Review: Emotionally touching, but I would have liked to seen more of that
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 6, 2014
3.5 starsI received a copy from the author and Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock, so I didn't know it was part of a series and I didn't get a chance to read the first book. However, I did not find that it took away from Chad's story.Chad decides to attend college as far away from his home town as possible, thus moving to California where he meets Scarlett. After coming to her defense against her boyfriend, he realizes she's beautiful, fun, and interested in him, but he isn't quite ready to get into a relationship. It is obvious, at least to him, that like him, she has been physically abused at some point in her life. He isn't sure he is emotionally ready to invest in another person, especially since he is still trying to find himself outside of the close, loving family his sister married into and who have taken him in as one of their own. And just when he does decide to take a chance with Scarlett, his past will resurface when his dad gets out of prison and tries to force himself back into his life.The story itself had substance, and reading about survivors of abuse and how they turn their life around is heart warming. But, I kept getting distracted with all of the sex scenes. I'm no prude and by all means I love a good romance, even when it is touch and go, and built around tough subjects like familial abuse, drugs, and attempted murder. I would have rather focused more on Chad's need to believe in his father's rehabilitation and the emotional roller coaster of knowing that as messed up as it to need a connection with his father, his life with Scarlett was spiraling as a result of it. And minor pet peeve? All of the "baby's" thrown in throughout this book. Don't get me wrong, I call my husband "honey" more than by his given name, and am a huge abuser of endearments, but "baby" is just one of those that makes me cringe.All in all, I think Chad made some mistakes, but how many children don't want to see the good in their parents nor want to believe that their parent truly does love them. I think Scarlett was a little harsh with him, at least until his father finally pushed things too far. The subject is a little sensitive so if you aren't comfortable with touchy subjects, beware, there is some in this book.