Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Life Support
SERIES: Crush #6
AUTHOR: Elouise East
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 75K
RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2021
BLURB:
What do they have left when their safety and self-worth are compromised?
Casey’s usually bubbly, cheeky demeanour is diminished by sexual harassment from a colleague. Becoming scared for his safety, he seeks out a trainer to teach him how to escape. Withholding the secret is stifling, but there’s no other option if he wants to keep his job. Spilling the secret to an almost stranger changes his life in a way he never thought possible.
Luke spends his time training people in physical evasive tactics. He loves his job but feels inferior to his more successful siblings. How can he compete with lawyers, police officers and teachers? When Casey comes to him for training, Luke knows he’s hiding a secret. Finally, Casey confides in him, and it leads to something neither planned for.
Can they win the fight against people who bring them down?
This is book 6 of the Crush series, but all books can be read as standalones.
REVIEW:
Set in Cambridge, England, Casey is a paramedic who loves his job. Sadly, his boyfriend, Marcus, is more of a take than give guy, and Casey is hassled by a doctor, whose conduct is getting worse. As a result, Casey is emotionally and physically wrecked and hasn’t a clue about a way forward. Luke, compared to his family, has a subdued personality. His assessment isn’t helped by the fact that he considers himself less accomplished than his siblings. He teaches defense at a local gym. When Casey signs up for lessons, the two feel they’ve seen the other before, but don’t know where. Nevertheless, Luke knows Casey is hiding something from him. He’s taught enough people and had the training to recognize a person in need of help.
When the blurb says this is a friends-to-lovers story, it is kind of right. Luke and Casey become friends. But to begin with, it is their siblings that actually know each other.
I like reading books that have hospital backgrounds as they are dens of possible drama. In this case, Life Support isn’t a hospital term for a person near death – it is used to describe the support one receives in life. The subject matter, too – abuse – is a serious topic that deserves respect. This story has been written to highlight the issue, emotional trauma, and reinforce that victims of abuse are not alone – help is out there.
Life Support is book six in the Crush series. The story is told in the third person from Casey and Luke’s viewpoint. Technically, it isn’t brilliant, but I received the arc so early, it may not have been the final draft.
Although the main protagonists in this episode are Casey and Luke, there is a wide cast base that I get the impression was built up over the previous five installments. The blurb says that all stories can be read as standalone’s, and technically the statement is true. But as characters overlap, I got the distinct impression that one would get a more rounded view of the universe if the other books were read. As things stood, I struggled with the number of characters involved, remembering, who was a friend or sibling, attached to what family, doing which job.
Luke and Casey have self-worth issues, and between them, they give each other strength and belief in themselves. It was a beautiful process to witness. The trauma that Casey experiences is tastefully written, bringing to the fore the difficulties without being unnecessarily graphic.
By the end of the book, I was entertained and informed. The story gave me plenty to think about, and I believe it is essential to get the – not alone – message out there. To this end, I consider this story recommended reading.
RATING: 
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