Left Behind

by Vi Keeland and Dylan Scott

[Cocktails and Books]

4.5 Cocktails

I'm not even sure where to start with this book because it absolutely blew me away. The authors created a story that intertwined the hero and heroine in a complex and often times heartbreaking story.

Zack and Nikki have both had more than their share of heartbreak for just starting their senior year of high school. Both have suffered unimaginable losses and struggled with how they are supposed to move on. It's not until they meet each other, on Nikki's first day of school, that things start to change for the both of them.

Nikki, living in California with an aunt she doesn't know, is trying to find the twin sister she didn't know she had. But in California, Nikki's life is much different than the one she lead in Texas. She has a somewhat stable home life and doesn't have to worry about her aunt abusing drugs and alcohol like her mother. She has a group of friends larger than the one person she trusted with her inner most secrets in Texas. And she had Zack. A boy who made her feel too much and who distracted her to the point she was forgetting why she was in California.

Zach was dealing with his own mess. Beaten down by grief after the death of this girlfriend, Zach is barely existing. But when he meets Nikki at a study group, he's inexplicably drawn to her, which worsens the guilt he feels. Slowly, the draw to Nikki is too much and he lets go of the grief and starts living again. He realizes what he feels for Nikki is much more than what he ever had with his ex and his knows he'll do anything for Nikki.

I loved the twists and turns of this story. How Nikki and Zack where tied together before they even knew it. How soul mates will find a way to be with each other, despite the circumstances. While the story was quite heartbreaking, there was an underlying feeling of hope for the hero and heroine. Hope that they'd be able to leave the past behind and continue building their relationship. Hope they can both forgive the adults that seemed to make somewhat of a mess of their young lives.

A beautiful story, that is riveting and demands a reader's full attention. This is, most definitely, one of my top reads for 2014.