Book Title: Progress
Author: Amalie Silver
Genre:New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 15, 2016
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Jesse
I admit, I didn’t think much of Charlie at first. She was rounder than the girls who usually caught my eye. Not my type. But when I saw her sitting in that booth alone, for the first time something in my mind or my instincts or my heart told me to join her.
She defied me.
She challenged me.
She gave me hope.
Before I knew it, moving forward was my only option.
Charlie
I couldn’t tell you when it happened, but it had to have been a gradual change; I never moved too quickly.
If someone would have told me earlier that year what I was going to go through, I wouldn't have believed them.
Jesse was so different from anyone I’d met before. And everyone I’ve met since. He sucked all the life out of me, in the best—and worst—ways.
We don’t get strong overnight. For most of us it takes time. Strength isn’t measured by how high and fast our walls go up, but how easily we can watch them fall.
Warning: This book contains material that might be a trigger for some readers. Abuse and rape are implied, but not described in detail. Discretion is advised.
Version Reviewed: eBook, ARC
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
There are different types of books and each type of book has it's own way of affecting your mind and your heart. Some books are felt on a superficial level. They affect you and you feel strongly about them but they don't reach down inside you and rip your heart out. Progress is not one of those books. This story definitely has the ability to reach down deep and wrap it's fingers around your writhing heart.
I knew, throughout the entire book, that I was going to feel this one. This story was going to have an impact on me. And it did. Progress held on and it didn't let go until the very end.
Even though their personalities are pretty extreme, both Charlie and Jess are very relateable on a human level. They are two very real people and open readers up to a world that they may not have known much about. Their story is raw and it's real and true and serves as a reminder that, just because we see a person every day or think that we know someone, it doesn't mean we actually do. Everyone is fighting a battle, some worse than others, and sometimes we forget that.
Charlie and Jess's story was heartbreakingly beautiful. They were explosive for one another but, at the same time, needed each other for their own personal reasons and did what they had to do to live. There were times when I didn't like Charlie and moments when Jess made me uncomfortable but I loved them all the same. These two characters were so broken but they worked together in all the right and wrong ways.
I noticed at the end that there will be a part two and I am really delighted at the idea of reading further into their lives. This is not a fairytale book. It isn't easy. It's hard and it's rough but it's worth it. You won't get a happily ever after here but you will learn a little bit about something deep and maybe learn a little bit about who you are along the way. A must-read, in my opinion.
Rating: 5 Stars.
Favorite Character: Jess & Charlie.
“What am I?” My irritation rising, I spoke loudly. “Am I a monster? Is that what you see?”
Please don’t do this.
There were a lot of things, despite my desire for her to know, she had no business asking. Dragging Charlie through my past wasn’t something I had any intentions of allowing.
“You’re my friend. And these are things I should know about you,” she said.
I licked my lips, feeling the adrenaline spike through my veins. My knee bounced, my head shook on its own accord, and my throat was dry. “Then maybe we shouldn’t be friends. If this is the shit you think you need to know, then I’ve got nothing to offer you. So just go back to your little world where you eat your ice cream at ?xml:namespace prefix = "st1" /midnight and stroke your clit over the thought of a man who will never actually have a shot at getting you off.” My voice was shaky. But I hoped to God she didn’t notice.
Her shoulders dropped and her mouth flew open. “You’re such an asshole.”
“Get used to it, sweetheart. The world is full of them.”
“Maybe, but you’re one of the worst I’ve ever met.”
“That’s a lie. I say what everyone is thinking but are too afraid of the consequences of saying it out loud,” I said.
“You know what I think? I think you thrive on being miserable. Maybe if you stopped ignoring all the shit from your past by drinking and smoking your life away, you might actually have a shot at being a relatively normal human being!” she cried.
I laughed, throwing my head back. When I returned my stare to hers, I added, “And maybe if you started forgetting a little about your past, you’d start living some semblance of a life. Get over it, Charlie. The world doesn’t owe you anything, and you aren’t entitled to shit.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” She rose from the seat and gathered her notebook, glasses, and purse. “I’m entitled to walking out of this restaurant and never speaking to you again. You can be a miserable piece of shit when you want to be.”
“Oh, you’re going to play mad? You’re going to pretend that I’m a douchebag for telling you the truth? Go ahead.” I waved my hand, taking a sip of my beer. “Until tomorrow when you realize that just because I pissed you off doesn’t mean I wasn’t right.” I lifted an eyebrow.
She threw the strap of her purse over her shoulder and laughed nervously. “I’ll tell you one other thing I’m entitled to: being happy. And if you have nothing to offer in that department, just watch how long I can play mad, motherfucker.” -Jesse, Progress
Amalie Silver resides in Minnesota with her husband, two toddlers, and German Short-haired Pointer, Saba. She consumes approximately three pots of coffee a day, and credits this for her survival over the past decade.
When not completely consumed in her writing, she can be found taking road trips to northern Minnesota, engaging in fierce Scrabble games, or reading a good book. She’s a sucker for all romance genres, literary fiction, and psychological fiction.
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