Review: Not a doubt in my mind I would love it
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 23, 2013
So, Melissa said she was worried about me specifically when putting out The Grace in Darkness.  I don't know why?  Lol.Melissa is nothing short of amazing and I say that with the utmost confidence and respect for her writing.Now, onto my review.  I didn't know what to expect when I heard she was working on the second (and last) book in this series.  I knew J.D. would continue being the prick that he is, but I wasn't sure just how far he would go to keep Ryland and Araya apart.  I can't get over their names!  Love the name Ryland and Araya is just beautiful.The Grace starts off pretty much where the last book left off.  Araya has escaped from Ryland's grasp and this leaves him confused, angry, and hateful.  He is simply existing without her and not living his life to its full potential, taking his anger out on those around him.  When he goes to visit her, he can't bring himself to squeeze back into her life after seeing a genuine smile on her face.  He wants nothing more than for her to be happy, yet he wishes she could be happy with him.  Questions race through his mind and the most important one being 'why can't he stay away from her?'  She surrounds his every thought and is the solution to his own demise.Araya has moved on, but not completely.  Though she lives through dance, it doesn't complete nor define her.  It is not the window to her soul without Ryland.  She's happy but constantly waiting for Ryland to come find her and take away her shattered heart.  She knows that J.D. is keeping them apart, but also blames herself for not being good enough.  She doesn't want Ryland's life to be hard after everything they've been through together, she can't ask more of him.This book amazed me, surprised me, and had me rooting for a happy ending the entire time.  We learn that J.D. holds no limitations to his power and determination to keep his son away from Araya.  Why, I don't exactly know but the one thing I do know is people like J.D. do exist and appearance means everything.  He can't have his son galloping around with a blind girl.  J.D. is cruel and you can tell there isn't even a drop of love roaming through his veins.  He is despicable and even though I hated him throughout, I also respected his character.  He was truly believable as a character.All characters in this book go beyond one-dimensional and you can see their different personalities immediately.  We get to see Araya break down and question if she is good enough for Ryland again, but something takes a hold of her and she realizes she cannot live without him.There was only one thing that bothered me about the book and that was how hard Araya fought to gain independence to show Ryland and herself she could survive on her own, yet she still relies on people around her.  Pierce and Makayla are Araya's crutch and honestly this is to be expected, but I wanted to shake her and say 'let Ryland take care of you woman!'  If he's not going to someone else will have to and it's better to have someone you love there to help you navigate life.  I know Pierce and Makayla came to love her and who wouldn't?  She's an absolutely loveable character and I would love to have a friend like her.  There's no way she could be a nuisance.I loved quirky Makayla, a friendship that started when Araya was paired with her to show her around.  I'm sad for Makayla though, because it's obvious something has happened to her and I wish she would've opened up to Araya because now I am so curious as to what could have happened to take the life out of her so to speak.  I have an idea but I hate making my own assumptions about the book.Pierce, Pierce, Pierce.  He is swoon-worthy and the second best thing to Ryland in Araya's eyes, but she can't give in to him when her mind and heart are constantly gravitating towards Ryland.  I feel bad for the guy, but obviously didn't want Araya with him.Sebastian and Ryland's bickering continues and you can't help but smile when they do.  Love Sebastian.Careless is still Careless.  Ryland is shunning her for what she did in The Edge of Darkness.  She suffers during most of the book, trying to gain back Ryland's affection as an older brother and his trust.This book makes me want to read The Edge of Darkness all over again by the fireplace with a hot cup of cocoa.  I can't get enough of these books and these are probably the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time.Melissa, don't worry about what I'm going to think.  I may not like a book and I may love it, but it doesn't mean I don't have any less faith that you will continue to put out books that touch people's hearts and souls.  I will forever remember these two books.  I can't wait to see what you come up with next.  It's going to be hard to top these two emotional, yet very real, in depth books.  I also want to thank you for all the help you've given me and advice you've thrown my way when publishing my own book.  I will forever be grateful to you for everything you've done.  You are a Godsend and have a beautiful, selfless heart.