Control Freak by Brianna Hale

Review by Sue Control Freak is a page-turning story of learning to love yourself. Lacey is a recovering anorexic. She deals with many issues because of it. Self-hatred and food issues are at the very top of that list.When she starts working for Stian, she realizes that his demanding ways give her a sense of purpose. She knows what is expected of her and she complies. She need not overthink anything. Stian, who loves control, finds solace and peace in Lacey's submission. But, Lacey is still fighting an uphill battle. Will her anorexia become her master? Or, will she master her anorexia? I loved and was intrigued by Lacey's character. The way the author wrote about her feelings toward food and her self-hatred was heartbreaking and I would believe only too accurate. Lacey's journey was difficult but in the end, it showed her courage and strength to persist during the most trying of times. Stian was a wonderful and caring character with his understanding. But, I wanted more from his character. Overall, for me, his character fell flat. Like a cardboard cut-out. I also had a hard time believing in their relationship. I didn't feel their connection and I felt like it was rushed. I think this happened because Lacey's character eclipsed and out-shined that of Stian's. Her strength and resilience shown through while Stian, in my opinion, did not grow as a character. It felt more like Lacey's journey instead of the couple's. Also, from the blurb, I was lead to believe that Stian was going to be the control freak but, apart from a few small scenes, his character was not what I was expecting. Accurately, however, Lacey does have control issues with her anorexia. With all that being said, the writing and what would happen to Lacey kept me turning the pages. Overall, this was a well-written and intriguing story but lacked the depth in the couple's relationship I was looking for. I did enjoy this author's writing tremendously and will keep an eye out for her future works. ***ARC received in exchange for an honest review.***

Release Date: June 27th 2019

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