“Time. It’s everything, and yet nothing at all.”
I really enjoyed this book and didn’t want to put it down. I would never have thought it was a debut novel. The plot, the romance, the character development, the spice…it’s all done very well.
Set in North Carolina, this book follows Cameron, a seemingly bad boy with a sordid past, and Emma, a strong willed college student. They instantly have mutual attraction, and when Emma receives unwanted attention from someone, Cameron steps in to defend her. The two form a connection that slowly develops into more, helping both of them heal from their past, as well as helping them be stronger to deal with a threat looming over them.
Cameron is everything. He’s been through so much in his life and while he seems to be a bad boy because of his past, he is so sweet and fiercely loyal. He would do anything for the people he cares about. He struggles with his feelings for Emma because he doesn’t feel like he is good enough for her and she is relentless in her efforts to show him he is. Emma is so lovable. She’s funny, quirky, strong, and a bit nerdy. Both of them have been holding onto pain from the past and it took meeting each other to work through that. I really loved all of the characters (except you, Ash) and I feel like they were very well developed and I definitely wanted to read more about them all.
This book does deal with some potential triggering events, including attempted SA, abuse, and the death of a parent. It also references the song Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran (very appropriate honestly) and that occasionally makes me cry, so I’m including it. I always tell readers to check triggers, and while it wasn’t as graphic as some things I’ve read, I still think it’s worth mentioning. I do think one of my favorite things was just how psychopathic one character was written. It really showed so much of what is wrong with the systems meant to protect people (especially victims of SA) and how deranged some people’s thinking is when it comes to motive.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would 100% read another book by this author. I’ll definitely check out the next one when it releases.
*I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*