{"id":20510,"date":"2017-04-12T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2017-04-12T12:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=20510"},"modified":"2017-04-10T05:37:32","modified_gmt":"2017-04-10T09:37:32","slug":"blog-tour-arc-review-excerpt-tortured-by-nicole-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/?p=20510","title":{"rendered":"Blog Tour, ARC Review & Excerpt: Tortured by Nicole Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Kindle Ebook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 iBooks\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Nook\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Kobo\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Paperback<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Synopsis<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When he left for a twelve-month deployment, she knew it would feel like forever before they saw each other again. She didn\u2019t realize how right she was.<\/p>\n

When Lance Corporal Brecken Connolly gets taken as a POW, Camryn hopes for the best but steels herself for the worst. In the end, steel was what she needed to survive when he didn\u2019t.\u00a0 She moves on the only way she knows how\u2014gilding herself in more steel.<\/p>\n

Years go by.
\nShe builds a new life.
\nShe leaves the old one behind.<\/p>\n

Until one day, she sees the face of a ghost on the news. Brecken seems to have risen from the dead, but she knows she can\u2019t perform the same miracle for herself. While Brecken was held in a torture camp for the past five years, she\u2019s been trapped in her own kind of prison. One she can\u2019t be freed from.<\/p>\n

The man she mourned comes back to join the living, but the girl he wanted to spend his life with isn\u2019t the same woman he comes back for. Brecken isn\u2019t the same person either. The past five years have changed them both. While he\u2019s determined to put the pieces back together, she\u2019s resolved to let hers rot where they shattered.<\/p>\n

Broken or not, Brecken wants her back. He\u2019ll do anything to achieve that. Even if it means going against the warden of Camryn\u2019s personal prison\u2014her husband.<\/p>\n

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Review<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cI love you. Still. Always. There\u2019s nothing you can say or do to change that.\u201d\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

4.5 stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a beautifully heartfelt story. A second-chance-romance with a bit of a twist, this book had me feeling everything and kept me glued to my kindle from start to finish. I loved it!<\/p>\n

Camryn and Brecken were childhood best friends. Growing up in difficult families, they found peace and happiness together and fell in love as teenagers. We meet them when Brecken, now 20, is heading off on deployment for 12 months, with grand plans to come home and marry his girl and build the life they always wanted together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming back for you, Camryn Blue Gardner, so you\u2019d better be waiting for me, or I\u2019ll just have to come find you and remind you why you fell crazy in love with me.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Their plans are left in the dust when Brecken is taken prisoner, and when his brutal death is splashed all over the news, Camryn is left shattered. Almost six years later, Camryn\u2019s life may have moved on, but emotionally, she has never recovered from losing the love of her life. And then her fragile world is upended again when she receives news that he\u2019s actually alive, and on his way home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Blue Bird.\u201d His voice was lower, his words raspier than before. \u201cSorry it took me so long to make it back.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

OMG, the feels!!!!!! I felt every moment of their reunion. But the girl that Beckett left behind is long gone, and while he has been subjected to hideous torture during his captivity, she has been through her own torment and is living in her own hell. They are both scarred \u2013 inside and out \u2013 by all that they have been through, and though Camryn is now far from Brecken\u2019s reach, the one thing that hasn\u2019t changed is their love for each other, which is obviously as strong as it has always been.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you forever ago that I wasn\u2019t going anywhere. That there was no one else for me. No one else I wanted to love. Nothing can change that.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

They are in an impossible situation, where Camryn isn\u2019t free to be with the man that she loves, and the angst and emotion is beautifully written, without becoming overwhelming. Instead, it creates a delicious intensity in an already emotionally wrought situation, and my heart was pounding as it all played out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou \u2026 That was all I thought about when I was rescued, that was all I thought about during the six years I was there. You.\u201d He slipped a wisp of hair behind my ear. \u201cYou were what kept me alive in that hell. And you\u2019re what will keep me alive in this one.\u201d
\n\u201cYou\u2019re free. Alive. How is this hell?\u201d
\n\u2026 \u201cIt\u2019s hell to go from loving someone, thinking of them every minute of every day and thinking you\u2019d never see them again, only to make it home and see them and realize they aren\u2019t yours to love anymore.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

OMG, Brecken absolutely owned my heart! He is broken, yes, but he is a survivor and there is nothing he won\u2019t do to protect and win back the girl he loves. And Camryn may initially come off as weak (and I still question some of her decisions), but as her story is fully revealed, her strength starts to show, and I could understand why she made the choices she did.<\/p>\n

\u201cI married him,\u201d I whispered even as my hand found his chest.<\/em>
\n \u201cBut you belong to me.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And their love story is an absolute swoonfest! Though initially and understandably tentative, their reconnection shows how much they still mean to each other, and there are lots of sweet moments in the middle of their passionate and emotional journey as their fight for the happy ending that they always wanted.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never asked to be the world\u2019s hero. All I ever wanted was to be yours.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is a beautifully written story. A story of love, honour, courage, strength, and the power of true love, wrapped up in a dramatic and emotional romance that captivated me from start to finish. It\u2019s not always an easy read, with some truly dark elements, but the story is gorgeous (if somewhat predictable), with an epilogue that finishes everything off beautifully, and I loved it.<\/p>\n

4.5 stars.
\nAn Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Excerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been six years. Everything\u2019s changed. I have. You have.\u201d My eyes lifted. \u201cWhy?\u00a0 Why are you trying to win me back?\u201d<\/p>\n

He exhaled, his lips parting. \u201cI\u2019m going to win you back.\u201d<\/p>\n

When his hand slid around the bend of my waist, winding behind my back, I jerked. His touch was different tonight, hungry, determined. My head clouded, blocking out reason or letting it surface to the top, one or the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI married him,\u201d I whispered even as my hand found his chest.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you belong to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

My eyes closed as he bowed me against him. I wasn\u2019t sure how two bodies that had been as broken as ours could be so strong when joined. \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can see it in your eyes. Every time you look at me.\u201d His other hand lifted to my chin, tipping it until our eyes connected. His brow rose slowly, like I was proving his point right that very moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a confident statement.\u201d My voice shook, but my body felt steady. Unwavering.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

My chest was moving so hard, it brushed his with every breath. What was I doing?\u00a0 Where had I found myself? The man holding me had died only to be resurrected six years later. It was too late, but it wasn\u2019t over.<\/p>\n

No matter what, Brecken Connolly and I would never be over.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwenty-six days,\u201d I said slowly. \u201cThat\u2019s all I have to give you. That\u2019s all I have to give.\u00a0 Four weeks. Once he\u2019s back, you know the way it has to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

His face broke, but his hold didn\u2019t budge. \u201cIt\u2019s not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

My fingers curled into his shirt, looking for some way to hold on to him. \u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

His other arm suddenly looped around me and he lifted me off the ground, his grip going around my backside when my legs tied around him. \u201cBut a fucking eternity wouldn\u2019t be enough either, so it\u2019ll just have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

He carried me through the sand and up the stairs of the cabin, then he propped me against the wall so he could open the screen door. Something slipped out of my mouth when he flexed his hips into mine.<\/p>\n

\u201cTold you it wasn\u2019t a morning issue,\u201d he whispered in my ear, but I could hear the smile in his voice. \u201cJust a Camryn one.\u201d<\/p>\n

He made the same motion with his hips, applying a little more friction this time, causing a louder sound to echo from my lungs.<\/p>\n

Opening the screen door as silently as he could, he carried me inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can set me down, you know?\u201d I whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d he said, his arms tying tighter. Once all of the lights were off, the cabin closed up for the night, he padded down the hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know where you\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n

His head nodded beside mine. \u201cI\u2019ve always known.\u201d<\/p>\n

My hands went behind his neck. His skin was warm and familiar. \u201cAnd where\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He exhaled against my skin as he closed the bedroom door. \u201cToward you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He set me down once he\u2019d untied my legs from around his waist, and he took a few steps back. He stared at me for a moment then reached for the lamp on the dresser.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cTurning on the lights.\u201d<\/p>\n

I watched him flip on another. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I want to see you. Because I want to watch your face as I move inside you.\u00a0 Because I want to see your skin flush when I make you come.\u201d He flipped on one more light, then all of his attention turned to me. \u201cBecause I want to see everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

My heart took off as I imagined being intimate with him with every light in the room on.\u00a0 My body wasn\u2019t the same one he\u2019d left. It had carried a burden; it bore the scars of a shattered soul and a broken body. \u201cI don\u2019t want you to see me. Not like that. In the dark, you can imagine the way I was before.\u201d<\/p>\n

When I reached for the closest lamp to switch it off, he stopped me. \u201cI don\u2019t want to imagine.\u201d His hand curled around mine, guiding it away from the lamp. \u201cI want the real thing. I want the real you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen my body. You know what I look like beneath all of this.\u201d I motioned at the fresh clothes hanging off of me, covering me from my wrists to my ankles to my neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I look at you, I see beauty and strength, and the one person in the world who gives me a reason to live and a reason to die.\u201d He drew me to him, his face creased in lines of concentration. \u201cThat\u2019s what I see when I look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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About the Author\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it\u2019s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she\u2019s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time\u2019s left over she\u2019s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.<\/p>\n

Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.<\/p>\n

WEBSITE<\/b><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0FACEBOOK<\/b><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/b>TWITTER<\/b><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

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  Kindle Ebook\u00a0 |\u00a0 iBooks\u00a0 |\u00a0 Nook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo\u00a0 |\u00a0 Paperback   Synopsis When he left for a twelve-month deployment, she knew it would feel like forever before they saw each other again. She didn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19768,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,51,9,24,29],"tags":[59,340,48,76],"class_list":["post-20510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-military","category-romance","category-second-chance-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-nicole-williams","tag-review","tag-standalone"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Tortured.jpg?fit=150%2C225&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-5kO","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19768"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}