One year after undergoing a unilateral mastectomy, twenty-eight year old ER nurse Stella Ciaramitaro is working on healing all wounds, visible and invisible. And it’s going pretty well. Sure, she has four pain-in-the-butt sisters, an occasionally suicidal dad, and some serious trust issues. And, yes, all dreams of soul mates, mind-blowing sex, and everlasting love have gone the way of her left breast. But overall, she’s hanging in there. Doing just fine, actually.
Or at least she was until HE showed up.
Or at least she was until HE showed up.
Nathan Drazek is a hot mess and he knows it. The laundry list of things contributing to his dysfunction includes, but is not limited to: a childhood full of mental and physical abuse, four tours in Afghanistan, and ten years policing one of the toughest beats in East Cleveland. Adding insult to injury, he’s ridiculously straight-laced, beyond aloof, and nearly incapable of interpersonal relationships. But that’s okay, because Nathan isn’t interested in anything more than just getting by.
Or at least he wasn’t until SHE showed up.
From the moment Nathan nearly arrests Stella on, sparks fly, limits are tested, and boundaries are shattered. A tenuous, tender friendship quickly evolves into something powerful and passionate they cannot wish away or control. But as they grow closer, new issues arise and old hurts resurface; threatening to destroy their fragile new beginning.
With everything at stake, Nathan and Stella must ultimately decide which runs deeper: their scars or their love.
3.5-3.75 Stars
That guy was an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
That guy was an enigma wrapped in a riddle.
This book immediately caught my eye. While reading the synopsis, I realized this was going to be something different. I was in the mood for an emotional read and man-oh-man did I get one.
And so here they all were – one big, happy family: Stella, her uniboob, and her overactive brain…slogging through. Getting by.
Stella is smart, vibrant, beautiful and so full of spirit. I loved her character. She’s a cancer survivor, but the image she sees in the mirror everyday is still hard to get use to. After her last relationship, which was absolutely broke her heart, she wasn’t really in the market for another disaster. However, when she meets Officer Nathan Drazek, trouble finds her.
And he was twisted up. Twisted up, fucked up, jacked up…he was every kind of “up” there was.
I’m not really sure how accurately describe Nathan. I love him, but I also wanted to slap the shit out of him. He’s got a traumatic past that truly fucks him up. He’s not the relationship kind and he’s definitely the last person to think that he’s deserving of any type of love. This man has severe issues. He works hard, fucks hard, form no attachments type of man. He likes control over his life. What he feels for Stella is something he’s never felt before and he fights like hell to ignore them. He doesn’t want to feel this way about someone. He doesn’t like the lack of control she causes.
Sweet Jesus, the man was beautiful. In a hard, sad, separated way. And the way he was standing – long legs apart, muscled arms across his chest, staring down at her like that – was enough to make any woman swoon.
Even women who’d sworn off swooning.
This book was emotional, yes, but it wasn’t as overpowering as some might think. What was overpowering was Nathan. OMG. He’s one of the most stubborn Heroes I’ve ever encountered. No worries, you get plenty of steam in this book, but the way Nathan constantly denies and fights his obvious feelings for Stella really broke my heart. I understood his hesitance, but seriously, it took everything Stella had to break through his brick wall.
I enjoyed this book for the most part, and apart from the numerous editing issues, it was a good read…that is if you don’t mind a stubborn ass, Alpha Hero like Nathan.
