Leylah Attar

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. They lie. For 21 days she held on. But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death. Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves. A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. A full-length, standalone novel, intended for mature audiences due to violence, sex and language. Subject matter may be disturbing for some readers.

The Paper Swan

Briar's Reviews

** spoiler alert **
           The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar was an amazing read that I was instantly addicted to!

This novel is by far one of the best romance novels I have ever read! While the story did have some cliche plots inside of it, I still loved the book!

The novel starts off with a bang. Instantly our heroine Skye Sedgewick is kidnapped by some random assailant and is thrown on a wild adventure. Unpredictable twists and turns begin to happen and the story behind the kidnapping unwinds. 

I love the fact that this story instantly starts without any type of boring introduction. I was instantly interested in why this girl was kidnapped and what was going to happen to her. Constantly throughout this novel some kind of action or drama is happening, which makes it highly addicting. There were no slow parts that had me teetering off of the addiction trail, which makes for a wonderful book!

The only problem I saw with this novel was how Skye seemed to magically grow romantic feelings for her kidnapper. I understand Stockholme Syndrome is indeed a real situation that happens to people, but I felt like as soon as Skye knew who the kidnapper was her feelings changed. Wouldn't she feel some remorse and not instantly want to live happily ever after with him?

That "problem" is only an opinion of mine and didn't ruin the book at all. It doesn't affect the book's awesomeness level in any way. It was more of a question I had for the author, and if she planned for that to happen or if she did research and discovered how Stockholme Syndrome affects people.

Overall, I would give this book a 6 out of 5 if possible. It was a fantastic read that I would suggest to almost anyone! If you love: romance, new adult novels, dramatic novels (much like a soap opera), dark romance, or suspense and mystery novels then this book is for you!

Five out of five stars! I loved it! I want more from Leylah Attar as soon as possible!

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Victoria

It took me a whole week to finish this book and only because I was too busy doing something. But now I kind of regret prolonging it because goddamnit this is one hell of an amazing story. The love story, the plot twists, the vengeance, damn. Everything you need for a damn good soap opera (I remember comparing this to a Mexican novela haha) is right here. Really, this one great novel right here.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

Holy hell!! This book was one crazy hell of a ride! I’m not even completely sure how I feel about The Paper Swan, but what I do know is that I couldn’t. put. it. down. This is the first book I’ve read by Leylah Attar, and now that I’m a bit in love with the way she writes, this book won’t be my last of hers. I won’t say too much about the plot of this book, since the twists and turns are the best part of it, but I just really enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say it’s THE BEST book I’ve read, but it’s a dark, gritty, entertaining book I devoured in one sitting.

“You can either choose love or you can choose hate, because where one lives, the other will die.”

I was completely taken aback with the beginning of the book. Leylah Attar definitely doesn’t hold back – instead, she thrusts the reader right into the midst of the story, making your heart pound as you read more and more. Skye Sedgewick finds herself held at gunpoint by a strange man. Curiously, he doesn’t kill her, but instead kidnaps her and holds her hostage on a boat. Damian, the abductor, is cruel, cold, and violent, but he also has… kinder moments. I didn’t like him… but I didn’t quite hate him either. I was waiting to see what his reasons were and how the story would unfold before I made my judgements on him, and WOW was I surprised at what was revealed.

The two men that I loved the most, with all my heart, were out to destroy each other. I had a feeling that by the time it was all said and done, only one would be left standing.

Interspersed between the moments that Skye is desperately trying to find a way to escape are flashbacks that tell of Skye’s early childhood, when she lived in Mexico with her father, nanny, and beloved childhood friend Esteban. I LOVED the way the the author integrated the past with the present. The story flowed so well and unfolded in such a smooth, lyrical way. The writing was good, though I wasn’t that big of a fan of it. I can see how people would love the writing, but to me, it sometimes felt like too much – too poetic and flowery. I much rather enjoyed the actual organization of the book.

So what does Damian want with Skye? Who exactly is he? Thankfully, Leylah Attar doesn’t hold us in suspense for too long, because by 25%, we get some answers and I could see which way the author was taking the story. The blurb says that this book is NOT a love triangle, and I would have to agree. Damian is the only love interest, though it took a long time for me to even warm up to him being a love interest at all. In the end, I couldn’t forgive the things he did to Skye, though he does change and emotions surface once secrets are out in the open. Damian really said the sweetest things, but it was hard for me to reconcile his sweeter side with the cruel side he showed in the beginning. So while I can’t say I loved him, I did enjoy the way he and Skye were together.

“Whether you say yes or no, you will always be my forever.”

The Paper Swan is a fantastic kidnapper romance, because it’s so much more than that. Yes, Skye falls for her kidnapper, but her captivity is also a journey of self-discovery with revealed secrets. This book is also very much Damian’s story, with his quest in revenge, vengeance, and redemption. There’s no doubt this book is intense, and I loved the amount of depth the author put into the characters and story. I highly recommend this book for those who like their books gritty and suspenseful.

You don’t always get the treasure by holding on. Sometimes the magic happens when you let go.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1D12VPW

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