Way too young, eleven year old Tucker Creed and his six year old neighbor, Sylvie Bissenette, find they have something awful in common. Creed then decides he’s going to do everything in his limited power to shield his Sylvie from her ordeal. So he does and Creed and Sylvie form a bond that grows and blossoms with their ages.
They plot to leave their lives behind, the town they live in that will … that will hold them down and the histories they share that, unless they break free, will bury them. Sylvie goes to their special place, Creed never shows and she doesn’t see him again until it’s too late.
With Creed gone, Sylvie is forced to endure a nightmare and do the unspeakable to end it. To deal, she develops a hard shell with sharp edges that very few can break through. So when Creed again finds his Sylvie, he discovers the girl he loved is locked away and he has to find his way back into her heart without getting shredded in the process.
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I could break this down to past and present. I didn’t like Creed from the past because of spoiler reasons listed below, but I sure did love present Creed. He finally became the man I wish he always was.
Creed was an emotional, painful, and passionate story and I loved every second. I loved Sylvie and Creed, learning all about them, and was caught up in the intensity of it all as they found their way back together.
Wow! Sylvie and Creed. What a gut wrenching, soul stirring, unforgettable journey these two took on the road to fulfilling their youthful promises of being together, forever, in love and friendship. I couldn’t put it down and I may find it hard to re-read, but I have no doubt that this is one of those stories that will linger in my mind and heart for always.
I need a ten star rating for all Kit’s books. They are that frakkin fantastic! Again, worried about my views clashing so horribly with the characters’ that I was nervous to read, but really, truly I had nothing to worry about. Creed and Sylvie were just as fabulous as Knight and Anya.
Summary:
Tucker Creed and Sylvie Bissinette meet at ages eleven and six, respectively. It’s a chance meeting, but leads to bond nothing can break after they learn they have painful things in common. Over the years, they get closer and closer while falling in love. This part of the romance is presented in flashbacks throughout the book, interweaving with the main storyline. The reasons for their meeting and continued togetherness are heartbreaking, but what grows from this is so much more than beautiful. They had made plans to meet on Sylvie’s 18th birthday to run away together and start a better, happier life and family. Sylvie had just given Creed the most precious gift a woman can give, and she is looking forward to her bright and beautiful future with the man she loves with a light heart. When she shows up at their spot (the lake they always meet and hang out at), Creed is no where to be found. She settles in to wait, but he has completely vanished. She waits for him and looks for him for days, but nothing until his mother tells her he left, without her. Shortly after that, Sylvie’s worthless father sells her to a drug dealing pimp to pay off his drug debt. Sylvie is stuck in hell for 6 years until she can get away. She settles in Denver and begins working for Knight for the next 10 years. This association is what leads Creed back into her life. He takes a job with night, and is partnered with Sylvie. Sylvie has no inclination to be working with Creed, especially while she thinks he just left her behind. Creed is quick to set her straight and inform her that he was forced away, and Sylvie reciprocates by telling him exactly what she lived through. This is an intense, emotional discussion that leads to them hooking back up. They want the life they were denied before. Meanwhile they are still working for Knight. Knowing the truth about the past makes for difficult times in the present and future. Creed needs to make Sylvie his again, and Sylvie is devastated at what happened to Creed all those years ago. Understandably, their journey is not without its bumps. They also have Creed’s ex-wife and two children to work through. Can the past be let go for both Creed and Sylvie in order to grab the goodness that awaits them together in the future?
I loved their story. The young love was enduring and sweet. I loved that they had each other with the crap they were handed as children. Creed is amazing. Hot, sweet, loyal. Sylvie was great! One of KA’s best heroines. Spunky, strong, bad-freakin-ass. I thought Jules had it goin on, but Sylvie was kick ass. I loved her dedication. They made a great pair.
I didn’t say much about the job they were working that brought them together because, for me, it wasn’t a major thing. It was there, but I was so focused on their story and trying to unravel it, that it was background. Kit did an amazing job of blending past and present. It wasn’t choppy, and flowed smoothly with the main story line. Hope you get at least a smidgeon of the good that this book has in it from my bare-bones assessment. I didn’t want to give too much away. Definite re-read, just like all the KA book!! <3
Sylvie and Creed fell in love so young. On Sylvie’s eighteenth birthday they were going to run away and start their life together. When she showed up Creed was nowhere to be found. She looked everywhere for him and went back for days hoping he would appear, but she could not find him. Fast forward over a decade and Sylvie is now working for Knight Sebring and she is badass. The last thing she expects is to wake up to Creed in her house. Shea also never expects to be told that Knight wants them to partner up for a job. Neither of them knows the nightmare they lived at the hand of her father. Once that comes out, they both must work through the pain of what happened, especially once Creed learns what really happened with Sylvie. Although it has been years their connection is still there, and they cannot stay away from each other. What starts as sex turns into so much more. Now everything they planned for when they were younger is now possible. They do not waste any time to get their HEA.
The amount of pain and suffering that Sylvie and Creed experience throughout their lives is not pretty. I love a heroine who is strong and can handle herself. No one fits that more than Sylvie. I normally like there to be a little hard to get but the intensity between them is there from the first moment they see each other. Imagine falling in love so young and having that love follow you almost 20 years later. One of the most amazing connections between a hero and heroine. Great job Kristen!
Audiobook edit: perfect voice for Sylvie! Though not great for the male voices.
Another amazing novel by a favorite author. KA is my guilty pleasure. This second in the Unfinished Hero series surpassed the first, and I found Creed and Sylvie too perfect for words together. Explosive, and awesome.
The author’s great themes and original dialog keeps me buying her books.
Another favorite from this series. Deep characters and haunting emotions.
One of the most romantic and heart breaking books I’ve ever read. Sylvie is an outstanding character.
Second chance romance for these two lovers who have been to hell and back. They find each other again and find out the truth after so many years apart. To make a life they both want and need!! Great read~~!!
This was the first Kristen Ashley book I bought & liked it so much have since ordered & read all her other books. Her stories are romantic, interesting & the characters are described superbly. No matter if they are historic, para-normal or motorcycle clubs the stories are always good & complete page turners. I eagerly await the next one.
From the get-go, Sylvie was rough around the edges, but with the flashbacks and Creed’s perseverance, I was able to catch glimpses of the innocence and sweetness that captured Creed’s attention to start with. She’s by no means a perfect character. She was…functional, going through the motions of life. But I loved how vibrant she became around Creed. She was two sides of the same coin, but let herself relax more, knowing she could trust him to catch her. It didn’t make her helpless, it just showed her resilience needed a little extra support.
Creed was actually really sweet. He was intense, but in a good way. He lived and breathed for Sylvie and his kids, and found time to lend a helping hand to others in need. He was a good parent and I liked how he tried to keep an open line with his kids about everything, even getting their opinions and giving serious consideration to their thoughts. His patience came in handy especially when dealing with Sylvie and her ghosts. Working together, Sylvie and Creed were highly amusing but the obvious trust was a nice, emotional safety net to catch them in.
I was surprised how much I liked this story. ! I went into it with one frame of mind and came out with a completely different one. I also wasn’t expecting to like Sylvie as much as I did and I loved Creed. Their romance was a great second chance, and even with the past trauma, was actually pretty sweet.
Not only is our main male an ‘alpha’ so isn’t our leading lady, “got a cat to feed, a shower to take and s*** to do. What I don’t got is time to talk.” Creed is just oh so smooth, “time to go home, baby.” He’s tattooed and everyone knows how I like my men to have tats, “my eyes opened and all I could see was Creed’s tattooed back in front of me.” Creed is sort of a romantic (well of sorts) when it comes to Sylvie:
“I’d move here. I’d move to the goddamned, effin’ moon to wake up to you in my bed.”
Holy s***!
“Just came inside you, Sylvie, no condom. That was just you and me, nothing in between. Nothing. And you know exactly what I effin’ mean.”
He’s also a paranoid sort but after what has gone down in both their pasts I would be too, “baby, get this, woke up without you for sixteen years. Got you back for good yesterday. Don’t wanna do that s*** again. You get up, you wake me. Even if it’s just to kiss me and tell me you’re leavin’ our bed. You with me?” This book I didn’t really like, like I did with the other ones it didn’t really do it for me of course I read the books out of series so that’s probably why.
One of my top two favorite Kristen Ashley books. I love this book and characters.