AUDIO REVIEW: 'Violated' by Jamie Fessenden
Title: Violated
Author: Jamie Fessenden
Narrator: K.C. Kelly
Published: August 7, 2015
Audio Release Date: March 21. 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Dark Romance
Length: 9 hours and 42 minutes/256 Pages
Tags: Audiobook; M/M; Gay; Angst: Heavy; Law Enforcement; Friends to Lovers; CW: Rape; CW: Sexual Assault; CW: Non-Con.
BLURB:
Derek Sawyer thinks he has it all—a high-salaried position, a boyfriend, a dog, even a new cabin on the lake—until a business trip with his manager and best friend, Victor, shatters his world.
One night of drunken horsing around in their hotel room leads to the most intensely personal violation Derek has ever endured. As if the humiliation of working under his attacker every day isn’t enough, Victor reports Derek for sexual harassment. Now he’s without a job, without a boyfriend, and the mortgage on the cabin is due.
Officer Russ Thomas has worked with rape victims before, and it doesn’t take him long to sort out the truth in Derek’s tale. With his support, Derek finally reports the crime, months after it happened. But restraining orders and lawyers further Victor’s anger toward him, and even though a relationship develops between Derek and the policeman, Russ can’t be there to protect him all the time.
REVIEW:
I would like to start off by mentioning if violence and rape are your triggers then Jamie Fessenden’s Violated may not be the story for you. It is very clear from the blurb and the tags alone that a tragic event will happen. Therefore, I knew going into the audiobook that this particular story was going to be very hard to listen to.
Having said this: Even I hadn’t counted on just how thoroughly Fessenden delves into the after effects of Derek’s rape and how he deals, and doesn’t deal, with everyday life.
Derek does truly have it all...or does he? He has a fiancé, Tim, a great job and a new home away from home.
As Derek and Tim settle into their new cabin their neighbor Russ, a local cop, introduces himself to the couple. There seems to be an immediate interest, in Derek, on Russ’ part, and Derek catches a glimpse of Tim’s jealousy. As Tim makes his possessive nature known Russ and Derek become very uncomfortable.
Let’s just say, I didn’t care for Tim at all! Derek seemed to tiptoe around him, and constantly alter his behavior, just to not set off Tim’s insecurities. In my eyes their relationship did not feel equal at all and as Violated progresses you learn just what a jerk Tim really is.
Adding to Tim’s unease is Derek’s straight best friend, Victor. Derek and he have been friends for over 20 years and even work together. Of course, Tim and Victor do not get along at all and Derek always finds himself having to mediate between the two. Especially when Derek is asked to accompany Victor on a business trip to Tampa.
A trip where the rape ultimately occurs.
It was very difficult for me to listen to Victor rape his “best friend”. K.C. Kelly narrates Derek in a way that broke my heart.
One of the things that I found most difficult to hear was Derek’s life slowly unraveling.
There is a scene where he stays in the hotel bathroom waiting for Victor to wake up. All of these thoughts running through his mind: The incredulity that Victor could do this to him. That somehow his actions made Victor do this to him. That, in the words of his step-father who had beaten it into Derek’s head at a young age…he is now a “true fag” because anal sex made him such. Although Derek doesn’t really believe this it’s one of the first thoughts in his head after the rape.
Most heart wrenching is that Derek has never before had anal sex and this violation of his body, and mind, really does a number on him.
K.C. Kelly does a terrific job of narrating Violated. He has such a distinct tone and puts so much emotion into it that I felt captivated by his delivery and the pacing of the story. Kelly absolutely shines and brings the author’s words to life. Through his voice we hear the utter devastation when Derek is placed on leave from his job and I could hear the fear again when Derek confronts Victor in the parking lot.
There is one scene in particular where I myself was literally shaking in agony as K.C. absolutely took me directly into the heartbreaking moment – with just his voice!
As the aftermath of the rape plays out, Derek finds Russ’ presence in his life to be a balm to his soul. Russ is there for Derek and supports him every step of the way. As they deal with Derek’s violation, legally and mentally, the two men slowly begin working their way together in a more personal way.
Violated is an incredibly tough, but worthwhile story, whether you decide to read or listen. It is a credit to K.C. Kelly that he does an excellent job with the subject matter and he truly draws the listener into the story with his soothing tone. He brings each character to life.
While the subject matter of Violated is very difficult, I would highly advise you to take a chance on this story. Especially the audio version, where you can fully immerse yourself in Derek’s journey .
An audiobook of Violated was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, in exchange for our fair and honest opinion.
Audio: Dreamspinner Press and Amazon
eBook: Dreamspinner Press; ARe; Kobo; Barnes & Noble; Amazon
Jamie Fessenden is an author of gay fiction in many genres. Most involve romance, because he believes everyone deserves to find love, but after that anything goes: contemporary, science fiction, historical, paranormal, mystery, or whatever else strikes his fantasy. Jamie Fessenden set out to be a writer in junior high school. He published a couple short pieces in his high school's literary magazine and had another story place in the top 100 in a national contest, but it wasn't until he met his partner, Erich, almost twenty years later, that he began writing again in earnest. With Erich alternately inspiring and goading him, Jamie wrote several screenplays and directed a few of them as micro-budget independent films. He then began writing novels and published his first novella in 2010.
After nine years together, Jamie and Erich have married and purchased a house together in the wilds of Raymond, New Hampshire, where there are no street lights, turkeys and deer wander through their yard, and coyotes serenade them on a nightly basis. Jamie recently left his “day job” as a tech support analyst to be a full-time writer.
