We were the lucky few that got a chance to start over. A fake family, a new home and a pretty little life built on lies. But while our lives continued to intertwine, we were put on very different paths. Now it was only a matter of time before they collide and the beast behind the beauty is exposed.
HOLY SHIT!! This book was intense. So good.
I knew that I would be in for quite a ride when I started this book. It is part of the reason that I love Teresa's books so much. Even when I think that I have everything completely figured out she is able to throw in a little twist that I would have never even thought about. I love that!
'Happy ever after is for fairy tales and the delusional masses.'
We find out, at nearly the beginning, that Annabelle and Colin aren't exactly who they appear to be. Theirs is a story plucked straight from the headlines. Colin is far more damaged from his experiences than Annie is but they are both battling the demons of their pasts. Watching them fight who they are by trying to be who they are supposed to be was a very engrossing ride. I was hooked from the very beginning.
"I'm not the hero.""I bet she would say differently." He raised his eyebrow as he spun the glass in his fingers."She doesn't understand."
This book left me with so many feels that I an still having a hard time processing them into coherent thoughts. Part of me wanted to hate Colin, not because he was hatable, at all, but because in his efforts to protect Annie he kept hurting her. I absolutely loved his dark twisty soul though. And his faith. The very idea that he still had his faith after everything that he had been through was amazing to me. Many people lose faith after far less horrific experiences.
'People say that money doesn't buy happiness. Those are the people who have struggled and been to the edge, desperate to tip over to the end of suffering, but have somehow found the courage to pull back and fight another day.True happiness was losing everything so you could appreciate its value when you earned it back.'
Annabelle was quite the heroine. I loved her sassy little ass!! She was a little bit of light in the relative darkness of this story. She was very much a teenage girl, which is quite refreshing, as so many teenage heroines seem so much older. The fact that she was still able to be a kid at all was amazing, all things considered.
'We were fighter. The ones who were preyed upon while weak, but we came back stronger, fighting our way back to ourselves.'
The plot of Pretty Little Things kept me completely riveted from the moment I opened it. There wasn't any part where I was not wholly invested in the fates of all of the characters, even the minor ones. I kept preparing for a huge twist, because I know that Teresa is great at throwing them in. I, however, was not preparing for the right one. I'm pretty glad too, as what I thought might happen would have been completely devastating for me.
'I was used to operating with no conscience, and lack of emotion had kept me from second guessing decision that a weaker {person} would have to contemplate, but this was new for me. For one I was consumed with something other than emptiness or anger and it scared the hell out of me.'
Pretty Little Things is a great book, one that I will have to revisit in the future just to make sure that there was nothing that I missed. The book is so full of little details and I now wonder if there were things that I missed while I was so focused on the outcome of the characters. This is such a great and masterfully told story that I can't say enough great things about it. Do yourself a favor and pick it up now!
'Obsession by definition is a persistent, disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling. It suits what Annie and I had perfectly.'
iTunes: Will send when Available
“What are your plans for the day, little one?” I asked, and she startled.
“I have a report I need to finish on the adverse effects of corporal punishment used on children.” I laughed and shook my head, my eyes going back to the television. “Yeah, so that will be fun. But if Connor and Grace aren’t back, I can always skip school tomorrow.”
“Not a chance.”
“I wasn’t asking.”
I looked over at her, her eyebrow raised in challenge.
“You had a private tutor.”
“I had antisocial tendencies and a habit of challenging authority.” I laughed as the credits rolled on the screen in front of us.
“I don’t doubt that.”
We fell silent as we both sat, unmoving. “So this guy…” I let my voice trail off.
“He’s just a guy.” She shrugged as she pulled on a loose thread on the blanket.
“Is he a good guy?”
“Are you?” she shot back.
“That’s a loaded question.” I stood up, stretching, and when I looked down at her, her smile fell. “What?”
“Did that hurt?”
I sighed as I thought of the marks that covered my back. “Don’t.” I walked over to the shelves of movies, scanning the titles. I didn’t know if it bothered me more that she was asking about them or that she looked upset over my injuries. I was no one for her to feel sorry for. While I’d received them for not doing what I was told, I’d earned them by following through with the orders. But answering that question perplexed me. If you take a child and never show him affection, any attention received is positive in his eyes. Coupling that with the twisted abusive behavior and dominance that was instilled in me so young, I learned to derive gratification from receiving pain as well as giving. It was a release, a way to atone for my sins.
She stood and walked up to my side. My scars should have been a warning to not get close to someone like me, but Annabel saw my dominant side as a reflection of my overprotective nature toward her. My eyes closed as her hand ran softly over my back. Her featherlight touch on my own wounds more painful than when I had received them.
“Annabel, stop,” I bit out, but she continued on, her fingers trailing over the raised welts. My body stiffened, not wanting someone to give me affection I didn’t deserve. It turned my stomach, and for once I was completely thrown off guard. So I did what I knew best, and I instilled fear in her.
“I said fucking stop,” I seethed as I grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her small body against the movies, causing the shelves to shake. Her green eyes were wide with fright, and now I was the one desperate to touch. Her fear was palpable, and while I knew I was pushing away the one person who even remotely began to understand me, it was for her own good. She didn’t have to understand as long as she listened. But listening to me was something Annabel rarely did anymore. She’d become too comfortable in my presence, and now she ignored the alarms that would set a normal person on edge. That was what terrified me about her seeing this guy. I had no idea what kind of person he was, but I knew Annie wouldn’t be as cautious as she should be.
“Annabel…” I rested my forehead against the case, my body hovering over hers, caging her in with my arms on her shoulders. Her name came out like a plea for help.
“I-I’m sorry.”
I lifted my head and looked at her. The fear-induced stutter let me know I had succeeded in making her understand.
I took a step back from her, running my hand along my jaw before turning and leaving the room, desperate to put distance between us.
(This bio is not to be taken seriously under any circumstance.)
Teresa Mummert is an army wife and mother whose passion in life is writing. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today best selling novels White Trash Beautiful and Suicide Note. Born in Pennsylvania, she lived a small town life before following her husband's military career to Louisiana and Georgia. Check out her website for samples and updates!"
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