Cover Image: The Way He Loved Me

The Way He Loved Me

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Member Reviews

#TheWayHeLovedMe #NetGalley


Amy and Jason.

This book was raw and powerful, scary even in how real and realistic it was.

For anyone who has been in an abusive relationship, reading this might trigger the reader into having a major panic attack.

Or maybe that is just me.

For those who haven't experienced such a relationship it might open their eyes and give them a glimpse of how it can be.

Very dark and graphic at times.

My thanks to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

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First love turned into a nightmare. Might not be so much of a YA material but I do think it's great to think about how to develop healthy relationships from young age.

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I got through this book really quickly. The story was good, but the ending was kind of blah for me. I would recommend to someone who wants a quick read.

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Normally I say a book is drawn out but this one needs to be drawn out a bit more needs a little more detail but it is a good book and she has a good story.. She could always do a rewrite if she wanted but I like this book!

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Description:
"I love you." Three little words that when repeated over and over are likely to become believable. For Amy Andrews, 'I love you' comes at a price of never-ending forgiveness and hidden bruises.
Amy refuses to listen to family and friends, not wanting to see the only love she has ever known for the monster he really is. Jason is dangerous and volatile, leaving nothing but destruction in his path. Will Amy see the imminent danger before it's too late?
Or will she give every part of herself until there's nothing left? WARNING This book contains mature content and descriptive scenes that may be offensive or difficult to read

My Thoughts:
This book is not helpful at all. As a victim of psychological violence and stalking by an intimate partner, I could not finish reading beyond chapter six. Make no mistake. I am a survivor. I learned how to both recognize my damage and change what I look for in partners. I have been married in a loving relationship now for a very long time. What I am saying is there is a way out. There is a way to survive and thrive. This book is not helpful to get to the end of the tunnel.

Here are some statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).[vii]

Although the statistics seem grim, what I also know is that we survive and thrive. if 1 in 2 of us have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner, we come out of these relationships changed and strong otherwise the domestic violence statistics would be much higher. Some of us come out without the violence and outside drama that this book suggests as a "way out." That is the kind of book that YA males and females need. They need to see how you can rely on others to help you heal. They need to see how there are safe places and adult advocates who can help. They need to see what a strong friend who can help looks like. That is the kind of book we need. Not this.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the Publisher for an honest review

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I had a mixed emotions while reading this - bliss, anger, annoyance, sympathy and hoping that everything will change for good. The first 2-4 chapters tell us how Amy and Jason meet, how their love story begins and what made Amy like (and love) Jason. He was her first boyfriend and I can't imagine how excited she is to experience all of it. She was a senior (18 years old) so I expect her to be somehow wise, matured and knows what she wants. I expect her to be strong but somehow Amy is blinded by love or should I say, infatuation. Jason started as a sweet and thoughtful guy, somewhere in the middle of the story, Jason changed and his other 'persona' has been triggered that ends up hurting Amy physically and it became normal for both of them as it was being repeated. Amy tried two approach - first, as an instant and normal reaction, she tries to fight back but ends up with more bruises and broken bones then second was to give in thinking that Jason will go easy on her but it still ends up hurting her both emotionally and mentally. She was able to realize her worth in the end.

I noticed that the story has been told straightforward and there was no plot twist, it was told as it is. The writing style is friendly and simple, anyone can understand it easily, no metaphors and jargon words. It was like written for a movie or screenplay, as it's fast and very straight to the point.

However, I was not able to feel the heroine, her emotions, her pain, her burden. She wasn't able to convince us that Jason is worth loving or that there is something good with Jason. Jason's side has not been explained thoroughly, his issue that made him abuse Amy was because he is going through a tough time with his family (parents are getting divorced, and his dad is beating his mom), so I guess that's where Jason saw that "beating" may be a normal thing to do, but it wasn't that a huge reason enough to hurt others. I guess the story lacks emotion, it could've been better if the first 5 chapters tell us the life and thoughts of Amy, how she's been single for a long time, how she is focused on school and academics, how she's super close with her parents, if she has any problems or dark past that made her fall in love fast with Jason.

It would also be good if the characters was build up in our imagination - like how they look like, their hair, what they are wearing. There wasn't much drama or any drastic movements from Amy - such as a death of a loved one, she should've been devastated about what happened, A new life has formed, which means a new challenged for her (what she should do, how she would go over it since she's just 18/19 years old), Her interaction with Jason when she's about to escape... the story is good, but lacks emotion.

Not bad for a first book from the author, the story line is well written but it needs more imagination, since it's a Fiction, she can definitely explore more POVs or flashbacks that would create a very good characters that will touch people's lives.

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The Way He Loved Me is a book about domestic violence. Both Amy and Jason are in school when they meet and Amy is immediately taken with Jason, but over the course of their relationship he becomes violent - beating her, raping her - and Amy loved him.
The story is straight forward with the first few chapters showing how their romance began. While the rest of the book focuses on the abuse until Amy winds up in the hospital. With only 158 pages, the book was a bit rushed, especially with the sensitive subject matter. The dialogue is somewhat stilted, very fast and to the point. Their isn't enough description within the details and the lack of build up leaves a lot to be desired.

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Did I just read a Lifetime movie? If I didn't, this book certainly follows the pattern and tale of a Lifetime domestic abuse movie.

While there were quite a few parts of this book that made me mad, there we a lot of other parts that made me shake my head with disgust. I also found the book rushed and scraped together. I think 158 pages is too short of a book to portray domestic violence. That being said this is not a book for the faint of heart and definitely not a book I'd recommend for survivors of domestic abuse. There are a lot of triggers in the book that even as someone who hasn't experienced domestic abuse got to me. I also wouldn't recommend reading this book in public. I'm sure my face showed blatant disgust while waiting at the salon.

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The plot of the story was strong but the way of telling this story was poor.
You can't describe a violence relationsip in 158 pages. And for certain you can't describe a violence relationsip with a violent/lunatic/murder guy.
In this book all it was fast. First of all I didn't know who Amy was. Little things in the first page and nothing more. I couldn't connect with the main character.... How crazy is that?

The writer had got a good strong story but she wan't ready to be told.... This feeling the book gave me.
1,5 star

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The author did an amazing job of capturing the development of an abusive relationship and the impacts the relationship has on the lives of both people involved in the relationship. Highly recommend!

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Amy has always been the do good girl. She had never had a boyfriend, kissed a boy, or even been on a date. Until she met Jason. Jason was the new boy in school and Amy and Jason were instantly drawn to each other. Jason won her over quickly with his gentlemanly charm. He was so sweet and thoughtful and caring...until he wasn’t. Amy, not being experienced in love and romance, just figured this was the way it was supposed to be. Jason takes a turn for the worst and now Amy is too in love, too involved, too wrapped up in Jason to think clearly.

This book brings up mature topics that many young girls face today.

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This is the first book I've read by this author. Ot is real and very raw.
It definitely captured me This story should only be read by a maturer audience.

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This story is a raw and heartbreaking account of a woman struggling with being abused. I'd recommend for mature adults due to violence.

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When you read this book, you will learn explicitly about a relationship between two high students. Amy is a very quiet high school student with a best friend, named Trish. Amy's parents are very traditional. They talk and love one another.
Amy falls in love with the new student, Jason. They begin a relationship that turns extremely rocky and difficult. This book is very emotional and detailed. I would recommend this book for late high school and young adults.

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I found this book very shallow and underdeveloped It's subject matter is dark but no depth of emotion was conveyed or given to the matter of domestic abuse. I had not realised it was a YA book but perhaps that is why it maybe the author is a YA too? This would explain its lack of length, descriptive prose or the feeling of any deep emotion. It was like reading a young teenagers essay. Disappointing as the subject matter could have been used as a teaching tool for youth.

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Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for an honest read and review. I did not read this book prior to publication date, but let me just say it is one everyone will want to read.

I do have to say it is a huge trigger warning for domestic abuse as well as rape. I was expecting the abuse but not rape, therefore thought I'd put that out there.

This book was beautifully written, as someone who has experienced both abuse and rape this book was a damn good representation. This story could have been a nonfiction story with how well the details are done. It showcases the side of both, it shows how the abuser abuses and apologizes after knowing what they did was wrong. While the victim makes up excuses for the abuser because they feel like they can't live without them or fear leaving.

Heather Tanti did an amazing job with this story, it is a short but impactful read. I am glad to have read it, it is a story I believe could be used in some cases for helping victims heal. Especially because they would learn that what they are feeling is normal, it is nothing to be ashamed of. Although they should seek help from someone they trust as well as some professional help. This is a topic that still seems taboo in todays society and I think it should be talked about more. It happens more then people think it does.


I give this book 5/5 because the representation in here was amazing, I honestly have no problematic issues in this story. I find most books based on abuse or mental illness and such have some problematic features. This one was as close to the truth as you will get without actually experiencing it.

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A part of this feels like it should not be in the genre YA but then the other part...the part that I like to not think about is reminded of the fact that abusive relationships can start young and that kids need to learn that it is ok to speak out and they are not alone in the world. That it is not ok to be treated that way. I think this book could help shed some light on that.

There is a lot of honesty about this book, as bad as that sounds. The way you can hide your bruises and fear behind a smile because no one looks to hard at happy people.

This is a very dark but powerful book and one I would recommend to anyone wanting to get a glimpse at what it is like feeling stuck in a relationship like that.

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I loved this book! Thought it was well written. The only I would have liked to have changed from it is I wished it was longer. I felt like we read right into the climax. I wanted more build up before the climax. The adrenaline of "Omg what's going to happen next" feeling. But other than that it was a great quick dark story. I thank you for the opportunity to read your book and I hope to see more of your work!

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I have a lot of things to say about this story. First I appreciate the advanced copy. Secondly, while the book kept me wanting to read, the story starts with amy who meets Jason on page 3 or so, and they're in love by page five or so. Now, early on we see the severity of the relationship, but There could have been more relationship building between the couple, i didnt see enough good deeds on jasons part, to be surprised that he was the way he was....with little more relationship building, and a few more chapters this book could have easily been a slam dunk. However, its still getting the word out about teen abuse in relationships, I'm ok with that!

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** spoiler alert ** This is pretty heavy material for young adults but unfortunately young adults face this all too often. Jason is nuts and Amy is a typical victim, which makes this book sad, depressing, tragic, and infuriating all at the same time. Anyone who’s been through this knows how it feels to believe them when they say it will never happen again, that you’re made for each other, that they need you . . . . .

I didn’t rate this higher due to the simplistic writing and the fact that it was a shorter novel.

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