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A review by kfriend
Vibe by Liza James
5.0
HOLY SHIT.
Vibe was nothing like I expected it would be- but it rocked me to my core. Sexy, dark and gritty, deeply provocative, and emotionally powerful- this story has so many layers of meaning, nuances that I'm still unpacking. I cannot stop thinking about it- don't yet fully have words, but I know this- there is nothing like this book. Vibe is so original, so breathtakingly unapologetic and raw about its heart, so disturbingly beautiful that I can't help but feel changed, like I'm now vibrating on a whole new frequency.
Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect- but even so, this was nothing like what I imagined. Darker, grittier, harder, more disturbing and unsettling. But also more meaningful, more complex and more powerful. From the first page I knew this book would be different. This story is teeming with darkness- we have corruption, we have cults, we have trauma and pain, and we have a sweet and engrossing love story all set amidst the seedy neon lights of a strip club. No one is what they seem, nothing is what it seems- and there is only one truth we can rely upon. Aura and Ruby- they vibe.
These characters- my God, these characters. Ruby and Aura own me. I connected to them both so deeply. Both of them are so vividly and lovingly created- they are raw, they are real, authentic and truthful, and they are so complexly and hauntingly beautiful. On the surface, these two women couldn’t be more different. One is secure and strong in her identity- oozing freedom and self-assurance, unflinchingly in touch with who she is. The other is insecure and unsure of who she is- trapped by the chains of her deeply disturbing past and mired down by the toxic dogma she’s internalized from her troubled childhood. But, we soon find that they share the same frequency- a vibe that binds them together heart, body, and soul. Their connection- well, it is transcendent- consuming and transforming. Their growth, their journey- I’m in awe of it. This is some POWERFUL character growth-I’m truly blown away.
Oh my. Aura. Our Vibe Girl. Few characters have moved me, have challenged me, in the way that Aura has. Her story is painful, disturbing, and tragic- and she’s just so well and completely lost. She escaped a hellish existence, being trapped in a way of life- but we find that she’s really only physically escaped that evil. The scars, the indoctrination, the terror and fear all still trap her- still hold her prisoner in the darkness. She’s lost, confused, afraid- and a bit numb- until she’s thrown into the orbit of Ruby. One darkness traps her, but Ruby’s is liberating. Aura struggles with the emotions and feelings that she always thought were bad and wrong, trying to confront how something that brings her to life, that finally gives her power and purpose and clarity can be bad. But Aura needs two things more than anything else- acceptance and trust- and Ruby, Ruby gives those to her.
Ruby is a dark butterfly- captivating and alluring to Aura in her freeness. Her strength and resilience rocked my soul- this woman owns everything about herself, even her pain. Rebellious even in her own suffering. Her journey might not feel as big of a step as Aura’s, but in truth, Ruby is actually using her freedom as a shield. Her indifference to what others think has evolved into her not connecting. She’s free- but she’s alone, completely closed up. So, like Aura, she’s actually lost, too. But Aura inspires her vulnerability, her openness.
Their story is so much more than a FF taboo story- although, that aspect of it is sexy AF. But this is really about two people connecting in a way that most of us can only dream about. It is so powerfully emotional. This is Liza’s love story to the power of connection. The euphoria and freedom that comes when your very spirit, your very being somehow can speak to another. How two souls can connect before words are ever spoken. It is truly breathtaking. Our dark butterfly inspires the metamorphosis of our wildflower- helps her blossom, find her power, find her freedom, find her identity. But this isn’t about the transformation of just one- no, our butterfly is transformed too- because she opens her heart, she gives up control, she connects. And through that connection, these very lost women are found. A beautiful, soul-altering, powerful and unbreakable love grows out of the most toxic, evil darkness. Aura and Ruby confront the demons around them, but most importantly, they confront their own. They find the beauty in their darkness, and they find themselves. And that, well that is worth fighting for.
The story itself is riveting enough on its own- hauntingly beautiful, chaotic, addictive, original and fast paced. But that is just the first layer of this story’s brilliance, because Liza has given us so much more. Underneath this amazing story is a powerful and resonant allegory about our own humanity. Aura is our everyman- she’s all of us. And the cult- the darkness that traps her, that’s a symbol for our culture- and one that is, disturbingly, not that hyperbolic. Vibe is about finding FREEDOM, about realigning, finding a new balance, breaking free of the toxic noise around us to find a new frequency…to find our OWN frequency. This is about confronting ourselves as much as the world around us- confront the metaphorical “Nation” but also our own fears, our own darkness, our own truths. LIFE IS VIBE. And only when we do that can we truly be ourselves- can we truly be free. In whatever way matters to us. And that message of self-transformation, of self-confrontation- WOW, that spoke to me. It challenged me, it moved me, it helped me confront parts of myself that I didn’t even know existed. And I felt awakened.
THIS STORY IS SO IMPORTANT. Even if you think FF isn’t your thing- pick this up. Because that’s kind of the point - our assumptions about what might appeal to us or what we might connect with. What really is shaping our instincts when it comes or a FF romance- that’s the point. And besides, it is so much more than that. And I found myself connecting to these characters and this story more than I have in a long time. VIBE is so unapologetically truthful- it’s raw and it feels so personal. I can practically feel Liza’s heart bleeding out on the page, and it shows- because wow, what an experience this story is.
I know this story will stick with me for a long time. I felt challenged, I felt seen, I felt like I saw myself and the world around me with fresh eyes. Liza James has earned a forever fan in me- and this book, well this book is now one of my all time favorite stories. “I’m being liberated in ways I didn’t realize were possible and I’m addicted to the radical strength of it.” Thank you, Liza, for speaking your truth- and for helping us find our own.
Vibe was nothing like I expected it would be- but it rocked me to my core. Sexy, dark and gritty, deeply provocative, and emotionally powerful- this story has so many layers of meaning, nuances that I'm still unpacking. I cannot stop thinking about it- don't yet fully have words, but I know this- there is nothing like this book. Vibe is so original, so breathtakingly unapologetic and raw about its heart, so disturbingly beautiful that I can't help but feel changed, like I'm now vibrating on a whole new frequency.
Honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect- but even so, this was nothing like what I imagined. Darker, grittier, harder, more disturbing and unsettling. But also more meaningful, more complex and more powerful. From the first page I knew this book would be different. This story is teeming with darkness- we have corruption, we have cults, we have trauma and pain, and we have a sweet and engrossing love story all set amidst the seedy neon lights of a strip club. No one is what they seem, nothing is what it seems- and there is only one truth we can rely upon. Aura and Ruby- they vibe.
These characters- my God, these characters. Ruby and Aura own me. I connected to them both so deeply. Both of them are so vividly and lovingly created- they are raw, they are real, authentic and truthful, and they are so complexly and hauntingly beautiful. On the surface, these two women couldn’t be more different. One is secure and strong in her identity- oozing freedom and self-assurance, unflinchingly in touch with who she is. The other is insecure and unsure of who she is- trapped by the chains of her deeply disturbing past and mired down by the toxic dogma she’s internalized from her troubled childhood. But, we soon find that they share the same frequency- a vibe that binds them together heart, body, and soul. Their connection- well, it is transcendent- consuming and transforming. Their growth, their journey- I’m in awe of it. This is some POWERFUL character growth-I’m truly blown away.
Oh my. Aura. Our Vibe Girl. Few characters have moved me, have challenged me, in the way that Aura has. Her story is painful, disturbing, and tragic- and she’s just so well and completely lost. She escaped a hellish existence, being trapped in a way of life- but we find that she’s really only physically escaped that evil. The scars, the indoctrination, the terror and fear all still trap her- still hold her prisoner in the darkness. She’s lost, confused, afraid- and a bit numb- until she’s thrown into the orbit of Ruby. One darkness traps her, but Ruby’s is liberating. Aura struggles with the emotions and feelings that she always thought were bad and wrong, trying to confront how something that brings her to life, that finally gives her power and purpose and clarity can be bad. But Aura needs two things more than anything else- acceptance and trust- and Ruby, Ruby gives those to her.
Ruby is a dark butterfly- captivating and alluring to Aura in her freeness. Her strength and resilience rocked my soul- this woman owns everything about herself, even her pain. Rebellious even in her own suffering. Her journey might not feel as big of a step as Aura’s, but in truth, Ruby is actually using her freedom as a shield. Her indifference to what others think has evolved into her not connecting. She’s free- but she’s alone, completely closed up. So, like Aura, she’s actually lost, too. But Aura inspires her vulnerability, her openness.
Their story is so much more than a FF taboo story- although, that aspect of it is sexy AF. But this is really about two people connecting in a way that most of us can only dream about. It is so powerfully emotional. This is Liza’s love story to the power of connection. The euphoria and freedom that comes when your very spirit, your very being somehow can speak to another. How two souls can connect before words are ever spoken. It is truly breathtaking. Our dark butterfly inspires the metamorphosis of our wildflower- helps her blossom, find her power, find her freedom, find her identity. But this isn’t about the transformation of just one- no, our butterfly is transformed too- because she opens her heart, she gives up control, she connects. And through that connection, these very lost women are found. A beautiful, soul-altering, powerful and unbreakable love grows out of the most toxic, evil darkness. Aura and Ruby confront the demons around them, but most importantly, they confront their own. They find the beauty in their darkness, and they find themselves. And that, well that is worth fighting for.
The story itself is riveting enough on its own- hauntingly beautiful, chaotic, addictive, original and fast paced. But that is just the first layer of this story’s brilliance, because Liza has given us so much more. Underneath this amazing story is a powerful and resonant allegory about our own humanity. Aura is our everyman- she’s all of us. And the cult- the darkness that traps her, that’s a symbol for our culture- and one that is, disturbingly, not that hyperbolic. Vibe is about finding FREEDOM, about realigning, finding a new balance, breaking free of the toxic noise around us to find a new frequency…to find our OWN frequency. This is about confronting ourselves as much as the world around us- confront the metaphorical “Nation” but also our own fears, our own darkness, our own truths. LIFE IS VIBE. And only when we do that can we truly be ourselves- can we truly be free. In whatever way matters to us. And that message of self-transformation, of self-confrontation- WOW, that spoke to me. It challenged me, it moved me, it helped me confront parts of myself that I didn’t even know existed. And I felt awakened.
THIS STORY IS SO IMPORTANT. Even if you think FF isn’t your thing- pick this up. Because that’s kind of the point - our assumptions about what might appeal to us or what we might connect with. What really is shaping our instincts when it comes or a FF romance- that’s the point. And besides, it is so much more than that. And I found myself connecting to these characters and this story more than I have in a long time. VIBE is so unapologetically truthful- it’s raw and it feels so personal. I can practically feel Liza’s heart bleeding out on the page, and it shows- because wow, what an experience this story is.
I know this story will stick with me for a long time. I felt challenged, I felt seen, I felt like I saw myself and the world around me with fresh eyes. Liza James has earned a forever fan in me- and this book, well this book is now one of my all time favorite stories. “I’m being liberated in ways I didn’t realize were possible and I’m addicted to the radical strength of it.” Thank you, Liza, for speaking your truth- and for helping us find our own.