3.5 stars 
 Xander's past is not a pleasant one, and his lack of roots has him wandering without a set timeline though an eventual destination in mind. When he meets Paige and her father, an unexpected bond forms and the opportunity to earn a few bucks for the summer. But what looks like a perfect summer stopover changes Xander's life, as well as the lives of the Watson family. 
 This was not an easy read. While I expected it to be dark, based on the synopsis, I wasn't prepared for the depth of darkness. There is very little light, happiness for this couple, and after a while I had a hard time continuing as I watched my progress bar get closer to 100% with so many loose ends still hanging. Yes, this has an HEA of sorts, but in the moment it did not feel like an HEA. There was so much grieving still taking place at the end that I didn't feel very happy for the characters, or even hopeful that their challenges were over. 
 I liked the beginning of the story, and the premise as a whole. A man without roots finds a semblance of family unexpectedly as he travels, but tragedy strikes one night sending him to prison for life and shattering the family of the woman he loves. I loved watching Paige and her parents embrace Xander, loved as he let go some of the pain from his past and started to look at a future he had never imagined for himself. 
 Alternating point of view between Xander and Paige gave readers a good idea what each was experiencing for much of the book. Xander's voice was authentic, breathing the pain and tragedy he had experienced so much of as a child. At times Paige's voice seemed immature and a little inconsistent, but then again, she didn't have as simple a life as it appeared on the surface either. 
 While this is the author's first solo writing project, it is not his first novel. I loved his co-written title, A Lover's Lament, and had hoped to love this one just as much. While I struggled with parts of it, I can see where readers who enjoy a lot of drama in their books would really like this story. Sadly, I can only handle so much drama before a story loses my interest and starts feeling like it is going in too many different directions. The beginning took some time to build, even though Paige and Xander felt an early connection, but the end raced far faster than I was prepared for with so many twists and turns that I had a hard time keeping up. Overall, the bones of this novel are good, and for a first solo project I would say this shows promise. It is different and engaging. 
 I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.