Review: Another heartbreaking installment of this series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 7, 2014
This is the continued story of Emily and Dexter from Take My Hand.  It picks up where the first book left off.  It's written in the same dual POV but this one seems to concentrate more on Dexter's side than Emily's which I really like.  It's something about being inside the guy's head that makes a story so much more enjoyable to me!  Nicola Haken has become one of my favorite authors as I read this series.  I love how she has the character seem as if the reader is right there beside them and they're having a conversation with you.  It helps to draw you in and you feel even more involved in the story which strengthens the bond you have with the character.  I can't recall any books that I've read that does that to the extent she does and I really enjoy it!Emily finally sticks her head out of her turtle shell and faces the fact that Dex has relapsed.  Things get a little too intense for her and she makes the hard decision to go back home without Dex because she can't sit by and watch the man she loves destroy himself.  Instead of doing she and the reader hopes and snapping out of it to follow her, Dex spirals even deeper into his own private hell.  Emily's brother, Chris, plays a bigger role in this book which I felt was good because Emily needed a family member there to help her since Rachel is pretty much non-existent in this installment.The jerkwad sperm donor follows through with his demand of wanting the house, so Aunt Sarah and Dex find themselves homeless.  Sarah gets a job and moves into a crap apartment and Dex spends most of his time on the streets, where he eventually overdoses.This book has a couple of truly heartbreaking scenes as well as detailed drug usage.  My heart broke for Dex as he finds himself having to face his demons head on to try and save himself and his relationship.The surprise in this book for me, though, came not from one of the main characters, but a supporting one.  It was a welcome surprise though and I'm really glad Nicola wrote it the way she did.You find yourself still pulling for this couple who have had themselves broken and worn down, hoping they'll find they way back to each other.  Depending on how you view it, it's either a good thing or a bad thing, but Emily and Dexter's story still isn't to it's finish.  I foresee a devastating event happening and I worry how it will affect everyone.The next book in the series is Rachel and Jared's story, so we have to wait for book 4 to see how this love story ends.  That's my only complaint about Hold On Tight is having to wait for the release of Never Let Go!