Deprival haunted her…
Regret troubled her…
Silence left her detached...
A life in the service of others is both penance and a blessing. She soothes her personal hell by pulling victims from theirs, helping them on their path to survival; never finding her own.
When a crippling blow finally evaporates her last hope, the temptation to give up is strong. Still, she can’t find it in her to turn her back on those who need her: the innocent, whose rescue is her perpetual goal.
He was blind, but now he sees how his family has sifted through his fingers. The reality hits hard when his son becomes a stranger, slipping deeper into transgression. Concern has him call on the one person he fears will see his own failures all too clearly. A woman he’s kept his distance from for his own protection.
“What are you thinking?” he mumbles, his large frame still pinning me to the mattress, his face buried in the spot low on my neck he seems to like.
“That I feel safe,” I tell him, surprised at my own conclusion. “In more than one way, actually,” I add. “I’m not sure how long it’s been, maybe I never had it, but I’m not scared of the future anymore. Or of letting myself feel.” Dino pushes up on his elbows, all his attention focused on my face as I smile. “I admit that for a while last night I wasn’t so sure, but that disappeared when I saw you waiting for me. I’m grateful for your words but I didn’t need them. Trust is not something I easily give, but I trust you.”
“Thank you.” His lips move against mine before he lifts away. “I was an ass and it had little to do with you. It was the realization I was failing as a parent.” A sharp shake of his head cuts off the protest that was forming on my lips. “I wasn’t watching Gina. I was too preoccupied with other things to notice she was slipping. Last night was a knee jerk reaction. I have to get used to sharing things again. I haven’t been able to do that in a long time. It was always just easier to deal with things myself. I should’ve talked to you.”
“Stop.” I cover his mouth with my fingers. “Enough of the self-recriminations. Lord knows we both have a knack for those. I still struggle with the what-ifs. I don’t want to do that with you. Don’t want to have regrets of any kind, and the only way to do that is to be completely open. Give you all of me, warts and all. All I want in return is to trust that when we hit the inevitable bumps in the road, you’ll have my back, just as I have yours.”
Dino’s beautiful brown eyes turn liquid as I watch him swallow hard. “Always.” His gruff voice cracks on the single word as he rolls off me and swings his legs over the side of the bed. I watch the muscles in his ass flex as he makes his way to the bathroom. Nice view. One I wouldn’t mind enjoying the rest of my life.
My thoughts grind to a halt. Am I really considering that? The rest of my life?
5 of 5 Stars
This is the book I have been waiting for.... Pam has been such a strong secondary character throughout the entire series. She is strong and fierce, protecting those who she takes under her wing. Putting her heart and soul into the Florence House and its occupants. Determined to help each woman who enters the doors find their way back to loving themselves and finding what they deserve out of life. I always felt that there was so much Pam was keeping hidden under the surface. Boy was I right...
Dino always keeps to himself, just showing up at the Skipper to do his job then goes home to his family. He doesn't normally share to much with anyone, unless he is giving his advice on the situation, which he has done his fair share. It is like if you step into his kitchen, be prepared to be set straight when you need a little shove in the right direction. Unfortunately the tables have turned this time around and it is Dino that finds himself needing that little shove. This big bear of a man loves with every fiber of his being. His children truly come first in his mind but it would seem that work and life have sort of taken priority in the last little while. Suddenly Dino finds himself not so connected with his family and life at home. With this new light on the situation he is determined to fix that, he just hopes that it is not too late to get that connection back with Jonas and Gina.
As the story unfold, we find Pam once again trying to help and lead those in the right direction. This time it is Dino's son Jonas that we find her attention on. The more she interacts with Jonas though the more we begin to understand Pam's story and how she found herself so focused on seeing the right things, being there when she is needed the most, not letting opportunity pass you by as there might not be a second chance to make a difference. This time sharing her true experience is what Pam uses to help get her point across and bring new light into a potentially dark situation.
When Pam is hurting and tries to handle things on her own, she finds herself in a completely new place. Surrounded by family of friends who are determined to stand by her side and help her though this time. Be her strength for a chance. Give back to her what they have all received in spades. It is very difficult for Pam to let them take care of the situation and just let the emotions take over. She hasn't done that in a very long time.
Freya, you have completely blow me away. With each book that I read, the deep raw emotions that I feel from your characters just gets stronger and stronger. One minute you have me giggling at the cute little antics and the next I can hardly read the pages as the tears are streaming down my face. You have made me feel like I was a member of the Florence house who was watching my best friend struggle and want to do everything I can to help her. To give her back everything she has given to me. You have this way of drawing me into your books, I tend to eat the pages up and forget about everything around me.
Thank you for bringing us these wonderful real characters that we can relate to.
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
Freya Barker inspires with her stories about 'real’ people, perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. She is the author of the Cedar Tree Series and the Portland, ME, novels.
Freya is the recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None,” and is a finalist for the 2016 Kindle Book Awards for “From Dust”. She currently has two complete series and three anthologies published, and is working on two new series; La Plata County FBI—ROCK POINT, and Northern Lights. She continues to spin story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
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Thank you so much!! Fabulous review. xox
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