Title: Downward Spiral
Author: Bria Starr
Release Date: September 15, 2014
One horrible night changed everything.
And now, Paige can’t stop the nightmares. No one can...
Except him.
When Paige Tomlin unexpectedly runs into Eli Stone one day, memories of that awful night don’t come crashing down on her like she thought they would. Instead, memories from when they were young and inseparable surround her.
The boy she rode the bus to school with every day.
The boy who picked her up and drove her around the first day he got his license.
The boy who told her his deepest secrets.
The boy who left her without saying goodbye…
The man who came back for her.
Thrown into a world of fear and confusion, they lean on each other for support and survival.
But is the one thing that brought them back together the very thing that will rip them apart forever?
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DeAnn pops her perfectly curled head of short blonde hair in. “Someone’s asking for you out front.”
“What’s the matter? What happened?”
“Nothing that I know of. I assume it’s a friend of yours?” She’s unsure because she knows I don’t really have any friends besides Laura, and she knows her well from the time she used to work here.
I walk out to the dining room and look around for a face of recognition. DeAnn comes up behind me and points towards the far window in the back. There’s a small group of teens sitting there, your typical high school crowd. They’ve always seemed to favor this exact table throughout the years.
I approach them and smile. “What can I help you with today?”
“Is that her?” I hear one of the other girls ask her. I look over at her but she’s looking at the girl in the middle who is wearing a smirk on her face.
I politely ask again, “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Are you her?” she slyly replies.
“I’m the manager here. Is there a problem with your order?” I motion to their half-eaten plates of food.
“Are you the hero?”
I stiffen. “I’m no hero. Just a manager.” I want to smack that snotty look off of her face, but I continue to smile.
“I just wanted to see you. We all did. You’re nothing special.”
My patience is running thin. “No, I’m really not,” I reassure her.
Her eyes darken and her lip curls up in a grin as she quietly says, “You know he’s going to come back for you, don’t you?”
My body stiffens and I fold my arms across my stomach, suddenly feeling like I’m going to vomit. “If that’s all you wanted, I have work to do. Enjoy your meal.” I smile as I turn away and walk through the restaurant, trying not to run and draw attention to myself. When I hit the hallway, I scurry, the tears starting to form.
“Fucking kids,” I whisper after I shut my door. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a few deep breaths. It’s been a long time since anyone has dared harass me. But never here. I’ve gotten the occasional comments and questions, but no one brings it up anymore. It’s been six months for crying out loud.
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite
Quotes:
Favorite
Quotes:
"Oh calm your
tits. It's nothing bad!"
"I was always
yours. You just didn't know it."
"Girls are not
supposed to say it first! We wait it out until they realize that they
love us and let us know. We hold that shit in and wait, that's how it
goes."
My Review:
A sweet second chance love story with a smattering of
suspense, trauma, heartbreak, humor, rediscovery and recovery. Our characters have known each other since
childhood and shared their first kiss as innocent teenagers. But things change, don’t they always? Ms. Starr does an excellent job of portraying
the turmoil and inner conflict of PTSD as suffered by our characters as
adults. She also does a good job of
penning the heartbreak, self-consciousness, disappointments, confusion, and
cruelty of those pesky teen years and social cliques. She squeezed my heart and stung my eyes. I was afraid I wasn’t going to get my HEA,
but mercifully, the fates were with me on this.
However, I don’t want to leave the impression it was all sadness and
tears – no –no- no! There is also snarky
humor and fun to be had. I confess to
stealing my new favorite expression from her book, “Calm, your tits.” I initially used it on my BFF and she gasped,
then we both broke into giggles. I have
since used it several times and it made me feel so in the now! Not a steamy read but has some tender love
scenes. The ending left me with a peaceful
feeling of contentment. Ms. Starr is
growing in confidence and skill, I look forward to reading more of her work in
the future.
Empress DJ
Bria Starr grew up in a small town in Minnesota and continues to live there with her husband and two kids. She’s a stay at home mom who is very close with her family, loves junk food, and is always cold. Her favorite things include reading books, writing, listening to music, and watching too many movies.
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