4.5 stars.
Wow, just wow. This book had so much heartache, pain, and love with a few twists that dug the knife in even deeper.
Hadley Queen and Kane Wilder were childhood friends. He was also best friends with her twin brother, Grayson Queen, despite being a couple of years older. They would spend summers together at the Wilders’ beach house as their mothers were also best friends.
One summer, Hadley witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to see. From that moment, things went downhill for the Wilders, and Kane and his mother ended up temporarily moving in with the Queens.
Kane loved music, but he never shared it with the world; Hadley loved painting, and she never shared her creations either. But she was the one who encouraged Kane; she was the catalyst for his rise to fame.
She had always had a crush on him, and on her fourteenth birthday, he kissed her. Then he left and never looked back.
Five years later, after living a very different life because his career had taken off, Kane is back at the beach house, and so are Hadley and her mother. Kane’s a heartthrob, but he has a bad reputation. He’s back home to take a step back from all the cameras and fame and try to remember the guy he was before being in the spotlight.
Hadley was so strong. She had gone through something extremely devastating, but she still managed to go on with her life. Yes, it still hurt, but she didn’t let the pain destroy her. And when she had to come face to face with the guy who broke her heart five years ago, she refused to take his rude attitude and told him off.
Kane, oh man. He was an a**hole with drinking/drug problems. He had a rough childhood, and even his adult years were not easy, despite his fame. He was broken and damaged, and he never really handled his emotions well, especially when someone talked sh*t about those he cared about.
I loved seeing Hadley and Kane reconnect after all those years. There was so much love between them. Kane was so protective, possessive, and obsessive over Hadley, or as he called her, Hads. When I tell you obsessed, I mean OBSESSED. The promises he kept, the things he remembered, the way he always believed in her. It was so sweet.
But of course, there were the secrets. Look, I’m not a crier. I’m not! But I may or may not have teared up a bit. I was just so invested in this story, and hearing a certain scene from Kane’s POV, then the outcome of him recounting his story was so heartbreaking. There was even foreshadowing leading up to him spilling his story. And there were twists about why he’d kept that secret that I didn't see coming.
This book truly had so much heartache, heartbreak, growth, healing, and love. It was my first Eliah Greenwood book, but it will not be the last!
CONTENT WARNING (may be spoilers)
Death of a sibling
Childhood abuse
Pedophilia