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A review by oceaneanagonye
The Darkness Within by Raquel Riley
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"I will slay each and every one of your dragons, Nashville Aiden Sommers. I will chase all of the ghosts from the dark corners of your nightmares, until the sun is shining down on you, warm and bright, and safe. I will be your light in the darkness, your hand to hold when you get lost and can’t find your way."
Wow. Another beautiful entry to the Scars and Stripes series by Raquel Riley. I was lucky to receive an ARC of the first entry, "Proof of Life" which I really liked. So when this ARC showed up in my inbox, I was thrilled. In true Raquel Riley fashion, I was hooked immediately.
We meet Nash after he's been rescued from being a Prisoner of War in the desert. A mission gone wrong leads to 22 days of torture for the Sergeant and his best friend and teammate. When Nash is finally rescued he's an unrecognizable shell of himself. Before he knows it, he's hooked on pills and alcohol just to numb the constant terror in his mind caused by PTSD. Through several strokes of luck, Nash ends up at BALLS (Beyond The Army: Legion of Love Soldiers) and meets former addict-turned-therapist Brewer. Sparks fly immediately, but Brewer knows better. Nash is too new, too raw to be any good for his own sobriety. The rules say that Nash needs to put himself, not a relationship, first for his first year of sobriety. But as the two grow closer and Nash begins to recover, the two think it might not be possible to wait to give into love after all.
What I loved: Strong characters. Everywhere you look in this book you see tough, passionate, lively men and women. Even when Nash was in active addiction, his character jumped off the page and made you feel what he was feeling. Brewer had the strength and patience of a saint from day one. The cameos from book one (Mandy, West, Brandt, and the Bitches as they lovingly call themselves) had me smiling, laughing, and swooning all throughout the story.
I also loved the pacing of the story and relationship. The timeline for Nash's recovery and Brewer's acceptance of his love for Nash just makes sense. There's nothing rushed about this book. It's a veerrrryyy slow burn and it takes as long as it takes. I usually don't like slow burns, but this one had so much plot and character development that I never got bored while waiting for Nash and Brewer's big moment.
This book was heavy. Please, please, heed the trigger warnings. This is not a light read and deals with graphic torture and PTSD flashbacks and symptoms. It's all done with the utmost respect, but it's really tough to get through some parts. I would recommend extra caution to people like myself who have an active PTSD diagnosis. This book can be very triggering even if your trauma was not service-related.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The love the Bitches Who Stitch and the men of Serenity House have for each other comes across on every page. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a gritty story of survival, redemption, and a love that knows no bounds. Take your time reading this one.
Special thanks to Raquel Riley for the ARC! I'm so ready for book three!
Wow. Another beautiful entry to the Scars and Stripes series by Raquel Riley. I was lucky to receive an ARC of the first entry, "Proof of Life" which I really liked. So when this ARC showed up in my inbox, I was thrilled. In true Raquel Riley fashion, I was hooked immediately.
We meet Nash after he's been rescued from being a Prisoner of War in the desert. A mission gone wrong leads to 22 days of torture for the Sergeant and his best friend and teammate. When Nash is finally rescued he's an unrecognizable shell of himself. Before he knows it, he's hooked on pills and alcohol just to numb the constant terror in his mind caused by PTSD. Through several strokes of luck, Nash ends up at BALLS (Beyond The Army: Legion of Love Soldiers) and meets former addict-turned-therapist Brewer. Sparks fly immediately, but Brewer knows better. Nash is too new, too raw to be any good for his own sobriety. The rules say that Nash needs to put himself, not a relationship, first for his first year of sobriety. But as the two grow closer and Nash begins to recover, the two think it might not be possible to wait to give into love after all.
What I loved: Strong characters. Everywhere you look in this book you see tough, passionate, lively men and women. Even when Nash was in active addiction, his character jumped off the page and made you feel what he was feeling. Brewer had the strength and patience of a saint from day one. The cameos from book one (Mandy, West, Brandt, and the Bitches as they lovingly call themselves) had me smiling, laughing, and swooning all throughout the story.
I also loved the pacing of the story and relationship. The timeline for Nash's recovery and Brewer's acceptance of his love for Nash just makes sense. There's nothing rushed about this book. It's a veerrrryyy slow burn and it takes as long as it takes. I usually don't like slow burns, but this one had so much plot and character development that I never got bored while waiting for Nash and Brewer's big moment.
This book was heavy. Please, please, heed the trigger warnings. This is not a light read and deals with graphic torture and PTSD flashbacks and symptoms. It's all done with the utmost respect, but it's really tough to get through some parts. I would recommend extra caution to people like myself who have an active PTSD diagnosis. This book can be very triggering even if your trauma was not service-related.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The love the Bitches Who Stitch and the men of Serenity House have for each other comes across on every page. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a gritty story of survival, redemption, and a love that knows no bounds. Take your time reading this one.
Special thanks to Raquel Riley for the ARC! I'm so ready for book three!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Blood, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Death, Drug abuse, Torture, War, Murder, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders