A review by mom2three
Branded by Kay Elle Parker

5.0

I'm not usually one for trigger warnings, and never for books that aren't dark reads, but I'm using one here. I beg readers not to let that stop them from reading the story. I just want them to be aware that the pain Ava experiences, the triggers of that inner pain, and the self harm she uses to battle that pain left me sobbing. It wasn't the quiet, no-one-will-know sobbing, either. It was the ugly, loud, curled up in a ball on the floor crying, that left me feeling drained and exhausted afterward. If you have experienced abuse, severe neglect, or suffer from your own ugly voices you may react the same way. It took me a few days to be able to pick the story back up and continue, but I had to know how it ended. I had to know where her journey was going to take her, and not just to the HEA I knew was coming. It's that story that leads me to encourage and plead with readers to please read this one. Having also been able to be on the other side of a darkness that I thought would consume me, Ava and Finn's romance reminded me of why we keep fighting. It was brutal but also beautiful. There are moments of humor, and Ava has a sassy streak a mile wide when she finally feels safe that had me happy dancing. There are also moments of intense passion and insightful love that made my heart swell.

All of the BL books are amazing, but this one was so much more for me.