#BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “STELLA’S AWAKENING,” BY AUTHOR @RKRYDE

• Title: Stella’s Awakening
• Author: RK Ryde
• File Size: 2349 KB
• Print Length: 516 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN:
•  Publisher: Rydco Publishing; 1 edition
• Publication Date: August 27, 2015
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
•  Language: English
• ASIN: B014LP285E
• ISBN-10: 1517101565
• ISBN-13: 9781517101565
• Formats: Paperback and Kindle
• Goodreads
• Genres: Women’s Fiction, Erotic Romance, Romantic Erotica

*The author provided me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review which follows*

Book Blurb from the author:
“A painful past. A forbidden romance. Will she choose love and make the ultimate sacrifice?

For Stella Welsch, buying a home and starting her own business has already pushed the boundaries of her strict upbringing. When she meets the sexy and powerful executive, Conrad Adams, Stella knows he’s off limits, but can’t help daydreaming about forbidden romance. As sparks begin to fly, Stella reveals that the relationship could have her cut off from her family and life as she knows it.

After painful memories surface, Stella decides to follow her heart and succumb to the sexy business mogul’s pursuit. But she quickly discovers that her sheltered upbringing hasn’t prepared her for what she is about to face. Her naive knowledge of ‘sex’ is nothing more than foreplay to the sexually experienced Conrad. As her feelings build, Stella must choose between Conrad and her family. Between rebellion and convention.

Stella’s Awakening is the first installment in an erotic romance series that tackles difficult social issues. If you like EL James and Jodi Picoult, you’ll love this intriguing, sexy, and emotional rollercoaster of a book.”

My Recommendation:

I had no clear idea of what to expect with this novel and began reading with my eyes wide open. Initially, I felt compelled to compare the storyline to Fifty Shades of Grey but that comparison soon dwindled. I was hooked after the first chapter. The writing is well done and handled with flair. However, due to the sexual content, this book is not suitable for younger readers.

The novel is written and set in Sydney, Australia, so the English words are spelled with Australian spelling, and there are many word variations. I enjoyed the differences in language and felt it added to the exotic appeal of the location.

The author, RK Ryde, tells Stella’s story in the first person and I pondered her choice. However, the more I read, the more I began to understand the protagonist, Stella Welsch.

Stella’s story is deeply personal. I realized that telling the story in the first person fostered a deeper connection to her emotions and the inner conflict she was dealing with. I found myself embroiled in her life. I experienced Stella’s life through her eyes and words.

This story is more than just an erotic sexual awakening for a thirty-year-old woman experiencing her first true love. For Stella, it is the realization that everything she was told as a child growing up, and into her adult life could be wrong, or it could be right. That is her dilemma. It is the grappling with the realization that she must choose between the man she loves or the religion and family she also loves deeply. What a conundrum!

For me, Stella’s story emphasized the choices she must make between free will vs. control. I struggled with why Stella’s life was so difficult to deal with when she was a business owner and a successful interior decorator in her own rights. It seemed like she had the courage to pursue her own dreams but only up to a certain point. Her parents certainly did not approve of her life unless it was by their mandated version of how she should live. I just could not imagine living under those circumstances.

As Stella and Conrad’s relationship grew I could see the natural progression of a couple falling in love and wanting to begin their life together. What made this chronicle different from other romantic novels was the levels of control Stella lived under. I could not help wondering if Stella chooses Conrad’s love then wasn’t she trading the control of her parents and religion to be under his control? It was a thought provoking revelation.

The end of the story is powerful and eye-opening. I understand this is the first book in the installment and look forward to finding out just what Stella decides to do with her life. No matter what her choices, I know the outcome will be explosive!

Character Believability: 4.5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 4
Reader Enjoyment: 4.5
Overall Rate: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About RK (Rhonda) Ryde:

I live with my gorgeous husband, our beautiful daughter and a very cute poodle in a little country town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia.

My weekdays are spent working my day job as an Auslan (Australian Sign Language) interpreter and running my daughter around to drama classes, tennis lessons and play dates with friends. Once she’s in bed, I put my author hat on and hit the keyboard, working on my novels and growing my business.

On the weekends you will find me with my family, doing all sorts of fun and interesting things. We love to adventure, rummage around markets, ride our pushbikes or Harley Davidsons and spend time surfing or kayaking on the magnificent South Coast of NSW.

Please make certain to connect with RK Ryde through her Twitter @RKRyde and  Facebook at RK Ryde Author, or her blog at RK Ryde.com.

Book Review by @ColleenChesebro of silverthreading.com