Review: 4 to 4.5 stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 9, 2014
We met Luke in The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden and learned more about him in The Redemption of Callie & Kayden. He is broody and obviously troubled, but is also a good support to his friends. We also met Callie's roommate Violet. It was obvious that she is different, stand offish, and a bit on edge. They both have troubled pasts with major family issues and pain. She is now mixed up in dangerous activities and craves the adrenaline rush. She has nightmares stemming from her tragic past. Luke's past continues to haunt him and it is hard to avoid. He tries to forget and cope, but does so in unhealthy ways."I think I might have met my match for the Stubbornest Person in the World award. It's an award I've pretty much been winning since I was sixteen when I decided to stop trusting people and doing only what I wanted."Both them hide their dark thoughts and feelings, but have pasts that have marked them and shut them down. Both are stubborn, aloof, and need control. Both have ways of trying to make the pain go away at least temporarily. These were two seriously closed off, damaged individuals. People always leave her so she is not going to get attached to anyone. He cannot let weakness show or lose control. He does what he wants when he wants to. No one really understands them and they do not usually let anyone see the real person they are underneath.(Quote)She's a challenge, secretive like myself, and that only makes me more curious. About her. About her secrets. About getting to know her. It gives her so much power over me because I want to know her and she won't let me. And I usually don't want to know things about most people.(Quote)I've never cared about anyone before, but then again no one's ever given me a reason to care about them. And no one's ever made me feel safe.It was a gradual process of seeing two people slowly break down walls and expose vulnerability. Their confusion and fear made them wary, but at the same time there was tenuous bond of friendship and a small promise of more. They did not want to get attached or need each other, but something kept drawing them closer."Because...you go against everything I've built...for myself."~Luke"Yeah, you, too...for me..."~VioletIt was heartbreaking, emotional and intense. These two characters keep so much bottled up so when it releases there is no way it could be anything less than explosive. I know I should have expected that maybe this couple would also have two books. But I really did not check the Goodreads list ahead of time. But as it slowly unraveled, I began to clue in that their story would be resolved in this one. There will a book 3.5: The Resolution of Callie and Kayden and book 4: The Probability of Violet and Luke in this series. We got to see a little of Callie and Kayden in the beginning of this one and more with Seth and Greyson. I really like Seth and Greyson and they provided a bit of comic relief and some support.This book was a slow build and it was not incredibly angsty, it was more the peeling away of layers and learning how the past affected the present. I did not think this one was quite as gutwrenchingly emotional as the first two books even though they both had their shared off issues and ghosts. It was a little harder to get a feel for the characters because they were so emotionally detached for so much of the story, especially Violet. At least with Luke, I had seen him with his friends so I knew he was capable of caring and supporting those that were important to him. Violet was extremely guarded and really did not know how to handle someone truly caring about her. She is the epitomy of a runner. But still I was invested enough that there were times that my heart broke, where I was angry, frustrated, and sad. There were a few sweet times and a little humor, but it was really the gradual chipping away at these two stoic characters to real their inner depths and damaged thoughts and to see the beginning of a connection that will face tremendous challenges.Like with any Jessica Sorensen books, the characters are broken, deep, and have dark pasts. This plotline in this one was unique due to the events and the secrets swirling under the surface. Through no fault of their own, these two people's lives were irrevocably changed and their whole outlook on life became skewed. They became troubled loners without much to look forward to. But that is what made their bond so powerful...that two such destroyed people could possibly find a little hope. But the more attached they become, the more in danger they are of being broken again. And the past does not always stay buried and when it comes back with a vengeance, will it destroy them or bring them closer?Jessica surely has mastered the skill of leaving us needing more. My heart and mind is definitely left on edge with them. I am looking forward to the completion of their story in book 4 of this series.Thanks to Jessica Sorensen, Forever/Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from arc copy and are subject to change in the final draft.