betwixt_the_pages 's review for:

Surviving Amber Springs by Siobhan Davis

3.0

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Let him who is without sin cast the first stone…

I’m the second-most hated person in Amber Springs.

First place honors go to my twin, Ethan; however, hate isn’t a strong enough word to convey how people feel about him.

Not that I blame anyone—some days, I hate him too. Mostly, I’m just lost and afraid, drowning in a sea of betrayal and guilt, wondering how this happened right under my nose.

There’s no choice but to leave. To move clear across the country in a last-ditch attempt to start over.

Transferring to a new school midway through senior year is hellish for most people. For me, it’s a welcome relief—until someone discovers our secret and now everyone knows.

The pointing, whispering, and scathing looks follow me around again, and I’m back to square one. Except, this time, I’m not alone.

Axel, Skeet, and Heath took me under their wing from the minute I arrived here. I’ve no idea why three of the hottest guys in town took any interest in me or why they continue to have my back, but I’m so grateful to have them in my corner.

Because, right now, they’re the only reason I’m not following my brother into an early grave.

This is an upper YA/NA reverse harem STANDALONE contemporary romance. Due to sensitive content, sexual situations, and possible triggers, this book is recommended to readers aged 18+. Full length novel.

Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: this book pulls no punches; hard-hitting, realistic situations; great character arcs, well-rounded personalities; mostly-believable (SUPER STEAMY!) romance(s); beautifully handled look into grief; complex and diverse subject matter; TRIGGER WARNING ALERT

Because thems the rules, have a few disclaimers to start with! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this title. Also, TRIGGER WARNING ALERT--if you are triggered by subjects such as bullying; suicide; attempted suicide; violence; domestic abuse; rape; self-harm; emotional/psychological abuse; depression; mental illness; etc and so on and so forth because this book basically covers it all in one fell swoop, please please please take care when picking this read up! There is quite a bit of violent darkness in these pages, Penguins--your health should always, ALWAYS, come first.

Trust me when I say this book holds NO punches. There are so many subjects handled within these pages, I'm amazed at Siobhan Davis's ability to write about such topics with poise and sensitivity. You will be hard-pressed to find a character in this book who wasn't touched, in some part, by one or multiple of the above topics--which mirrors real life, I suppose. I do feel as if, for one story line in this novel in particular, there wasn't much explanation or justification. That character in question, admittedly, went through more than I could possibly imagine, but some of her decisions --even after being explained-- felt a bit tacked on to propel the story forward. They didn't seem genuine to me, and parts of her story were not adequately explained. Of course, part of this is due to the very fleeting role she played in the end. Certain details, therefore, wouldn't be readily known to me, given my "outside looking in" point of view.

"I used to think I was powerless. That I was weak. That I'd handed over everything to my abusers that night. But I was wrong. I alone have the power to change my life. No one else can do it for me. What happened in my past only defines me if I let it."

The romance(s) developed in the course of this novel were SUPER steamy and (mostly) believable, if not a little too quick to fall into place. Again, certain key elements seem to have fallen through the cracks. Sure, okay, there was chemistry between the 4 characters the relationship forms between...but there isn't much discussion about HOW the 3 guys decide to go into polyamory together. I feel as if there may have been a whole discussion--more likely, more than just one--that took place outside of these pages PRIOR to Blaire coming onto the scene. The guys are much too laid back about sharing, in my opinion, to not have had discussions about the possibility prior. Blaire, also, seems a bit too cool and collected about the situation. So, while I could easily buy into the chemistry, I feel like certain bits of it may need more development/exploring to be FULLY believable.

While there was a fair amount more happening in this than I anticipated going in, I feel like Siobhan Davis did a beautiful job of weaving every event together seamlessly while still maintaining a sensitivity and poise that is hard to achieve. I would not recommend this title to those who are easily triggered. This was a whirlwind read from page one, and I couldn't force myself to put it down once I started! which means I almost stayed up all night just to see what happened next. This is one reverse harem novel you won't want to miss, Penguins (if that's your thing, at least)! But be careful: there's more to this than just a steamy time beneath the bed sheets.