She already had issues of self worth due to never being able to please her parents, but this event changed her whole outlook on the world. She was plagued with anxiety, nightmares, and pain. She was broken, depressed, angry, sad, humiliated, and emotional. And only her friend Jase and his boyfriend Mark know what happened  and seemed to be able to help her at all. I adored Jase and Mark. They were completely sweet, supportive and brotherly towards her. Her friends were her surrogate family in lieu of her demanding parents. But not sharing with her room mate Kimber became another issue of sadness and guilt for her. I found myself wishing that she would let her in. 

But then she met Mark's friend, Ryan and he is attentive, patient, and caring. He had his own problems in his past and his own coping mechanisms, but treated Candace differently. He pushed her enough to slowly break down walls, but not enough to overstep. He was a little older, more mature, and understood her wariness and the need to move slowly. They had a fun rapport and good chemistry. He was really good for her and she began to slowly start living again. But she still kept her secrets and he had his own...And his secret might just make him lose her forever. 

"They were only there to distract me, but when I saw you, you faded everything I needed distracting from."

"Did you love any of them?"

"No...I've only ever loved you."

"Cling to me. Love me enough to need me."

It was a story of a girl  navigating her way through pain, learning  forgiveness, letting go and moving forward. Healing takes time, effort, support, and love. Fortunately, Candace had that from her three men, even as she was pushing some people away. 

"I'm fading...He took all my light, and I've been fading ever since."

"You're not fading. I won't let you."

This book took on tough subject matter and E.K. Blair did not sugar coat it. The trauma, fear, and emotions were real and heart felt. I was hooked in the prologue, but I will admit that I had trouble staying involved with the story a few times. It was a little longer than some of the current books so at times I was waiting to get to another crucial part. But as it went on I got more invested in Candace and Ryan's building relationship as well as Candace's journey to heal herself. By the end, I was holding my breath hoping that there could be a happy resolution for her. It was heartbreaking to see Candace's pain all come to the surface. And it was a long process to even begin to recover. No matter how much support someone has, it means nothing if they cannot love themself. But sometimes when a person can get past the pain and begin to heal, it makes the victories that much sweeter. 

Thanks to EK Blair for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review