Verdict:
This was an awesome story and one which I highly recommend. show less

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of The Romance Review in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing that came to mind while reading was OMG! I am not sure I can adequately express the beauty of this story, but I will surely try my best. The emotions that this story evoked in me made me feel as if I was living the story alongside the characters. This is my second time reading Belinda Boring's work and she did not disappoint.

LOVING LIBERTY is about a 21-year-old college student show more named Liberty. Now when you hear the term liberty, the things that come to mind are freedom and independence. However, for Liberty Montgomery, her name did not match her lifestyle. She lived a life of privilege and wealth, and unfortunately for her, living this way came with conditions. She was unhappy as her life was governed by restrictions. Her parents controlled every aspect of her life. This included what she ate and drank, how she dressed and the type of friends she kept. She knew that she was living the life of a prisoner, but she was afraid to take the bull by the horn and tell her parents that she has had enough. However, a chance meeting with a hot and sexy bartender will have her re-evaluating all she had endured while growing up.

From the moment he met Liberty, Oliver Nichols knew she was different from the girls he encountered at the fancy functions where he worked as a bartender. He recognized that she was a caged bird dying for the day when she will be able to seize her freedom. He was able to recognize this as he was once where she was. This made him the perfect person to help Liberty to live up to the name she was blessed with. Will Liberty be able to get past her fears and put an end to her parents' dominance over her life?

I enjoyed the manner in which the characters were portrayed. I felt everything that the author was hoping to communicate to her readers. I was fascinated by Liberty's journey from being a caged bird to one that was able to soar to the highest of heights. I thought she was strong in light of all she had endured at the hands of her parents and sister. In spite of all this, she was able to maintain her sanity. It is my belief that one of the things that kept her going was hope. Hope that one day she would be free to live her life the way she had always dreamed.

Oliver was totally swoon worthy. He is the embodiment of what most women look for in a man. He and Liberty were perfect together. He showed her what she had been missing all her life. He gave her a taste of freedom. Oliver's hope was that she would realise the beauty of freedom and that she would be brave enough to seize it. He was not pushy and he would do all in his power to protect her. He stood by her and never once did he judge her.

I did not like Liberty's parents. Not only are they controlling but they were also pretentious and snobbish. It is evident that they were more concerned about keeping up appearances rather than their children's wellbeing. Their idea of love was warped. As for Liberty's sister Erica, she was just plain evil. I am convinced that she is a spawn of the devil.

LOVING LIBERTY is the type of story that engages you from start to finish. It is my belief that there is no way you can read this book and not have your emotions engaged in every possible way. The writing style was captivating. You will find yourself turning the pages as you are eager to discover all that will transpire. The author satisfies your literary needs, but at the same time leaves you wanting more of the story and the characters.

This was a beautiful story and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work.

Review originally posted at: http://www.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=20303 show less

I love Belinda Boring, author of the steamy and wolfy Mystic Wolves series, and have since her very first book. Loving Liberty is my favorite of everything she has written thus far... and that is saying something! I swear that the book gave me heart palpitations at time, and not from the steaminess. In that respect, this book is a bit tamer than Belinda's wolves.

The characters, oh, the characters. Love them or hate them, they get under your skin. There were some I loved and wanted to hug. show more There were others that made me want to reach through my Kindle and slap the stupid out of them. And there were others that made me so frustrated that I could physically feel it. Sometimes all three at the same time! Liberty, oh, Liberty. Our main character, she was a 21yo woman, thoroughly controlled by her family. Her friends, her college courses, her clothing. No part of her life was her own. The way she was treated, the way she allowed herself to be treated... it all struck a nerve with me and drove me insane. It was very easy to forget that I was reading a fictional novel sometimes, I was so personally involved! Oliver, however, I loved. His patience, his kindness, his compassion. Everything about him screamed perfection in how he treated Liberty. But Andrew, the other man in Liberty's life? Everything about him irritated me, as it was supposed to, just like Liberty's family.

I loved watching Liberty come into her own and grow over the course of the story. It was an amazing story with so much hurt and angst and heart ache along the way, but it was raw and gritty and real. There were so many times, as I was reading, that I saw shades of myself or of people I have known in the characters on the pages. There were moments when I was reading that I was thoroughly emotionally involved and frustrated that I actually yelled at my Kindle!!

This is not a light and fluffy read, but a thought-provoking one. At it's heart, this story rests on the characters and their relationships and it is truly an amazing read. An incredibly beautiful story that speaks of strength and courage just as much as it exposes the human capacity for cruelty.

Things to love about Loving Liberty...

--Belinda's insane character development. These characters spoke to the soul, both in good ways and in some not so good ways.
--Oliver. He is the epitome of a romantic hero, patient and kind.
--The writing style. She dragged me in and kept me there, right next to Liberty.

My recommendation: Read, read, READ! This is an intense book and a highly emotional one. But it speaks to the heart and the soul and should not be missed! show less

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In Short
- I really like Belinda's writing and how well it all flows
- Love how Belinda writes the human and wolf as two separate people
- The main male character, Mason, is a guy you will straight away fall for
- This book wasn't what I was expecting.
- There isn't much action but plenty of getting to know the characters more.
- It went in a direction that I wasn't expecting

In Long
Without Mercy, the first in this series, was a very short book at 24 pages but one that I show more quickly become engrossed in. Belinda's writing quickly grabs your attention and makes you hold on for the next word throughout the whole book!
Cherished wasn't as tense and took a direction which I wasn't expecting which has lead to me having mixed feelings about Cherished. In one way I was disappointed, not much happened and nothing that I was expecting. I kind of wanted more and expected it to have more action but instead got many 'bonding' scenes between the two main characters which I felt didn't really add much to the book. But as I said, disappointment was only one of the feelings, I enjoyed the romance and the very cute scenes. I also enjoyed getting to know the two main characters more which I wasn't able to do in the first book due to the very fast paced storyline. I was almost glad for the slower storyline as the more I got to know the main characters the more I liked them, I really feel Belinda has made two characters with their own strong traits.
I really enjoy Belinda's little things she added throughout the book which made it stand out. For example in this book the wolf and human are almost separate 'people' and I really liked these added things.

Final Thoughts
Belinda is a great author who is very talented. I look forward to her books in the future. Her writing is one which really grabs you in and continues to keep your attention. show less