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Synopsis
With a history like ours, the meaning of the word family tended to tangle into something unrecognizable. DNA and bloodlines didn’t tie us together, and neither did our last names. Various shades of grey blurred the branches of our twisted family tree.
I wasn’t her brother.
They weren’t my parents.
Not that it mattered…
She was off limits.
Portia was my friend.
Then my foster sister.
And she’d always be the love of my life.
Review
4.5 stars!
A beautifully emotional sort-of forbidden romance between two foster siblings with an undeniable chemistry and an incredible love for each other. Dramatic and heartfelt with just the right amount of angst, I loved this one!
Jude and Portia grew up as semi-foster siblings. Portia was adopted into a loving family following the death of her drug-addicted mother, and Jude’s own mother was sick, necessitating him entering occasional foster care, and he was accepted with open and loving arms by Portia and her adoptive parents. For years they grew up side by side, their families spending holidays, birthdays and special occasions together, the two of them the best of friends, creating a bond and becoming an important and necessary part of each other’s lives. And at 17, Jude’s mother died and he went to live with the Shaws and now-19-year-old Portia full time.
Jude and Portia always shared a special relationship, but over the years things shifted for both of them. Far from the bond of a brother and sister, they share a soul-deep love for each other which leads to all sorts of confusion – they are both very certain of what they feel for each other, but they know that the rest of the world views them of brother and sister, even though they don’t share blood or any familial feelings whatsoever.
Things were black and white for me, although I could see from an outsider’s perspective how the morality of my feelings for Portia might blend into unidentifiable shades of grey.
So here is their battle. But what they feel is undeniable, and when they finally take that step and share their feelings with each other, all of the love they share for each other finally has an outlet and is able to be expressed, and they easily and effortlessly fall into something that is special, all-consuming and life-changing for them both.
Jude and I hadn’t talked about what was going on between us. We just let it happen on its own accord, and it was better than anything I’d ever experienced. He was safe – his arms, how close we were, there were no secrets. I’d never had that level of security with anyone in my life other than Jude, and it had been that way since we were kids. Adding in the physical and romantic part only added to the depth of the love I’d had for him for years. And without saying it, there was no doubt he felt the same.
It’s beautiful, it’s real, it’s passionate, and it’s so gorgeously romantic. I could feel the connection between Jude and Portia, and I loved every moment of them together – wanting them to have what they so both desperately wanted.
“I need you, Portia. In a way I’m not sure I even understand. Everything about you makes me better. You create sunshine in a bleak world. You fill my heart and touch my soul. I’m invincible with you by my side.”
But perception is only a part of the struggle they need to overcome, and this story surprised me with its depth and intensity, and the storytelling is just amazing. It’s angsty and emotional, but it’s real. My heart ached for them, and though the story went in a direction I wasn’t expecting, it was so right for them, I was absolutely captivated all the way through, and I loved the way it all played out.
“Never doubt how much I love you … My heart is yours to keep.”
This is my first read by Stephie Walls, and I love the way she writes. She created two wonderful characters in Jude and Portia and I loved them both! And the side characters are well developed and bring a lot to the story – if she were to write a spin-off for Bart, I would be all over that!
I felt every moment of this book. The drama is real and emotional, and the love story is just gorgeous. It’s a beautiful, beautiful, story.
4.5 stars.
Advanced Review Copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Giveaway
$15 Amazon Gift Card & Signed Paperback of Family Ties
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About the Author
Bestselling author, Stephie Walls is a lover of words—the more poetic the better. She lives on the outskirts of Greenville, South Carolina in her own veritable zoo
with two dogs, three cats, the Mister, and Magoo (in no preferential order). She would thrive on coffee, books, and Charlie Hunnam if it were possible, but since
it’s not, add in some Chinese food or sushi and she’s one happy girl.
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