Shame

Ruin Series- Book 3

Release Date: October 6, 2014

By Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis

Everything done in darkness, will eventually be brought into the light.

I ran, but all it did was keep me one step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you can’t change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me–I felt only pain.
When they touched me–Nothing but fear.

Deep inside, every girl wants to be the beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as much as I wanted redemption, I wasn’t fool enough to think I’d ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.

I wasn’t prepared to fall for someone. My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered me security. I should have known it was just another lie–I should have known that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.

Because the darkness finally caught up to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I’m stronger than I knew. I’m stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you don’t….after all everyone has Shame in their lives– and I’m no longer afraid to show you mine.

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Excerpt

It was hard to explain the way he spoke to me; at times he was flirtatious and well… happy. Other times? It seemed like he was fighting another side of himself, one that was more reserved, uptight, controlled. And if you were to ask me which side scared me the most? I’d say both. Because both sides were dangerous to me — both pushed a person like me past the point of no return. His seriousness made me curious; his flirtation made me want more.

“Just dinner?” I asked. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“Yeah, well…” He glanced down briefly before flashing a sensual smile, his eyes dilating. “…it seems to be an impulse I can’t really control around you.”

“Control’s overrated, you label-making fool.”

At that he laughed, a rich chuckle that had my entire body relaxing and heating at the same time. I took a step toward him and smiled. “So, rule-breaker, where are we going?”

He grabbed his messenger bag and keys. “You’ll see.”

“Cryptic.” My eyebrows arched as I crossed my arms over my chest. “This isn’t going to turn into one of those six o‘clock news things where the crazy professor takes the girl out then buries her in the woods, is it?” I tried to sound like I was joking, but the minute the words left my mouth, it was no longer funny. Suddenly, I realized how stupid it would be to go with him. I knew nothing about him, nothing at all!

He smiled, tilting his head toward me. “Why am I getting the sudden urge to pull out a list of character references?”

“Because I just scared myself,” I admitted out loud.

“You want my social security number?” He winked. “Credit score? First grade class photo? Oh, and by the way, in first grade I was nominated most likely to own a pet store… so, if you aren’t okay with that, we probably shouldn’t continue this.”

“This?”

“Dinner.”

“Because you liked pets?”

“I wanted to own a lizard farm.”

I covered my mouth with my hands and nodded solemnly. “All little boys have dreams.”

“A bully crushed mine when he told me lizard farms don’t exist.” He shook his head. “In second grade I was voted least likely to succeed, on account that I didn’t speak for the entire year.”

“Why’s that?” I took another step toward him.

He took another step in my direction and shrugged. “It took me a while to get over the lizards.”

“So you stopped speaking?”

“It was more of me trying to make the public aware of my outrage.”

“Ah, like lizard strike.”

“I made shirts.”

“Tell me, professor, is that when the label-making started?”

“No.” He nodded toward the door and started walking. I followed, genuinely interested in what he was going to say and hating that it was possible he was stringing me along only to go all cold-crazy-psycho on me again. “That was an entirely different situation.” He pulled the door open.

“What? No more stories?” I asked.

“Dinner.” He shrugged, his eyes a stormy gray. “I’ll tell you at dinner.”

“Bribery.”

“My trump card. Label-maker stories. You know, I do actually know how to romance a woman.”

“Well…” I cleared my throat and broke eye contact. “…since I’m your student, I’ll just take your word for it.”

“Right,” he said quickly then repeated, “Right, shall we?”

“Lead the way.” I forced a smile and tried to remember that this was dinner, nothing romantic, just my very sexy professor once again apologizing for being a jackass during class.

Michel’s Review

Shame is the third book in The Ruin series by Rachel Van Dyken.  I have loved every book in this series.  Lisa has been a prominent character throughout this series.  From her dedicated friendship to “Taco Tuesday’s” the readers have come to love her character.  There is an air of mystery concerning her past that the readers are finally going to see.

Lisa was not always the happy go lucky college girl she appears to be.  She has a very dark past.  A past she is ashamed of, with just cause.

Lisa was a model in her past life.  She was wild, selfish, insecure, and easily influenced by others.  Being raised in a town where looks and appearances are everything, her insecurities run deep.

Lisa had the wrong kind of friends and the wrong kind of boyfriend.  Her actions towards others went past the point of bullying to downright cruelty.  Together with her boyfriend, they destroyed young lives and humiliated unsuspecting people.  To them it was all a game.  But in reality it was total destruction, not only to their victims but to themselves.  After a horrific incident, that resulted in death, Lisa no longer wants to be the girl she is.  The opportunity arises for her to change her life when her good friend Gabe decides to do a life makeover.  Gabe and Lisa move to Washington to attend college.  They change their names and identities.  This is Lisa’s chance to become the person she truly wants to be.

The past has a way of catching up with her.  Frightening letters and incidents begin to happen to Lisa.  She feels like she is being stalked and fears for her life.  Her new life is beginning to crumble and she may have to pay for her past sins.

While she is living in fear, she also finds one bright spot in her life.  Her new professor is opening her eyes to a new reality.  She is falling in love with him.  But he has secrets as well.

Can Lisa live with her shame and find love?  Read the book!

Shame is much more than a romance.  It is a psychological thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.  It is amazing how Rachel Van Dyken blended the emotional highs and lows that go along with fear and love.

I highly recommend the Ruin series.  Shame can be read as a stand alone novel.

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The Ruin Series

Ruin- Book 1

I’m not your typical girl. I’ve been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness…until Wes Michels offered to be my light.

I didn’t know that time wasn’t my ally — that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer–each moment as it came–but it would never be enough.

Sometimes when you think it’s the end, it’s only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn’t–I wouldn’t ever be the same.

And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.

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Toxic – Book 2

Everyone has a secret…

Gabe Hyde is on borrowed time. He’s been hiding his identity for over four years-hidden from the world that used to adore him–obsess over him–driven to the edge of insanity by one poor choice.
But that one choice, altered the course of his life forever.
Pretending isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when pretending means hiding your real self from the people that care about you the most. But if anyone ever discovered the truth it wouldn’t just be his life at risk–but hers.

Saylor doesn’t hate men.
Just Gabe.
Only Gabe.
He’s a reckless, happy-go-lucky, silver spoon fed pain in her ass. Everything about him makes her more and more confused. Unfortunately they both donate time at the same Group Home. If she wasn’t afraid of flunking, she’d be long gone. She hates that she’s attracted to him almost as much as he hates that he’s attracted to her–and she can tell, especially since their first encounter ended up making her knees so weak she couldn’t form coherent sentences for weeks afterwards. But the closer she gets to him, the more confused she becomes. He isn’t who he says he is, and he’s hiding something big.

What happen when two worlds collide? Two worlds that never should have met in the first place? Some secrets are too big to be hidden forever–the only question? Will his destroy everyone he loves? Or finally bring about the redemption he’s been craving for the past four years?

Everyone has a secret…What’s yours?

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Fearless- Book 2.5

When I met Kiersten, time stood still. It was as if every cell in my body screamed HER. I couldn’t look away, I couldn’t walk away, I couldn’t even move. My other half, my soul mate, was staring right at me. I had to have her. I had to make her mine. But I felt selfish doing that–knowing that I may not have endless amounts of time to give her…and even now that every things’ over with and I’ve been given that time back.
Nothing is ever certain in this life.
Which is why I’m about to do something crazy, impulsive, daring.
After all, what type of person would I be if I didn’t take my own advice?
I’m jumping off the cliff, I’m living fearlessly.

This is the continuation of Wes and Kierstens story.

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About Rachel Van Dyken:

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she’s not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.

She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com

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