Barbed Wire Heart

This was an incredible read. It was intense and full on and overwhelming with the feels.

It was good. Really good. I liked how the plot moved back and forth between time periods. And I liked the feminist angle. The women characters were unbelievably strong. They'd been through some traumatic experiences but I loved how they came together, supporting each other and protecting one another.

Harley was an incredibly complex character. I felt for her as she struggled to find herself and what she believed in, all the while fighting Duke and the perceptions of men and being surrounded by so much violence and loss. She was such a strong character and reminded me a lot of Alex from The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis. I did really like show more Harley but I would've really liked for her to actually follow through on the killing. And yes, I realise that her not killing was the point but I'm also bloodthirsty and I would've liked for her to at least put some holes in them.

The romance with Will was sweet but relegated to the sidelines to allow Harley to shine in her own right. I loved that Will was supportive and understanding but in some ways I also felt he didn't really understand her and the way she was going about things. Which was strange because he was all for the non-violent options and she was busy setting them up rather than killing, so why stop her?

But the real gem of this story was the relationship between the Ruby's and the camaraderie between all the women in the book. The friendship between Brooke and Harley. Brooke warning Molly about Tripp and then helping her when it all falls apart. There was such a community between them, an understanding of the evil things men do and did and might do to them or their children and this fierce desire to protect each other from it. It was inspiring.

This would've been five stars but it was long and it started to drag a bit when it seemed like none of Harley's plans were going to actually happen. But it is a fantastic read and one which will stick in my memory for a long time.

4.5 stars. show less

There's sufficient blood shed in this book to supply a blood drive, but not a drop is gratuitous. I found my thoughts returning to the same question time after time-"How much of the story was based on the author's personal experience?" If any, or much was, then this must have been one heck of a catharsis, wrapped into an incredible read. I turned to this after reading her two YA novels, both of which I loved. This is equally good and I hope she continues to write as she's a stellar author.

I absolutely loved this.

I think I will read everything Tess Sharpe ever writes. I loved the two ya books of hers that I read, but I think I might have loved this debut adult one even more. Her writing style really appeals to me, and she crafts really interesting characters. I loved being in Harley’s headspace. I think she is one of my favorite new characters. Gosh. This is a heavy one that deals with a lot of violence (domestic, sexual, etc) but it is also a story of a woman crafting a place for herself and survivors through all of that and it is just so so good. I’ll def be coming back to this at some point for sure.

Tess Sharpe is a new name for me since I don't read much YA nowadays. However, I might have to check out her other books because this her first novel for adults blow my mind. I can honestly say that I was both surprised and delighted on how good the book is. Now, I felt right from the start, reading the first chapter that this felt right, it caught my attention and I was sucked into Harley's world. A friend on twitter called this rural noir and that is a fitting description of this book.

Harley McKenna is the only daughter of Duke McKenna, North County's biggest baddest criminal. She's been working for him since she was sixteen collecting debts as he's trained her to one day take over after him. However, time is up now, his father's show more archnemesis Carl Springfield, the man who is responsible for Harley's mom's death, is closing in on them and Hartley has decided enough is enough, and she knows that this world that here father and Springfield has created, a deadly world will be the end of her. So, she decided to change it all, and take out both her father's and operation and Springfields.

Barbed Wire Heart is a gritty book about family, survival, and meth. Harley is not your typical young woman, she watched her mother get killed when she was little. Not long time after that did she watch her father kill a man. That's just a small part of what she has been through and through this story, we get to follow Harley as she once and for all change, her future, at the same time do we get interwoven chapters from her childhood and teens that explain how she grows to be the woman she is today. It's such a fabulous book. I loved reading it, I found Harley to be such a wonderful character and I was totally engrossed in the book. Yes, it's a violent book, but it's a violent world that Harley lives in. However, there are some lighter moments, one of the best and most heartbreaking chapters is one of the shortest when Harley recollects a memory of her father from when she was little. It was heartbreaking. I could go on and on about this book, but I will just say that this is a book that I'm truly glad that I read and it's definitely one of the best I have read this year.

I want to thank Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review! show less

If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd say it's bleak. We have no joy anywhere. No moments of happiness, however fleeting. What we have is endless misery and vengeance.

That being said, the writing is quite good. The author captures the setting and the mood, so we feel all that misery. If you can endure that feeling, you'll likely enjoy the story more than I did.

The book is written in first person, from Harley's perspective. We alternate with chapters in the current time, which is about domestic abuse and vengeance, and chapters from the past, where she tells us about all the horrible things that happened to her along the way. While I can't say I liked Harley, I understood and felt sympathy for her. Her character is well show more developed and her behavior is believable.

The mood of the story feels much like a Hatfield and McCoy feud. Given how brutal Harley's father is, I couldn't understand why he hadn't put an end to it long before Harley grew up. Leaving her vulnerable didn't fit with his character.

The book's description gives away a big part of the buildup. The first hundred or so pages are Harley alluding to and preparing for her big plan, which would be more suspenseful if reading the description didn't tell us exactly what that plan entails.

I wish the author had let a little light into the story. I would've liked a glimpse of hope, and less bad guy/worse guy misery.

*I received an ARC from the publisher, via Amazon Vine.* show less

Unique narrative, unravelling the story going back and forth on the timeline, action-packed and raw, lots of possible triggers and harsh truths, not a pretty read but a powerful one. Full of badass women proving their worth and demanding the respect of all the men that dare to underestimate them, just trying to make the world a better place

Violent but Hopeful

This book was really good. I felt for Harley and her story. It's very violent, but it's touching as well. I especially liked the parts about the women's shelter. That's a great concept to include in this type of book and I hope it increases people's knowledge of these places. Can't wait to read more from this author.