Gaslight

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

In the opening of this book, Maddie and her mother leave her father and move across the country to stay with her aunt and her family. Her father was manipulative, cruel, and controlling in some subtle and some not-so-subtle ways, known as “gaslighting”. When Maddie is reluctantly dragged by her cousins to a boxing match, she sees the boxers on the stage gaining a control over their lives that she covets. She decides to train at the local gym for a charity boxing match. The cute bad boy Hayden from her school becomes her trainer, and Maddie finally starts to learn how to live her life. 

The author has done a fabulous job of showing, not telling, what it’s like to suffer from gaslighting. Throughout the entire novel, Maddie questions herself. We’re given dozens of little anecdotes throughout the narrative, stories and memories that she has of her father and her mother. Some are good. Some are… not so good. In every instance, she questions herself, questions her memories, and questions her father’s intentions. Her perpetual confusion and distrust of herself is woven so intricately into the narrative, and as a reader, I genuinely felt these emotions alongside her. 

Maddie’s interactions with her mother are heartbreaking. As shown through the flashbacks, her mother has borne the brunt of her father’s manipulations. Her mother is merely a shell of who she was before she met him. While the book is told in first person solely from Maddie’s point of view, it’s interesting to see a similar character arc going on peripherally, in the background of Maddie’s story. Her mother is gradually regaining her strength and her happiness. 

Maddie’s interactions with those she meets in California are all coloured by her experiences. She has a subtle distrust of those she meets, including her new family members and classmates. When she meets Hayden, she’s warned that he’s a “bad boy” type and that she should stay away from him. Even once she gets to know the real him, she doubts both her judgment and her feelings. Her mother was so easily fooled by her father, so who’s to say that she’s any different? I loved how gradual her personal growth is; there’s no flip switched upon which she’s “cured” of the abuse she endured. It’s hard work and takes time, with some regressions along the way. This book has content that can be hard to read at times, but it has important themes of strength and hope threaded throughout the storyline. 

And of course, just because Maddie and her mother moved across the country to escape her father, doesn’t mean that the rest of the story will be sunshine and rainbows. They have a lot to overcome, and, as you can imagine, her father won’t give them up so easily…

What happens next? Read the book to find out! 

I recommend this story to those who love an angsty, yet heartwarming young adult read. 

*This review will be live on November 30, 2021 on https://powerlibrarian.wordpress.com/2021/11/30/gaslight/ and will be posted later to Goodreads and Amazon.ca

This is a strong book for young females and I will definitely recommend it to my middle-grade female students. I feel like most people that leave a toxic relationship need some activity to pour their energy into and help distract them from the bad scene they just vacated. This book shows readers that there are strong females out there that they can relate to and look up to. Some young adults have such a toxic home life and they feel like there is nothing out there to help them feel better and this book shows them that there are available activities to help make them feel strong again. I love that this book has such a strong family vibe to it. It shows us all how family can be there to lean on during times of crisis. Great message for our female readers!!!

This one is labelled as a YA, however, due to some of the content I would say it's upper YA teetering on new adult. Since our FMC, Maddison, is 18 and things get steamy.

I loved the growth in this book, especially Maddison. But her mother also did a lot of painful growing as well. While the story mostly focuses on how Maddison feels, she also thinks about her mothers feelings often. Selflessly. That was probably one of my favorite things in this book. The fact that this teenager had to uproot her life, not only for her mothers safety but also her own, and still thought about her mothers feelings above her own, was heart warming.

Hayden and Maddison's relationship is another strong point in the book that I loved, the natural progression of their flirting was believable, and evenly paced. I loved that they both had healing to do and helped each other through it. I also really appreciated that the author gave them their own space, and while they had a few hiccups, they were normal things that most teenagers go through.

This author does a spectacular job building characters and relationships. It was well written, and easy to follow. I had a few issues with some scene changes, and abrupt endings. But over all it was a good read! I'm curious if the author plans to revisit this couple, and Maddison's parents, since some things weren't entirely wrapped up.

Thank you WattPad Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of Gaslight. This review is being left voluntarily, all opinions are my own.

Wow, how good is this book! This story follows Maddie as she navigates life and learns how to deal with broken relationships and shattered dreams. Her character growth throughout the story as she learns how to be there for herself is inspiring. She is also incredibly selfless, always having her mum at the front of her mind. I’m sure if anyone were unsure about what the term gaslighting meant after reading this story, it would be clear. It was heartbreaking to read how the effects of gaslighting changed Maddie’s mum and slowly broke her and how it affected Maddie. It is not something you would ever want anyone to experience, genuinely devastating. Highly Recommend. Thank you, WattPad Books and NetGalley, for providing me with this eArc.

Maddie Goodwright is starting over after fleeing from her emotionally and physically abusive father. Along with her mother, she takes refuge with her aunt, uncle, and step-cousins who live across the country in California. With the constant fear of her father showing up on their doorstep, Maddie decides it is time to take matters into her own hands. She signs up at a local boxing gym and gets the surprise of her life when her trainer ends up being the notorious bad boy, Hayden Walker. Determined to be able to defend herself, Maddie sticks with the grueling workouts and grows stronger physically and mentally. But will it be enough when her past comes knocking on her door? And will she be able to lean on Hayden when she needs him most?

I read this book originally on Wattpad about a year ago, so I was excited to see it being published and receiving the recognition it deserves. I do miss some of the edited outtakes because I thought they added additional depth to the plot, but it’s still a solid read. I appreciate the emotional depth this story brings to readers and how it touches not only on physically abuse, but mental and emotional abuse, and what that can look like in relationships. Rachael Rose created such a strong heroine with Maddie and showed how people can overcome obstacles and evolve into their best selves. I would recommend this book to any YA romance fans.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wattpad, and Rachael Rose for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gaslight will be released March 29th

This review will be posted on my Instagram blog (@bumbling.bibliophile), GoodReads (@bumbling.biblio), and Amazon upon release!

I remember sitting in my room in high school reading this book for the first time on Wattpad and loving Maddie's character and her journey. And now reading it after it's been a few years and the book has been polished off I love it even more. It is amazing to not just see Maddie's journey, but also her mother's and how they work together to combat their past. Maddie is such a strong character that provides a younger female audience with a strong female lead that breaks from the pattern of toxic relationships and rises above. The moment the title is mentioned in the plot storyline is an amazing turn point and the book is wonderfully written. I really hope to get my hands on a physical copy of this book someday and will definitely be adding it to my reread list. Thank you, Wattpad Books and NetGalley, for providing me with this eArc.

Loved this book. Many books with strong female leads are extremely cheesy, but I think the Author did a good job on making the main character, Maddie, a strong lead without being very cheesy. I also like how Maddie was able to handle everything going on in her life and didn't fall into the background like most people in her situation would have. When I first read this book on Wattpad, I fell in love with it, and when I reread it, it made me love this book even more. I will definitely recommend this book to friends.

First of I'm really glad more Wattpad books are being published because some of them are so worth it and this one was a damn good book. I'm glad I requested this because wow, I was hooked from the start. Maddie was amazing and felt real. The romance and friendships were perfectly written. I honestly don't think there was a single thing wrong with this book. Definitely an entertaining read.
I can't recommend this enough! 4,5 stars 🌟
p.s: watch me buying this as soon as its released and rereading it.

I am absolutely in love with this book. The book represents the concept of gaslighting so thoroughly while also adding great romance to the mix. I've always loved slow-burn boxer romances, but this one blew the ball out of the park. The storyline takes place in a single POV, which is the female lead, Maddie. She comes all the way to LA to live with her aunt as she escapes her abusive father. Her whole life is basically uprooted, and she wants to learn to defend herself, so she goes to Hayden, asking him to teach her boxing,

The chemistry between Maddie and Hayden is off-charts, Both of them having their own problems to face with their families. The tension and the slow burn with how much they care about each other just make this book that much better. Maddie is such a strong female character because not only does she go through with the abuse and comes out stronger, but she also helps her mother realize how her father is gaslighting them.

The story was just heart-warming, happy and hot at the same time. It's definitely going to be my best read this year.