Jacey Vincent (Gabe's sister from If You Stay) has been through her own hell. Her choices cost her dearly. She just wants to get her life on track and move on. Her brother and his best friend Brand have taken care of her, but they are encouraging her to grow up. 

A chance incident with Jacey, leads to one situation that neither of them can escape from. They have no choice but to deal with it and end up spending more time together. Jacey is tough, sassy, and stands up for those who need it.  She is never going to be used again. He is never going to let anyone get close. They don't even like each other half of the time, but they are drawn to each other. It is one step forward and two steps back. Jacey has no clue what Dom wants and really neither does he (or he does not want to admit it). 

"I won't fall for you Dominic."

"I don't want you to....That's the whole point..."

Jacey has been the good girl who has a wild side and makes impulsive decisions and bad choices. She wants to do better. But Dom is a bad boy and a challenge. He is relentless in his pursuits even though he is not even sure what he really wants to with her. It was like Jacey was some force he could not help but be drawn to, but he did not want to be. I loved Jacey's sass and spunk and how she treated people. She was not dazzled by Dom. She treated him as a real person and called him out on his bullshit. Dom is a dark puzzle of secrets and keeps himself at arm's length. And Jacey is determined to break him down and get down to the real man and not the cool impersonal public facade. Dom is a bit freaky and kinky and fully embraces it. but Jacey is not shy and will try anything at least once.

But all along the mystery is building about what really happened to Dom and the woman he lost that made him this way. Why does he feel so unworthy? Why does he refuse to allow anyone or any happiness in? I was dying to know and I was highly anticipating breaking down Dom's armor and seeing him lose control and show real emotions and feelings. I admit that it took me a bit to warm up to Dom, but as his layers were slowly peeled back, I really started to like him more. 

Jacey really has shown growth. She is learning what her triggers are and how she needs to be strong for herself. She stands up and protects others, but does not always protect herself. She is growing, confronting issues, and realizing that her choices are not always good for her. She wants to fix Dom but he does not think he can be. And constantly reminds her of that making her more confused. 

"Don't love me...Or I'll break you. I won't want to, but it will happen."

They play games and advance and retreat. There are avoidances, confrontations, running, and denial. But finally there is a point where there is no going back and everything comes to the surface. It is raw, intense, powerful, and shocking. Just as I expected it to be. And it all happened pretty quickly. But my feeling is that that due to the fact that this had been festering so long and had been so painful, that it had to all come roaring out so fast and be deal with before Dom would retreat behind his protective walls again. There was so much under the surface with family and friend dynamics and the past to deal with. I admired Jacey for pushing him, understanding him, and trying to help him truly deal with it so he could begin healing. No one had been able to reach him. I think her own issues and healing showed at this point because she could understand and knew what he needed. I liked that she was willing to always fight for him to see the good in himself. She became to Dom what Brand always was to her. Someone to reflect the good parts back and to try to show them that they did have worth. 

"...the best things in life are worth the greatest risk. Falling in love is one of those things. Can it break our hearts? Yes. Most definitely. But more often than not, before we fall, we fly."

This series is about beautifully broken characters. Truly each book stands on it's own and the characters have deep flaws, insecurities, scars, and feelings of unworthiness. Courtney Cole does this amazingly well. She shows us these damaged souls and then gives them the people and tools to find redemption. It is always a challenging process with pain angst, misunderstandings, and heartbreak. She creates couplings that are intense, passionate, challenging, and terrifying for the individuals. Her characters are multi-faceted with barriers and walls built up and deep secrets and fears hidden. But slowly she lets us see below the walls. This makes these books addicting. they draw you in to the dark, twisted , gut wrenching pain and  secrets. They make you feel for these broken people and long to see them find some goodness and happiness in the world and to fully connect with someone. And the journey towards healing and love is always full of trials and tribulations. This book was no exception. It totally pulled me in and made me uncomfortable, angry, frustrated, and annoyed. It made me laugh and hope. It had some kink and steam. It broke my heart and it made me feel. All along I became more invested in these characters individually and together. I am left feeling like I went through all of the ups and downs with them. And I honestly think that is what always grips me with Courtney's writing style. She wants to shock us and make us feel every raw emotion. And she succeeded once again.

Thanks to Courtney Cole, Forever/Grand Central Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are from arc copy and subject to change.