When You Come Back to Me (Lost Boys #2) by Emma Scott

 

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At Santa Cruz Central High School, they called them the misfits, the outcasts, the weirdos. But most of us knew them as the Lost Boys...

Holden Parish survived his parents' horrific attempts to make him "the perfect son." After a year's stint in a Swiss sanitarium to recover, he has vowed to never let anything--or anyone--trap him again. Brilliant but broken, he seeks refuge behind alcohol, meaningless sex, and uses his wicked sense of humor to keep people away. He only has to ride out one year in the coastal town of Santa Cruz with his aunt and uncle before he inherits his billions and can make his escape. Disappear.

Falling in love is not in the plans.

River Whitmore. Star quarterback of the Central High football team, Prom King, Mr. Popular, ladies' man. He leads the perfect life...except it's all a lie. His father has River's future in the NFL all planned out, while River's dream is to run the family business in the town that he loves. But his mother's illness is tearing the family apart and River is becoming the glue that holds them together. How can he break his father's heart when it's already shattering?

River's carefully-crafted façade explodes when he meets Holden Parish. A guy who dresses in coats and scarves year-round, drinks expensive vodka, and spends his free time breaking into houses for the fun of it. They're complete opposites. River seeks a quiet life, away from the spotlight. Holden would rather have dental surgery than settle down.

Holden's demons and River's responsibilities threaten to keep them apart, while their undeniable attraction crashes them together again and again, growing into something deep and real no matter how they resist.

Until one terrible night changes everything.

#MMromance This book CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE
Please note, this book contains spoilers for The Girl in the Love Song 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Wow, When You Come Back to Me is a powerful read. If you're in the mood for angst, look now further. This Emma Scott tale is loaded with grief and the long term effects of conversion therapy.  

The second book in the Lost Boys series, it's easily read as a standalone. 

Meet River and Holden. Two boys who are drowning in their pain. 

Certain stories ruin you, and theirs is one such story.

River is living a life he doesn't want, as he's living his father's dream, not his own. If that isn't bad enough, he's also dealing with his mother's cancer, knowing she is dying and he can't do anything about it. 

As for Holden, he's a survivor of a conversion camp, but he's barely holding on. His pain is front and center throughout and it's one hell of a tough read. His life is agony and it's agony to read. 

Holden's pain and suffering is staggering. He doesn't know what love is. He doesn't know how to let himself be happy. Conversion therapy truly ruined him. And the reader gets a first hand look into all of his pain.

It's a heavy read, but it's a great read.

It's angst heavy and perfectly riveting.

It's the perfect combination of hurt/comfort, grief, and coming of age. 

Best of all is the slow going for these two. I one hundred percent appreciate that nothing is fluffed off in this book. I praise the author for how the tale ends, with a realistic and poignant manner. I love that nothing's forced or glossed over. 

And, oh dear god, the water. Holy crap. The water is definitely it's own character in this story, as it represents something so damn awful to Holden. It's a fascinating and meaningful addition of the story.

Written in alternating 1st person pov, the emotions fully jump off the pages. These two men and all their emotions are there for the reader to experience along with the young men.  

But, damn, When You Come Back To Me is one hell of a heavy read. I can't recommend this book enough. Definitely pick it up the next time you're in the mood for something serious and meaningful. It's a stunning read. You won't regret it. And rest assured, there is a happy ending. 

MF - In Harmony by Emma Scott

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Blurb

The root of all madness is an unbearable truth…At seventeen, Willow Holloway’s life was torn apart. The happy, driven girl is gone, and she is left wracked by post-traumatic stress her body remembers even if she does not. When her father suddenly uproots the family from their posh penthouse in New York City to the tiny town of Harmony, Indiana, Willow becomes more untethered and lost under the weight of her secret. On a whim, she auditions for a part in the community theater’s production of Hamlet and unexpectedly wins the role of Ophelia—the girl who is undone by madness, and her love of Hamlet…

Isaac Pearce is from the ‘wrong side of the tracks.’ The town bad boy. Girls pine for his attention and guys are in awe of him. That he’s an acting prodigy only adds to his charisma. Isaac utterly disappears into his characters; the stage is the only place he feels safe from his own traumatic home life. He wants nothing more than to escape to Broadway or Hollywood and leave Harmony behind for good.

No one can play Hamlet but Isaac, and when the director pairs him with Willow in acting class, they clash again and again—neither willing to open their hearts to anyone. But clashing leads to breaking, breaking leads to the spilling of terrible secrets, and soon Isaac and Willow find Shakespeare’s words mirroring their lives. When they are cruelly torn apart, neither know how this play will end—with madness and heartache? Or healing, love, and the discovery of who they are truly meant to be.

In Harmony is a standalone YOUNG ADULT/NEW ADULT love story, and is intended for readers 18 and up. PLEASE NOTE, this book contains sensitive material such as physical abuse, and the aftermath of sexual assault (off the page). Reader discretion is advised.

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

In Harmony is a complex and interesting read by Emma Scott.

Willow is stuck moving to Harmony during her senior year of high school. Her parents have been worried about her, as she has totally changed recently, withdrawing from all her friends, and they don't know why.

Ends up that Willow was raped. She hasn't told anyone and the pain and suffering are slowly killing her. As Willow would say, she's lost in the darkness.

This part is written in an exceptional manner, told spectacularly and in a completely riveting manner. The way that the darkness is used as a description for her depression is accomplished. 

In Harmony, Willow meets Isaac, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has a bad reputation. Isaac is a wonderfully complex character who's been extremely hardened by his experiences. His backstory is well developed, and the symbolism of his silence is perfectly executed. 

As for their relationship, somehow they both help each other to slowly open up again. Isaac starts talking to her, and befriends her, which is something he never does. Willow starts to heal, with the help of Isaac and her friends. They all start to slowly pull Willow out of her darkness, as they help her change her thinking and values.

The author does an outstanding job of having Willow and Isaac paralleling their characters in their Shakespeare play. It's impressive, thought-provoking and down-right wonderful.

Overall, their story is one of the power and privilege that's afforded to the wealthy versus the prejudice and lack of control of the poor.

Willow and Isaac have a strong love that manages to heal two extremely broken hearts, helping them to find strength within themselves and the meaning in their lives. 

In Harmony is absolutely superb. These two characters are so well told, and their story is absolutely amazing. Emma Scott does an exquisite job with this story. It has excellent character and story development, complicated characters who are so damn lovable, and a whole lot of heart. I love this book!