A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns by Cissy Hunt

Synopsis from Goodreads: After finally receiving the divorce that LaRae believed would finally set her free from domestic violence, she ends up staying on the run from her abusive ex-husband, James, who stalks her across the country. When she finds herself really free of James, LaRae struggles through the up and downs of trying to make a peaceful life for herself. A life free of the violence that left scars of fear and pain, not only physically, but mentally as well. LaRae finds a friend that helps point her on a path that leads to hope, healing, and a new life.

My thoughts:  Domestic abuse is such a difficult topic to address in any medium.  The numbers are absolutely astounding yet it doesn't seem that it is a problem that is openly being discussed.   By writing about it, Hunt is bringing this problem to our attention.


In A Rose Blooms Among the Thorns you will feel the fear that LaRae Jones lives with every day of her life.  She did what you are "supposed" to do by leaving her husband and getting a divorce after he began abusing her.  Even leaving the situation she did not get her life back.  She moves from town to town always looking over her shoulder to make sure that her ex isn't there.  She has developed an intuition that tells her when it is time to move on.   These long lasting effects of the abuse stay with her.  I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like. 


The premise of this story is a great one but I do feel that it could use some tweaking.  Some parts of the story just felt awkward to me.  In the end I couldn't finish the book.  LaRae's path to healing takes some turns that are just a bit over the top for my taste. Putting down a book is always a difficult decision for me to make, but I found myself not enjoying the story any longer and skipping pages at a time so I knew it was time.