What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.
Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+
A storm is coming, and with storms come restless waters.
Pulled from the depths of catastrophe and depression, Blythe McGuire has learned to escape from her past while embracing the future. A future now entwined with the Shepherd siblings.
With Chris, she shares a staggering romance that kicks heartbreak’s ass.
With Sabin, she shares an intense friendship, one that’s becoming more complicated than either had expected. A friendship now being put to the test because Sabin’s brutal past still haunts him. Because trauma is the gift that keeps on giving without mercy.
Now Sabin is the one left drowning and struggling to breathe, and his turmoil threatens to send all three into dark currents they cannot escape. Even after going through her own hell, saving Sabin will take much more than Blythe had anticipated. Their connection and their love could help, but getting him to reach for her hand could be Blythe’s biggest challenge ever.
Chris’s note is amazing…it’s full of so much love!
Keep reading to see the full Love Note!
Blythe,
You fought for us when I couldn’t.
You believed in us when I couldn’t.
You kept me from breaking when I felt irrevocably shattered.
You kept me from drowning.
Every day, you heal me a little more.
My past should have prevented me from ever knowing real intimacy. But my past had never faced off against you and our love.
Love wins, and love will always win.
Because of you, I can sleep through the night without waking from terror. I can go in the water and not panic. I can inhale and smell and taste life without dread.
Because of you, I know true joy, true hope, true peace, true safety, true connection.
Because of you, there is an us.
Valentine’s Day now means something to me. You have my heart, Blythe, forever, and I know that I am fortunate enough to have yours.
With my eternal and complete love,
Christopher
Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me
Loved this! I totally want to re-read <3 Thanks for this awesome post TSBB!