We played our roles, told each other lies.

But now Dylan is no longer just a mysterious deep voice on the other end of the line. We’re face-to-face and our relationship is very, very real.

We still have secrets—but so much is crystal clear:

The thrilling danger.

The raw, naked desire.

The need to keep feeling the way he makes me feel. Forever.

Dylan is putting up walls, trying to keep me safe, but he can’t shut me out. He has seen my darkness and rescued me. Now it’s my turn, if only he will let me.

Review

This is the second and final book in the series about Dylan and Annie and it brings about a hard-won and very well deserved HEA for them. This time the focus is mostly on Dylan - his struggles, his demons from the past and hopes for the future.

The terrible cliffhanger from the ending of book 1 is solved right away and all the characters are faced with the consequences of their actions. The story here continuous with the same intensity - deeply emotional and erotic, both dark and the occasional rays of sunshine filtering through.

We see Annie and Dylan trying to find a way to be together despite the heavy issues of their pasts (and present). Neither of them knows to let the other one in, how to love and be loved, how to go for the things they want. Dylan's had his spirit broken, just like Annie's had her body broken. It takes a lot of effort and never backing down on both sides to finally be happy together.

We see much more of Dylan, gradually unravelling the mystery of this broken man, plagued by bad childhood and difficult family relationships. Despite his seeming coldness and detachment from everyone and everything, he still cares about his family and friends. He has difficulty showing his emotions, being open and vulnerable. But Annie is there for him all the time. She battle with her own demons - guilt, doubts, insecurity but ultimately she is strong and resilient. She fights with everything she has for the man she loves and for the happiness and future that she has been denied for so long.

Their explosive chemistry just gets stronger and ever more complex. Their romance was raw and gritty, there was a lot of fighting - with each other, with themselves, with the rest of the world. There was no sugarcoating of the truth. We see the ugliness is Dylan's life in its brutal honesty but it also opens up a road towards acceptance, reconciliation, moving on to become a better person.

The supporting cast get their storylines further developed and I my heart went all out for Dylan's brother and I'm already anxiously looking forward to his story.

It's a dark and somewhat disturbing story of suffering and loss and the glimpses of light that shine in the characters' lives are even more precious because of that. The heavy erotic element in the story works well to show the characters' development and how they manage to build a healthy romantic relationship despite everything.

A recommended read!