This fast paced and steamy novella introduces us to Chloe Reynolds, a very naïve and trusting college student. After a relationship break-up she would like to forget, Chloe is forced to move out of her home and into the dorms to finish up her last semester of school. It is heart breaking to see her parents devalue her for what happened with her ex-boyfriend and that she could be associated with something so heinous and degrading.
From that moment on, everyone on campus knows what’s happened and in response she swears off dating. While working at a local bar to slowly separate herself from her parents, she can’t escape her past. Customers harass her with snickers amongst themselves while a “hot guy” at another waitress’ station becomes a nightly regular. Alarm bells start ringing caution.
After work one night she encounters an irritating customer from earlier in the night lurking in the dark waiting by her car. Within minutes “hot guy” appears and comes to her rescue. What happens next takes them both by surprise and even more shocking she lets him drive her to a friend’s house. It’s during that ride she discovers he has a name, Zach, but still remains a bit of a mystery.
Unfortunately for Chloe the end of College finds her overprotective and cautious best friend weary of the random stranger. For Chloe she must now learn to muddle through life’s obstacles that have presented a few speed bumps and detours that are filled with difficult decisions to be made.
Those decisions include trusting her inner voice and believing in herself. It’s only then that she can embark on a journey of faith and love with the realization that in order to move forward one needs to reconcile with the past. What makes it more difficult is when the past collides with the present and involves a best friend and a hot new love interest. This novella left me wanting more as Chloe and Zach must learn how to trust and discover that honesty is an essential first step. Another great story from Carly Phillips that left me wanting more.
