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Review

“It was always you … It was worth it…for you.”

4 heart-clenching second-chance stars

I absolutely adored Wild Reckless, and was thrilled when I learned that Ginger Scott was giving us a sequel – a book featuring Owen’s younger brother Andrew. I would recommend everybody read Wild Restless because it’s a sensational book, but you could easily read this one as a standalone if you really wanted to.

This book introduces Andrew as a 16 year old. Andrew lived through the same nightmare childhood that his brother endured, but now Owen has moved away for College, as have most of his friends, leaving Andrew very much alone and feeling isolated. Intellectually gifted, he spends most of his time studying College courses so doesn’t get to hang out with kids his own age, but when he is required to attend compulsory classes at the local high school, he meets Emma, and he is immediately enraptured.

Emma is fairly new to town – sweet and kind, and eager to experience life after some hard times of her own, she is just as captivated by Andrew as he is of her, and the two of them do everything they can to spend time together. Andrew shows Emma new experiences, and she brightens his world, showing him happiness and peace that he’s never known. They are absolutely beautiful to see together, with an ever-present sense of wonder, anticipation and excitement at all that they are experiencing. The all-consuming nature of their feelings for each other is realistic, and so, so sweet, and it’s written in a way that makes you feel it all along with them.

“I like you, Emma,” I say. My heartbeat fills my throat; I swallow and feel the heat take over my best and arms and hands.
… “Andrew,” she breathes out my name. It’s a whisper.

This girl has me, every part of me. She owns it all, and I am willing to wait for every new touch, knowing that it will feel just the same, just as perfect as this one does.
She is what I will look forward to.

Until one night they find themselves caught in a tragic situation and they make a decision which will shatter their budding relationship, and a series of unforeseen events completely change their lives.

*sniff*

Five years later, Andrew and Emma are unexpectedly reunited in College. But far from being the happy, love-struck reunion that sappy readers such as myself are desperate for, instead it’s with an air of disbelief and devastation that these two finally see each other again.

Andrew went through hell in their time apart, and he is almost unrecognisable as the sweet-hearted boy he once was. Full of anger and bitterness, his resentment towards Emma is scathing, believing that she betrayed him and then deserted him when he needed her the most, and he’s SO mean! It’s honestly hard to read and OMG, I wanted to smack him! She can see past his cruelty to the pain behind it, but has no idea why he feels the way he does. So with Andrew and all of his broken-hearted rage, and Emma just with a broken heart, the situation soon spirals into a mess of angst and heartache.

“You asked me who you are, Andrew. But I think maybe I never really knew. Whoever I met when I was a kid, that boy…he’s gone. I don’t know where he went. And I think maybe he never existed.”

The whole time I was reading I was screaming at the two of them just talk to each other! We, as readers, know what happened to them while they were separated, but neither of them have a clue, and waiting for it all to come out is torturous! But they can’t hold back from each other for long, and the truth is finally revealed in an emotionally intense scene that had tears streaming down my face.

“It was always you … It was worth it…for you.”

Thankfully, Andrew more than makes up for his douchebag behaviour and with the past finally revealed, their feelings are laid bare and their coming together is absolutely beautiful!

“Emma,” he breathes his whisper against my mouth. “So long…I wanted…I waited.”

But their reunion is only the first step to them moving on, and they are still facing a whole heap of issues. They have found each other again, and that has implications for their lives they lived separately, and the fallout from Andrew’s past continues to haunt him. It’s a heart-clenching ride to see them finally so happy but to have all of this other stuff coming at them, but they are committed to each other, and watching them stand strong and be there for each other through it all is really special.

“God, Emma. I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. From the moment I saw the dark silk of your hair and the storm in your eyes, I was a lost cause…lost to you. I’ve been through hell, and I would go again. I would go willingly, and would charge through the gates if it meant it would keep you safe.”

I loved this book. Andrew and Emma are both wonderful characters, and I loved them both. My heart ached for them and all that they went through, but I loved how incredibly strong they both are and how they faced everything and I was cheering for them to get their HEA. Owen and Kensington both appear, and I liked that we got to check in with them, and Andrew and Emma’s friends were a fantastic addition to the story.

Full of all of the emotion, angst, heartache and beautifully swoony romance that I expect from Ginger Scott, this book had my heart pounding and I was easily swept up in the story. The romance is beautiful, and so, so swoony (and there’s even a bit of super-emotional sexy time), and the emotional throughout the book is beautifully written. The drama did get a bit heavy towards the end, but I like the way it was dealt with and I’m really happy with how it all worked out.

An absolutely beautiful story. I loved it – 4 stars.

Advanced Review Copy provided by publisher in exchange for honest review.
Quotes used in review may not appear in final version of book.

 

The Harper Boys series