Customer Reviews

In My Bedroom

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In My Bedroom was a pleasant diversion from the African American fiction I typically read. This wasn't a cliff-hanging "who-dun-it" mystery or suspense. Nor was it some steamy romance novel. The premise of this book centers around incest and abuse.

Rayne Holland, an award-winning filmmaker, has her life changed forever after her husband Paul and her adorable littl girl Desiree are killed in a car crash. Rayne is the only survivor. Severe trauma and an attempted suicidide eventually have her confined to Cedar Grove, a mental facility. It is here that Rayne meets 2 people that would be main forces in her strive for strength and recovery.

Dr. Pauline Dennis determines that although Rayne traumatically lost her family, there is a deeper secret she's been harboring since childhood that has caused Rayne's mental breakdown. Unfortunately Dr. Pauline knows personally how this "secret" can effect one's live forever unless it's brought to surface and confronted. At the facility, Rayne also meets Robert. His father is also a resident of Cedar Grove. Over time they develope a special, true friend connection. There is another main character, Gayle, Rayne's best friend from childhood. Gayle loves Rayne but always was jealous of her effortless beauty and success. Not even Gayle is aware of the secrets Rayne has kept since childhood.

The bedroom is not only the place where the main characters experience all that is painfull, it is also a metephor for a dark place where their lives are altered forever.

All praises to Donna Hill. She has been added to my favorite authors list.

I have read a number of Donna Hill's books and have always found them to be exciting, the characters are usually well-drawn and her themes always make a poignant statement about life. Reading her work is an adventurous and also a discovery about life's truths.

Ms. Hill definitely took her time telling the story to allow the readers to grasp what Rayne was going through. Let's face it the woman had some serious issues, but she hung in there and got through it. While reading this book I have notice the research that Ms. Hill did for this novel was up to par. It was evident by the scenes between patient and therapist and the unspoken thoughts of Rayne. This is not an easy book to read but you can find yourself mesmerized by the happenings as you root for Rayne's recovery. There will be characters you won't grow fond of and others you'll quickly get attach to as they overcome dark secrets and reclaim their lives.

`In My Bedroom' is an extremely well written and I believe is one of Ms. Hill's best mainstream fictions to date. Rape and incest are not pleasant topics but Ms. Hill was able to deal with the issues with honest and compassion while allowing the readers to see the horror that victims of abuse must face when preyed on by sick individuals.

If you enjoy this book you would probably like to read `Breaking the Cycle,' `Through the Fire,' `Pieces of a Dream,' and `Intimate Betrayal,' and `Child of God.'

Langston Hughes once said, " Stealing from the night, a few desperate hours of pleasure...stealing from death, a few desperate days of life." This is the mood engrossed throughout "In My Bedroom" by Donna Hill, as Rayne Holland, a beautiful married woman in her thirties who seems to have it all, struggles with inner turmoil and denial each day as she tries to forget the disturbing memories and truth of the darkest secrets of her past.


Each day leads to an emotional nervous breakdown on top of the sudden, and tragic death of her family. Rayne's painful memories force her to blame herself for the death of Paul, her dashing husband who any woman would crave, and Desiree, her daughter whom she loved more than life itself. Her severe emotional state renders her best friend, Gayle, to comfort her despite the fact that she once slept with Paul.

Perplexing emotions brew between Rayne, her doctor, and Gayle leaving everyone to wonder what she is agonizing over the most. Finally, the truth comes out, and it is shocking, unsuspecting and frightening as Rayne fights real shadows that appear behind the doors of her bedroom. When readers find out what painful secrets Rayne is harboring, it is a fight from start to finish for Rayne to try relive again from within.

This book is a must read for women who have harbored the same "Shadows" as Rayne and kept them behind closed doors. In My Bed Room is a masterpiece, beautifully written and Donna Hill's most compelling work to date. The care taken to develop this story has placed Donna on the list of Living Legendary Icons. to read Donna's work is to discover real writing talent.

Donna Hill has attacked the sexual abuse issue head first. A lot of families are in denial and many need to use this book as a model that help is just a phone call away.

Rayne is a beautiful, talented film maker on the rise. But one night after an awards ceremony, her daughter and husband are killed in a car crash and she is the only survivor. She retreats into a deep shell and Dr. Pauline Dennis, Rayne's psychologist, slowly encourages her to open up. But by getting her to open up, Dr.Dennis relives demons of her own. And crosses the boundaries of patient/client to protect Rayne from her controlling father.

With the help of Gayle, Rayne's best friend, Dr. Dennis helps her to live again and that her issues need to be confronted. With strength, courage, and determination, Rayne confronts her father and begins the healing process.

Anita Shari Peterson
Talented Tenth Reviewer

What a fabulous read. This was a story within a story. From beginning to end you know you're for a treat. Beautifully written and richly woven a true Donna trait. I hated for this book to end and look forward to knowing what happens to Rayne, Gayle and Robert in the form of a pt.2 book. This book digs deep and leaves you hungry for so much more. If you haven't read this one yet, you're in for an awesome treat you'll savor long after you put this one down. BRAVO DONNA!!!

Rayne a filmmaker is afraid of something and harboring a secret. She is a wife and mother to an adorable little girl named Desiree. Paul is trying to be an understanding husband, but he is not getting the affection he wants at home, and trying to remember why he loves his wife. Her friend Gayle can take credit for Rayne being married to Paul. She introduced them. A horrible accident takes away her only child and her husband. Rayne is so traumatized she has a mental breakdown. While living with her father and step father she attempts suicide. Her father William feels it's best to place her in a mental institution, and Rayne does not speak.

Rayne is seeing a psychologist named Dr. Pauline Dennis who figures out the accident is not the cause of Rayne's breakdown, but something that Rayne decided to put in the deep closet of her mind. Something so terrible, that it affected her marriage without her truly realizing it. Something from her childhood is trying to resurface, and it's up to Dr. Dennis to help her face her internal demons.

Gayle is having marital problems. Her husband James feels that Gayle wants to be just like Rayne. Gayle did have feelings for Paul. The only reason she married James is because he did not eyes for Rayne. James wants to leave Gayle and take custody of their daughter. Edith Rayne's stepmother is always justifying the abuse she endures from William. William blames Rayne for losing the love of his life Carol. Carol is Rayne's birth mother and she died having Rayne. Edith sadly lives in Carol's shadow. William is not a nice man at all.

Rayne is trying to deal with the voices in her head that seem to speak to her. The voice wants to free her from her burden and the voice that wants her to keep quiet and not tell the secrets that have haunted her.

Rayne eventually befriends Robert a landscaper who has a father at the facility. Robert loves his father, but he also resents his father. His father abandoned him as a young boy. Rayne helps him with his problem, and she in turn is able to lean on him for support which helps her recovery.

Helping Rayne is also helping Dr. Pauline face her own issues. Pauline is a victim of incest, and became a Doctor to help other people not to live with the shame. Dr. Pauline is making progress, but Dr. Howell wants to have Rayne go through electro shock therapy. Dr. Pauline risks her entire career and reputation and removes Rayne from the facility.

Rayne is taken to Gayle's house and Gayle is asked hide Rayne there. William is not pleased when he returns to the facility and finds out not only is Rayne missing, but she did not have the electroshock treatment. He was a selfish, selfish man who only thought of himself.

When Rayne finally confronts her father, I wanted to shout. He was an evil man.

This book is very deep. It's not a feel good novel. This book deals with issues of molestation, abuse and abandonment. Rayne father manipulated her and tried to make her think she was crazy, when he was the one with the problem and was the reason Rayne was in such turmoil. William had issues with love, losing a loved one, not accepting loss and dealing with trauma instead of hiding in the deep crevices of the mind.

This is the type of book I will only read once. It's a little slow at time, and I really had to make myself stick with it to see what the outcome would be. The book deals with a person's split personality from the trauma of being molested.

I noticed the comparisons to Zane's Nervous. While both books deal with the same subject matter, the author's just went about it differently.

Donna Hill has done it again. She has proven to the literary world that she can write about any subject with grace and passion. For her romance fans, don't worry, Hill is still at her best..a true writer. She takes on the subjects of incest, rape, family ties, and friendship in this novel. And she does a splendid job!

In My Bedroom is a literary wonder! No one truly knows what goes on in another person's bedroom. But for Rayne Holland, the main character, her bedroom holds the truth to a not-so perfect life. Hill's character development of Rayne must have been very thought provoking. Because the words from Rayne made me cry laugh and smile. Any book club should be happy to read and discuss this book.

I love it when a author can write more than one way, meaning they can write romance, drama, comedy, etc. And believe me Donna Hill is on her way to becoming one of those authors.
Way to go Donna!!

You will not want to miss this book! I was skeptical about reading this book at first. I read some mainstream but I consider myself a diehard romantic. I am so glad that I didn't follow my first instinct. This book was awesome. I literally could not put it down! The emotional roller coaster ride I was on lasted five hours. It left me with a feeling of having lived this character's life through her eyes. It was as if I could feel everything the characters in the story were feeling. The feelings of fear of the unknown, loss of innocence and of a loved one, mistrust of those closest to you and then redemption and salvation. This book is definitely a keeper. Miss Hill has written a book that will make you open your eyes to see that the grass is not always greener in the yard next door. This book is a must read! You will not be disappointed.

I absolutely loved this book! This book is different from anything that Donna Hill has written and I am ecstatic that Ms. Hill is so versatile. I have read many authors who stick to the same type of story and because of that, I stop reading them. This book was intriguing, sad, invigorating and very real. I can easily see this as a real life situation. I have know several women who have been sexually abused and they have no idea that it has effected the relationships (with women and men) they have and has alot to do with who they are. I think its great that Ms. Hill wrote a book on this issue, it may help many women in this situation.

Keep doing what you are doing Ms. Hill!

In My Bedroom is not what I'm used to, but the members of our book club insisted on me reading it. So I did.

Rayne has a husband, beautiful daughter, and good career. What more can she ask for? More than her husband and best friend, Gayle couldn't see. Rayne was asking her husband for the truth about his and Gayle's affair when a head on collision kills him and her little daughter.

Left, with nothing, she turns to Pauline, her Psychiatrist who has a world of problems of her own, but still tries to help her recover from her fears of the unknown as well as discover her dual personalities.

Overall I rate this book a three only because it's not my type of story. If you're into to this type of stuff, but prefer more hype and action, try Zane's "Nervous". Same storyline, but with more of Zane's creativity if you know what I mean.

This was still a good book. I was able to finish it in less than two days. I especially appreciate how Donna put so much time and effort into researching mental illness. Not only do you get a good story, but you also learn about something that's affecting so many americans.

Rolanda
Nothing BUT Page Turners Book Club