Reviews

With You Always by Rena Olsen

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afomia's review against another edition

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2.0

I was annoyed the whole time

harec112's review

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dark tense medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

Gripping!!! And I mean as tight as an abuser’s hand on your throat.

Sometimes the right guy comes along at the right moment to sweep you off your feet and make all your dreams come true. And sometimes he’s just a cult-ensconced asshole looking for someone to turn into his property.

Julia falls for the guy, for his church, and for AAAAaaaalllll the manipulation. Despite the MANY red flags waving in front of her screaming “I’m a red flag!” Julia walks confidently into Bryce’s trap. And once he has her… WHAM! And yes, I mean the abuse gets physical.

Julia is lost even after she’s been found, by Bryce, by the creepy cult, and by God. But God, it turns out, can’t save her from her declining and desperate situation. That is something she has to do herself.

Julia needs therapy. Bryce needs to meet the devil. The Reverend needs to be blackmailed and jailed. (And I wouldn’t be sad if Nancy went missing entirely and Sydney had a satisfied smile on her face for the rest of her life.)

This is an excellent story with a seedy underbelly. I highly recommend.

ollie1976's review

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4.0

Rushed ending but decent read

greengaybles's review

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2.0

I didn’t like the writing, but the suspense and portrayal of an abusive relationship were very well done, so a couple of points for that. And then the ending happened. It was so rushed and unresolved and left so, so many loose ends, which was especially disappointing after the pacing leading up to it. I want to know what happened with everyone and the church and Tim and.

charperry's review

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2.0

I liked where the book was going although slightly predictable; it did have a few spots that surprised me. I do feel there were some holes and questions left unanswered. The ending came abruptly, and I wanted to know what happened after.

cassies_books_reviews's review against another edition

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4.0

Julia’s life is at a standstill she’s still not over he ex fiancée who broke up with her, and she’s not getting anywhere in her job. When the handsome lawyer Bryce Covington enters her life one afternoon, and asks her out for drinks her life looks like it’s taking a turn for the best. He lavishes her with attention, compliments her always puts her needs before his, and has won her family over except her sister who feels like something isn’t right. Her sister thinks it’s odd how he never wants to talk about himself or his past. Julia puts it off as her being jealous. When Bryce introduces Julia to his “family” who is just people at his church , and he informs her he considers the Reverend his father since he took Bryce in when he was young, Julia is a bit surprised but willing to attend church with Bryce and become part of the family as well. When they finally get engaged and soon to be married she witnesses one of the secret church meetings and his shocked how they say they feel God speaking to them after drinking from a cup. Once married she participates and is shocked she could feel also feel a change. After the wedding Bryce begins to change he shows his dark and controlling side, and soon Julia realizes how much the church runs her life and how Bryce is at the center of it all. Bryce makes her cut ties with her life before the church and soon Julia is part of a nightmare one she’s afraid she may never wake up from. This is not a love story, this book has abuse and emotional abuse. So many times I wanted to tell Julia to run!!! The authors writing style had me turning pages and I had to no how this book was going to end! Four stars!

jsandman's review

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4.0

What a book! I did not expect it to end how it did, and I was flat angry for most of it as the tension built between Julia and Bryce. Definitely an engaging read!