Gritty and passionate second chance romance. 

This is a tale where tragedy and loss break up two lovers who can’t even imagine being with anyone else. Fate plays a twisted hand when they are thrown back together to fight for a new chance at happiness. 

Told in two points of view and two different timelines, the plot merges criminal gangs, overrun neighbourhoods, sweethearts since childhood, guilt and death and unbreakable love.

I loved the chapters where Kincaid and January are kids, they are tender and sweet and hopeful. There's teen angst and family drama too, protectiveness among siblings and plans for the future. Then we have the present with the pieces that remain of destruction, love and hope, and it gets darker, more painful, while the more mature characters face the ultimate challenge. It's secrets against love, criminals against fallen heroes. All very hard and edgy. 

The writing is honest, driven by emotion. It's romantic when the characters profess their feelings, raw when blood is drawn and hatred is wielded. Some sentences are truly remarkable. Some scenes really stand out as heartfelt if not heart-breaking when the reasons for the couple's guilt and pain become clear, or towards the end with that sacrifice that meant so much. 

The tattooed cop and the teacher go through harrowing changes and acceptance. I think it's the kind of story that moves you and inspires you to tap your undiscovered strength in the face of unimaginable grief. 

They face hell to achieve redemption and forgiveness, and it shows in every page where they fight for each other, for the safety of their home, and to make a home of their own in that beautiful and sweet epilogue with so much soul. Pretty impressive. 

It's not my first book from this author so I knew I would enjoy the style and the intense male characters, so I was really pleased with seeing other characters from a previous storyline that merges seamlessly with this one. It's a whole new world, my friends ☺ Let's read it