Madly Deeply Wildly

I read this book in one day and it gave me ALL the feels! My long review follows because I have a lot to unpack.

On the surface, love between partners presents as the main theme but as I read more I felt that self-love was the real anchor of the story. And love this I did! It's a well-written novel and more character-driven with a good plot. As the author notes to readers in the beginning of the book, it does contain descriptions of domestic, sexual, and physical violence. As a former court advocate for victims of abuse, I felt the she did a great job in the realistic portrayal of these serious issues, including the lasting, complex effects on victims and their loved ones. This is deep and heavy at times but balanced out very well with uplifting, lovable, funny moments and fleshed-out, layered, characters that made it a pleasure to read.

A while after leaving her abusive ex and starting her life over, Renata meets Chad at her new job and the two hit it off. What follows is a happy, angering, joyful, sad, yet admirable journey through the ups and downs of their budding relationship. I felt some of those very emotions and more on behalf of/for them while reading and even cried a little which is rare for me! I also liked the supporting characters and the roles they played as support systems for Renata and Chad. The character development for those two though, was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing their growth as individuals (Renata especially) while witnessing their relationship evolve. The slow build up to, and the eventual intimate love scenes between them were well done and respectful given some of the subject matter involved. I couldn't help but root for Chad and Renata as they navigated through the real threat that her ex Damien still posed, alongside the aftereffects of the trauma she was left with because of him. The story flowed well with good pacing and (without giving spoilers) had a very satisfying ending. I've added this to my list of favorite books this year.

I highly recommend to anyone who likes emotional, realistic fiction romances with depth to them, and is comfortable reading about the sensitive topics mentioned. Katherine Turner is now an auto-buy author for me going forward!

Thank you to Josha Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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4 stars out of 5
Told in first person, this book is full of heart. A survival story, a book that touches on the insecurities of those touched by abuse and the fact that the story doesn't end at the leaving if the abusive situation and it also doesn't end once you find live again. It's a long fight for stability in yourself and this book shows that beautifully and with kindness and emotion. The love interest is a great one, he brings a sincerity and stability that is often missing in these books usually. Not an Alpha but more of an emotional support who realises he also has things he needs to work out to find stability in his own life despite having no traumatic abusive past. That's probably my favourite part of this book, after the sensitive way it touches on abuse survival, is that it reminds that everyone, no matter what, needs to work on themselves to realise a functioning healthy life. The author also explains the loss of parents very well, empathetically and smoothly.
And really, you just can't go wrong with such a warm, comforting, guaranteed HEA book where even the angst has real puprise, not just angst for angst sake. A definite need for your tbr list.

This story had me hooked from the start! I really enjoyed the mc growth all the way to the end! I really felt like I was watching all of this go down in front of me like a movie! Katherine Turner is so talented and was able to create a movie in my mind just with her writing. I will definitely be buying this book when it comes out!