Amy HatvanyReseñas

I loved this book, loved the three point of views, which gave the reader a good glimpse into a well-rounded story! Maddie, the teenager POV, was probably my favorite. Maddie has received an organ transplant from Hannah's daughter who has passed away. Hannah is trying to deal with her grief when she meets up with Maddie and her mother, Olivia. Things are turning around for Maddie, thanks to the liver transplant, but behind the perfect life Olivia portrays, is a life of spousal abuse.
Hannah and Olivia become friends, and the three of them weave a wonderful story of the inner strength of women, and how important friends are. A quick, enjoyable read!

It Happens All the Time/Amy Hatvany Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since they were teenagers—trusting and depending on each other through some of the darkest periods of their young lives. And while Amber has always felt that their relationship is strictly platonic, Tyler has long harbored the secret desire that they might one day become more than friends.
Returning home for the summer after her college graduation, Amber begins spending more time with Tyler than she has in years. Despite the fact that Amber is engaged to her college sweetheart, a flirtation begins to grow between them. One night, fueled by alcohol and concerns about whether she’s getting married too young, Amber kisses Tyler.
What happens next will change them forever.
In alternating points of view, It Happens All the Time examines the complexity of sexual dynamics between men and women and offers an incisive exploration of gender roles, expectations, and the ever-timely issue of consent.
 
Ugh, this book was so important and covered such an important and rare perspective that although I didn't actually like it that much, I so highly recommend it.
 
Hatvany does an extraordinary good job of transitioning between sections. The book is told from two perspectives across multiple stretches of time, and although the chapters didn't indicate explicitly which part of the year they were being told from, it was always completely clear to me, which I found to be incredibly effective. I didn't get lost ever and I felt like the author guided me very clearly through the story.
 
I think this book is important. I think it tackles huge topics. I think Tyler's perspective sheds so much light on similar people's thought processes. I think today's society needs this book.
 
But I didn't appreciate the events that prompted the ending. I didn't like how one incident, the one that opens the book, influenced my entire thinking. I would have liked to have seen the actions that one character would have taken had he not had this outside event impacting him. And for me, that seriously detracted from the book.
 
And I didn't find Tyler's character to be as sympathetic as perhaps I was supposed to. His friendship with Amber as he grew up didn't strike me as particularly meaningful. I wished Amber had reached out and found other friends, and I felt like when she was at university, she would have.
 
Mainly, I just never get particularly engrossed in this book. It was easy enough to read, but even though Amber was an extremely motivated and well-rounded character, the type I normally love, I found it hard to really get involved, and I felt like there were many points where I could have stopped reading and simply forgotten about the book.
 
So I recommend this book, I do, because it's important. But I think it could have been better executed.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: Rape and eating disorder

I have been loving Amy Hatvany for a while. I was glad to see her newest offering that takes a hard look at rape between childhood best friends, Amber and Tyler. I think that she did a very good job showing both Amber and Tyler's POV and even showing how Amber wasn't the "perfect victim" and why it doesn't matter. Via other characters we get Amber being buoyed up with being told she was not at fault, it be nice in real life if most victims got this kind of support from family and friends.

"It Happens All the Time" begins in medias res. We have a character named Amber holding another character named Tyler at gunpoint. Tyler seems to know why Amber is holding a gun on him, but it takes us a bit to get there.

Amber is home from her senior year of college, hesitant about seeing her childhood friend Tyler. The last time they saw each other, they argued since she accused him of being jealous of her new relationship. Amber is happy though that Tyler has seemed to let things go, and when she pops up engaged, she starts to wonder if she is ready to get married or not.

Tyler has been in love with Amber almost as soon as he has known her. He's jealous of her new relationship and starts jumping for joy when Amber comes home for the summer and starts flirting with him. His ship comes in (so to speak) when he finally thinks he and Amber are going to be a couple after finally having sex. The problem is that Tyler thinks what happened was consensual, Amber in her POV does not. When Tyler realizes that Amber believes he raped her (oh he did btw) he goes through regret, anger and a lot of self justification.

Besides these two characters I have to applaud Hatvany having in some great secondary characters. I do have to say though, Tyler's father was one note and cartoonish in some aspects. But I have to say it was great having Tyler's parents in here doing the whole, of course my son did nothing wrong, and your daughter shouldn't have been drinking crap. How many times are rape victims attacked for daring to drink, wear short clothes, and shit just be out among a group of men.

I loved Tyler's partner who gave him crap as soon as he realized what Tyler did and gave him no quarter. Amber's parents were fantastic and very believable about being angry and not knowing what to do about their daughter who is spiraling in so many directions.

The writing I thought was top-notch. Hatvany does such a good job with both characters voices and always does another great job of including real life thoughts/comments that are made by victims and perpetrators as well. Amber blames herself for drinking, flirting, and kissing Tyler. Tyler doesn't see himself as a rapist, he chalks this up to Amber being like those girls/women who drink too much and then want to blame alcohol and the guy for their choices. FYI, Tyler made me wish he come alive so I could knee him repeatedly. I think this book is a good discussion topic for a book club or other groups who want to discuss consent in this day and age since we still have people (men and women) not getting it.

I do have to bring up the fact that there is also discussions of Amber having a former eating disorder that rears its ugly head again after she is raped. And you can see that Amber still has an obsession (somewhat) of what she eats and how often she exercises.

The setting of this book takes place in Washington state. Sadly, you don't get to read much about the location during this book besides Amber looking to relocate to Seattle and one day become a sports medicine doctor for the Seahawks.

I don't think I can say this book had a happy ending per se, but you can see that Amber is going to do what it takes to become stronger without relying on a man again to make her feel that way.

I previously read Amy Hatvany's Best Kept Secret: A Novel and thought that the story and plot in that novel was very great and I found myself happily immersed in that novel for hours. I selected "Heart Like Mine" and was thrilled to be able to say that I really loved this novel too.

The novel is told from three points of view, Grace, Ava, and Kelli. Grace McAllister, is a fiancee to Victor Hansen a restaurateur in Seattle. Ava, is Victor's thirteen year old daughter. Kelli, is Victor's ex-wife.

Due to a tragic set of events Grace is forced upon the role of stepmother and has to deal with her own uneasiness about becoming a caregiver to Victor's children. "Heart Like Mine" definitely explores Kelli's past and we get to see how Grace and Ava deal with the loss of what they thought their future would be.

I really did love this novel and though that Ms. Hatvany wrote very deftly and made me feel that each of these characters' were very well drawn. I tend to dislike novels that have different points of view, however, I really loved this one. Probably because Ms. Hatvany was able to write all three characters as separate people who had a distinct voice from one another. Also she was able to imbue so much information to the reader in the distinct chapters focusing on either Grace, Ava, and Kelli.

I also really loved the open-endedness to the novel and was glad that Ms. Hatvany did not try to tie things up with a bow. I like novels that are written true to life and realize that some things are going to take work.

I 100% recommend to other readers!

Amy Yurk
Die Macht der Liebe
Ullstein

Autor: Amy Yurk wurde 1972 in Seattle, Washington geboren. Obwohl sie bereits in jungen Jahren großes Interesse am Schreiben hat, bestreitet sie nach Abschluss eine Studiums ihren Lebensunterhalt zunächst mit verschiedenen Aushilfsjobs. Die schriftstellerische Tätigkeit betreibt sie jedoch weiter, bis im Jahr 200 ihr erster Roman Die Macht der Liebe veröffentlicht wird. Die Autorin lebt mit ihrem Mann und ihren beiden Kindern in Bellingham,Washington. (Quelle: Die Macht der Liebe)

Sarah und ihr Mann Gavin sind schon fünf Jahre ein glückliches Paar. Für Sarah gibt es deshalb auch keinen größeren Wunsch, als endlich ein Kind zu bekommen. Für ihren Mann ist dies allerdings noch kein Thema, das hat er ihre in ihrem letzten Gespräch darüber, nochmals verdeutlicht. Drei Wochen nach ihrem letzten Gespräch über den Kinderwunsch, kommt Gavin nach Hause, macht es sich mit seiner Frau bequem und überrascht sie mit der Tatsache, dass er nun doch bereit für ein Kind ist.

Die Macht der Liebe von Autorin Amy Yurk, ist nicht in einzelne Kapitel unterteilt. Es liest sich viel mehr, wie die Aufzeichnung in einem Tagebuch. Hin und wieder finden sich allerdings Angaben über die jeweilige Jahreszeit (Herbst bis Frühling), wodurch der Leser dem zeitlichen Rahmen im Buch, besser folgen kann. Die Tatsache, dass es sich bei dem Aufbau von “Die Macht der Liebe” um ein Tagebuch handelt, wird auch dadurch verdeutlicht, dass der Sohn, um den es im Buch geht, die ganze Zeit direkt angesprochen wird. Es ist also ein Tagebuch der Protagonistin, an ihrem Sohn, worin sie ihm alles erzählt, was er wegen seines geringen Alters, noch nicht mitbekommen hat. Es geht darum, wie es ist Eltern zu werden. Worum es dabei allerdings genau geht, möchte ich an dieser Stelle nicht im Detail nennen, da ich niemanden Spoilern möchte.
Beginnt das Buch anfänglich noch freudig und glücklich, so ändert sich die Stimmung im Laufe des Buches immer mehr. Hier hat der Klappentext von “Die Macht der Liebe”, für meine Begriffe, etwas zu viel vorweggenommen. Ab dem Zeitpunkt, wo die Stimmung beginnt sich zu ändert, bleibt sie auch recht konstant traurig. Ab hier widmet sich Autorin Amy Yurk, dem Kampf um die Trauer und den Schmerz. Hier gelingt es der Autorin auch, ein wenig Mitgefühl beim Leser zu erzeugen, allerdings bleibt dies nur auf einem sehr geringen Level. Hier wäre deutlich mehr möglich gewesen.
Das Buch endet schließlich, mit dem Beginn eines neuen Lebens.

Cover: Das Cover von “Die Macht der Liebe”, zeigt den Ausblick aufs Wasser. Das Foto, wurde von einer Blumenwiese aus gemacht, wodurch man einen leicht erhöhten Blick aufs Wasser hat.
Das Cover ist für meine Begriffe, etwas zu schlicht gehalten. Leider hat es kaum einen Bezug zum Inhalt des Buches. Hier möchte ich, dass deutlich gelungenere Cover erwähnen, welche die Weltbild-Ausgabe bekommen hat.

Fazit: Autorin Amy York gelingt es, in ihrem Roman “Die Macht der Liebe“ zu zeigen, wie nah sich Glück und Trauer, manchmal befinden können. Ihr gelingt es dabei, den Leser zu erreichen, allerdings wäre hier deutlich mehr möglich gewesen. Am Ende ist “Die Macht der Liebe” allerdings ein toller Roman, der sich leicht und flüssig lesen lässt. Jedem, der auf diese Art Roman steht und die Möglichkeit hat, an das Buch zu kommen, sollte sich die Zeit nehmen, es auch zu lesen. Von mir bekommt “Die Macht der Liebe“ 4/5 Sterne.

Klappentext: Sarah hat es sich so sehr gewünscht wie noch nie etwas in ihrem Leben: Endlich stimmt ihr Mann Gavin zu, eine richtige Familie zu gründen! Als sie schwanger wird, ist sie so glücklich wie nie zuvor. Doch dann geschieht ein schrecklicher Unfall, der Sarahs Welt in ihren Grundfesten erschüttert ... Ein großartiges und aufwühlendes Romandebüt ? Sie werden unter Tränen lächeln! (Quelle: Amazon)

Autor: Amy Yurk
Titel: Die Macht der Liebe
Verlag: Ullstein
Genre: Roman
Seiten: 254
Preis: Variiert
Erstveröffentlichung: 2003
ISBN: 978-3548258324

This book is an excessively romantic view of a mother's poverty-driven relinquishment of her children and what happens to all of them in later life. The underlying plot is, however, appealing to me and I can't deny the author's skill in coaxing emotional response from the reader, me included. Nonetheless, there are too many instances of lack of realism to justify a better rating. For example: prisoners who care about each other and express that care; a caring prison system; adopted children easily finding each other and their mother; a man who insists on providing support for the (unborn) child of his ex-girlfriend who says she wants nothing to do with him; a mother who runs a sweet food business successfully in her 'spare' time and who has a remarkably supportive husband; etc. On one level you could look at this as propaganda for the American dream - despite huge adversity you can achieve success and middle-class status if you just choose that option. But if you're in the mood to be given some hope when the situation seems utterly hopeless (as I guess I must have been) then this is the right book for you.½

I was not really sure what I was expecting when I grabbed for Outside the Lines, but I previously read a book by the author and loved it.

This is a really raw look at the relationship between a father and daughter and the impact mental illness can have on a family. This does deal with mental health, suicide, and some other series issues around mental health. I liked how the author really took the story to a dark place for David. However; the middle did get a little repetitive and I was ready for something else to happen.

This jumps from the past and present of the family relationships. You get to see a glimpse of when Eden was a child and what happened with her father and his mental health needs. You also get his perspective while he was dealing with his demons. The third is the present where Eden is looking for her father after not seeing him since she was a child.

There is also a romance for Eden but it is not at the forefront of the story.

Yes, this was emotional but I was just waiting for that moment for it to blow me away. It never really happened. I was waiting for that moment where my stomach would drop and the tears would just come, and again it did not happen. It just was a little to flat in the end.

Overall, it was ok.

Jennifer Walker is barely twenty, homeless, and trying to care for a four-year-old and a six-month old on her own when desperation and lack of money cause her to leave her two girls in her car while she tries to steal food from a convenience store.

She gets caught.

Facing a year in jail and no more prospects when she gets out than she has now, she very reluctantly signs away her parental rights. She assumes they'll be placed together, but of course babies are far more adoptable than four-year-olds. Baby Natalie is quickly adopted, while four-year-old Brooke bounces from foster home to foster home.

We get the stories of Jennifer as she faces new traumas and tries to rebuild her life, married Natalie, and single Brooke in alternating chapters. Each of the women has healing to do. Jennifer and Brooke in their different ways are dealing with the emotional fallout of what they each perceive as their rejection by their respective mothers, and in Jennifer's case, the guilt of having to give up her own daughters. Natalie knew she was adopted, but has only just learned that she has a sister.

It's an emotional roller coaster for all of them. Natalie wonders why her parents kept secrets like the existence of her sister from her. Brooke is about to face the challenge of whether she can be a good mother when she never had or knew one.

And Jennifer needs to deal with her guilt over giving up her children, as well as some of the other things she did along the way.

This is very much a character-based novel, and very effectively explores the emotions of all three women.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Grace McAllister has just become engaged to her boyfriend Victor, and they're planning to tell his children during their weekend visit, when a normal Friday afternoon is disrupted by the shocking news that the children's mother, Victor's ex-wife Kelli, has suddenly died. The couple are now full-time parents to two grieving children, with all the new stresses this introduces, for Victor, for Grace, and for the two children, thirteen-year-old Ava and ten-year-old Ben.

Grace raised her much younger brother, and has never wanted children of her own. She's not sure she has the ability to be the parent the children need. Victor feels guilty for not having been as involved in his children's lives as he now thinks he should have been, and fears he is more like his father, who left when he was five, than he cares to believe. The cause of Kelli's death isn't altogether clear--she died of heart failure, but the underlying cause may have been an overdose of her anti-anxiety medication.

We learn that Ava, at thirteen, had been taking on enormous responsibility for taking care of her brother, and helping her mother do basic things like paying the bills. She's been bearing the burden of being the emotionally strong one in her relationship with her mother. Now she's confused and guilty, afraid that her mother died because she didn't tell her father or a teacher what was going on.

And then, gradually, Ava and Grace separately start to discover that Kelli's past is a mystery. There are no pictures of her after the age of fourteen until she's an adult. She talked a lot about being a cheerleader in high school, and captain of the squad, but the only yearbook she has is her freshman year of high school.

There's a big, gaping hole in her history. Is that where the explanation for her death lies?

We get the story in alternating chapters, Grace's viewpoint, Ava's viewpoint, and, in flashbacks, Kelli's viewpoint. It's a beautifully braided story, revealing events from multiple viewpoints, and building up a fuller and fuller understanding of Grace, Ava, and Kelli, and how all their lives have been affected by the decisions of adults around them as they grew, and their own choices flowing from those experiences.

Highly recommended.

I am pretty critical when it comes to stories around foster care, so I was hesitant to pick this up. I actually ended up really enjoying it.

This is a story around two children and their mother. It follows their journey from foster care into adulthood. It was pretty emotional at times, especially the ending. I was glad it did not end up in the perfect ending as it is not how real life usually is when it comes to this topic. However; this is all about the relationship between Jennifer and her children. It is also about the relationship between the sisters. It is not fast paced, so if you do not like things like that then this will not be for you. If you are looking for an emotionally impactful story, then pick this up.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

Before I go into my review, I want to let you all know about something BookSparks is doing to help #SPEAKOUT against sexual violence. When you purchase Amy Hatvany’s It Happens All The Time TODAY, BookSparks will donate 30% of all verified purchases to the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. All you have to do is purchase the book (online, in-store, doesn’t matter), and send a copy of your receipt to them here: send us your receipt. Your receipt showing the purchase of the book has to have a date of April 19th, but otherwise it is literally that easy. So don’t waste another moment, go buy the book and send them your receipt to start helping victims today! Now onto my thoughts about the book…

First of all, this book is about much more than consent and sexual assault. It deals with eating disorders, anxiety, stress, and the healthy vs unhealthy ways to deal with each.

This book has an important message; especially in the times we are living in. We live in a society that loves to blame the victim, particularly when that victim is a woman who has been sexually assaulted. Maybe if she hadn’t drunk as much; worn such a tight top; been in the wrong place at the wrong time, it wouldn’t have happened. When people say things like that, it is excusing the behavior of the perpetrator, by saying he was too tempted by what she was wearing/doing, to stop himself. She brought it on herself. And that thinking is just plain disgusting.

It Happens All the Time focuses on Amber and Tyler. Best friends since their teens, Tyler has had unrequited love for Amber for as long as he can remember. But Amber hasn’t, and doesn’t, feel the same way.

Tyler has a father who is, basically, verbally abusive to him, and this wrecks havoc on Tyler’s psyche, causing him to suffer from extreme anxiety and panic attacks. As a person who suffers from anxiety, I was waiting to feel empathy towards Tyler, but that feeling never came. I don’t know if that is because I knew what he was going to do, or if it was Tyler himself I didn’t like – maybe both. Either way, I didn’t sympathize nor empathize with him.

Amber has supportive, if overprotective, parents. She suffered from an eating disorder in high school, and it is still something she sometimes struggles with. She comes home over the summer, recently engaged to her boyfriend Daniel, but starts having doubts about the engagement. After an argument with Daniel over the phone, she lets go at a party she attends with Tyler and his friends. She feels safe because she’s with Tyler. He won’t let anyone hurt her; he’ll protect her. She never would have guessed, that Tyler himself would be the one to hurt her. Which makes what happens even worse, because it was done by someone she trusted completely.

Fueled by too much alcohol, years of longing on Tyler’s part, and Amber’s doubt about Daniel, the two of them kiss. What happens after that kiss changes them both forever.

The supporting characters in the book were great, particularly Amber’s parents, her boyfriend Daniel, and Tyler’s coworker Mason. Each played an important part in the story. Hatvany’s description of Amber’s feelings after the rape were startlingly real. Sometimes when you read a story, you still feel like an outsider, you know what you are reading isn’t ‘real.’ But Hatvany’s writing when Amber describes what she’s going through, feels completely real, and it is all the more devastating knowing this same thing happens to real women and men, every single day.

I won’t go into many more details here, because you need to read the book yourself. But I will say this; Tyler tries to rationalize his behavior, putting the blame on anyone and anything that is not himself. Amber feels like she is to blame for what happened after that kiss, because of everything that lead up to it. Both of them are backwards in their thinking.

If someone says, wait, stop, hold on, I don’t want to do this, NO. Then listen. Teach your girls to speak up and fight for themselves. Teach your boys to listen to girls and to believe they mean what they say. To respect them. And maybe that will help put us one step closer to creating a safer world.

Don’t forget to send your receipt to BookSparks after you make your purchase today! send us your receipt

I received an ARC from BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally published on Books For The Living.

This was just OK to maybe I liked it. It seemed a bit too sappy and chick litty for my taste. (I realize litty is not a word).

If you are a person that is in to chick lit, then I think that this book will be quite enjoyable for you.

I received this book as goodreads first reads giveaway. I was instantly pulled into the book and didn't want to put it down. I love that you get the three women's point of view into the story. Grace the reluctant mom, Kelli the mother who is hurt and Ava the daughter struggling with her role. Grace never wanted to be a mom. She is sure she is missing the nurturing gene and focused on her career. She meets Vincent and falls in love. Vincent has 2 kids, but reassures Grace that they have a mother and she is not going to have to step into the role. Then Kelli dies. Ava, 13 who has been taking care of her mom since her parents divorce is devastated. Ava wants to dislike Grace because she know her mama was hurting over Grace and Vincent's relationship. Ava and Grace are both curious about Kelli's mysterious past. What happened to make Kelli's parents disown her and was that what killed her? This story was wonderful. It showed all the sides and made you care for all the characters. A lot of other novels or stories try to make the step-mom or mom come off as uncaring or evil. I think that Amy Hatvany did an amazing job of making you feel for Kelli and u deist and her pain. I felt that it would have been easy for her to make you just pity Kelli, but she didn't. I cared about Kelli as much as I did Ava and Grace. I would recommend this book to my friends.

I have read several of Amy Hatvany's other books, enjoyed them all, but decided I wanted to read her first book, Best Kept Secret. At first I was a little put off because I couldn't keep track of where she was in her life, was she drinking or not. But I soon got tuned in to the story.

I found her descriptions of drinking brilliant. I was married to a recovering alcoholic. He was sober for 32 years when he passed away. Ms. Hatvany's depiction of the course and curse of alcoholism was spot on. Great book.

Another book where you want to tell the author to keep a few issues back for next time.

Of course, considering all the loose ends, she may want to start a series.½

Are we discussing the issue of consent with our sons?
This book was a brave effort on the part of the author, to approach the issue of acquaintance rape, why it happens and how we can help prevent it by educating our children.
While I was searching for more information about the author, I came upon a You Tube video of her talking about a similar event that happened to her in her teens and I realised that this was more than just a novel, this was the author reaching out about something that she felt strongly about - the issue of consent. It also helped that in this book the issue was covered from the point of view of both victim and rapist.

*Spoiler alert - I may have discussed too much of the plot in the following review, please stop here if you haven't read the book.*

Tyler and Amber met as children when Tyler's family moved into the same street. Amber was an only child, with very sociable parents and they immediately welcomed Tyler and his family. The two Mums became best friends and after Tyler's parents separated, Amber's parents invited him and his Mum to join them on holidays.
All through childhood they were each other's closest friends. Tyler was Amber's greatest support when she suffered severe eating disorders, spending a large chunk of time in hospital, and whenever she needed him he was there for her.
Unfortunately Tyler harbored desires beyond just friendship, while Amber considered him to be like a brother. He was struggling to come to terms with Amber's engagement to another student that summer when everything fell apart.

Tyler also had his own issues and suffered with anxiety, largely caused by his awful bully of a father. I was pretty horrified that Amber was so bruised after the event, I suppose Tyler's behaviour with Whitney should have rung warning bells, but he supposedly loved Amber, he proceeded without consent, yes, but did he have to be so violent? It almost adds another dimension to the central issue of the book.

My BG wasn't very impressed with this book, giving ratings as low as 2 stars, they didn't think it was very well written, and in some ways I have to agree; there were parts that didn't quite work.
What bothered me most, was the resolution. Why was it that Tyler was expected to turn himself in, yet Amber was not taken to account for her actions with the gun. By the end of the book, was it right that Amber should be just allowed to walk away and start again?

As an aside to the book, do be sure to search out Amy Hatvany's comments in "The Conversations We’re Not Having With Our Sons", published as a guest post in The Manifest-Station. http://www.themanifeststation.net/201...½

A timely novel for our rape culture. The story is told in a he said she said manner by the two main characters, Tyler and Amber. They were best friends until the night Tyler raped Amber. Not surprisingly they both view the night in question quite differently. No matter who is right the rape has a devastating effect on both Tyler and Amber as well as all those who know them. This is a great novel to share with teenagers and young adults, especially those leaving home for the first time.

My Review of “It Happens All the Time” by Amy Hatvany

Kudos to Amy Hatvany for writing such a controversial and heartwrenching novel. In “It Happens All the Time”, the topic of rape and assault is discussed.

The genres of this novel are Contemporary Fiction and Women’s Fiction.

The author vividly describes her two characters as conflicted, complicated and troubled. Amber and Tyler have been friends for many years. Tyler comes from a home where his father bullied and abused him. As a result, Tyler experiences anxiety attacks. Amber has problems with her body image and becomes anorexic. Both friends are supportive and encouraging of one another.

The tragedy of this story is when one night Amber and Tyler are drinking and become intoxicated. Amber is engaged to another man, and is confused, and Tyler has different feelings for Amber that are not reciprocated. There is dancing and kissing, and more liquor. Things progress too rapidly , and Amber tries to put a stop to what is going on. Unfortunately Tyler does not get the message to stop.

The consequences of this night change Amber and Tyler’s lives. Amber is shattered by the fact that someone that she trusted and cared for betrayed her. Tyler vacillates in his feelings of what happened and makes excuses to himself.

This was an emotional read for me, and I feel this issue is so very relevant in today’s society. Both young women and men should be better educated about appropriate behavior, and what the word “No” means. Also there are pressures and entitlements to these young people who sometimes just want what they want, and can’t take responsibility for their actions. Another issue is the abundance of alcohol and drugs served at parties and colleges. Parents should prepare their children to be responsible.

I would highly recommend this book as a must read.
Author: lindasbookobsession

For the subject matter alone and the attention brought to said subject, this book deserves a higher rating than that which I have given. So them why is my rating lower? so many reviewers are raring this higher and I once again find myself swimming upstream.

For the first part of the book I felt there was a decided lack of emotion, in telling of the beginning friendship of Tyler and Amber, Amber's medical and mental problems were quite significant, and yet I felt they were treated very matter of fact. What happens is terrible, horrific, a supreme betrayal of trust, I acknowledge this but Tyler, who supposedly loves her shows little effect. Doesn't seem distressed at all, just bugged me. I don't think there has been a character in recent fiction, well obviously the killers in my mysteries, that I have despised more than Tyler's father. He is all things I dislike in a person, male or female. Despicable, as a father and a man.

Didn't relate too well with any of the characters, found none of them very sympathetic. The ending, really? Well enough said, Hatvany's preface explains why she wrote this book about this subject and I feel for her, for all victims and as I said I applaud her for bringing attention to this subject, but for me as a story it didn't work.

ARC from publisher.

It Happens All the Time by Amy Hatvany is a highly recommended examination of a friendship changed by sexual expectations.

Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since they were teenagers. She was there for him when his macho father humiliates and degrades him. He was there for her when her eating disorder leads to a heart attack. Amber made it clear to Tyler during high school that she wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with him. Now Amber has returned home for the summer. She's just graduated from college and is engaged. She strictly watches her eating, but she's eating. Tyler is working as an EMT. He still has feelings for Amber and has hoped that someday she'd reciprocate them.

Tyler and Amber rekindle their friendship. Amber's fiancé is miles away and she's working before moving to meet him in the Fall. While Amber still wants the friendship to remain platonic, she's confused about her engagement. Tyler still desires more than a friendship. The two begin to see each other a lot and the flirtation between the two increases. A drunken party on the fourth of July, blatant sexual flirting, and a kiss lead to a sexual encounter. Amber feels it was rape while Tyler sees it as his dreams fulfilled.

The narrative alternates between the point of view of Amber and Tyler. Since the novel opens with Amber kidnapping Tyler at gun point, you know right away a rape is going to happen. When it does, well, the line is a little blurry since "No!" was never used, but "Wait" was. I can concede that it was rape because it was unwanted. However that doesn't make Amber's later crime okay. You'll have to read the book, but it didn't sit well with me that it was alright to lie about Amber's actions, but Tyler had to be held accountable for his actions. Hmmmm... They were both guilty of acts of violence. And the eating disorder thrown in for good measure also muddied the plot.

This is a well-written novel that is imminently readable with a plot that moves along quickly. Amber and Tyler are well-developed characters, even though the plot does get in the way of them being actually likeable. Additionally Amber's eating disorder lessens the emotional impact of the assault, especially after we learn that Tyler is the one who saved her when she had the heart attack. He's wanted a relationship for years, she knew it, and yet she still led him on sexually. I'm not letting him off the hook either. When she said wait he should have stopped. Even though she was drunk and coming on to him, he could have told her to stop it because she was engaged.

This could be a good choice for a book club because the discussion would undoubtedly be lively.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/03/it-happens-all-time.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1952546299

One of my all-time favorite authors, Amy Hatvany returns following Somewhere Out There (2016) with her most emotional and timely book yet: IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME — an exploration into two different experiences of rape.

View the author's powerful video. Author, wife, mother, friend, rape survivor.

A girl. A guy. Childhood friends. Consent. Rape. Their families. A tragedy which changes everything. A desperate need for justice and revenge.

There is one thing (well, more than one) you can come to expect from Amy Hatvany: She is not afraid to tackle tough issues of the heart, with honesty and superbly researched topics —critical for today’s contemporary woman, no matter the age.

Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have grown up together. Best friends from an early age through teen years. Their parents were friends. Ty comes from and abusive father. The Bryants took Ty and his mom under their wing and have always included them in family activities.

Amber has had food and self-esteem issues throughout her life. Tyler battles his self-esteem issues with his father. Amber always thinking she is fat, to the point she almost lost her life. It is a topic her parents to this day are sensitive about when they note her eating habits.

Tyler has always been her very best friend. He has always been in love with her. The feeling has not been mutual. From Amber’s side, it is more friendship, not love. Now Amber has graduated from college and is engaged to be married. She returns home to visit with her family and runs into Tyler. Tyler stayed in town and become a local paramedic.

Both Amber and Tyler are experiencing things in their own individual lives. Both are troubled in different ways. Even though Amber is engaged to med student Daniel, Tyler is excited to have his old friend back in town. Deep down he always hopes he has a shot. Amber starts second guessing her decision to get married.

They go out and have too much to drink, which leads to a sexual encounter. Things get out of control and Amber says, “no.” Tyler does not stop. This devastating experience changes the dynamics of this couple and everyone close to them, including their family, forever.

Hatvany explores both sides of the story, combined with her own raw emotion and personal tragedy. A sense of powerlessness and self-destruction behavior.

Amber doubts herself. How could this have happened? Her best friend. How could not remember the events and how they unfolded? What happened to consent? She soon becomes obsessed with taking the matter into her own hands. She will force him into admitting what he had done. Was he more like his dad than he wanted to admit?

The characters grapple with themselves as well as one another. Exploring healthy and unhealthy ways people respond to and recover from trauma, including revenge, therapy, obsession, denial, eating disorders, drug abuse, sex, support groups, social withdrawal, exercise, legal action, and violence.

A compelling look at a topic of rape; which is brushed under the radar more often than we may expect. Especially when the victim knows the other party.

Furthermore, when the parents are friends and the person is someone you have trusted your entire life, and now has betrayed you. Shattered lives. Someone will have to pay for the injustice.

Often the law fails the victim. More than one will have to possess the courage to step up and admit their mistakes and be prepared for the consequences. When events are not always black and white. Moral lines are crossed.

Powerful storytelling. Emotionally gripping. Struggling with the aftermath of rape, and domestic violence.

For fans of Diane Chamberlain, Heather Gudenkauf, Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty, Jennifer Weiner, and Sarah Pekkanen. An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. Another winner by Hatvany!

On a side note: When posting a review, I often link to the previous book, read by the author. However, when I scrolled back to reference all the books I have read by Hatvany, I noticed each book was a "5-star rating!" How often does an author consistently deliver quality, high-charged absorbing and timely issues?

It is rare. Why I wanted to include all the book reviews here by the author, for those of you which may be new to Amy Hatvany. An author you will soon move to the "top" of your favorite author list. Each book one is uniquely different with a critical takeaway message.

2011 Best Kept Secret
2012 The Language of Secrets
2012 Outside the Lines
2013 Heart Like Mine
2014 Safe With Me
2016 Somewhere Out There

A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an early reading copy. Stunning cover. Would make a great movie.

JDCMustReadBooks

Once again, Amy Hatvany has given her readers a book that explores a topic that is often in the news - date rape and consent. It was a tough book to read and readers are able to see the story line through the eyes of Amber and Tyler as they work to understand what happened and how they are going to live the rest of their lives.

Amber and Tyler met when they were 10 and became best friends. Amber always felt a platonic friendship with Ty but he was in love with her. She became engaged while in college but when she was home after graduation, she spent considerable time with Ty and when she kissed him at a party after an evening of heavy drinking by both, things spiraled out of control. This is the story of the emotion and pain caused by that one night. It's told in alternating chapters from each character's point of view so the reader is aware of how it is affecting both of them.

It was a tough book to read but it needs to be read and discussed with everyone's daughters AND sons. If you have a teenager or college student, I beg you to have them read this book and then discuss it with them. At this age, they feel invincible and they need to understand how one night can totally change their plans for the future.

I received an advance copy of this book to review honestly.

I received a copy through Netgalley to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I seem to be reading a lot of books lately that work my emotions. This is the story of a mother who gives up her children, ages four and six-months in hopes of them having a better life. She believes they will be kept together, but they aren't.

This story is told from three points of view. First we have Jennifer, the mother who gave up her children when she got in trouble with the law. Then we have Brooke who was the oldest of the girls. She grew up in the foster system and has always felt like she belonged nowhere. Now she is pregnant and trying to decide what is best for her own child. Finally we have Natalie who has never questioned her adoptive parents about her birth mother. When her daughter comes home from school with an assignment to create a family tree, Natalie sets out to find her birth mother and a sister she never knew. The author has done a phenomenal job developing the characters. You can't read this book and not feel for all of them involved. This is a story of finding love, forgiveness in a heartrending story.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be 'bland.'

With that being said, it's not a bad book. I actually really did enjoy it and would even recommend it to others if they expressed interest. It's a fresh take on the "closed adoption" story, and it's not like anything I've really ever read.

But my one complaint is that it easily could have been condensed to a short story. The alternating perspectives added further insight and a glimpse into the characters that, although linked, possessed very differing personalities. It was multi-dimensional, it was interesting...it was just a bit blah.

Overall, would I recommend this book to others? You know what? Probably. It really was pretty good. I just can't get over the fact that I was a couple of times tempted to just skim to the interesting parts. I know I'm holding writers to a high standard of constant entertainment. Sorry about that.

What did I think?: I thought this was a good book but it was a bit drawn out for my taste. The characters were well done, and I have very little to complain about.

Who should read it?: Is there an audience for adoption stories out there? If so, those people. Otherwise, I say that if you read the description and are tempted, give it a shot.




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