From NYT and USA Today bestselling author Julie Ann Walker comes an epic tale of sacrifice, friendship, and the awe-inspiring power of love.
Maggie: Ten years ago, Cash Armstrong stole my heart. Then he promptly joined the army—dragging my best friend with him—and left me crying on the front porch in a red sequined prom dress. Now he’s back. They’re both back. Cash, the one who still has my heart. And Luc, the one who saved my life.
Cash: How do you know if you’re at the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out since a traumatic brain injury made me “unfit to serve.” I’m back in New Orleans, and picking up the shattered pieces of my past means I must confront where my life’s journey began… and where it all might end.
Luc: Long ago, Maggie May was mine. Not mine in the way you might think. She was mine because she was my only friend. Then Cash came along and we became brothers by something stronger than blood. We became brothers by choice. When tragedy struck, I was forced to make a decision that changed all our lives. I thought, after ten years, it was safe to come back home. I was wrong…
Review:
Oh, goodness–have the tissues ready. The last quarter of this one is killer…
Though I spent a good portion of the first half annoyed with all of the characters (except Luc, mostly, because–LUC) they managed to pull things together in the end to make me more than forgive them and left me with all. The. Feels. And no tissues left. Darn you, Ms. Walker!
I thought I’d figured out Cash’s “Plan” earlyish into this volume, and I had–well, half of it, anyway–but I still wasn’t prepared for the emotions Ms. Walker was going to make me feel about it. Of course, characters make plans, and authors laugh (that’s how the saying goes, right? 😉 ) and things got so much worse than either Cash or I’d hoped for before we got to the end. But what a ride…
So apparently Ms. Walker can write contemporary romance just as well as she can write romantic suspense, and in a way such that even my allergy to love triangles didn’t effect my enjoyment of this one (much). I guess I’m here for whatever she want to write, then…not that I’m surprised.
Definitely do not attempt to read this one without reading the other two–as the “volume” labels indicate on these books, they are in no way, shape, or form standalones. Reading all three is a heck of a commitment (900 pages, according to Goodreads) but worth it, IMO. Now excuse me while I got book a trip to New Orleans… 😉
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.