'The beginning of the year had seen me alone and trapped in a prison of my own making with no key to be found. Then a snowstorm had brought me my salvation.'

Plot

Joshua Bennett is a reclusive writer, living in a secluded house with his dog as his only companion. Traumatized by memories of his past, Joshua lives isolated from the outside world.

She is a woman on the run from her life. Her destination doesn't matter; anything is better than the pain and terror that she's leaving behind.

One dark night, and one big snowstorm brings the two together, as Joshua finds himself with a houseguest with no memory of who she is, or where she came from. She wakes up to a stranger watching over her,with no recollection of her life whatsoever.

Trapped in the house by the storm, the pair soon learn to trust and to love, until the storm subsides; the real world starts to breach their perfect life, and threatens to tear them apart.

My thoughts

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. When I saw this book on NetGalley, I initially thought it would be a good book to read for a Christmas challenge, as the snow on the cover fit the challenge rules. However, I didn't get around to reading it over Christmas,but was determined to read it soon.

Although the cover is what drew me to this book to start with, the synopsis is what made me request to read it. The idea of two strangers being secluded in the middle of nowhere seemed to be an interesting setup, especially since one of the strangers has no memory of themselves at all.

As this is an honest review, I will say that there were times when the book dragged along a bit. Of course, as most of the story is focused on just two characters, there is always a risk of this happening, but I found the majority of the book to be more exciting, especially with the addition of outside characters.

Joshua and Rabbit's relationship is nice, but sometimes it was a bit too sickly for me. I know it's a Romance book, but at times I felt like most of the dialogue between them was just saying that they love each other, which was great to start with, but after a while it got a bit too much for me.

This was another book that I found difficult to rate, as there were parts that moved along too slowly for me, and other parts that got on my nerves at times. The unexpected twists and turns in this book is what made me rate it 4 stars, as there were some genuine shocks. Just when I thought I'd guessed what was going to happen, something else just came along and shocked me again. So overall, I did really enjoy this book and would definitely recommend it.


( )

"And I couldn't leave to get help."

A young woman finds herself injured in a car accident due to a terrible snowstorm. Her car crashes on an unsuspecting owner who now must tend to her many injuries. However the man who tends to her has troubles of his own to tend to. As they are trapped together, they just might find a way to weather the storm.

This is not my first book from this author. I have an odd habit of finding an author who stories I adore - Over the Fence- and go through their book listing starting with book one. For some, it would set unrealistic expectations. As authors produce more and more offerings, I find they become more fine tuned, better paced, etc. So to review a debut book after reading a later book maybe both daunting for me to review as I have to remind myself 'first book'. However, I was pleasantly surprised by picking up Ms Moreland's debut novel. My surprise: I got a complete story. Joshua and Lizzy's story is starts with the accident but as the reader you journey through the ups and downs of their relationship to their HEA. Why the surprise? At 1/3 of the way, you get the turning point of the antagonist creating issues. Normally at 80%. But no. Melanie Moreland gives this and so much more of their story. What is nice about the read is I don't have to read through two more books to get to how their HEA plays out.

The story is told primarily from Joshua's point of view. Based on the prologue, it would seem that Lizzy has the most issues to work through. She is the quiet pillar of strength to help our Hero heal too. The storyline does lag at times as the author delves deeply into their problems.

If this was a first time for this author, I would definitely be intrigued and anxious to get to the next book published. And I still am. I know what to expect and love her ability to deliver flawed characters you attach to and want to get their HEA. Will I re-read this book? Maybe not. However, if you love to read stories of Heroes overcoming problems with the help of a strong woman, this story is for you. 3.5 out of 5 stars.


( )