Series: Standalone
Author: Jamie McGuire
Release Date: May 2018
Format: E-galley
I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I had read Jamie McGuire before, and loved her stories, but it had been a while. I wasn't sure they would still hold the same magic for me. But this one did!The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town.
Elliott finally returns, but he and Catherine are now different people. He’s a star high school athlete, and she spends all her free time working at her mother’s mysterious bed-and-breakfast. Catherine hasn’t forgiven Elliott for abandoning her, but he’s determined to win back her friendship…and her heart.
Just when Catherine is ready to fully trust Elliott, he becomes the prime suspect in a local tragedy. Despite the town’s growing suspicions, Catherine clings to her love for Elliott. But a devastating secret that Catherine has buried could destroy whatever chance of happiness they have left.
What I think I liked most about this book is that I didn't guess right away what the secrets were. In fact, my very first guess was wrong. It didn't hurt that Catherine and Elliott went from something young and innocent into an adult relationship.
Now for the mystery of the book, without spoilers! I think it was a great twist, and not something I had seen before. Furthermore, it was handled beautifully for such a sensitive subject. It kept the mystery, and yet was very real. Catherine is young and naive, and I believe she handled it realistically, but I do wish she had opened up to someone (or anyone) earlier. But when the time came, and it really counted, she was honest.
As for Elliott. Boy oh boy. He's something else. I love his passion. I love his commitment. I love how much he loves Catherine, and I would hope everyone in their life could be on the receiving end of such devotion.
All in all, I loved this book. It had passion and fire, love and danger. It had a bit of everything.
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