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15 summers ago, everything changed… Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand… Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back? With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.
Publication Year: 2024
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0This book took me a minute to get into, but once I did I was fully invested in the story. There is a lot of trauma in this book. Not only did Madison and Ava lose their mom when they were pre-teens, but their dad then spiraled into the world of conspiracy theories and eventually dragged them along with him into a cult. Each chapter in this book is prefaced by a few sentences from Ava’s best-selling novel about their ordeal. If you’re looking for a light summer read, this isn’t it. But it is a compelling story of two sisters who have been to hell together and fought their way out who are now at odds.
There are also two love stories going on at the same time as these two sisters are trying to reconcile. Not enough for me to call this a Romance, but there is an HEA for all involved. Ava is estranged from her husband so she goes to stay with her grandma, the woman who finished raising her and Madison after their ordeal. Madison still lives in the small town and a sweet love is blooming between her and Luke, a man who was instrumental in their rescue 15 years ago. Luke’s POV is in this story along with Ava’s and Madison’s. His thoughts went a long way in helping me to understand Madison a bit more.
Madison is not happy about her sister’s book, yet she hasn’t read it either. In fact, she finds others reading it to be a betrayal. Madison was injured during their escape and rescue from the cult and has spent her life since trying to prove she’s not “broken” and can do as much as anyone else. She doesn’t understand Ava’s need to bring up these terrible memories, plus she feels the book will have people looking at her with pity. Luke never treats Madison as fragile. I love their relationship and how Luke doesn’t pull his punches when he thinks Madison is being obstinate.
Ava never told her husband the whole story of what happened all those years ago, so he’s hurt and confused when he reads her book. He needs a break and Ava is devastated. She never wanted him to see her as damaged goods so she kept things from him that are supposed to be shared with your spouse. She comes to understand her mistakes and the rebuilding of her marriage is gut-wrenching and beautiful.
At times this story doesn’t flow as well as I would have liked, but overall it is a fantastic narrative about how much we can overcome, especially if we have loved ones around us.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
0This was not the cute fluffy romance I thought it would be based off solely the cover. I enjoyed it though
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