Evangelina Thomas has spent eight years running from the one person she had trusted the mostâthe same person that made her life a living nightmare. She settles down in Oregon and, with the help of her new job, trustworthy friends, and devastatingly handsome next-door neighbor, Lena feels she and her daughter can finally find some safety, peace of mind, and a sense of real home for the first time. That is untilâŚhe finds her. This duel perspective novel, split between the past and the present, takes you on a journey of love, loss and the all-consuming fear of the unknown.
â ď¸ Sensitivity Note to Readers (do not read if you want to avoid spoilers):
Readers please be advised that many adult themes are described throughout the novel including mention of suicide, relationship abuse and some physical abuse. It is recommended for ages 18+
Evangelina Thomas has spent eight years running from the one person she had trusted the mostâthe same person that made her life a living nightmare. She settles down in Oregon and, with the help of her new job, trustworthy friends, and devastatingly handsome next-door neighbor, Lena feels she and her daughter can finally find some safety, peace of mind, and a sense of real home for the first time. That is untilâŚhe finds her. This duel perspective novel, split between the past and the present, takes you on a journey of love, loss and the all-consuming fear of the unknown.
â ď¸ Sensitivity Note to Readers (do not read if you want to avoid spoilers):
Readers please be advised that many adult themes are described throughout the novel including mention of suicide, relationship abuse and some physical abuse. It is recommended for ages 18+
âWhat the fuck are you doing here?â
You know that moment in the movie when the bad guy walks into the bar and the jukebox stops suddenly? All eyes turn to him and the camera zooms in on his face? That moment just happenedâwith a few differences. One difference being it isnât a bar he walked into; it is my lecture hall. And it isnât a jukebox that went suddenly silent, itâs the voices of over a hundred college freshmen.
All eyes travel between me and the incredibly unwelcome man in the doorway. The man I havenât laid eyes on in over eight years. The man who has absolutely no right to be here now. The man I thought I had escaped from.
âWhat the fuck are you doing here?â I know I shouldnât curse in front of the students, but my better judgment escaped me the minute he walked in the door. He canât be here. How can he be here? Why didnât anyone tell me he was here? I guess thatâs a stupid question since no one around me would know to tell. I havenât lived that life in almost a decade.
âIâm here for whatâs mine, Angel.â He leans his arm against the door frame. And smiles.
Trigger warning: This book contains themes of abuse, coercion, control, stalking and other toxic relationship behaviours.
Evangelina (Lena) Thomas is smart, beautiful and new to her Boston University campus, meaning that she is also the perfect prey for Tanner Stone, the campus' "it" guy. Tanner has laid his sights on Lena and now won't stop at anything to make sure they end up together.
This story takes place from two perspectives, we have Lena's point of view of the future, where she is calling herself June and living across the country in Oregon; and then we have the POV of Tanner set eight years in the past. Tanner's POV highlights his possessive and obsessive nature toward Lena and his delusion that she was truly at his whim. His whole world revolves around keeping her under his control, even to the point where he puts his family at risk and threatens her friends. Flash forward eight years, Lena, who is now called June for her safety, has fled Tanner and has moved across the country multiple times with her seven-year-old daughter Olivia. They've decided to settle in Oregon where Lena can start a job as a professor and Olivia can go to a proper school for the first time. Their lives come with triumphs and trials alike, but things seem to slowly be turning in their favour. June finds herself beginning to trust people for the first time in almost a decade and begins to feel safe, but that's when everything starts to change. Did she see Tanner in that restaurant? Is her hot neighbour's story just a little too similar to her own to be fully disconnected?
Firstly, I will say this author completely nails the a****** character trope. Tanner is truly intolerable. From the moment the reader is introduced to him, the red flags are popping up everywhere. It soon becomes clear to the reader that this relationship isn't going to be a healthy one. This story doesn't glamourise Lena and Tanner's relationship at all and even though we know that Lena gets away, I still found myself relieved for her when she finally does.
The plot twist in this book between part one and part two was also incredibly smart on behalf of the author. I won't explicitly spoil what happens, but sometimes I find the plot twists in books a little tedious if they aren't shocking enough, but this one was well thought out. Everything seemed to connect really well and I found myself wanting the best for June and Miles as they grew in their friendship and later relationship.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Despite its dark themes, it was incredibly easy to read and very well written and I would recommend it for fans of strong heroines because the author definitely delivers that in Lena/June.