Series: Thatch #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 9th 2016
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
In the second standalone book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Molly McAdams’ Thatch series, Knox Alexander must convince his long-time love Harlow Evans that they’re meant to be together.
He promised to wait for her.
She told him he was wasting his time.
Not waiting for him ended up being the biggest mistake of her life.
When they were younger, Knox Alexander swore to Harlow Evans that he would wait for her to turn eighteen so they could be together. But that was two and a half years away, and Harlow couldn’t ask him to give up all the fun and thrills of going away to college for her. As the years passed, Knox remained a constant in her life but when her eighteenth birthday came around, Harlow’s heart belonged to someone else.
Every day for the last four years, Harlow has been haunted by that fateful choice. And though he may appear unaffected by what happened in their past, Knox has always tried to fill the void Harlow left. But when he comes stumbling back into her life and refuses to leave, will Harlow finally let him into her heart…?
“One day, Harlow Evans, you will be mine. I will wait for you.”
What a heart-wrenching, emotionally-charged story. I honestly did not expect to read what I did in To the Stars, but it definitely took me on an emotional journey. I started reading this one morning and finished in a few hours, that’s how glued to the pages I was. If you’re expecting this book to be light-hearted and fluffy, which you might think from the cover… well, it’s not. To the Stars is an intense, at times painful read that will have you holding your breath and biting your nails. It’s about domestic abuse – about how one woman experiences it, survives it, and eventually overcomes it.
To the Stars is the standalone sequel to Letting Go, so you don’t need to read the previous book to read this one. To the Stars is Harlow and Knox’s story – these two met and fell in love seven years ago, but Harlow was underage at the time, so Knox promised to wait to be with her until she turned eighteen. But when Harlow became of age, she chose to be with another man, a man she had no idea would bring such pain, fear, and sorrow into her life. She is now married to a man who abuses her, who threatens her and her family if she ever tries to leave him. It seems like there’s no hope for her at all, until she’s reunited with Knox, her one and only love, who has never stopped loving her back and wants to help her.
“How much do you love me?”
That perfect, crooked smile flashed at me before he dropped his forehead to mine and whispered, “To the stars, Harlow. Always to the stars.”
My heart absolutely broke for Harlow and her situation. It hurt to read the abuse she goes through, and Molly McAdams certainly doesn’t hold back with the violence. Add in the devastation of Harlow and Knox’s lost relationship, I just wanted to shrivel up within the pages. But as much pain as there is in the book, there’s also so much hope that Knox and his love give to Harlow. Their love for each other is a once-in-a-lifetime thing – I could really feel the intense connection between them that has never weakened after so many years. Knox is the absolute SWOONIEST with Harlow – he’s not perfect, but he’s sweet, loving, supporting, patient, and just a GOOD man. Molly McAdams writes the BEST heroes who are just so romantic and head-over-heels in love with their women.
“No matter what happens in our lives, I will love you with everything that I am for the rest of mine, and I will make sure you know every day what it’s like to be loved to the stars.”
To the Stars is a beautiful love story, but in a broader sense, it’s also eye-opening to an issue many women face. Reading this book is like going through an emotional journey, and though I didn’t particularly connect with Knox or Harlow, but I enjoyed their story nonetheless, all the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is not an easy read, but the author handles the portrayal of abuse perfectly, all the while weaving a heart-melting romance around it. I highly recommend it!
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Reading Order: Thatch series
#1 ~ Letting Go: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ To the Stars: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
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