Something Bright and Burning

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Pub Date 20 Sep 2022 | Archive Date 15 Jan 2023

Description

For some, knowing the truth is worse than living a lie.

Everly Martin, eighteen years old and fiercely ambitious, takes pity on Nicolai after accidentally swiping right on a dating app. She doesn't have time for love, not with her desperation to finish college and earn enough money to help her single mom pay the bills. But from the moment they meet at a coffee shop, Nicolai terrifies her with the instant connection they form. He couldn't have come at a worse time, because that same morning, Everly learns she's pregnant. And to make matters worse, she isn't sure who the father of her child is.

Though Everly is determined to stay far away from Nicolai, he reappears in her life, this time in a way she can't ignore. While fighting her growing attraction for him, Everly is haunted by the knowledge that her baby's father might actually be a terrible person. She's willing to find out, even if learning the truth ultimately ends in heartbreak.

Nicolai might not have a place in Everly's future, but when he helps her discover a shocking truth about her past-a truth that could either change everything for the better, or destroy it even more-Everly must decide what's more important: giving her child the life she's always wanted, or following her heart and choosing love.

For some, knowing the truth is worse than living a lie.

Everly Martin, eighteen years old and fiercely ambitious, takes pity on Nicolai after accidentally swiping right on a dating app. She doesn't...


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ISBN 9781734899726
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Average rating from 59 members


Featured Reviews

holyshit, thank you netgalley for the copy, but again, holy shit. I mean???? At first i was sad because sad Everly deserved the world she did so much work, then vaughn or whatever 🤢🤢🤢 awful piece of trash but then john? And like okay but anyway the second he entered that house i just knew
But? I wasn't expecting this in the beginning honestly.
Great writing. I loved the portrayal of emotions (lack thereof sometimes), would totally recommend.

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WOW! This was simply sensational and a whirlwind. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the arc, in exchange for an honest review.

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One of the best book i have read in recent times.. Our maine protagonist everly is so brave and ambitious.. The book really has a good romance. I literally cried while reading the book

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Thank you Net galley for the arc!!
Something bright and burning begins with Everly finding out that she’s pregnant 7 weeks after her 18th birthday.. She’s too young to have a baby and she isn’t in a financially good place and is struggling with her situation . To make matters worse, she isn’t sure who the baby’s father is because it could be Vaughn her coworker (who is the worst human being ever) or John who is an older, gentle kind man she met at a bar while out celebrating her birthday.. Everly is struggling with figuring out what to do about the pregnancy when her best friend sets her up on an online date with Nicolai, they hit it off almost instantly and form a connection, but Everly knows she can’t be in a relationship as she’s balancing her job, her education, taking care of her sister, and now being pregnant with another man’s child.
I really enjoyed this book and the way it was written was so beautiful.. Everly has been through so much at such a young age it was really sad.. I also really enjoyed her poetry and her relationship with God. Now, Nicolai was the sweetest guy and I did feel bad for him because of the constant back and forth with Everly (which I understood but still frustrated me)..
The book though was really fast- paced especially at the ending which wasn’t very developed and just happened so fast.. The plot twist was insane and I don’t know how I feel about it.. It’s probably what dropped my rating from 5 to 4 because it was uncomfortable.. the letter made me cry though 😭
The poems were definitely my favorite, and I would definitely recommend reading the book!

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This is a pure gem!

I fell in love with the book and the characters. Taking it all in and even had thoughts of it now and then from the time I finished it. The author had done a great job in making realistic characters and the experiences and thoughts going on inside the characters are chef's kiss. The pain and the power to move on and love another despite all the adversities one may face are so beautiful. The book made me cry and I loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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okay wait, i freaking loved this!!! the letter
made me cry and my fav character was...the one who wrote it. that twist, though! 🤯🫣😭

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The following review was posted on my blog yesterday, Thursday, September 15th, 5 days before publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram between today and the day of publication, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.






“He does the most dangerous thing a person can do; he lets me hope.
And this kind of hope-the kind that makes me feel like somehow everything’s going to turn out okay in the end-will only end in disappointment.”

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1.5 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Is all about teenage pregnancy, discusses rape and blackmailing leading to sexual assault, sexual content in general, suicide, underaged drinking, incest, miscarriages, financial hardships, parental death and abandonment, and religious guilt.

“Something Bright and Burning” follows Everly Martin, as she finds out she’s pregnant at 18… and she’s not sure who the father is. Her whole future is ahead of her, she’s taking college classes and working and barely making ends meet. The father could either be Vaughn, the douchebag coworker who’s forced himself on her, or John, the older man she met at a bar. But then there’s also Nicolai, her best friend’s brother, and someone Everly had an instant connection with. In this world, where there are no right answers, will Everly choose to follow what she things if best for her or her baby? Or for both?

Told through journal entries, poems, and a first-person narrative, “Something Bright and Burning” is an ode to hardship and self-improvement. Some characters were a bit cartoonish but, in general, almost all were well-defined, with their diverse personalities, stories, and beliefs.

“I often feel like she willingly allows me to shoulder the weight of our family’s responsibilities. When she leaves the parent role empty, I have no choice but to fill it.”

The only thing I wasn’t 100% sold on was the poetry… It was simply not my cup of it. It was just some instagram-worthy prose, just like the next guy. No poem really spoke to me. It just felt like a little something added to give the main character some hobbies and personality traits.

But oh, was the plot twist so so wild. It has been months, maybe even years, since a plot twist had hit me so hard. Just that plot twist makes this book worth reading. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time all over again.

This book kind of reminded me of Lauren J. Sharkey’s “Inconvenient Daughter” and maybe even a bit to Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life”. It just undertook some very heavy subjects. It did an amazing job of portraying life, with some of its extreme threats.

I would highly recommend this book. “Something Bright and Burning” is a complex read, with a ton of triggering situations (and therefore a ton of content warnings), but if you find the heart to read through them, you won’t regret it.

If you click here, you’ll be redirected to Goodreads, so you can add the book to your TBR list.

Or you could click here, and be redirected to Amazon, so you can order the book.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishinf in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: September 20, 2022

“It’s not you, Nicolai. It’s me, I want to tell him. But
those words have never worked for anyone. So, I don’t look back. I grab all my shit, I take a deep breath, and leave.”

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC copy for an exchange of an honest review!

I loved this book. I was sucked in from the very first sentence and finished it in less than 24 hours.

Eighteen-year-old Everly learns she's pregnant. And to make matters worse, she isn't sure who the father of her child is.
This book revolves around very important topics that have to do with teen-pregnancy, abuse, love, grief and the magnitude secrets can hold.

The characters' development in this book was incredible; seeing them at the beginning and then at the end goes to show how their journey has not only affected themselves, but the people around them and their whole life as well. The writing style added so much depth to the story and I loved how Everly used to write letters to herself in her diary throughout the book. Some of these included poetry that truly spoke to my heart.

I have to say the plot twist at the end was shocking to say the least- it truly through me off guard for a minute (you'll understand if you've read the book). For a second, it made want to change the rating of the book because of how disturbed I was. But upon further reflection I realized that by having such a drastic ending, the author goes to show how one secret could go a long way. The butterfly effect in this book came at full force. And in a way it made me feel for the characters more and understand the immensity of their predicament.

Something Bright and Burning is an original. It's a well-written story that depicts strong female leads in their journey through struggles that are heavy on any woman's shoulder and how within themselves, there's always something bright and burning.

Go into this blindly. That's the best way to read this.

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T/W for the book: Sexual violence, suicide

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love messy characters in messy situations...and this book did not disappoint! The book begins when we meet Everly, an 18 year old who has recently found out she's pregnant. The father could be one of two different men. The book follows Everly through her pregnancy and the choices she's forced to make, whether she puts herself first or does what she thinks is most responsible now that she is to be a mother.

Sometimes with messy books like this, the author focuses too much on the drama and the book moves at a glacial pace. This book was not that. It moved pretty quickly from one point to the next and throughout the book I was at the edge of my seat wondering what Everly would choose.

Also....major plot twist. Just. Whew. The dramaaaaa! Was *not* expecting that. I think the plot twist actually is what cemented this book as 5 stars for me, just enough to knock me off my feet.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Swan Pages Publishing for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

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4/5 stars. I absolutely loved 80% of this book. I’ve never read anything like it and probably never will again, I applaud it for somehow being so unique and fantastic. Although I loved this book, I am VERY conflicted about the ending. If you’ve read this, you probably know exactly what I mean. Even though I have no idea what to feel about the ending, I won’t let it ruin the fact that this was still a fantastic novel.

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3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

A wild ride, this book is. I love Everly, I think she deserved way better than the situation she was in the book. I enjoyed the premise, that sense of dread when they're about to announce the baby's father, that twist in the end. I also did enjoy Everly's letters to herself, it's something I've never read before. I fucking hate vaughn and what he did to Everly (and continued to!), but I kinda hoped she reported him earlier. The whole John fiasco was so fucked up, like that's such a disturbing plotline and ending (I mean, I did feel sorry for him, and then at the end I just felt empty). Nicolai is such a golden retriever of a man (and equally as horny LMAO) ALSO!! I love simone so much and I'm so happy for her in the epilogue!

I was so hooked, which I really didn't expect from a book about teenage pregnancy (TWs below btw) and yeah, I quite liked reading this book. I've never been so emotionally turmoiled before HAHAHA I love the writing! I love the real life issues in this book! I love the sense of dread while reading! but for me, the pacing and rushed ending brought down my rating to 3.5.

TWs: sex, teenage pregnancy, abuse, sexual assault and blackmailing, suicide

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