Review: Overshadowed by ending for ME.  Alternate ending would have made this a 5* for ME.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 5, 2014
I came in, after composing myself (or so I thought) and wrote a review for this book when I was utterly RAW.  In doing so, my review was not very objective.  It was also not very fair to the author.  I was not able to see past the ending and judged the book solely on the ending.  I even messaged the author.  Complete honesty here ;)  I received less than pleasant messages in response to my review from other readers and reviewers.  After conversing with the author via Facebook, the author brought it to my attention that what I wrote her in my detailed messages about the book was vastly different then my Amazon review and THAT should have been my review.  I re-read my detailed messages about the book to the author and my Amazon review and SHE WAS SPOT ON.  I made the choice to delete my review.  I repeat...I made the choice.  I am now back to compose MY REVIEW OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE.  Amazon has a review system that needs work.  So, I am going to go by my own.  Hang in there with me!  Here goes:1.  First a caution.  When the author gives you the warning, read it, read it again and abide by it.  She means it!  I have read many dark reads but this was by far the hardest for me to read and the darkest for ME.  If you cannot handle very graphic descriptions of torture, abuse, torment, rape, murder, etc. then this is not a book you should venture to read.  The description of the things I just mentioned were graphic and disturbing that it caused ME to be sick.2.  The characters.  The heroine, Stella, is one of the strongest heroines you will ever read about.  She has had more pain and torment than any fictional character should ever have to endure.  She is the definition of STRONG.  So many words could be used to describe her.  She grew and healed and then...well, you will have to read.  Wesley, the alpha male who did not want permanence or forever.  Strong, loving, nurturing and supportive but also inexperienced and unsure and stubborn.  Loved them both.  The MONSTER...inhumane.3.  The plot/story.  There was the relationship between the H and h, the D/s relationship, the healing and dealing with the past, the obsessed sociopath, etc.  It had twists and turns and kept you on your toes.4.  Balance.  I, personally, like a good balance of bad and good...light and dark.  It does not have to be an even split by any means.  I do not need hearts and flowers at the end.  But, I do prefer a good balance.  When there is so much dark i t is hard to see any of the light.  This had too much dark for me and not enough light.5.  Grammar.  There were errors.  There were not tons, but they were present.  At times, I had to go back and re-read the sentence.6.  Language.  I can handle profanity in my reads and I am not a prude, nor do I have a stick up my arse.  But, sometimes the language that the H, h and her friends used was bothersome.  The H and h were very intelligent.  I think the h went to Columbia if I recall.  Their language did not always "match" them, even in their badass moments.7.  The ending.  The ending was horrific, horrendous and sickening.  There is no sugarcoating it.  There is not a HEA.  It made me vomit several times and I had nightmares that night.  It was very hard to get past.  After the ending, that's all I saw.  That is all that stayed with me because it was so horrific.  I could no longer see the beauty that I read previously because it was overshadowed by the ending.  I thought of the ending from the POV as a heroine, mother, woman and someone's significant other.  I thought about it from Wesley's POV.  Good God!  You will root for these two throughout the book.  You want them to have love and peace.  You want healing.  But, YOU WILL NOT GET IT.  KNOW THAT.  Here is the main point of my statement again...out of all that, what replays in my thoughts is the ending and the ending only.  For me, the beauty was lost.