Reviewed by Jacqueline
The Emancipation of Love Monster 2 by Mary Palmerin
ARC received for an honest review
Mary Palmerin, you are brilliant! I was drawn to the dark side with Gwendolyn vs. The Band of Barren Hearts and swept away into a whole new genre. The book left me wanting and needing more of Gwen and Welch and now I have it. The Emancipation of Love is Welch’s story and omg what a story it is. From the first page you felt the raw emotion you would expect of Welch and the inner dialogue Mary Palmerin is so outstanding at writing in her characters. Anyone who has read her books gets into her characters and feels along with them. You want to crawl in and make them feel better. In the case of William Welch, only one person can calm the monster in him. Gwendolyn. Until that time, his pain is his own and the way he handles it is not always the best but it’s his way. When Gwen unexpectedly appears in the tattoo shop he works at it is not the “run into your arms declaring your love” reunion you expect. Oh no. This is William Welch and Mary Palmerin did not write that kind of a reunion. Gwen and Welch’s reunion is way better. Once that reunion happens, the story just gets better. So much that I missed a character connection in the book. I’m usually good at picking up on things. Too into the story.
As with the first book, the subject matter is dark but the story is so well written it draws you in. I think I went through a lot of emotions while reading Welch’s story and was crying by the end. I would not change a thing about this book. It truly is a series that should be read. Thank you Mary Palmerin for this book! And can I just say thank you Shauna Kruse for the gorgeous picture of Stephen Hughes-Landers?! I’ve heard the guy is totally sweet but that picture is truly my vision of William Welch!!
Blurb
I am a monster. A sexual deviant. A gorger for pain. I am Worthless William Welch.
But I am hers…
Ten years since Welch has seen Gwendolyn he finds himself in Portland, the same city they were supposed to live together; just two bloody lovers against the ghastly ways of the world. But that isn’t how their story would pan out and Welch troubles himself everyday with memoirs of the only one that will have his heart.
His sweet, sweet girl. Fiery Gwendolyn is gone and he is alone with nothing to occupy him except memories.
As he tries to grasp onto the recollections while simultaneously forgetting the pain he was bathed in for so long, he searches for a woman that will give him the agony he so desperately craves. You know what they say… be careful what you wish for.
As Welch pushes an unlikely woman to the brink, he is surprised at her eagerness as she gives him what he longs for. Punishment, pain, and pleasure. He becomes enveloped by the demons of his past, the torment of his current, and the ghost in his mind that he refuses to part from.
Reverted back to the dysfunctional little boy who obeys, Welch finds himself in a disastrous cycle while the edge of goodness is within reach. Will it be too late for him to find love before he breaks himself down to a point of no return?
**Graphic content warning including sexual degradation, emotional abuse, adult situations, and unconventional sexual practices that are intended for mature audiences only. Not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen. Reader discretion is highly advised.***
Suddenly, that lump in my throat is tightening and it is getting harder and harder to breathe. The sunrise of joy that I also craved to see as I put the disgust and danger behind me is almost as frightening as the final farewell to the constant pain. The glutton who wants discomfort will never alter what he needs. That is me. It is embedded in my body, every cell of my being. The masochism that I love to loathe clings onto me forever. I am a dangerous man and my life is destined for bad things. I feel it in my stomach as it clenches.
My mind travels through time again as I stare Victoria in the face. All I want is one last smile while the face of her ghost haunts me, making my heart shatter into a trillion shards that will never be put back together, no matter how well Gwendolyn tries. I can certainly attempt to make her think that I am a changed man. She does make me feel more normal than I will ever be, but I must face that I am a player in the game that I hated so much. The last days of Victoria Matthews were filled with rape, torture, brutal violence, and sadness as I sit before a fucking picture box doting over the memories that I kept track of. Inside I hold the last known picture of her and I want to show it off. For what?
Being the boy who could never say no to the ultimate puppet master himself.
Gwendolyn vs. the Band of Barren Hearts (Monster, #1)
Monsters. They don’t hide in your nightmares. They steal you away from the good life and prevent you from living your dreams.
That’s where 17-year-old Gwendolyn Fitzpatrick found herself; surrounded by wicked fiends after everything she thought she had was gone in the blink of an eye. She was shuffled away with one bag of memories miles away to a pair of foster parents that hardly had her best interests at hand. Forced to obey and listen to her caregiver’s commands, Gwendolyn buries her old self and focuses on the pain to become one of them.
A monster herself to seek vengeance.
While yearning for her teeming point to come, Gwendolyn starts to connect with another 17-year-old foster boy living with her who calls himself Welch. Just when Gwendolyn starts to feel faith splice its way through the venom of pain, the connection she has with Welch is put in jeopardy as the harshness gets worse with each passing day.
Will the two tattered spirits make it out alive?
About the Author
She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, anything outdoors, relaxing by the pool with a good piece of literature, red wine, coffee, tattoos, and HEA!
Thank you so much for a beautiful review!!!!!