4.25 ( )

4 stars.
I didn't really expect to like this one, because it seems to be really popular and I don't generally jive with the popular reading crowd. I liked that there wasn't a quick fix for anything going on in this book, and that addiction was taken seriously. ( )

The humor and love between these characters rescues this story from the devastation each of the protagonists has suffered, and helps the reader endure the difficult path they feel their way through to the very satisfyingly thorough ending.

Content warning should include drug abuse and prostitution, verbal abuse, self flagellation caused by torture of Silas and scenes of said torture in flashbacks as well as drug abuse references. I found the love and humor to be enough of a balm, you may not. But it is a very good novel. ( )

I can't even formulate enough words to describe the feelings that I felt reading this heavy, thought provoking, realistic, and heartbreakingly beautiful tale that nearly left me drowning in a puddle of my own tears. I was like holy shit, who the fuck is Emma Scott and why did it take me this long to discover who she was?! I can hardly fathom how she was able to bring the story to life with the descriptive writing style she displayed that showcased the in-depth feelings and the gut-wrenching pain our leads, Max and Silas, suffered through in which case bursted through the binds of the book, leaving me buried in a pile of tissues. Sure not everything was grand with the read (no book is perfect people, let's be real!) because I did have an issue with the slow intake as well as some sensitive and triggering scenes that left a bad taste in my mouth but nevertheless everything else about this story was golden and it became damn near impossible to put this down. So bravo to the author for making this one of the most remarking end of year read for me!

( )

This was a really amazing story with just the perfect mix between heavy, very serious topics and a lovely sweet romance. Everyone who said that this book was really good is correct.
Just be aware that this book deals with topics of conversion therapy and drug abuse in very explicit ways.

One thing aside from the plot or characters that stood out to me right away was all the research that seemed to have gone into writing this book. I have read quite a bit about the opiod crisis. I've read [b:Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America|37486540|Dopesick Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America|Beth Macy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533010748l/37486540._SY75_.jpg|59097428] and [b:Pain Killer: A "Wonder" Drug's Trail of Addiction and Death|1226104|Pain Killer A "Wonder" Drug's Trail of Addiction and Death|Barry Meier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312051807l/1226104._SX50_.jpg|1214619] as well as taking a class about drug and alcohol abuse where we discussed opioid abuse frequently. The Marsh company in this book was clearly supposed to mirror Purdue Pharma, the manufacturers and distributors of Oxycontin. I thought Scott did an excellent job discussing within this book the spread of Oxycontin addiction and the drastic action that will be needed to help those communities that are especially effected to recover. As someone who cares about this topic and has learned a lot about it, I really appreciate the care that went into writing that part of this book.

I loved the characters in this book. Silas and Max fit so well together while at the same time, having distinctive personalities and different interests. All the side characters were really well characterized as well. They all felt like they could be real people rather than just 2 dimensional afterthoughts. Both Max and Silas had gone through some rough stuff and I thought those parts of their backstory were very well written. None of the trauma that they had gone through was ever just brushes away and there was never any expectation that if they got together, everything would be fixed for them. I also thought it was great that both the characters had to make very hard choices that sometimes hurt the other person because sometimes, that is what happens in a relationship. I loved how they communicated with each other when those things happened instead of just avoiding it and moving on anyway. The relationship was just so sweet and loving and really amazing to read about.

I will fully jump on the train of people recommending this. This is an excellent romance that I think would be really great to read during the cozy times of the holidays and I think it's a story that really touches on a lot of difficult issues and does it really well and I think everyone who picks this up will really appreciate that. ( )