Everything done in darkness, will
eventually be brought into the light.
I ran, but all it did was keep me one
step ahead of my past. I tried to start over; new name, new identity. But you
can't change your soul.
A fresh start at college was just what
I needed. For a while, it worked. I was the party girl, the one that seemed
confident, but it was a lie.
When guys kissed me--I felt only pain.
When they touched me--Nothing but fear.
Deep inside, every girl wants to be the
beauty in the story, to find someone that will see you as their world.
But the truth? I was the beast. And as
much as I wanted redemption, I wasn't fool enough to think I'd ever get it.
Until he walked into my life.
I wasn't prepared to fall for someone.
My scars were too deep, the wounds too raw. But he offered me peace, he offered
me security. I should have known it was just another lie--I should have known
that falling in love with my professor was a bad idea.
But I was powerless to stop myself from
falling.
And he was powerless to catch me.
Because the darkness finally caught up
to me, and as fate would have it, a cruel twist almost bled me dry. But I'm
stronger than I knew. I'm stronger than you think.
You think you know my story, but you
don't....after all everyone has Shame in their lives-- and I'm no longer afraid
to show you mine.
GOODREADS:
4 Star Review by Lisa Kane
Lisa is trying to start over, but the ghosts from her past make that almost impossible. She was under Taylor's spell previously; this statement is not an exaggeration. She was bullied into submission to the point that she would do anything he told her to-and there were some horrible things she did. Not only with him, but to others that he told her to trick, so he could see them humiliated. But his final revenge on her-was to kill himself in front of her and leave her broken and guilt ridden.
She is a sophomore in college and still good friends with Wes and Kiersten, Gabe and Saylor. It's always great being able to visit again with characters you love from previous books. They are fiercely protective of her and have her back. Lisa has left her modeling days behind her where she was once known as "Melanie" she is now Lisa. But there are dangers lurking in her life and she keeps getting threatening letters. Changing her post office box frequently is not stopping the threats, they continue to come.
Just her luck that her first day of classes she is late for her psych class. And her professor is one of the new members on the staff who is gorgeous and seems to hate her for no reason. But unbeknownst to her, Professor Tristan Blake thinks he has many reasons to hate Lisa, most of all he blames her for Taylor's death. Who he is and what his connection is to Taylor is a mystery.
"I expect students to be on time." He folded his hands in front of his chest and leaned against the desk, his head cocked to the side, his grin friendly yet...distant. "Is that going to be a problem in the future?" His smiled dropped briefly as his eyes darted away almost in disgust. "For someone like you?" His gaze returned, heated, then went completely cold.
After they have a few run ins in class, Lisa and Tristan meet at a benefit arranged by their mutual friends Wes and Gabe. Neither knows that they have the same circle of friends. Things happen at that benefit that have a domino affect for these two. Identities are revealed, attractions are piqued and lines are crossed.
Lisa has a stalker, or possibly a few stalkers to contend with and Tristan wrestles with his need for revenge versus his ever growing attraction for Lisa. Add to that, he knows she is in danger, and his need to protect her is at odds with his feelings of blame towards her. Lisa has huge self esteem issues and thinks she can never be worthy of love, she will never have the type of relationship that her friends have. Taylor made sure he told her this over and over and she has come to believe it.
Fear wrapped itself around me like a blanket, and I let it, because I was so tired of fighting. It's sad-no, it's actually pathetic when what you fear most becomes an object of comfort. When fear actually turns into a friend. When you open your eyes and all you see is the dark because it's been so long since you've seen the light.
There are so many deceptions and mysteries going on in this book. Who is Tristan (we know who his father is and we know the powerful persona he has when he isn't masquerading as a college professor. Will he come to know the truth about Lisa and Taylor's relationship and realize that Taylor was the bad guy; he's the one you should to blame. He made his own devious sick choices. Even his choice to kill himself was meant to hurt and scar Lisa. This guy has a reach well beyond the grave.
There are so many things to be resolved between Tristan and Lisa. What happens when the truth comes out and Lisa finds out why Tristan blames her for Taylor's death? Will she be able to forgive him? How much danger is Lisa in, and who is her stalker? (or stalkers) Can she ever really hide from her previous life and will others always blame her for Taylor's death?
This latest installment from Rachel Van Dyken just serves to continue to entertain the reader. I love these characters (although I wavered back and forth for Tristan!). Great story and I loved the epilogue.
"The broken pieces are the prettiest ones, Lisa. The demons, the proudest scars."
She is a sophomore in college and still good friends with Wes and Kiersten, Gabe and Saylor. It's always great being able to visit again with characters you love from previous books. They are fiercely protective of her and have her back. Lisa has left her modeling days behind her where she was once known as "Melanie" she is now Lisa. But there are dangers lurking in her life and she keeps getting threatening letters. Changing her post office box frequently is not stopping the threats, they continue to come.
Just her luck that her first day of classes she is late for her psych class. And her professor is one of the new members on the staff who is gorgeous and seems to hate her for no reason. But unbeknownst to her, Professor Tristan Blake thinks he has many reasons to hate Lisa, most of all he blames her for Taylor's death. Who he is and what his connection is to Taylor is a mystery.
"I expect students to be on time." He folded his hands in front of his chest and leaned against the desk, his head cocked to the side, his grin friendly yet...distant. "Is that going to be a problem in the future?" His smiled dropped briefly as his eyes darted away almost in disgust. "For someone like you?" His gaze returned, heated, then went completely cold.
After they have a few run ins in class, Lisa and Tristan meet at a benefit arranged by their mutual friends Wes and Gabe. Neither knows that they have the same circle of friends. Things happen at that benefit that have a domino affect for these two. Identities are revealed, attractions are piqued and lines are crossed.
Lisa has a stalker, or possibly a few stalkers to contend with and Tristan wrestles with his need for revenge versus his ever growing attraction for Lisa. Add to that, he knows she is in danger, and his need to protect her is at odds with his feelings of blame towards her. Lisa has huge self esteem issues and thinks she can never be worthy of love, she will never have the type of relationship that her friends have. Taylor made sure he told her this over and over and she has come to believe it.
Fear wrapped itself around me like a blanket, and I let it, because I was so tired of fighting. It's sad-no, it's actually pathetic when what you fear most becomes an object of comfort. When fear actually turns into a friend. When you open your eyes and all you see is the dark because it's been so long since you've seen the light.
There are so many deceptions and mysteries going on in this book. Who is Tristan (we know who his father is and we know the powerful persona he has when he isn't masquerading as a college professor. Will he come to know the truth about Lisa and Taylor's relationship and realize that Taylor was the bad guy; he's the one you should to blame. He made his own devious sick choices. Even his choice to kill himself was meant to hurt and scar Lisa. This guy has a reach well beyond the grave.
There are so many things to be resolved between Tristan and Lisa. What happens when the truth comes out and Lisa finds out why Tristan blames her for Taylor's death? Will she be able to forgive him? How much danger is Lisa in, and who is her stalker? (or stalkers) Can she ever really hide from her previous life and will others always blame her for Taylor's death?
This latest installment from Rachel Van Dyken just serves to continue to entertain the reader. I love these characters (although I wavered back and forth for Tristan!). Great story and I loved the epilogue.
"The broken pieces are the prettiest ones, Lisa. The demons, the proudest scars."
“Just hold still!” I yelled, holding
up my phone while Gabe gave me the finger. I grimaced and dropped the camera
away from my face. “Nice, thanks for that.”
“I’m a giver.” He smirked.
Saylor, his wife, smacked him on the
arm and rolled her eyes.
“Ouch.”
I scrunched up my face when he leaned
in and took Saylor’s mouth with his, kissing her senseless in the local
Starbucks like they were doing a romance scene in a movie. I coughed.
They didn’t pull apart.
So I took a picture.
I earned another finger, but Gabe
still didn’t dislodge from his wife.
“Whoa!” Wes’s voice sounded from
behind me. “They been at it long?”
“Are all newlyweds disgusting?” I
voiced aloud.
Wes moved around the table with his
wife, Kiersten, and gave me a goofy shrug. I wanted to roll my eyes, but Wes
was too nice and hot. Let’s not forget the hot part. Both he and Gabe were like
walking poster boys for GQ. Both blond, now that Gabe had decided to dye his
hair back to his original color. It was like staring at two really bright
superstars.
Hating them was like hating the
Easter bunny. Try all you want, but you’ll eat every piece of chocolate in the
basket, just you wait.
“So, classes?” Kiersten leaned
forward. “I heard you got stuck with that hot new psych prof.”
Wes growled low in his throat.
“Down boy.” I braced my hands on the
table and laughed. “Besides he’s not that hot.”
“A girl passed out.” Kiersten’s
eyebrows shot up. “Like in class.”
“Dehydration?” I shrugged, taking a
sip of coffee.
“Or…” She leaned forward. “…the
rumors are true.”
“Rumors…” Gabe backed away from
Saylor, his lips swollen. “…are always based on truth.”
“So you really did do a naked dance
in your underwear last week after getting drunk downtown at Pike Place Market?”
I tilted my head and waited while Gabe rolled his eyes and popped his knuckles.
“Exactly.”
He opened his mouth.
I took a picture.
With a grimace, he snatched my phone
away from me. “Never thought I’d have to tell you to lay off the pictures, Miss
Paparazzi.”
I slumped in my seat. “It’s for an
assignment with that hot professor.”
“Aha!” Kiersten jabbed her finger at
me. “I knew it.”
I pinned her with a look. “Sarcasm,
friend, sarcasm.”
“Boys get girls pregnant,” Gabe
offered, while Wes choked on the coffee he’d just stolen out of my hand.
Serves him right!
“Don’t date them.”
“You’re going to be a great dad.” I
smiled sweetly. “What? You’re just going to lock your girls in their rooms and
go—” I mimicked his voice. “—uh, you see boy parts are bad, they make girls
have lots of babies, like rabbits, and you know how rabbits make dad nervous
and—”
“Hilarious,” Gabe’s eyes narrowed.
“And please don’t talk about kids yet…”
Saylor laughed quietly next to him
then squeezed his arm.
My heart dropped.
A very long time ago, I’d wanted to
be that for Gabe, then Taylor happened and well… I shuddered, blocking out the
painful memories, the things I’d done, the things he’d done, the things we’d
done.
“You okay?” Wes asked, his voice
soft. He was way too perceptive for my taste. If I’d wanted to share, he’d be
the guy I’d talk to, but I was a vault. Sharing meant admitting my guilt, and
admitting meant I’d probably go insane just like he had.
“Yeah…” I straightened in my seat.
“…I just don’t want to fail my class, and I need to write down nonverbal cues
and take at least one picture. And pretty sure I need to ace this first
assignment on account that I was late to my prof’s class, and I got in
trouble.”
“He spank you?” Gabe’s eyes mocked
across his coffee.
“Yes, Gabe,” I said calmly. “Because that’s
how they punish bad students here at UW — with a yardstick and a smile.”
“I wish.” He whistled. “What I
wouldn’t give to have Saylor—”
I plugged my ears.
He threw his head back and laughed
while Saylor turned bright red and put her hand over his mouth to shush him.
“So…” Wes ignored Gabe as was his
usual and leaned across the table. “…why don’t you take pictures of people here
in the coffee shop? I mean, ask permission, but most people here are super
interesting, right? Studying? Stressed out? Tired?” He pointed to a guy in the
corner. “He looks like he’s running on five cups of coffee and one hour of
sleep. Go ask, take the picture, make some notes, project done.”
“You make it sound so easy,” I
grumbled.
He grinned. “I’m Wes Michels.”
I hung my head lower and grimaced.
“Phone.” He held out his hand and
stood.
Within minutes, not only had he
snapped two pictures for me but had taken notes on two pre-med students who had
stayed up all night cramming for what they’d assumed would be a pop quiz, only
to find out that they’d been in the wrong class on the wrong day.
“And that’s why I'm not pre-med.”
Gabe shuddered.
“Really?” Kiersten asked. “I thought
it was because big words scared you?”
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
What now?” He nodded. “Keep talking, Kiersten, or keep walking.”
“Spell it.” She smirked.
“So this professor…” Gabe changed the
subject. “If he tries anything, use the Mace or the rape whistle.”
“Right.” I nodded. “I’ll be sure to
do that. In class. With a hundred other students. When he looks at me
cross-eyed.”
“Good,” he huffed.
“I was kidding.”
Saylor patted Gabe’s shoulder. “Gotta
let the baby birds out of the nest someday, Gabe.”
About Rachel Van Dyken:
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelVanDyken
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RachVD
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