Wednesday 22 July 2020

#BlogTour The Storm by Amanda Jennings


It's my turn on the BlogTour The Storm by Amanda Jennings.

About the Author
Amanda Jennings lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, three daughters, and a menagerie of animals. She studied History of Art at Cambridge and before writing her first book, was a researcher at the BBC.

With a deep fascination on the far-reaching effects of trauma, her books focus on the different ways people find to cope with loss, as well as the moral struggles her protagonists face. Her favourite place to be is up a mountain or beside the Cornish sea.

Follow @MandaJJennings  @HQStories, on Amazon, on Goodreads, Visit amandajennings.co.uk  Buy The Storm


About the book
To the outside world Hannah married the perfect man. Behind the closed doors of their imposing home it’s a very different story. Nathan controls everything Hannah does. He chooses her clothes, checks her receipts, and keeps her passport locked away. But why does she let him? Years before, in the midst of a relentless storm, the tragic events of one night changed everything. And Hannah has been living with the consequences ever since. Keeping Nathan happy. Doing as she’s told. - But the past is about to catch up with them.

Review
The thing about coercive control is that it's like an invisible sickness you can't see. It destroys cells whilst you remain blissfully unaware of the slow destruction. It drags you down and weighs heavily on your psyche until suddenly you become aware that something isn't quite right.

Somewhere along the way freedom, choice and your entire self got lost or rather was taken by someone intent on destroying you - all in the name of love and control. Slowly chipping away at your confidence, your self-worth, your appearance, your intelligence until every part of you believes their way is the norm. Rocking the boat becomes a trip into the unknown.

Hannah has a perfect marriage on the surface. A caring husband and a loving son. Nobody sees the way Nathan controls what she wears, cooks, buys and in a way what she says and does. No rocking the boat, right?

It's a dark domestic thriller. A story of obsession, control and love, but not the kind of love that comforts, supports and cares. It's the kind of love that strips away and destroys your soul.

Jennings takes us from the present into past, which gives the readers an interesting before and after picture of Hannah. The carefree happy girl becomes the insecure, submissive woman. It's a slow process that isn't really evident unless you are paying close attention.

This is a crime read that draws from the reality of an insidious kind of abuse. Abuse we have only just gotten legislation for and has remained unpunished for far too long. It's a tale that isn't clear cut, but that in turn keeps the reader turning the pages.

Buy The Storm at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 23 July 2020. Buy at Amazon com.

Read my review of The Cliff House by Amanda Jennings.


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