Book Review: Jessie's Choice and The Decimation of Mae

So this week since I've been suffering for a bit of writers block, I decided to start making my way through my TBR list. I finished off two books that were relatively quick reads.





Jessie's Choice by Amanda Nichol

WARNING: Jessie's Choice is the first book, in a five book series. Be advised this book ends in a cliffhanger and has explicit language. The follow-up to Jessie's Choice is scheduled for release on August 28, 2014.

Joining TRU was a no-brainer. I needed a fresh start, and other people needed saving. I was more than happy to help.
Joining TRU meant less time to focus on her… On him… On what could have been.
Joining TRU was supposed to make me forget my past, but I didn’t…I ran right into it.

As part of an elite experimental police force, Jessica Rossi has been trained to handle any situation she encounters. For Jessie, putting away bad guys and ignoring her growing feelings for her team leader is all in a day’s work. When a new case gets a little too personal, she suddenly finds that even the best trained detectives sometimes bite off more than they can chew. With so much at stake though, she can’t afford to quit. Even if that means working side by side with the guy who ripped her heart in two… Or making a deal with the devil himself.

Three men…One thing in common…They all want her.
Some choices are simple.
This is not one of them.

My Review

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed reading Jessie's Choice. I like police dramas so that was a plus for me. The one thing that keeps me from giving it a higher rating was the break in action that came in the form of long narratives. While I liked knowing the back story of the characters, I wished at times that it was spread out more instead of being given to us in large chunks. The characters were all likeable for the most part--didn't care for Shock no excuse for what he did and to think she would still want to be with him...yeah right buddy!

I am interested to know what happens with Shawn and his cousin since his parents' murder is still unresolved. I would also like to know if the moles will come back to play a role in later books.

There was a good mix of drama surrounding the case balanced well with the personal drama of the characters that made for an overall very enjoyable read.

The Decimation of Mae (Blue Butterfly Book 1) by D.H. Sidebottom

***WARNING*** 

This story doesn’t contain hearts and flowers, it doesn’t even contain the word ‘love’. It isn’t for the fainthearted, nor those who want romance and happy ever afters. 

It’s dark, in fact it goes beyond the dark realms of misery and despair. It makes your heart suffer, it will beat you down and it will still demand more from you. 

Yet it is still a story of hope and courage. Friendships develop and understanding digs deep, whilst acceptance and surrender give way to reverence and sacrifice. 

It contains disturbing scenes of sexual violence, cruelty and torture. It also includes self-harm, pain addiction and brutalisation. 

Please bear this in mind before purchasing this book. Thank you. 

**** 

The Devil visited me three times in my life; albeit, my short life. Not in the physical sense, you must understand, but very much literally. 

He was persistent, resolute and tenacious. His ruthless greed to annihilate me was utterly disturbing. I am sure if he had hierarchy, the man at the top would have dragged his arse into Hell’s prison for his unscrupulous methods. 

I was just fifteen when I first became aware of what he was capable of. This initial taste of him set the playing field for how my life was to be lived – for want of a better word. 

He mocked me, showed me mercilessly how he played the game and how he liked to cheat at said game. He ridiculed and taunted me until, six months later, he won and took something of so much importance from me that I would never be the same again. 

His second visit was, in my eyes, so much more cruel and heartless. I know we’re talking about the Devil here, and yes, you have a right to say he had no heart but even then, even when I was so utterly broken, I begged to differ and hoped – no, prayed – that somewhere deep in the caverns of his black, tortured soul there was something that beat and confused his emotions once in a while. 

The third visit was somewhat different than the other two. He tried, and at first succeeded to bring me to my knees once and for all, but then something happened. God finally intervened and altered Satan’s intention; he sent hope and morphed the Devil’s minion into an Angel, hoping to break and shatter the anguish and suffering. He gave the ability for me to feel pleasure in pain, order in the chaos and light in the darkness. 

But in giving me a reprieve, he also gave me something that would finally and ultimately obliterate me. He gave me the capability to love, therefore giving me the ability to be destroyed. 

And Satan made sure that I was destroyed. Cruelly, viciously and sadistically. 

I am Mae Swift, and this is the story of my decimation. 

My Review

3 Stars

So I finished this book a day or so ago and it's taken me a while to figure out what I wanted to say. When I finished this book I thought something was wrong with me. I'd read the other reviews and although I did feel for the characters, they didn't reach me on that same level.

This book on some level reminded me of The Dark Duet series. Not an exact match, but some things felt similar.

I felt bad for Mae, I really did. She had not just lemons handed to her, but she was given rotten ones! No hope of turning things around there but she didn't let that get her down. I so admired her for that. She continued to try and make it, to live what life she could.

Daniel...what to say about him. He was a bastard, sick, twisted, and downright horrible. I got that, I was okay with that because this was a dark read so I expected him to be that way.

The last 15-20% of the book had me screaming BS. I understand Stockholm, I understand Mae's need, her overwhelming desire to connect with someone, anyone. You saw that with Pauline, and Frank, and finally Lola. She tried to find something good in her situation, just a bit of humanity. I felt that, I felt that need and I wanted her to have it.

There are moments in the book where some questions are answered, things are revealed and again I was calling BS in that moment. I couldn't wrap my head around it. I read and re-read it, but I couldn't get it. Which is why I thought something was wrong with me. Then there was the ending...I knew part of it was coming, it was set up that way throughout the book, but still the other part...just didn't sit right with me. Not after everything Daniel had done...it left me frustrated.

I loved Mae's character. She was strong willed, spunky, and tried her damnedest to keep from being broken! I really loved that about her, and she is what made the book for me. Daniel...well he played his role perfectly. He had a job and he did it without remorse, and without hesitation. I liked my dark guys dark and he delivered that...to a point.

I don't know how many books are planned in this series, but I do want to read book 2 because the teaser at the end of the book has me wanting answers.