Consider the Thorns

The Trampled Rose Series

By: Michelle Lynn Brown

Narrated by: Meghan Kelly

Barbara Houlton is a best-selling romance author, known for her achingly sweet love stories. However, her own love life is nothing to write home about. Raped on the eve of her high-school graduation, she was left pregnant and scarred, both emotionally and physically. She has learned to hide the physical scars, but the emotional scars that taint her soul become harder to hide each day. Sarcasm, avoidance and denial have become weapons to keep her monstrous past at bay. Barbara avoids her home town at all costs. She denies to all those who are concerned for her that there is anything wrong. And those who try to pass her protective boundaries are met with her cutting sarcasm. Her emotional scars make intimacy a frightening thing, and those who try to grasp this beautiful rose are quickly met with her thorns. Instead, she loves through her characters, embracing her romantic dreams with every book she writes, and convinces herself it is enough.

When her father falls ill, she is forced to return home to Hamilton, New Mexico, a small town that comes with big problems, the biggest of which is Steve Meston. Steve has had a crush on Barbara since high school. But he is no longer the awkward, shy boy from her youth. He is now confident, handsome and relentless in his pursuit of her, despite her best efforts to put him off. His patient and steadfast love back her into a corner, and she finds that all her weapons are useless against his sweet love. Now she must stop avoiding and confront her past, or lose the one man who was able to get past her thorns.

©2013 Michelle Lynn Brown (P)2015 Michelle Lynn Brown

Narrator

I have never been able to mesh with this narrator on any listens she has done. Her voice makes the characters seem rushed and uninteresting.

Life impacting on many deep levels!

She’s not the first teen to have been horrifically raped... and then found out she was pregnant. There are a LOT of serious like changing your issues to address here. With a good support system surrounding her, she (on the surface at least) picks up the pieces of her life and moves on. But there are other issues she has tried to sweep under the rug or cope with in a purely self protective way. She has made GREAT progress but can she move through these other areas too.
This is written from an unashamedly Christian viewpoint and continues on that pathway.
The narrator does a good job bringing the story to life.
I requested a review copy of this title and am willingly offering my opinion of what I heard.

STILL SNIFFLING....LOVED IT!!!!

Where does Consider the Thorns rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a wonderful and heart wrenching story.....it ranks way up there!!!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how it was based on faith and healing....its a christian story...and it was really beautiful....I cried and cried!!!

Which character – as performed by Meghan Kelly – was your favorite?

Barb...she was so wounded..and needed help in the worst way...she had lost her faith...could not trust, or truly let herself be loved....but when she opened her heart back up to God....and a good man...she started to heal...Meghan broke my heart with her performance...it was so great...I cried like a baby..and am still a little weepy!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Oh Yes...I cried and cried...and cried some more...my heart hurt for Barb....and I have such a respect for this character..to have went through such a terrible experience and still have kept her baby and just let her love envelope this child with no hatred...it is truly amazing...but in doing so, she cut herself of from her own healing process...and I am so glad she finally got her happy ending!

Any additional comments?

** I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

First off, this was an amazing performance by Meghan Kelly...I was truly blown away...the raw emotion in Barb was flawless...and it truly ripped out my heart! lol

Barb is a rape survivor...she was violated her senior year by a very bad guy...she ended up pregnant and decided to have her little girl. She loves this little girl so much, and never regretted her decision to keep her...but Barb is very damaged....she has given up her faith, and her ability to let anyone in....Her Best friend Steve from High school...loves her...has always loved her...and she really cares for him...but with as damaged as she is she just cant let him in...So she writes...she writes romance novels....that way someone gets a happy ending.....With lots of love and TLC from her friends and family she begins to rebuild her faith...proving that love and prayer will help heal you!

I was blown away, I cried so much...and I loved this book! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Thank You Audiobookblast(dot)com

Just ok

Would you consider the audio edition of Consider the Thorns to be better than the print version?

Didnt read thr print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of Consider the Thorns?

None

What about Meghan Kelly’s performance did you like?

It was ok but i think the story didnt do justice to her talent

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I actually had a hatd time finishing it because my mind kept wondering off

Any additional comments?

story was slow. Seemed to drag on and on.

Emotionally powerful drama!

Would you consider the audio edition of Consider the Thorns to be better than the print version?

The audio was very well done so I feel print or audio is both fine.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Consider the Thorns?

When the past is put behind and the future opens up through the love and faith in God.

What does Meghan Kelly bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Meghan did a great job with all of the voices!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book was very moving. The very difficult subject was handled very well. The healing that was brought by the love of God was so powerful!

Any additional comments?

This book was a powerful and moving story of how unfortunate tragedies can occurr in our lives. The author very skillfully showed how healing can then be brought to closuer through faith.

Faith Based Romance - Warning: Discusses Rape

This could also be categorized as Romance> Inspirational

As it is a contemporary Christian romance listeners in this genre should be warned that it discusses rape, which may be off putting to some listeners.

In high school Barbara was raped by a classmate, violently. The results of the rape are scars on her back, on her soul and a baby girl.

Steve was friends with Rebecca and try to help her work through the emotions following the attack. When Rebecca gave birth to a little girl, Steve was at the hospital. But he was confused by all the joy surrounding the birth of this baby.

A few years later Rebecca and her daughter living in the new town. The story picks up when Rebecca's little girl was six years old.

Rebecca is a romance novelist who always writes happy endings in her books. However, she knows that she will never have a happy ending because anytime a man begins to get close to her she pushed him away - frightened and repulsed by flashbacks.

Meanwhile, Steve has become the doctor in their hometown. When Rebecca visits her dad, in her childhood town, she seems to run into Steve quite often.

This is a story of determination of Steve, a battle against Rebecca's demons - in trying to move the relationship between friends that have known one another forever.

This book is narrated by Meghan Kelly – one of the top three female narrators, in my opinion. She always shows up and does an excellent job. There is nothing to complain about (other than I wish she could narrate more books!)

I received a book in exchange for this review. I was surprised that it was a book about faith, love & God. I enjoyed it, a quick listen at only four hours +.

The only thing that may offend is that the description of a rape is referred to continually throughout the book.

If you found my review helpful would you look below this text and click on yes. Thank you.

Don't Keep Your Monsters Down

Short but moving story of Barbara~raped at the end of her senior year in high school, left pregnant and scarred both physically and emotionally. She becomes a bestselling author but is unable to get over the attack. With the help of Steve (her first love), George (her father), Chloe (her best friend), and Tristan (an unexpected ally) we follow Barbara's journey to acceptance through faith and love. Meghan Kelly's narration is excellent.

Great quote from this work:

"The more you try to keep your monsters down~the harder they are to contain. One day they are going to pounce on you."

Audiobook provided for an honest review...

kill me

It started ok but when it turned into god this and god that I gave up. please if it is a religion story say so. I hate them and if I stumble on one it gets 0 -1 star because I won't finish it. if I hear god more than 3 time in a minute it's gone. this one skyrocket down to the god pit