Genre: Crime/Women’s Fiction
Description
After escaping an abusive relationship, Melly builds a new life, far from her abuser. But, some men just won’t take no for an answer. What happens when Melly awakens in a strange place and comes face to face with the monster from her past? Is she strong enough to survive? Or is Jim angry enough to put an end to her running? “A gut-wrenchingly harsh emotional rollercoaster…”
Karen’s Magic Review
Some stories just have to be told and it has been without embellishment, and none was needed.
The facts speak for themselves. Official statistics showed a number of incidents of domestic abuse recorded but the problem is always much bigger because many are just not reported.
Although presented as fiction, this story seems to have elements of truth in it. Behind closed doors mental and physically violence is going on, even as you read this. It’s important to highlight it in this way to present it as fiction in order to reach more people. Reading the truth is painful. Victims can feel alone and cut off from the ‘real world’ and when they read a book such as this one, they may realise they are not alone, and will perhaps consider seeking help. At least that is the hope so.
The story begins straight away with the title and the smell of toast. Melly realises she is being restrained on the bed by her ex-partner. Despite suffering abuse, she had got out, only to be found and taken back. Immediately the story is compelling, how was she found? More importantly, can she escape?
I think this story originally started out as ashort and lengthened, as I may have read it in anthology. There were things mentioned, and unresolved, hinted at and not fulfilled. It certainly shows you the a sample of how good this author is at writing. She draws you in and its worth seeking out her other works.
Told in the first person, it makes it even more poignant, as the reader can feel the main character’s terror. They can also sense her courage and survival. We get to learn how she first met Jim and how nice he had seemed at first. What followed was a slow build up of one off’s acts of violence that she dismissed, never thinking it would reach the stage that it did.
A well told story of strength and courage and a quick read, worth delving in and finding out for yourself.
Electric Eclectic Books
Karen J. Mossman 
What a blurb!
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Yep and a good story too.
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Reblogged this on Between the Beats and commented:
Thanks to Karen Mossman for her review of my Electric Eclectic Novelette, “Burned Toast.” This was a painful short story for me to write as it is about a subject I am personally familiar with, domestic abuse. While the character in the story, Melly, has experiences that outweigh mine in intensity, any intimate partner violence is traumatic. In writing this book I drew from the stories of other survivors as well as my own past.
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