Don't Make Me Beautiful - Elle Casey Review

Book: Don't Make Me Beautiful

Author: Elle Casey

Genre: Romance, New Adult; Suspense; Drama

Book Synopsis:

A ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL. No one knew a woman lived there or that she even existed. A monster, living in darkness...

At twenty-two, Nicole doesn't even look human anymore. The beast made sure of that. So she hides. A monster, consigned to a life of fear and solitude. This is all she deserves, she is quite sure of that.

And then one day out of the blue, the autographed baseball caught by Brian Jensen at the latest Marlins game enters her prison and manages to turn her world completely upside down.

Temptation comes in the form of pity at first, and then perhaps something more. Does she dare to believe the things she's told, that this is not the life she was meant to live? That being a monster is not her forever-fate? And will she be willing to risk everything, to reach out and accept the helping hands around her and share her deepest, darkest secrets? She knows only too well that hands can hurt. Finding out whether they can also heal is a risky proposition, especially when the beast is still out there. Looking for her

Book Review:

Elle Casey had done it again. That was seriously the first thing I said when I finished reading this book. I couldn't put it down, I didn't want to stop, I had to know what was happening next. I needed to know, it was a hunger inside of me that I needed to feed. 

This story is amazing by every standard of the word and even greater. The characters are lovable, no matter how broken they all. All except one but he's not supposed to be so if he is real and I see him on the street I may run him over. They have such an endearing charm, no matter where I found them. 

The storyline just breaks my heart. I hung onto every word, praying for a happy ending. I couldn't pretend this wasn't real, because my brain nagged me that someone somewhere was probably in this situation and they may not have anyone there to help them. It just breaks my heart, but at the end I was cheering like a maniac, so happy with tears in my eyes. 

Favorite quotes: 

"He'll be here soon. An hour. Maybe a few hours, if she's very, very unlucky. It's not that she wants to see him sooner, it's just that if he's late, it means he'll be drunk. And anything can happen when the monster gets liquored up."

"You're a girl who fell in the love with the wrong guy. Your face doesn't matter, it's your heart that's important. And if you can love a guy like that, then I know it had to be twice the size of a normal one."

"'Where there's hope there's possibility right?'she turns and looks at Nicole, a kind expression on her face and questions behind her eyes. 'I don't know' Nicole says, taking another sip of her drink and looking off at the sun again. 'Wishing can bring false hope and then what does that get you?' 'Temporary happiness? A little rest from the storm?'"

"'Love is blind,' Agnes reaches out a hand and strokes Nicole's cheek. 'Love sees inside the person. It doesn't stop at the surface. That stuff is all just window dressing, anyway. It says nothing about what you're really getting. If a man loves you when you look your worst, you know he's a keeper. They're a rare breed to, so I don't recommend walking away from it easily.'"

All in all:

This is an incredible story of being in pain and broken for far too long, and salvation and security climbing into the window. Misplaced love, new hope, turmoil and everything that can go wrong, going wrong, but it's okay because as long as there are guardian angels we can be safe. I highly recommend this book to any and every one, as well as all her books already published and to come. 

I encourage anyone who is in an abusive relationship or knows someone who is in one, please get help for you or for them. You can be strong just like Nicole was, I believe in you. So does everyone else. Let us be your guardian angels.