Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

I DNF'd this around 30%. The beginning just didn't pick up fast enough for me, and the dark subject matter was a little too much. I couldn't get past the brother / sister relationship and was not prepared for some of the violence.

Damian and Rayna are raised in a home where alcoholism and abuse is rampant. Their parents have gotten together and this has resulted in Damian becoming a protector for Rayna and ultimately ends up falling in love with his stepsister as the years pass. Rayna, however is gravely troubled. I kept waiting for them to either get together or come crashing apart. This book just ended up being confusing. The past was suddenly seen as completely different, I was not a fan of this book and not sure why I kept reading, but I did. The end just seemed to be thrown together and came completely out of left field. If I hear, "my princess" ever again in my life, it will be too soon.

I found Chains of Nurture by Max Watson to be ultimately an engaging read plagued early by some questionable word choices. The word 'littler' is one example of this. This was tempered however by the introduction of my new word of the week: 'delicigasm.' Early going made for a rough start and I found story progression slow including an overusage of 'my this, my that, my Rayna' etc. The point was understood and appreciated as a statement of possessiveness early on which did not need to be beaten to death so to speak.
Overall good narrative voice that was often poetic in nature however subtle. Rating would be higher with a bit faster narrative beat and fewer repetitious moments. Max Watson shows great promise here.

Makes you wonder if the way you're raised will shape your entire life or is it something that you can overcome to live a good life. These are the questions I had for this engrossing book that gripped me from the beginning and didn't release until the last page. With it's strong plot and three dimensional characters I highly recommend this book. Happy reading!

I really enjoyed the plot twists and turns in this book and despite the dark subject matter enjoyed the novel entirely. Well written for a first time novelist. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to review this book. I very much enjoyed this one. Kept me reading all through the night. I will recommend this one to other book lovers. I hope the author writes more. She is definitely talented.

Hard to put down for the first 80% of the book! But I found the ending somewhat odd, over the top, and unbelievable even for fiction.