This book gutted me, in the best way. Marzano’s writing is delicate but unflinching. The woman at the center of the story is so real, so deeply hurt yet quietly courageous, and her journey resonated with me more than I expected. I loved the pacing, the setting by the lake, the quiet moments with her son, and the tension when the past came back to haunt her. And then there's him, not a savior, but a partner. Their relationship grows out of mutual understanding and shared pain, and it’s one of the most grounded romances I’ve read in a long time. A quiet masterpiece.