Unfortunately, I have lost interest in the concept of this book so I will not be reviewing. I feel it would be a detriment to the book to rush through a read and review. Thank you for the advanced copy and I apologize for any inconvenience. Please disregard the star rating.

2.5 stars
I liked the story and at times found it gripping. However, the characters weren’t at all likeable - Kirsten, in particular didn’t have any redeeming qualities and it was hard to understand how anyone would tolerate, let alone be obsessed with, her.
I didn’t find that the book flowed very well. I thought the flashbacks were confusing at times and the ending was disappointing.

Sadly, I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @worldworxpublishing for this e_ARC in return for my honest review.

I would like to thank Worldworx Publishing and the Netgalley website for allowing me to read this book.

I was immediately attracted by the pretty cover of this book which made me want to read the summary and especially to read this book.

The author takes us into the past and present of the main character Ben. He is self-destructing because he loves a woman who is toxic to him and sociopathic. His family supports him even though he is no longer confident, successful and positive towards himself. Because of this woman he will end up with alcohol and drugs.

A book read in one sitting so much I was hooked on the story so gripping, addictive, captivating with endearing characters.

This took a really interesting turn, it was something I wasn’t expecting. I liked how this was a abusive relationship story with the man as the victim

Author # Reece Willis has written a very enjoyable novel. '# What We Become has had great reviews everywhere. My blog #Maddie_approves_book_reviews on Instagram has the cover and my blog.

Ben had a reasonably ordinary childhood & upbringing & after school he started his own business. Then he met & fell in love with a girl & they moved in together. What promised to be a happy future soon turned sour & Ben's life careered off on a very destructive path. Yet I couldn't help but feel for him as his life unravelled. Even though he had a couple of chances of happiness, sadly he seemed unable to commit to either & there were a couple of shocking twists I was not expecting.

Reading this book I felt like it was a cheap version of “YOU” which sucks because I really enjoyed both in their own context but “YOU” made it mainstream before this book had a chance to shine on its own.

The blackouts and the drinking almost made me turn away from the book because the end game was clear but still a little foggy and I didn’t want to read 200 pages of a man ranting about his lost girlfriend.

BUT THEN the twist happened and you really feel for the guy because his girlfriend did something awful and he lost something dear to his heart so I understand why he is ranting but it was a little late in the book. I feel like a lot of people would give up before the big reveal.

I had a hard time getting into this book, the beginning was a little bit too slow for my liking. The chapters were slightly confusing as some of them were present events and some of them was the past.

I was slow 70% of the book, however the rest 30% just read in one sitting. I can tell you that - I did not expect the end to be like that! It was rather disappointing that after everything he have been through it would end up like this.

I guess this book was not what I have expected or this book just was not for me.

'I contemplate the man I was; kind, smart, confident and successful. Staring back at my own reflection now, with that faraway look in my eyes, I know I will never be him again. The worst part of me I thought never existed is all that I have left. I realise we're not who we think we are and what we cannot forgive, we sometimes become.'

What We Become is a story of revenge and one man's journey towards self destruction all because he chooses to love a woman who is abusive (physically and mentally), and toxic and a sociopath. Alternating between present and past, the story is told by the main character Ben Langley's POV and we see how from a confident, positive and successful man with a supportive family he turns into a mere shell of his former self, losing himself to drugs and alcohol because of his relationship with the destructive Kirsten and the tragedy it brings about. I felt equally hurt and frustrated for Ben's character. At first, his blind love and his desperate need to have the relationship work makes him ignore all the flashing warning signs about Kirsten; and when she becomes the cause of a major devastating incident in his life, that love turns into a desperate desire for revenge. What a sad waste of all the confidence, potential and promise his life held for him.

I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Worldworx Publishing and author, Reece Willis via NetGalley.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐💫

The book was published on February 3, 2020.

'What We Become' by Reece Willis is a psychological story told from the perspective of Ben, a man who struggles with what life throws his way. He enters a toxic relationship with Kirsten, a woman who has him strung along and believing that anything is possible with love. She leaves, and Ben comes to realize that he needs to confront her one last time. He is willing to do whatever it takes to do just that.

There were several things that I enjoyed about this book. Ben's relationship with Emma was adorable, and he made a great father despite the trials he was constantly overcoming. I also found the different chapters highlighting the past and the present to be an interesting aspect of the book! However, the overall story just didn't seem plausible to me, and I felt that a majority of the characters were stiff. 'What We Become' is a quick read that definitely does have the power to impact readers, but unfortunately, it just fell short for me.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Worldworx Publishing for providing and ARC of this book!

Title: What We Become
Author: Reece Willis
Publisher: Worldworx Publishing
ISBN: 9781916430136
Edition: E-Book
Publication date: 03/02/2020

Content:
"She was everything he could have wanted. From the moment she came into his life, she captured his heart and turned his world upside down.
Now that she’s gone, he can’t live without her.
Desperate for resolution, Ben follows Kirsten to Thailand. He has a plan and now all he needs to do is be patient and wait for his moment to come.
But his pursuit of her only leads him down a darker path. His mind is in turmoil, plagued by memories of happier times, unable to come to terms with what he’s lost, secretly wrestling with the feeling that it’s his fault she left.
In this exciting new psychological journey from the author of Towards the Within, a story of love, obsession and regret awaits."

Opinion:
Firstly, I wanted to thank NetGalley and the author for the book.
This story was so heavy, it totally left my hanging until the very end. Also, I cannot tell a lot without spoiling the whole book. This story is so amazing that I read it in one sitting and I was hooked from the very beginning till the end.

Conclusion:
I would highly recommend this book to everyone loving thrilling stories.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for an honest review. Ben meets Kirsten and they fall in love, although, it appears that Ben falls a little harder. Kirsten moves in with Ben and then her true colors come out. She is self-centered and extremely selfish. After a few on again-off again, Kirsten leaves and Ben discovers she is engaged. Ben then goes to Thailand. Kirsten has changed Ben, and not for the better. This is written with every other chapter being present day and then events leading up to present day. You get to see where Ben started from and then how far he has fallen. You cannot like Kirsten. She has no redeeming qualities. And I had a hard time liking Ben in the present, until you find out why he has fallen so far. From the premise of the book, this book is not really what I was expecting. I was shocked at the ending. This is a fast and easy read, which I would recommend.

I was captivated as soon as I began reading this book and found it hard to put down. The characters were interesting, the relationships believable and the author’s writing style, excellent! I was not expecting that ending at all. This is so sad!!
The storyline jumps from past to present, which I really enjoyed because it builds a deep insight and understanding of the characters and their lives, and I also love that the story stirred so much emotion. I felt so sorry Ben (the main character).
It was quite sad to read about his relationship with Kirsten because we can clearly see his inability to realise that he would be better off without her in his life, but unfortunately his deep love for her makes him blind to this truth. I found his naive situation quite heartbreaking.
About half way through the book though, it appears that Ben’s love for Kirsten (who is now his ex) is actually obsessive, to the point that it is disturbing. It seems like his obsession with her is destroying him, destroying his chance at happiness, and he has become a ghost of the person he once was. It makes you wonder, why can’t he let her go? It’s a perfect example of “love is blind”.
This book kept me so intrigued, it was obvious Ben had something planned but the story is mysterious and slowly unravels bits and pieces as you go along, hence the reason I couldn’t put it down, I just had to find out how this was going to end. What I can tell you though, is everything I thought, was actually wrong, when all is revealed, I was not expecting it at all and it bought tears to my eyes!!
I really enjoyed this, it was emotionally engaging, mysterious, sad and it kept me captivated the entire way through.

The blurb was interesting and built up some high expectations from the book only to be disappointed.

- The timelines of the chapters seemed all garbled up.
- The depth was missing in the characters.
- Did not like the ending

What I liked:
- Fast paced

Thank you NetGalley and Reece Willis for an e ARc in exchange of an honest review.

2/5 stars

#Whatwebecome is about a guy, Ben, deeply in love and almost obsessed with a woman- unfortunately, the wrong one. His character of Ben develops all the way through the book, but I will not reveal any more. It is interesting how the people around us can influence what we become in our lives.

I have just finished this book and I was really impressed with it. It is cleverly written and using variation in tenses, the focus shifts from past to present and gives an excellent view of the reasons why certain things take place.
With all the little twists and turn the book really gripped me and kept me guessing to the end. The end, I could never have predicted.

Thank you @Netgalley and #reecewillis for offering me this book. It was brilliant

Overall, I was intrigued by the story and wanted to keep reading. However, it was a little hard for me to get into the book and I was also a little confused about what was going on. I'm glad I stuck with it as it all started to make sense and flow a little better once I really go into it. I didn't feel much of a connection to any of the characters and to be honest, Ben was a bit much for me. I was frustrated by the ending but I also understand why the author ended it that way.

Couldn't put this book down until I finished!
We follow Ben down a dark path flicking between past and present to uncover the turmoil caused by Kirsten, questioning who he can trust again. There were several times within this book I had to stop in shock as past traumas were revealed. A story of inner turmoil and indescribable anguish in this suspenseful tale, that left me emotional to the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I can’t breathe, I’m filled with sadness and shed a silent tear, my mind in a mess. I’ve just finished ‘What we Become’, a brilliant book. I was captivated from the start.

This book is written from the heart. So much emotion and angst. It’s a fast paced and easy read with twists and turns and loads of soul. The way in which Willis writes, he takes you there, you can hear it, smell it, touch it and imagine it. The depths of despair 😩 when he has put pen to 📝 are real, authentic and raw. However, revenge isn’t always sweet.

This book is about relationships, friendships and who one can trust. About how someone can break the spirit of a very dignified, fit and successful person. Kirsten brought Ben to his knees as a result of her narcissistic behaviour. She was warped, dangerous and mean.

The introduction paragraphs are so true to life, the way he writes encourages you to think about how you would feel and react in that situation, and it’s just so.... Willis gets across how it is, or is this the cynic in me. 😂 Willis has lived it.

He’s arrogant and rude. Which people don’t like, however he can’t make friends, he can’t show emotion. He has a job to do. I need to be careful as don’t want to go into too much detail, no need for spoilers, you just need to read the book.

When Ben met Kirsten, within the first 30 minutes of their first date, the way she behaved painted straight away what she would be like. Why, oh why is lust so blind? Why do people put up with so much from others? Kirsten was toxic from the first moment her character was mentioned in the book.

This obsessive relationship developed and destroyed Ben, the guy was broken and ended up in a downward spiral; he became an alcoholic and drug addict to survive, to make it through each day, if you can call how he ended up survival.

They had a daughter, Emma, whom Ben adored, she may not have been his, but that didn’t matter, he was a great father and Emma was a shining light. Sounded like a real cutie.

So what happened to influence Ben’s tragic self destruction? Why?

Definitely 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Would highly recommend.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the Independent Book Publishers Association for this eARC provided in exchange for this unbiased review.

What did I just read!!!!!! This book was so good, so full of emotions. Reading it I never would of thought that his daughter was dead. What an ending