At the age of 23, social worker, Jeya Wellington was pretty much on her own. The devastating loss of her parents left her bereft and alone. Her best friend, Roman and his family have been like surrogates, but they could never replace what she lost. She needed a different connection. Shortly after losing her parents, she finds love and comfort in the arms of Rayne Watson, a correctional officer.
Rayne was exactly what she needed at the time, but now, two years later, Jeya wants out. She never expected love to come with bruises. She didn’t anticipate losing friends and living in fear. This was not her idea of true love. With the support of Roman, Jeya finds a way to leave. But Rayne isn’t letting go that easily. They made a commitment to each other, and she has the tattoo to prove it – ‘Til Death Do Us Part.
Torn between the love she has for Rayne and the instinct to protect herself, is Jeya’s will stronger than her vow?
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
No matter your sexual orientation, gender, race, color, you can find yourself in an abusive relationship. Man, woman, anyone can be abused or be the abuser.
In a search, I discovered 1 out of 4 women and 1 out of 7 men will be abused by an intimate partner. That astounded me.
When you seek out and find love, it’s supposed to be a joyous occasion. You shouldn’t fear for your life. You should be happy to wake up, come home, or see your partner’s face. You should lean into their touch and not shy away from it.
Jeya did step away from her (female) abuser, Rayne, and I respected her strength to do so. However, like most victims, she went back thinking things would change. And like others painfully discover, it doesn’t.
Luckily for Jeya, she had people watching her back, sickened by the abuse she suffered, and willing to help her move on. Renee depicted the emotional, physical and psychological abuse men and women face every minute of every day. Like Roman, I was angry and befuddled how anyone could go back to an abuser but this is where mental manipulation comes into play.
For the outcome of the story, Renee projected one plausible and highly possible outcome to such a real life scenario/plot. Her story may not be labeled a biography but I know many individuals will feel as if they are reading and reliving their own horrific tale.
For those who deal with abuse, please don’t suffer. You deserve better in life. You deserve a lifetime full of love not days/hours/minutes shrouded in a layer of fear, pain, and suffering of any kind.
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2
Renee Cronin is a self-professed devourer of knowledge, and a voracious reader. She began writing in earnest in 2005, when the characters in her head became so loud she was forced to tell their stories, or risk getting swept away into the abyss of her imagination. Renee has since used writing as a personal outlet to express her feelings, ideas, views, thoughts, and opinions about the world and the issues that impact her on a deep personal and societal level. (And of course writing also quiets the voices in her head of the many characters that are yearning to have their stories told.) Renee’s inspiration to publish is in large part due to the overwhelming display of encouragement, and support from family and friends, who believe she has a gift with words that need to be shared with world. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she works in the social work field avidly advocating and supporting the varied needs of the people in her community. Renee is a bibliophile with a transcendent love for words. Her soul yearns for the acoustic stylings from a plethora of musical genres. As she continues on this journey of published author she hopes to keep her readers captivated and pining for more.