The Puppet Master - Abigail Osborne

Synopsis:
Manipulated by fear and love...could you cut the strings and take back control?

Billie’s hiding from the world, believing it to be the only way to take control of her life as she lives in fear of the man who nearly destroyed her. But what she doesn’t realise is that she’s exactly where he wants her; isolated and afraid. A chance meeting with budding journalist Adam sparks a relationship that could free her from the terror that controls her. But will Adam be able to see the real Billie buried under her terror and pain?

Adam knows exactly who Billie is and is determined to expose her and get justice for the lives she ruined. But first, he needs to convince her to open up to him but as unwanted attraction and feelings blossom between them, Adam is forced to realise that all is not as it seems.

Most of their lives have been unknowingly governed by the desires and needs of someone who considers himself their master. He has influenced and shaped them for years, meticulously weaving a web of lies and control around them. Can Billie and Adam survive the betrayals in store and cut the strings that bind them?

One thing is for sure. The master wants his puppets back – and he’ll do anything to keep them.


Review:

So this book is actually told through 3 points of view, our main character Billie, our supporting character as I like the call them, Adam and then a point of view you don't know who's it is until near the end I suppose.

Automatically we are thrown into the world of Billie and you can tell straight away she has had a terrible past in the way she lives and interacts with everyone around her, its soon in the story that you meet Adam in her perspective and It seem like they both get along quite nicely until the POV changes and you can suddenly tell that Adam has ulterior motives for striking up conversation with her.
 Billie has a past she wants to escape, she's learnt to lock it away and she is just getting by living but as soon as Adam appears everything begins to change.

What's great about these characters is that Adam is persistent and funny, handsome and intelligent and very much protective but also he is easily angered but also gets what he wants. Billie is very excluded from the world, she's not exactly happy and she haunted but around Adam she comes out of her shell and they're literally opposites of each other and you know what they say, Opposites attract. Throughout the story Adam tries to get Billie to open up to him about her pat because he knows there's something in there he needs to know but all the way she refuses to open up even when he opens up first hoping to lure her out. eventually sparks begin to fly between the pair and they both have conflicting feelings about it because Adam doesn't want to love her but he can not and Billie loves him but knows she is in danger if she does.

There's a lot of build up to the end that I feel is 100% worth it. When Billie finally feels comfortable enough to open up and the suspense is at what you think is the most it can be we finally get to see what has traumatised Billie for so long and what has really given Adam motivation in his actions. I physically felt my heart drop and my anger bubble in my blood, it hit me so hard and made me angry because of the other characters that were portrayed in Billies past, if you ever read this book you'll know why, I just hate characters that are so oblivious, rude and horrific.

The book begins in the present day then visits early years and then back to the present day once we have all the information we need, even though the transitions are quite large its very easy to keep track and build up both characters and see them for who and what they really are. The story does have some twists and turns surprise wise for the reader, the author really holds your attention and immerses you into the story where you feel like you're in the scenes, not in physical form but you can see it unfolding like you're invisible right next to them if that makes sense.

I have to give this book a 4.7 out of 5, it's definitely a great read however I just found that it didn't particularly blow me away hard enough to get a 5/5 yet it wasn't a waste of my time to read to get anything lower than a 4,but I enjoyed it none the less. As this is Abigail's debut novel I cant wait to see what else she comes up with because I'll definitely be looking out for her.

If you do want to read this book I don't want to spoil it for you but it doesn't contain the grooming and mild description of child molestation so that is just a warning. I do recommend it to anyone who really loves trying to figure out things just because I was totally unable to do so until the book literally spelt it out for me. Thank you to Faye Rogers who supplied me with a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

The Easy Way Out - Steven Amsterdam

Synopsis:

If you could help someone in pain, would you?

Evan is a nurse, a suicide assistant. His job is legal . . . just. He's the one at the hospital who hands out the last drink to those who ask for it.

Evan's friends don't know what he does during the day. His mother, Viv, doesn't know what he's up to at night. And his supervisor suspects there may be trouble ahead.

As he helps one patient after another die, Evan pushes against legality, his own morality and the best intentions of those closest to him, discovering that his own path will be neither quick nor painless.

He knows what he has to do.

In this powerful novel, award-winning author Steven Amsterdam challenges readers to face the most taboo and heart breaking of dilemmas. Would you help someone end their life?  

Review:

Evan is a nurse, and he knows that he’s a good at it, he really does care! However, in his new role, he isn’t saving lives, he’s helping to end them. The book is all about what is called assistant suicide or assisted dying. Evan finds himself working as a dying assistant in a hospital as part of a pilot project. His job has him being present at the suicide of terminally ill patients, going through a script that ensures the procedure passes as legal before handing them their last drink containing a suicide drug. The in their last moments he must stand by to make sure all goes smoothly, and answering the questions of family members who may be present during their loved ones last moments.

Evan has a complicated work life, but he also has a complicated personal life. His mother has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and the prognosis is not good. Evan's father committed suicide when he was a young boy, which may explain part of his fascination with death and assisted suicide. And his sex life is complex, involving a tangled relationship with a male couple. But things get even more complicated when his mother goes missing.

Steven Amsterdam handles the controversial topic sensitively, Evan, the main character comes across as a likeable guy, his mother Viv is a little more of a complex character I found her more difficult to figure out and like. There are some quite detailed sex scenes between Evan and the male couple he's involved with that I could have done without reading in such detail. Evan pushes against the legal boundaries and his own mortality as points throughout the book but after all he is just helping those who are eligible to, die a peaceful death.

Overall it was a great read, but definitely is not a light one. Assisted suicide is a very touchy subject but the book covered it well and really got the emotions going. Evan was a great character and handled everything better than I would have. It's and easy 5/5 from me without any doubt a very touching book and something I would recommend everyone read to further understand assisted suicide and the struggles of Parkinson's.

Thank you to Netgalley and Steven for allowing me to have a copy of the book in return for a honest review.