Synopsis:
Janie was always the life of the party, gifted with a natural ability to make people laugh. Her fun world comes crashing down when she’s attacked coming home from a party. Two good Samaritans happen to come to her aid and save her from a tragic crime. She’s convinced to go to self- defense classes to help her cope with her fear.
Cullen, a professional boxer, can’t seem to stay out of trouble. When trouble befalls him again, an empathetic Judge looks at his upbringing and decides that Cullen needs one more chance. Judge Dillon recognizes that Cullen often looks out for the underdog and this trait may be the only way Cullen can find a purpose in his life. Cullen’s community service sentence is to teach a self-defense course.
Janie believes she will never feel safe among men again. Cullen doesn’t think he is capable of a loving relationship. The problem becomes obvious between them, as neither of them can stop thinking about each other.
****contains explicit sexual scenes. For adults only. This story contains references to a sexual assault and child abuse.
My Review:
Funny Girl is the third book in author Kate Baum’s Girl Series, a series I have really enjoyed reading. This story follows Janie, known as the funny one in her group of friends, and picks up after she was assaulted after returning home from a party. This is her journey of healing and it was phenomenal.
Growing up rather shy, Janie learned that she was able to come out of her shell when she turned on the humor. And damn she was good at it. Always making people laugh and bringing a smile to someone’s face. But it was that humor that attracted the attention of a predator at a party one evening and that lead to a terrifying assault while walking home that would have turned much worse if not for the help of two bystanders. But regardless, the damage was done. Just like she would never wear the same clothes she had from that night, she never wanted to be funny again. What had always been her shining asset was now something she never wanted to bring to the surface again. Sure she had her family and friends to support her through this but she knew deep down it would take a long time before she would ever bring out the funny girl again…if ever. But then she meets Cullen. The protective, handsome, and strong boxer at the gym she and her support group were learning self-defense from. She knew a bit of his back-story and that he was helping with the program because he had gotten into trouble himself…protecting someone who couldn’t protect themselves. She was thankful to be working with him and was thankful that part of his assignment was walking her and another girl home from the gym after their sessions. Their relationship grew into a great friendship and soon she couldn’t help but start to feel more. Was she ready for that? Knowing he had his own secrets and a painful past, was he ready for that kind of relationship?
Each with a painful past, Cullen and Janie have learned to start to heal but need that little bit more to complete the healing process completely….and they start to find that in each other. Can they take that last final step and make their lives better by opening their hearts and trusting once again? By believing there is still good on this world and that they deserve it?
Amazing. This book was freaking amazing. It ran through so many emotions, addressed very difficult situations, and was written so well that you couldn’t help but feel for Cullen and Janie every step of the way.
I totally got why Janie never wanted to go back to the person she was before the assault. I know I would try to change every single thing about myself as to avoid ever being in a horrific situation again. No, that wouldn’t guarantee safety, but I could see how it could give a bit of security in my mind. The most admirable thing about Janie is that she wants to put the assault behind her. She wants to heal and overcome and just move on. She tires every step of the way and becomes a fighter, and isn’t just “the funny girl” anymore. She really rose above adversity and took charge of her life. And with Cullen’s help she was able to open her heart as well.
As for Cullen, oh my God, I love that man. He is hiding a painful and heartbreaking past and when he finally tells his story I was sobbing my eyes out. I think I was most upset because his story is the real life story of many children in this world. I appreciate that Kate took the chance in giving Cullen the kind of past she did because it is a reminder that we must protect the innocence of children and never shy away from a child in need. Of course, I’m tearing up as I type this. But like Janie, Cullen is one hell of a fighter and didn’t become a victim. He stood up and now teaches others to do the same. He’s always standing up for the underdog and it makes him the complete package of the handsome and tough exterior with a huge heart.
Yes, this book had plenty of heavy moments but those moments make the triumphs so much more meaningful and I loved that. The highs outweigh the lows by far and overall I was left wearing a big, contented grin. Thank you, Kate, for writing Janie and Cullen and giving us an amazing story. I look forward to the next in the Girl Series!
Four Loves
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About the author:
I have always been a voracious reader. My favorite genres were tailored to YA type of horror, fantasy and science fiction. I guess it fit being that I am a middle school librarian. I have a young adult series in mind that I always told myself I would one day write. Then, at the young age of 46, I picked up an erotic romance book. I only read it out of curiosity. It was a best seller and ALL the teachers in my school were talking about this particular book. You know the one. It had a certain “tie” on the cover. Instantly, overnight, I became of fan of erotic romance. That summer, I think I read twenty erotic romance books. Since I work in a school, I have the beauty of summers off. I read day and night. My face was always plastered in front of my e-reader. I couldn’t get enough of erotic romance. The passion was exciting and contagious! What this genre did for me was to bring out characters in my head that I had been dreaming about for years. I became obsessed at the idea of writing my own fantasies. Reading other talented authors gave me the inspiration to write stories about my favorite sexy alpha men. I created the “Girl Series”. Please email me with your comments. I would love to hear what you think!