4.0 out of 5 starsA testimony to love and hope

ByMikeon 12 September 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Love is the Answer, God is the Cure is an extremely moving account of the author’s difficult life. ‘Difficult’ doesn’t really cut it – you just couldn’t make this stuff up! Coming from a terribly dysfunctional family, living in the Dominican Republic, without a father, traumatised, abused both physically and emotionally, having to fight for the right to keep her own child and falling again and again for the same lies and hurt, Aimee’s memoir is something I couldn’t put down.
Only faith in a God who keeps giving her signs of love and hope could get Aimee through the self-hatred, depression and shame she felt. It’s an amazing testimony to that love, but also to the strength of character against all the odds that Aimee shows, coming back time and time from the brink of self-destruction. Reading this honest and vulnerable book makes you realise what human beings are capable of – both the evil and the good. A terrific and ultimately heart-warming read!

Auggie

5.0 out of 5 starsA Whole Lot of Domestic Drama It’s a Blessing she’s a Survivor (and Hero)!

September 14, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

Aimee Cabo Nikolov grew up abused and battered while living with her biological mother and stepfather. She knows the face and touch of evil and she has battled this all her life starting from as a young elementary-age girl to a full-grown woman in her mid-twenties. Aimee describes the sexual abuse she suffers in great detail and one has to stomach the cruelty and obscene actions that her stepfather does to her while her terribly stoic and husband-defensive mother turns a blind eye and calls her a liar and a no-good little kid just looking for attention. Aimee’s life, when you read this book, is one of true survival and struggle and triumph! While a kid and a teenager, she goes to court to keep her mother and stepfather away from her but when she grows up to become a mother, the father of her first-born also gives her a tumultuous time by bringing up false claims about her while they go to court to determine who gets full custody of their daughter. This story will disgust you (because of the ongoing sexual abuse she undergoes) as well as make you teary-eyed (because of her lion-heart and her way of fighting for what is right and just in this cruel world of predators and haters).

I think you should read this book to witness what goes on behind the doors of some families in the world. That there are people who may look like they have it together in public but behind all that, they are suffering from sexual, physical, emotional, etc. abuse from those who are their very own family members. It was painful to read about Aimee and all that she goes through because from an early age she was exposed to sex, drugs, violence, and so and so. All of the adults that should have been there for her somehow just sweep her under the rug and give her the horrible treatment. I did find some of her doings to be questionable but then again this was a person who was abused at an early age and all I had to do was read on with a more understanding stance. What I truly admire about Aimee is her devotion to the Virgin Mary and God above all and how she always turns to prayer and those two for comfort and solace. It reminds me of myself as I too am always thinking of my Lord and my heavenly mother during times of personal pain and struggle. Aimee is Catholic and that’s why I could relate to her and her faith.

I would recommend this interesting book of endurance and endless struggle to all those who are in the same vein, who have been or are being sexually, physically, emotionally, etc. abused right now. That we can only turn to the Lord, a true and effective source of strength and victory to ease our burdens and our wounds and our sadness. Aimee found happiness towards the end of the book and she gives us the notion that in God we must always trust because eventually things will turn in our favor all because of Him if we constantly go to Him for guidance and salvation. Now as a closing word, I do pray that Aimee will continue with this devotion and to keep us posted on her journey in life as she is so young yet a lot has happened to her it’s a blessing she’s a survivor (and hero)! God bless you Aimee and God bless us all!

Grymm

5.0 out of 5 starsA great, inspirational read!

September 16, 2018

Format: Paperback

Aimee Nikolov wrote a great inspirational memoir here. The spirituality here quite literally saved Aimee’s life, this is a story about persevering despite extreme forces acting against her. Love carried her forward, and faith fueled her.
This story takes us through sexual and emotional abuse, so fair warning for people sensitive to the topic, and Nikolov doesn’t spare us the details. When her own mother doesn’t side with her, it’s a wonder she didn’t just give up. The story continues on, and more trials await her, yet she soldiers on even with the odds stacked against her. This is truly an inspirational story
Anyone going through a similar struggle, or anyone who feels like their cries are falling on deaf ears and are feeling hopeless, needs to read this story. Though the story has a lot to do with faith, there’s much much more here than the surface suggests. It’s a great read and reminds us that if we push through the mess and keep who are intact that things can turn out okay. This book is one that creates hope, and that’s a wonderful thing to see in those who struggle as Aimee did.

There are certain events that change the course of a life irrevocably. After enduring terrible sexual abuse as a child, Aimee Cabo Nikolov had to overcome homelessness, substance abuse, and years of custody battles to create a better future for her first daughter. In her debut memoir, “Love is the Answer, God is the Cure” Nikolov tells her story with honesty and vulnerability. What in the beginning reads as a tragedy transforms into a story about falling in love—with the right man and with life itself—showing the reader that no tragedy is too great to overcome and how hope and faith can guide us through even the darkest of times.     Arlene Gokee, book reviewer

"Nikolov has a good ear for capturing the interpersonal dynamics of families under all kinds of stress. And the story swings back to an uplifting arc that will work on readers who’ve themselves seen some dark days and wondered if the future could be a little brighter.”

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Love is the Answer, God is the Cure" by Aimee Cabo Nikolov.]

4 out of 4 stars

She could not bear it any longer. The beatings, the violations of her body, it all had to stop. Her older sister, Michelle, was her only hope. She would have to beg Michelle to take her away from this madness for good. Author Aimee Cabo Nikolov tells her life story of pain and triumph in Love is the Answer, God is the Cure.

Aimee met the man of her dreams and fell in love on a relaxing vacation in the Dominican Republic. Bobby was kind, gentle, a doctor. Aimee hoped to marry a doctor. Still, it was only fair for Aimee to let Dr. Boris Nikolov know what he was getting himself into with her. If he could love her after learning about her past, he would be a keeper.

The only place to start was at the beginning. Aimee’s mother, a respected neurologist, married 19-year-old Andreas at the age of thirty. She left Aimee and her brothers and sisters in her new husband’s care as she worked long hours. The molestation began when Aimee was seven, and her step-father began to regularly rape her when she was twelve. Aimee’s older sister, Michelle, was now married with a baby of her own. She came home to check on her younger siblings and was horrified to find out that Andreas was not only molesting Aimee, but he was violating her to the worst possible degree. Michelle and Aimee could not trust their mother. She had protected her husband in the past. Now, to save themselves and their siblings, the two sisters begin an emotional and legal battle against the two people who were supposed to keep them safe.

Aimee’s story captivated me from page one. To be perfectly honest, I became somewhat obsessed with this story for days. This family was prominently featured in local Miami, and at times, national news for almost thirty years. Not only did I read this book, I read as many news articles that I could find about Aimee and her family. I truly admire Aimee’s strength and bravery. She has endured unimaginable pain and devastation but maintains a strong sense of faith and optimism. This is an engaging story and a thrilling read.

This book is skillfully written and organized. There were a few minor grammar and editing errors, but these did not cause a distraction. I recommend this book to non-fiction readers who enjoy intense memoirs.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is a well-written and well-organized book. Aimee’s story is a thrilling, yet in many ways romantic, page-turner. This memoir highlights the importance of true love and the power of faith.

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Love is the Answer, God is the Cure 
View: on Bookshelves

Nikolov’s complex, searching memoir details the severe abuse and trauma which impacted the trajectory of her life. It is also a cathartic account of the faith she holds steadfastly to for survival and how her belief in God enables her to transcend the darkness.

This is a profoundly moving and gracefully rendered memoir of a broken woman’s triumph against the darkness surrounding her

Nikolov maintains a mastery over a narrative she never loses control of. It is a timely book and one that joins the ranks of well-remembered memoirs. It is a candid story of a woman’s fight with the demons that torture her and the victory over them. She skillfully explores within these pages the horror and the goodness of our humanity and how one can persevere in the face of tremendous odds. By its end, the reader no doubt will respect her and feel compelled to share her story.

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