This book was short and to the point. Nothing sugar coated here. Amy is smart and has never had a boyfriend. She meets Jason and they start dating. Jason is from an abusive family and has only ever seen his dad abuse his mom and that is all he knows. Needless to say he treats Amy the same way and it just keeps escalating. Definitely a good book to read to understand someone who is abused and how they think, as well as how an abusive relationship works. Scary and dark but also true. The writing was a little dry and the characters were not really fully developed but the story definitely packs a punch. I read this in about 2 hours so it is quick but I also feel worth it to see how badly someone can be abused before they realize it. Worth a look!

This is a novella length book, so don’t expect anything too in depth, however, it’s straight to the point and it held my attention the entire time, I even got teary eyed at the ending, how tragic am I?! I guess that’s what a mother in her 30s will do to you! If you’re looking for a quick easy read, this is it

The topic of this book is very serious and it is important to write and talk about these things, I quite like the writing style,simple and straightforward. i would have liked more background to the story, better description of Amy's feeling for Jason, even more detailed Jason's point of view. I

This book is listed as Young Adult, and would keep in mind your Young Adult and reading this first, before letting them read it. It would be a great way to open the door to discussing abuse.

It is a very quick read, but does an excellent job of exploring how one can feel trapped in an abusive relationship, especially someone like the character Amy, who is young and innocent and thrilled to be dating a 'hot' guy that makes other girls jealous of her.

It is a very difficult book to read in some parts due to the violence, so be cautioned. None of the violence was for the sake of being violent, it is there for a good reason and lesson.

This is a fairly short book that gives a look into a teens relationship that is abusive. This book is heartbreaking, but a realistic look at what a physically abusive relationship can turn into...luckily Amy got out, but was nearly killed first.

I went in to this book thinking it would be a scary insight into a woman's acceptance of domestic violence, and instead got a poorly written, unrealistic mess.

The dialogue was stilted and beyond awkward, and nothing about anybody's actions were at all believable. We needed way more time to build the relationship and find the love that Amy used as an excuse to accept the barrage of violence that came her way. A guy you just met punches you in the ribs and rapes you, you DTMFA, no matter how dreamy his eyes are. A guy who has groomed you and convinced you of his undying love and been the perfect man who *then* gets violent, well, it's not acceptable by any stretch of the imagination, but at least the reader can see where the decision came from.

But then, quite frankly, nobody behaved in any manner that seemed realistic. We're lead to believe that Amy is intelligent and comes from a wonderful and loving family. To jump to <em>I accept these beatings from someone who says they love me</em> when we didn't even see that supposed love just didn't ring true. To then defend and follow a guy who literally showed up at her door and beat the ever-loving crap out of her? Nope. Sorry.

And don't get me started on the cops. One dumb cop, okay, sure, but all of them? Come on. We're following a violent rapist who has kidnapped a woman, but yes, by all means, let's go into the house where he's hiding by ourselves without even thinking of calling for backup.

Had I not been reading on my iPad, this book would have hit the wall when I was done. A good editor would have helped immensely in helping this author develop a good story and believable characters, and spend more time showing instead of telling (or not quite telling enough, in this case).

The Way He Loved Me is about a teenager named Amy. Amy doesn’t have much experience with guys. She meets a guy named Jason at school. Her friend and her family is immediately taken by Jason. But Jason isn’t as wonderful as he first seems. Warning. Very dark book.

Such a dark and interesting story that will have you hooked and so invested in the character. It is a story about domestic abuse and controlling behaviour and shows how this can develop such a good read I read it in one sitting.

Brilliant book showing domestic abuse and controlling behaviour. It unravels how it lol starts and how the victims allow it to continue. Very sad for poor Amy.

A good short read - devoured in one sitting. Good subject matter- first love - almost obsession - controlling relationships

This was a very dark book about a young woman falling in love only to fall into the path of an abuser. For a very dark subject it was very well written you could see the love and confusion in the main characters eyes. This book did a very good job at showing how not every situation is black and white and sometimes "just leaving" isn't as easy as everyone says. This book did a very good job at showing just how easy it is to lost yourself in domestic problems. The only thing I didn't like about this book was I found the main character very weak and she didn't have much of a backbone of self respect to allow that to happen to her, however I did see how her boyfriend managed to change her way of thinking and turn her into that person. This was one of those
books where I'm constantly yelling at the main character to get out. Very dark read but I enjoyed it just the
same and I wondered as well how this was labeled as a young adult book it seems a bit dark and disturbing for a YA read. I really enjoyed the ending it was really emotional but good.

This was a fast read. I read it in one sitting.
I teach 6th grade, and the topics in the book are too heavy for me to recommend it to middle school students.
However, I found the story compelling. I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next. I think the depiction of how and why a person would stay in an abusive relationship seemed pretty realistic. The writing felt a bit clunky. I wasn’t always convinced that the characters would have used the words that were written.
None the less, I found the story interesting and wanted to finish reading.

This is a book? Really? It feels more like something from Wattpad or Fictionpress.

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Amy Andrews is your typical good girl - until Jason Reeves waltz into her life and sweeps her off her feet (let's ignore the fact that they barely have any interaction before falling in love). And although Jason can be sweet and gentle, he is also jealous, possessive, controlling and full of rage. What Amy believes to be a fairytale romance soon spirals into a nightmare and toxic cycle that she cannot escape from. Because even though she is afraid of Jason, her fear of losing him is even greater.

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While the subject matter is one that I feel strongly about and can relate to, the writing leaves a lot to be desired. Aside from several typos, the writing is also very convoluted such that you sometimes have to re-read a sentence multiple times to grasp what the author is trying to say. Some descriptions make no sense at all.

The story is too short and fast-paced, there aren't enough details in between major scenes, and there is a lack of buildup (seriously, the main characters barely exchange five sentences before coupling up). To top it off, all of the characters say and do completely ludicrous things. The ending is no better.

This is not a bad story, but it seriously needs A LOT more effort and editing before I will consider it a book. Not a great example for books with dating violence and domestic abuse either.

3.5 Stars

The first time he punched her in the ribs was the moment she became the girl who hid behind a fake smile with the constant worry of doing something wrong.

When she vowed to never speak to another boy again, that was the moment she let him own her.

And the excuses and justifications being ... he didn't mean to ... it was an accident .... I upset him ... he's had a rough day. After all, he apologized.

He promised he would never do it again ... but then it only got worse ... much, much worse.

WARNING This book contains mature content and descriptive scenes that may be offensive or difficult to read. Includes situations of rape, beatings, rage.

This is the author's first YA novel. This is not my preferred genre, but somehow it grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go. It's a horrific story of a teenage girl involved in an abusive relationship with the first boyfriend she's ever had.

As in real life, it starts out sweet and romantic, but rapidly changes and the violence escalates. I was riveted to this short read ... I couldn't read fast enough to see what this young girl would do next ... and if she'd survive the "love" of her boyfriend.

Many thanks to the author / BooksGoSocial / Netgalley for the digital copy of this YA novel. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This “book” lacks depth and development. While the topic is important the story wasn’t built up enough and the characters were lacking. Everything involving the police made you suspend disbelief. Some of The story showed promise, but the end result here was just gratuitous gore. There was not a deep, meaningful explanation as to why Amy felt the way she did. This book is a disservice to victims and survivors.