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Review
“Not every day is a parade with fireworks, but every breath counts. Life is incredibly fucking hard, rarely fair, and always unpredictable. Most days, surviving is as good as it gets.”
4 uniquely enthralling stars
Wow, this book was unexpected. Funny, dramatic, clever, thought-provoking, angsty, heartbreaking, passionate, romantic and incredibly intense. The writing was fantastic, and the story was absolutely mesmerising. I bought it after so many of my friends had loved it, I had no idea what the story was about or where it was going to go, and I loved that! It was an unexpected ride and I could not put it down.
Scarlet Stone was raised to be a thief, but with her father in prison and her life at a turning point, she is searching for ‘more’ and is desperate for a change in her life. Leaving her home in the UK, she travels to Savannah and rents a room in a house on small and remote Tybee Island where she is determined to “figure out the meaning of life or die trying”. What she didn’t expect was to have a roommate who hates her on site, and he certainly wasn’t expecting her.
Theodore Reed is renovating the house he is renting and the last thing he wants is a smartass British girl living under his roof. In an attempt to get her out of his house he is a complete and utter ass to her, and his seething animosity towards her is evident in each and every interaction. But Scarlet is determined to get to know Theo, and to solve the mystery of his broody assholery – even if it means revealing her own deep and dark secrets.
I don’t want to say anything more about this story, because you just need to dive in and experience it. The set up above is only that – a set up, and the book twists and turns in directions I definitely wasn’t expecting, and I loved the wild ride it took me on.
Scarlet is a wonderful heroine. Smart, brave and bold, I love her attitude, and though her situation is a unique one, I could relate to her. She is totally kickass, and I loved her as a character, and as the narrator for her story.
My name is Scarlet Stone. I was offered useful traits the day I entered this world. I passed on common sense, opting for the-edge-of-a-knife-journey. When I die, I want my gravestone to have the word ‘epic’ on it somewhere.
Theo is a complex character. He’s a jerk and you will want to smack him, but underneath all of his gruffness there is a tortured man with a huge heart who is driven by the demons of his past. He is also keeping secrets, but Scarlet’s entrance into his life proves to be a trigger for change that he never expected.
My life is nothing more than bad timing separated by unimaginable moments of tragedy. I’d reconciled my pain with the promise of revenge…until her.
Theo and Scarlet together are a chemistry-filled powerhosue. Their dynamic is unique and intriguing, and the rollercoaster that is their relationship unfolds alongside their individual journeys, and I loved how it all played out. Passionate, complex, heartfelt, unexpected and absolutely captivating, I couldn’t get enough of these two.
I love this man and I know he loves me, even if it pisses him off that he loves me.
I know how he feels.
It pisses him off that his heart let me in.
I know how he feels.
It pisses him off that he needs my touch.
I know how he feels.My name is Scarlet Stone and my biggest fear is that someday I will find what I want most in life and it will be impossible to steal.
There are additional characters and plotlines all interwoven into the main storyline, and the twists, reveals and surprises hit me over and over again as I read. I never knew what was coming, and I was so absorbed in the story, I felt every single moment it right alongside of Scarlet. The good, the bad, the ugly and heartbreaking, and the impossible love story that takes both of them by surprise, and that is tested in ways that will change everything.
“It’s mad love. The kind that makes no sense. The kind that is bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced. The kind that ensnares your soul and never lets go.”
I really enjoyed this book. I like to be surprised, and this one certainly surprised me! Yes, it’s a romance but it’s so much more than that. It’s dark and gritty yet with moments of fun and humour, it’s thoughtful and inspiring, heartfelt and romantic, and the writing is spot-on. This book will take your emotions on a wild ride from start to finish.
I loved it! 4 stars.