4.4 stars

I never know what I am going to get when I start a book or series by Pepper Winters other than I know it will be unique to just her. I was correct with that assumption.

This book started differently than I was expecting. It started by slowly introducing Kas and Gemma and where they were at in their lives before they intersected, and not in a pleasant way. I found myself intrigued by Kas and his internal struggle. Gem was different for me though. I never really connected with her the way that I wanted until about 3/4 of the book after a pivotal moment and then I became a fan. I liked that she was able to see that there was something about Kas and his backstory that deserved empathy. I, especially, liked that she could determine that despite the fact that Kas was not forthcoming with the details of his life or what made him the way that he was.

There is still a lot of the story left to be discovered but the small parts of the story that was divulged about the house that Kas lived made my heart hurt. I marveled at the ability of this author to make me sympathetic to both characters and where they were at. I shouldn't have felt that way toward Kas, considering that treatment of Gem, but I did. This isn't just a story of black versus white or good and evil and I really liked that.

I expected the cliffhanger that occurred since I was prepared ahead of time that Kas and Gemma's story would be a trilogy before it moved on to other characters. I look forward to discovering how this story will continue and how the world will expand. There is a reason that this author is one-click for me. ( )