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Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Up In Smoke by Cassie Lein

1 review

bixchestalkbooks's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Just when I think anything Cassie Lein writes couldn't get better, she always tops herself and gives us another 5 star out of the park read. 
Before I review, I have to put it out there that this book comes with some serious dark content warnings- child abuse, SA just to name a few but please check the warnings before reading this and really think about reading if you have an issue with any of them- this may have been a really good story but I can certainly see how this could be really triggering to some. 
Lorna has had a rough start in life and has spent her childhood dreaming of the day that she is finally able to flee home and disappear so her parents or her high school bullies can't find her. Across the country safe in New York, she has established a name for herself as a cam girl (without the world knowing who she is) and has garnered a following to live a very comfortable life- a following that includes said bullies. When an invitation for her high school reunion shows up in her mailbox, she views this as the perfect time to exact revenge she never knew she needed with the help of her boyfriend Kylo. The only problem is, will the revenge taste as sweet as she had originally anticipated after having spent numerous Sunday's seeing and getting to know Abel and Rowan, her childhood bullies through her site, or have feelings already developed that would make the taste of revenge less sweet?
Abel and Rowan spent their high school years tormenting Lorna- and who can blame them? Constantly dressing the way she did, she was an easy target for their tricks. Years later they both have fallen in love with her- except they don't know she is the girl they used to torment. When Lorna shows up and rains on their parade and divulges her deepest, darkest secrets to them, will they be able to convince her to see that they aren't the same and maybe right some of the wrongs that have happened to her at the hands of everyone else or have they lost the only girl they both think they could truly love?
This story certainly has it all in the spice department, which you get right from the beginning, but it also has a really deep and well developed backstory that keeps you hooked from beginning to end. The details of Lorna's past were really well developed and presented on page and while they certainly are events that will trigger some, they were done with such care and thought to show the world that Lorna is a survivor. That for someone in her situation she rose above and was able to conquer her demons despite the fact that it did take some time. Lorna is a really strong FMC- probably one of the strongest that I have ever read- and it was really nice to see her get the life she deserves. 
All of of MMC's were also really well done and each gave something to Lorna that she has never had in her past. It was really nice to see how Kylo was willing to let two other men come into their lives despite all of the issues in the past and how they were all able eventually create one cohesive bond. Abel and Rowan also had a really nice story arc of redemption, especially when they try to right some of the wrongs that have been committed against Lorna and show her that someone did care enough to help, even if that help was later than hoped for. 
This was a really fun and quick read that is a standalone in a larger series about Brighton High School and I am really excited to go back and read the other 11 books to see just what else the class was dealing with in their lives, especially the story about Lorna's friend. 

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