Cover Reveal: Clipped Wings
Today I am taking part in the cover reveal for Jennifer Gilmour’s upcoming book Clipped Wings. Much like her debut novel, Isolation Junction, Clipped Wings deals with domestic violence. These are both very important books. I will be a part of the blog tour for Clipped Wings and I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you on it!
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The silent chorus.
Just imagine you thought that you had met the man or woman of your dreams. This person was charming and you thought they were the one or perhaps that this was fate; it was just meant to be.
But as the months go by things start to change. Their behaviour towards you isn’t the same, they are more critical, more particular about your appearance, what you do, how you do it, who you see. Time goes by and you feel isolated from your friends and family because that behaviour has now changed to threats, maybe violence and you feel that your identity is all but gone. But still you stay. Where would you go? Who would help you? You are not worthy.
But you are.
A group of survivors have spoken about their own experiences. In their own words they show that survivors do have a voice and that it needs to be heard. They show that abuse isn’t unique or strange but that it is, unfortunately, a surprisingly common problem in today’s society.
The message of this book is one of courage, as with courage comes awareness and an ability to understand what has happened to you and take the steps needed to become a survivor yourself.
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Here is what you have been waiting for, the gorgeous cover of Clipped Wings:
About the Author:
Born in the North East, Jennifer is a young, married mum with three children. In addition to being an author, she is an entrepreneur, running a family business from her home-base. Her blog posts have a large readership of other young mums in business.
From an early age, Jennifer has had a passion for writing and started gathering ideas and plot lines from her teenage years. A passionate advocate for women in abusive relationships, she has drawn on her personal experiences to write this first novel ‘Isolation Junction’. It details the journey of a young woman from the despair of an emotionally abusive and unhappy marriage to develop the confidence to challenge and change her life and to love again.
Since the publication of her debut novel Jennifer has continued to be an advocate for those in abusive relationships through her blog posts, radio interviews and Twitter feed. Jennifer also gained a qualification in facilitating a recover programme for those who have been in abusive relationships.
Jennifer continues to publicly support those who are isolated and struggle to have a voice. Jennifer hopes that ’Clipped Wings’ gives a voice to survivor’s experiences and raise’s awareness further of the types of unacceptable behaviour which fall into the category of domestic abuse.
Behind Closed Doors
Author: B.A. Paris
293 pages in Hardback
Published: August 9, 2016
Dates Read: July 1-7, 2017
Reviewed By: Jessica
My Rating: 5 Stars
Description from Amazon:
Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace. He has looks and wealth; she has charm and elegance. He’s a dedicated attorney who has never lost a case; she is a flawless homemaker, a masterful gardener and cook, and dotes on her disabled younger sister. Though they are still newlyweds, they seem to have it all. You might not want to like them, but you do. You’re hopelessly charmed by the ease and comfort of their home, by the graciousness of the dinner parties they throw. You’d like to get to know Grace better.
But it’s difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are inseparable.
Some might call this true love. Others might wonder why Grace never answers the phone. Or why she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. Or why she never seems to take anything with her when she leaves the house, not even a pen. Or why there are such high-security metal shutters on all the downstairs windows.
Some might wonder what’s really going on once the dinner party is over, and the front door has closed.
My Review:
Things are not always how they appear and we never truly know what goes on with another couple behind their closed doors…
Grace meets Jack and he is perfect. He even has no issue that Grace has a sister with Down’s Syndrome and that down the road she will have to care for her. Her friends also like Jack. Very quickly Jack and Grace become engaged and marry. But from the moment they say ‘I do’ he does a complete 180 and very quickly Grace’s life becomes a living nightmare.
That is really all I want to say about the premise of Behind Closed Doors. If you say too much, you will give something away. This is a domestic abuse nightmare and I was pulled in from the beginning of the novel. Behind Closed Doors chapters flip between the past and the present and it all comes together in the conclusion.
Warning: This will not be a book for everyone. The mental abuse that Grace experiences is horrific and it may be too much for some readers. Discretion is heavily advised on this novel. There is abuse that involves an animal that we find out after the fact. There is not much physical violence, but Behind Closed Doors really shows how bad mental abuse can be.
Behind Closed Doors will disturb you and it made me thankful for my husband. I told him a couple of times “I’m glad you aren’t a psycho!” while I was reading this. His answer: “Not that you know of…” (In an evil sounding voice of course… LOL) It might even affect your dreams, it did with mine.
I was pulled into this story from the beginning and it was a quick read for me. It only took me seven days to read. As I was reading, I often wondered how Grace would find a way to get away, especially when she discovers Jack’s true intentions. It really seemed to me that there was no way out. And if she did somehow get away, how will Jack get what he deserves?
Behind Closed Doors shows how a person who is stuck in a domestic violence situation realizes they need to get away, but faces that big question of “how?” and “what could happen if I try to get away and fail?”
And the ending: I loved it!
B.A. Paris, thank you for a brilliant debut, and I am currently reading your second novel The Breakdown to be released July 18th here in the US.
Thank you to Saint Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of Behind Closed Doors.
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