A sweet romance built on the ashes of dual tragedies.

When Ethan met Rebecca, everything in his life was transitory but her. Every time he landed back at his grandparents while his mother tried and failed rehab, Rebecca was there. For Rebecca, Ethan was her instant best friend. Until one day, he leaves for four years.

When he returns this time, nothing is the same. Rebecca's in a wheelchair, dealing with the fallout of the accident that killed her father. She struggles to connect with her mother and find her place in a life that looks very different from what she imagined. Meanwhile, Ethan struggles to deal with his mother's continuous bad choices, looking for a way to save someone who doesn't want to be saved.

I fell in love with these characters immediately. Ethan's a sweetheart who only wants to protect those he loves, sometimes to his own detriment. Rebecca's strong, learning to advocate for herself and build the future she wants. Together, they sparkle with longing as they try to figure out if their first interrupted childhood kiss was the beginning of a great love story or just a fleeting moment.

This book grabs your heartstrings from the very first chapter and doesn't let go, all the way to the breathtaking last sentence.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Teens will probably love it, but I felt like it was emotionally overwrought. ( )

Review copy courtesy of Netgalley. There's enough emotional energy in here for a trilogy. There's pain, guilt, love, loss, and a lot more, blended into the story of two lost kids who are held hostage by the actions of others. Yes, Rebecca may have made a mistake in judgement by getting drunk, but she followed that by doing something smart and calling her parents to have someone come get her. Unfortunately, that resulted in an accident that killed her dad and left her paralyzed from the waist down. Everything since that night has left her feeling like a guilty hostage.
Ethan is hostage to a different set of circumstances, thanks to his addict mother. Read how the two re-collide (more than reconnect) now that they're older teens. The author took a big risk in writing this book because of her own experiences, but she's done a superb job. ( )