Scratch by Rhonda Helms

Scratch

by Rhonda Helms

In her DJ booth at a Cleveland dance club, Casey feels a sense of connection that's the closest she ever gets to normal. On her college campus, she's reserved, practical--all too aware of the disaster that can result when you trust the wrong person. But inexplicably, Daniel refuses to pay attention to the walls she's put up. Like Casey, he's a senior. In every other way, he's her opposite. Sexy, open, effortlessly charming, Daniel is willing to take chances and show his feelings. For some reason Casey can't fathom, he's intent on drawing her out of her bubble and back into a world that's messy and unpredictable. He doesn't know about the deep scars that pucker her stomach--or the deeper secret behind them. Since the violent night when everything changed, Casey has never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. Now, she might be tempted to try.

Reviewed by Angie on

4 of 5 stars

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I received an ARC through NetGalley.

I was very pleasantly surprised by Scratch! It's all about Casey: 21 years old, college senior, DJ, and has a tragic past. Don't let that last one scare you off! While NA definitely tends to be dark and full of angst and drama, Casey has a more optimistic take on life. At least, she's forcing herself to. She pushes her past way down deep, and focuses on moving forward. Then she meets Daniel at the club where she works, and he changes everything for her.

Casey has gone through something completely horrific. It was seriously one of the most disturbing situations I've read about. I just can't imagine someone doing that or going through it. It's been eight years, and Casey still hasn't fully dealt with what happened, but she's also not dwelling on it or letting it hold her back from her goals. However, she isn't really living. She's more of an observer than a participant. Always the DJ, never the dancer. But once she starts dating Daniel, she comes out of her shell. She's letting him see more of her than she's shown anyone before, but her scars are there. The physical ones and the emotional ones. For the most part, things are quite light between them, but then Daniel pushes too far.

The inevitable fight is always something either makes or breaks a NA romance for me, and I think Scratch's was well done. I was fully on Casey's side, since Daniel clearly overstepped her boundaries. His intentions were good, but his methods were so far off! I wanted to hit him! But at the same time, I was mad at Casey for how she handled that situation. Luckily, they talk about their feelings and acknowledged that they both were wrong in a sense, and explained why they were hurt by the other. I love those types of resolutions! Everyone be mature about it!

I really liked Scratch. It still has that darker tone that dominates NA, but it's not so dripping in "woe is me"ness that it feels like every other NA that I've read. It does follow the same formula that's to be expected, but the details and characters make this one different.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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  • Started reading
  • 23 August, 2014: Finished reading
  • 23 August, 2014: Reviewed