WhiskeyintheJar Romance

Dante has created this mirage of who he is but cracks are started to show as his past demons rise. Dante was a tortured character who’s self-medicating of booze and fighting wasn't working anymore. The abuse he suffered from the hands of an adult who was entrusted with his care was painful to read about. The shame, self-doubt, guilt, and anger were exposed realistically and without a sense of sensationalism. Michelle's past was just as painful but felt somewhat glossed over at times. Rape and abuse seem to be very popular painful past experiences in the New Adult world and while Michelle's experience could have been ripped from the headlines, I felt like it was only added to her storyline so she could be shy and add angst. As I mentioned, the first half of our story deals more individually with Dante and Michelle, while the last half is having them learning how to come together. It made for a slower moving story but did make the romance more believable as our lead's relationship starting from a friends standpoint and growing to love. I liked this story because of Dante and Michelle's friendship and the author's willingness to show Dante's pain and reactions, whether right or wrong, to his abuse.

Read full review at: Reading Between the Wines book club