This book destroyed me. It ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and then did it over and over. There’s a lot of stuff here that can be hard to read. There’s kidnapping, rape, suicide attempts, animal death, and more. It’s also incredibly high on the angst. You have to be the right person for this to work, but if you’re that person it is a heart wrenching and beautiful read.
Objectively, I can see why people wouldn’t like this. First, there’s the triggering content. Then, there’s the fact that the hero, Dean, has been in a relationship for 15 years with the heroine, Cora’s, sister. Some of Cora’s behavior is frustrating to read, too.
But I don’t care. The content didn’t trigger me. I liked how Hartmann explored trauma and what it does to people. Sometimes it felt like Dean and Cora couldn’t escape the drama. That could’ve felt over-the-top, but it never did. The Dean dating Cora’s sister was probably the hardest thing to believe. They were together for 15 years and only recently got engaged. There was just some stuff around that that felt unrealistic. Some reviews say Hartmann tried to make the sister, Mandy, a villain to excuse Cora and Dean’s behavior. I disagree. Mandy came across as a normal woman. She reacts in potentially harsh, but in believable ways.
Cora does kind of play with Dean. She constantly pushes him away and then pulls him back. It is incredibly frustrating for the reader, but also Dean. Personally, I thought it worked. It shows you how hurt Cora is and how much she needs professional help.
I adored this story even though I balled my eyes out for most of it. I definitely plan on reading more books by Jennifer Hartmann. This is one of my favorite books of 2021.
Thanks for reading!
Holly