Tainted by Crazy by Abby McCarthy Blog Tour
I have read and loved all of Abby McCarthy’s books, but this one just feels different… Abby dug deep and pulled Tainted by Crazy out of her soul. Everything about this book felt genuine and real. From the characters, to their situations, followed by the settings.. as I read, I was transported to the South. DANG IT! I could hear the Southern twang and smell the apple pie… It has a unique and wonderfully touching storyline with extraordinary characters. That will have you flipping the pages….
I loved Maple. She is such an innately good person, but the poor girl has been running her whole life and doesn’t see her own self worth. She is haunted by her past and her “crazy” mother’s ghost. She has endured a hellish childhood. Being raise by a mentally ill and drug addicted mother. Who not only neglected her, but put her in horrendous situations. The flashbacks to her childhood were some of my favorite parts in the book. My heart ached for Maple. Thank God for her Grams. She stepped up and was able to give Maple some normalcy. As a result, Maple lost herself along the way…. After another failed relationship, she is back in the town and house she grew up in. With the help from her Grams, it’s time to face her demons and hopefully get the life she deserves. Grams was my favorite character in this book! Full of life and spunk. She takes no shit and says it like it is….. Gotta love Grams!
Maple meets Keenan Rys. Since she has vowed to stay away from men, she keeps Keenan at arms length… This man is not having any of that! He slowly and patiently starts to knock down her walls. Let me just tell you about Keenan…. He is the PERFECT southern gentleman. Wrangler jeans never looked so good! A side from the fact that, he is drop dead gorgeous, it’s his heart and soul which make him absolutely dreamy. I fell hard!! Keenan doesn’t need flashy cars or obscene amounts of money, he just shows you his southern charm and you are DONE. His and Maple’s relationship was frustrating at times, but it was also incredibly beautiful. Can Maple & Keenan get the happy ending they both deserve??
So many wonderful messages in this book…..
You can either let your past define you or learn from it. Grow from it. Embrace it. It made you into the person you are today.
Let’s just start at the beginning – the cover – are you kidding me!? One of my top 5 all time covers – EVER. Once you read the book it will all make sense to you.
Next – Maple. The fun loving, southern girl who is selfless and will do anything for anyone is wronged. She makes the choice to return home and be with her Gram. Gram – this woman – you will wish she was your Grandmother. She full of sarcasm, spunk, love and wisdom and her main focus on life is the happiness of her grandaughter, but she doesn’t just hand Maple the answer but helps lead to her find the answers.
Keenan Rys. Good Lord I am fixing to find this man and marry him myself! I can say this much – he didn’t fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down and some may say he’s hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch…someone from the south that is! Keenan Rys everything a woman wants in a man
The quintessential southern boy! He’s such a great friend to Maple when she needs, he pushes her when she needs to be pushed and backs off when needed to also. He is the perfect gentleman (when he should be) and he’s knows when to sweet talk Maple and the southern boy flies out the window and the sexy hot man comes to play!!
This book is inspired by actual events. Abby McCarthy has given us a part of her soul. She didn’t give us a broken girl meets a guy who makes it all better! She gives a strong broken woman and we watch her grow with the support and love of family and friends. My heart was broken in parts of the book and Abby’s beautiful words and story pieced my heart back together by the end.
By far my favorite Abby McCarthy book, with each book she grows as a writer and her storytelling is mesmerizing. Abby, thank you for sharing your life, soul, hopes, dreams and even some nightmares with us.
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Excerpt
his speech. Besides the fact that Alex was still a dog, Rys said, ‘when I claim
you.’ Was he talking in the general sense, or was he saying he was going to
claim me? I was silenced by his words. I didn’t have a rebuttal. The ride to my
place was quiet. Rys opened his mouth again as he turned on to Grams’ street.
“What’s the story with him that you needed to apologize as soon as you saw
him?”
mean, how could he not ask?
again/off again boyfriend. I was wild. I had lots of boyfriends and partied
like no tomorrow. One night, Alex and I went to a party. We both got drunk and
smoked a bunch of pot. And then, when it came time to go home, we flipped a coin
to decide who would drive. I lost the coin toss, then lost control of the car.
I broke my leg and shattered his wrist.”
of here?” he asked finishing my story from what he must have surmised from my
conversation with Alex.
head, “I was young and stupid. I can’t believe how easy Alex let that go. I
thought he’d hate me. I’ve held on to the guilt for so long, and it didn’t seem
like he was really bothered by it.”
have kept you away from home?” he asked pulling into the driveway.
hand on the door handle about to open the door when I heard Rys say in a stern
voice, “Maple.”
around and help me down. I was not testing him anymore tonight. “You,” I
pointed at Rys, “wait here one second.” I hurriedly ran into the house and
grabbed a jar of apple butter. I felt like I needed to do something for him. I
ran back out and found Rys leaning against his truck with a smirk on his face.
“Here, as a thank you for dinner,” I said handing him the jar. I was slightly
embarrassed and my cheeks tinged pink.
I said, “Keep it refrigerated. It’s fantastic on toast, muffins, pastry, pretty
much everything. It will keep for about a week.”
made me want to melt. He leaned forward and hugged me, “Thanks, friend,” he
said, then turned and opened his truck door. Before getting in, he added, “If
this is half as good as your pie, I think I can die a happy man.”
He liked my pie. Why did that thought make me
smile?
Other Books by
Abby McCarthy
Abby
McCarthy is reader and a lover of words. She is a blogger turned author and
released her first novel in May 2014. She is a mother of three, a wife and a
dog person. She has always written, sometimes poetry, sometimes just to vent
about failed relationships, however in parenthood she has found her voice to
help keep her sanity. Words have flowed from her, to review and with the
support of amazing friends in the Indie community she has decided to pursue her
dream of writing! She loves to write and read romance, because isn’t that
something we all yearn for? Whether it be flowers and hand holding or just the
right tug on your hair. Isn’t that what life is about? The human connection?
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