Review by crediblereading2 -- Heartaches 2 by H.M. Irwing

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 07 Apr 2018, 18:07

[Following is a volunteer review of "Heartaches 2" by H.M. Irwing.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Heartache 2: Bad Boy Vibes by H.M. Irwing, is a fictional romantic thriller, that is obviously written to keep the hearts of its young and adult readers bubbling with passion and heart-thumping expectancy as they turn its pages. This book, which is a continuation of Heartache 1, tutors on the topic of rape and its physical and psychological effects on the individuals involved. Its underlying theme is that when faced with the toughest challenges, with utmost perseverance, one can triumph in the end.

In the scenario, beautiful Anna Simmons falls passionately in love with the irresistibly attractive Matt Preston. She, however, would have never foreseen that he would have metamorphosed into an ugly toad within such a short stretch of time. He is no longer the attentive and loving boyfriend, that she had once wholeheartedly loved and trusted. He is instead a demented animal who derives much sadistic pleasure from raping and tormenting her. As a result of Matt’s relentless degradation of Anna. her self-worth is utterly destroyed. She is eventually forced to accept the ugly truth that he is not in love with her. The relationship is only a facade.

Anna, however, is rescued by destiny which comes in the form of the gentle and intelligent Raphael Luis Brown. Rafe who had experienced similar heart- wrenching circumstances at the hands of Eric Dayton, is also consumed with rage and bitterness towards his abusers and is able, therefore, to relate to Anna’s pain. He then joins forces with her, and, together as a team, they pledge to settle their scores with their enemies. Will Rafe be able to assuage Anna's anguish and will they both be able to turn the tables on their tormentors? These questions leave much to the imagination.

Author H. M. Irwing has skillfully rendered a wide usage of metaphors, irony, personification and other forms of a figure of speech throughout the book, that gives it its engaging character. Both metaphor and personification are evidenced on page 7, paragraph 3, which reads, “Having their enemies merge and descend upon them was too coincidental not to have the sadistic little hands of fate laughing all over it.” The author spoke using the third person and the tones created are anguish, revenge, compassion, and hope. A grammatical error is noted on page 143, paragraph 5, sentence 3, where “Allowing to” should in my estimation, read as “Allowing him to.”
Additionally, in the final sentence of that paragraph, the words, “Did your” should be “Did you" Also, the final word “at” should be omitted from that sentence.

Author Irwing, whose profile is somewhat anonymous, is indeed a prolific writer. I like the way how he has captivated his audience’s interest by his skillful selection of a choice palette of words which paint quite a breathtaking scenery of Anna’s and Rafe’s turbulent, yet love-filled world. Additionally, Mr. Irwing has taken a rather lucid approach as it concerns how contemporary gay lifestyle and heterosexual lifestyle affect each other. This will provide much interest to his gay and heterosexual audience. It must be noted that persons who have experienced trauma as well as religious persons, especially those of the Christian faith, may be disturbed by the graphic and highly sexualized contents. There are, however, other persons who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, who may actually recover as a result of the success story of the two leading characters. Notwithstanding the several grammatical errors observed and the fact that I find some of the scenes a bit too raunchy, I will still give this book a 4 out of 4 stars rating, being that it was written with the intention to provide motivation to any individual to become a survivor whenever challenged by hazardous situations.

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Heartaches 2
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stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 10 Apr 2018, 14:07

Other than the theme of perseverance in the face of challenges, there is nothing about this book that makes me want to read it. However, your review is well-done! I especially like how you highlighted the use of metaphor and personification.

BriennaiJ · Post by **BriennaiJ** » 10 Apr 2018, 14:56

I hope that this book would provide some sort of solace to those in that situation, but some of the reviews that I have read about it make it seem as if the romance is unrealistic for two victims of abuse and rape. Especially the fact that the girl still had some strong romantic feelings for her rapist. Did you notice this when reading at all?

Jordan David · Post by **Chelsy Scherba** » 12 Apr 2018, 21:19

Excellent review! I know this book isn’t really my style, but I enjoyed learning what you thought of it.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 13 Apr 2018, 08:39

I'm glad that you enjoyed this book. This is not my usual genre, so I won't be picking this one up. However, it does deal with some sensitive topics. Thanks for the review.

Libs_Books · Post by **Libs_Books** » 13 Apr 2018, 15:36

This is the first review I've read of this book. The content doesn't appeal to me, but I note your appreciation of the writer's skill - it's good to hear about that.

CommMayo · Post by **CommMayo** » 14 Apr 2018, 20:18

Well done review and I'm glad you enjoyed this book, but I hate this author with a passion. Her books almost made me quit this site...

Bianka Walter · Post by **Bianka Walter** » 18 Apr 2018, 02:30

I'm glad you enjoyed this book. I'm not huge on romance novels, so I'll give this one a skip. But it does sound beautifully written. Thanks for the review!

revna01 · Post by **revna01** » 18 Apr 2018, 12:56

This is not something I would ever consider reading due to the nature of its content. Even so, thank you for an informative review!

Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha · Post by **Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha** » 21 Apr 2018, 10:44

Nice review. Not sure the content appeals to me. Glad you enjoyed reading and reviewing it. Well done!

Yoli García · Post by **Yoli García** » 21 Apr 2018, 11:30

I am glad you enjoyed it. I started reading the first book in the series and lost interest. Thanks for the review!

Dolor · Post by **Dolor** » 24 Apr 2018, 03:34

I'm glad you enjoyed this book. There are a lot of those who put this book aside because of the genre and the dark themes. I'm torn between reading this book or not. I think, I'll choose books which is full of good vibes and positivity. Thanks for the detailed review.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 25 Apr 2018, 06:47

Nice review! Like Kandscreeley, this is not my ususal genre. I actually sampled this because of the first ten program and I realized that I'm not going to read it (ever!) but I agree with your review that the author seems like a prolific writer. Thanks for sharing.

Poppy Drear · Post by **Poppy Drear** » 25 Apr 2018, 12:24

I've heard a lot of mixed things about this book, as well as the series overall. Thanks for a unique take on one of the more-often reviewed books on the site!

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 25 Apr 2018, 21:01

stacie k wrote: ↑10 Apr 2018, 14:07 Other than the theme of perseverance in the face of challenges, there is nothing about this book that makes me want to read it. However, your review is well-done! I especially like how you highlighted the use of metaphor and personification.

I reviewed this book because I know of persons who went through this type of abuse and want to understand their pain.