I absolutely loved this book. Firstly, I'm stunned that this is a debut novel because of how well it was thought out and executed. Knowing that some struggles that Chelsea deals with in the book stem from the author's own experience made me truly love this book even more, knowing how much courage it takes to write something so personal.

This had all the elements that I love in a second-chance romance. The angst, pining, friendship, and heartbreak were so well done, and it broke my heart to see how two people who were so absolutely in love had to part ways due to their circumstances. I also get why Austin couldn't tell her about it sooner because watching her look at him differently would've crushed him.

The topics of abuse and trauma were well dealt with, giving the readers an insight into what it is like to go through such an experience and what the aftereffects are. The situations were realistic, even if a little hard to read, which made it that much more authentic.

Chelsea was such an amazing character whom I deeply admired and rooted for. She was so much stronger than she realized, and I loved how Austin made her see that. Her past experience with abuse had deeply impacted her, and she still carried the emotional scars. Having a mother who battled with a mental illness herself wasn't easy, and she is trying to navigate her relationship with her mother while also setting up strict boundaries for her own well-being. I really liked the therapy session, which delves deeper into her thoughts on her relationship with her mother and how the only actions and reactions she had control over were her own.

I honestly loved watching Chelsea slowly getting her confidence back with Austin's presence in her life and his constant reassurance and admiration. Watching her fight back all the negative thoughts that plagued her and learning to love herself and find a true sense of peace and freedom was a wonderful journey to witness.

Austin was such a treasure, and I loved how dedicated and committed he was to Chelsea, even when he wasn't in her life for seven years. When he left Haven Beach, he had all but given up on his dreams of a future with Chelsea due to his commitment to his family and their legacy. But once he was back in town and ran into Chelsea, it was like all his feelings came rushing back to the forefront, and he couldn't shove them down this time. The more time he spent around her, the more his resolve grew to never leave her again. Given his job as an assassin, he had insecurities of his own about how Chelsea would react to him once she found out and whether he would lose her if she did. I love, love, love how much Austin loved Chelsea and showed her that with his words and actions.

The romance between Austin and Chelsea was just so heartwarming that you can't help but want them to find their way back to each other. There were some flashback scenes from when they were younger, and those little glimpses into their past were enough to show just how right they were together. In the present, Austin and Chelsea fell into old habits so easily, and finding that level of comfort with each other felt so natural.

They truly helped each other fight their demons and grounded each other. Their unwavering love and loyalty for each other helped them confront their trauma, doubts, and insecurities and slowly feel a sense of hope that they were worthy of more.

The spice was SO good, which was made better by their history, their emotional connection, and how these were also moments that helped Chelsea overcome the insecurities that had been drilled into her mind for years. Austin absolutely worshiped her body and always made it known just how beautiful and gorgeous she was, which slowly helped her let go of the negative thoughts of feeling unattractive.

The situation with her stalker ex definitely kept me on edge, especially when things started getting more tense with time. When it came to her ex, Chelsea's reactions were understandable given her past, but I also loved how resilient she was and didn't break despite everything he tried.

Hailey and Ethan were wonderful and were always there for Chelsea through the years, standing by her side during all the highs and lows, and you couldn't ask for better friends, really.

That epilogue left such a huge smile on my face because, DAMNNNN!! Austin is so freaking swoon-worthy.

I truly hope Kay Thorne continues writing many more books, and I would absolutely read them. And I'm really looking forward to this being a series so we get Zack/Quinn and Ethan/Hailey's books next.

Thank you so very much, Kay Thorne, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.