Review: Giving it Up by Amber Lin

I had to mull this review over before I could write it. I’m so torn up about what rating to give it. I’ve been waffling between 3 and 4 stars before settling on 3.5 stars, thus I’ll round up to 4 stars.

This is a very dark and twisty story. Everyone in it is dysfunctional beyond belief. Their relationships with each other are so dysfunctional I don’t even think they fit the word dysfunctional and go straight to FUBAR.

Allie suffered from a weird childhood to begin with and then when in HS she suffered a traumatic experience. Those who were to protect and help her just her and used her more. As a result she’s all beyond fucked up. She prowls bars, using for men who will use her. Once night, she gets Colin instead and thus begins their FUBAR relationship.

Shortly after meeting Colin, she looses her job, her daughter’s dad comes back to town and wants to see their daughter, she has someone following her, and the list goes on. She turns to Colin to help. Colin is his own type of FUBAR. His childhood was messed up and now he’s messed up. His brother is in organized crime, his sister is a ballerina and their family relationship is beyond weird!

Then bring in the cops. Most of them are dirty as well, so let’s just add to the FUBAR! Through is all Colin and Allie are finding their way through their relationship. Let’s talk about that one! Their relationship is anything but normal. I don’t think either one of them is capable of a normal relationship but it works for them, of a sort.

Through all of the FUBAR relationships and people, there is an interesting story here. Poor Allie has gone through so much and none of it her fault! It’s just so heartbreaking. No matter what though, Allie does the best for her daughter. That is her one light in all the darkness and Allie refuses to let darkness touch her daughter.

Overall I was captivated by this story. There is an HEA but it’s achieved in a weird way. I recommend this book to anyone who likes dark, twisted stories with dark twisted people because that’s what you’ll get out of this one!