Review by A+ Editing & Content Creation<\/p>\n\n\n
A Dressed Up Mess by Allie West is an intimate look into the life of one woman who has taken some of the toughest blows that can be dished out and managed to still put a smile on her face, her best pedicured foot forward, and not just moved on, but flourished. Many of us grew up in environments where we were praised and encouraged, where a supportive family lovingly nudged us in the right direction. Instead, Allie grew up with a mother that told her to her face she
hated her. Going back to her home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she is nursing the wounds of having siblings on a list of unsolved murders and deep-seated family issues. Instead of sinking into a pit of self-pity and accepting a poor lot in life, Allie is an intrepid hero who fights constant battles to free herself and build a better life for her family.<\/p>\n
From the outset it is clear that this book isn\u2019t solely a tale of woe, it\u2019s a roller-coaster ride following the life of a woman that not only takes it, but dishes it out ten-fold. Like many that came from a less than happy childhood, Allie finds herself looking for the love she didn\u2019t get at home in the men in her life. In saunters Austin, a man she knew from the time they were both awkward teens. She knew him as a sweet, kind young man, a man that comes through and takes care of those he loves, despite a sometimes dark past. Their courtship is passionate, yet rocky. Ultimately, against her better judgment and against the vehement objections of her daughter, she finds herself relocating to Arizona to be with him. Soon the soundtrack of her life isn\u2019t one of laughter and the sweet words of love, they are words of hate.<\/p>\n
\u201cBitch, I will leave you here stranded!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate you and your kids! I hate dark-skin women!\u201d
\u201cI hate I came and got you and moved you here.\u201d
What Allie had believed would be a reunion with the love of her life, the fulfillment of her lifelong dream of stability and rock solid reliable love turns into a nightmare. Allie doesn\u2019t sugar coat it. You see her pain as her life caroms out of control and the man she loved turns out to be a virtual demon. You can almost see the cracks in her foundation as she does whatever it takes, whatever the cost to herself, so she and her children can escape. With wounded pride and a battered heart, Allie starts to re-establish herself in her old hometown, a place filled with both loving friends and family but with lingering ghosts of painful memories. Despite having to escape a situation that would crush many others, Allie finds a way to keep her toes pedicured, her body clad in a polished form that reflects the person she wishes she was inside. In the end, as Allie stumbles toward the light of self-acceptance and healing you can\u2019t help but cheer for her.<\/p>\n