In the world of romance, Aria Montgomery knows two things for sure:

She’s not in love with the man everyone thinks she is.

And she refuses to let herself love Crew McTavish.

Her former best friend is spiraling, and her photography career seems to be standing in her father’s shadow. Aria knows she needs to find her way out of the darkness. Yet she’s afraid if she allows Crew inside, he’ll not only take over—but he’ll get hurt in the process.

Crew McTavish enjoys being the mysterious friend of the Montgomerys. They may joke that he’s dating his way into their family one-by-one, but in the end, it’s only one Montgomery he wants: Aria.

Their pull to one another is inevitable and once a line is crossed, the heat between them ignites.

Only his family’s dark secrets threaten to pull him down and when Aria is threatened, Crew will stop at nothing to protect her.

Even if it means watching the world he’s built burn.

Aria Montgomery and Crew McTavish spend a lot of time together and a lot of time arguing or bickering over something. Aria also spends her time convincing her friends and family that she isn’t in love with her best friend, a man struggling with addiction who only shows up when he needs something.

Crew has been friends with the Montgomery family for years, even dating at least 1 member of the family (though other think that number is higher). They welcomed him in with open arms when he needed a place to belong. His own family is very different and he loves the way the Montgomerys are. Though the family jokes he is dating around to pick one, he knows the only Montgomery he wants is Aria.

Crew is from a very dysfunctional family and as we get glimpses into the abuse he faced and faces from his parents, it is a wonder he turned out as amazing as he is. He hides a lot about his family from the Montgomerys, fearing they wouldn’t understand, and I couldn’t help but love Aria harder when the curtain is pulled away and she sees what Crew deals with when he is not with her family.

The family thinks these two can’t stand each other, but it’s all an act to keep each other at a distance. Aria is struggling a lot with the direction of her career. Crew sees her talent and nudges her in small ways to explore what she loves. I loved his protective streak, and the way he really hears Aria when she talks about things.

This was an emotional enemies to lovers story with strong family dynamics, overcoming obstacles, and relying on help in times of need. I always love the way the extended Montgomery family comes together, and while sometimes a map is needed to follow the connections between characters, what is never lost is the love they have for each other and the lengths they will go to in order to ensure the ones they love are happy.

Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Wilder Brothers, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She’s the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over one hundred novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.