Review: A must read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 30, 2014
Once in a while you come across a book that is just so meaningful and written so well, it instantly becomes part of your top ten favorite books.  This one is certainly one for my top ten lists.  The author did such a beautiful job at bringing us two of the most broken, yet strong characters and making their story a message for all who will read.Amber is lucky to be alive.  After escaping a horrific nightmare that left her with scars, fears and guilt, she tries to focus on life in college and staying safe.  Feeling like she can’t tell anyone what she endured and what she sees every time she has a flashback, she has not only lost her brother and boyfriend to death, she has lost her mother and best friend.Marcus is this sexy dream come true playboy that every woman dreams about sleeping with.  What he doesn’t share is he is a broken little boy who has endured his own hell in life and is alone other than his roommate Chase.  When he sees Amber for the first time he tries to make the moves on her but her quick refusal was more than a turn down, this girl was scared.Marcus couldn’t let go of the fear he saw in Amber and a strange feeling like he needed to protect her overcame him, but how could he do that when he couldn’t protect the one person he loved more than life himself?  They continue to run into each other and the more he saw her the more his need to protect grew till one day he just took over and became a wall between her and other men.  She finally admitted she needed help in her Math class and offered him some money to tutor her.  After that, there was no way he was going to not know her story.As both of their stories were revealed, my heart broke for them and they became my couple of the year.  I loved how the author didn’t wait till the end for all the answers, she gave us peeks into her nightmares, his fears, by the end of the book we had a general idea of what had happen to them, but the whole picture came together after they had built trust with each other.Stina gave us a story of survival and love.  We also see that until you let go of the guilt you carry for others actions, you are never really healed.  I cried at times because I just love Amber and Marcus so much it hurt to hear what they overcame in life.  I felt such pride in both because when they had every right to hate the world, they both displayed such love and empathy and forgiveness for others, they became heroes to me. This book will capture your heart and mind from the first chapter and give you a renewed sense of survival and the human spirit.  I can hardly wait to read more from this author.Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal’s Many Reviewers*Copy provided for honest review*