Escape followed by romance
I don’t know. This book was fine, the writing is fine, the story is fine (if not a little predictable), the characters are fine; everything is okay, it just didn’t really evoke anything in me. It’s clear the author is trying to show that Cam got the courage to leave an abusive relationship and learns to stand on her own two feet, but I don’t know if I buy that she really did.
So Cam was with this guy for a few years, the emotionally manipulative, gaslight, likes to leave bruises kind of jerk. When the book starts she is literally on the side of the road waiting for her ride as she leaves him. He’s clearly a crazy, delusional guy. I actually find that he is pretty well written, the author does a great job showing his devolution into crazy town. Cam moves in with a friend while she starts her life over, and I thought she did that well, she got a job, paid back the people who helped her, got a car, really pulled herself up. And then she meets the guy, and suddenly everything is all them and their sex life. In the beginning and the middle she really resists letting him make any changes to her life, she’s clinging to the independence she has found, but by the end he’s basically bank rolling everything and talked her into doing the things he wanted, and it’s all so romantic. I dunno, I didn’t like it.
As for Ledger, outside of hating his name, he was okay. I mean it’s clear he’s a good guy, and he really does just want to keep Cam safe from crazy guy. But honestly, it got so old listening to him repeatedly talk about Cam finding herself and “freedom” and then in the next chapter complaining that her job isn’t right for her. I don’t know, I didn’t love him.
I’m ambivalent about this book, no strong feelings one way or the other.