BOOK REVIEW - RAW by BELLE AURORA - EROTIC DARK ROMANCE - SELF PUBLISHED

By: Belle Aurora
Published By: Belle Aurora
Released : Available Now
Details : Kindle, 333 Pages

RATING: 4.5 DARK TWITCH STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.***

Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am.

Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street.

Best decision I ever made.

Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job.

My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved.

But the saying is true.

The world makes way for those who know where they are going.

That’s me.

I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace.

But then there’s him.

I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me.

He makes me feel.

It’s unconventional.

But it’s real.

I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker.

So am I.

This isn’t a story.

This is my life.


BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

“I’m the villain in this story.”

Twitch is a character that kept me turning the pages. He is a very addictive character. He is unapologetically dark and at times a little twisted.

He is memorable.

Twitch is one of those breed of characters that can shake up a reader. They are raw, gritty, dark, challenging to read and understand at times, controversial, but they are addictive to read. 

There’s something about Twitch.
He’s just...raw.
Everything about him is raw. And gritty. And unbound.
He’s a raging fire.

They are page turners for a lot of us. We want to understand what makes them tick.

What is their back story?

What dark thing are they going to do next?

His eyes flash once more before he closes his eyes and lowers his forehead to mine. He says hoarsely, “I’m gonna hurt you.”A statement.

I did really like Twitch’s voice. His personality throws curveballs at the reader quite often. I didn’t find him predictable.

He is intense.

“There’s only one way I fuck.”
The words are so crude that my lips part and I huff in an unsteady breath.
He takes a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. “Dirty.” Watching my reaction, he adds, “And this type of dirty...” he breathes deep and says on an exhale, “... it doesn’t wash off.”

From the prologue we know who Twitch is in relation to Lexi. That isn’t a secret to us as the reader. What we don't know is Twitch has secrets for the reader to discover along the way.

I liked the whole dark, stalkering side to him. 

Taking a step towards me, his hooded brown eyes almost see right through me. “Monsters don’t always lurk in the shadows.”

Reaching up, he runs a fingertip slowly down the length of my jaw. Leaning forward, his breath warms me as he mutters a hairs-breadth away from my lips, “Sometimes they hide in plain sight.”

Twitch in a way, corrupted Lexi and she quite easily fell into his sexual style and accepted his help in making things go away. Lexi is a caseworker and she deals with teenagers and helps to keep them off the streets and she listens to them. She is good at her job. The kids all like her. Her morals were let down a little when it came to Twitch taking over and ...

It wouldn’t have been hard for an anonymous person to have destroyed Lexi’s career with just a phone call. She was putting a lot on the line becoming embroiled in Twitch’s nefarious life.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell, Alexa.”

Lexi discovers a lot about herself that I think would have stayed dormant if she hadn't met him.

Twitch really drives this book. Lexi was a good character but she was a bit of a chameleon. From what we know of her, she didn’t appear to be Twitch’s type. 

Ling. Yes!

I will admit Ling was a little hard to read at times, but she should be. I feel like I want to know more about her. She is showing me a very damaged soul. I could read a book about Ling.

I did have a few plot questions. But that is me as a reader, I note when I read and I ask myself questions. 

The sub characters were great. Dave and Nikki I felt I knew them even though I didn’t get to read a lot about them. I knew exactly where I stood with their sexual desires/fantasy’s. I knew they were good people for Lexi.

I really liked Happy too. He has a great personality. I like the way he stood up to Twitch and how they behaved with each other. I liked how he behaved around Lexi. 

Happy stands, takes out a handkerchief from his shirt pocket, and dabs at his bloody lip, panting. “That’s exactly why you need to see someone, bro.”We stare at each other. “You’re not fine. I don’t think you’ve been fine a day in your life.”

Raw was a page turner for me, mainly because of Twitch as he has a presence in this book that is hard to turn away from. He is a dark, dominating character who when challenged gives no second chances. 

Popping a piece of candy into his mouth, he sucks on the button and utters,”Yeah, about that. I don’t do well with being threatened. And I definitely don’t take orders. But you’ll learn all this. Eventually. "

His dark side is quite frightening. I like a 3D read and Raw is definitely a 3D read.

He ushers me in, gives the driver my address, then says to me sadly, “Not everyone can be a fairy-tale hero.” He pauses a moment, then adds, “The world needs villains too.”

I had a favorite scene in this book and it was quite powerful. I'm not going to describe the scene as that will be a spoiler. I have instead torn a scrap off of the quote I thought was powerful.

..."What are you meant to be?"

His gaze roams my body once more. His hooded eyes finally reach mine. Searching my face a long time, he finally turns away, looking into the crowd.

"Love." 

I did like the ending. I know another author who showed me it is ok to do these type of endings. She knows who she is.

Belle left me gob smacked during the story. My mouth was literally catching flies. I did not see that coming and I love feeling that in a read. Having to spit flies out wasn’t much fun, though.

I also got that doubled-over-emotional-kick-in-the-guts from Belle. 

I love it when an author can do that to me. I paid my money and the ride didn't disappoint.

I am quite happy if this stays stand alone as I felt the style of the whole book... it was a great ending. 

Complimented the story.

Belle and any author who writes a story likes this, will inevitably have some readers jumping up and down. I appreciate this style of story because it isn’t supposed to be a bed of roses. It is supposed to be dark and dangerous and deadly and difficult to witness in parts. That is what the author sets out to do.

Mission accomplished, Belle.

Michelle