This book left me smiling after I closed it. It had one of my favorite endings, which I obviously can’t share, because you need to read this for yourself.
Mariam Troyer was being hunted by the man who killed her husband. As the murderer chases her down, he hits her with a truck and leaves her with amnesia. Caleb Schultz saw what was happening, found her daughter, and rescued Mariam, and immediately felt this strong pull to protect her, even though he had no idea what was going on.
The story had just the right number of characters. I know that’s an odd thing to say, but even though there were quite a few, it wasn’t overwhelming. I didn’t lose track of anyone. I liked Mariam. And apparently, if I’d read some of the earlier books in this series, I might not have, and I might have felt the same way about her as Caleb did at first. Yes, he wanted to help her, but he also knew who she used to be, someone a bit self-centered. But that’s not the Mariam we meet now. She’s a loving, fiercely protective mom who would do anything for her daughter, Ella Mae.
Caleb has his own complicated past. Oddly enough, he doesn’t seem to have any major flaws, despite having been in a coma for three years. That kind of experience changes a person, and I think that’s partly what connects him and Mariam. They both lost time, and that helped them understand each other in a way others couldn’t.
Throughout the book, it was clear Mariam was being hunted, but the reason stayed just out of reach. The author did a fantastic job dropping just enough clues to keep me guessing, especially with one of the side characters. I thought I had it figured out… but I was wrong. I was genuinely surprised when the truth came out. I’d expected something completely different, so I really appreciated the twist.
I loved the suspense, but the romance had just as much weight in the story. Normally, I find that a little hard to buy, falling in love during something traumatic, but Dana R. Lynn made it work. I can’t even tell you how. It just did. It felt natural and earned.
I’ll definitely be reading more from this author and diving deeper into this series.
I received a copy of the book from the author. All opinions are my own.