One summer can change everything…Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, … beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.
Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after.
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Set on the Florida coast, this is a great beach read for anyone looking for a sandy story off the mainstream beach circuit. Like Daniel and Clover who did not ‘expect’ to find each other, I did not expect to be so deeply drawn into this story. Powerful, emotional, and yet very real, this story kept me turning pages and rooting for the characters, particularly Clover. I enjoyed seeing the story from both Daniel and Clover’s points of view. As a reader, I needed to understand how Clover thought, while seeing the world through Daniel’s eyes kept the story relatable and rooted in contemporary life. The conclusion was satisfying and well-earned for both main characters. An excellent story, well told. Bravo Ms. Fleet!
I can’t seem to wrap my head around the awesomeness that is this story. Well, it’s not just the story, but it’s also how well this story is told. I have picked up books in the past thinking they were going to be profound and moving based on the synopsis and reviews. I was a little scared going into this one because of that.
I am going to talk a little bit about the story… I know, I don’t usually do that in my reviews, but I need to tell you a little about it in order for you to understand just how profound this book is.
This is a story that has a backstory you would not have imagined. This lost girl. This scared girl. This girl without a home. She ends up in a small town, looking for her grandparents. She is strange but has a gravitational pull that people seem to become enthralled with her. She is clearly running from something, but what, we don’t know.
Then we have a boy. A boy who is on a strong path to success. He gets caught up in this mysterious girl. But he is running away from his own demons. He tries really hard to not care about this lost, strange, broken girl.
The events in this book flow and keep you on your toes. I got so caught up in this book that I couldn’t think of anything else. I wanted to know everything right away. I wanted the puzzle to be solved and have a happy ending. Yes, I wanted a happy ending. I know, crazy. I usually am not a happy ending type of woman. But this book screams, give me something to be happy over. It’s so heavy and emotional. It’s raw and will weigh down your heart.
Katherine tells this story so fluidly. Her writing surpassed what I wanted for this story. I have to wonder if some of this story is personal for her because of how well she told it. If it’s not, she is even more of a word genius that I thought.
To put it simply. This book will be a book that will stay with you for quite some time. It’s not light-hearted. It’s not funny. It’s not uplifting. It’s deep and raw. It will have you an emotional mess from start to finish. It’s definitely in my favorites for 2016!