The Way He Loved Me

Description:

"I love you." Three little words that when repeated over and over are likely to become believable. For Amy Andrews, 'I love you' comes at a price of never-ending forgiveness and hidden bruises.

Amy refuses to listen to family and friends, not wanting to see the only love she has ever known for the monster he really is. Jason is dangerous and volatile, leaving nothing but destruction in his path. Will Amy see the imminent danger before it's too late?

Or will she give every part of herself until there's nothing left? WARNING This book contains mature content and descriptive scenes that may be offensive or difficult to read

My Thoughts:

This book is not helpful at all. As a victim of psychological violence and stalking by an intimate partner, I could not finish reading beyond chapter six. Make no mistake. I am a survivor. I learned how to both recognize my damage and change what I look for in partners. I have been married in a loving relationship now for a very long time. What I am saying is there is a way out. There is a way to survive and thrive. This book is not helpful to get to the end of the tunnel. 

Here are some statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline:

More than 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and more than 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

Nearly half of all women and men in the United States have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4% and 48.8%, respectively).[vii]

Although the statistics seem grim, what I also know is that we survive and thrive. if 1 in 2 of us have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner, we come out of these relationships changed and strong otherwise the domestic violence statistics would be much higher. Some of us come out without the violence and outside drama that this book suggests as a "way out." That is the kind of book that YA males and females need. They need to see how you can rely on others to help you heal. They need to see how there are safe places and adult advocates who can help. They need to see what a strong friend who can help looks like. That is the kind of book we need. Not this.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the Publisher for an honest review