Another angsty read for me. I
just can’t seem to avoid distressing novels. The sadness. The love story that
is built on heartache. But, this one was special. It was beautiful. It was
fresh. It had me sighing and smiling. Why? Because both main characters were
strong. They were brave. And, the life that they were dealt, was just not fair.
Allyson Rain loses her mom to cancer, and with that her father picks up and
moves them both clear across the country to Florida. He changes jobs to
accommodate their new move. But, he deserts his daughter. While he’s off residing
in a condo further away from his daughter trying to jump-start his new life,
she’s trying to just breath every day. Ali is just so sad over the loss of her
mother and her father can’t see what his absence is doing to her. Naturally with
the new move comes a new school. New classmates. New teachers. And, of course, a
new love interest. And, that’s when Drew Hale shows up. Quiet and gorgeous Drew.
Taking everything in and not really having too much to say. He’s a sweetheart.
A really nice guy. But, his life is less than perfect. What he and is family
are hiding is a disturbing and heartbreaking secret. It affects the whole
family both physically and emotionally. Drew and Ali accidentally meet at the
beach one morning, and they’re both smitten with each other. But, it’s Drew’s
terrifying secret that threatens to keep them apart. He can’t bear for Ali to
know his embarrassing and painful secret. Aly is just so understanding, though.
What could it possibly hurt to tell her his tormenting truth? It gets all messed
up, however, and will Ali ever forgive Drew for hurting her so miserably?
So many
poignant moments to this story. The words were beautiful and meaningful. A few
times I just stopped, took a breath, and smiled. It was a feel-good book even
though there were parts that were agonizing. It was a hopeful book. The main characters
together were cute and sweet. Caring so much for each other. It was a little
bit low on the heat factor, however. But, that was okay because it fit the dynamic
of the novel. There were some tender moments, and then some of the intimacy was
implied while the reader could get a feel for what was actually going on.
Incredible prose that was beautifully depicted amongst the pages of an emotionally
heartfelt story. So many intimate thoughts expressed privately among the two
main characters. It was almost like they read each other’s minds. Loved this
book so much!!! Just can’t express how I enjoyed these characters and their story.
Looking forward to reading Beau’s story next. He’s the middle Hale brother. And,
he seems to be quite a charmer...
“But
besides the things that everyone can see, it’s the things that can’t be seen at
all that I love the most about him. Over the last year, I’ve heard people call
him arrogant, proud, and self-entitled, but he isn’t any of those things. Drew
is quiet, private, and a little shy. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and kind. He’s
overprotective and he always knows the things that I need, even before I do. He’s
easygoing and he doesn’t sweat the small stuff. He finishes the things he says
he’s going to and he always stands by his word. Drew has provided me with a
sense of of home. He’s made me realize that I have more strength and
determination in me than I thought possible. I’ll never be able to thank him
enough for the love and confidence he’s given me.”
~ Ali (Chap. 22)
“Someone
once said, we all learn everything we need in kindergarten. Nope. I learned it
from a brown eyed, gorgeous girl who grew up in the snow and never asks for
anything of anyone because she’s always too busy giving. She’s taught me that
it’s the simple things in life that are best. Life is only hard if you want it
to be that way. And every day, you get to choose what you want to do, how you’re
going to react, and how you’re going to treat people.” ~ Drew (Chap. 22)
Review Written, 1/13/15
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