Title: Heart of Light
Author: T.K. Leigh
Release Date: August 25, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Synopsis
Twelve years ago, Jolene’s adoptive mother died. Twelve years ago, a man showed up at Jolene’s door and promised to take care of her. Twelve years ago, Jolene was happy.
Then it all changed…
Jolene Bergio has spent the last twelve years of her life asking one question… Why? Why was she left in the custody of a man who would sell her each and every night to the highest bidder? After a few years, she shut off, giving up hope that anyone would ever find her. Until her luck changed one night and she escaped. Twelve years later, she finally feels something she hasn’t felt in a long time… Free.
Scared that her past will find her unexpectedly, she hides away in a rented beach house, trying to distance herself from everyone… Until Dr. Cameron Bowen enters her world and slowly tears down the walls that she has built up over the past twelve years of her captivity. Jolene begins to learn to love again.
And trust again.
But when a man from Jolene’s past emerges, will she be able to keep her identity hidden? When lies are told and hearts are broken, will the truth surface in time to bring Jolene back from the shadows that threaten to expose who she really is?
Heart of Light is a captivating story of love, strength, and survival.
I'm a huge fan of T.K. Leigh and her prior books. She's a gifted writer that tells suspenseful romance that I love. Heart of Light has such a great storyline - heartbreaking at times though for sure. It's a story with the potential to have you at the edge of your seat with it's dangerous, gritty and suspenseful moments. With that said, I wanted to love this story, I really did. It was definitely an entertaining read that I couldn't abandon. So I liked it and some parts I liked a lot, but it wasn't that 5 star read I'd hoped for.
Jolene Bergio happens to escape from years of being sex slave. Her captor is a sick man and she has experienced some horrible things. Jolene ends up in Florida on a small beach community to begin her new life. She rents a beach home with the little money that has. Jolene is of course guarded and doesn't want to trust anyone. Dr. Cameron Bowen happens to be the owner of this beach home so of course their paths cross. We know Cam from A Beautiful Mess series and who I absolutely love!! Cam and Jolene eventually meet and they both like each other. Cam is a psychiatrist and can tell that Jolene has some issues that she's dealing with.
Again I loved the premise of the story. I really wish Cam and Jolene's relationship was explored a little more. Everything seemed to happen so quickly that I lost that connection. There were also times that Jolene's character didn't come across as believable. We know everything that she has endured but at times that didn't convey to me as the reader.
This is a griping story that has both horrific and beautiful moments. Ultimately it's a story of survival. It deals with a heavy subject matter which I felt that it was done well. Overall I would rate this story 3.5-4 stars. I enjoyed all the suspenseful moments and how Cam really put himself out there for Jolene.
“Why don’t you like being touched?” he asked quietly in a bold move.
Jolene stopped dead in her tracks, glaring at him. “I just don’t, alright?” she hissed, her voice raised. “And it’s none of your fucking business why I act the way I do. I see what you’re trying to do, Doctor.” She spun around and stormed back toward the house, wanting to get far away from his prying, yet consoling, eyes.
“What, Jolene? What am I doing? I just want to get to know you. I want to spend time with you, and I need to know why certain things set you off so that I don’t do them!” He ran along the shore, catching up to her, stopping short when he almost reached out and grabbed her arm to force her to talk to him.
Feeling him approach behind her, she reeled around. The expression on her face was fierce. “You’ve been a therapist for far too long. You need to get it out of your head that you can help me.” The ocean wind whipped her hair in front of her face and her voice rose in anger. “You can’t! No one can! So just stop! Stop taking an interest in me! Stop with the whole nice guy act because, based on my experience, that’s all it is!” she cried through her tears, her voice becoming barely audible. “A fucking act.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before opening them, the pain of what she had experienced the past decade of her life visible in the look of unease on her face. She took a step closer, her eyes remaining glued to Cam’s.
“You show up on my doorstep acting like my savior when the world has gone to shit. You tell me how you’ll look after me and protect me. And you know what those are?” She could see the hurt that her words were causing him, but she didn’t care.
“Lies, Cam,” she said quietly. “Just lies. You say you’ll help me and watch over me, but you’ll turn. I can’t… I can’t go through that again. Please. I beg you. Just stay away from me.” She spun around and began walking briskly away from him.
“You don’t have to do this, Jolene!” he shouted, running to catch up with her. “You don’t have to choose fear.”
“Yes, I do,” she insisted, turning to face him once more. “It’s the only way that he won’t…”
“You can choose me instead,” he interrupted.
Her breath caught at his unexpected reply. “Cam, I…” She trailed off, hiding her tear-filled eyes.
“Don’t let your fear control you, Jolene,” he implored, his voice soft. He brought his body close to hers. “Please, choose me, not fear.”
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Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card, (10) Signed Paperback of Heart of Light
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