Review: Loved it!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2013
What could be better than re-reading a story you really enjoyed?  Reading that story from a different point of view!!!  Collateral Damage is a companion novel to Cross My Heart and it's told from Parker's POV!!  Why am I so excited about this?  Well, Parker won my heart in the first book but he was such a mystery.  His life away from Jaden was provided to us only in short glimpses.  While that was necessary for two reasons (first, because it was Jaden's story to tell and, secondly, because of the surprising moments at the end), it did leave me wanting more.  Now I'm glad to report that I've learned more about Parker's life, his friends, the challenges he faces and the reasons behind the decisions he makes.  And I'm even happier to tell you that I've fallen in love with him all over again!There is so much goodness here!  Although it follows the path of the first book, there are new scenes and new characters that could only be shared with us by Parker.  We meet his friends, family and colleagues.  We learn about his life before this story begins and how he gets to be where he is now.  And, most importantly, we hear his every thought about life, love and Jaden. *sigh*  I'll be honest, there is an element of Parker's life in this book that normally might turn me off of a character but, somehow, the way he handles the situation and the feelings he struggles with redeem him in my eyes...you'll know what I mean when you read it.  Cryptic enough for you?!? Well, I don't want to give away anything because you need to experience this story for yourself!  By the way, you don't need to read Cross My Heart before this book but I highly recommend you do.One last thing, even though I already knew the ending of the book, my heart was still broken, it was still happy and it still beat a wild rhythm as the story unfolded.  This is thanks to the wonderful writing and rich storytelling.  I'm so glad the author decided to give us this extra glimpse into Parker and Jaden's world...I miss them already! Great read!!