The mind, it can be a deceitful thing. But it is no match for the heart. 
 Memory loss is such a curious concept for someone who has never battled with it. When she wakes up in the hospital, Jane Doe, as she's referred to, has no memory of her past. She knows how to do things that would otherwise take learning, but she has no memory of her personal history, even her name but especially not how she came to be found beaten and near death in a field. 
 "He said the truth is like that water: it doesn't matter how hard you try to buy it; it'll always find some way back to the surface." 
 Jesse Welles, the son of the local sheriff, has a reputation for trouble. Part of his reputation is earned, part is small town gossip and rumor. He is also the narrator of the past. His memories are the only complete details of the past shared in the story, and the story he paints is one of deep love and deep fear. But underneath his own love and fear runs a protective streak pointed at Alex. Though he can't seem to stay away from her, he also worries about her and wants to do anything and everything he can to get and keep her safe. 
 Jane Doe/Water was an interesting character in that all her early characterization happened through the eyes of another. In her present day scenes, I felt her frustration in remembering nothing, but it was hard to get a feeling for her as a person until she was released from the hospital and starts re-living a life. Pinpointing her true nature was also challenging in the past because she spent so much time wearing a mask. There were moments of clarity when her personality shone through, but they were hidden behind the public mask she wore and rarely shared. 
 As she struggles to remember anything while also trying to pick up her life, the people who support her became near and dear to me. Her quirky boss, Dakota, with her penchant for sharing gossip without judgement regularly put a smile on my face with her prescience and understanding. And then there is Ginny. The cantankerous neighbor to the Welles family, she is the one who offers an empty garage apartment for Jane to settle in and help out around her ranch. But Ginny also needed Jane's presence (whether she will admit it or not), as the older woman has been a recluse, refusing to leave her land for the last 10 years and refusing permission for anyone except Meredith Welles to help her out. 
 This was a slow burner. While I didn't find as much reading time as usual while I was working through this, I was constantly thinking about Jane Doe/Water/Alex and the series of events that might have led up to her as she appears at the beginning of the book. The beginning was a little slow to pick up, but that may have just been my inability to connect to Jane/Water before she began building a life outside the hospital. I wished that more of Jesse's point of view was available in the present day, though the consistent format was a strong method for telling this story. It was more that I wondered how he felt watching Water so close yet so far away. And as I was writing this review, it also occured to me that I would have loved to have a little bit more of their future, of what happened after all the truth came out. 
 As a new series, there are a lot of characters to meet and backstories hinted at. I can see future books focusing on Jesse's roommate Boone, or his sister Amber, as well as several other townspeople from Sisters that are introduced and help Water find her feet again. The setting alone would cause me to pick up another book in the series, as I love the Pacific NW. Beyond that though, these characters have stories to tell and I can't wait to hear them. 
 I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. This review is also posted at Reviews by Tammy and Kim.