Review: Beautiful, heartwarming, intense
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2013
A beautiful love story about acceptance and trust. I don't even know what to say about it, it's not often I want to scream how much I liked a book. Intense is the word I'd use to describe it. I was so not expecting this book.I loved Vera so much. She's a fighter, a survivor, a heroine you want to relate to. She's mature and grounded, and she has this life force about her that you just can't help but love her for it. Incredibly sweet and kind, understanding and patient, and so much stronger than she seems at first. Her fear of rejection was understandable, but I loved the way she just got over it.I don't know what to say about Leeson and not reveal what his big secret was. Let's just say that the way he feels about it it believable - the shame, the fear, the lies, the disgust, the guilt. I felt for him so much. He is a good man, but he is so afraid of rejection, of being unworthy that he just doesn't want to set himself up for it at all. It made sense.The author reveals both their secrets pretty early on, but I just don't want to spoil it.Their relationship - just GAH! The way she believes him to be the good man that he is and gives him all her trust. His acceptance - no, his outrage that she would ever think him to be anything less than that! Insta-love works, they have initial connection and even though it's based on physical in majority (incredible sexual tension), there is a connection on a higher level - that one person they both knew and loved that brought them together.The writing is gorgeous. Every word, every sentence, everything about it is perfect. The chemistry between Vera and Leeson is amazing. All the characters, her little brothers, her mother, even Kelly who is dead and gone are so vivid and real. The pace of this is perfect. The dialogue is natural and sometimes witty. The book had me laughing and crying. Especially the ending, it was so powerful it made me sob and it wasn't a happy or a sad sob, I was just moved.And for those wondering, there are sex scenes in this book, but they are descriptive rather than graphic and I loved them.I feel like whatever else I say about this, it just won't do it justice. It is definitely worth your time. Beautiful setting, amazing characters, wonderful love story - all of it shaped by great writing. Madeline Ash is definitely going on my favorite authors list. I can't wait to read more.