Love You Better by Natalie K. Martin: Review and Giveaway

Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published October 1st 2015 by Lake Union Publishing
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb: "After a soul-destroying breakup with her ex, Smith, Effie Abbott has met the man of her dreams. She’s had the whirlwind romance and the fairy-tale wedding to the charming and suave Oliver Barton-Cole, and life seems firmly back on track.

Things were never simple between Smith and Effie, so when he forces his way back into her life, Effie knows he’s a complication she doesn’t want or need. After all, she has Oliver, a man who loves her better than Smith ever did.

But when cracks in her marriage begin to emerge and Oliver shows flashes of a darker side, Effie has to question just how well she really knows her husband, and whether Smith is back to derail her seemingly perfect marriage or save her from it."

Any story which begins with a whirlwind romance definitely is a warning sign in my opinion but Effie is really happy to have found her perfect man in Oliver, who is handsome, rich and comes from a "normal" family. The book starts at Effie and Oliver's wedding when they have only been together for a few months. However, cracks in Oliver's perfection emerge during the honeymoon which Effie brushes aside as a misunderstanding. I thought the author was very clever in showing how Effie was being drawn in by Oliver, how he affected her confidence and started manipulating and controlling her. This book definitely shows warning signs of an unhealthy relationship and I thought it was quite realistic in the way it showed how hard it could be to leave it.

Effie comes from a slightly disfunctional family and has a tense relationship with her Mum who is a bit of a hippy and moved them around a lot when Effie was young. This has definitely affected Effie's need for something normal which makes Oliver seem all the more appealing.

I really liked Effie's relationship with her friends Lou and Mickey and with Smith, who is a more complex character.

I found this to be really easy to read and engrossing. I cared about the characters and their relationships and enjoyed the story. I would give this book 8 out of 10.

Giveaway

I was lucky enough to be invited to a party celebrating the launch of Love You Better, which involved a lot of cake and some delicious cocktails. I was given a signed copy of the book to run a giveaway. A comment left on this post will be picked at random and will win a signed copy of Love You Better (open to UK residents only).

The competition will close on the 21st October at Midnight (GMT). Please make sure you comment with a profile, and not just as unknown to be counted, or please ensure that you include your twitter handle (if on twitter), so I can find you easily if you win. You will need to hit preview and then publish your comment. Good luck everyone!