Can someone recover from meeting the devil in person, being violated and beaten by him, and then left for dead?
This was a question Samantha Whitney asked herself in her diary while in recovery at The Phoenix Center after a brutal and vicious attack that left her physically and emotionally damaged. The attack happened in Only for You and I strongly recommend reading that book before this one. I have to say, I had some reservations about the first book in the beginning, but, by half-way through those went out the window and the writing changed and I was drawn into it. This book, it reads completely different. I am so glad I saw the strength in the characters and continued on to this one…
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this book. The writing was captivating and so well-done that I was hooked from the first sentence! The diary entries were outstanding. I could have read more of them. They felt so real. I felt like a voyeur like I was doing something dirty by secretly peeping into someone’s secret writings. They were so heartfelt and emotional. So stricken with pain and honesty that I was sucked in. Really. I can’t say enough. Samantha’s emotional/psychological distress was painful to experience. I cried. My heart ached for her.
‘I’m realizing how much that asshole took from me-my choice, my power, my sense of security, and worst of all, my self-worth.’
Once she got out of TPC she returned home to the ever faithful and supportive Everleigh. Her “sister”, her friend. Riddled with nightmares and self-doubt, without their relationship Sam would not have recovered. Ever was her rock, her lifeline.
“You ok?” Everleigh asked quietly.
“No,” I answered honestly…for a change.
“You’re going to be,” she said with conviction.
“How do you know?”
“Because we won’t let it be any other way.”
I clung to her determination in the absence of my own. Before I fell back to sleep, I mouthed a quick prayer, hoping she was right.
Their relationship was a true testament to unconditional love. Ever put Sam first in every way imaginable. She embodied the true definition of friend. And watching Sam fight to come back to herself because she wanted to fulfill her promise to do so for Ever was so powerful and uplifting. There are times in our lives when we have to cling to something or someone to get us through to the next hour because we just aren’t strong enough to do it ourselves.
The beauty of this story was that Sam had Ever. But she also had Hunter, Ever’s boyfriend with whom Sam found security, and she found she had Griffin. The man who had rescued her once in her past, and who desperately wanted to be there for her now. Griffin had been waiting for her previous relationship to end, and when he found out about her brutal attack, he was devastated.
After two months of waiting to ensure she was ready to see someone other than Ever and Hunter, he is invited to the apartment for dinner. Griffin immediately sets forth on his plan to make Sam comfortable and help her with her recovery. It is evident from the start how much he cares for her. Although we get a glimpse of this in the previous book, it is strongly evident now. He. Is. Amazing! I pledge my undying love for him right now! He is sensitive, loving, caring, devoted, protective, HOT, SEXY…PERFECT. He handles her with such care and love that you can’t help but swoon.
Of course, after what she has been through, her self-worth has been through the ringer, and her insecurities are at an all time high. Forcing herself to question whether she is capable of having a relationship with anyone, let alone being good enough for Griffin.
“Lo, you could never disappoint me. If you’re honest with me and yourself, you have no reason to worry. No one’s unblemished, we all have our scars-some are just easier to hide. The right man will navigate the minefield and bring you to the other side safely. He will find a way to give you the pleasure you deserve, no matter what it takes. You are worth any effort.”
Samantha faces many difficulties and struggles to overcome them. But her friends are always there. Griffin never wavers in his devotion to her. There is so much to write about this book that I have not even touched on. So, just go, get the series and start reading. 5 STARS!!!
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