Book Review: RAW by: Belle Aurora

Title: RAW
Author: Belle Aurora
ISBN: B00HNG4AB4
Reading Level: Adult
Theme(s): Rape, abuse, drug cartel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 333 pgs
Binding: E-book
Published: 2nd Jan. 2014
Buy: Amazon.com

Synopsis:

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.***

Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am. Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street.

Best decision I ever made.

Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job. My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved.

But the saying is true: The world makes way for those who know where they are going. That’s me. I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace.

But then there’s him. I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. He makes me feel. It’s unconventional. But it’s real.

I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I.

This isn’t a story.

This is my life.

My Rating:

My Review: I originally had no plans to review this book. It was one of those filler stories I decided to use as a quick read before I started something new. However, after reading the book and trying to sum up my feelings in a few sentences on goodreads.com, I came to realize that this story affected me more than I initially thought. And to be quite honest, I still don't know exactly how I feel about it. Belle Aurora definitely pushes a lot of boundaries with RAW. Boundary pushing/crossing can be a good thing. It provides a challenge to readers, such as myself, who yearn for something different in a genre that is overwhelmed with the same formula. That being said, in order for a new concept to work, it has to be executed with care. Thus the problem with RAW.

The above synopsis is a bit vague so I will give you a brief summary as to what the story is about without major spoilers. Alexa is a social worker and damn good at her job. She loves helping troubled kids and this probably stems from her own troubled childhood. She has two best friends, Nikki and Dave (who is gay). This is not your typical love story mainly because Alexa's love interest just so happens to be her stalker. Yes...I said stalker. She has known for quite some time (a year or more if I remember correctly) that she is being watched. Instead of feeling uneasy, she feels safe and even gets disappointed during the times when she senses he is not there watching her. Weird right? Anyway, one evening after work, she is nearly raped outside her apartment building. And that's when her stalker, Twitch, comes to her rescue...