"Breaking Free: Learning to Fly" by Annie Hughes

Phew... deep breaths, Becky, deep breaths - here's the Kleenex.
I hate to love Annie's writing, because I love to hate all the things it does to me - Annie Hughes definitely has a gift for writing in way that will make your insides feel a million shades of fucked up, that will leave you an emotional mess.
Her books will make you feel emotionally drained; they will make you angry, and they will be proof to you that words can hurt you - that a story is as much of a weapon as a knife. Her books will, however, also give you butterflies; they will make you fall in love, explore friendships, and they will make you laugh your heart out. Both Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura, as well as Breaking Free: Learning to Fly, are novels that will touch your heart and soul - and you better stock up on tissues, chocolate and ice cream before starting either.

As I pointed out in my review of Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura, part one in the series, Annie's writing is very authentic, and makes it extremely easy to believe that the narrator is a girl in her teenage years. All throughout both novels, the writing stays in character and the flow of the story never gets disrupted, so you never even once doubt the protagonist's credibility - which makes it impossible not to sympathize with her, and her feelings automatically become yours, making this series the emotional rollercoaster that it is.

In the beginning, Breaking Free: Learning to Fly held a little too much teenage drama for me. There were times at which I found myself thinking Jeez, this has more drama than a Spanish telenovela, but then I thought back to my own time at an American high school and I had to realize that while it might be a tad bit exaggerated for the sake of the story and its development, there are teenagers whose life seems to be composed of nothing but drama, so it was a kink I am more than willing to overlook.

All in all, this is a read I can't give any less than five stars to.
When the writing connects you so deeply to the characters, and when the novel makes you both cry your eyes out and laugh at the top of your lungs, you just know it's an all-round perfect read!

5/5

Anna Porter knows better than most how cruel life can be. After finally facing the horrific tortures of her childhood, it's time for her to try and embrace her happily ever after.

The next chapter of her life brings new friendships, new love and new challenges for Anna. Yet, while trying to overcome her fears and let go of the memories which plague her, the little girl she was makes it difficult to forget what happened.

Is her past really behind her? Can Anna finally learn to fly?

Annie Hughes has been writing since she was a little girl, never leaving the house without a novebook. As a corporate stooge and a single mother, she spends all of her free time reading, writing and drinking too much coffee (wine). Annie has a strong passion for the literary world and before writing her book, spent all of her time reviewing others. She also enjoys talking with all that read her book(s), her philosophy being that readers and authors are all part of the same world - a world where they are all enthusiastic about words.

Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura review || goodreads || amazon

Breaking Free: Learning to Fly release day blitz || goodreads || amazon
Visit Annie Hughes on goodreads || facebook || twitter

*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review! ***

"Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura" by Annie Hughes

Wow... what an emotional rollercoaster!
Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura by Annie Hughes made me shed more tears than I care to admit - some were of laughter, others turned into some truly ugly crying... and if I hadn't liked the book as much, I'd hate how much I actually loved both kinds (in some twisted ways).

From page one, I immediately fell in love with the writing - it's very authentic, and makes it extremely easy to believe that the narrator is a girl in her teenage years.
The writing captured me from the start, but the story itself started somewhat slow for me - for a while, I even questioned the plot and some of the characters. If it wasn't for the topic of the novel, for Anna's story, the writing would make this an easy and very light read, which was what ultimately kept me reading in the beginning. After about half the book though, Una Familia Segura suddenly turned into an absolute page-turner and I couldn't put it down anymore - I just had to finish reading it right then and there. The story of Anna's past, which haunts her until the end of the novel, is anything but light - it's dark, and some of it might call for a trigger warning, as it's very realistically - believably - written.

I really like how Hughes pointed out the differences between the UK and the US, between British and American things, when her main character, Anna Rosa, finds herself moving from one country to the other, rather than just stating that she has 'switched countries'. It makes things more real, and makes it really easy to take part in Anna's journey. The overall writing also makes it easy to empathize with Anna, which made the novel turn me into an emotional mess at times.

Una Familia Segura has a little bit of a Cinderella story spin - without wanting to give too much away, Anna goes from an abusive, traumatizing childhood of terror, to living with a wealthy, well-known and at times seemingly overly loving family. In the beginning, this made me feel like some of the characters were a little too 'shallow', for the lack of better words, but as I kept on reading it became perfectly clear that this was needed to emphasize the contrast between her old life and her new.
I also very much enjoyed the cute little lovestory developing in the almost-hidden, making it a lot more real than instalove and constant puppy-eyes ever could have in the situation Anna finds herself in.

Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura is, despite - or maybe especially because - of the dark matter it touches a beautiful story that underlines the importance of family and true friendship.
I'll have to treat myself to a paperback of this, and am looking forward to the next part in the series, which releases July 17th!

4.5 / 5

Anna Rosa Castillo is unlike most 16 year old girls.

She doesn't care for clothes or make up, nor does she giggle with her friends about hot guys. Coming from a small town in the North of England, where drugs and criminals are at the top of the food chain, Anna's life is an impossible mixture of pain and sorrow. She lives by only one rule - do whatever he says, and she might live long enough to get away.

All that changes when a fatal night lands the monster of her nightmares in a prison cell and herself in a hospital bed, staring into the eyes of a father she has never known. 

The addition of a father and a family turns Anna's life upside-down, thrusting her into a world she could never understand. Inner demons and unspeakable memories claw at her as she tries to build a relationship with her new family. But with her past looming over her new life, will she be able to break free?

Hello Everyone :)

I'm a brand new author who's just released her very first book baby - Breaking Free: Una Familia Segura. 

I'm a full time working mother to a gorgeous little boy and when I'm not busy with mum chores you can guarantee that I'm staying up until obscene hours either reading or writing.

I hope you all enjoy reading my stories, lots more to come in the future I think :)

Visit Annie Hughes on facebook || twitter || goodreads

Breaking Free (#1): Una Familia Segura on goodreads || amazon US || amazon DE || amazon UK

Breaking Free (#2): Learning to Fly on goodreads || amazon UK || amazon US || amazon DE

*** I received a review copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review! ***