What would you do if your wife was murdered and her parting words left you with more questions than answers? Would you spend every waking moment trying to unravel the puzzle? Or let the secrets stay buried?
A year after his wife's shocking murder, her cryptic final words still haunt Royal. Consumed by grief and determined to unravel the mystery, he enlists the help of alluring stranger Salana. But as Royal crosses boundaries to uncover long-buried secrets, an undeniable attraction grows between them. Will new love thaw Royal's heart and bring the closure he seeks? Or will the truth only deepen his wounds?
I'm Author C. Monet of Clarksville TN. I write transparent creative romance with a splash of urban. My stories feature, smart, witty boss women and swoon-worthy, loving, flawed men all looking for one thing..... LOVE. Yes, you guessed it I write about love. My novels usually center around instalove, opposites attract, and redemptive love. However, I've been known to come up with love that cant be placed in a box. All in all, love is the motive no matter how it's reached. My books will leave you full; full of love, gems, and pieces of me.
Once life started to happen for and around me I grabbed the pen and decided to unmute my truth. I pen love unfiltered and undefined because rules can’t exist with creativity. The poetry in my words takes you to a place filled with dreams and aspirations of love and how it heals the soul.
Whew! I thought I knew what I was getting into with this read, but I wasn’t ready! I tapped into so many emotions while rooting for these characters and cheered upon completion.
I barely made it through the first few pages! Royal! My heart broke for him, knowing his wife was in danger, hearing the fear in her voice as she tried to save herself, and knowing/feeling the exact moment she was gone! 💔 Blue really? I know you needed or felt you needed to clear your conscience, as you felt the end was near, but to tell that man ALL THAT, at that time felt cruel to me! So not only did he lose you violently, but you also left all that ish on his mind to deal with as well! 🤬 Royal loved Blue something serious, and when he lost her, it almost took him out as well.
Salana made the ultimate rookie mistake, and it cost her everything! Instead of her family supporting her, and helping her learn from it, they berated her and continually kicked her while she’s down. 😡 So, not only has she been blacklisted in her industry, but she is also dealing with the shame and disappointment in herself. Salana is hanging on by a thread, has no trust in herself, and working a menial job trying to get by. 😢
When Salana meets Royal, she is immediately attracted to him, but when he starts acting a damn fool over his burrito order, she is over him! Royal is spiraling out of control and taking out his frustrations on everyone around him. Salana just happened to be in his line of fire that day. He later regrets his actions and goes to apologize to her. This is where the magic begins.
Salana recognizes the sadness, hurt and grief in Royal’s eyes, and wants to help him, although her plate is already full. Royal is shocked at his response to Salana, as he hadn’t felt this way since he met Blue. However, his grief, loyalty, heart and mind will not allow him to get close to this woman. Or so he thinks.....
The love that brewed from trauma, loss, hurt and betrayal was beautiful! Royal and Salana really went through it as they both had to deal with their pasts and find healing. But through it all they had each other and came out whole on the other side. Great read! 👍👍👍
I absolutely loved Salana and Royal. From the depths of grief and trials something beautiful grew. I love the stories where love finds people in unassuming ways. I’m so glad C.Monet is back to writing beautiful stories again.
Ooh, this was so good! If you're looking for a fight, then you have the right book. Two souls, Solana and Royal, meeting by happenstance. It was a slow-burn story and captivating from start to finish. Both had nasty heavy situations that sent them spiraling & tail spinning.
Loved that Salana, the heroine, basically took the lead for the encounter(s) that they shared. She was patient, understanding, caring, and showed loved & compassion for what Royal was going through. His deceased wife was killed and had a secret. However, there comes a time when you have to step back and do some self-care.
Royal gave Salana the inspiration and desire to be herself and not allow others, including her family, to make her feel less of a person. But he still had his own personal issues that he had to deal with.
An attack on Salana caused Royal to come out of his funk and head to rescue Salana, who was in trouble and needed him. He himself was still in the hospital from his accident, but that didn't stop his moving to get to her. I loved this about him. He realized that he loved and was in love with Salana.
He took charge at the hospital, checked her parents, handled the attacker, and began the healing process along with Salana. The two never really stopped being there for each other throughout the story. They just had conflicted souls & minds, trying to get it right and on the same page.
Through the ups and downs, their HEA was realized.
I didn’t finish it. I stopped reading at 80% / chapter 21. It started off decent…for the most part, but after the attack, it just felt too cliche to continue. I guess I’ll never know how it ends but I can take a wild guess. It felt like the timeline moved too quickly for it to make sense. One minute they’re strangers, the next minute she’s his shooter and they’re having sex. I would have liked to see more character development, more chemistry between the two and more slow burn. The quick pacing made it too unrealistic for me. Also, there was a point when I thought the word choices and actions were too juvenile for two grown adults. It had potential but overall, for me, it missed the mark.
Last thing—I’m a huge grammar and punctuation police and I found myself stopping to re-read multiple sentences that were choppy, too long or didn’t have proper punctuation. It made the read unenjoyable.
Warning: This will have you in tears but also hoping to rise from the ashes too
This was story of grief, depression, self doubt but also of fighting through it all, finding love, and peace. Royal and Solana dealt with blows that many couldn't and wouldn't be able to survive yet still were able to overcome separately and together. I will say that Blue definitely threw a huge curveball in the mix but I think everything happens for a reason and without her, Royal and Solana wouldn't have met.
I enjoyed Salana and Royal's story. They were both dealing with their own issues but somehow became each other's peace. I loved how dedicated Salana was in helping Royal get the answers he needed from his past. I also loved how Royal instantly became Salana's protector when she needed it the most. They were truly meant for each other and deserved the. happy ending they got.
Whew! This book had me from the beginning it is well written and flows nicely. I'm so happy that Royal and Salana decided to trust and follow their hearts.
However, the author said it best when she said: "Royal and Salana went through some heavy stuff. The kind that makes you wanna stay in bed and say, "Wake me when it's over."
But they kept showing up. For themselves, and for each other. Even with all they lost, they never lost faith that there could still be joy on the other side. That's real strength."