“Your love was a weapon, and he used it to destroy us.”
Syren Rua and Renzo Vega.Before they became the men they are now, they were stolen.Caged. Abused.In the grip of a monster, the black-haired boy discovered hope again when he’d lost it. The white-haired boy found family when he’d gone so long without it. They had each other…until a betrayal ripped them apart.Decades later, they’re not who … other…until a betrayal ripped them apart.
Decades later, they’re not who they once were, nor are they who they should have been.
But there’s still time.
One last chance for forgiveness. One last chance for family.
This novella is not a romance, but it is a love story best read after Kiss Your Scars (Loose Ends #3). Please utilize the “Look Inside” feature to check content warnings.
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This was one hell of a fantastic, grab-you-by-the-feels, poignant, powerful, incredible, bittersweet, amazing, emotionally charged, raw, gritty, intense, made-me-shed-tears-of-both-sadness-and-joy, and totally awesome story. It pulled me in, grabbed me by the heart, shredded it into a million pieces, ran it through a grinder, spit it out the other side, then put it back together in a entirely different way. Please read the trigger warnings, and I would recommend getting this marvelous book immediately. Hang on….it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!
If you’ve read the series Loose ends and/or Brooklyn Sinners, be sure to read this one as well. It really is a beautiful story about Syren and Renzi finally starting to heal and finding a way to move away from their past.
If you haven’t read these series, I would recommend to start with Brooklyn Sinners. I was completely addicted after the couple of chapters of the first book and I just keep re-reading them. Avril’s stories are not for the faint of heart, but she is a master in balancing the good, bad and ugly in such a way that you just want to keep on reading.
This is a heart wrenching story of two boys who are now men but are still haunted by a shared past.
A story that will stay with you long after you have finished it and shed a few tears as you read it as the emotions in this book are just so powerful.
Syren is in a good place in his life, but there is one thing he still needs to make amends for.
Renzo is slowly moving forward in his life and together with the love of his life he is finally finding some light in his darkness.
Can these two men form a familia and see if their whispered dreams are able to come true.
A must read for those captivated with this series.
Syren Rua and Renzo Vega two men we meet in her previous books series Loose Ends. This book tugged at my heart. I felt so deeply for what syren and renzo endured and how they both have families of there own know a second chance. This book was amazing written and I couldn’t put the story down. No spoilers here I definitely recommend that you start at the beginning of her Loose Ends series first before reading this book.
This second chance story is not like others. It’s about Syren & Renzo letting each other in, sharing their lives, and getting past what they went through together. They each have a family now but one thing is still missing.
I loved that we saw that Renzo & Low are going to therapy and their problems didn’t magically disappear like in other books I’ve read. Arvil takes us on this journey of forgiveness and triumph.
While we get some glimpses of what the monster did, I’m glad that we didn’t get the full story like I thought we were going to. I don’t know if I could have taken it. But with Avril Ashton’s writing, you still felt the despair and pain that Syren & Renzo experienced from their past.
This book has been a long time coming! We met Renzo and Syren throughout the authors Scars series, and learn their histories there. For the full effect, you’ll want to read those first, but it is not necessary.
I loved this book. Renzo and Low are one of my favorite couples so anything having to do with them, I’m going to devour. While this is not your traditional second chance novel, it’s amazing and lacks absolutely nothing. I was so happy for these two and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for them.
Make sure you have some Kleenex. You won’t ugly-cry, but you will shed some tears.
Escape the shadows
I am so thankful and happy that Avril Ashton wrote this story. It was beautiful, emotional and cathartic. “We have lost much over the years… But we have us. We have us.” Syren and Renzo are kindred spirits connected by a past that formed an indestructible bond. Their pain hurt me but their love healed me. An incredible and powerful story of hope, family and absolution.