Review: "I'm strong. I'm brave. I'm independent." - But looks can be deceiving!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2014
Love triangles...I have to admit - I'm not much of a fan of them. It's hard for me to see past all of the betrayal and lies, so going in to Used, I wasn't sure if this was going to be a book for me.  But, in my opinion, this is not your typical love triangle because Denver is not your typical heroine. Denver is 100% a product of her environment.  When you grow up with a mother who is considered the town slut, it's fairly easy to allow the rumors and name-calling to get to you and even change your own perception of yourself. Not only does Denver have to deal with the town's disdain for her mother and by extension herself, but then when you throw in a revolving door of her mother's ex-husbands who either make a pass at her or attempt to violate her, the self loathing Denver feels makes sense."I'm strong. I'm brave. I'm independent."This is Denver's mantra...her way of attempting to get past a mother who doesn't love her and a group of peers who shun her. But it's all an act. The confidence she exudes is her armor...just like calling herself a slut before anyone else can. People are going to think whatever they want to regardless of the truth, so Denver feeds the gossip...she does what she thinks she has to do - she becomes the "user"; she uses her "slut DNA," but it's not the way everyone thinks.The two men in this triangle - Greer and Ransom - couldn't be more different.Greer grew up with Denver; he's the one she's been "using" for quite some time, but in my opinion, he's been using her right back. Their relationship is extremely unhealthy, and while I do feel bad for him at times in the story, I just can't see Denver choosing him. Their relationship is more of a habit than anything. I don't doubt that Greer loves her, but readers definitely see his true colors three-quarters of the way through the book.Ransom - boy would I like to spend some time with him;) He doesn't want to want Denver, but he can't help it, and while he questions if she's worth it, the time they spend together in the latter half of the book proves his first thoughts about her were correct. Ransom truly sees Denver - beyond the mask she puts on for everyone else. He's the man Denver needs to slay her demons and get past her nightmares.  He's the one she doesn't want to "use." But Ransom comes with his own baggage and secrets, and it isn't quite clear how everything is going to pan out at the end of Used.Overall, I really enjoyed Used. It was a bit difficult at first to get into the story...I didn't feel like all of the flashbacks were necessary; Denver's self loathing is pretty clear from the start, and readers can pick up on the push and pull in her relationship with Greer early on.  But I also understand that the repetitive nature of the back story illustrates how deeply scarred Denver is and how much Denver and Greer are tied together in a twisted way. Where the book ended also made sense to me...I feel like readers are going to see a different Denver in book two - a healthier one as she deals with the aftermath of what has happened and learns to lean on others more for help.  I can't wait to see what happens.Complimentary copy provided by author/publisher for an honest review.4 poison apples! (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)