The Two Brains of Book Reviewers: Little Conversations by Sibylla Matilde

Synopsis:

**** Mature Content, Sexual Situations, Adult Situations, Alcohol Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Strong Language *****

Eighteen-year-old Devin McKay is a complete and total emotional wreck. Fresh out of high school and on her own for the first time in her life, she’s reeling from rejection of a relationship gone very, very bad. Emotionally battered and tormented by the pull of her narcissistic first love, she wants to make a clean break in a small mountain town where he is everywhere... with his new girlfriend.

Ronin Andrews is still battling his own cataclysmic ghosts. He recoils from anything heartfelt, choosing instead to work hard and live wild. Outside of his job, parties and causal hooks-ups are his life until Devin walks in. With her short skirt and her sad green eyes, he can’t help but want her… badly. His protective streak wants to provide her with a haven, to shelter and sustain her.

Through a flash of torrid intensity, they struggle to be friends... just friends. She relies on him to nourish her shattered soul and shield her heart from the clawing, gnawing loss that has consumed her. Before long, the attraction proves too tenacious, and the passion between them becomes undeniable. But will the shadows of the past prove too much to overcome?

Goodreads

Sunny's Review:

I think that this book was really pretty good. I like that the author showed how girls really do fall for this ridiculous nonsense that some guys pull. Devin was a great girl. Smart, funny, liked to have a good time and was a good person. She cared about her friends and just wanted to love and be loved. So how did she go from that to a person that no self worth and all of her identity was wrapped up in Jake? It takes a while but there are just some people that are great at chipping away others sense of self. Jake was a pro.

So I was discussing this book with a friend of mine and she really did not understand how this type of relationship could come about. I am not even really sure how it happens but I know that it does and if you are the person that is basically being emotionally abused and being brought down you never really see it happening. It is like one day (hopefully) you wake up and go "Who am I? How did this happen? This is not me..." Not everyone realizes this and it makes me sad but I am very hopeful that most people will come to realize that they do not have to be in these relationships.

Ronin is a great guy. As many times as Devin ends up at his house, trashed and throwing herself at him, he always stops when she says stop and takes care of her. I love that he from moment 1 protects her whether from Jake or herself he is there. He does not put himself ahead of her in any way. He tries to let her find her own way but is there with constant reassurance that she is a great person and worthy of being loved.

This is a really good book in that it shows one of the harder sides of relationships. You see a lot of physical abuse in books but this book shows the emotional and verbal abuse that is sometimes even more detrimental than the physical. The physical cuts and bruises heal faster than the emotional trauma that can be inflicted. I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. I love getting to see Ronin and Devin become friends and then transform into more. Go get this book. You won't regret it.

BUY THE BOOK!

Amazon US Amazon UK

About the Author:

Sibylla Matilde grew up in the mountain valleys of Southwest Montana, and grew up exploring the alfalfa fields on the back of a horse. She attended a two-room schoolhouse 1^st through 6^th grade where she had same teacher the whole time. Beginning at about age 12, Sibylla discovered historical romance, feeding off of work of Jude Devereaux, Lisa Kleypas, and Karen Robards. She loves a book that can make the reader run the gamut of emotions, from the sweet glow of new love to gut-wrenching heartache. She always has stories floating around in her head, living in some fantasyland until she writes them down to free them. She is a true romantic, a bit of a Pollyanna, and a deeply emotional soul.

Music is her emotional trigger. Growing up with a Wagnarian-opera-loving mother, Sibylla grew up with music that digs deep into her soul and pulls out emotion. The soundtrack to her life includes different genres and generations. She looooooooves Thirty Seconds to Mars (rather obsessively, actually) with a little Kings of Leon to mix things up, and pimps them out regularly to all her friends through Spotify. She also enjoys watching Met Opera HD broadcasts at her local movie theater, and hopes (listening Met?) to someday see Diana Damrau reprise her role as Mozart’s Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte – The Magic Flute.

Sibylla lives with her husband, Mike, a man who she firmly believes saved her from her self-destructive, hot mess self. He makes her laugh every day, even when things seem to be falling apart around them, and has proved to her that love really can heal a shattered soul. In 18 years, they have never had a fight, but argue regularly with their two teenage kids who have, unfortunately, inherited their father’s quick wit (unfortunate as it is a quick wit that Sibylla, herself, definitely does not possess – there is a reason she is a writer and not a stand-up comedian), and live a quiet life with their two weird little rescued Chiweenies. Wait… teenagers and little yap-dogs? Okay, maybe not so quiet. J

Amazon Goodreads Facebook Facebook Author Page Pinterest Twitter