Wow. This story hits your right in your heart. It begins with heartbreak and ends with joyous triumph and second chances. This is my first book by Brittainy Cherry and I chose to read it because it has such high ratings. The book grabbed a hold of me from page one and I finished it in one sitting. Tristan and Lizzie have both suffered unimaginable loss. They meet under less than ideal circumstances. They both feel drawn to each other, but handle this very differently. Tristan has set about making himself the town pariah - he has chosen to cope with his loss by allowing his sense of guilt and his pain push everyone away. Lizzie is leaning on the people who love her and trying to be strong for her daughter, Emma. Tristan and Lizzie turn out to be next door neighbors and this facilitates them being in close proximity with each other often enough that eventually the pull between them is irresistible. Their relationship exists in a state of functional dysfunction for a while that allows them to begin healing. They eventually allow their hearts to accept what is happening between them and what follows is a sweet, touching and oh so REAL love story.
The book has it all - it made me laugh out loud (there a couple of really great secondary characters) and it made me want to cry for the things that Lizzie and Tristan experience. We got to see them, both, mend fences with their families. There is even a bad guy--a really bad baddy- in the story. It was excellent. It was also the right length. Not too long, not too short- just perfect. Tristan was a yummy character - I loved him. Lizzie was a great heroine, so strong and smart and honest - I loved her too.
This is a little of the beaten path- I've been on a Kristen Ashley, Darynda Jones and JD Ward bend for a couple of months - and it was like a balm for my emotions. Although it was full of lots of emotions, they were easy to digest because the story was so well written. Kudos to you Ms. Cherry, I'll be reading more of your work.
