One broken girl living a life that's been thrust upon her and one broken man who's expected to move on even though the haunting memories are paralyzing. This story grabs your heart from page 1 and holds on tight until the very end. It's emotional, it's gritty, it's sentimental, it's wonderful. I loved If You Stay, the first book in this series, but I must admit that I loved this book even more! 
 Ms. Cole has a wonderful way of creating characters that stay with you long after you've finished a book and that was very true in the case of Madison. As a secondary character in If You Stay, we caught glimpses of her life but were never given the opportunity to get to really know her. This time, she tells us her story and, in doing so, helps us understand all she's given up to be a caretaker for Mila and to run the family business when her parents died. She also shares some family memories that have etched themselves in her heart and have had a hand in molding who she is today. Then there's Gabriel. A war hero...a tough guy...a tortured soul who's seen too much. His story is heartbreaking and so very real. My heart literally hurts when I think that his story has played itself out countless times in real life to real people who are fighting for freedom and peace. He's fiercely loyal and strong but, underneath it all, a vulnerable soul who needs to be healed. 
 The relationship between Maddy and Gabriel is not a smooth one. With so much intensity and emotional baggage, it's not an easy road for these two. And, although their passion is explosive, their histories and experiences put up many roadblocks for them to overcome. Don't get me wrong, there are some subplots here as well as some great secondary characters, but my focus was glued to Maddy and Gabriel the whole time...I wanted and needed to know all about them and I wanted to help them fight their demons. These two had me fully committed to their story. 
 Ultimately, this book is about love. And it's about healing...allowing yourself to heal and helping other do so as well. It's a story that will touch your heart, that will make you laugh and cry, that will crush you and that will inflate you with hope for a pair of broken characters who represent so many people in real life!