Review: Gritty, but satisfying!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 27, 2013
Amber Lin has again written an intriguing story about love, sex and what 2 people will overcome to have it all. Pasts that have run a parallel course; the present bringing them nearer to each other and a future that could be very bright if they find the way to let go and be themselves.Shelly, a high-priced prostitute, promised Luke she would get out of the life after she was shot in a sting operation where she was his informant. She's drawn to Luke and is trying to leave it all behind. But, when she attempts to get a normal "job" the man that comes out to interview her is a former John. She can't do this ... she has no idea how to leave the life. Then, the choice is taken away from her when Henri comes steam-rolling back into her life. Attend the "party", give them what they want and she'll be safe again. She's distraught and find's herself walking the streets, befriends a young girl and talks her into going to the shelter. See, she's set up a shelter and brings young girls there off the streets - she really is trying to help those that can't help themselves, that feel that they only life they have ahead of them is being a Hooker. Marguerite will set them straight, she will teach them how to fend for themselves, make sure they get an education. But, when things go south at the party and she pulls "Ella" out, she finds herself in even deeper trouble and the only person she could think of turning to is Luke. This begins a nightmare for Shelly and "Ella" that brings them to Phillip and puts Shelly on the run trying to clear their names and keeping "Ella" safe.Luke has a past of his own that he refuses to reveal to Shelly. He's a detective for a reason and the past that he is hiding could break his career. He talks in circles around her, won't let himself touch her but can't keep away from her. He keeps throwing out hints but she's not seeing what he want's her to see. Ad desperate situation brings them together again and he can't fight his attraction any more. After revealing some of his past, they start to work together to clear Shelly and "Ella's" names and to finally bring Henri down. But Luke has a hidden agenda that will bring them into more danger than what they anticipated. Shelly can't blame him for what he is doing and what he has done - she would do whatever it took to find her sister too and try to bring the people down who brought her into the life of prostitution.As "Selling Out" unfolds and all the players are revealed, you get pulled deeper and deeper into the abyss that is the selling of human flesh. You realize that not everyone is who they seem to appear. You see another side of the sick Phillip and finally understand why Shelly was a prostitute and who was really behind it all. Shelly and Luke's lives really did run a parallel course - from where they both lived, to how they got to their present situation and why they both want Henri to pay for his past sins. Working together and with the help of a few friends, they uncover the truth's that will both shock and awe you.Amber Lin's writing is rough and edgy, emotional and dark, intense and intriguing but, to put it into one word - unbelievable! She brought you through a lifestyle that most of us are lucky enough to not understand or want to understand. She shows us a side of the life that makes you see that there's more to it than meets the eye. Ms. Lin brings us right into Shelly's psyche, you are living in her mind as everything is being revealed.I applaud Amber Lin for tackling the subjects that she has - rape and prostitution - these are not easy stories to write or reveal. These are not easy stories to get an HEA, but she does and how she does it is amazing. It's great to see some new authors out there bringing more "true life" stories to the fore-front. It's wonderful loosing yourself in a vampire love story, wishing you were on the receiving end of a good spanking, falling for a handsome cowboy in chaps or wishing that Mr. Cross was obsessed with you but sometimes it's nice to get down and dirty in the real world. So, if you are looking for "hearts and flowers" this is not the series to be reading. But, if you are looking for a story that is gritty, true to life, with twists and turns that will leave you breathless, then enjoy The Lost Girls series.Review copy provided for an honest review.