Review of He Saw Me First

[Emily Meadows]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "He Saw Me First" by Melody Anne.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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He Saw Me First by Melody Anne is a contemporary fiction novel about a woman named Cassandra Montana. Cassandra (“Cass”) hasn’t always been named Cassandra Montana; she was born and raised as Tina Moore. The book shifts between the past and the present, and we quickly learn that young Tina had a traumatic childhood. At age 14, she snapped and committed a crime that sent her to a juvenile detention center in Washington, D.C. Fourteen-year-old Tina is pregnant. Tina decides to have the baby despite the fact that she will have to give it up for adoption. When Tina’s time in juvie ends, she leaves the detention center and establishes a new life with a new name.

We meet Greyson River when he visits Cass at the high-end strip club where she dances. Cass works at the strip club to make money so she can open a bookstore in Ravish, Oregon. Greyson is at the club to find Cass; he is being paid to find her. To get closer to her, Greyson buys private dances. Greyson and Cass find that they are mutually attracted to each other, which surprises them both. Greyson needs to ask Cassandra more about her background to figure out if she’s the person he has been paid to find. Cass, however, is not interested in a personal relationship and resists his efforts to spend more time with him. She finally agrees to spend a weekend with him when he offers to pay her the sum of money she needs to quit dancing altogether.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is told in the first person, giving it a raw and personal feel. Cassandra is a complex character. She has lived through trauma that no child should experience, and that trauma has severely damaged her. Cass doesn’t trust easily, and she fiercely guards herself against men. The author does a thorough job of developing Cassandra as a character, which makes the reader empathize with her even more. Greyson is a likable character who quickly grows to respect Cass as a woman and as a human being. The author weaves other characters into the story as well, nicely building the community of Ravish, Oregon, into the book.

There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the book. The author does a thorough job of discussing sexual predators and the sex trafficking of minors. As a result, the book is a tense read that may be upsetting for victims of sexual abuse. I appreciated how the author masterfully wove this theme throughout the book, even as I cringed while reading it. Just when I got to a place in the story where I didn’t think I could read another distressing word, the author cut to a new chapter. This made it clear that this book was exceptionally well-edited.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was a powerful story that had me laughing and crying from one moment to the next. I appreciated the themes in the book around motherhood, empowerment of women, safety, and the importance of community. There were quite a few sexy scenes, which makes this a book probably best enjoyed by a more mature audience. I would recommend He Saw Me First to people who enjoy fiction that has both romance and suspense; this book had me at the edge of my seat in the final chapters. I would also recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the sex trafficking industry and how to identify signs of grooming and other warning signals. And finally, I would recommend this to women who enjoy stories where the victim fights back; this book has some satisfying moments that will make you cheer.

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He Saw Me First
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[Laney K]

Romance and suspense are two of my favorites genres, so this sound like I book I'd really enjoy. Thanks for the informative review!

[NutellaBanana]

This is an interesting and well thought of book. This is also an interesting and well-written review. This is also a book that I would definitely love to try out. Thank you for this wonderful review.

[Baba Thoust]

Cass has clearly gone through alot. I'm sure the book probably covers how triumphant she is in the end after getting a new name... I hope rather. Did Greyson deliver her to his employer? Great review.

[NetMassimo]

This is a tough story considering how much Cassandra passed through. It seems an interesting story but I need to have in the right mood for so much drama. Thank you for your great review!

[Omneya Shakeep]

That's an interesting story to read. I like the romance,suspense, and drama themes the novel follows. Cassandra seems to have gone through a lot. Thank you for this amazing review!

[Anil Baade]

You've explained very well about the book and you have mentioned the content of the book very nicely. I'll definitely start reading this book.