Review: Bedlam

Bedlam by Autumn Sand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bedlam is the first book in the Twisted Hearts Love Story series, and it is not one for the faint of heart. This is one of those books that needs to come with a trigger warning, as there is plenty involved that could have a negative impact upon readers. Whilst there is a disclaimer at the start of the book, stating how the author does not glamorise the negative aspects, I still think it is important for people to be aware of this before they pick up the story.

From the very first page I was pulled into this one, due to the voice of our leading lady. Being inside her head was a beautiful thing and I quickly found myself loving the way she looked at life. I also found her life to be intriguing, as for quite some time I was left waiting on quite a few specifics. You’re aware that this is a mafia story, yet I was constantly looking for a little bit more in regards to details. In the end, however, I realise this is one of those stories where you don’t get too mixed up in those kinds of details. You’re aware of what is going on, those most pertinent to the story are detailed, but we’re not lost within all the tiny details. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this – I like to know all the nasty that is going on in the story – but by the end I found I liked this aspect of the story.

There is enough bad in the story without us being dragged into the dealings of the mafia. Although some aspects were a bit on the predictable side, there were plenty of twists thrown in to keep us engaged. There was so much drama, so much action, that it was hard to put down. Plus, there was plenty to break up all the darkness – a few scenes of laughter and some hot scenes to get us through it all. Whilst I would label this a dark and gritty romance – my favourite kind – it also has the right amount of light to prevent us from slipping into complete darkness. It’s a tough line to walk, and the author does so well to ensure she does not slip off the edge.

The one thing I wasn’t crazy about was the way in which the dual perspective came into play. For about the first half of the book it was told solely from our female’s point of view, and then when we reached about half way we got to see inside of our male’s mind. As much as I enjoyed this dual perspective, I really wish it had been given from the start. It simply felt odd to only have half of the book told from a dual perspective – it wasn’t as though the book was split into parts either, the dual perspective simply appeared because it was beneficial to the story.

Overall, though, I had a lot of fun with this one. It was a great quick read that has left me eager to jump into the next book in the series.

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