"Truth reaches through your walls and grabs your heart squeezing the life out of you. Truth suffocates you with a pillow while you sleep. Lies help us deny the truth that we don't want to see."-R.L. Griffin, Bleed the Water Red
Bleed the Water Red
Release Date: March 23, 2017
Blurb:
When Kate Tennison returns to the low country of South Carolina it's with her tail tucked between her legs. She doesn't want to be there and face the love of her life, who's now married with a child. Distance has not broken the spell of fear that surrounds why she ran from her home in the first place.
Her story is a tragic one.
Mom in rehab.
Father dead.
Career annihilated.
When we run from something looking back over our shoulder, we miss the scars on our arms that now hold us.
Can the magic of the water heal her wounded heart or does something dangerous lurk underneath the perfect features of the new man she's decided to take a chance on?
About R.L. Griffin:
R.L. resides in the Atlanta area with some cool dudes: her husband, son and two crazy dogs. She was born and raised in the South. She attended Georgia Southern University and moved to Washington, D.C. to intern in the United States Senate during the impeachment trial. Falling in love with the city, she went to law school at American University, Washington College of Law. By A Thread is R.L.'s second book, but is the first in a series that got her back into writing after a ten year hiatus. She writes anything from romantic suspense to psychological thriller to romantic comedy. One of the things that readers always say is they never know what kind of story they will get from R.L.
I was lucky enough to be picked to receive an ARC of Bleed the Water Red in exchange for an honest review. I am ever so happy to oblige!
Oh, RL Griffin. You've done it to me again. Talk about a book hangover. I read from 55% until the very bitter/sweet end all in one sitting. The first half of the book I think I actually read in maybe all of two sittings. All this to say, Bleed the Water Red kept me... enthralled. I was completely bought into this book based on the cover and prologue alone. I remember when the author posted the cover reveal of this book and I remember my immediate thought was it was "hauntingly beautiful." After reading this book, I cannot think of a more perfect cover to go along with the content of the book itself. My initial reaction to the cover perfectly correlates with the feelings I had while reading this book. I was on the edge of my figurative seat throughout every single chapter.
I kept waiting for it. I waited and waited for the epic turn I knew the story was going to take. All the while, falling more and more in love with Kate as the story progressed.
DISCLAIMER--
STOP HERE if you are the type of person who hates ANY HINT of SPOILERS. I don't think I give much more away than the book description and what you could surmise from the prologue, but if you're squeamish- don't continue! Just trust my recommendation that you need to read this book!!
Anyway...
Have you met Kate? If not, she is amazing. She is in fact a "goddess, a glorious female warrior!" Kate has had to deal with more than most should in her short lifetime. She tragically lost her father after a childhood and adolescence of learning that he may not have been the best role model for her life. Her mother has all but given up and has completely checked out on her. Her first love destroyed her and left her feeling alone, vulnerable, and betrayed. Not to mention, she's had one failed career and had to move home into a house that reminds her more often that not about bad times rather than the good ones. Her biggest positive in her life right now is her friendships. Who wouldn't want to have a Poppy and Austin as your best friends?! They seem like people I would want to have in my tribe. She's also got enough money from the shady dealings of her father that she can use as she wishes (within reason, under the watchful eye of her lawyer/ex, Gent). She has a home with 20 acres outside of Charleston and then totally restores what sounds to be an amazing, picturesque place right on top of the waves at Edisto.
**Sidenote-- if you have never been to the Charleston, SC area and the subsequent beautiful little beach towns close by, you MUST go. It's breathtaking and such a beautiful part of our southern culture.
Through all of the trials and tribulations Kate has faced though, she perseveres. She is a fighter, a warrior, through and through. She is selfless and selfish, but in the best way. She wants to help and take care of others, but she also desperately wants someone to take care of her. She will try to avoid the fall, she will try to prevent hitting the ground when she's dropped, but you can be sure she will pull herself up time and time again. If anyone deserves happiness, it's Kate. Below is one of my favorite quotes when describing Kate's warrior spirit:
"Life is a constant fight, a fight to the death. It's a gut punch followed by a roundhouse kick over and over. We all stand in the ring with black eyes, broken teeth and blood pouring out of rips and tears in our flesh."- RL Griffin
That's probably enough gushing about my love affair with Kate. The last thing I'll add is that I really appreciate a strong female character. RL Griffin never lets me down in this. The end of this book, though tragic, truly shows how much of a warrior Kate really is.
Let's change topics and talk about Bash. Bash seems to have it all as well. His whole life is... well put together. That is the best way I can think to describe him. Bash has a put together persona of someone who is charming, beautiful, kind, but also unremarkable and doesn't do or say anything out of the ordinary that may make him stand out. In many ways, especially at the beginning, it seems that he tries to make himself seem ordinary like a regular Joe. I think this is so he can fly under the radar unsuspected and not draw any undue attention to himself. He is mysterious and dark, but seemingly romantic and dedicated. Throughout this book, I warred with myself at times on knowing that it wasn't going to end well, but wanting to take the love and compassion he gave to Layla at face value.
Please take note of my reference to Layla. Layla and Kate are the same person in the literal sense, but also completely different people in personality. Ella Rae is more the true Kate to me, and Layla is the persona she puts on to most people, including Bash.
Anyway, I'm not going to talk much about Bash because honestly... I don't like him. Read the book. Let me know your thoughts ;) I will say, throughout most of the book the **stalker alert** button kept going off in my head.
In good news, there was another male character that I had great hopes for-- Gent. He was also mysterious throughout the book, but in a bit of a different way. Kate can't seem to get over Gent. He was the great first love of her life, as well as the major heart break of her soul. She's never really been able to recover and move on and throughout this book, Gent showed me his feelings weren't altogether different than Kate's. The initial attraction between Layla and Bash is that they could share in their history of tragedy. As Bleed the Water Red goes on, it's obvious that Gent is also able to relate in that way.
Let's not forget the true hero of this book though... BLUE! Oh my lanta- I fell in love with this dog!! I want him! I actually have my own version of Blue. I love how fiercely protective he is, how loyal, but also how loving. Blue sounds like the perfect dog and I love a pit mix. They usually have the most love to give if love is given to them in return. I especially love that RL always seems to have such an awesome four-legged fur child in her stories <3
I don't want to go into too much detail about the book overall because I don't want to completely spoil it for you so I'm going to wrap it up here. However, can we PLEASE talk about the easter egg of names at the end of this book?! Millie and Billy, oh my! :) Thank you for the reminder of our loved ones in BaT, Mrs. Griffin. Please note you may have inspired a re-read of that series due to this little nugget! I kept wanting to be wrong, I kept wanting Bash to turn out to be George, but I was so sorely mistaken. If you haven't read By A Thread, I suggest you check it out right AFTER you read the awesomeness that is #BleedTheWaterRed !!
