Having seen the worst of each others deep dark secrets, it was no wonder that Sophie Hartman and Carter Jax had become the best of friends. Living next door to each other for so long, they each had a perspective on the others lives that most never saw. After being beaten for so many years by his ... more

Having seen the worst of each others deep dark secrets, it was no wonder that Sophie Hartman and Carter Jax had become the best of friends. Living next door to each other for so long, they each had a perspective on the others lives that most never saw. After being beaten for so many years by his own father, watching his mother take the abuse also, Carter had finally become strong enough to stand up for them both but only after the scars had been left and his mother had paid a high price - her sanity. Raising her siblings while at young age herself, Sophie found the strength to confront her own mother in the uncomfortable atmosphere of a strip club but with the support of Carter she could find a way to ask for the money her and the kids needed. Through out high school, Sophie and Carter kept their acquaintance and their close friendship a secret, only talking to each other in the privacy of their homes and yards. With each acting the adult of the households, it was only a matter of time before they realized the feelings they held for the other was more than just plain admiration. Short and sweet, this one took me by surprise how much I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this one far exceeded anything I was looking for. The book is set up with 2 different type fonts, one for Sophie and another for Carter, the format is set up somewhere between a journal entry and a “he said, she said”. I have read others that have been set up like this before and found that this one is really well done. The flow between the two points of view is good and you don’t seem to lose continuity like can sometimes happen in this format. What a wonderfully encouraging and inspirational story about young adults that have been able to take on so much and still came out of it as really good people, it is sad that this is probably not far from truth for some kids. I have never read Chelsea Fine before, but I will be sure to look for other books by her. I am giving this book a 4, but it does lean toward the 5 star category. Great book, I am so grateful that I was given the chance to receive this book as a free reviewers copy.