In what could have been a very disturbing and terrifying story, given the subject matter of domestic abuse, this turned out to be a book that I didn't enjoy very much. The writing style felt very disjointed and rushed, as if the writer was desperately trying to meet some sort of a deadline, and the character development suffered for that. The dialogue between the characters felt forced and unbelievable also. I was expecting so much more from this book but was left very disappointed.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.

The storyline was something that could have bloomed into something better. I felt some of this was just all over the place.
Thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Publication date May 31, 2024
3 ⭐️

Tons of TW but i mean the cover and title could tell you that. Quite a captivating novel covering many sensitive subjects about escaping a past and trying to heal

Thank you to Netgalley and Immersive Books Publishing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

This was very much like some of my favorite horror movies in a book, we have a strong leading lady who this crazy family underestimated. She’s trying to save her own life while also trying to help others before her. Though she has her own secrets that she wants to stay hidden.

Bruised by Markus Chambers was a suspenseful story.
The plot was twisty and unpredictable. The pacing of this book is great.
A suspenseful thriller that will keep you totally absorbed and turning the pages all night.

Thank You NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

The Cover and being true crime i was excited.

This book fell really flat for me. Just confusing and all over the place and was just so not easy to follow.

I could not continue this book.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Immersive Books Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: Mental Illness, Suicide, Domestic Abuse

Pros
✔ Intriguing Premise
✔ Easy to Read, short chapters
✔ Although some flashbacks touch on the main protagonist's life, the entire story takes place in one weekend.
✔ Some parts of the novel did have me on the edge of my seat.

Cons
✔ Allison, as a main protagonist, was very unlikeable and I felt that despite what was supposed to make me empathize with her was overshadowed by some of what came out of her mouth.
✔The title tagline. Any time publishers brag that a book is "unputdownable, gripping and twisty, packed with suspense." I think 🚩🚩🚩🚩.
✔ Ending could have been a jaw-dropper but it just left me disappointed.


#FightBack #NetGalley.

Expected Publication 31/05/24
Goodreads Review 26/05/24

Ummmm completely bonkers but strangely captivating. This book covers some sensitive subjects such as domestic abuse but it is also a bit surreal and daft in places so I didn’t feel the brunt too badly.
A woman named Allison is recovering from being in an abusive relationship and a year into a new relationship she is taken for a weekend away to meet the parents of her new boyfriend. Their home is stunning and vast and everything seems a bit too good to be true, isn’t that usually the case before things go seriously wrong?
I didn’t really warm to the main character, she seemed a bit bratty and entitled and made some very strange decisions.
The surreal nature of the plot did make it fairly compelling to draw out the secrets and find the answers but I found it a bit too lacking in any plausibility and credibility. I am, therefore, a bit on the fence with this one. I did enjoy it but it did niggle slightly too!

Thank you Netgalley, Immersive Books Publishing and Markus Chambers for this eARC of Bruised.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me, which is a shame as I usually like Mystery/Thrillers and true crime.. I felt that the premise was good, but the characters could have done with being a bit more fleshed out and the narrative felt a little jarred and didn't flow somehow. It's a shame as its based on true crime it had the potential to be more " meaty" . Hopefully, we shall see more of Markus's work in the future.

A disappointing book. Not sure if the author wanted it to be like this but it didn’t have any proper structure. I really couldn’t keep reading it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

The cover caught my eye as i was scrolling, and the summary definitely made this book sound interesting.
But that's where my positive comments will end. I always feel bad leaving a less than stellar review, but that IS the point here right? Honest reviews are important.

The writing style just ... seemed a tad disjointed and all over the place. The storyline did not not make a whole lot of sense in some areas either.
We meet our FMC Allison S first. She's a nurse at the local hospital, seemingly addicted to her anxiety meds, and seemingly happy with her boyfriend MMC Brett E. The book had all the... plot points to potentially be great, but the writing really did fall short. The story was predictable early on, and it went exactly as you thought it would. The FMC wasn't interesting and lacked any real depth. The "supporting" characters did as well.

i wish I had better things to say, but it just didn't.... work.

Allison Sellers is trying to move on from her horrifying past of abuse, using every means necessary. She has a new boyfriend Brett Eldridge who cares for her deeply, the hospital where she works long hours as a nurse, and her anxiety meds she pops like candy. And when an opportunity to help her move on surfaces, she hesitates, not wanting to let anyone else in.

Disappointed to say that this book was not anywhere near as good I was hoping for, I usually vie away from anything with domestic abuse but the premise for the book was right on track for a great read, regrettably it fell severely short. A remote estate, potential in-laws/boyfriends parents and secrets hidden often lead to an exciting read but the plot turned out to be unsurprising and I knew where it was going from early on. I found Allison to be one dimentional as a character which did not allow the reader to become connected to her and the supporting cast also lacked depth. There were moments where I thought it may pick up but it didn't for me. This was a new author I had not read before but would still be open minded to try another in the future as the book had potential. Sorry to say 2 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions expressed are my own.

I felt like this book could have been so good. But it fell flat. The dialogue was unbelievable. The whole thing was predictable. It was short and fast to read.

This book had sooooo much promise. The premise was so good that I had to start reading right away.

Pros: It is a short book and I went through it quickly. It was thrilling to a degree as there was always something going on.

Cons: the dialogue was horrible between the characters. It made the story way too unbelievable because people don’t talk like that. There were no twists and turns, it was all pretty predictable. The ending seemed rushed and was strange.

This book could have been so great!