Irresistible attraction. Unimaginable danger. 

I knew from the moment Noah Williamson walked into the diner that he was haunted—deeply haunted—but I couldn’t resist the lure of him. He was gorgeous and fascinating and mysterious, and like a delicate moth to a brilliant blue flame, I was drawn to him. Drawn to his fire.

But if I’d known about his job, about what happened to his wife, I’d have run the other way. Before I got caught up in the red-hot blaze of his life. Before everything in my world got burned to the ground. 

It’s too late to run now. I hesitated and that was it. I fell. I fell for him before I knew there was danger in loving him. 

Noah once told me that this is the way we burn—together or not at all. At the time, I didn’t know what that meant.

Now I do.

Oh Wow! This was so much more than I expected when I started this book!

It was an emotional, mysterious, suspenseful, passionate, and surprising love story. I was just reading along enjoying what seemed like the usual "damaged people finding a connection" story, then all of a sudden...TWIST! Whoa! I never saw it coming! I started rethinking, remembering, and analyzing. The story took a whole different path than I thought. Secrets are gradually revealed. There are several more twists and surprises. There is tragedy heartbreak, pain, and grief, but there is also a strong bond, love, passion, and tenderness. 

Poppy is a waitress in a diner. She is sweet, caring, and not very adventurous. Every day a man named Noah comes and sits in her station. He is quiet, haunted, observant, and respectful...and very attractive.

At the core of this for me was Noah. His tragic past. His determination. His care and protectiveness. He is a broken man, but does know what he needs. But he has to be careful on how he proceeds so as not to hurt her. I got more and more attached to him as the story went on. Poppy is kind and timid, a dreamer and a thinker.  But she also has her own secrets and issues. They burn hot and bring warmth back to each other's lives. But as the truth starts slowly coming out, things get messy and unpredictable. There are so many variables and pieces to the puzzle. It pushes the limits on the things people will do for love. 

The characters are complex and have many layers to them. This book is swirling with intense emotions. It is unique, unpredictable, and compelling. The prologue successfully sucked me right in and the unraveling of this multidimensional story held my attention. It makes you think, but also really feel. It is different than this author's other books, but she has been known to throw a twist or two at her readers in the past. But I think she one-upped herself on this one. I am still reeling over it because I am usually really good at picking up details and figuring out twists early, but this one never even crossed my mind. And I love it when an author can shock me.

This book left me shocked, stuck in thought, and reflecting on every detail in hindsight. The twists and turns were unexpected and complex. It is one of those that is best experienced with as little information beforehand as possible, so though pieces of this review may seem quite detailed, it is really just the surface.

Poppy couldn’t have seen what would happen by accepting a dinner invitation from Noah. As a regular at the diner she works at, Noah is a bit of a mystery to the waitresses. None of her more outgoing coworkers can get him to pay them any attention, but quiet, focused Poppy seems to have caught his eye. Noah couldn’t stay away. His past haunts him, it keeps him detached, but Poppy is more than he can resist.

This relationship has a tentative start. Noah and Poppy at first seems awkward and as if it can’t go anywhere with Noah’s back and forth and Poppy’s insecurity. But there is something between them and both are willing to work through the start to see what might be.

The story is told from dual perspectives, and throughout, the characters grow deeper and deeper. I was not expecting the smallest details to say so much about these two characters and everything they have been through.

As the story continues and more of Noah’s past comes out, this story really grows claws and hooks you. I thought I had a clue about where it was going, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Time and again, this book, these characters, surprised me and kept me guessing. This is romance with a twist (or eight) that fed both the romantic in me and the side of me that likes something a little different.

This book kept me company during a 10 hour drive, and though I finished before the drive was over I couldn’t start anything new for the thoughts running rampant in my mind. I was consumed with the details and the depth as I processed the story in hindsight.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.