Books and Motherhood: BLOG TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Fate's Mistake by Brandace Morrow

He was the perfect gentleman, and my parents adored him. In time, I learned to adore him too. I married him. He was my forever.

Until the day he hit me.

Five years went by with the speed of a ticking clock, counting down my life one painful second at a time.

Until Danny. Danny saw me. Danny was my hero.

Danny was the one I was supposed to be with. But now I’m broken, shattered into pieces too jagged to fit back together.Isn’t that what fate is? Puzzles fit together by an unseen hand to form a life worth living. So when fate makes a mistake, who fixes it?

Excerpt

I’m not dead yet. I made it through the night. Another sunrise, another goodbye kiss. While stepping on the treadmill, I pray I get to run tomorrow too. My ribs ache as I pick up speed. I breathe in through my nose and slowly exhale through my mouth. My kidneys feel like giant boulders with each hurtful movement. For two hours I run, and not only because I have to. I run because this is the only time I am allowed out of my prison.

My eyes stare, unseeing, out of the floor to ceiling window overlooking the city below. The city goes about its business five stories down, but I don't see sky, glass, metal or traffic. I see the images conjured up by the ear buds blasting music through my head; images of my mom as I was growing up, teaching me everything she loved; images of my father imparting sage advice. I think about how things used to be, and it’s the only time I allow myself to go to those memories. If I didn't lock them away, I'd lose my mind.

Shrill beeping goes off in my ears, startling me so much I trip as my sneaker drags over the conveyer belt of the treadmill. I snag the arm rails desperately and move my feet quickly to the sides. I breathe deeply and push the big red stop button on the machine, then set up a five-minute cool-down walk. When the speed is set, I force my hands to let go of the bars and move naturally at my sides. I don't want to think about where I have to go in five minutes, or where I'll be in five hours, five days.

My skin breaks out in a new kind of sweat; one different from what’s currently coating my skin. This one is cold and stinks of fear. I stare straight ahead to the building of windows across the street and try to wipe this perspiration away. But it keeps secreting itself from my pores, stinging my eyes, making them water. My skin feels overheated, yet chills break out over my body. My breathing gets shallower, and I can feel my heart picking up speed, rather than slowing.

I close my eyes and try to take a breath, but it feels as though there's a band around my chest, like a python squeezing tighter. My vision tunnels. My shaking hands reach for my iPhone resting in the cup holder, the one with only one number in it. My palm slaps the red stop button firmly and I stagger away to the locker rooms as quickly as possible before my knees give way.

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Review

I have been in a sequel funk for some time now. Recently, follow up books have left me feeling rather let down. I'm not sure if it was high expectations or what, but I was about to give up on sequels as a whole until this book. This. Book. I read Fan Girl back in March and could not put it down. So I was a little apprehensive to read Fate's Mistake because I didn't want to be let down since it would have been challenging to top Fan Girl. However, Morrow did just that in Fate's Mistake. This book can honestly be read as a stand alone since it is a different celebrity in the series (this is book two), but the characters from the Fan Girl make a brief appearance (which I totally love).

So this book has some dark content. Domestic abuse. I think Morrow handled the topic well and completely had me wrapped around her finger from the first chapter. Seriously. It was two in the morning and I was thinking to myself, "I can probably function on four hours of sleep... One more chapter." While I did function on four hours of sleep, I often found myself thinking about the characters constantly. I have a huge book hangover. I am at a loss on what to read next because I keep thinking about these characters. Morrow does an excellent job of character development (I want to hang out with them) and writing scenes (I felt like I was there). I really fell in love with this book and cannot wait to see what Morrow has coming up next. I completely fell in love with Danny. *fans myself* I'm not a big country fan, but I wouldn't mind listening to it all the time if he was singing it. Just saying. He has the biggest heart, has so much patience, and really knows how to take care of a lady. I fell for him in chapter one and he's currently my top book boyfriend. With that said, if you haven't checked out Fan Girl or Fate's Mistake, you are really missing out. What are you waiting for? You can totally function on four hours of sleep. ;)
Review by Amber

About the Author

Brandace Morrow is a full time mom of four, and currently stationed overseas with her sexy soldier. Her recent obsessions are Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, The Pretty Reckless, rum and coke, and reading, in no particular order. Despite being terribly awkward with social media, she's everywhere. Frequently subjecting the public to pictures of her minion's messes, and everything that is momdom in the Morrow house.