Eve Was Framed
When An Overworked, Underappreciated People-Pleaser Finally Decides To Please Herself
Eve Was Framed
When An Overworked, Underappreciated People-Pleaser Finally Decides To Please Herself
“Nothing kills you more insidiously than convincing yourself toxic is tolerable.”
Amelia Thornbridge has always striven to be the perfect employee, the ideal girlfriend, the person everyone expects her to be. But somewhere along the way, as she lived the life she was told she wanted, she lost sight of herself. Trapped in a soul-sucking job and a relationship that’s lost its spark, Amelia knows she’s settled.
But that’s what people do, right?
When a chance encounter ignites a fire she didn’t know was in her, Amelia starts to see the cracks in her carefully constructed world. Must she be destined for the ending everyone else expects?
Is it too late to change her story?
Breaking free isn’t easy. As Amelia learns to navigate the rocky path of self-discovery, she realises that finding herself, owning her career, and embracing a more passionate life, the durability of replica rolex how to choose quality straps on replicafactory cx means confronting the fears and doubts she’s buried for so long. It’s time for Amelia to stop settling, start thriving, and finally take control of her own destiny.
Eve Was Framed is a story of empowerment, courage, and the exhilarating freedom that comes from rewriting your own script.
Book Reviews
What The Bookworms Think
Eve-Was-Framed is a gripping, thought-provoking story that reimagines themes of justice, power, and self-determination. The novel follows Eve, a fierce and complex protagonist, as she challenges societal norms and fights to reclaim her autonomy in a world that seeks to define her.
The novella follows Amelia, a bright young woman who’s stuck in an overworked, underpaid job with a sleazy boss, and even more stuck in a relationship that’s run its course, with a man who gives her neither passion nor understanding and support. The opportunity to turn her life around, however, presents itself in the form of two men: a client who offers her the chance to start her own business, and a hot yoga instructor who awakens her libido!
This is an incredible story filled with female empowerment and sisterhood, encompassing the full scope of what it means to be a woman: professionally, emotionally, and sexually. If girl bosses are your jam, and you live for enemies to lovers romance, then this is definitely a story and an author to keep in your radar!
This book had me hooked from the first page, and I was completely swept away by Amelia’s journey of rediscovering herself. Watching her break free from a toxic job and a relationship that no longer served her was so empowering—it felt like I was right there with her, cheering her on with every bold step she took.
Amelia’s story is raw, real, and *oh so relatable*. We’ve all been there—convincing ourselves that what’s tolerable is good enough. But through her incredible transformation, we’re reminded that settling is never the answer. Her courage to embrace uncertainty and rewrite her life is breathtaking.
Such a wonderful read!
This is a super binge worthy novella. Amelia is a strong independent FMC and loved reading through her. Her journey is like so many of us right now. Stuck in the mundane. Living day by day. But Amelia takes a chance after some bad and tries to change her life. To make it something better. I love a good story of self discovery. And there are some deep topics covered. If you love novellas and enjoy a good self journey, you need to pick this up!
I was pleasantly surprised by this. Not at all what I was expecting from the title, but I loved it all the same. A story about self discovery and standing up for yourself. Half the time I was screaming at Amelia to do something and when she finally did, it was worth it. Compelling writing and a storyline I’m sure many women can relate to. Can’t wait to read Bane!
I loved this story! Briar Black is an excellent writer and her characters are engaging. I read this on Kindle Unlimited, but the cover is so pretty, I might just have to purchase a hard copy for my collection…! Highly recommended.
This is a short romance and I can’t wait to read Banes! Such an emotional roller coaster.
Amelia has toxic men in her life in her personal and professional life. But she is a strong independent woman valuing friendships and learns to stand up for herself and I fully enjoyed her character! I would definitely recommend this read and looking forward to more by this author!
I really enjoyed this novella prequel! Watching Amelia discover her wants and dig out of complacency was so relatable. I appreciated the conflict and realization that not only does she want more but she deserves more both from her career and her significant other. Definitely felt empowering. Highly recommend reading before Bane – helps understand Amelia’s background and motivations.
It was a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed! It was fun getting to know Amelia and her friends.
I think that this is a book that we can all relate to in some way. I think we have all put up with things, and accepted less, in order to keep the peace and maintain normalcy in our day to day lives. Amelia finally decides that enough is enough and it’s time to put herself first. I loved that it wasn’t easy, and that she needed to really in friends. I also enjoyed how she questioned herself, because that is reality. At the same time there was enough humour to not make this a heavy “how did I get here” dive into the mistakes she made.
This is a book that can pick you up, remind you that you are in charge, and make you smile!
This is a short contemporary romance/women’s fiction, a prequel novella to the upcoming romance Bane !❤️ I read this book in two days and it was such a rollercoaster ride of emotions! We follow Amelia, a young woman who is surrounded by male toxicity in her life, both in her long term relationship and in her job. It’s a story of having the courage to go after what you want and not settling for less. She is a strong independent woman and decides to put herself first. I absolutely loved her as a character and I related so much to her from past stages in my life.
What you can expect:
✨independent female lead
✨female empowerment
✨strong friendships
✨standing up for yourself
Short but sweet (and a little bit spicy 🥵) this one is a right page turner. There’s a lot in here I can relate to, and suspect most women can relate to. If not the specific situation, the general frustration. We’ve all had to put with entitled men who think they can lech on us, either because we work for them, or with them, or happen to be in the same bar as them. I think we’ve probably all felt let down by people who shrug and try to normalise this kind of stuff. We’re over reacting, it’s just harmless fun, we must have led them on… Aimee has a lot of understandable female rage. And I share it. And reading it and how she extricated herself from it all and just went off to do her own thing is wonderfully empowering! It’s a short novella but it packs a punch. Funny, touching in places, and with a dash of spice to boot. Although I liked the fact that wasn’t the point of the story, it was just extra flavour!
This book is really good. It definitely has the Smut. If you love soft romance but want the Smut and twist and turns this book is for you.
I enjoyed reading this novella, it screams for women’s power and is a good prequel for the book that is coming up!
This was a short fantastic read. The writing was brilliant. I could not put this down. This really is a must-read. Ameila is everything funny, smart, and determined who has a great friend. This book made me happy. i was smiling through most of it. 😁I want more of this, I look forward to reading more from this author.
The protagonist, Amelia, is a delightful POV character to follow. I love her voice, her humor, and most of all I felt for her so much and rejoiced when she decided to put herself first. It’s about the toxicity of men women often swallow because that’s just the way of the world, because boys will be boys and it’s no big deal…until it becomes one. It’s not easy to decide to stand up for yourself—and this is something anyone can agree with and see themselves in—and Amelia was the kind of brave we should all strive to be. Her choices and story were empowering. This book touched on important topics but also managed to remain light, easy to read and fun. Amelia’s banter with her friend was delightful, and her thoughts on the hot yoga instructor were gold. I’m excited to see the story continue in the next book!
This book was recommended to me, though not my usual genre. I thought I’d give it a go, and boy was I glad I did.
With its flowing wit, and relatable characters, it made for an easy read, whilst also making you question your own tolerance for people’s B- bosses, relationships, all the normal we seem to gloss over.
Highlighting some important social points and with quick paced character development made this the perfect book to explore, and drag oneself out of a reading slump.
Highly recommend, especially if you’re on a personal journey- or ready for one.
In fact I am wholly convinced that the only people who wouldnt enjoy this book are ‘soulless minions of orthodoxy’- iykyk
This is a super binge worthy novella. Amelia is a strong independent FMC and loved reading through her. Her journey is like so many of us right now. Stuck in the mundane. Living day by day. But Amelia takes a chance after some bad and tries to change her life. To make it something better. I love a good story of self discovery. And there are some deep topics covered. If you love novellas and enjoy a good self journey, you need to pick this up!
This is a great book. Not only is the story well-written and engaging, it’s also really important. Amelia is a very touching character, and her story is a reminder for women (and everyone else for that matter) everywhere to listen to their guts and do what actually makes them happy. To anyone reading this review, you matter, and you deserve more than the bare minimum.
A Woman’s Tale About
Settling
When convincing yourself it’s good enough slowly kills your spirit.
Strength
The courage it takes to break free and rewrite your own story.
Self-Discovery
The unexpected journey that begins when you decide to put yourself first.
Briar Black
Penning Women’s Fiction With Heartfelt Realism, Humour, and Wit
Briar Black began her career as a copywriter working for businesses and marketing agencies in and around Manchester, England. Her experiences in this vibrant city have deeply influenced Eve Was Framed, infusing Amelia’s story with authenticity and relatable struggles. Some of these challenges were faced by the author herself, while others were shared by colleagues and clients over the years. Briar witnessed and experienced much of the treatment Amelia faces in her job; the company and bosses in Eve Was Framed are a personification of a widespread issue, rather than a portrayal of any specific individual or company. While she enjoyed her time in the city, she’s incredibly relieved to have moved back to her home county of Cheshire. Now, Briar works for herself as a freelance copywriter, dreaming of the day her fiction becomes popular enough to afford her own lavish cottage—and possibly some ducks.

What Does ‘Eve Was Framed’ Mean?
Eve Was Framed is a metaphorical title Briar chose to reflect the story’s central themes—empowerment, self-discovery, and breaking free from the narratives imposed upon us by others. Just as the bible’s Eve was blamed for humanity’s fall, Amelia, the protagonist, finds herself trapped in a life shaped by expectations and societal pressures, fearful of stepping into her own true potential and outshining the men around her. The title symbolises Amelia’s journey to reclaim her own story, challenge the roles she’s been forced into, and finally frame her life on her own terms. The novella is a tale of rising above the blame, guilt, and limitations that have held her back, and stepping into a future defined by her own choices.

For those wondering about the origin of the phrase itself, ‘Eve Was Framed’ originated (at least as far as this author can tell), from the August 1971 cover of LIFE magazine. Featuring a classically drawn figure of a nude woman holding an apple, her modesty covered only by a fig leaf, and a modern career woman holding a sign reading Eve Was Framed, the phrase has taken on a broader cultural significance, particularly within feminist discussions. Historically, Eve has been portrayed as the archetypal seductress, responsible for the fall of man. However, in more recent interpretations, many argue that Eve has been unfairly vilified, making her a symbol of the way women have often been unjustly blamed or scapegoated throughout history.
Feminists have come to use ‘Eve Was Framed’ as a rebuttal that highlights how societal narratives have frequently framed women as the root of sin or trouble when, in reality, they were often victims of circumstances or manipulation. It reflects a growing recognition of the need to re-examine historical and cultural narratives that have long been used to oppress women.
Beyond that, the author’s personal opinion is that women have, for centuries, been dissuaded from gaining (or at least displaying) more knowledge than their male peers. The inference is that by seeking knowledge and furthering herself, Eve ruined Adam’s life.
This reinterpretation positions Eve not as a villain but as a figure of empowerment—someone who sought knowledge and autonomy, even at great personal cost. And so, ‘Eve Was Framed’ becomes a rallying cry for those who challenge traditional roles and seek to redefine women’s place in society, making it an apt and powerful title for a story centred on a woman’s journey to reclaim her life and redefine her own narrative.













