Tough Love by Marcie A. Bridges #BookReview #Giveaway

Tough Love

Janessa knows she should run in the other direction when Brendan enters her life. Her squeaky-clean upbringing is in direct opposition to his piercings, a myriad of tattoos and the rumors that surround him. But she doesn’t run. Love, betrayal and lies become the foundation of their lives, but one heartbreaking confession makes Janessa question everything. After a devastating diagnosis, Janessa’s world crumbles around her. When she can no longer ignore the reality of who Brendan really is, she must choose between those who love her and the only one she has ever loved.

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 Review:

Every once and awhile, I read something really amazing. Like wow, how could that be possible?  As I am <ahem> a woman of a certain age, I kept thinking as I read this…NO!  Don’t do that, how could you do that? And then I brought myself back to when I was a young teenage girl.  I may not have been exactly like Janessa but the insecurity, oh boy, yes.  I remember feeling that for sure. Not pretty enough, not cool enough, not anything enough.  And then I could see Janessa and how this could have happened.

And I see it today, in women as well.  Women beaten down by domestic-violence, verbal abuse and think how could they let this be done to them?  The self-esteem issues we have as young girls certainly can continue to adulthood.

I can say I would never let that happen to me but I’m sure these women said the very same thing.

This is a brave book. More brave than I would ever be.  The author tells us everything Janessa was feeling and doing even though she knew in her heart it was wrong.  She has a loving family…friends…people around her who knew what was going on and tried to help her. But she was in love and couldn’t help herself. Although I sometimes wanted to yell no at Janessa, I couldn’t help but love her. She was just a girl who wanted to love and be loved.  Which is what we all want,.right?

This is a book I will share with my daughter and should be shared with all young people. It is a gritty, painful but beautiful story about how someone you believe loves you could manipulate you and treat you as less than you deserve. And portrayed in a way that is real. You can see the neighborhood, you are in her family, and you are back in high school again. It is a story of hope, love, and family above all and why it is a must read.

Marcie Bridges has always wanted to be a writer, from the time she started keeping a diary in seventh grade. Since then, she has earned a master’s degree in education from Cumberland University while teaching some wonderful children with special needs in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky.

While she will always bleed scarlet and gray (GO BUCKS!), she now lives south of Cincinnati with her husband and daughter. When Marcie isn’t writing, she can be found reading, watching her favorite TV shows, listening to music, or browsing her favorite websites.

Follow Marcie Bridges

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MarcieABridges

Twitter: @marcie_ann

Blog: http://marcieshrinks.blogspot.com/

Pinterest Personal: http://pinterest.com/mabridges2/

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/109921896394674548677/posts/p/pub

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