Collared Paperback – March 4, 2016

I stayed up all night finishing this book. The way Williams writes, you can never put the book down. I can’t believe it took me so long to read this book. I have read all of Nicole Williams, except I never finished the Lost and Found series because Jesse and Rowen’s story seriously gutted me, and that’s saying a lot since the more angst-ridden and/or taboo (which wasn’t the case with this series) the book is, the more I love it.We follow along on Jade’s journey of being reintroduced to society after ten years of being locked away in a house—the media circus, the questions, the uncomfortable setting of her family trying to readjust. It was an incredible and hopeless experience to read through.Jade was an interesting character. She wanted to be strong, tried to be strong, wanting to put the past ten years of her captivity behind her, but the littlest things would set her off—too bright lights, a handshake. Only one person could see what set her off and only one person knew how to make things better.Torrin was the boy who wouldn’t let go when everyone else gave up hope. When he went to see her in the hospital after her rescue, I literally LMFAO at the surprise awaiting her. I had to put the book down and just laugh and laugh because I was NOT expecting THAT! But, it makes sense if you pay attention to the clues in the first chapter…and the title.The ending was beautiful and real. I know a lot of people were disappointed at the ending, but sometimes things aren’t meant to be so easy. I liked that a lot about the ending. It wasn’t just an ending, but a beginning, where we can let our own imaginations picture the outcome. It just made sense to me.The only thing I didn’t like about the writing was the passive voice (my hand rested on his shoulder). No! You rested your hand on his shoulder. Your hand does not have its own mind. This is just one of my quirks. Other than that, the writing kept you enamored.

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”I must confess, it took me a long time to finish this book. I had to continually stop and take breaks to breathe and let the gravity and weight of my emotions calm down. There were so many indescribable feelings all at once.Jade was adducted and held captive for 10 years. When she was found, she found herself stuck in a 27 year old body, with a mind of a 17 year old. This story is how she adjusts back into the world with the boy who always loved her by her side.I bled for Jade and her experience and pain and recovery. My heart broke for Torrin and his unwavering loyalty and the bold fierceness of his love for Jade. I highlighted SO MUCH. Pages and pages full of words filled with angst and forbidden longing, and wisdom and anger. The cadence of Nicole Williams’ prose comforting in spite of the anguish they sometimes described. All the while my chest aches for the two souls to finally be together again.“I told you I loved you for the first time thirteen years ago. It didn’t come with an expiration date. It never will.”This story contained an angst akin to Pride & Prejudice, but with a more forbidden twist. The tale certainly highlighted the love between Jade and Torrin, but it focused more on Jade’s healing and discovering herself again with Torrin’s help. It was in that relationship, that new friendship, which formed the foundation of the love between them —a love that flew off the pages and settled right onto my fast-beating heart.Ultimately this is a love story of patience and persistence. It’s angsty and will grip you into its pages. There’s not a lot of passionate description (fade to black), but it’s not needed. The feelings evoked amidst the strong characters will more than make up for it.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS ANGSTY STARS

This book was a tough one to rate. At first I didn't like it, then I did like it, then I found myself torn. At the beginning of the book, I had a hard time feeling the love between Jade and Torrin. Besides them excessively professing their love and commitment to one another, I just didn't feel their chemistry. That being said, my opinion of their relationship changed after Jade was found and I realized that Torrin understood her and related to her in a way that no one else did. Notwithstanding that, they still seemed more like really good friends to me than two people in love (although I concede that that probably had more to do with the circumstances of Jade's recovery and acclimation back into every day life). Regardless, Torrin's love and devotion to Jade and to finding her was incredible. It's what drew me into the book and really made me start to enjoy reading it. I've never come across anything like it in any book I've read. As the book came to a close, I became conflicted about the ending. On one hand I understand why the author handled the ending the way she did. It was a more realistic ending given the entire story, but it left me feeling both hope and despair. Of course as a reader, I selfishly wanted the ending to be what I wanted it to be. Overall, I think the author did a really good job of handling this sensitive subject nature, and I'm hoping she considers a second book, possibly from Torrin's point of view.