Horseshoes And Hand Grenades by S.M. Stevens – Book Review

PUBLISHERS BLURB 

After suffering harassment and abuse at the hands of others, two women fight to reclaim their careers, romances, and lives.

Fragile but practical Shelby Stewart and ambitious, confident Astrid Ericcson just want to start their PR careers in 1980s Boston and maybe find a nice guy to hang out with. But long-buried memories of incest at the hands of her local hero stepfather keep interrupting Shelby’s plans, affecting her health one way after another. And when will she actually date someone her friends think is good enough for her?

Astrid thinks she wrote the book on How to Get Ahead by Flirting but is forced to re-visit her career advancement strategy when her boss Brad takes the innuendos to a whole new, scary level, threatening her job and her safety.

Suddenly, instead of taking charge of their lives, both women find themselves spinning out of control.

In this fast-paced story for the #metoo generation, the women reach new highs and lows in life, work and romance, while struggling to make sense of the abusive relationships that haunt them.

MY REVIEW

Set in the 1980’s, this is a tale of abuse, including child abuse and sexual harassment in the workplace, on the streets and in women’s daily lives.

Told from the perspective of two women, Shelby and Astrid, as these two become friends and who have more in common than they think.

This deals with the trauma of abuse and how it affects lives daily and for many years after the event, affecting relationships and interactions with others. 

I found this to be a beautifully written tale of a difficult and uncomfortable subject, told sympathetically and honestly and all too common. A timely must read with a satisfying ending too. 

Thank you to S.M. Stevens for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the promotional material and a free ecopy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

S.M. Stevens began writing fiction during back-to-back health crises. First, she broke her pelvis in three places in a horseback riding fall, and used the recuperation period to write Shannon’s Odyssey, a middle-grade novel for animal-lovers. Soon after, Stevens was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. During her five months of treatment and subsequent recovery spell, she wrote Bit Players, Has-Been Actors and Other Posers for musical theatre-loving teens. Two additional Bit Players novels followed. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades is her first adult book. After watching reactions to the #MeToo movement, she decided it was time for a novel that takes people into the minds of victims so they can understand why many women don’t speak up about their harassment or assault, and why some do. When not writing, she provides marketing and public relations services to solar energy companies. She is from Gorham, Maine, and now lives in Clinton, Mass., and Washington, N.H. She has also lived in Italy and in the U.K., where she was Group Public Affairs Director for National Grid. 

 

 

 

Website & Social Media Links:

 

Website: https://www.AuthorSMStevens.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSMStevens

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SMStevens17 (@SMStevens17)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.m.stevens/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-m-stevens-303623180/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6642891.S_M_Stevens

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/S.M.-Stevens/e/B006E548JO

 

 

Where to Buy Links: 

 

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781946920713

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2QPKR6s

Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1946920711

Amazon (UK): https://amzn.to/33oQ5Zz

Advertisement