Book Review: Out of the Darkness by Kelly Smith
Out of the Darkness
Author: Kelly Smith
Published: July 28- August 3, 2021
127 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 28- August 3, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
After enduring an abusive, toxic relationship, what do you do when you leave? You heal. In Out of the Darkness, the follow up to Kelly’s first book Signs in the Rearview Mirror: Leaving a Toxic Relationship Behind, Kelly takes you on her journey of her healing process recovering from her own past abusive tendencies and her previous toxic relationship. Dating soon follows and so do the bad and unhealthy dates.
A life-changing trip to Europe with a friend shows Kelly what she’s truly looking for in a healthy relationship. With eyes wide open, Kelly meets Cruz. They click right away and as they move forward together, Kelly guides you throughout her firsts in her new healthy relationship after healing from a toxic relationship. What does a healthy relationship look like after abuse? Find out in Out of the Darkness.
Jessica’s Review:
Kelly continues to tell us her story of recovering from her past toxic relationships and healing. After finally leaving Gabe at the end of Signs in the Rearview Mirror, Kelly moves forward in her life with self-healing and eventually dating with Out of Darkness.
Kelly is again telling us her story and she is 100% honest. Learning her own triggers and working to love herself first, she goes on a trip of a lifetime through Europe with Matt (just as friends). Through this trip she realizes she is basically on a trip with Gabe’s ‘twin’ in actions. She eventually loses touch with Matt and continues to heal.
After some time, Kelly goes on what can only be called “adventures in dating”. We are given the good and the bad. Eventually Kelly meets Cruz and slowly she finally finds herself in a healthy relationship.
Through time Kelly has healed while still learning her triggers, but she is finally complete. Whatever happens in her life with Cruz, Kelly and now also the reader will know that she will be fine with whatever life brings her next. Many thanks to Kelly for telling her story to us through these two memoirs.
Out of the Darkness is recommended. I was given a copy to read and review from the author. Both of her memoirs are recommended!
Book Review: Signs in the Rearview Mirror by Kelly Smith
Signs in the Rearview Mirror: Leaving a Toxic Relationship Behind
Author: Kelly Smith
Published: April 3 , 2018
214 Pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: July 22-26, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
What kind of person ends up in a toxic relationship? And why does she stay? This searingly honest novel answers both those questions head-on. Coming out of a failing marriage, Kelly turns to Gabe out of fear of being alone. Her gradual slide into danger is at once terrifying and inevitable, and the steps she takes to get out of it will both inspire and offer hope.
Jessica’s Review:
Signs in the Rearview Mirror is Kelly Smith’s firsthand account of her toxic relationship and how she finally escaped from it. She speaks to us herself telling her story, though names have been fictionalized. Kelly leaves her marriage where she was not the best spouse herself, thus exposing her children to a bad female relationship example. Then via Facebook (isn’t it always through Facebook!) she reconnects and then turns to Gabe who she barely knew in high school and once had a meaningful conversation. Out of her fear of being alone she began a long-distance relationship. Looking back, she now sees the warning signs, but chose to ignore them and the danger she was putting herself and her children in.
Many times, you may think it is a ‘mild and meek’ person who falls into a toxic relationship, but Kelly was far from that. Since these kinds of relationships actually do exist, it was helpful to see a stronger woman can also fall into the trap of a toxic relationship. This memoir would definitely help those who have not been in a toxic relationship or say they would never find themselves in one.
Kelly’s relationship with Gabe gradually got worse over time, but eventually she was able to leave. There were so many times as I was reading this memoir that I was hoping at Kelly would leave Gabe. This was a quick but also difficult read as this was what someone actually went through in her life. And many women (and also men!) experience this life daily.
Bravo to Kelly for sharing her experiences and story with the world. This is a book that can help those that are in a similar relationship. To them: You CAN succeed and get out of that toxic relationship! I actually plan to put my copy of this memoir in my local free little library in hope that it might help someone who sees this memoir and in this type of relationship.
Signs in the Rearview Mirror is recommended.
Purchase Links
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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Book Spotlight: Out of the Darkness by Kelly Smith
Today I am bringing you a book spotlight to the newest book written by Kelly Smith: Out of the Darkness. This is her second book and was just released on June 30th! I will also be reviewing this one in the next month or so!
About Out of the Darkness:
Author: Kelly Smith
Publication Date: June 30, 2021
131 Pages
Book Description:
After going through and enduring an abusive toxic relationship, what do you do after you leave? You heal.
In, Out of the Darkness, the follow up to Kelly’s first book ‘Signs in the Rearview Mirror Leaving a Toxic Relationship Behind,’ Kelly takes you on her journey of her healing process recovering from her own past abusive tendencies and her previous toxic relationship. Dating soon follows and so do the bad and unhealthy dates. A life changing trip to Europe with a friend, shows Kelly what she’s truly looking for in a healthy relationship. With eyes wide open, Kelly meets Cruz. They click right away and as they move forward together, Kelly guides you throughout her firsts in her new healthy relationship after healing from a toxic relationship. What does a healthy relationship look like after abuse? Find out in Out of the Darkness.
Purchase Links:
Kelly’s Website
Amazon US
Amazon UK
About the Author:
Kelly Smith, a two-time published author, first came on the scene with her debut novel, Signs in the Rearview Mirror: Leaving a Toxic Relationship Behind. After healing from her toxic relationships, she soon realized dating after a toxic relationship was difficult, which then led her to writing Out of the Darkness. Out of the Darkness, her sophomore book, is her own experiences with healing after abuse, dating and then finding love again. Both books are published by Sunny Day Publishing.
Smith has also combined her two passions, relationship coaching and writing into two successful podcasts. You can find Let’s Get Wicked Deep, A Dating Podcast and Writing Away with Kelly on all of the podcast platforms.
Smith an award-winning writer, writes for Elephant Journal and HuffPost. Smith is a dating expert for the online relationship and dating magazine, GoDates. Smith is a certified relationship and dating coach who works with clients who are trying to rebuild their lives after an abusive relationship ends, or after a long term relationship ends.
Smith is a Boston native who moved to the Austin, TX area July 2003 with her three sons.
Media Expertise Kelly can speak on topics including domestic violence in teen dating, narcissism and toxic relationships, women as the abusers, recovering from an abusive relationship, dating again after an abusive relationship, narcissism in both men and women and living as an adult child with a narcissistic parent.
Contact Kelly:
Website
Twitter @kellys_author
Instagram @bebravecoaching
Linktree