I would have never imagined a story with so much trauma and so many triggers could be so good! Let me start of by saying this story touches on rape, child abuse, prison assault and mental instability. These are some very heavy topics to touch on, but the details aren't graphic, so it was wasn't too draining for me to read. This was my first read by this author and I was pleasantly pleased, this story captured my attention from the very first page. This story is split up in to three acts, Shaun and Caprice's younger years, their teen years and then when they reach full-fledged adulthood.
The passing of Carprice Latimore's mother forces her to leave Alabama and move to Parramore, Florida. When Caprice initially meets her grandmother, Gracie, she thinks her new life won't be so bad. Her eight-year-old self had it all wrong. Caprice's uncle, Marcel, lives with Gracie and his eagerness to build a relationship with his niece seems innocent at first and quickly turns inappropriate. At first Gracie believes Caprice's claims, but when Gracie calls the police to remove Marcel from her house, the police finds drugs and Marcel ends up getting sentenced to twelve years in prison. This occurrence causes a shift in Gracie and she turns in to the grandma from hell. "People aren't like numbers-they aren't predictable."
Shaun Taylor is a little kid with a big heart. At the age of ten he doesn't understand the concept of love, but he does understand that Caprice has a hold on him. Shaun is smitten with Caprice, but her trauma prevents her from grasping what's going. "In life, there are certain things that you just need. I needed food to eat. I needed air to breathe. I needed water to drink. And I needed Caprice." Once Shaun realizes how vulnerable Caprice is his main priority becomes protecting her from the entire world. "I couldn't fix the past, but I could promise her a happier future. And I could promise her a love that would last a lifetime. Starting at this very moment."
In their last year of high school something life altering happens and the two friends are torn apart. They don't have any contact with each other. Caprice is on the west coast rebuilding and healing and Shaun is left in Florida wondering if she is dead or alive. "Time doesn't heal most wounds. If you're lucky, time distracts you long enough so that you can forget." But as kismet would have it, these two meet again. "With time came realistic expectations. With experience came strength and preparedness for any outcome."
The love Shaun and Caprice share is admirable and legendary. The roller coaster rides of emotions invoked in this story was epic. I couldn't read fast enough. When I realized what sparked the title of the I was impressed. I love when authors leave gems throughout their story. I am excited for this author's upcoming work and will definitely be going back to familiarize myself with her catalog.
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