By: Cait Marie
Blurb
CAN YOU OUTRUN A GHOST?
Krystal Northrup hasn’t been home in nearly a decade, and she had no intentions of ever returning. But when a worldwide pandemic requires her to return to her childhood home, she is forced to face the ghosts she’s been fleeing for years.
Eight years ago, Cameron Morris has just returned from a summer of working construction, and Krystal is starting to see him as the young man he’s grown to be. The only problem; he is her brother’s best friend.And he is only seventeen.
Now in the present, Krystal is confronted with her estranged brother, who is struggling as a surgical resident through the lockdown, and her unresolved feelings for Cameron, an ex-convict currently living with him.
Can she find peace with her past, or will her ghosts seize her once and for all?
A tale of second chances.
Review
*I received a free advanced copy of this book for my honest review.
I really enjoyed this romance. It was a bit darker and more intense than I usually share on here, so please be sure to read through the warnings at the beginning if you check it out. This is an adult romance with steamy, detailed scenes and deals with topics such as domestic abuse, addiction, etc.
While I didn’t anticipate such dark topics, I don’t personally have a problem reading about them usually, so I continued reading. And I’m glad I did.
The story is extremely moving and full of emotions. It gripped me right from the beginning, and it never let go. The pacing was well done, especially with the interspersed flashback chapters. They led up to the big reveal of what happened simultaneously, and it wasn’t hard to follow at all.
Krystal and Cameron have undeniable chemistry. It’s evident from the first time we see them together. I loved seeing their friendship develop. They’ve both been through a lot, and Cameron’s unwavering love for her is honestly just… everything. Even growing up, when he was simply her younger brother’s best friend, he was always there for her. His protectiveness made him that much more endearing because he honestly just wanted her to be safe and happy.
I will say, their back and forth did get a bit repetitive at times. They kept having these moments, where they got along or started giving in to the attraction, but then it would almost abruptly turn into a fight. This happened several times throughout the book. I know it’s realistic to continue fighting over something that’s unresolved; their reasons were valid. It just sort of felt like I was reading the same scene multiple times.
The writing style, in general, wasn’t particularly my favorite. It was an ARC, so I know it’s not the final version. Errors are natural at this point, so I’m not referring to the occasional typos and such. As an editor and proofreader though, I just wanted to go through it and give a thorough edit. There were some stylistic choices, such as frequent uses of exclamation points in dialogue, that I usually recommend authors don’t use. These things weren’t enough to keep me from reading. They were just kind of distracting.
Overall, I loved the book. I think it’s a very good story, and I’m happy to have read it. I’d definitely recommend it to those who like a little bit darker romance with heat.
Functionally Fictional 
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