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Where Love Lies
Win a free kindle copy of this book!
7 days and 19:19:40
100 copies available
U.S. only
When Ella Davidson’s world is turned upside down, and she is forced to transition from her picture-perfect all-American life to two years of mandatory military service abroad, the last thing on her mind is finding love. Then she meets the officer in charge of her unit, Liam Levine. Mysterious, confident on the verge of cocky, and unbearably gorgeous, Liam is everything Ella never knew she needed. And the spark between them? Magnetic. Undeniable. Dangerous. But as she and Liam navigate their secret love affair, Ella finds out that Liam is hiding a secret of his own—one that could ruin them both.
Building to an unforgettably emotional climax, Where Love Lies delves into the longings and lies of falling in love, the slippery slope of controlling relationships, and the strength it takes to find your own voice, reminding us of how hard it is to let go when everything in you wants to keep holding on.
Building to an unforgettably emotional climax, Where Love Lies delves into the longings and lies of falling in love, the slippery slope of controlling relationships, and the strength it takes to find your own voice, reminding us of how hard it is to let go when everything in you wants to keep holding on.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 16, 2024
I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Greenleaf Book Group for choosing me.
I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, but I did scream at Ella ALOT. I also cheered her on at the end, I was happy for her!
I'm probably going to be judged harshly for saying this, but the entire time I read this story, I wanted to strangle Ella. She had every opportunity to put a stop to it. She had her family's support and money backing her, and she just didn't. I know, I KNOW how awful it sounds to judge someone who's going through such a terrible situation, but I couldn't stand it. She wasn't stuck with Liam in any way. For goodness sakes, she managed to leave him and stay away for months and moved to a different country all to just fall at his feet the moment he came back? I'm sorry, but NO. I know this is a fictional story, but there are so many people (men & women) who go through this on a daily basis and they don't have their family's support or money backing them who are truly stuck in horrible situations at the hands of people who claim to love them and at times the entire book just felt like a slap in the face. I'm not saying leaving a relationship is easy. It never is, but Ella was insufferable at times. Even before they were officially together, there were signs and red flags she could have paid attention to, signs and warnings she immediately caught onto and yet willingly chose to ignore. I understand that at the beginning, she could be slightly naive, but why in the world would she choose to invite him back into her life after everything he did to her in Israel?
I am fully aware that he only came back because she reached out first, but the whole premise of the book just didn't sit right with me. Then, to make matters worse, her mother is all happy-go-lucky as she plans her daughter's wedding to this awful, narcissistic man?! Even though she KNEW he'd already laid his hands on her in the past. I'm sorry, but waiting until her wedding day to speak up is not going to fly with me. I understand Ella is an adult and can make her own decisions, but watching her sit back and do absolutely nothing while her daughter is flailing was almost unbearable.
The 3 stars are for the ending. If this had gone any other way, I wouldn't have been able to rate it anything higher than 1 star. I'm happy she FINALLY stood up for herself. I'm happy she picked herself. I'm happy she chose herself.
PS This book should include trigger warnings: DV & SA (although it's not super explicit).
I didn't love it, I didn't hate it, but I did scream at Ella ALOT. I also cheered her on at the end, I was happy for her!
I'm probably going to be judged harshly for saying this, but the entire time I read this story, I wanted to strangle Ella. She had every opportunity to put a stop to it. She had her family's support and money backing her, and she just didn't. I know, I KNOW how awful it sounds to judge someone who's going through such a terrible situation, but I couldn't stand it. She wasn't stuck with Liam in any way. For goodness sakes, she managed to leave him and stay away for months and moved to a different country all to just fall at his feet the moment he came back? I'm sorry, but NO. I know this is a fictional story, but there are so many people (men & women) who go through this on a daily basis and they don't have their family's support or money backing them who are truly stuck in horrible situations at the hands of people who claim to love them and at times the entire book just felt like a slap in the face. I'm not saying leaving a relationship is easy. It never is, but Ella was insufferable at times. Even before they were officially together, there were signs and red flags she could have paid attention to, signs and warnings she immediately caught onto and yet willingly chose to ignore. I understand that at the beginning, she could be slightly naive, but why in the world would she choose to invite him back into her life after everything he did to her in Israel?
I am fully aware that he only came back because she reached out first, but the whole premise of the book just didn't sit right with me. Then, to make matters worse, her mother is all happy-go-lucky as she plans her daughter's wedding to this awful, narcissistic man?! Even though she KNEW he'd already laid his hands on her in the past. I'm sorry, but waiting until her wedding day to speak up is not going to fly with me. I understand Ella is an adult and can make her own decisions, but watching her sit back and do absolutely nothing while her daughter is flailing was almost unbearable.
The 3 stars are for the ending. If this had gone any other way, I wouldn't have been able to rate it anything higher than 1 star. I'm happy she FINALLY stood up for herself. I'm happy she picked herself. I'm happy she chose herself.
PS This book should include trigger warnings: DV & SA (although it's not super explicit).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2024
I want to thank Netgalley and Greenleaf books for an advanced copy for my honest review.
Ella Davidson is living the All American spoiled rich girl teenage dream. One night her parents drop the mother of all bombs, they are moving back to Israel and Ella has to join the Army in 2 weeks. As Ella is sulking on the beach in Tel Aviv with her Louis Vuitton purse and drinking a bottle of wine from paper cups, she meets her dream guy.
Liam Lavine is a gorgeous 20 something who throws sand on her as he is running by on the beach. He apologizes by taking her to a pineapple bar to get drinks and pizza. They seem to connect to the point that they start talking about sex, but no plans are made to meet again.
As Ella enters the army, supposedly the worst experience of her life, all she can think of is Liam. But, a surprise to both of them, Liam turns out to be Ella’s commanding officer.
This book was bad. Bad from page one. I truly thought this was a fake book written by AI that Netgalley was going to rate my reviews on because it was the first one. I thought they wanted to see if I would really leave an honest review. I had to stop shortly after starting chapter 10 because I was getting eye strain. Eye strain not from reading but from rolling my eyes. I was pretty appalled by the Author’s depiction of the army. Being in the army myself, I could tell the author had no military training or even an attempt to learn military procedures, codes, rules, training. Men do not command women during basic training. Liam demanded to be called Commander Levine but he calls his second command by her first name Commander Mia. All soldiers are referred by rank and last name, just rank or just last name, but never by first name.
Basic training is to break a soldier down first, then build them back up. Ella's one objection of getting through bootcamp was to get Liam. I would have been thinking I don't want to be killed especially if rockets were being fired right outside the camp. But no, she talks constantly of wanting to F#!$ him. There is no mention of the strenuous training that gives you no energy to think of anything else but eat, sleep, next mission. But somehow Ella has time to make her bed in pink sheets and a pink comforter. She has time to run to the bathroom to straighten her hair. She asks her mom to alter her uniform so she can show off her curves-have fun crawling around in skin tight clothes. Ella is basically Barbie at Bootcamp, PLEASE! And don't forget this is taking place in 2022. You know, during the Isreal-Palestine conflict. Bombs and rockets going off, people being shot and killed and the author treats this like a teenage summer camp. Disgraceful.
Things that happen in the real army during basic training:
-They don’t get their phones every night for an hour
-You do not choose your bed linen, its given to you
-Soldiers have to clean their space from top to bottom, this was never done
-Female soldiers are NEVER alone with male soldiers especially commanding officers
-You don’t get an M16 as soon as you get off the bus. You wait until you have been trained and then you are issued one
-You don’t get to talk to your commanding officer ever unless they speak to you first
-You don’t get to have mommy get your uniform altered so you can show off your curves and have it delivered by a taxi with gummy worms
-you don't get to leave bootcamp until training is over
-You don’t get time to put on makeup or do your hair especially with a flat iron
My final eye roll, when I decided I am not finishing this book, was when Ella became upset at a grandmother who took her phone to tell her sister the way to win a man's heart is through his stomach. Ella said the older lady was vulgar. VULGAR. I just read 9 chapters of either Liam or Ella (mostly) talk about f@#%ing and she is appalled by this grandmother. Nope, I’m done.
Ella Davidson is living the All American spoiled rich girl teenage dream. One night her parents drop the mother of all bombs, they are moving back to Israel and Ella has to join the Army in 2 weeks. As Ella is sulking on the beach in Tel Aviv with her Louis Vuitton purse and drinking a bottle of wine from paper cups, she meets her dream guy.
Liam Lavine is a gorgeous 20 something who throws sand on her as he is running by on the beach. He apologizes by taking her to a pineapple bar to get drinks and pizza. They seem to connect to the point that they start talking about sex, but no plans are made to meet again.
As Ella enters the army, supposedly the worst experience of her life, all she can think of is Liam. But, a surprise to both of them, Liam turns out to be Ella’s commanding officer.
This book was bad. Bad from page one. I truly thought this was a fake book written by AI that Netgalley was going to rate my reviews on because it was the first one. I thought they wanted to see if I would really leave an honest review. I had to stop shortly after starting chapter 10 because I was getting eye strain. Eye strain not from reading but from rolling my eyes. I was pretty appalled by the Author’s depiction of the army. Being in the army myself, I could tell the author had no military training or even an attempt to learn military procedures, codes, rules, training. Men do not command women during basic training. Liam demanded to be called Commander Levine but he calls his second command by her first name Commander Mia. All soldiers are referred by rank and last name, just rank or just last name, but never by first name.
Basic training is to break a soldier down first, then build them back up. Ella's one objection of getting through bootcamp was to get Liam. I would have been thinking I don't want to be killed especially if rockets were being fired right outside the camp. But no, she talks constantly of wanting to F#!$ him. There is no mention of the strenuous training that gives you no energy to think of anything else but eat, sleep, next mission. But somehow Ella has time to make her bed in pink sheets and a pink comforter. She has time to run to the bathroom to straighten her hair. She asks her mom to alter her uniform so she can show off her curves-have fun crawling around in skin tight clothes. Ella is basically Barbie at Bootcamp, PLEASE! And don't forget this is taking place in 2022. You know, during the Isreal-Palestine conflict. Bombs and rockets going off, people being shot and killed and the author treats this like a teenage summer camp. Disgraceful.
Things that happen in the real army during basic training:
-They don’t get their phones every night for an hour
-You do not choose your bed linen, its given to you
-Soldiers have to clean their space from top to bottom, this was never done
-Female soldiers are NEVER alone with male soldiers especially commanding officers
-You don’t get an M16 as soon as you get off the bus. You wait until you have been trained and then you are issued one
-You don’t get to talk to your commanding officer ever unless they speak to you first
-You don’t get to have mommy get your uniform altered so you can show off your curves and have it delivered by a taxi with gummy worms
-you don't get to leave bootcamp until training is over
-You don’t get time to put on makeup or do your hair especially with a flat iron
My final eye roll, when I decided I am not finishing this book, was when Ella became upset at a grandmother who took her phone to tell her sister the way to win a man's heart is through his stomach. Ella said the older lady was vulgar. VULGAR. I just read 9 chapters of either Liam or Ella (mostly) talk about f@#%ing and she is appalled by this grandmother. Nope, I’m done.
August 15, 2024
Ella is an Israeli born American citizen who is forced to serve in the Israeli army for two years as part of her citizenship and her family moves to Tel Aviv after being the victims of antisemitism. It's obvious that Ella is trying to find her way early on and is swept away by a man who claims he doesn't want to be his father, yet is exactly the same. It was heartbreaking to read and I kept cheering for Ella to find her voice throughout and stand up for herself because she deserved so much better.
My stomach was in knots reading this because I believe there is truth in how abusive relationships are played out behind the scenes. Ella's family knows something is off but refuses their help time and again.
This book is not light by any means but it will grip you and you won't be able to put it down. It's something that will also stick with you for awhile.
My stomach was in knots reading this because I believe there is truth in how abusive relationships are played out behind the scenes. Ella's family knows something is off but refuses their help time and again.
This book is not light by any means but it will grip you and you won't be able to put it down. It's something that will also stick with you for awhile.
August 21, 2024
You know what the world did not need? An off-brand "It Ends With Us" that romanticizes the Israel-Hamas war.
Because when someone writes a book about the IDF, and includes the date of 2022 as the start of a two-year conscription, it goes without saying that Ella is serving during the conflict. Yet the author essentially writes boot camp and service as summer camp, occasionally gross but otherwise crawling with hot people. The original premise of an American girl forced into mandatory service was intriguing, but the writing treats boot camp like Love Island. Knowing as a reader that her cutesy relationship is going on while thousands of innocent people are dying? It made me feel sick to my stomach.
Of course, Ella's situation is heart-wrenching as the person she deemed as her protector ends up being her abuser. It's all too real. But in the first half, Ella just comes off as a brat (and not in the fun brat summer way, in the spoiled way). She purposely ignores the red flags then acts surprised when they wave. No one deserves abuse, but it made the reading painful. I wish there was a deeper examination of culture, especially for a girl trapped between two, but any deeper look was neglected in favor of yet another example of verbal abuse. Again, reading was painful. Not in the rip-out-your-heart way, but in the keep-checking-Instagram way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Sorry it ended up with brutal honesty.
Because when someone writes a book about the IDF, and includes the date of 2022 as the start of a two-year conscription, it goes without saying that Ella is serving during the conflict. Yet the author essentially writes boot camp and service as summer camp, occasionally gross but otherwise crawling with hot people. The original premise of an American girl forced into mandatory service was intriguing, but the writing treats boot camp like Love Island. Knowing as a reader that her cutesy relationship is going on while thousands of innocent people are dying? It made me feel sick to my stomach.
Of course, Ella's situation is heart-wrenching as the person she deemed as her protector ends up being her abuser. It's all too real. But in the first half, Ella just comes off as a brat (and not in the fun brat summer way, in the spoiled way). She purposely ignores the red flags then acts surprised when they wave. No one deserves abuse, but it made the reading painful. I wish there was a deeper examination of culture, especially for a girl trapped between two, but any deeper look was neglected in favor of yet another example of verbal abuse. Again, reading was painful. Not in the rip-out-your-heart way, but in the keep-checking-Instagram way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Sorry it ended up with brutal honesty.
September 21, 2024
Where Love Lies" is a touching romance that beautifully explores love and heartache. The characters feel real, and the story is written in a way that’s easy to enjoy. Well written, highly recommend.
Ella is an Israeli born American citizen who is forced to serve in the Israeli army for two years as part of her citizenship and her family moves to Tel Aviv after being the victims of antisemitism. It's obvious that Ella is trying to find her way early on and is swept away by a man who claims he doesn't want to be his father, yet is exactly the same. It was heartbreaking to read and I kept cheering for Ella to find her voice throughout and stand up for herself because she deserved so much better.
My stomach was in knots reading this because I believe there is truth in how abusive relationships are played out behind the scenes. Ella's family knows something is off but refuses their help time and again.
This book is not light by any means but it will grip you and you won't be able to put it down. It's something that will also stick with you for awhile.
Ella is an Israeli born American citizen who is forced to serve in the Israeli army for two years as part of her citizenship and her family moves to Tel Aviv after being the victims of antisemitism. It's obvious that Ella is trying to find her way early on and is swept away by a man who claims he doesn't want to be his father, yet is exactly the same. It was heartbreaking to read and I kept cheering for Ella to find her voice throughout and stand up for herself because she deserved so much better.
My stomach was in knots reading this because I believe there is truth in how abusive relationships are played out behind the scenes. Ella's family knows something is off but refuses their help time and again.
This book is not light by any means but it will grip you and you won't be able to put it down. It's something that will also stick with you for awhile.
August 21, 2024
I hope many young women see and read this because so many get trapped in relationships like this. Ella this bright woman who has passion and drive falls for a soldier and things are going great, until they aren’t and he gets very angry suddenly. Ella doesn’t know how to get out of this after repeating the same behaviors time after time. This story is so many peoples story trying to decide what is best for you and not wanting to hurt or upset a person you really care for. I feel it was very well written especially at the worst parts of Ella’s life you could feel how dark it was for her.
September 6, 2024
"Where Love Lies" by Raz Tal Schenire is a deeply moving exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery. Schenire masterfully weaves emotional depth into each page, creating characters that feel achingly real and relatable. The prose is beautifully lyrical, pulling the reader into a world of heartfelt moments and introspective journeys. It's the kind of book that lingers long after the final page, offering both comfort and a profound understanding of the complexities of the human heart. A truly captivating read!
September 29, 2024
I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway and felt obligated to finish it.
This book started out alright, but I quickly realized that this author has no actual knowledge of military training or rankings work, which became annoying. This book also very quickly felt like the “Wish” version of It Ends With Us. This could have had so much more potential but definitely missed the mark.
This book started out alright, but I quickly realized that this author has no actual knowledge of military training or rankings work, which became annoying. This book also very quickly felt like the “Wish” version of It Ends With Us. This could have had so much more potential but definitely missed the mark.
June 24, 2024
I really wanted to like this based on the description. It's about a girl who's uprooted from her life and sent to the army. The family moves due to anti-semitism, and there's a romance and chance for reinvention. These issues are dealt with in the story.
Unfortunately, this really didn't work for me. The very first paragraph is meant to be some existential questions the main character is thinking about, and they were way too melodramatic. Not a great start.
The biggest problem was an extraordinarily unlikable main character. Ella is a brat. She is given a trite description as the perfect American girl; beautiful, stinking rich, with a near-perfect SAT score. Spare me. But she is insufferable and selfish. All she does is complain and speak poorly. Unbelievably, when she develops a relationship with someone who says he can't get involved with her at the risk of losing his job, which he desperately needs to support his family, she just thinks about ways to snag him. I couldn't find myself rooting for her.
Oh, and about that relationship. It's not very credible. They meet on the beach and three seconds later are talking about intimate stuff...a normal person would run the other way. Somehow we're supposed to be convinced that he really loves her, even though they only met once in a completely superficial way. And that he think she's special...even though she's only acted horribly. Huh?
The next problem was that the language is terribly vulgar. Why? I had to skip over many lines.
Finally, this is supposed to be like boot camp. But there is zero respect or discipline. It makes a real joke out of combat training.
I just didn't find this endearing, realistic, or even fun. I hope other other readers enjoy it more.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.
Unfortunately, this really didn't work for me. The very first paragraph is meant to be some existential questions the main character is thinking about, and they were way too melodramatic. Not a great start.
The biggest problem was an extraordinarily unlikable main character. Ella is a brat. She is given a trite description as the perfect American girl; beautiful, stinking rich, with a near-perfect SAT score. Spare me. But she is insufferable and selfish. All she does is complain and speak poorly. Unbelievably, when she develops a relationship with someone who says he can't get involved with her at the risk of losing his job, which he desperately needs to support his family, she just thinks about ways to snag him. I couldn't find myself rooting for her.
Oh, and about that relationship. It's not very credible. They meet on the beach and three seconds later are talking about intimate stuff...a normal person would run the other way. Somehow we're supposed to be convinced that he really loves her, even though they only met once in a completely superficial way. And that he think she's special...even though she's only acted horribly. Huh?
The next problem was that the language is terribly vulgar. Why? I had to skip over many lines.
Finally, this is supposed to be like boot camp. But there is zero respect or discipline. It makes a real joke out of combat training.
I just didn't find this endearing, realistic, or even fun. I hope other other readers enjoy it more.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy for review.
May 28, 2024
I received an advance copy of this book to provide feedback for the author. I did not receive any compensation for this review.
Wow! This book had me coming back for me with every turn of the page. It was a quick read and I read 64% of it in one day!
Ella is a beautiful Israeli American teenager whose life is upended when her parents decide to move back to Tel Aviv……oh ya, and she has to serve in the Israeli government for 2 years. Following Ella on the wild ride of this book had me feeling so many feelings….happiness, sadness, confusion, and anger, so much anger. I saw myself in Ella throughout this book. I would highly recommend this read!
Wow! This book had me coming back for me with every turn of the page. It was a quick read and I read 64% of it in one day!
Ella is a beautiful Israeli American teenager whose life is upended when her parents decide to move back to Tel Aviv……oh ya, and she has to serve in the Israeli government for 2 years. Following Ella on the wild ride of this book had me feeling so many feelings….happiness, sadness, confusion, and anger, so much anger. I saw myself in Ella throughout this book. I would highly recommend this read!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews