Review: DON'T start this book without Kleenex!!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
*What Mary Knobbe Thought*DO NOT start this book without a box of Kleenex.  I repeat do not.  Luckily, I always read the end first, so I was prepared.Because of Luke tells the story of two sets of siblings with lots of flaws and lots of love.  Shannon and Sheila are preacher’s daughters gone bad, sort of.  Sheila loves rock ‘n’ roll and partying.  Shannon is trying to put those days behind her and start a life away from her stifling parents.  Enter the beautiful, mysterious Luke Black.  He has the potential to be a rock legend but has his eye on a different prize—a normal life.  Shannon and Luke quickly connect, but their relationship is put on hold when Luke’s big brother Roscoe is offered the opportunity of a lifetime.  Luke, Roscoe, and Sheila hit the road for a summer rock tour.  In the meantime, all hell breaks loose for Shannon who is left home alone.  Will her bond with Luke be strong enough to see her through?This book will run you through the ringer.  I alternately loved and hated each one of the main characters (mostly loved).  Luke’s trying so hard to be a good man.  Sheila’s a hot mess of parent issues and teenage angst, and poor Shannon just wants everyone to be happy even if it’s at the expense of her own happiness.  The love story was complex and much more realistic than your typical romance novel.  The setting, the 1990’s Northwest rock scene, makes the book even more readable.  I’m a sucker for rock and roll, especially of the alternative 1990’s variety.  Despite how much I love this book, I have one of caution: this isn’t your typical happily ever after.  Its ending is very raw.  Still, it gives you hope for the next in the series.