Cover Image: Waiting for Paint to Dry

Waiting for Paint to Dry

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Member Reviews

This book struck my heart as I can personally relate to the main character's story. Her journey is raw and realistic. Throughout the book, she struggles to move on from a painful past, while also allowing love into her life again. I enjoyed her journey and felt the tale was respectful to survivors of trauma while also being truthful about the trials we go through.
The author also donates a portion of proceeds to advocate services which is awesome. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the second story in the series.

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A thought-provoking read, displaying the struggles and anxiety of the protagonist. Very atmospheric, fast at times, and necessarily slow at others, the story kept unwinding and unravelling. Very enjoyable

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Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of Waiting for Paint to Dry in exchange for an honest review.

Although the subject matter was heartbreaking, I could not connect to this character. It felt like there were big pieces of the story missing and that made to story one-dimensional and flat.

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I have been reading books about this particular subject matter for a long time, and I thought that this was a strong addition to the genre. Thank you for letting me read it!

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I really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of this genre so it does take alot to impress me but The writing is spectacular and the plot was interesting and engaging enough to keep me on my toes and interested the entire time throughout the read. I would highly recommend this one!

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My favorite thing about Waiting for Paint to Dry is the aspect of healing and transitioning from victim to survivor, and the journey of transitioning from surviving to thriving. That is something anyone who has ever experienced trauma has gone though, and it really makes it relatable. I really hope this story helps victims of sexual assault to know that they can heal from it, that they are so, so much more than their trauma.

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Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

This novel centers around Matty Bell, who has been dealing (and not dealing well) for many years with the psychological aftermath from being raped by her boyfriend in college. An act she believed was encouraged by her own sister.

Matty goes through quite the journey in this book and we also see how the sexual assault affected her relationships with her family members and her friendships. We meet characters dealing with alcoholism, infidelity, grief after loss of a spouse, but also a lot of love, hope, and healing.

Seeing this journey through the mind of a victim of sexual assault, gaining even a small understanding of how it affects every bit of your being, the author does a wonderful job of portraying a characters who are simply so real.


(Thank you to NetGalley and Blissfully Beguiling Books for a copy of this e-book in exchange for my honest feedback)

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I rate this book 3.75 stars.

Waiting for Paint to Dry grapples with various elements of a young woman healing from the aftermath of sexual assault. Matty Bell, our protagonist, was raped by her boyfriend, during her family's time in Naples, Italy. Years later, on the day of her sister's wedding, she confessed details of the assault to her mom, who disregarded Matty's story. Reeling from this callous reaction, Matty leaves Southern California and goes as far away as she possibly can. She ends up in Baltimore, Maryland, where a friend named, Claire, picks up the shattered pieces of Matty for the next decade. After living years with immense trauma and emotional anguish, Matty seeks out therapy to instigate the healing process. Finally, Matty decides to visit Southern California to continue healing her relationship with her estranged family. Along her journey, she finds love, passion, & happiness.

My one gripe with this novel is the ending. I wanted WAY more than the author put forward. I loved Matty's newfound happiness and had hoped to share in that with her more than just the short epilogue. Overall, I thought this story was beautifully written and thoughtful. It explores the depths of trauma that may lie within an individual and the deeply difficult process of facing that trauma head on.

Thank you to Lia Mack, Blissfully Beguiling Books and NetGalley, for gifting me this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publisher’s for giving me this wonderful arc.
It was incredible and it left me speechless a few times while reading!

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Thank you net gally for providing me with a free copy of Waiting for Paint to Dry in exchange for a honest review.

My rating went through a roller coaster starting from four and lowering up to even two stars before I finally settled into a three star rating.

My issue with this book is that although it manages to successful portray the self destruction, guilt, rage, self hatred and prejudice victims of sexual assault often face, something that cannot be fixed easily or quickly, mid way through the book all this is thrown away to the side for a while and we see romance taking place. The problem with this, is that the book started way too heavy ,with the reader seeing exclusively the depressing state of the MC so when the author completely pushed that aside for a while, it felt really awkward and wasn't a smooth continuation of the story.


Further more when it came to the romance although I liked Ty as a character (god knows we stan for a single parent trope) the way he meets the MC along with the really quick progression of their relationship felt very insta-love like and made me consider dnfing.

Finally although I could see what the author was trying to do with the side characters, especially Eleanor, they we're all too simplistic and lacking, and with the Mcs sister in particular, it really felt like reading a cartoon villain at times.

The pacing as a whole was an issue as the ending was disappointingly rushed.

However I DO wanna leave this review in the positive note that this book did well in exploring the themes of the psychological state of someone who has went through sa along with the hopeful message to all survivors about healing being possible.

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I strongly recommend reading the trigger warnings before starting this book.

At its core, this book is about the journey of healing and self-discovery.

The one thing I think this book got correct is that even though the incident happened to Matty when she was a teenager and didn’t get help until many years later, she doesn’t magically heal from it one day to the next. She went to a therapist for a year and even though she is in a much better place she still isn’t done healing. I thought that process was shown beautifully. In real life, we don’t heal overnight or in a linear format. We heal with time and through a winding road.

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I wish we got some resolution on if her cause ever got filed and placed on the guy’s permeant record. Maybe we will see/hear about it in the next book? Or are we just going to be left with our own imagination?

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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Lia Mack and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own..

Complicated, wonderful, suspenseful, entertaining, impossible to put down.

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I tried to read this book, I really did. At first the print was tiny but I managed to make it bigger on my tablet. But the biggest problem was there were no spaces between the words. It gave me a headache and I finally stopped trying. It could be the best book ever but I was not able to read it... Sorry!

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In this book we follow Matty, who has to face a life-long trauma when she goes back home to see her family after many years spent apart from them. It's a journey to find truth and closure but maybe also a journey to new beginnings?

I find it very difficult to review this book since the topic is so important and the cause that surrounds the sales of it so noble, but if I strictly look at the style and plot, it unfortunately wasn't for me.

The style struck me as too confusing and the story too slow at times. Further, the side characters sometimes felt a little inauthentic.

Sadly, I did not enjoy it but I want to say again how important the cause behind the book is.

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An intimate study of trauma told through the eyes of a fictional character. I was absolutely grabbed by this book immediately and interested. The main character has undergone extreme emotional discord and is trying to find her way toward living a healthier life. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough!

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This is such a moving and delicate books which truly showcases what survivors of abuse have to face, unlike many books the abuse is not at all glorified however it shows the raw truth and after effects many are left to face with and the pieces left to pick up

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THE COVER: relevant and absolutely stunning!❤
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual Assault

✒Waiting For Paint To Dry was a fantastic read! The protagonist Matilda Bell is recovering from an assault that took place years before by attending therapy. This book was all about healing, love and family, those themes were properly expressed throughout the novel.

✒Now I know this doesn't relate to the review, but I need to get this off my chest. One reviewer, who I shall not name, stated on goodreads after giving this title a 1 star rating that, and I quote, " Her boyfriend raped her when she was 16, and the next page she was 30, and still going on about it..." In a nutshell, I find that statement to be insensitive, inconsiderate, almost inhumane, and I feel sorry for you.

✒ Anyhoo, back to the review. Surprisingly, I thought I would've been shedding tears on this one, instead after about 40% in, all I could do was smile.
Smiling when Matilda began pulling herself out of her hole.
Smiling for the rekindling of an old friendship when she began opening up.
Overjoyed for the well-deserved hunk of a man that was Ty. Mhmmm.... he was perfect for her.

✒ I cared for all the characters and thought they balanced each other out in the plot. The arcs were beleivable and satisfying.
My only dissatisfaction, was that I didn't get to see a confrontation and closure with Matty's parents.

✒Lia Mack has beautifully written a heartfelt, compelling story, that both resonated and helped me personally.

✒My "take-away" from this novel was that, the physical, mental and emotional scars that remain after such traumatic experiences, sometimes remain for years. If we don't take the initiative to deal with them head on, to get on that road to healing, then that hurt spills onto other areas of our lives.

✒Upon finishing this book I felt, understood. Hopeful, for I was reminded that there is life after trauma. To not let one incident ( or multiple ) rule your life, but propell you forward to a better one. One you deserve.

✒ A HUGE thank you to Lia Mack, Blissfully Beguiling Books and NetGalley, for gifting me this eArc in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
HAPPY READING!❤

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I received a complimentary electronic ARC of this moving novel on June 24, 2022 from Netgalley, author Lia Mack, and publisher Blissfully Beguiling Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Waiting for Paint to Dry of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Lia Mack is an author I will follow and can happily recommend to friends and family.. She writes a heartfelt tale of the practical and tactical recovery from trauma possible when tackled with a strong will and proper frame of mind.

This is a lesson that should be taken to heart by victims of and those who love victims of rape. The road to healing body and soul is not an easy one but is one that rewards the victim with self-confidence and self-respect. Finding that road is key to leaving behind not only the act of abuse but also the repercussions of the same.

That said, this is an excellent tale, told with warmth and soul. It is a novel to help us grow a healthy understanding of the pain of others. And to assist victims of abuse in finding that road.
pub date April 29, 2022
received June 24, 2022

Reviewed on July 22, 2022, at Goodreads, AmazonSmile,

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For everyone who want to read this book, please check the Trigger Warnings first. Some people may be found this book isn't their comfort book. But, I think this book is a just read book, Especially because the main Topic. We need more books with taboo topics like this, because That's what happened around US.

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I tried to like this book more, considering the author's intent. However, all secondary characters were two dimensional and it began to feel like they were there just to move the story along and help the main character on her journey.

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