Crazy Love

This book was amazing. It gave me a new perspective on women in abused relationships. I cried with you and I felt you. You’re amazing and I will never forget this book. I’m proud of you and I hope I can be a strong as you.

This was a frightening recounting of the author's relationship with an abusive man. I was hoping to find more hints on how to predict when a man would become abusive, but from what the author wrote, it is hard to tell. Conor was charming and sweet, knowing how to play to Leslie's vulnerabilities. It was not until he got her in a committed relationship that signs of violence showed up. In some sense, he felt she was already trapped. Trapped by love, trapped by convention, and trapped by her own pride of not wanting to admit her relationship wasn't perfect. One of the signs was that she paid for and bought her own engagement ring because she wanted her family and friends to think of him as a knight in shining armor. In that sense, she colluded with him to keep his behavior toward her secret.In retrospect, the clues were small, overreaction when a male friend called her and possessiveness when other men spoke to her. Although Leslie's story is not easy to tell, it is helpful to women to know that ordinary people get reeled into abusive relationships and that it is no their fault for being clueless or somehow inviting it.

Crazy Love is an apt title for a memoir about an abusive relationship. It is crazy to anyone on the outside looking in. It is crazy for the woman to stay in the relationship. It is crazy to take one minute of abuse and stay for more. It is crazy to think an abusive man will change.I read this well written book in one sitting. Did I feel sorry for poor Conor? For his miserable childhood, yes. For his inability to handle his rage as an adult, no. I wanted him punished. I want him exposed now and publicly ridiculed.For those of you who think there are always two sides of a story, you are wrong. Men who do this should be put on a public offender list, and be branded as abusers for the rest of their lives.When she was nearly choked to death by Conor before they were married, I thought she was crazy to stay. When she went to counseling with him after their separation, I was stunned. How crazy could she be?A funny reaction from someone like me. I went through the same thing 40 years ago. What this books points out, so well, is that there is no logical explanation as to why a woman would remain in such a relationship. You do enter a surreal world of denial and shame. How do you admit that the person you love most in the world, and who professes to love you as much, is beating the stuffing out of you? How do you leave when you have no money, no home to go to? How do you face the humiliation? Trust me when I say that the humiliation is nearly unbearable. Do you know many people will wonder what you did to make your husband beat you? Do you know that many people, even your family, will think you are probably exaggerating?Nothing in this book is exaggerated. It is a true and heartbreaking story of how easy it is to find yourself in a crazy world, and the struggle to wake up from the nightmare and regain your sanity.

I'm saddened by the number of negative and stereotypical comments that come from nothing but ignorance on the subject of domestic violence that are posted against not only this book, but the author herself. I work with survivors of domestic violence and all too often we blame the victim for staying, or for falling in love with the abuser in the first place. We fail to see that the abusers don't present themselves in that way until the victim is already entangled in the relationship.That said, I find this book to be a very open and honest portrayal of how relationships of domestic violence start and continue. I commend the Ms. Steiner for her willingness to share her story with the public so that we are able to see an inside picture of domestic violence. As she points out several times throughout her book, she is not the stereotyped "victim," which shows even more that domestic violence knows no bounds; it is not about color or socioeconomic status or education or any other factor that you want to throw in. It can happen to anyone.If you are interested in seeing the dynamics of a violent relationship, I highly recommend this book. Throughout the story we can see Ms. Steiner evolve from a naive young woman looking for love and caught in a web of confusion to a sophisticated woman who knows her own worth and has her own voice. She gives us insight into many different factors that contribute to how a woman can fall victim to domestic violence and why she would stay.I caution people to keep an open mind when reading the book and to remember, it is not a scripted story, but rather an autobiography of one woman's life and experience. Hindsight is always 20/20, and a judgmental attitude while reading will leave you disappointed if you expected it to go like a work of fiction rather than truth.

Saw Leslie in TedTalk first then bought this book. Very good read but frustrating on how much abuse that this woman withstood for years while in love with an abuser. Nevertheless, great and digestible read for anyone who want to understand from the first person perspective on the abusive relationship.

A real story...of what we should all be doing...shining a light on the madness.. and holding abusers accountable.. a beacon of hope and validation for women shamed into protecting their abusers

Sadly my daughter was recently a victim of domestic violence. I have been reading a variety of books to help me better understand how domestic violence occurs, what can be done to stop it, and how to help my daughter thrive. Crazy Love provided powerful insight into domestic violence and what day-to-day life is like and how it consumes every aspect of someone’s life. The writing was powerful, the story unforgettable. For me, it also gave me hope that my daughter will find true love in the future and a happy ending.

I didn’t want to put it down - the whole thing is written with the compassion and reality that those who have been abused

This is a great book to understand why people, especially women get sucked into abusive relationships. But more interestingly, this book helps understand why men abuse women. What goes wrong in their childhood to bring this about? And since this is a true story well told, you are with the author in each high and low of the emotion.

I got the book after watching the TED talk and I am rather disappointed, Lots of details about ever day things which to me were very boring.

Honestly, I was disappointed by this book because of some rude words and contents inside of it. I didn't expect this. I was more edified by the videos of the author than I was by the book. I have to admit that I learned some things. but overall, it was disappointing. I don't recommand this book.

Motivating, hopeful and paints a clear picture of where a lot of men/women in abusive relationships stand. This book does a VERY good job of portraying the torn emotions of both staying and wishing for better AND the reality that moving forward is best, safest and healthiest because things won't change. Leslie Morgan Steiner's story makes you step back and think about your own personal boundaries. What are you willing to take and what at what expense?