Consign Me Not to Darkness by msj2779
Review by AbbyCreations
Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella
Summary: Bella has just escaped from the grasp of a torturous relationship and she finds herself in the slums of Chicago. She's a shadow of who she used to be and has the anxiety to go with it. With some help, she finds hope... AH B E. Some dark situations.
I've read very few stories where Edward isn't a wealthy, successful businessman of some sort, or a doctor, etc. One of the things that initially drew me in when I started reading this story is the grittiness of the setting. The characters are all struggling in some way, financially, emotionally,or in their relationships. The prologue, with its descriptions of yellowed curtains due to cigarette smoke were vivid enough that I had a clear picture of the dumpy apartment that Bella had rented. Unlike some other stories this one did not bore me with the descriptions used to describe the surroundings. That surprised me as I find that a lot of writers overdo it by constantly mentioning brand names and other descriptors that don't actually add anything to the story.
Esme and Rosalie are fleshed out a lot. The canon undertones are there but there are also some differences. I love that Rosalie reached out to Bella to babysit almost as soon as she moved in. The way that Bella met her neighbors and the subsequent relationships that developed were done in a way that to me was very believable. When she first sees Edward she refers to him as 'creepy guy in overalls'. As much as I've enjoyed love at first sight meets cute, this is one of my favorite initial Edward sightings. It takes quite a few chapters for Bella to warm up to him.
Bella was the victim of horrid abuse and for those of you who are sensitive to this subject matter I would definitely advise you against reading this story. There is hope and the abuse is more alluded to than graphically depicted but I realize that for some, this story is just something they won't read because of the subject matter.
Here's an excerpt showcasing how Edward sees Bella right from the start:
"Damn, that wasn't what I meant," he groaned. "What I meant was…there are types of people who live in this sort of neighborhood. I'm not saying that they aren't good people but there are a lot of people who wouldn't have offered to do a stranger's laundry to help them out. Most people wouldn't have offered to babysit two little heathens so that they could go visit their husband in prison. You belong somewhere decent, Bella."
I chewed on his words for a few beats. "They aren't heathens," I replied.
He laughed. "That's what you got from what I just said?"
"I'm sorry but I just don't see what you see," I told him. "I don't think that offering to help Rose makes me a good person. It's human to want to do something for other people."
His laugh was humorless. "You have no idea how wrong you are about that."
If you're expecting a graphic lemon right away you're barking up the wrong tree. Their first time together is sweet and not heavily described but it does show how far they've come together.
Here is some pre-lemon loving:
"Are you listening to a word that I'm saying?" He leaned down and suckled my earlobe. I couldn't deny the chills that claimed my entire body nor could I help the way my eyes rolled into the back of my skull. "Fuck, you're so sweet. You have no idea how much I want to rip your clothes off and bury myself inside you. Stop saying that I don't want you because, oh Christ, I do." He nuzzled my hair with his chin and inhaled the scent. "I don't want you to be afraid of me, Bella and I can see it in your eyes. You're not ready and there's no fucking way that I'm pushing you, no matter how ready you say you are."
"You're always saving me, Edward," I whispered, "even from myself. You must really care about me or maybe you just like playing hero."
He snorted. "I'm nobody's hero."
I didn't argue, partially because dismissing the "hero" status was just an Edward thing to do. But it was true and there was nothing he could say or do to make me believe otherwise.
There will be heartfail and angst. I don't want to give any of it away but you may as well know. Given what Bella is running away from it can't be helped. Give it a read and leave msj2779 some love. Happy Reading!
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