Maryse's Book Blog

Following my heart, one book at a time...

Sheltered Heroines

The Ultimate Book List of Innocent and Sheltered Heroines (strict upbringings, or raised in a cult etc…)

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So many of us get a real kick out of the dynamic and “social study” of a sheltered character (one that lives differently from the “social norms” due to strict upbringing, religious beliefs, and/or abusive situations) that is thrust into the “real” world.

They find themselves reevaluating everything they thought was true. New lessons to be learned as their fears, and their beliefs are tested, and that can make for an exciting, and/or emotionally heart rending journey for both that character and the reader! read more

Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale Reading Order

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HUGE HIT amongst us series bingers (whether it be books or shows) and guess what is going LIVE in just a few days?? THE. SEQUEL!!!! Gasp-worthy, infuriating, scary and yet utterly addictive, I can’t get over this show (yes… I learned about it because of the show). This kind of story is TOTALLY my thing. 😉

Cathy: It is sooo hard to choose a favorite book. I would say A Handmaid’s Tale.

About book #1:

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population. read more

Tessa Bailey – Beach Kingdom Series Reading Order

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<— SHELTERED HEROINE & AN EX-PRISONER ALERT!!! OMG I LOVE THIS AUTHOR & book #3 (the final book in this series) just went live!! P.S. Each one can be read as a standalone.

Jenn: …after reading back to back heart heavy reads I needed something light and sweet …-I love Tessa Bailey as she is my go to when I’m in the mood for that.

About book #1:

A man with a prison record has no place around a fresh faced college student. Tell that to Rory Prince. He should stay the hell away from Olive Cunningham. There’s one small problem, though. She won’t stop almost getting killed—and with this too-smart, too-sweet girl holding his heart in her hands, Rory is powerless to do anything but keep saving her. read more

Reader Question – The book about the rock star the fell for the preacher’s daughter…

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Tilly’s looking for this rock star series and there’s just enough detail to spark someone’s memory, I’m sure. Plus, no spoilers. Also… it sounds like she could be a sheltered heroine.

She asks:

Hello, I’m looking for a book series that I read sometime ago.

It was about a band. I think it was 4 books long and each book focused on a different member of the band. Think they were based out of Portland (aren’t they all 😉 ).

I distinctly remember that one member of the band went to a rehab “ranch” in Texas and ended up getting together with the local preacher’s daughter who was a singer. read more

Reader Question – The dark read about the girl that escapes a cult and the guy that wants revenge…

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Sonia needs our help, but there’s a TON of detail in here, so proceed with caution. I’ll try and include spoiler-alerts if I see ’em. 🙂

Ohhhhh boy I just read her whole description and I TOTALLY get why she had to put it down for awhile. This one sounds like it could make your blood run cold…

She asks:

I read this book and had it on my currently reading shelves on goodreads. But I had stop reading it cause emotionally I found it hard to read. So stupid me deleted it on gd. read more