Official description:
When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter. Lauren Covington’s family maintains a grand facade that belies the life they live behind closed doors. Alex Covington, Lauren’s father, keeps a tight rein on his family through dominance, abuse, and obsessive control. Consequently, Lauren doesn’t believe she could ever trust a man, much less fall in love with one. When Lauren meets Jesse Ryder, her carefully constructed protective wall shatters. She falls hopelessly and completely in love. It’s only fitting that Jesse is a private detective who had once worked for her father, had defied him, and was now the subject of Alex Covington’s wrath. Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father’s destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for.
I got this book a while ago to read over the Christmas holiday period (for free – I love a good freebie!) but have only recently decided to read it. Sometimes, I have to be in the mood for certain books and when I’m like that, I tend to fall back on old faithfuls.
HOWEVER, I am really glad that I started to read this.
We are introduced to Lauren Covington who lives what many consider ‘the perfect life’. Her family are wealthy, her father is a high profile lawyer who also does work for charities involving domestic violence and she has 2 of the best friends.
In the first chapter we meet Jesse Ryder, a tall, dark and handsome private investigator who falls hook, line and sinker for Lauren. It’s just a shame she’s the daughter of Alex Covington, a man he recently refused to work for.
We quickly learn that all is not what it seems with the Covington family and that for many years Alex has beaten his wife, taken his anger out on his son and intimidated Lauren to the point where they all live in fear of what would happen should any one of them leave the family home. Would their mother survive? Would he make their lives even more miserable?
Alex Covington will do anything, and that means anything, to maintain his image as the doting father/husband and top attorney, and heaven help anybody who gets in his way.
Enter Jesse Ryder who will do anything to protect Lauren.
The book is full of twists and turns, loss and betrayal and a few gasp worthy chapters as Lauren tries to protect herself whilst she falls deeper in love with Jesse.
I loved the storyline and found it extremely addictive! My only fault would be a lot of ‘he saids’ or ‘she saids’ that got quite repetitive but to be honest, when you get lost in the story you tend to switch off from bits like that.
I would also say, do not judge this book by it’s cover! It is very deceiving and looks like it could be a romance bordering on Fifty Shades but it is anything but. Yes it is a romance, but it’s a romance full of suspense and a dark undertone.
Ellen Faith 