Review: *3.5 Stars ~ Suspenseful & Tender
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 9, 2013
I knew going into reading this book that it might be a little difficult at times because of the subject matter. It was definitely an emotional ride. Ms. Grayson has written a compelling story in Unbeautifully Loved.Lexie Todd became involved with Dex, her abusive ex, when she was young and naive. Once the real Dex began surfacing, Lexie was believing the verbal abuse and enduring the physical. She believes she is damaged goods and unworthy of love. Although Dex didn't really seem to want her, he didn't want anyone else having her either. After a particularly vicious attack, she decides to run.Now Lexie, her son, Finn, and her best friend, Mollie are on the run. They're settling into their sixth location in eight months. Despite their circumstances, Mollie has a good feeling about this particular town. So despite her qualms, Lexie agrees to give this place a try.Lukas Gunn, now a neighbor to the fugitives, has an immediate attraction to Lexie. Lukas is HOT, very alpha male and realizes something is amiss with Lexie, so wants to save her. (*Note - Lukas can be my knight in shining armor anytime! ;)Mollie is an incredibly loyal friend to Lexie. She basically gives up her life in order to help her friend. She also provides some comic relief in the story. She's quite sassy and fun.Unbeautifully Loved is not only a suspenseful story of a young woman trying to move on from her past and brokenness but also a tender tale of finding real love. It also reveals the unlimited lengths to which true friends will go in order to protect someone they care about.Unbeautifully Loved did have a few flaws. There were some editing issues, such as incorrect word choice. But as I got into the story I found I could overlook them. I also felt there were inconsistencies in the character development of Lexie. She didn't always seem to be the broken, fragile, young woman she was portrayed to be. This might have been intentional as a way to show Lexie's inner strength, I can't say for sure. It just confused me at times. I also thought Finn could have been more well defined.Despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed Unbeautifully Loved. I wanted all my questions answered. I wanted to know the outcome for Lexie and Lukas. I will absolutely be reading the next in Ms. Grayson's Breathe Again series.