Review: Sweet and emotional roller coaster all bundled into one!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 18, 2014
The first thing I said to myself when I finished this book was that, yes this is a love story, a contemporary romance to be exact. However, this book is more about family than it is about romance. It is the good, the bad, the ugly, the sad and how two families shape who we are as people and how we act towards others. Emma Anderson and Jake Knight come from very different families with very different backgrounds but what really struck me is how much those families mean to them.....even if they wouldn't admit it to themselves. Through a series of close encounters over years it is clear these two have chemistry, but can that chemistry hold strong when put to the test of pain, past and secrets.Emma is the one that I saw as hiding in this situation. I understood why she would want too, believe me I do, however clearly the whole keeping things under wraps wasn't really working for her. I loved that she was dedicated to her career and that she loved what she did but it wasn't hiding from the reader that she had some serious pain bubbling under the surface and that was made very evident at the wedding where her parents were killed. Enter a seemingly genuine smart guy like Jake and she couldn't really resist.....for long. The spark between these two is palpable and to the reader it is very clear they belong together even though they themselves can't figure it out.....for years! They are the ying and the yang needed to complete each other, if only they would step out of their own way to get it.Obviously the romance needed to be well written in order for a book like this to work, and it does here. My favorite parts though involved so much more than just the two characters interactions. At moments the story soared at fun filled adventure, other times at deep dark sadness and still other points where the mystery behind these two characters kept you guessing. That ability to throw my curve balls kept me interested throughout and that is a success if there ever was any in literature, because almost nothing surprises me anymore. Take two well developed characters and throw them into the middle of a story filled with elements that will intrigue and you have the recipe for a fantastic read!