Sam@WLABB
Written on Feb 23, 2018
•Pro: Rev was the biggest draw for me. His life before was filled with pain, and I liked the way Kemmerer slowly revealed those details to us. His past was related to us from multiple people, and I especially loved hearing about it from Kristin, his mom.
•Pro: Kristin and Geoff were just the most wonderful YA parents. I have such an admiration for people, who are able to open their homes and hearts to foster children, especially the ones that are slightly damaged, and really need some healing love. It's so wonderful that Kemmerer brings attention to these kinds of people, and that she created such wonderful characters to represent them.
•Pro: Emma and Rev were pretty special together. Emma was able to see in Rev what very few people could, and I was so glad they found each other. I also thought that they were very well drawn characters, and I cared about them both.
•Pro: Declan really had the patience of a saint. Rev was struggling in a big way with some things, and Dec was there for him. Through the outbursts and moods, he stood by his side, ready to support him.
•Pro: Speaking of Rev's struggle, his inner turmoil was conveyed so well, and the way it seeped into all parts of his life was very believable. I totally felt his pain through the page.
•Pro: Emma grew a lot over the course of this story. Her whole world got titled on its side, and she was forced to confront certain realities in her home life. She damaged some relationships , and was forced to reflect on her actions and repair the wreckage.
•Pro: We find out the meaning behind Rev's name, and it was pretty cool.
•Con: I liked the ending overall, but I wish we had gotten a little bit more after the BIG thing happened. I just would have liked to have seen more of Rev and Emma as a couple.
•Pro: But, it was a very sweet ending, so I was not upset by any means.
•Pro: Kemmerer takes on a bunch of topics in this one: divorce, abuse, the foster system, and cyber bullying, and I thought she wove them all into the story quite well.
•Pro: Matthew was an interesting addition to this book. He, like Rev, had a horrific past, and I sort of hope we will get a third book in this world that will feature Matthew's story.
•Pro: This book had some romance, suspense, drama, and humor, which delivered a bunch of feels.
The demons in my head are quiet. Or maybe they've been tames by the people in this house.
Overall: A beautiful story of connection, family, and the power love has to heal, which really touched my heart.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.