Home Reviews

Saturday, 13 February 2021

#BlogTour Escaping from the Shadows by C. L. Tustin


 It's my turn on the Blogtour Escaping from the Shadows by C. L. Tustin.

About the Author

C L Tustin was born and raised in the East Midlands but spent her teenage years in Sydney, Australia. She has sung twice at the Sydney Opera House and also appeared singing live on Australian national television. Returning to the UK in 1989 via Singapore and the Middle East the travel bug has never left her and she has explored countries and cities across the world.

C L Tustin began writing at the age of 11 when she didn’t see why James Bond had to be a man and created a spy code named The Cat with 10 planned adventures. Her first published novel “Escaping from the Shadows” is a romance with an undertone of threat set in the social media free world of 1990. She is currently working on editing and completing her second romance “Desert Rose” whilst writing a brand new story “Flower of Death”. Future projects already planned include two Regency romances and a sci-fi thriller.

Whilst raising her son C L Tustin continued to balance writing and work with completing a BSc(Hons) in Science and a MSc(Merit) in Earth Science with the Open University. This was a most rewarding experience despite the long hours and hard work involved.

C L Tustin has worked for two major banks, a tool company, the MOD and the NHS. She has completed 3 Thames Bridges walking challenges for charity, volunteers for Butterfly Conservation and passionately supports rescue dogs. C L Tustin lives currently with her rescued 15 year old Jack Russell Terrier and a diverse collection of books and sci-fi memorabilia.


About the book

Anastasia Travess is caring, beautiful and talented, but all her life her abusive father has kept her down. Seeking love wherever she can there has only ever been one man she trusts, one man who makes her complete and he rejected her years ago. 

Piers Talbot is an enigma, a charming bachelor with only one woman in his heart. But when offered a choice between fixing his estranged family and obtaining his heart’s desire he makes probably the worst decision of his life.

When Anastasia rekindles her past relationship with Piers’ younger brother, the lines between love and loyalty become blurred. Amid danger, betrayal and deception, Anastasia is forced to question everything she thought she knew. 

But will Anastasia have the courage to escape from the shadows?

Review

Anastasia appears to make decisions about her love life on a mere whim. What she underestimates is the level of manipulation her father and other men in her life are willing to rise to in order to control and manipulate her.

It's a fight to free herself from the chain of abuse that bound her mother and now binds her. Anastasia has fallen into patterns of behaviour her mother also fell into. Being treated like an afterthought by men, being little more a trophy daughter who needs to obey a father who is used to treating women like objects - no wonder men think she is a pushover. Why give respect to someone who is treated with contempt and disrespect by her own father?

The story is about moving or breaking out of the cycle of abuse. Can Anastasia achieve what her mother was unable to, a life and love free from coercive control, physical abuse and achieve some semblance of happiness. The author makes a valid point about repetitive cycles passed down through generations and how it is difficult to remove yourself from them, also how the people stuck inside them are often the last to realise that fact.

It's a romance with the vibe of a domestic thriller.

Buy Escaping from the Shadows at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher : Cebalrai pub date 1 Feb. 2021. Buy at Amazon com

No comments:

Post a Comment