“Something passed between us, more than just an understanding…more than just the heat of our hands on each other. It was possibility. A chance to see what would happen without the heavy expectations that came with a promise. It was the place where we needed to start: At the beginning.”
It is no secret that I am a HUGE fan of Marni Mann, her Shadows series had me captivated from the get go and this book was no different. Marni’s writing style is engrossing, enchanting and extremely emotive and this book is no different. This is not another Shadows type series but is a traditional romance with some angst, webs of lies and deceit and is packed full of story line twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. I wasn’t ready for this book to end and I cannot wait for the next one in the series.
Drew Stevens’s life comes to a screeching halt when her parents are brutally murdered in their home, Drew should have been at home at the time and as sole survivor she finds it hard to get over the guilt and deal with the death of her parents. Her grief is further exacerbated when she is also informed of the passing of her grandparents; grandparents that she never knew existed. Her grandparents have left her a beach front house in Bar Harbor, Maine, to enable the sale of this house she needs to be there and reluctantly after much encouragement from her best friend Gianna, she decides to go on a road trip to Maine to hastily deal with the disposal. However, will this be the change that she needs, will she love it when she gets there, could she meet new friends or even more? With the only family she has left, her faithful dog, they head down to Bar Harbor.
It soon becomes apparent that Bar Harbor is a very small community, where everybody knows everybody and of course they all know each other’s business. Small snippets of information are slowly leaked out and Drew’s curiosity is piqued. It is while clearing out the rooms of the house that Drew stumbles across her mother’s old diaries. Maybe these will give her the knowledge she wants and needs, as we all know though, answers lead to more questions and questions lead to answers that you may not want to hear.
Drew is also an established swimmer and she uses her swimming as a form of escape. In the water her mind is blank and it is just her and the water. It is during one of her swims that Drew come across “Saint,” even though she has heard all about his manwhore ways and many of the locals had warned her about him there was something about him, something that drew her to him, something that told her he was not the person that everyone else knew, or thought they knew.
Saint has his own issues and Drew recognises the signs. Like her, Saint is drawn to Drew. He uses meaningless tourists to satiate his urges as he knows that it will lead to nothing, but with Drew it is different. He wants her friendship, they are kindred spirits, Drew is like a siren call to him and he cannot stay away, despite his best attempts.
“…things haven’t always been like this for me. I found my way out of the cage, but I smashed into the bars so many times before I made it through.”
This is an amazing book, one that you will remember you have read, the character connection, the emotions, the angst will have you sobbing, angry and laughing but most of all, you will feel and I love a book that makes me feel. If you want a book that is full of hot sex, this is not the one, however the few scenes that are in are deep, meaningful and you feel the connection, they mean something to the characters and Marni Mann makes you appreciate this in spades.
I would love to know more about their story, I feel there is so much more to learn about Saint and Drew and I hope that we see more of them in the series.
This is a book about grief, understanding, forgiveness, soul searching, ignoring others and making your own opinions and judgements, giving the benefit of the doubt, but most of all, it is about two people that are hopelessly broken, putting their futures in each other’s hands, trusting that person, letting them in and giving them everything.
Another winner Marni Mann and I cannot wait to read what comes next!
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