And it’s a gooder… I was going to share the original review for comparison, but they took it down. Click on either of the medals to see the review on their contest site. Eventually the title/manuscript image will be replaced with an actual cover of the book, and a link to the book’s review page. In the meantime, click on the title on the Readers’ Favorite site to see the review there.

Here, in all its 5-star glory, is the new Readers’ Favorite review of Mazie Baby.

Mazie Baby

Mazie Baby by Julie Frayn is a gripping tale of abuse. Mazie is married to Cullen Reynolds, but her marriage is not all it may seem. Over fourteen years, her marriage has deteriorated with each beating she gets from Cullen. Once a brash and outgoing girl, Mazie has learnt to show no emotion. But when his attention turns to Ariel, their 12-year-old daughter, she knows that she has to do something. The beatings are getting worse and Mazie knows that she must get away from him with Ariel. Can she outwit him? Can she really escape from the prison that he has enclosed her in? What will be the final straw and will help come from an unlikely direction?

Mazie Baby by Julie Frayn is an incredibly powerful novel, not for the faint-hearted to read. It is an in-depth and highly emotional story detailing the life of a woman who lives with an abusive husband and is quite terrifying in places. More than once, I found that my breath had caught in my throat as I waited for what was coming. There is so much more I want to say about this story but I cannot for fear of giving away spoilers. Suffice it to say, the subject of emotional and physical abuse is a delicate one but one that must be faced by all of us, whether we are victims, perpetrators or outsiders looking in. Julie has written an explosive novel, one that I hope will give others the courage to do what they must do, what they need to do to survive. I liked the flashbacks throughout the book, to earlier times when they met, when they were happy and to when it all began. It is very easy for people to say, why doesn’t she just walk away. This book will show you why it isn’t that easy. This is one of those page-turner novels; certainly, I couldn’t put it down until the last word was read and I know that other readers will be the same. Fantastic novel, I look forward to reading more of Julie Frayn’s work.

Tagged as: award-winning, Bronze medal, five star review, Mazie Baby, Readers' Favorite