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What would you do, for revenge?

Dear Diary,
Oh, who am I kidding?

Dear Life,
You’re cruel. You’re heartless. You’re sick. You’re really damned twisted.
Do you know that?
Nope…
Still doesn’t cut it.

Dear Fate…yeah, that’s the one.

Dear Fate,
What the actual hell?
What exactly did I do to deserve the life you paved for me?
Did I bother you so?
Was I awful?
Did I not pray enough?
You took my life into your hands, fate, and you twisted it.
You turned it into a broken mess, and you made it ugly.
You made meugly.
A life for a life.
An eye for an eye.
That’s how it goes, right?
Her life. Now mine.
Someone is coming for me, but you already know that, don’t you fate?
Did you plan it?
Did you even try to tell them it wasn’t my fault?
That it was an accident?
That I didn’t mean for it to happen?
Or is this part of your sick and twisted plan?
I have one last question, fate, before you go…
Have you got a hero for me?
Because I’m going to need one.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2019

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About the author

Bella Jewel

101 books7,438 followers
Heya!! My name is Bella, I'm a new aussie author and I am as crazy as they come. I'm playful, friendly and always up for a chat so stop on by x

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
Profile Image for Mali Mor ❤️ The Romantic Blogger.
453 reviews586 followers
August 8, 2020
this-for-that-2

Oh my God! – That's all I have to say.
Just… OHMYGOD!!!!!!!!! 😱👏

16-year-old Callie just wanted to act like a girl her age when she took her mother's car without permission for a night out with her friends… but one second of inattention changed her life forever! 💥
She was charged with manslaughter and sent to a felony institution until she'll be 18 – and then, to prison – FOR 6 YEARS!!! 😱😱😱

I went through an agonizing process with Callie – the pain of finding out what happened that night… what happened to her friends… the trial and sentencing… the fact that no one believed her version… the horrible time in prison – the threats, loneliness and hopelessness. 💔
This story pinched my fucking heart, because it was a mistake that could happen to anyone… She was just a normative 16-year-old girl whose entire life was destroyed in a second. 😭

When Callie is finely released at 23, she decides to start living again AND find out what really happened that night. Then… she meets Tanner. 💥
28-year-old Tanner is former military who came to her rescue when she got stuck with a flat tire – but at the same time, he offered her much more – himself. ❤😍

There were parts when her behavior was childish, but I never forgot that Callie is starting over – she didn't grow up like a normal teenager… She never worked, never dated or wore a dress in the past 7 years – but it turns out that all the pain she experienced didn't end… It's just getting started!😱💥

This book gave me ALL THE FEELS!!! It made me sob… made my heart expand… gave me goosebumps… But it also made me cringe in my chair for all the times I changed a station on the radio or checked something on my phone while driving. 😱
I was do influenced by this book, that I made all my loved ones swear they would NEVER be distracted while driving. 💔

The plot was original and surprising (although there were secrets I discovered pretty quickly, but I was still waiting to know how they would explode) – and it was amazingly written! Usually in books with 'past' and 'present', there's a "period" I prefer more – but here, they were both equally amazing. 🔥💪

AND THE BEST PART – the end made me scream at 4 in the morning: "NOOOO, oh my God! it cannot end like this, damn it!!!!!!!" 😂😂😂

This book is a part of a trilogy, and each end with a cliffhanger:
Book 1: One of the best books I've read in 2019! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: The first half was great, but the other half had some weird twists that was unrelated to the plot before. ⭐⭐⭐
Book 3: It had a few parts that made me roll my eyes, probably because after the first book I expected a crazy twist to come – but it didn't happen. All in all, if I rate this book on its own, this was an good thriller. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

• I listened to the AUDIO version. 🎧

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📖 ᐯIᔕIT ᗰY ᗷᒪOG ᖴOᖇ ᗰOᖇE ᖇEᐯIEᗯᔕ: https://books-romance.com/

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💕 לקריאת הסקירה בעברית, כנסו לבלוג: https://books-romance.com/ 💕
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,483 reviews10.3k followers
July 17, 2019
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'THIS FOR THAT' is the first romantic | Suspense book in Bella Jewels 'The Edge of Retaliation' series.

With the crazy cover!! And the synopsis plus the fact that I haven't read anything by this author for awhile I had to get my grabby hands on this one!!

One night just wanting to be a normal teenager and deciding to take her mother's car for a joy ride to the lake along with her close friends, had dire consequences, all it took was one split second for things to go pear shaped, and all their lives will be changed forever.

Nightmares
A loss of a limb
One incarcerated

No one them came out unscathed.

Years later and finally trying to put the past behind her Callie is trying to uncover what exactly happened that night, but someone seems to be targeting her, never allowing her to forget that fateful night. A mystery that leaves us hanging.

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This was unexpectedly unique, utterly unputdownable, undeniably good!!
I read this in one sitting, devoured it, inhaled it, loved it!
Just when your lulled into a false sense of security the rug is pulled out from under you and I’m catapulted over a major cliffy!!
Left flabbergasted, 3 key players in this all lead us to the heroine, Thank god the author has stated we haven’t got long to wait for the next instalment!
I for one forgot how brutal her cliffys could be!!

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Profile Image for Wendys Wycked Words.
1,585 reviews3,941 followers
July 22, 2019
4

I am an avid "Bella Jewel" reader. She writes it and I have to read it, some of her biker books are in my top reads of all time. Now the blurb for this one really had me intrigued because it doesn't really give away much...Just like my review won't 8395d0eafef930eaeb828283ccf84f9f1111


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As much as I wanted to know what this book was about...because I do love my spoilers...I am glad I went in kind of blind. If you really want to enjoy this story...stay away from any spoilers.

This book wasn't like anything I expected and from the very first page, I scooted to the edge of my seat and stayed there !!

There were times when the heroine annoyed me a bit, but then I realized that her whole life crumbled to pieces when she was just 16 years old... She didn't grow up like a normal teenage girl. So I forgave her for irritating me at times...well mostly :P 


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Unfortunately, I can't give you much more than this. Just know that I read the last page of this with my mouth wide open...absolutely flabbergasted. I had some idea of the direction this book was taking, but this author still managed to shock the hell out of me !! I love that ;)
 
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When I decided I had to read this book, I had no idea it was gonna end with the mother of all cliffhangers or I might not have signed up so eagerly. Thankfully I did find out before I started reading, and so I waited until the very last moment to dive in....because cliffhangers are a definite pet peeve of mine !!

Bella did make a statement at the end of the book, promising that it won't be long until the next one comes out and I will just have to trust her on that. 

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To be honest, I really need the next book RIGHT NOW, so every minute will be too long in my eyes. 


 

An ARC was provided to
postedonlogo
in exchange for an honest review

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Profile Image for Nazanin.
1,205 reviews803 followers
April 18, 2020
3.5 Stars

This wasn’t really a romance story. I mean it wasn’t really strong on that part. What happened between Tanner and Callie just happened, there wasn’t any relationship building. And they didn’t express their feeling in a romantic way. Well, I blame it on the plot. And I’m sure the author’s hands were closed to do that but still, I think if there was a bit more romance it could have been believable. The thing that I liked so much was the angst and the writing kept my interest. I really would like to know what happened to Celia that made her do that (according to what Callie believed) but the author didn’t give us any breadcrumbs there. There was a twist towards the end that I was half right about it and I would like to read the next book to see now what Callie will do! And I also admit that I love that cover. Told in single POV, 1st person. It’s the first installment in "The Edge of Retaliation" and it ends on a cliffhanger (a huge one), alternating between Now and Then. Overall, I enjoyed it and hope you like it as well!
Profile Image for Radd Reader.
964 reviews577 followers
April 10, 2021
**Synopsis:**
Although she didn’t have a driver’s license yet, Callie and a few of her friends decided to take her mom’s car for a little joyride. Kids....they don’t always make the best decisions, but that’s just part of growing up, right? Most of the impulsive, not so bright decisions lead to a grounding or some small type of punishment. In this case, the decision to take the car had repercussions beyond anything Callie could have ever imagined. The price was steep and forever changed the trajectory of several lives.

** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
- Told only from Callie’s POV in a Then/Now chapter sequence. To some extent, that made the story feel a little choppy. I wanted to stay in each moment a little longer so the back and forth was a little frustrating.
- The last 8 chapters are all “now” so the story does end in the present with a cliffhanger

- Each time period (Then & Now) was equally riveting.

- I read the story with a sense of distrust in each of the characters. The author wrote in such a way that had me questioning the motives because someone was clearly not happy about Callie. Therefore, this had me quickly flipping pages to see what morsel would be uncovered next.

- There was foreshadowing and i was pretty sure i knew what that meant. I was correct, so the big surprise really wasn’t a big surprise to me. However, there was a twist I wasn’t expecting.

- I thought the writing was good. It was easy to stay engaged.

- this ends with a cliffhanger, so have the next book ready to go.
Profile Image for Anne OK.
3,916 reviews542 followers
August 27, 2019
Great start to a new series -- one I just found out will have three books instead of the two already published. That stopped me in my tracks -- and I'm not sure I'm happy about it either.

Book One was a hard read -- my heart pounded and I felt ill for a young girl caught in something of her own making, yet tragically so. The characters were intriguing and the plot set up perfectly.

And after being left hanging from a cliffy, I am ready to return to my Kindle and begin reading Book Two in the continuing story to find out how two best friends are going to find answers that have failed to surface for over six years leaving lives hanging in the balance.
Profile Image for Anna.
1,530 reviews18 followers
July 27, 2019
Cover looked kind of interesting so why not...

One fateful night, Callie and her 3 girlfriends decided to steal her moms car and go out for some fun. Taking her eyes off the road for just a second cost the 16 year old dearly when she accidentally hits and kills a pedestrian. Callie swears the girl walked out in front of her on purpose. But that’s a tough case to sell in court when all her family and friends testify that she was happy and healthy, not suicidal. Callie goes down for involuntary manslaughter and serves 6 years, part juvenile detention and finishes it in adult prison. Now she’s out and trying to reclaim her life, put the past to bed, and vindicate herself by finding out what was so bad that a girl would choose death by being ran over rather than to face it.

While incarcerated Callie is befriended by Ethan, a corrections officer. He looks after her, helps her keep her head down, and brings her books. Her family pretty much abandoned her. After getting out of prison she meets Tanner, who helps her fix a flat tire and offers to help her get a job at his sisters cafe. Oh, and he’s hot. And his sister is gorgeous, and so are all of her friends. Meanwhile things heat up between Tanner and our virgin, she’s been in jail since she was 16. Tanner owns a auto garage with 5 of his buddies, and they’re all ridiculously hot. Are you seeing a pattern here? Oh, and Ethan the prison guard is also ripped and hot. Ugh.

The premise sounded interesting, but the execution is beyond childish. Something seriously traumatic has happened to this girl and she went to prison. But her inner musings are shallow and center around how hot people are around her. Oh, and her best friend from the incident is the only person who still talks to her, but she’s having marital issues. Yeah, see she married this big time millionaire when she was 19. They have serious marriage issues, but because he is so rich it would be a “media nightmare” for them to divorce. Because all millionaires marry 19 year old girls? That side story was just weird.

So everyone is gorgeous, our heroine is ridiculous. She gets assaulted, an unknown man pushes her up against her car leaving work one night at gun point and threatens her on behalf of her long ago victim. What does she do? Goes to the other girls gravesite and visits her. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’d do! There’s a twist, and if you don’t see it coming then YOU were also probably recently ran over with a car! But the twist makes no sense far as motivations go, and this ends on a cliffhanger. It’s such a piece of work, I’m not even certain why I gave it 2 stars. Oh, yeah, because everyone is gorgeous. Oh! And all the guys have tattoos.
Profile Image for Kylee.
2,882 reviews54 followers
July 17, 2019
OMG, where do I start...….. first off just so people don't think this review is going to be negative, this book is a MASSIVE FIVE STAR READ!!!! Callie's story is one of heartbreak, devastation and showing us how one simple decision that seemed such a great idea at the time can change so many lives in the blink of an eye. Judgements were made and as time has gone by this has not eased. As Callie tries to make peace and finally lay her past to rest, old friend karma, life and fate just might have other ideas in mind. This story had my mind working overtime, I wasn't sure who to trust with not only Callie's heart but mine. I thought I had it all decided where my loyalties would lie but now doubts are creeping in, so many questions and so many unspoken words. I am not going to lie, I might have yelled a little, cursed even more but Bella Jewel, I take my hat off to you. You drew me in, you captured my attention and Callie stole my heart. The first book in The Edge of Retaliation has you on the edge of your seat, your heart and your mind at war but best of all this book consumes you. Bring on book 2 because things just got real interesting.
Profile Image for Born To Read.
763 reviews18 followers
October 23, 2019
You will be hooked after reading just the prologue! 🤗
After taking her mom's car without permission and without license, Callie and her friends have an accident.
An accident that will chance their lives forever. Not only their lives. Celia Yates, too.
But Callie wants to clean her name and prove that it was not only her fault. There were other factors involved.
What she didn't expect was the truth about everything and everyone. Even though I was suspicious about part of it, the whole truth was a shock. And I didn't even know the whole truth! Because the cliffhanger is massive.
I am starting the second book right now. But I think there will be a third one. Please, don't make me wait long, Bella Jewel🙏🏼. I'm begging you...
I am enjoying this story a lot. It's surprising and it got me hooked from the very beginning. Honestly, it is not a surprise. Bella Jewel's books have never disappointed me. You will love any of them. But now read this one. You won't regret it.
Profile Image for Lo Bookfrantic.
820 reviews594 followers
December 28, 2020
3.5 stars

That cliffhanger made it interesting enough to continue the series lol 😂
Now I need to know the mystery wtf is going on 😅
Profile Image for Doris.
838 reviews32 followers
August 7, 2019
OMG!!!!!!! Can you say CLIFFHANGER. Need the next one NOW!
Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,061 reviews92 followers
July 15, 2019
* A review copy was provided by the author *

~ 5 Stars ~

OMG!! How could it end like that?? I need the next book NOW!!

This For That : The Edge Of Retaliation was an AMAZING story!! I was absolutely hooked right from the beginning. And let me tell you it didn’t let me go until the very end. And even then I’m still hanging on!! This book is going to be on my mind until I get the rest of the story!!

As you can guess this book ends on a cliffhanger and it was BRUTAL!!! If you aren’t a fan of cliffy’s then you will want to wait for the next book to release before starting this story. But take my word for it...you will WANT to read this book.

I haven’t read many books by Bella Jewel but I can definitely say I have loved every book I have read of hers. I need to go back and read the rest!! If you love a great romantic suspense story this is one of the best I have ever read!! It kept me intrigued all the way through. I can’t wait to see how this story ends!!

That’s pretty much all I am going to say about the storyline. This is a story you will want to uncover for yourself. It is NOT a standalone novel. This is book 1 in this new series. It is told solely from Callie’s POV. I truly hope we get some other POVs in the next book. I would love to know what some of the other characters are thinking.

I loved ALL the characters we meet in this story. The secondary characters are just as important as the Hero and heroine. If you love strong female characters then you will want to meet Callie and her best friend Joanne.

I would 100% recommend this book to all Bella Jewel fans and anyone who loves a GREAT romantic suspense book!!!


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July 19, 2019
OMG. OMG. OMG. I felt like I was on a wild ride of love, pain, mistakes, retribution, passion and delicious hotness. But no I don't feel like I can justify in words what an amazing book this is.

My heart JUST FELT so much for Callie. So much. When one mistake in your life causes such far fetching ripple effect on not only your life but also on several others. When you are battling the worst enemy....Yourself. The crushing pain and regret and yet a will to fight, to survive.

I LOVED the back and forth in the story is told. The suspense.. Oh god and the thrilling ride had me on the edge of my seat.
AND HOLY HOTNESS... TANNER... RUGGED.. ROUGH... AND SUPER DELICIOUS... 😍😍.. The chemistry between is just so tangible and scorching hot. You can feel the feelings and conflict that Callie feels especially towards tanner.
I absolutely adored Ethan. He is the most amazing friend and an even amazing human being. But Joanne.. What a perfect best friend she is. Truly a blessing to have such a wonderful person backing you up.

BUT THAT ENDING...... OMG... OMG.... I JUST CANT... THAT SECRET REVEAL AT THE END... MY HEAD WAS SPINNING ALONG WITH CALLIE AND MY HEART FOR BEATING SO HARD.

WHAT A RAW, DELICIOUS AND THRILLING RIDE THIS WAS. I CAN'T WAIT TO RE-READ THIS. CANT WAIT FOR MORE FROM YOU MS. JEWEL. LOVED LOVED THIS ONE. 💖💖💖💖💖🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😍😍😍
Profile Image for LaToya (Readingbythebayou).
879 reviews43 followers
July 25, 2019
This was the first book I've read by Bella Jewel and it definitely won't be the last. First off the cover is phenomenal but the story is so much better. It definitely wasn't what I was expecting but I was immediately drawn into it I couldn't put it down. Callie and her friends made a decision to steal her mom's car and go for a joyride. This act had dire consequences and many lives were forever changed. This was an heartwrenching, thought provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I definitely recommend this book and I am so excited for the next one.


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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Between the sheets book reviews.
199 reviews21 followers
July 23, 2019
This for that

BELLA JEWEL

WOW!!!!! I could NOT put this down . From page 1 right until the end was such an exhilarating ride.
This story gave us such heartache, pain, so much angst, and suspense I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time .

I can in NO way give any of the story away in this review without the fear of taking it too far . You HAVE to read it for yourselves and experience every single extraordinary moment through your own eyes.
I will say that ... Damn!!!! In some parts I had my suspicions but Bella likes to hit you with some wicked curve balls, and like me... you will fall in love with Callie, Ethan and Tanner.

The characters were written extremely well, the story was built nicely , and flowed awesomely. I loved how the ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ chapters were written . Some books you want to skim over the previous ones so you can see what’s happening now , but with Bella’s flawless writing and her ability to keep the reader utterly interested had me loving both parts equally.

This story is about how one mistake can change a persons life so massively all in a blink of an eye you cannot understand how it even happened.
Callie will do anything to right her wrongs but life has other plans for her. My heart broke constantly for the nice girl with a heart of gold who told a story of what happened that terrifying night and no one believed her, she was left broken , alone and scared. Over time she found the will to fight every day to come out the other side and makes things right.
How sometimes, a good person can make a ‘Mistake’ but is STILL just a good person.

The story leaves us on a major cliffhanger that had me screaming out “Noooooo god damn it”!!!! But I cannot wait to see where this story goes , it was brilliant.

This definitely deserves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ bring on the next one!!! I already know it’s going to be EPIC .
I was given an ARC for an honest review .
Profile Image for Abby McCarthy.
Author 13 books587 followers
July 24, 2019
This book starts off with Callie, a teenage girl who takes her mom's car out. This was kind of difficult for me to read-- this scene, and solely for personal reasons. Callie crashes her car and changes the lives of so many young women. A close family member of mine was the sole survivor of a crash in high school. So, I started off uneasy. 


Reading, you're quickly thrown into the future moving between the past and present. I was right yesterday when I knew I'd get some steam from Bella Jewel. She can totally draw you in. She has that way about her. I normally love her snark, but parts of it didn't work for me here because Callie in her predicament leaves you not fully sympathizing with her. There were parts where I felt so caught up in the story. There were parts that I felt slightly predictable and then Bam! Bella Jewel hits you with a twist I didn't fully see coming. And then you're left waiting. Bella Jewel fans should not fret because she promises to release the second book very soon. 

I do love how Bella Jewel can explain her men and give them dirty mouths. So hot. 

Overall-this is a quick summer read and I'm hoping the next will be released quickly enough that I pick it up. By the way, this book was released in Kindle Unlimited, so that's always a bonus for me. 
Profile Image for Jac K.
2,415 reviews398 followers
May 15, 2020
This is the first book in the Edge of Retaliation Trilogy; maybe I’m in a mood because I’ve been struggling the last couple days with books. This one was just ok for me. The blurb is pretty vague, and I won’t give away spoilers, but this is the gist.

One night 16-year-old Callie and her 3 girlfriends decide to sneak out and steal her mom’s car for a joyride. After one of the girls drops a can of booze, she takes her eyes off the road for a second accidentally killing a pedestrian. Callie is certain the girl walked out in front of her on purpose, but she is still found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and sentenced to six years.

Much of this one alternates between Callie now (just being released from prison) and Callie then (filling in the 6 yrs). All is told from her POV, as she tries to get her life together. I won’t give details, but it ends in a pretty big cliffy, that I saw a mile away. I’m still going to give book 2 a shot, and see if it improves. All the books are free to read with KU, and the audio is on Audible Escapes.

Profile Image for Vickie.
1,651 reviews63 followers
July 23, 2019
This is the first book in a new series and what a book it is. I struggled to put this book down, the story had me completely hooked. This is going to be a short, vague review because this book needs to be read without spoilers.

Callie made a mistake. We’ve all made them but Callie’s mistake ends up changing her life forever. I loved Callie. She’s paid for her mistake and genuinely wants to make things right even though someone seems determined to stop her. She’s ready to move on and make up for the years she lost and make a life for herself. With her two best friends, a new man and a job it seems like Callie’s life is looking up...and this is where the twists start coming. Honestly I went back and forth over who I could trust, wondering what was going to happen next and then I got to the ending and was left hanging! I can’t wait for the conclusion of Callie’s story. I’ve no idea what’s going to happen next.

Profile Image for Julie.
2,003 reviews31 followers
July 22, 2019
Wow! What a heartbreaking story. And we’re left with some crazy questions that will drive us nuts until we’re are giving answers. I thought I had it, but BAM I was knocked for six with this one.

Callie had done a foolish thing, she was young and didn’t deserve the complete destruction of her young life. She paid her dues and now tries to begin again but first she want’s answers with the help from new friends Tanner and Ethan.

Told in past and present time, this is a heart wrenching story that was hard to put down. Brilliantly written and a veritable page turner. I have to wait now for the answers, not to long I hope.
Profile Image for Julie Jackson.
2,264 reviews10 followers
July 15, 2019
Reviewed for SNS

First let me say that each book I read by the Author is absolutely phenomenal. This one follows the same. Callie is a broken young woman. Her past will never let her live in peace. Ethan has been her rock and more like a brother to her. He kept her safe. Tanner is the man of her dreams until her dreams become a nightmare. Will she ever be able to live fully? I can’t wait until the next book. Excellent writing.
Profile Image for Kim Carter.
665 reviews27 followers
August 9, 2019
Cliffy ALERT....Cliffy ALERT!
I like really need to know how all these folks know each other and who is out to get who is this newly released suspense by Belly Jewel...looking forward to the next installment. Unfortunately it took me forever to get this read....adulating..it kind of stinks sometimes.
Profile Image for Tracy Wilkin.
1,181 reviews15 followers
July 22, 2019
This for That: The Edge of Retaliation Book 1 is the newest thrilling story by Bella Jewel. I was highly excited to be reading this release. My heart galloped in anticipation and my mind was open to endless possibility. You just never know where a Bella Jewel story will take you.

This for That took me on a tumultuous ride. Tantalising, mesmirising and breathtaking. The characters swept me away dramatically and emphatically. My mind was blown, my heart was owned, and I was bewitched by the wonder that is their story. Reading this book was a one sitting exercise. I could not put this story down. I recommend taking a ride with this crew. It is one you won't regret. 5 stars.

Profile Image for Laura Zapirtan.
422 reviews4 followers
May 16, 2022
An interesting, sad but beautiful in its own way story! Even if I predicted that lovely cliffhanger, I still enjoyed reading it!

:༻🦋༺: Definitely deserves a try! :༻🦋༺:
Profile Image for Sana.
85 reviews
August 4, 2019
The one thing that came out of my mouth when I reached the end is:

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME WOMAN?

Profile Image for buzy_reading.
2,506 reviews58 followers
November 24, 2019
A young girl is hardened and scorned by her family and friends from one mistake. Callie is seeking justice for a crime that was an accidental. She serves her time and starts a new. Freedom comes at a cost when someone threatens her. She sets off to clear her name by finding justice for Celia.

Narrator:
Chelsea Hatfield is the solo female performer. This is my first audio experience with Chelsea. She gave a solid performance. The sound quality was great. Her performance was read word perfectly.

Overall:
I was too quick to buy this book based on the familiarity with Bella Jewel as an author I’ve read before. My mistake for not reading the premise. I got side tracked by the romantic suspense genre. Now I’m reconsidering that impulse decision. The caliber of writing isn’t quite like her previous books.

The concept had the potential of something amazing but I’m disappointed in the direction of this story and Callie’s character. Bella Jewel laid on the pity party too thick. Whether inside or outside of juvie Callie was faced with unfortunate circumstances diminishing all hope for survival. I’m still trying to process the circumstances leading up to her being guilty. I’m disappointed Bella didn’t provide a better backstory illustrating Callie’s family dynamics.
You can’t expect forgiveness when all sides are being judged.

I didn’t find the past reference “then” to be as beneficial as Bella intended. For me it defeated the purpose of creating suspense with already knowing that Callie survived her time in juvie. I already could ascertain the feelings and emotions of living with the one mistake that destroyed her life. All the suspense came to a screeching halt when Bella delivered a story in the then and now. The reader was given the outcome thus removing all suspense.

The big reveal at the end was obvious. I wasn’t remotely surprised by the revelation. It was easy to decipher given the limited number of characters.
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1,162 reviews16 followers
August 26, 2019
This for That by Bella Jewel
“Romantic suspense, 3 stars”

Alrightly…. So, I just saw Bella Jewel and jumped on it. I typically enjoy her stories. But This for That had me scratching my head. So, in This for That the heroine starts off as a teenager who is out joyriding with her three best friends. I’m sold at this point even though I know something bad is about to happen. Then the bad happens in the form of a car accident that happens to kill someone else, one of her friends is severely injured, another is hurt but not bad, she’s hurt, and one walks away. At this point I’m still into the story.
Then she gets sent to prison for killing the one girl, and this is where Jewel lost me. First the heroines mother sounds like a nut job and her father not better. I’m sorry but as a parent I cannot imagine not fighting for my kid. So then we go back and forth with her past (in prison) and present (right after release.)
I won’t get too far into it but heroine wants justice for herself and the truth about the girl who died to come out. She has not made any sort of peace with what happened and the roll she played. She’s all me,me,me and frankly it was exhausting. Then you have the other characters…*sigh*
The best friend is a piece of work. The Hero…yeah saw what he does coming a mile away. I just can’t.
Long story short I found This for That wildly predictable and not really needed. I can see how it would have been a killer story off the original plot, I just don’t care for where Jewel took it after that.
Plot-3/5
Characters-2/5
Heat-3/5
Writing style-3/5
Overall-3/5
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