5 'I'll always come back to you' stars!
So, once I finished, How to Save a Life, I was desperate for more of Emma Scott's writing. There was just something so unique in the way she writes her stories, creates her characters in such a way, they become part of your life. You root for them and love them and only want them to have everything they deserve; which is each other. I had this one on my kindle already, having bought it months ago, and decided to dive right in. I knew I was in for a treat. I fully trust her and her ability to keep me hooked from page one. And she didn't disappoint. Of course, I may have read some reviews first just for the hell of it, but then dismissed the thought of getting spoiled and just went for it. Holy hell am I glad I took a chance on Noah and Charlotte. This was my second book by this author and she astounds me.
Anyway...
Noah was a man who had it all. He was popular, talented, well-loved, ambitious, and mostly...he was daring. Maybe that's not the right word. He was...fearless, bold, and of course reckless. But that was him. He lived for the rush where death was just at his feet, so tempting and yet terrifying. He played with death...and lost. Or in a way that made him feel like he lost, because ultimately, it left him blind. Not dead, but sightless. To him, however, was death. In other words, Noah was a journalist/photographer for a magazine called, Planet X. And he was good at everything he did, real good. Until one day, he lost his sight from cliff diving in Mexico while on assignment, which put him in a coma for 12 days. No one thought he'd ever wake up..until he did.
At least he was still alive, right?
That's what everyone else kept telling him. But to Noah, being blind was just as bad as death or possibly worse. He had a hard time coping with his new reality. Never able to see again. Never able to clive dive or rock-climb, or base-jump...he couldn't do any of that anymore. He was bitter, angry, hurtful to all the people who loved him and tried to help him adjust, pushing them away until he was left alone to stew in his rage. He moved to his parents' townhouse in New York City, and there he did nothing but scream at the unfairness of his new existence. Lucien, Noah's parent's finance executor is the only one who sticks around to make sure Noah doesn't kill himself. On accident, that is. He's hired assistant after assistant to help Noah find his way. But after a dozen who quit after getting fed up with Noah's constant bitterness and anger directed at them, Lucien is getting wary to ever find the right person to lure Noah out of his self-pitying shell.
Enter Charlotte Conroy.
She was a talented violinist with a great boyfriend, loving parents and a big brother she always wanted to make proud. This talented violinist was a virtuoso, a prodigy. She was attending Julliard and had been playing violin since she was a child. There was an endless possibility laid before her...until tragedy in her family struck her world, leaving her lost in her grief and taking away her love of music. She moved to an apartment she could barely afford, living with 3 other roommates. She worked two jobs. She never got a moment's peace with all the loudness of the city and her roommates. She was surrounded by people but never felt more alone. She was drowning.
Until a chance meeting with Lucien Caron changed her life in more ways than she imagined...
This was where it got interesting. Once Noah and Charlotte met, there was no going back and I found myself hurled in the middle of a story that both enchanted and consumed me. I didn't know what to expect when I started, but I sure as hell enjoyed every minute of this incredible tale of hope, healing and falling in love when you least expect it. Emma captivated me, or maybe that was Noah. God, Noah. My heart ached for him...
Let's talk a sec about that. I think I read one other book about a character who suffered from blindness. It was good, that I remember, but this one blew my mind. The way Emma described what Noah was going through as he navigated without his sight was so damn fucking heartwrenching. I felt the pain of loss from his old life. He wanted so badly to have that back. He wanted so badly to be able to see Charlotte, for just one second, and I felt that immense pain, like it was my own. I cried for him. The way he described the confusion and fear of no knowing where he was when he was outside, not being able to see the sunlight...all he saw was...nothing. It was so dark and black in his sight, that no wonder he was bitter and hateful. I tried putting myself in his shoes and it made me cry. I couldn't imagine it. Those were simple things we took for granted.
But Charlotte, oh that sweet Charlotte. She was an amazing heroine. Perfect for him. She never thought the scars on his back he had from several surgeries was disgusting and never made him feel any less of a person than he was. She helped him in ways no one else did. Their scenes together were...HOT but also tender and touching. Where he lacked, she made up for. Tenfold. I never felt their relationship was awkward or forced or weird. It was perfection. Like Evan and Jo. And that was what I needed because I was still mourning the loss of them in my life. Noah, though, was just a sexy and wonderful guy, albeit at times a douche, but only because of circumstances. And once he warmed up to Char, he became such a softie. Oh, I loved him! I did, I loved him as much as Evan. The stories were vastly different, but the amount of heart and soul poured onto the pages of my kindle never wavered.
And that is what I call epic. Both stories brought me characters I'll never forget. Stories I'm grateful for experiencing. I'll even re-read them and experience their epic love journeys all over again. And again. I applaud Mrs. Emma Scott for another hit for me. I definitely recommend it to all my book buds, because it must be read. I'm not even sure 5 stars is enough.
One thing I have to add, before I wrap this up, was how awesome the music was. I loved watching Charlotte gain back her spirit and her love of art. I could hear her playing as I was reading it, it was so vivid in my mind. So thank you for not glossing that aspect of the story over. It was a huge part of Charlotte's journey and her growth as a person. She was wickedly talented and Noah made sure she knew how much her music meant to him. Pure awesomeness.
Okay, the moral of this nonsensical review is: read, read, read this book. You won't regret it. And you'll have another book boyfriend to add to your already long list of heroes.
Favorite Quotes:
She made no distinction between scarred flesh and whole. It was just me that she wanted, as I was, and who is ever lucky enough to feel that in this world?
"You can't see me but I'm rolling my eyes at you behind my sunglasses. That I wear inside. Because I'm cool like Bono."
"You're the light in my darkness, Charlotte. You are..."
My endless black was never going to go away. That was certainty. But kissing Charlotte had been a burst of light streaking across it, like a comet.
An ache clenched my heart so hard I nearly gasped. Companionship. Someone in my space, touching me, talking to me, just sitting next to me and sharing a meal, as if I were whole.
"You're more than beautiful." He caressed my cheek. "You're the dawn, Charlotte, and no woman can hold a candle to you."
The only shadow over my happiness was Noah's absence.
...his blindness is only one small part of the man I love.
Love, real love, wasn't empty, grasping hands, or lies that felt like truths. And it wasn't perfect or neat or always easy. It was a rising sun on a new day.
"I love you, Noah. With my heart and my soul and this body. With every part of me. I love you so much you don't have to see it. You can feel it.
"You steal my breath away, Noah, and what you're feeling is me, trying to catch it back, but I never can. Not when you're this close to me.
Well shit, my heart is so full right now. So overjoyed. So happy. Another huge hit for me. I'm so emotionally overloaded.