I read this book slowly because the content was hard to take at times. With a theme of spousal and child abuse, there was a great deal of violence. Since I have been a victim of the same, it was hard for me to read the descriptions of the events in the lives of Zane, Britt and Darby. The theme is that everything looks fine on the outside, but on the inside, the part that no one sees, there is danger and emotional destruction. This is the “undercurrent.” I did enjoy reading this book that is the story of survival, redemption and the triumph of love in the face of many obstacles. Nora Roberts definitely knows how to tell a story that will pull you in and not let you go, like a rip tide of strong feelings and deep involvement in the lives of the characters. The story seemed a little long to me, with all of the details about Darby’s landscaping, but for those who enjoy gardening (I don’t), this may add to the book. My favorite character was Darby who was quirky, independent and resourceful. Zane was the best foil for her since he had learned to defend himself when attacked, whether the attack was verbal or physical. The book has four parts and each part begins with a quotation that gives the reader a clue about what will happen in that section. There were many parts that I was able to guess what was happening, so there was not a lot of mystery to the story, but there was definitely a lot of drama. This book would make a great movie for TV, on a channel like LIfetime. Readers of women’s fiction will enjoy this book, but all readers should be aware that there are descriptions of a lot of graphic violence.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book was excellent but it is not for everyone because of its theme of abuse and survival. It is available now at your local bookseller.