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Becca McKenzie #2
Four Years Later
Becca McKenzie is happy—crazy, ridiculously happy.
She might not have figured out what she wants to do with her life, but she has something better—Ryan Jackson—and they couldn’t be more in love if they tried. He might have been pissed when she went off to a different college, but they make the long distance work because they’re “Becca and Ryan”, and nothing is going to break them.
Until it does.
Until one terrible, unforgettable night away from Ryan. Until too much drinking and one empty bedroom. Until fifteen minutes of hell completely destroys her life and leaves Becca questioning everything she’s ever known.
Until that night turns into a lie she can’t stop—can’t control.
Until she said no but he didn’t listen.
She might not have figured out what she wants to do with her life, but she has something better—Ryan Jackson—and they couldn’t be more in love if they tried. He might have been pissed when she went off to a different college, but they make the long distance work because they’re “Becca and Ryan”, and nothing is going to break them.
Until it does.
Until one terrible, unforgettable night away from Ryan. Until too much drinking and one empty bedroom. Until fifteen minutes of hell completely destroys her life and leaves Becca questioning everything she’s ever known.
Until that night turns into a lie she can’t stop—can’t control.
Until she said no but he didn’t listen.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 693 reviews
May 31, 2019
Spoilers
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Look I can appreciate wanting to tackle this subject matter, I think its important that we tell stories of the aftermath of . However, if you are going to do that the book HAS to be about the heroine first and foremost, not the couple, and not coupled with the male characters pain treated as equal to her trauma.
This book infuriated me, not bc it was badly written but because the was a plot point to facilitate angst between the couple. Miscommunication was used to allow the hero to do horrible, cruel things to the heroine while she is also actively trying to deal with having been raped, and you can guess which aspect took the backseat in terms of what she was more worried about, not herself, just Ryan. It felt almost like torturing the heroine was the name of the game. I felt like I read more about the heros pain over what he thought happened then what the heroine was going through as an individual who just went through a horrible trauma. In the aftermath all her actions were related to how Ryan felt, how she lost ryan, how she had to get him back, what he must think of her etc That is just a horrible way to write this kind of story. I dont feel bad for Ryan, I hate the dumb prick, I dont want to read how sad he is to eff every girl he sees, and how hot their bodies are. I also dont want to hear in all his chapters of how much he loves becca bc sorry that doesnt come across AT ALL. Even if she did cheat, she deserved not even a quarter of all he did to her and let be done to her.
They should not have ended up together, or if they did it should have been a COMPLETE seperation. His redemption should not have come as a result of being the reason she got over it bc he was there to make her feel safe four years later and he most definitely did not deserve to be rewarded her companionship while still getting to date other women....while still loving her...Yeah right. It came off like becuase he stayed by her he deserved to have her after a point. The entire epilogue was about how great he has been, how he helped get her over everything, how he deserved a second chance bc he stood by her blah blah blah! Not one mention of if she was in therapy (the word isnt even mentioned in the entire book), all that got her through it apparently is Ryan, which sorry it doesnt work that way. Becca spent more time comforting him than anyone spent comforting her, grrrrrr. Also in the end they immediately leave to go have sex, like what?? She couldn't sleep with anyone else (he did of course), we have no clue how she got to this point of being ready other than it had been four years and he is conveniently there to reap his reward of sex for doing the bare minimum of being her friend? No one asked him to make all his sacrifices, he did it bc he felt guilty for how he treated her, so narratively speaking she doesnt owe him anything but the epilogue was written so you felt like she DID owe him something, with everyone going to bat for him, and that is gross. Too bad no one went to bat for her and she doesn't even get the consideration to have her trauma treated as if it mattered by going to therapy or becoming good on her own. Of course the magical hero is the one who healed her *rolls eyes*
The whole problem is that a story about a girl who gets raped should not be centered on a couple because you have to maneuver the heroine to cater to the love aspect of the story rather than her own journey to coming to terms with it. If anything the book could have been about her pushing him away because of the rape, at least then it would be rooted in her issues. Miscommunication was just a plot point to have the hero be cruel to create angst, and all we got out of it was one scene where he cried, not worth it.
Anyways this book is another case of the hero getting a free pass to be a dick and still being rewarded in the end. His pain was given equal importance to the heroines and that was just the wrong way to tell this story. Most romance books put the heros pain/issues over the heroine 90% of the time, so it's not a surprise this book did it, it was just more egregious because of the triggering subject matter. For anyone like me who cares how heroines are treated in books dont read this one, it's just nonstop torture for the heroine, and she just has to take it, forgive/forget, and stay everyone's friend. She never even was allowed to be angry at anyone for how they treated her. Again even if she did cheat these "friends" of hers were horrible to her. It makes no sense that no relationships were permanently damaged as a result.
This book is going to bother me for awhile.
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Look I can appreciate wanting to tackle this subject matter, I think its important that we tell stories of the aftermath of . However, if you are going to do that the book HAS to be about the heroine first and foremost, not the couple, and not coupled with the male characters pain treated as equal to her trauma.
This book infuriated me, not bc it was badly written but because the was a plot point to facilitate angst between the couple. Miscommunication was used to allow the hero to do horrible, cruel things to the heroine while she is also actively trying to deal with having been raped, and you can guess which aspect took the backseat in terms of what she was more worried about, not herself, just Ryan. It felt almost like torturing the heroine was the name of the game. I felt like I read more about the heros pain over what he thought happened then what the heroine was going through as an individual who just went through a horrible trauma. In the aftermath all her actions were related to how Ryan felt, how she lost ryan, how she had to get him back, what he must think of her etc That is just a horrible way to write this kind of story. I dont feel bad for Ryan, I hate the dumb prick, I dont want to read how sad he is to eff every girl he sees, and how hot their bodies are. I also dont want to hear in all his chapters of how much he loves becca bc sorry that doesnt come across AT ALL. Even if she did cheat, she deserved not even a quarter of all he did to her and let be done to her.
They should not have ended up together, or if they did it should have been a COMPLETE seperation. His redemption should not have come as a result of being the reason she got over it bc he was there to make her feel safe four years later and he most definitely did not deserve to be rewarded her companionship while still getting to date other women....while still loving her...Yeah right. It came off like becuase he stayed by her he deserved to have her after a point. The entire epilogue was about how great he has been, how he helped get her over everything, how he deserved a second chance bc he stood by her blah blah blah! Not one mention of if she was in therapy (the word isnt even mentioned in the entire book), all that got her through it apparently is Ryan, which sorry it doesnt work that way. Becca spent more time comforting him than anyone spent comforting her, grrrrrr. Also in the end they immediately leave to go have sex, like what?? She couldn't sleep with anyone else (he did of course), we have no clue how she got to this point of being ready other than it had been four years and he is conveniently there to reap his reward of sex for doing the bare minimum of being her friend? No one asked him to make all his sacrifices, he did it bc he felt guilty for how he treated her, so narratively speaking she doesnt owe him anything but the epilogue was written so you felt like she DID owe him something, with everyone going to bat for him, and that is gross. Too bad no one went to bat for her and she doesn't even get the consideration to have her trauma treated as if it mattered by going to therapy or becoming good on her own. Of course the magical hero is the one who healed her *rolls eyes*
The whole problem is that a story about a girl who gets raped should not be centered on a couple because you have to maneuver the heroine to cater to the love aspect of the story rather than her own journey to coming to terms with it. If anything the book could have been about her pushing him away because of the rape, at least then it would be rooted in her issues. Miscommunication was just a plot point to have the hero be cruel to create angst, and all we got out of it was one scene where he cried, not worth it.
Anyways this book is another case of the hero getting a free pass to be a dick and still being rewarded in the end. His pain was given equal importance to the heroines and that was just the wrong way to tell this story. Most romance books put the heros pain/issues over the heroine 90% of the time, so it's not a surprise this book did it, it was just more egregious because of the triggering subject matter. For anyone like me who cares how heroines are treated in books dont read this one, it's just nonstop torture for the heroine, and she just has to take it, forgive/forget, and stay everyone's friend. She never even was allowed to be angry at anyone for how they treated her. Again even if she did cheat these "friends" of hers were horrible to her. It makes no sense that no relationships were permanently damaged as a result.
This book is going to bother me for awhile.
March 29, 2021
The worst handling of rape that I have ever seen
I liked the first book. I didn’t love that the “hero” was sleeping around while he was in love with the heroine by I felt with it. This book takes that couple who already had a HEA and completely destroys them. It’s not the fact that the heroine is raped that is the problem. Sexual assault happens frequently. I have had my own experiences, but what this author did was gratuitous and disgusting. She revictimizes and retraumatizes the heroine over and over again. No one stands by her side. Even if she had cheated, she wouldn’t have deserved what Ryan put her through. But the fact that she was raped made his behavior unforgivable. The author could have written this story and done it in an amazing way. But no, everything is about Ryan’s feelings, Ryan’s pain up until the very last page. Ryan sleeps around like crazy, and even sleeps with specific people trying to hurt her. He refused to let her explain for a year. If he knew this girl and loved her, how could he have not considered that she was assaulted? She was at a party, and drinking. In this day and age if I heard ANYONE I knew slept with someone out of character at a party the first thing I’d ask myself is were they drugged/ assaulted. Lore alone the love of my life. How could you not? But no one had the heroines back. Everything is Ryan Ryan Ryan to the last page. Ryan the dirtbag who still couldn’t stop sleeping around/dating when everyone said he was in love with her? Ryan who everyone acts like is a saint because he finally does the right thing and tries to be there for her, but again, could never give up other women for her? That Ryan is focused on and praised and worried about by everyone. The entire epilogue (4 years later) is about him and how she owes him another chance because he looked out for her after spending a year Danny year driving her to suicide. One of her best friends for her whole life gives her a long lecture on how even though Ryan has dated other girls for years, it doesn’t matter because he loves her. And how if she doesn’t get back with Ryan she is letting her rapist win. News flash (and this is coming from a sexual assault victim) her rapist spent one night victimizing her, Ryan spent and entire year traumatizing her. Both of those will stay hairy her forever. So what happens? She finally starts seeing someone after 4 years. Dates him for a few months and still couldn’t sleep with him. Then they break up on the night the “friend” gives her the lecture. Why? Because even her boyfriend can see how amazing Ryan is. What wonderful things Ryan did for her. And how much Ryan loves her. Yep that’s right even her boyfriend is guilt tripping her to give Ryan another chance. WTAF?!?!?! Not one person thinks that she should put her own mental health first and dump the toxic jerk who couldn’t even wait a day to stop and think before screwing girls and never stopped even after he knew she was innocent. So in case you missed it the entire theme to this book was how a girl getting raped affects her boyfriend and gives him an excuse to be a monster. This story could have worked only two ways. If Ryan had just kept it in his pants while trying to figure out what happened and then been there for her. The author could have taken a real chance to show the struggles between a couple when one person is raped. But no she had to go for that cheap other woman drama right? Oh, the second option? If she had written this, and ended it at the end (before the epilogue) and had her permanently dump Ryan’s butt. I am personally all about a HEA, but in this case it didn’t matter because there wasn’t one anyway. Ryan got everything he ever wanted, he’s still playing in the NFL. Not being bad ever happens to him (aside form his breakdown when he feels sorry for himself because his girlfriend was raped and he destroyed her on purpose). So sorry, no! A rape victim getting bullied by everyone she knows to take back a manwhor* who terrorized her for a year (and proved he couldn’t stay faithful) isn’t a HEA. Shame on this author and anyone who supports this story. If you want to use rape as a plot device (especially when it’s obvious you have no experience with it) remember that the victim is the victim. Not their friends, not their family, and sure as he*l not the boyfriend.
I liked the first book. I didn’t love that the “hero” was sleeping around while he was in love with the heroine by I felt with it. This book takes that couple who already had a HEA and completely destroys them. It’s not the fact that the heroine is raped that is the problem. Sexual assault happens frequently. I have had my own experiences, but what this author did was gratuitous and disgusting. She revictimizes and retraumatizes the heroine over and over again. No one stands by her side. Even if she had cheated, she wouldn’t have deserved what Ryan put her through. But the fact that she was raped made his behavior unforgivable. The author could have written this story and done it in an amazing way. But no, everything is about Ryan’s feelings, Ryan’s pain up until the very last page. Ryan sleeps around like crazy, and even sleeps with specific people trying to hurt her. He refused to let her explain for a year. If he knew this girl and loved her, how could he have not considered that she was assaulted? She was at a party, and drinking. In this day and age if I heard ANYONE I knew slept with someone out of character at a party the first thing I’d ask myself is were they drugged/ assaulted. Lore alone the love of my life. How could you not? But no one had the heroines back. Everything is Ryan Ryan Ryan to the last page. Ryan the dirtbag who still couldn’t stop sleeping around/dating when everyone said he was in love with her? Ryan who everyone acts like is a saint because he finally does the right thing and tries to be there for her, but again, could never give up other women for her? That Ryan is focused on and praised and worried about by everyone. The entire epilogue (4 years later) is about him and how she owes him another chance because he looked out for her after spending a year Danny year driving her to suicide. One of her best friends for her whole life gives her a long lecture on how even though Ryan has dated other girls for years, it doesn’t matter because he loves her. And how if she doesn’t get back with Ryan she is letting her rapist win. News flash (and this is coming from a sexual assault victim) her rapist spent one night victimizing her, Ryan spent and entire year traumatizing her. Both of those will stay hairy her forever. So what happens? She finally starts seeing someone after 4 years. Dates him for a few months and still couldn’t sleep with him. Then they break up on the night the “friend” gives her the lecture. Why? Because even her boyfriend can see how amazing Ryan is. What wonderful things Ryan did for her. And how much Ryan loves her. Yep that’s right even her boyfriend is guilt tripping her to give Ryan another chance. WTAF?!?!?! Not one person thinks that she should put her own mental health first and dump the toxic jerk who couldn’t even wait a day to stop and think before screwing girls and never stopped even after he knew she was innocent. So in case you missed it the entire theme to this book was how a girl getting raped affects her boyfriend and gives him an excuse to be a monster. This story could have worked only two ways. If Ryan had just kept it in his pants while trying to figure out what happened and then been there for her. The author could have taken a real chance to show the struggles between a couple when one person is raped. But no she had to go for that cheap other woman drama right? Oh, the second option? If she had written this, and ended it at the end (before the epilogue) and had her permanently dump Ryan’s butt. I am personally all about a HEA, but in this case it didn’t matter because there wasn’t one anyway. Ryan got everything he ever wanted, he’s still playing in the NFL. Not being bad ever happens to him (aside form his breakdown when he feels sorry for himself because his girlfriend was raped and he destroyed her on purpose). So sorry, no! A rape victim getting bullied by everyone she knows to take back a manwhor* who terrorized her for a year (and proved he couldn’t stay faithful) isn’t a HEA. Shame on this author and anyone who supports this story. If you want to use rape as a plot device (especially when it’s obvious you have no experience with it) remember that the victim is the victim. Not their friends, not their family, and sure as he*l not the boyfriend.
October 13, 2020
4 stars
August 4, 2020
This author is awful. 1st: It is greedy and disloyal to write a new story with previous characters (that basically have none of their previous characteristics but had their HEA) in a new book. Why destroy their story simply to capitalize on the success of the first novel? If you have a new story idea, write it, unless don’t have the talent? Second... Why do authors write stories about awful guys who sleep around, treat their women like crap and then still manage to win them back? The Ryan from the previous book is gone. He shows no love for her. Their history doesn’t matter until she is back to being the perfect version of herself that he thinks is worth it. These characters should not have ended up together. He isn’t a hero. He is a guy who professed to love her, but split as soon as there was one doubt. He then spent a year sleeping with random girls, dating her enemy etc. While she dealt on her own with her trauma. When he finally gets it together (only after other people tell him that she had been raped) he moves to be closer to her to “be there for her”. But dates and sleeps with other people for the next 4 years. She of course never sleeps with another person, even the guy she finally dates for a few months . What a joke. I wish it had at least turned interesting with a plot twist when she finally became the focus of an episode of “Snapped”. I almost maybe could have forgiven him for his snap conclusions and actions if he had decided to become celibate to make up for what he put her through. Anything less is, and was nothing...
July 16, 2019
In my opinion, if you choose a career, you should be able to do this. If you want to write about serious and controversial issues like rape for example, you should, at the very least, bother to do real research on stories and feelings involved recovery process who went through this type of situation. I speak of it as a woman and I speak of it as a psychologist who has to deal with such matters day after day. If you are a writer and you do not do this, you only use writing techniques to arouse cheap emotions in readers and romanticize the abusive relationships that are a great poison in society. And so you end up becoming just another mediocre professional more concerned about the money you're going to raise than the real impact of your work. Using speech as being a "fantasy" is just a pathetic excuse not to commit to your work and is given by those who do not have an idea of what you are doing and do not have the least respect for the audience you work for. If you don't want to make that kind of effort then you could at least change your area of action and save us from that pathetic excuse you call the book and that crap of sexist garbage that just glorifies selfish, misogynist, abusive, and unscrupulous attitudes.
May 2, 2017
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
I read this duet inside of 24 hours. Four Doors Down was cute, a lighthearted but angsty high school romance about former best friends turned enemies with unsolved feelings between them. The writing felt... new, like the author had a beautiful story to tell and was still finding her footing as she brought the characters to life. I liked it. I wasn't completely blown away by the story itself at the time but I certainly enjoyed it enough to read it in one sitting and immediately move on to this sequel.
Well.
I'm officially blown away. Four Years Later completely gutted me. I read this entire story with knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. I couldn't have predicted anything about this book, I was just left stunned. The writing was phenomenal. This new to me author truly just made a fan out of me with the writing in this book. But more, this story stole my breath away.
It's no secret that I'm a reader that likes a story to break my heart. Well, this book SHREDDED me. I can't even fully wrap my mind around what a beautifully tragic, captivating, heartbreaking love story Emma Doherty created here. It was tortuous, this journey, in EVERY way. I haven't even caught my breath yet. My heart is still pounding. My stomach still aches from everything I just went through with Becca and Ryan. This hurt. So so so so much. But I loved it. So so so so much.
Everything in these pages, the dialogue, the heartbreak, the raw emotion, the vast ensemble of perfectly flawed characters, the epic romance, the road to healing and forgiveness... every bit of this story is UNFORGETTABLE.
While I'd originally considered Four Doors Down a decent book, this series as a whole is PERFECTION in my eyes. The young romance between two teenagers now feels more profound after seeing where life took them in college. The groundwork laid in the first book allowed for such a starkly painful course of events in the second, as everything came crashing down. And looking back, I think I loved the first book even more now in hindsight.
This was a series that almost went unread by an author that was unknown to me 24 hours ago. And knowing now what I couldn't have known then, I can say with certainty that to not have experienced this storyline would have been such a tragedy in itself. I will never forget this story, this brutal pain, this bittersweet romance. I LOVED IT and I can not wait for this author to give me more. It'll be a while before I'm brave enough to revisit this storyline again but I know I will. I loved it that much.
I read this duet inside of 24 hours. Four Doors Down was cute, a lighthearted but angsty high school romance about former best friends turned enemies with unsolved feelings between them. The writing felt... new, like the author had a beautiful story to tell and was still finding her footing as she brought the characters to life. I liked it. I wasn't completely blown away by the story itself at the time but I certainly enjoyed it enough to read it in one sitting and immediately move on to this sequel.
Well.
I'm officially blown away. Four Years Later completely gutted me. I read this entire story with knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. I couldn't have predicted anything about this book, I was just left stunned. The writing was phenomenal. This new to me author truly just made a fan out of me with the writing in this book. But more, this story stole my breath away.
It's no secret that I'm a reader that likes a story to break my heart. Well, this book SHREDDED me. I can't even fully wrap my mind around what a beautifully tragic, captivating, heartbreaking love story Emma Doherty created here. It was tortuous, this journey, in EVERY way. I haven't even caught my breath yet. My heart is still pounding. My stomach still aches from everything I just went through with Becca and Ryan. This hurt. So so so so much. But I loved it. So so so so much.
Everything in these pages, the dialogue, the heartbreak, the raw emotion, the vast ensemble of perfectly flawed characters, the epic romance, the road to healing and forgiveness... every bit of this story is UNFORGETTABLE.
While I'd originally considered Four Doors Down a decent book, this series as a whole is PERFECTION in my eyes. The young romance between two teenagers now feels more profound after seeing where life took them in college. The groundwork laid in the first book allowed for such a starkly painful course of events in the second, as everything came crashing down. And looking back, I think I loved the first book even more now in hindsight.
This was a series that almost went unread by an author that was unknown to me 24 hours ago. And knowing now what I couldn't have known then, I can say with certainty that to not have experienced this storyline would have been such a tragedy in itself. I will never forget this story, this brutal pain, this bittersweet romance. I LOVED IT and I can not wait for this author to give me more. It'll be a while before I'm brave enough to revisit this storyline again but I know I will. I loved it that much.
July 5, 2018
Becca's life is perfect.
She and Ryan are a couple. She is madly in love with him and he is madly in love with her. And even tho they go to different colleges and don't see eachother very often, they're both really happy.
It's funny how everything can be destroyed in a night....
After four doors down, I thought this would be another cute romance book but with them in college.
This is nothing like the first book. Only the characters are the same but even they have totally different personalities.
This series went from sweet to dark.
Nothing prepared me for the crying and the anxiousness this book gave me.
I hate how this book made me feel and I hate that I can't stop thinking about it.
But what I really hate is how everyone treated Becca.
Ryan did from the beginning everything he made fun of in the first book. Like when he made a big show to show that he was with Becca infront of others, when in fact he thought it was a shitty thing to do when Charlie did it in the last book.
Not only that but he constantly pressured Becca to change schools so that they can be together when he didn't even think about him changing.
And he never even gave Becca the time to explain. Yes, I get that he was angry and I would be too but after some time he could've talked to her.
If he loved her as much as he claimed he did, he would actually give her a second chance or at least talk to her.
Jake was just as bad.
He just took Ryan's side without hearing hearing her out, without even talking to her to ask what happened.
What kind of friend does that?
Forget sweet,romantic Ryan. Forget sweet, good friend Jake.
In fact nobody actually asked Becca what happened. They all belived that she just slept with someone else despite it being completely out of character for her.
For crying out loud! Somebody just ask that girl if she's okay. Let her tell you what happened that night. Don't take someone else's word for it.
And even tho I liked that they got back together in the end, I kind of wished that he would be without her at the end.
I needed it to end with them not talking to eachother, except the casual "hello" when they run in to eachother. I wanted him to end up being this big football player that has relationships but never one like the one he had with Becca and I wanted her to find a good, caring man that doesn't break her heart over and over again.
Because let's face it... Ryan was really toxic in this book and Becca shouldn't have to put up with that no matter how much she loved him.
Special Note:
If you are a survivor, please know that you're not alone.
You don't have to go through all this alone! There are alot of people out there who can help you and who want to help you.
And don't be embarrassed! You have nothing to be embarrassed about!
Talk to someone. Seek help. Even if it's from a stranger.
And remember,
YOU ARE STRONG, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL YOU'RE NOT ALONE, WE CARE and that you have alot more power than the person who did that to you!
September 15, 2018
Another nauseous attempt to tackle the theme of "rape" in romance novels... The 'author' chose to focus on a paper-like heroine who spends the whole book trying to chase her ex-boyfriend, the one who spits her out because he thinks she cheated on him !! E.Doherty is definitely no high-class writer, because she would actually need talent and research to tell a powerful and compelling love story when dealing with such important themes !!
December 24, 2022
Emma Doherty this is not the career for you
June 15, 2017
Existe la posibilidad que haya estado más susceptible de lo normal mientras leía este libro porque yo, que me enorgullezco de mi falta de emociones, estuve a punto de llorar mas de una vez.
Four Years Later puede leerse como un standalone pero es, en realidad, la continuación de Four Doors Down, y desde que leemos la sinopsis sabemos que cosas malas van a pasar. Tres años después de los eventos del primer libro, Becca y Ryan siguen disfrutando de su idílica relación, cuando una noche Becca es violada. A partir de allí su vida se viene abajo; pierde la confianza en si misma, su fuerza vital, sus ganas de vivir. Y lo peor: cree que se lo merece, se culpa de lo sucedido.
Como si fuera poco, por culpa de unas fotografías, todos creen que ella engañó a Ryan; sus amigos en común la evitan, los compañeros de clases la ridiculizan. Becca se esfuerza por contarle la verdad a Ryan, necesita su apoyo, su fuerza, pero este creyéndose traicionado la suprime completamente de su vida sin escuchar lo que ella tiene que decir: bloquea su numero telefónico, prohíbe que sus amigos le cuenten nada de su vida y, no conforme con eso, luego la humilla, la insulta y decide acostarse con cuanta cosa se mueva. Por lo que Becca, sintiéndose abandonada, toma la única solución que cree correcta: se niega a contar la verdad, después de todo nadie va a creerle, right?
Odio esta rape culture, odio el hecho de que sea tan común, tan normal. Fue horrible de leer. Horrible porque estas cosas sí que pasan. Y yo sabía que pasaban desde antes de leer este libro, ya sabía que mujeres y jóvenes en todo el mundo son violadas cada día, ya había leído otros libros que trataban el tema, pero nunca me había afectado. Es como si hubiese tenido una venda en los ojos todo este tiempo y de pronto pfff... desaparece y puedo ver toda está nueva oscuridad. Como les dije, tal vez me encontraba susceptible o tal vez es simplemente la forma en la que está escrito, pero sufrí. Sufrí como no tienen idea. Quería amarrar a Ryan y obligarlo a escuchar, luego quería quemarlo vivo. Quería sacudir a Becca y hacerla confesar, luego quería abrazarla y decirle todo va a estar bien. La historia me llegó al corazón... y lo apuñaló una y otra y otra vez.
Aunque podría haber sido mas corto, el desenlace me pareció bien logrado hasta que llegamos al epilogo y se viene abajo . Por eso una estrellita menos.
Lejos de ser una historia de amor (pero muy, muy lejos) está es una historia de superación, de voluntad, que deja un mensaje que es cada vez más importante: escucha.
Four Years Later puede leerse como un standalone pero es, en realidad, la continuación de Four Doors Down, y desde que leemos la sinopsis sabemos que cosas malas van a pasar. Tres años después de los eventos del primer libro, Becca y Ryan siguen disfrutando de su idílica relación, cuando una noche Becca es violada. A partir de allí su vida se viene abajo; pierde la confianza en si misma, su fuerza vital, sus ganas de vivir. Y lo peor: cree que se lo merece, se culpa de lo sucedido.
"It’s what I deserve. I shouldn’t have had so much to drink, and then I would have been more aware of the way he was looking at me and could have made sure I wasn’t alone. I shouldn’t have worn such a revealing outfit; that was a stupid thing to do. If I hadn’t been wearing that dumb skirt and had been in my usual jeans, he wouldn’t have been able to do it so easily. This is all my fucking fault."
Como si fuera poco, por culpa de unas fotografías, todos creen que ella engañó a Ryan; sus amigos en común la evitan, los compañeros de clases la ridiculizan. Becca se esfuerza por contarle la verdad a Ryan, necesita su apoyo, su fuerza, pero este creyéndose traicionado la suprime completamente de su vida sin escuchar lo que ella tiene que decir: bloquea su numero telefónico, prohíbe que sus amigos le cuenten nada de su vida y, no conforme con eso, luego la humilla, la insulta y decide acostarse con cuanta cosa se mueva. Por lo que Becca, sintiéndose abandonada, toma la única solución que cree correcta: se niega a contar la verdad, después de todo nadie va a creerle, right?
"In an ideal world, everyone would believe me, and he would go to prison, and I could forget he ever existed—but this isn’t an ideal world. This is a world where athletes all over this fucking country get away with assaulting women on a regular basis just because of how good they are at their sport, and why would I want to put myself through that? Have a lawyer rip my character apart, commenting on my clothes and how much I’d had to drink, so that even if someone did believe me, they wouldn’t by the end, because that’s what happens. You see it all the time on the news; I just never thought I’d be one of those statistics."
Odio esta rape culture, odio el hecho de que sea tan común, tan normal. Fue horrible de leer. Horrible porque estas cosas sí que pasan. Y yo sabía que pasaban desde antes de leer este libro, ya sabía que mujeres y jóvenes en todo el mundo son violadas cada día, ya había leído otros libros que trataban el tema, pero nunca me había afectado. Es como si hubiese tenido una venda en los ojos todo este tiempo y de pronto pfff... desaparece y puedo ver toda está nueva oscuridad. Como les dije, tal vez me encontraba susceptible o tal vez es simplemente la forma en la que está escrito, pero sufrí. Sufrí como no tienen idea. Quería amarrar a Ryan y obligarlo a escuchar, luego quería quemarlo vivo. Quería sacudir a Becca y hacerla confesar, luego quería abrazarla y decirle todo va a estar bien. La historia me llegó al corazón... y lo apuñaló una y otra y otra vez.
Aunque podría haber sido mas corto, el desenlace me pareció bien logrado hasta que llegamos al epilogo y se viene abajo . Por eso una estrellita menos.
Lejos de ser una historia de amor (pero muy, muy lejos) está es una historia de superación, de voluntad, que deja un mensaje que es cada vez más importante: escucha.
August 26, 2023
“Do you get that, Becca? You're all that he cares about. Nothing and nobody comes above you, not for him.”
Every now and then I read a book that completely ruines me. Four Years Later is the book.
I've read it in one sitting, I cried my eyes out, I was so captivated by this story - I can honestly say that this is my favourite book so far in 2017. I have no words, really.
And the author - this is her second book!?! Second! I bow to to you, Emma.
This beautiful heartbreaking story will move anyone to tears.
Every now and then I read a book that completely ruines me. Four Years Later is the book.
I've read it in one sitting, I cried my eyes out, I was so captivated by this story - I can honestly say that this is my favourite book so far in 2017. I have no words, really.
And the author - this is her second book!?! Second! I bow to to you, Emma.
This beautiful heartbreaking story will move anyone to tears.
November 28, 2021
Ok so I came across this book again after having read it before and for some reason left no rating nor review. But I do remember the frustration and indignation I felt after reading this book even now, years later. So I’ve decided to give this a rating — one it deserves, just to warn off my fellow readers. Also give some reasons why I HATED it (had to skim the book real quick to remind myself and literally wanted to spin kick myself right after for that idiotic decision cause now I wanna scrub everything I read out of my brain again).
-The topic of rape was AWFULLY handled in this book. Like incredibly horrible. We spent almost the entire book reading about how Becca felt bad for Ryan and looking for ways to get him back — and not her own healing and recovery. It sucked, big time. That is not what is supposed to happen to a rape victim.
-Ryan had NO REDEEMING QUALITIES WHATSOEVER. He was selfish, vindictive, and downright nasty to Becca. He didn’t give Becca a chance to explain, went ahead and jumped to conclusions, didn’t think to give his girlfriend who he had an almost perfect loving relationship with the benefit of the doubt, oh — and fucked the one girl Becca could not stand just to spite her. And she walked in on him fucking her. Low bow, author, low blow. Not to mention, a disgusting move — one I can’t ever get past. And Ryan all but allowed her to call Becca a whore in front of everyone, including him! Asshole. And Ryan’s grovel? Wait, what grovel? Was there even any?? He shed a few tears, said a few words, and transferred school to “protect” her. So? It was too damn little, too damn late. And he still screwed other girls left and right while “waiting” for Becca in those 4-5 years that Becca was supposedly healing from her trauma etc. and guess what? SHE was celibate in all those years. Huge shocker there. 🙄
-And the icing on the cake of an ending? She finally, finally decides to date again and that night she goes out with some guy, Ryan comes with cause he wants to “meet the guy” even though it’s eating him up inside to see Becca with another guy (oh give me a damn break). But that’s when Becca realizes oh wait, she still loves Ryan and wants to be with him and they go home to have sex. The end. No seriously, that’s literally what happened. Ugh, I honestly would’ve even rated this higher if they didn’t end up together.
-It was like everything bad that could have happened to Becca happened. I didn’t feel anything other than extreme frustration, disgust, anger, and every other negative feeling out there while reading this book. And that’s not sometimes I want to be feeling when it comes to my books. So yeah. This was one giant clusterfuck.
-The topic of rape was AWFULLY handled in this book. Like incredibly horrible. We spent almost the entire book reading about how Becca felt bad for Ryan and looking for ways to get him back — and not her own healing and recovery. It sucked, big time. That is not what is supposed to happen to a rape victim.
-Ryan had NO REDEEMING QUALITIES WHATSOEVER. He was selfish, vindictive, and downright nasty to Becca. He didn’t give Becca a chance to explain, went ahead and jumped to conclusions, didn’t think to give his girlfriend who he had an almost perfect loving relationship with the benefit of the doubt, oh — and fucked the one girl Becca could not stand just to spite her. And she walked in on him fucking her. Low bow, author, low blow. Not to mention, a disgusting move — one I can’t ever get past. And Ryan all but allowed her to call Becca a whore in front of everyone, including him! Asshole. And Ryan’s grovel? Wait, what grovel? Was there even any?? He shed a few tears, said a few words, and transferred school to “protect” her. So? It was too damn little, too damn late. And he still screwed other girls left and right while “waiting” for Becca in those 4-5 years that Becca was supposedly healing from her trauma etc. and guess what? SHE was celibate in all those years. Huge shocker there. 🙄
-And the icing on the cake of an ending? She finally, finally decides to date again and that night she goes out with some guy, Ryan comes with cause he wants to “meet the guy” even though it’s eating him up inside to see Becca with another guy (oh give me a damn break). But that’s when Becca realizes oh wait, she still loves Ryan and wants to be with him and they go home to have sex. The end. No seriously, that’s literally what happened. Ugh, I honestly would’ve even rated this higher if they didn’t end up together.
-It was like everything bad that could have happened to Becca happened. I didn’t feel anything other than extreme frustration, disgust, anger, and every other negative feeling out there while reading this book. And that’s not sometimes I want to be feeling when it comes to my books. So yeah. This was one giant clusterfuck.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2019
If you or anyone you may know has been sexually assaulted/harassed this book and review post might be a trigger. So that's my warning.
For starters I loved her first book. Four doors down was hilarious, cute, and sweet.
It had it's issues as well which I may make an entire review about in the future. For now let's bite into this sequel....
What is wrong with this book off the top of my head:
1. I myself am 22 years old, so I don't feel like this realistically happens every five minutes. Everyone rolls their eyes sometimes but the constant eye rolls in this book honestly irritates my soul.
2. I feel like she decided to make this second half of the story more dramatic and dark for the sake of keeping interest in her writing. It's only her second book and she wants to keep people talking. Plus sell this story of recovery to victims who read it. Also rape has been pretty talked about in the media given a certain young man who got off with serving about two months in jail for assaulting an unconscious woman in an ally. I just don't think this was the right direction for these characters. It's polar opposite of them and when I read a sequel or trilogy of any kind the books have to intertwine a little more than just having the same cast but them being completely different. This isn't to say not to write about rape, one of my favorite books is actually centered on an assault and I love how it's written. This just didn't sit well with me at all. It felt forced and non organic. Unrealistic if you will.
3. Throughout the entire book we hear how she is best friends with literally everyone and how Ryan has been in love with her forever. BUT after the assault these two facts are completely moot as they drop her like yesterdays trash. Everything Ryan does in this book pissed me off. I honestly was sooooo happy when she told him they couldn't be together. Because damn right they shouldn't after how he behaved. This sets such a bad example for women with men who do shit that is absolutely horrible but get away with it because they spew out "I love you" like it's nobody's business. You can forgive someone but you can also be really naive and that's how I feel she behaved the entire time just taking his and his friends shit like she isn't dealing with the fallout of what it means to have someone assault you. What baffles me most is how these people have known her forever and even questioned why she would sleep with Robbie but never thought to ask her what happened??? or even ask people who attended the party?? Friends care enough to ask questions after a huge supposed fuck up you feel me? They just completely discarded her and encouraged Ryan to be the biggest asshole on planet earth. Actions speak louder than paper thin words my friends.
4. The constant repeating of "these are my best friends" "we've known each other forever" "he's the best looking guy I know" we get it girl, we get it.
5. Unfortunately in real life the justice system isn't always just. In the book we hear about how wealthy Robbie's family is, his obvious popularity in football despite being a dick, and his senator relative. I highly doubt in the real world he would have ever been convicted. Not that he shouldn't be if this is something a real person did. But the legal system isn't at it's best as we've seen the last few years with people getting away with murder, rape, and various other crimes for no real known reason. In his case I think his family would have paid someone off (i.e Rebecca, Grace, the jury, cops, or a judge) but this is ya after all and every ending comes sealed with a ribbon on it.
Over all the book isn't bad, but the story is. I'm salty that she ends up marrying this kid who so willingly told her to go fuck herself without so much as an "what happened??" before he found himself between the legs of another woman she hated and many others along the way. On the bright side she did wait four more years before finally giving in to his hovering (who moves across country for someone that doesn't want to be with them anymore? stalker....) but I digress.
That's all folks.
For starters I loved her first book. Four doors down was hilarious, cute, and sweet.
It had it's issues as well which I may make an entire review about in the future. For now let's bite into this sequel....
What is wrong with this book off the top of my head:
1. I myself am 22 years old, so I don't feel like this realistically happens every five minutes. Everyone rolls their eyes sometimes but the constant eye rolls in this book honestly irritates my soul.
2. I feel like she decided to make this second half of the story more dramatic and dark for the sake of keeping interest in her writing. It's only her second book and she wants to keep people talking. Plus sell this story of recovery to victims who read it. Also rape has been pretty talked about in the media given a certain young man who got off with serving about two months in jail for assaulting an unconscious woman in an ally. I just don't think this was the right direction for these characters. It's polar opposite of them and when I read a sequel or trilogy of any kind the books have to intertwine a little more than just having the same cast but them being completely different. This isn't to say not to write about rape, one of my favorite books is actually centered on an assault and I love how it's written. This just didn't sit well with me at all. It felt forced and non organic. Unrealistic if you will.
3. Throughout the entire book we hear how she is best friends with literally everyone and how Ryan has been in love with her forever. BUT after the assault these two facts are completely moot as they drop her like yesterdays trash. Everything Ryan does in this book pissed me off. I honestly was sooooo happy when she told him they couldn't be together. Because damn right they shouldn't after how he behaved. This sets such a bad example for women with men who do shit that is absolutely horrible but get away with it because they spew out "I love you" like it's nobody's business. You can forgive someone but you can also be really naive and that's how I feel she behaved the entire time just taking his and his friends shit like she isn't dealing with the fallout of what it means to have someone assault you. What baffles me most is how these people have known her forever and even questioned why she would sleep with Robbie but never thought to ask her what happened??? or even ask people who attended the party?? Friends care enough to ask questions after a huge supposed fuck up you feel me? They just completely discarded her and encouraged Ryan to be the biggest asshole on planet earth. Actions speak louder than paper thin words my friends.
4. The constant repeating of "these are my best friends" "we've known each other forever" "he's the best looking guy I know" we get it girl, we get it.
5. Unfortunately in real life the justice system isn't always just. In the book we hear about how wealthy Robbie's family is, his obvious popularity in football despite being a dick, and his senator relative. I highly doubt in the real world he would have ever been convicted. Not that he shouldn't be if this is something a real person did. But the legal system isn't at it's best as we've seen the last few years with people getting away with murder, rape, and various other crimes for no real known reason. In his case I think his family would have paid someone off (i.e Rebecca, Grace, the jury, cops, or a judge) but this is ya after all and every ending comes sealed with a ribbon on it.
Over all the book isn't bad, but the story is. I'm salty that she ends up marrying this kid who so willingly told her to go fuck herself without so much as an "what happened??" before he found himself between the legs of another woman she hated and many others along the way. On the bright side she did wait four more years before finally giving in to his hovering (who moves across country for someone that doesn't want to be with them anymore? stalker....) but I digress.
That's all folks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2022
Writing a book about the development of characters after a very traumatic event happens to the MC and then doing a four year time skip when said characters actually start to discuss their issues is a TOTAL COP OUT.
Forgive me for the lengthy review that is about to come.
First and foremost, can we please stop using all these basic ass names because I was so confused for like 75% of the book. I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference between Jake, Jason, John, Mason, Katie, Kelly, Marty and all the other 50 characters with 4/5 letter names. Seriously, it’s like the author opened the first ‘white baby names’ website and used every single one on the list.
Okay, so I understand the author wanted to talk about the experience of SA and rape victims, but adding a very detailed and traumatic scene like that for shock factor and for the romance between the main characters just didn’t sit right with me. I am not an SA victim, so I cannot speak about that specific aspect because it is not my place to. But I don’t think this book tackled such a heavy topic very well. It seemed very two dimensional and rushed.
The MMC (Ryan) was just.... so unlikable. He was annoying, and stuck up, and it honestly felt like he thought the world completely revolved around him. And the complete HYPOCRISY when he was literally having sex with the whole town but as soon as the MC gets near a guy he slut shames and humiliates her and proceeds to give a half ass apology. But it’s okay because “he still loves her and cant live without her 🥺🥺🥺🥺”. His friends were completely right in telling him to get his head out of his ass, because it was so far up there, the common sense area in his brain was blocked. I understand he felt betrayed by what he thought the MC did, but cmon dude, you’re a grown adult. HAVE A PROPER CONVERSATION.
Ngl, most of the side characters annoyed me. It was a bunch of high school drama and gossip that was just getting passed around for like half of the book. And it irked me when they kept trying so hard to get the MC to forgive the love interest, like they were completely erasing everything he did and said to her. Like please leave the poor girl alone and let her heal peacefully, she doesn’t need 15 people telling her she should forgive the guy who literally abandoned her. “He looks at you like he loves you” WHERE WAS THAT ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BOOK 🤨🤨🤨 oh, but NOW you wanna act like she did nothing wrong when she’s been tryna tell you that the entire time. Ugh. I’m glad she didn’t forgive him (at first 😞), and she actually stood up for herself.
Speaking of the epilogue, wtf? The entire novel is romance this, romance that, blah blah blah but the second the love interest finds out the truth, you wanna time skip? hell no. The whole point was to see how she heals and how he grovels, apologizes and realizes his mistake but we only get that for one chapter and then it skips the epilogue, which time skipped four years (hence the book title) but we literally missed all the important details that happened between them. Like why are you adding romance as a main plot if we’re barely getting CRUMBS.
Also a main aspect of the book is the MC’s healing journey and how she navigates all the events in her life (especially in regards to the people who abandoned her when she needed them most) but then we literally get none of that when it was most important??
I think it spent too much time focusing on the love interest’s feelings and less about the actual MC and the multiple issues happening throughout the book. The author definitely could’ve focused more on strengthening their relationship instead of skipping to their wedding (seriously what was up with them getting married a couple weeks after she forgave him? 😭).
Forgive me for the lengthy review that is about to come.
First and foremost, can we please stop using all these basic ass names because I was so confused for like 75% of the book. I genuinely couldn’t tell the difference between Jake, Jason, John, Mason, Katie, Kelly, Marty and all the other 50 characters with 4/5 letter names. Seriously, it’s like the author opened the first ‘white baby names’ website and used every single one on the list.
Okay, so I understand the author wanted to talk about the experience of SA and rape victims, but adding a very detailed and traumatic scene like that for shock factor and for the romance between the main characters just didn’t sit right with me. I am not an SA victim, so I cannot speak about that specific aspect because it is not my place to. But I don’t think this book tackled such a heavy topic very well. It seemed very two dimensional and rushed.
The MMC (Ryan) was just.... so unlikable. He was annoying, and stuck up, and it honestly felt like he thought the world completely revolved around him. And the complete HYPOCRISY when he was literally having sex with the whole town but as soon as the MC gets near a guy he slut shames and humiliates her and proceeds to give a half ass apology. But it’s okay because “he still loves her and cant live without her 🥺🥺🥺🥺”. His friends were completely right in telling him to get his head out of his ass, because it was so far up there, the common sense area in his brain was blocked. I understand he felt betrayed by what he thought the MC did, but cmon dude, you’re a grown adult. HAVE A PROPER CONVERSATION.
Ngl, most of the side characters annoyed me. It was a bunch of high school drama and gossip that was just getting passed around for like half of the book. And it irked me when they kept trying so hard to get the MC to forgive the love interest, like they were completely erasing everything he did and said to her. Like please leave the poor girl alone and let her heal peacefully, she doesn’t need 15 people telling her she should forgive the guy who literally abandoned her. “He looks at you like he loves you” WHERE WAS THAT ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BOOK 🤨🤨🤨 oh, but NOW you wanna act like she did nothing wrong when she’s been tryna tell you that the entire time. Ugh. I’m glad she didn’t forgive him (at first 😞), and she actually stood up for herself.
Speaking of the epilogue, wtf? The entire novel is romance this, romance that, blah blah blah but the second the love interest finds out the truth, you wanna time skip? hell no. The whole point was to see how she heals and how he grovels, apologizes and realizes his mistake but we only get that for one chapter and then it skips the epilogue, which time skipped four years (hence the book title) but we literally missed all the important details that happened between them. Like why are you adding romance as a main plot if we’re barely getting CRUMBS.
Also a main aspect of the book is the MC’s healing journey and how she navigates all the events in her life (especially in regards to the people who abandoned her when she needed them most) but then we literally get none of that when it was most important??
I think it spent too much time focusing on the love interest’s feelings and less about the actual MC and the multiple issues happening throughout the book. The author definitely could’ve focused more on strengthening their relationship instead of skipping to their wedding (seriously what was up with them getting married a couple weeks after she forgave him? 😭).
January 28, 2018
3.5 stars
omg this book was fricken awful. I felt like total crap pretty much the entire time I was reading it. The first book was mindless fluffy cuteness and I liked the characters enough to just jump into this second book without reading the blurb. MISTAKE.
This book is NOT cute. It's NOT fluffy. It's written much better than the first book -- the devastation these characters go through feel so real, and it's fricken awful. I got so angry and frustrated and sad while reading this book. Not fun. (shit, what an awful book!)
The blurb doesn't say it outright,but you probably can figure out what's in this book from it. Spoiler for trigger topic:
Spoilers for the end:
omg this book was fricken awful. I felt like total crap pretty much the entire time I was reading it. The first book was mindless fluffy cuteness and I liked the characters enough to just jump into this second book without reading the blurb. MISTAKE.
This book is NOT cute. It's NOT fluffy. It's written much better than the first book -- the devastation these characters go through feel so real, and it's fricken awful. I got so angry and frustrated and sad while reading this book. Not fun. (shit, what an awful book!)
The blurb doesn't say it outright,but you probably can figure out what's in this book from it. Spoiler for trigger topic:
Spoilers for the end:
January 22, 2020
Initially, I was wary of how Doherty would take on issues of sexual assault because the first book was so much more different in tone than this one but I really liked Four Doors Down and, while I think it would have been better as a standalone, I was curious to see where the story would go.
It turned a whole 180.
It was completely unpredictable and I still can’t decide if it works or not. I’m not mad at how she portrayed the effects of trauma (for example: depression, weight loss, anxiety) because it made sense.
What I really wanted to get to in this whole review is how the book ended.
After the ridiculous amount of shit Ryan put Becca through, after Becca’s whole recovery stage and putting herself back together without the support of someone who’s supposed to be there for her… The fact that they end up together really makes me hate this story.
As someone who has experienced sexual assault and understands the sheer endurance and struggle that comes with rebuilding your whole sense of self, Becca letting Ryan back into her life was such a smack in the face. This guy:
1. Didn’t let her explain herself when everyone was under the assumption she had cheated on him - bear in mind Ryan’s supposedly so perfect for her and loves her 3,000 and they’re friends4eva
2. Repeatedly rubbed it in Becca’s face that he’s with other girls with the clear intent of causing her grief
3. Stood by and let other people slag her off in front of their friends
4. Acted like a basic pissbaby the entire book and had the audacity to keep tabs on her life despite trying to move on
I was so invested in this book, I can’t even stress that enough. I don’t usually read books involving rape/assault because it still a major trigger but I was rooting for Becca. She had grown so strong and she was travelling, enjoying her life, she had even come clean to her parents, stuck up for another victim and pressed charges against whateverthefuckhisnamewas.
That. Takes. Balls.
For most of the story, I felt as one with Becca going through recovery. Her character development was so satisfying to me because we were going through the same thing. I loved seeing survivors making it through.
…And to throw all that away just so “Becca and Ryan” could be a thing? I fucking hated it. Oh my God, I hate it.
When someone close to you actively rejects you in the darkest time of your life… The trust and love don’t come back like that.
Maybe you forgive them. Maybe you’re friends with them. But the past stays behind you – especially in recovery. That’s usually the only time moving forward is bearable.
Ryan was an era of her life that she grew from. In my eyes, she wasn’t the same woman and she sure as hell deserved to move on with her life without him. As those cheesy Facebook memes put it: “if you aren’t there at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best”.
The guy that she was dating in the end should’ve stuck around instead of bailing after he found out Ryan was a professional sportsman (I’ve completely forgotten what sport lol). I don’t even care that he moved to be closer to Becca and put his career at risk. He wouldn’t have had to if he just gave her literally two seconds of his life.
Which gives the impressed that all this shit was just thrown together for maximum angst. The resolution came across as tacky and thoughtless and it’s so frustrating.
Am I taking this personally? Yes. Shoot me in the head but yeah, this book came really close to my heart and I've never read a story that I’ve regret reading in my entire life this much. Not even when I accidentally read the Lovely Bones and gave myself an emotional breakdown for days lmao.
Idk all I have to conclude is:
Ms Doherty… You were so close to writing one of my favourite books of all time.
It turned a whole 180.
It was completely unpredictable and I still can’t decide if it works or not. I’m not mad at how she portrayed the effects of trauma (for example: depression, weight loss, anxiety) because it made sense.
What I really wanted to get to in this whole review is how the book ended.
After the ridiculous amount of shit Ryan put Becca through, after Becca’s whole recovery stage and putting herself back together without the support of someone who’s supposed to be there for her… The fact that they end up together really makes me hate this story.
As someone who has experienced sexual assault and understands the sheer endurance and struggle that comes with rebuilding your whole sense of self, Becca letting Ryan back into her life was such a smack in the face. This guy:
1. Didn’t let her explain herself when everyone was under the assumption she had cheated on him - bear in mind Ryan’s supposedly so perfect for her and loves her 3,000 and they’re friends4eva
2. Repeatedly rubbed it in Becca’s face that he’s with other girls with the clear intent of causing her grief
3. Stood by and let other people slag her off in front of their friends
4. Acted like a basic pissbaby the entire book and had the audacity to keep tabs on her life despite trying to move on
I was so invested in this book, I can’t even stress that enough. I don’t usually read books involving rape/assault because it still a major trigger but I was rooting for Becca. She had grown so strong and she was travelling, enjoying her life, she had even come clean to her parents, stuck up for another victim and pressed charges against whateverthefuckhisnamewas.
That. Takes. Balls.
For most of the story, I felt as one with Becca going through recovery. Her character development was so satisfying to me because we were going through the same thing. I loved seeing survivors making it through.
…And to throw all that away just so “Becca and Ryan” could be a thing? I fucking hated it. Oh my God, I hate it.
When someone close to you actively rejects you in the darkest time of your life… The trust and love don’t come back like that.
Maybe you forgive them. Maybe you’re friends with them. But the past stays behind you – especially in recovery. That’s usually the only time moving forward is bearable.
Ryan was an era of her life that she grew from. In my eyes, she wasn’t the same woman and she sure as hell deserved to move on with her life without him. As those cheesy Facebook memes put it: “if you aren’t there at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best”.
The guy that she was dating in the end should’ve stuck around instead of bailing after he found out Ryan was a professional sportsman (I’ve completely forgotten what sport lol). I don’t even care that he moved to be closer to Becca and put his career at risk. He wouldn’t have had to if he just gave her literally two seconds of his life.
Which gives the impressed that all this shit was just thrown together for maximum angst. The resolution came across as tacky and thoughtless and it’s so frustrating.
Am I taking this personally? Yes. Shoot me in the head but yeah, this book came really close to my heart and I've never read a story that I’ve regret reading in my entire life this much. Not even when I accidentally read the Lovely Bones and gave myself an emotional breakdown for days lmao.
Idk all I have to conclude is:
Ms Doherty… You were so close to writing one of my favourite books of all time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2018
It took me looong time to write this review. I couldn’t put my figure out why I disliked this book so much. If you read the other reviews you know what happens. I’m not going to rehash going straight to details.
The whole book was Becca being punished by pretty much everyone, especially Ryan. When the truth FINALLY comes out. We get a small apology and a hug from her BEST friend and all is forgiven there. Then of course Ryan apologizes but Becca realizes after the way Ryan was the PAST YEAR he never asked her side of the story and he was so mean and vindictive. Becca realizes she can never be with him like that. Ryan breaks down crying. THATS THE GROVEL FOLKS! Than the buthead decides he is going to go to the same college where Becca goes to protect her and be there for her, even though we all know he will have girls fawning all over him. Of course whenever a guy calls Becca a slut or whore Ryan has to beat them up to defend her honor...than we jump 5 years later and Becca is still traumatized by the rape and not really dating but when she does, RYAN meets the guy to check him out even though it kills him and hurts his feelings. I was banging my kindle on the bed at this point! That’s it! For Ryan’s grovel! That after everything balloon head did to her, that’s it! I put my pillows across the room and threw my kindle I was so mad! THAN 5 years later something small happens they end up together. The end.
The whole book was Becca being punished by pretty much everyone, especially Ryan. When the truth FINALLY comes out. We get a small apology and a hug from her BEST friend and all is forgiven there. Then of course Ryan apologizes but Becca realizes after the way Ryan was the PAST YEAR he never asked her side of the story and he was so mean and vindictive. Becca realizes she can never be with him like that. Ryan breaks down crying. THATS THE GROVEL FOLKS! Than the buthead decides he is going to go to the same college where Becca goes to protect her and be there for her, even though we all know he will have girls fawning all over him. Of course whenever a guy calls Becca a slut or whore Ryan has to beat them up to defend her honor...than we jump 5 years later and Becca is still traumatized by the rape and not really dating but when she does, RYAN meets the guy to check him out even though it kills him and hurts his feelings. I was banging my kindle on the bed at this point! That’s it! For Ryan’s grovel! That after everything balloon head did to her, that’s it! I put my pillows across the room and threw my kindle I was so mad! THAN 5 years later something small happens they end up together. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2022
Bundan daha berbat ve iğrenç bir erkek karakter okumadım.
ÇOCUKLUĞUNDAN BERİ AŞIK OLDUĞU KIZ ARKADAŞINA PARTİDE TECAVÜZ EDİLDİ, KIZIN KENDİNİ AÇIKLAMASINA FIRSAT BİLE VERMEDEN ATILAN FOTOĞRAFLARA BAKIP KIZA BENİ ALDATTIN BERBATSIN DEMEYE BAŞLADI !!?? KIZ AĞLAYARAK KENDİNİ AÇIKLAMAK İÇİN YANINA GİTTİĞİNDE KIZIN EN NEFRET ETTİĞİ KİŞİYLE YATARKEN YAKALADIK!!!! KIZIN GÖZLERİNİN İÇİNE BAKARAK DEVAM ETTİ BİR DE. KIZ GÜNDEN GÜNE YOK OLURKEN HER GÜN BAŞKA KADINLA TAKILDI. SENİN GİBİ ÇOCUKLUK AŞKI OLMAZ OLSUN, ALLAH BELANI VERSİN. EGONDA BOĞUL PİS KÖPEK. SON KISIMDA İYİLEŞTİN PİŞMAN OLDUN GERÇEĞİ ÖĞRENDİN DİYE SENİ NEDEN AFFEDİYORMUŞUM?? FUCK YOU
ÇOCUKLUĞUNDAN BERİ AŞIK OLDUĞU KIZ ARKADAŞINA PARTİDE TECAVÜZ EDİLDİ, KIZIN KENDİNİ AÇIKLAMASINA FIRSAT BİLE VERMEDEN ATILAN FOTOĞRAFLARA BAKIP KIZA BENİ ALDATTIN BERBATSIN DEMEYE BAŞLADI !!?? KIZ AĞLAYARAK KENDİNİ AÇIKLAMAK İÇİN YANINA GİTTİĞİNDE KIZIN EN NEFRET ETTİĞİ KİŞİYLE YATARKEN YAKALADIK!!!! KIZIN GÖZLERİNİN İÇİNE BAKARAK DEVAM ETTİ BİR DE. KIZ GÜNDEN GÜNE YOK OLURKEN HER GÜN BAŞKA KADINLA TAKILDI. SENİN GİBİ ÇOCUKLUK AŞKI OLMAZ OLSUN, ALLAH BELANI VERSİN. EGONDA BOĞUL PİS KÖPEK. SON KISIMDA İYİLEŞTİN PİŞMAN OLDUN GERÇEĞİ ÖĞRENDİN DİYE SENİ NEDEN AFFEDİYORMUŞUM?? FUCK YOU
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
Wow this was .. this was really fucking terrible
May 12, 2017
WOW!
What a sequel. What a book.
I cried. Every time I turned a page, I cried. I haven't cried like that since I read The Notebook by Nicholas Spark... BEFORE Ryan Gosling graced our screens with his fabulous abs! When it was just words on a page. I cried!
Emma spoke with so much honesty and TRUTH. Not only did I feel like I was there, with Becca. Taking the struggling path to recovery. I felt as if I was watching a love story unravel... twist my heart and bleed it out for everyone to see. Emma Doherty you broke me and then slowly stitched me back up. YET I have to admit, you done a great job because I feel content.
The ending was everything. I didn't need more.
ACTUALLY at one point I just wanted you to put me out of my misery! A Tillie Cole shout out there... she's murderous with her plot twists!
You Emma, have made my 'Love of my Life' book list! Easy! To others, read, enjoy, cry and recommend to the next. As I will to others.
GREAT READ! GREAT BUY! GREAT BOOK. And one hell of a GREAT AUTHOR!
What a sequel. What a book.
I cried. Every time I turned a page, I cried. I haven't cried like that since I read The Notebook by Nicholas Spark... BEFORE Ryan Gosling graced our screens with his fabulous abs! When it was just words on a page. I cried!
Emma spoke with so much honesty and TRUTH. Not only did I feel like I was there, with Becca. Taking the struggling path to recovery. I felt as if I was watching a love story unravel... twist my heart and bleed it out for everyone to see. Emma Doherty you broke me and then slowly stitched me back up. YET I have to admit, you done a great job because I feel content.
The ending was everything. I didn't need more.
ACTUALLY at one point I just wanted you to put me out of my misery! A Tillie Cole shout out there... she's murderous with her plot twists!
You Emma, have made my 'Love of my Life' book list! Easy! To others, read, enjoy, cry and recommend to the next. As I will to others.
GREAT READ! GREAT BUY! GREAT BOOK. And one hell of a GREAT AUTHOR!
August 25, 2023
I've read various accounts of survivors of rape, but am not in a position to say whether this is a valid depiction of what a rape survivor goes through.
What was believable was the "old boy" cult of football that protected the villain and vilified the heroine.
Three wimpy & cowardly stars as it kept my interest as I raged that the heroine didn't file charges against the rapist. It would have prevented other events. This is where it falls into the area that there's a better than good chance I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Rape is still horribly under-reported and underestimated.
What was believable was the "old boy" cult of football that protected the villain and vilified the heroine.
Three wimpy & cowardly stars as it kept my interest as I raged that the heroine didn't file charges against the rapist. It would have prevented other events. This is where it falls into the area that there's a better than good chance I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Rape is still horribly under-reported and underestimated.
May 10, 2017
Wow, just wow. This is one of the best books I've read so far this year, hands down. The emotion is insanely real, the plot is intense and this is an issue that needs to be looked at and discussed. The characters are phenomenal. I laughed, cried, hurt, grieved and grew along with this group. And the angst levels are off the charts!! It stayed me.
Absolutely superb. I would not change a single word.
Full review to come!
*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely superb. I would not change a single word.
Full review to come!
*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2017
I'm really disappointed. And that's saying something since my expectations were low to begin with. I didn't really enjoy the first novel, but I decided to chance continuing in the series because it had some redeeming qualities. However, this novel was an even worse follow up. Doherty was out of her league when writing this novel. Any time a heavy topic such as sexual assault is used in a book it needs to be handled very carefully. I'm afraid, in this book, it was not. This was a classic example of a horrific experience that is an ongoing struggle for many people all over the world butchered for the sake of an interesting plot line. Rather than this being a real and relevant story about overcoming trauma, Four Years Later instead follows a girl pining after the "love of her life" after he breaks up with her and he sleeps with horrible "sluts" that she hates to get back at her and she just wants to talk to him and can't leave the apartment because she is so depressed that he left her and, oh yeah, her entire being was violated in the worst way imaginable ... but let's just get back to the pining. please. The main struggle of this novel should not have been Ryan and Becca's relationship. I'm sorry, it just shouldn't have, I don't care how cute of a couple they are or how dreamy he is. An opportunity was provided to add depth to these characters, highlight real struggles, and present a strong and empowering message. But it was just another one of those novels about a boy and a girl who are too surface level to express any depth, and that just won't cut it when handling such delicate subject matter. This story either needed to stick with sweet romance or delve into the harsh and painful parts of such a topic. I'm sorry, you can't have it both ways. I probably would have enjoyed this novel much more had it been simply a sweet romance and left the attempt at depth out, however when topics such as sexual assault are handled in this way, I just cannot stay on board. Overall, this book was a conglomerate of missed opportunities and poor execution, both as a romance and an awareness novel.
July 29, 2021
This book was infuriating! She was raped and she was the one that was ashamed about it. She could not speak about that and when she was accused of cheating she just stood there and could not say a thing. I understand that she was shocked but c; mon.. he was her boyfriend and also her BFF but still, she ould not tell him what happened. And he acted like a stupid as**le, sleeping around with OW to punish her.
September 13, 2022
Becca was raped and the author chose to focus heavily on how Ryan was a victim of what occurred that night...sorry, what?! Make it make sense ...
July 26, 2019
Well, I didn't like that shithead in the first book but this... I hated him. After all he had done to her (it was emotional abuse btw) he still was rewarded by getting back together?!wtf?! I prayed they didn't end up together but no such luck, how infuriating. And while she couldn't make herself to sleep with anyone else after being raped (understandable but in regard to ryan's promiscuity I wish she at least had sex with her boyfriend just to rub it in ryan's dumb face) he "occasionally dated"= slept around although Becca was the only one he wanted and loved. please.... He didn't deserved her. I demand an alternative ending where Becca marries a nice guy (doc was fine) and ryan dies alone in some hole where he belongs.
April 1, 2018
Dear Ryan,
You suck.
You suck.
March 29, 2021
I don't even know where to begin.
August 18, 2022
1 star for the representation . Even if it was ruined
Bare with me because im fuming .
I can't begin to Express how disgusted I am with the author, when I was told that the book was about the Journey of a rape victim I was so excited that there is a book that speaks about these struggles and the healing journey of sexual assault victims but while reading it I realized that it was not about her at all because the author made it all about Ryan Ryan's feelings, poor Ryan got cheated on ,poor Ryan's girlfriend got raped. Poor Ryan because Becca is dating and wouldn't take him back .
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD
A little recap : so our main character Becca got sexually assaulted during a party by a guy who hates her boyfriend Ryan ,and when her boyfriend sees her like that he immidiately assumes he cheated on him and never stops to wonder why his precious Becca would ever sleep with that guy , and does not let her explain or hear her out , he blocks her immidiately and when she goes to see him the next day he's fucking her worsr enemy . Then for and entire year he makes her life absolutely awful I'm surprised she hasn't attempted to take her own life because of what he's done to her on top of being sexually assaulted , he let his hookups bully and call her a s*** and a w**** and then when he finally realizes what happens it wasn't because he finally listened to her or heard her out it was because the rapist got caught and he put two and two together along with their friends who also dropped her,
this man who is described as being madly in love with her and hasn't forgotten her a single day and hasn't stopped loving her for one second did not even take a second to let her explain did not even take the time to consider this girl that I love so much slept with somebody very unlikely maybe just maybe I should listen to her and hear her out because this is very weird and she would never do this to me heck even their friends never took a second to reach out to her and ask her about it they all just alienated her singled her out and made her life hell all while he slept around with all of the girls that hate her and Bully her , then had the audacity to cry and ask why she didn't tell him sooner.
and in the end she forgave him she forgive all their friends and they made him out to be the saint who has never stopped loving who has always been there for her who now Rivals Mother Teresa because he gave up his dream school to move back home to be with her and "protect her" , everyone kept telling her that he's a great guy who loves her and would do anything for her and would never give up on her 💀💀 like are you for real? He dropped her the minute he thought she was with someone else and now we're supposed to believe that he's this great wonderful guy will always be there for her?
And the cherry on top of the cake was that he dated around and f***** around for the entire 5 years they've been broken up even after he knew what happened , while she stayed celebrate and only dated one guy that she dropped the minute somebody told her that Ryan still loves her then went home and had sex with him . 6 weeks later they were married
The author used a very sensitive and serious issue that could have made it this wonderful story about strength and healing and moving on and overcoming what happened but no she turned a victim into more of a victim by forgiven everyone who turned their backs on her. It would have been a better book if she didn't ruin it in literaly the last 3 chapters by making Becca bend and forgive everyone including Ryan🤢 and instead gave her strength to move on past the people who wronged and weren't there for her,
Plus it totally ruined the build up of the first book and how they got together and their " relationship" with him and their fake ass friends
Again i'm utterly repulsed by the ending .
Bare with me because im fuming .
I can't begin to Express how disgusted I am with the author, when I was told that the book was about the Journey of a rape victim I was so excited that there is a book that speaks about these struggles and the healing journey of sexual assault victims but while reading it I realized that it was not about her at all because the author made it all about Ryan Ryan's feelings, poor Ryan got cheated on ,poor Ryan's girlfriend got raped. Poor Ryan because Becca is dating and wouldn't take him back .
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD
A little recap : so our main character Becca got sexually assaulted during a party by a guy who hates her boyfriend Ryan ,and when her boyfriend sees her like that he immidiately assumes he cheated on him and never stops to wonder why his precious Becca would ever sleep with that guy , and does not let her explain or hear her out , he blocks her immidiately and when she goes to see him the next day he's fucking her worsr enemy . Then for and entire year he makes her life absolutely awful I'm surprised she hasn't attempted to take her own life because of what he's done to her on top of being sexually assaulted , he let his hookups bully and call her a s*** and a w**** and then when he finally realizes what happens it wasn't because he finally listened to her or heard her out it was because the rapist got caught and he put two and two together along with their friends who also dropped her,
this man who is described as being madly in love with her and hasn't forgotten her a single day and hasn't stopped loving her for one second did not even take a second to let her explain did not even take the time to consider this girl that I love so much slept with somebody very unlikely maybe just maybe I should listen to her and hear her out because this is very weird and she would never do this to me heck even their friends never took a second to reach out to her and ask her about it they all just alienated her singled her out and made her life hell all while he slept around with all of the girls that hate her and Bully her , then had the audacity to cry and ask why she didn't tell him sooner.
and in the end she forgave him she forgive all their friends and they made him out to be the saint who has never stopped loving who has always been there for her who now Rivals Mother Teresa because he gave up his dream school to move back home to be with her and "protect her" , everyone kept telling her that he's a great guy who loves her and would do anything for her and would never give up on her 💀💀 like are you for real? He dropped her the minute he thought she was with someone else and now we're supposed to believe that he's this great wonderful guy will always be there for her?
And the cherry on top of the cake was that he dated around and f***** around for the entire 5 years they've been broken up even after he knew what happened , while she stayed celebrate and only dated one guy that she dropped the minute somebody told her that Ryan still loves her then went home and had sex with him . 6 weeks later they were married
The author used a very sensitive and serious issue that could have made it this wonderful story about strength and healing and moving on and overcoming what happened but no she turned a victim into more of a victim by forgiven everyone who turned their backs on her. It would have been a better book if she didn't ruin it in literaly the last 3 chapters by making Becca bend and forgive everyone including Ryan🤢 and instead gave her strength to move on past the people who wronged and weren't there for her,
Plus it totally ruined the build up of the first book and how they got together and their " relationship" with him and their fake ass friends
Again i'm utterly repulsed by the ending .
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January 27, 2023I don't know what it is about this book. I wanted to get angry so many times but I kept crying while I was reading it -either it's that emotional or damn pregnancy hormones got to me. Regardless, I really do like this author -her words just flow off the page and she reminds me a lot of Anna Todd and I'll definitely be on the lookout for anything else she releases. Her first book in the series was a more lighthearted contemporary (which is more my kind of I read as I tend to avoid contemporary with sad issues), but this was a good book too even if I did cry buckets.
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE: It made me so upset that Becca waited until before telling Ryan, because it seemed like needless drama that didn't quite fit who Becca was before everything happened. I also have strong feelings about the ending
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE: It made me so upset that Becca waited until before telling Ryan, because it seemed like needless drama that didn't quite fit who Becca was before everything happened. I also have strong feelings about the ending
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