Sarah O’Brien is alive because of the pact she and her brother made twelve years ago — James will protect her from their violent father if she promises to never leave him. For years, she’s watched James destroy his life to save hers. If all he asks for in return is her affection, she’ll give it freely.
Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.
Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . . .
Until, with a tiny kiss and a broken mind, he asks for more than she can give.
Sam Donavon has been James’ best friend — and the boy Sarah’s had a crush on — for as long as she can remember. As their forbidden relationship deepens, Sarah knows she’s in trouble. Quiet, serious Sam has decided he’s going to save her. Neither of them realizes James is far more unstable than her father ever was, or that he’s not about to let Sarah forget her half of the pact . . .
As young kids in a family with an abusive
father and a weak mother, James and Sarah only have each other to depend on. James
promises to protect Sarah from their violent father and she in turn promises to
never leave him. As James puts himself between her and her father day after day
over the years, she cannot but help feel affectionate towards him – a need to
take care of James and to mother him becomes an instinctive part of her life
until James breaks all the barriers by kissing her. On the other hand is Sam
Donovan, a sweet-caring and loyal guy who has been James’s friend forever and
Sarah has had a crush on him for exactly that long. As fate brings them closer
together, things at Sarah’s home go from out of control to potentially
dangerous. Will Sarah ever have a chance at a normal life?
I consider myself to be quite an open minded
person yet, incest is something I have failed to understand and accept over the
years. I know that love has no boundaries, but falling in love with your own
brother/sister in a way that’s not platonic is something that is still beyond
my grasp. And so, I picked up this book with equal amount of curiosity and trepidation.
The lead character Sarah makes me feel
confused. At times I feel that she is too nice, other times that she is too
much of a chicken to do the right thing. Ay times I felt so bad for her and at
times I wanted to simply smack her till she came to her senses. The thin about
Sarah is that her character and personality had developed in an abusive
environment. So it was easy for her to just give up most of the times and I
kept waiting for that one moment when she would simply snap out of it and show
some strength of her own. James is another matter on the whole. As a kid he
made me go ‘awww that’s so nice of him’. But with time as I realized the road
his mind was taking him, he just made me sick. Somewhere down the line, I don’t
really blame James for the way he turned out because he too had grown up in an
unhealthy environment. His instinct slowly became an unhealthy obsession
because there was no one to show him the difference between right and wrong.
Sam Donovan was cuteness redefined and he was so perfect for Sarah. I just wish
he was more firm with Sarah at times.
Ms.Avelynn has handled the subjects of incest,
domestic violence, and drug use with a delicate hand. She has done an amazing
job in depicting a broken home and the unhealthy situation in which Sarah and
James had grown up. She really managed to draw me in and feel for the
characters – even James! Really an emotional rollercoaster ride that had me
smiling, crying and frustrated - all at the same time.
Buy the Book
Intrigued enough to pick it up and read it.
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