Being a Survivor of childhood, and spousal, abuse, this book touched me in so many different ways. The myriad of “Feels” that I went through ranged from anger to empathy to sympathy. There were times when I would have to stop, curl up in bed and cry. Then, there were times when I would cheer for Viv’s courage and strength. And, while I never got the kind of therapy that Viv did, I was happy to see that Ms. Barker included parts of Viv’s therapy in the story. Ms. Barker did an excellent job of conveying the emotions and feelings of an abused person, and the struggle of getting through it to become a better, stronger person.

This is a very moving and quite the powerful read.
I did not love it , but I did enjoy it and I can totally see why everybody else adored it so much

This is a very moving and quite the powerful read.
I did not love it (hence the rating), but I did enjoy it and I can totally see why everybody else adored it so much.

What I liked:
• Ike. Ike, Ike, Ike, Ike. Didn't think I could ever find that name sexy - but with a man like him carrying it... whew. Ike was absolutely dreamy and exactly my kind of alpha-hero. Yes, there were times I wanted to roll my eyes at some of his caveman antics, but all in all he was amazing. Protective and supportive, he always had Viv's back, BUT he let her fight her battles herself as she saw fit. And that is something I love in a hero.
• The low-angst romance. There were no stupid misunderstandings, miscommunications, jealousies. The main characters were mature and honest with one another and kept the petty drama to an absolute minimum.
• The chemistry. Despite all the heartache and serious subjects, the author managed to create an amazing sexual tension between Ike and Viv. It was hot.
• The sensitivity and respect with which Barker tackled such a delicate subject as domestic abuse. I've found that it's incredibly hard to pull off, to put the emphasis on the victim's strengths instead of portraying them as weakling, so Kudos!

What I disliked:
• Too. Freaking. Long. Yes, the author had a lot to tell and the story didn't exactly feel drawn out, but it seemed like I wasn't making any progress at all. Probably a matter of personal preference, but a little less would have been more in this case.
• Too much testosterone. Now there's something I didn't think I'd ever say, but all those overprotective alpha guys in Viv's life always trying to jump in and shelter her from anything and everything grated on my nerves. Back off, dudes! She's got it.
• Too much waterworks. I'm aware that this was an emotional read and Viv has had one hell of a life, but I'm surprised she wasn't all dehydrated and shriveled up by the end of the book.

I'd definitely consider reading another of Freya Barker's works. Maybe something shorter, though.