***Five unrepentant stars for ROAR by Aria Cage***

Title: Roar

Author: Aria Cage

Genre: New Adult

Release Date: March 17, 2014

Synopsis

Charlie
I’m shadowed by sins; mine and the ones passed on to me. The only light comes in the way of him. He wants to fix me, but he can’t fix something so lost and broken. I'm completely undeserving and secretly unwilling. But how do I turn away the one person my body and soul soars for, the one thing that makes me forget the fear, the loss and the guilt? How do I stop the primal need which we are addicted to?

Nate
She is a stranger amongst the world, a captive behind her smiles and lies which shelters the truth. But I know her, we are caged together with the demons and guilt, yet my love is stronger against all our loss and I want to help her heal, to set her free. Under her cloak still lies my scared kitten, feral to her soul because of what he took from both of us. If it’s the last thing I do, I will help her roar like the tiger I know her to be, even if it means setting her free from me.

Caged by their demons and primal need, will their love be strong enough to set them free?

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A TCR Review

This book is poignant and disturbing, uplifting and real.  This book deals with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse, so there may be people that will find this book very hard to read.  The abuse is handled in a frank and unapologetic manner, but tastefully done – if there is such a thing.  

 Nate is two years older than his neighbor, Charlie.  Her father is the Sherriff.  Nate lives with his grandmother, Nona, and brother, Davey – who has Downs Syndrome.  Charlie’s father is a sick, sick, man.  At first, he doesn’t directly abuse Charlie or Nate.  Starting at age 9 & 11, respectively, he has them interact in an ever increasing sexual manner; once a month, every third Thursday – a day they learn to anticipate and hate.  They feel ashamed of the fact that they’ve developed adult feelings for one another, but they are NOT adults.  They each feel the other needs to be free, but want to love and protect each other at any cost.  Charlie’s father is killed in a violent confrontation when she is 17-years old.  She and Nate are separated when he goes to jail for murder (did he, or didn’t he kill the evil bastard?  I’ll never tell!) and Charlie is put into foster care. 

 They are reunited many years later when Nate is injured in a construction accident and winds up in Hospital Emergency room where Charlie, now a nurse, is working.  From that reunion, they try to resolve the issues that separated them in the first place - the detritus from the abuse that haunts them still, and the unquestionable love they feel for one another

 My favorite quote from this book: 

She sees why I brought her to the rescue sanctuary for injured animals, but she doesn’t quite get the moral I’m trying to teach her.

     “You see the sadness, the pain, and that someone like Mrs. Fisher has rescued them and takes care of them, but that isn’t what I want you to see or get from this.  What I want you to see is that there is room to heal, and roar, and live your life beyond the wounds you carry around inside of you.  I want you to recover and be strong.  I want you to be the ruler of the kingdom that is your life, and roar like a tiger I know is in you.  I want you to never, ever, back down to anyone again.”

“Roar like a tiger?”  “I wanted to take you to the zoo, but your common sense burst that bubble.”

“I want to roar, Nate”, she whispers in a breath.  “You will!” If it’s the last thing in this life I will see happen, it is that. 

Roar is a powerhouse of a book.  I couldn’t put it down – although there were times when I wanted to.  This book haunts me.  It calls to me to talk about it.  I was abused as a child, so it was hard at times to read, but I’m so very glad that I did.  It is a call to overcome, a call to speak out, and a glaring look at the fact that monsters look like moms and dads; like people who love God and are held to high esteem in their communities; and that the scared child that lives within us–regardless of our backgrounds -  can ROAR!~Lori Garside, Admin.

About the Author

My name is Aria and I have three confessions:
#1 No matter how much I try, I can't stop shopping at Typo or the local tattooist. I believe that would be how I would introduce myself at an anonymous club, right?
#2 I write under another name but I'm not going to tell you ... don't beg, she will kill me if I tell. Ha! So I guess you could call me a genre whore.
#3 My phone is my life line. I can't leave the house without it.
If you want to get to know me, follow my social pages on facebook and twitter and my blog.

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