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Heartbreakingly beautiful and completely engrossing, USED is packed full of twists, turns, and a gripping romance sure to leave readers emotionally spent and asking for more.<\/b><\/p>\n
At the age of seventeen, after a decade of lies, hurt, and severe abuse by her brother Lucas, Sabra Valentine is able to breathe.<\/p>\n
Lucas is behind bars thanks in large part to Sabra\u2019s quick thinking and self-preservation\u2014even if that\u2019s one more secret she has to keep.<\/p>\n
Now, seven years later, life is moving forward, and Sabra is starting to heal, live, and love again with her friends and Trevor Collins by her side. He\u2019s tall, dark, and sexy, and he doesn\u2019t fall for Sabra\u2019s games. The future is finally looking bright\u2014until one phone call shatters everything.<\/p>\n
Used is a romantic suspense with domestic thriller elements. Please be aware that there are topics that may be triggers for some readers, and this work is meant for mature readers.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3.5 stars<\/b><\/p>\n This is an emotional and suspenseful read with great characters and a beautiful romance, and it\u2019s a really impressive debut from Kate Dunbar!<\/p>\n 24-year-old Sabra Valentine is living wild and free after a childhood spent being tormented by her older brother. At the age of 17 she set things in motion which eventually saw Lucas put into prison, and since then she has been embracing her life, moving from man to man, never allowing herself to get attached and experiencing all that she can.<\/p>\n Her latest fling is Trevor \u2013 a man who has been one of her best friends for four years, and the one man that Sabra could see herself falling for if she were ever to allow herself to fall in love. Trevor pursued her for a while before she agreed to start something with him, he knows her patterns and the games she plays with men, and he is determined not to be one of them. And now that he\u2019s been given the chance for more, he\u2019ll fight to get beyond her walls and win her heart.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here. Whether you like it or not, you\u2019re stuck with me. I\u2019ll prove to you that you\u2019re worth it. I <\/i>will make you see what I see.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But then, Sabra receives news that her brother, Lucas, has been released from prison, unleashing a flood of emotion and outright fear as Sabra relives the nightmare that is her relationship with her brother. We see glimpses of Sabra\u2019s childhood through flashback, and it\u2019s scary and disturbing. Nothing too graphic happens on the page, but the story alludes to emotional, sexual and physical abuse, so beware that this may be triggering for some readers.<\/p>\n As Sabra descends into horrifying terror, Trevor fights to be by her side to help her through her torment, and OMG, he just may be the perfect man. Determined to be there for his girl, he fights not only her demons, but also the walls that she has put up to protect herself. He wants in, and he\u2019s not prepared to allow her to push him away, and his patience, gentleness, understanding and protectiveness is just gorgeous.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease don\u2019t shut me out again. Please let me be here for you. For whatever you need.\u201d He pauses. \u201cI\u2019m here, Say.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But Lucas is out, and he is determined to push his way back into Sabra\u2019s life. It\u2019s suspenseful and a devastatingly emotional journey for Sabra as she drowns in her bad memories and the huge threat hanging over her. And I was really feeling for her as she fights to continue on with her life and finally let somebody in despite it all.<\/p>\n \u201cI love you \u2026 No matter what. I\u2019m sorry I\u2019m used and broken and messed up. But I love you. I always will.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s no surprise where the story is going, and the suspense builds really well throughout the book. The big climax is heartpoundingly disturbing… This is a really good read. I was impressed with Dunbar\u2019s writing \u2013 she handles a difficult subject matter respectfully and with heart, getting her message across without relying on graphic shock factor, and concentrating more on the emotional, which I really appreciated. And the gorgeous romance provides enough lightness and happy to keep things from getting too dark.<\/p>\n Emotional and intense, this story is really well done.<\/p>\n 3.5 stars.<\/p>\n An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo, that\u2019s rule one. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n I shake my head and snap out of my reverie. \u201cWhat?\u201d I inch my way toward him and place my hand on his thigh. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I got distracted. Tell me again.\u201d Trevor\u2019s jaw tightens. His eyes shift toward my hand.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got distracted? I\u2019m telling you the rules to our relationship, and you got distracted? How is that even possible?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI started thinking about last night and your lips on me. And that made me start thinking about your lips on me again. And that made me think about your hands on me. And that made me think about everything else on me.\u201d Trevor stares at me with his mouth hanging open.<\/p>\n \u201cI swear, you never cease to surprise me, Sabra.\u201d He grabs my hand and pulls me toward his chest. After a few moments, he uses his finger to gently lift my chin and brush his lips over mine. \u201cScrew the rules. We\u2019ll just wing it.\u201d I smell his minty breath as he moves down my jaw with those magical lips and across my collarbone. Trevor\u2019s fingers grasp the edge of my shirt. All I can think about is that same breath and those same lips scorching my skin again.<\/p>\n I\u2019m losing myself in his touch. His kisses. The sweet words he\u2019s whispering into my ear. I\u2019m lost in him. And then my phone rings, blasting through the room. Shaking us out of the moment.\u00a0Trevor pulls back to look over his shoulder at the intruder.<\/p>\n You have got to be kidding me. How is it possible the entire world seems to be calling me this early?<\/p>\n I glance at the phone sitting on the coffee table beside us and realize I don\u2019t recognize the number. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I have to answer this.\u201d Trevor grabs my hand and settles it on his lap. I can feel how much he doesn\u2019t want me to answer it.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure it can\u2019t wait, Say?\u201d He smiles his crooked grin and cocks his head to the side.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t they leave a voicemail, and you call them back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be my agent. I had that audition yesterday. I just need a second.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine. I\u2019ll go get a donut hole.\u201d He grins and stands. \u201cAnd then I\u2019m coming back for yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEw, gross.\u201d I snatch my phone and slide my finger across the screen, rolling my eyes at him as he walks into the kitchen laughing. \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Sabra. How are you, sis?\u201d<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n No. No. Nooooo\u2026NO. This can\u2019t be happening. I yank the phone away from my ear and stare at it. Absolutely not. The air feels thin. My lungs feel like they\u2019re about to burst.<\/p>\n \u201cSabra? What is it?\u201d Trevor stares at me with this look on his face, like he thinks I\u2019m crazy.<\/p>\n Did I say that out loud?<\/p>\n I hit the end button and get up, pacing from one side of my extremely small living room to the other. This is a nightmare. No. It has to be a wrong number. He\u2019s in prison. There\u2019s a chant happening in my head.<\/p>\n He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison.<\/p>\n \u201cSabra.\u201d I flinch as Trevor touches my arm and instinctively move away.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t touch me.\u201d The hurt in his eyes is obvious. So deep. I might as well have slapped him. And I don\u2019t care. \u201cDon\u2019t. Touch. Me.\u201d I growl it at him.<\/p>\n He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison.<\/p>\n \u201cSabra, what the hell is going on? What happened?\u201d Trevor paces a step away and turns to look at me. \u201cWho was that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one. A wrong number. No one at all.\u201d<\/p>\n But I know it wasn\u2019t. He\u2019ll call back. Come back for more. He always comes back for more.<\/p>\n Dammit. How is he coming back for more?<\/p>\n He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison.<\/p>\n I feel Trevor\u2019s heat before I realize he\u2019s next to me. \u201cI don\u2019t believe that. It was someone.\u201d He grabs me by the upper arms and shifts me back against the wall. \u201cYou\u2019re shaking and white as a sheet. What\u2019s going on? Who the hell was that?\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m shaking?<\/p>\n He\u2019s in prison. He\u2019s in prison.<\/p>\n Wait. My mom called\u2026<\/p>\n And I realize why she was calling so early. Dammit. Everything clicks into place. Tremors course through my body. I can\u2019t control them. The chant changes in my head.<\/p>\n He\u2019s out. He\u2019s out. Oh my god, he\u2019s out. I. Can\u2019t. Breathe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Website\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Facebook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Twitter\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 TikTok\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Instagram\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Newsletter\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Goodreads<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “This is all of me. The good, the bad, the used, and the broken\u2026” USED, a brand new standalone romantic suspense from debut author Kate Dunbar is out now! Heartbreakingly beautiful and completely engrossing, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57759,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":3.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[297,52,25,9,29,141],"tags":[59,1241,48,76],"class_list":["post-57946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angsty","category-drama","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-steamy","category-suspensethriller","tag-arc","tag-kate-dunbar","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\/2021\/02\/Used.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-f4C","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57946","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=57946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/57759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nReview<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/span>Spoiler<\/div>(and made me want to smack Sabra for her stupidity!)<\/div><\/div> …but it ends well, and though I would have liked to have seen a little bit more closure (I wanted to see Sabra\u2019s dynamic with her parents explored a bit more), I was happy with how the story finished.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Used-Now-Available.jpg?resize=359%2C359&ssl=1\")
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\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nAbout the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Kate-Dunbar.png?resize=185%2C185&ssl=1\")
Kate Dunbar is a wife, mom of three, and obsessive tea drinker who loves a great story. She\u2019s passionate about people and learning what makes them tick. You can find her eavesdropping, people watching, and living her best life wherever the winds take her.<\/p>\n