Review: An emotional read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2012
As teenagers, Alex and Sebastian were deeply in love, in spite of their class differences.  Suddenly, Alex packed her things and left without even saying goodbye or telling Sebastian why she was leaving or where she was going. Now, 16 years later, she has returned.  When she accidentally runs into him, sparks fly.  He's angry and wants to know why she left so long ago.  She wonders why he's engaged to a hateful, vapid woman who only cares about money and appearances.  Circumstances throw them together, and the longer they spend together, the more they realize the love for each other never died after all.  In fact, the smoldering embers soon threaten to consume them completely.Their past is told in a series of flashbacks that allow the reader to see and feel the depth of Alex and Sebastian's love story.  It was pretty easy to figure out why she left, but her explanation of the event fills in some of the gaps.  My only problem was that the villains are too evil.  Caroline (the fiancee) has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and Peter is portrayed as a complete sociopath.  It might be more suspenseful if these characters were more well-rounded, if there was more than meets the eye to either of them.What makes this so enjoyable, however, is the romantic tension between Sebastian and Alex.  It begins with their first meeting, and only increases with each subsequent meeting. Overall, it's a really enjoyable romance with a bit of mystery.