Raw by Belle Aurora

RAW
Synopsis:

***Author Note: This is not a love story. This is a story of love gone wrong.*** 

Growing up the way I did, you’d think I’d be more screwed up than what I actually am. 

Soon as I turned sixteen, I left that bump in the road I called home and took my chances on the street. 

Best decision I ever made. 

Now, at the age of twenty six, I’m educated, employed and damn good at my job. 

My friends have become my family. Like me, they know what it’s like to grow up unloved. 

But the saying is true. 

The world makes way for those who know where they are going. 

That’s me. 

I know where I’m going and I’ll get there eventually. On my own terms and at my own pace. 

But then there’s him. 

I feel his eyes on me. I see him hiding in plain sight. He watches me. 

He makes me feel. 

It’s unconventional. 

But it’s real. 

I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. 

So am I. 

This isn’t a story. 

This is my life.

Review:

I was really curious to read Raw. I loved the Friend-Zoned books and thought they were hilarious. Raw was going to be completely different, so I was curious to see if the author could pull that off as well. Honestly for the first 50% of the book I would have gone with no. I didn't like it, not entirely sure why, but I will get to that. The second half though I loved so...

The story started off with Lexi at 6 helping the neighbor boy when he runs into her backyard. He tells her his name after a bit, saying she will forget it right away, and that is the last time she ever saw him. Cut to the present and Lexi is in Australia helping troubled youth and has a stalker. Not someone she is afraid of, someone she sees watching her often. Then one night she gets attacked and her stalker saves her. Enter Twitch and up until this point I was pretty intrigued by the story. It is obvious Twitch is the same kid. I mean he even says the same lines. If Lexi remembers that little boy so well, why does she not even think for a second how this guy is saying the exact same thing? Throughout the book there were so many not so subtle hints of who he was, and she just never figured it out. I have no idea why.

So Twitch starts sleeping at Lexi's, but he is gone in the morning. They don't talk, or do anything more than sleep until one night Lexi decides she wants more. Here is where something was off for me and I have no idea what. The sex with Twitch is exactly what I like to read, but this wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I really don't know what it was. It should have been great. I just don't get it. So from there until about 50% I just thought man I should be loving this, but for some reason I wasn't. Still don't know why.

I did like Twitch. I kept telling myself this is not going to end in a happy ever after since there is the note that this is not a love story. You can't help but want to have them end up together. I like him even though he is a drug dealer. Even though he does bad things to bad people. Even though he is really messed up, somehow I still like him.

Lexi is like the sweetest, nicest person ever. She helps these kids who need it and seems just great. She then meets Twitch and starts spiraling down. It is kind of sad to watch, but at the same time I wanted them to work it all out. The second half of the book was so much better than the first. Not quite sure why. Twitch was so cute at the end and it was just really great. The end though, the epilogue, man. First it is just so sad I am almost crying, then I am all no! What?! So this book was down then up for me. I would be interested in another book about Lexi.

Rating: 3/5