Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?

I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did, but boy am I glad I decided to get this one. It was just a very nice surprise, and a well-needed distraction from real life. It was also one of those novels I had to stop reading for a day because I didn’t want it to end.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the twists – specifically Owen and Auburn’s secrets. There were a few they they each carried, but not in a deceptive way. Their secrets were more to protect their family, and each other, but of course, the truth always comes out. Though there is one secret at the very end of the book that Owen has that just made the book for me, which is how he knew who Auburn was in the first place. That whole epilogue was just… *chef’s kiss* perfect.

I loved both Auburn and Owen, and I really felt bad for their situations. Auburn had to deal with people (Lydia and Trey) controlling Auburn’s life for reasons that I will not spoil, but let me say this… I never wished more to be able to jump into a book and punch characters than I did with Lydia and Trey. Then, of course, Owen had his own family issues that he was dealing with, which just broke my heart for him and made him that much more loveable of how far he’d go to protect his own family.

The best part of the book was the incorporation of people’s confessions with art. I loved that concept and it was such a unique idea to include in a story and as a part of a character’s life. It was beautiful how this aspect tied in with the ending of the novel.

Overall, this was a wonderful read, and while it’s only my second Colleen Hoover book, it’s already my favorite by her. This one blew me away and I’d recommend it any day!

Rating: 4.75/5 stars