Ruined by S. Pratt

Synopsis

“So I live my life according to the rules of others while my secret festers its way through my body. It bleeds slowly out of my heart and into my veins. Each word of my secret pulsing through me as it gets closer to the surface. I imagine one day it will get so close to the surface it will spring forth from my lips and reveal the monster I really am.” – Ruined.

Bailey Michaels is living a lie. She has a handsome and successful fiancé, a great job and a house in a town she adores. Her friends and family know her as the perfectly crafted individual she has created in their minds. Her deception knows no bounds when it comes to keeping the truth from everyone else. But it’s not enough. She craves the love of the one man she can’t possibly have – the only one who shares her secret.

Despite her angst over continuing her forbidden affair, nothing can keep her from Angel.

His dark looks, chiseled jaw and broodiness make it impossible for her to ever deny him anything. So when presented with a choice, Bailey knows she finally has to make a decision. Keep living the lie with her fiancé, Carron, or finally be with Angel – the man who’s had her heart since she was fifteen.

The funny thing with life though; just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, fate has a way of stepping in and turning the best laid plans to ruins.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17456130-ruined

Review

Do people have control over who they fall in love with?  Do they let society and ethics dictate who they should love?  Do the beliefs of society, as a whole, mean so much to someone that they deny their true feelings?

Bailey has an undeniable bond with Angel, who she is also forever indebted to for saving her while she was in high school. They are deeply in love, but Angel pushes Bailey away due to his concerns of morality and what he believes society thinks is 'right'. He pushes her right into the arms of Carron. Bailey does not want to give up on her love for Angel. "Fate is a cruel and heartless mistress and I was starting to resent that my opportunity was being ripped out from under my feet."

Bailey loves Carron for the man that he is, but she can not fall 'in love' with him because her heart belongs to Angel. Why can't they just be together?  S. Pratt's intricate writing draws the reader in to ask the same questions that I posed at the beginning of this review. The story unfolds and the reader finally discovers why Bailey and Angel feel that society will view their love and relationship as 'taboo'.

If they decide to move forward, will it be smooth sailing?  I have to admit that not knowing the big SECRET as to Angel's true identity throughout the book drove me crazy!!  I was so frustrated at one point that I had to physically put my kindle down. I refused to skip ahead in the story to satisfy my curiosity and my patience paid off!  S. Pratt weaves together a wonderful and at times heart-stopping story into a fantastic and fulfilling read!-Kelly

=Nip Kisses

Amazon eBook:  RUINED

Amazon Paperback: Ruined

Author Bio

S. Pratt is a multi-genre author who lives on the east coast of Australia in northern New South Wales with her husband and two children. She has a choc Labrador, Scooby-Doo, and two little mice that the kids promised they'd look after. This is now Shelly's job, amongst other things. Things you may not know about Shelly? She has four tattoos and would love more, is only now in her 30's becoming a wine whore and is a fiercely, loyal friend.

Shelly's breakout novel, Ruined and companion novella, Ruining Angel are contemporary romance fiction books available on kindle and print from the Amazon store.

Sanctuary of Mine is her latest work in the New Adult Romance genre. (Graphic Design by Cover It Designs). Available NOW.

Beloved Soul by Shelly Pratt is available through Amazon and is published through Eternal Press. Please note that Beloved Soul's cover artwork, editing and publication are all done through Eternal Press.

All other novels are written and published by S. Pratt. Editing acknowledgements go to those who are listed on each individual book title.

You can find all the latest information about Shelly and her other books (in different genres) by visiting http://facebook.com/authorpratt or http://shellypratt.net or http://twitter.com/authorprattster

NOW ON GOODREADS - ADD SHELLY'S NOVEL TO YOUR TBR PILE!

GIVEAWAY

(2) Winners – One Signed Paperbacks of Ruined per winner. 
(10) Winners – One eBook of Ruined Angel per winner.
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Excerpt

While I am in that state of semi-consciousness and sleep, I can feel the secrets in my chest. Slowly they move within my heart, the heart I keep locked. At first it is just a snippet … a word he said or a look. Pretty soon all manner of things are jumping and rattling around inside, almost like an incessant monster trying to get out from lock and key. Touches, kisses, promises, begging, pleading and abandonment – it’s all there raging like a storm in my chest, unleashed for me to feel the full impact of what the memory of all those things mean. 

‘This is so fucked up!’ I scream so loudly the cat jumps off the bed and bolts out of the room. I doubt she will be back anytime soon. Rolling onto my side I bang my fist into the pillow and sob. 

‘Why does it have to be wrong? Why, why, why!’ My anger soon turns to a muffled wail as I cry myself to sleep. The only problem is that no matter how many times I sleep, I will never wake up in a world where loving Angel is okay. I will only ever be able to have him in the snippets he allows. 

While I am in that state of semi-consciousness and sleep, I can feel the secrets in my chest. Slowly they move within my heart, the heart I keep locked. At first it is just a snippet … a word he said or a look. Pretty soon all manner of things are jumping and rattling around inside, almost like an incessant monster trying to get out from lock and key. Touches, kisses, promises, begging, pleading and abandonment – it’s all there raging like a storm in my chest, unleashed for me to feel the full impact of what the memory of all those things mean. 

‘This is so fucked up!’ I scream so loudly the cat jumps off the bed and bolts out of the room. I doubt she will be back anytime soon. Rolling onto my side I bang my fist into the pillow and sob. 

‘Why does it have to be wrong? Why, why, why!’ My anger soon turns to a muffled wail as I cry myself to sleep. The only problem is that no matter how many times I sleep, I will never wake up in a world where loving Angel is okay. I will only ever be able to have him in the snippets he allows. 

PLAYLIST

Daylight, Maroon Five
Miracle of Love, Eurythmics
Bless the Broken Road, Rascal Flats
I Will Wait, Mumford and Sons
Beneath Your Beautiful, Labrinth
Anything Could Happen, Ellie Goulding
Sleeping At Last, Turning Page
Fucking Perfect, Pink
Wide Awake, Katy Perry
Kiss Me, Ed Sheeran
Forgiven, Nickleback

Love Between the Sheets