***STANDALONE new adult romance from the author of The Butterfly Project and the Full Tilt Duet***
Darlene Montgomery has been to hell and back…more than once. After a stint in jail for drug possession, she is finally clean and ready to start over. Yet another failed relationship is just the motivation she needs to move from New York to San Francisco with the hopes of resurrecting her dance career and discovering that she is more than the sum of her rap sheet. As Darlene struggles in her new city, the last thing she wants is to become entangled with her handsome—but cranky—neighbor and his adorable little girl…
Sawyer Haas is weeks away from finishing law school, but exhaustion, dwindling finances, and the pressure to provide for himself and his daughter, Olivia, are wearing him down. A federal clerkship–a job he desperately needs–awaits him after graduation, but only if he passes the Bar Exam. Sawyer doesn’t have the time or patience for the capricious—if beautiful—dancer who moves into the apartment above his. But Darlene’s easy laugh and cheerful spirit seep into the cracks of his hardened heart, and slowly break down the walls he’s resurrected to keep from being betrayed ever again.
When the parents of Olivia’s absentee mother come to fight for custody, Sawyer could lose everything. To have any chance at happiness, he must trust Darlene, the woman who has somehow found her way past his brittle barbs, and Darlene must decide how much of her own bruised heart she is willing to give to Sawyer and Olivia, especially when the ghosts of her troubled past refuse to stay buried.
For readers 18 and up
Sorry but once more I will battle with my review. I am so overwhelmed right now.
I found the book toppling Full Tilt off its pedestal and I never thought it would happen one day. Emma wrote something raw, emotional, gorgeous, brilliant in its shadows and deeply human battles.
It’s been an endless emotional onslaught…
Emma gave us exceptional characters. I will speak of them aplenty. They would have been more than enough to make for a brilliant story but she put twists I never saw coming. This added to colorful and supportive side characters made for an outstanding story.
This is a tale about life and love.
About lows so low you don’t think you’ll be up again one day.
It’s about making mistakes and having second chances.
Accepting that the past will never disappear. You’ll always have to live with it so you’d better acknowledge it. Make your past errors your own and transcend your weaknesses.
Sawyer Haas is a law student and on a fateful night has been left with a little baby girl. The mother vanished pure and simple.
He could have left the little girl in foster care and go on with his carefree student life chasing skirts and studying aplenty to become a lawyer. But the moment he held this tiny bundle he was a goner. He was overwhelmed by a love so fierce he knew Olivia would be the center of his world. He could not abandon her. She was his pure and simple. His love was whole encompassing.
Of course when I read about a guy so dedicated to his little girl my ovaries exploded on the spot! It was just too sweet and warm witnessing this protective daddy dedicate his life to his tiny daughter.
Sawyer Haas is an exceptional character. He shoulders so many burdens alone. He is tired, so tired.
“I watched her walk away and the weariness hit me. It did that sometimes, like being punched in the gut. The late nights and sleeplessness, stress and anxiety; it all bowled right into me. No beers with the guys. No dates with hot study partners. No sex, no parties…”
He was smart, sexy, loyal, caring and exhausted.
Emma won’t spare him any stress in this story and it was truly a wonder he was still standing by the end of the book.
That’s why Darlene was such a breeze of fresh air. Wait no she was rather tornado like.
If I was a guy I would marry Darlene a thousand times.
Never before have I felt such love for a female character. I’ve admired and loved plenty heroines but Darlene was just impossible not to fall intensely in love with.
She is struggling with what she did and what she wants to escape. When Emma Scott writes Darlene’s struggle and conflicts you can only feel them deep in your soul.
“I hate that no matter what I do, I’ll always be that girl. The girl who was weak and sad. Who had this big yawning hole of want in her, and filled it up with terrible shit. And you know what? The drugs are gone but the want is still there, and the good things I want to fill it with are right in front of me but I’m scared to grab for them.”
Here is what I wrote after reading what she went through, her desperate need to be loved and her fears to fall for her old demons even if she was determined to become a new woman:
I love Darlene. She is raw attuned to the world and others she is like opened wound and bare flesh for everyone to see. She is overflowing with emotions and a need to love and be loved so big that it’s overwhelming. Like her tiny body is not big enough to contain this tidal wave of feelings.
Darlene was just an exceptional character helping everyone, wearing her heart on her sleeve and she swept Sawyer of his feet.
I have so much more to say about this story and its outstanding characters. I did not even mention the adorable Livvie and the wise Henrietta who is the mother of Jackson Sawyer’s best friend.
“Well, according to Henrietta, the universe is listening.” “What’s that mean?” “You get back what you put in. Negative shit gets you negative shit. Positive energy begets positive energy. Whatever you put out there in the universe…it listens. And then it answers.
This read has simply been phenomenal.
Thank you for reading.
Buy link: http://amzn.to/2gZBiPR
Another amazing review, Sophie! ❤️
Thank you Shruti! 🙂
Holy cr@p..SIX stars?!?! I can’t wait to read this one! Excellent review Sophie!
Yes totally! 6 stars!!! Thank you Trisy 😉
Terrific review, Sophie! I need to add this one too. And I love how Scott interlocks all her books writing spin offs of secondary characters
Yes me too Talia 😉 I was so happy to read about them again!
WOW! Amazing review Sophie! It was on my TBR but after reading your review I just want to purchase and start reading right this second. I will definitely be reading this soon.
Thank you Mia and I can’t wait to read your review!!!
Six stars? Wow!! I love love love Emma Scott and can’t wait to devour this one!!
Great review Sophie!
Thank you so much Susan!!! And yes 6 stars that’s what it deserves. And I can’t wait to read your reviw 😉