Synopsis
Sahara Lee has spent the last ten years living with the guilt of a tragic accident and its aftermath. That night irrevocably changed the outgoing, fun-loving college freshman into an introverted, workaholic with no social life. Sahara isolates herself from everyone and everything that reminds her of home in an effort to forget what happened. Using art as a substitute for love, Sahara throws herself into music and art as a way to feel something other than the guilt that haunts her. She accepts her lonely existence as penance for the role she played in the accident. That is, until she meets Tyree Barker, the good looking entrepreneur with baggage of his own.
Blindsided by a legal loophole, Sahara is suddenly forced to confront the past she’s been running from. Juggling the guilty feelings of her past and the unexpected feelings of her present, Sahara’s future becomes complicated as she heads down a path of forgiveness, love, and heartbreak…and not in that particular order.
Back to Life reminds you that living and existing are two completely different ways to go through life. Grief will break you but guilt, guilt will destroy you. And once that happens, what can bring you back to life?
Iva's Review
Danielle Allen's Back to Life is a contemporary romance that shows how love can make a person stronger in spirit and allow us to face up to our nightmares. It is well written with a compelling storyline, and likeable characters.
Sahara Lee fled from her childhood town after an accident destroyed her happiness and left her weighed down with overbearing guilt. 10 years later, she is still wracked with nightmares and an inability to move on emotionally. It is through a couple of chance meetings with the attractive Tyree Barker, that the protective shell Sahara has surrounded herself in, starts to thaw. Tyree's admiration for her allows Sahara to start believing in herself again, and to start the process of examining her past and taking the first steps in learning to live again. But Tyree has a secret, and it may be the one thing that could end up destroying Sahara completely.
This is a flawless story. The writing is superb, the story alluring. The characters are well developed with a palpable authenticity that makes you able to connect with them. It is narrated by Sahara, and this gives the reader a chance to really connect with her and see how guilt has necrotised her emotions.
Sahara is a shattered mess. Her whole life has been smashed apart by an incident that occurred when she was just 18. Rather than living, she goes through the motions, protecting herself from emotions by not establishing any new friendships and not maintaining her old ones. It is only through the discovery that Tyree has recently lost his only family member that she allows herself to explore the attraction she feels for him.
Tyree has an inner strength that comes out in his words and his gestures. He is patient and kind, smart and steady. His romantic gestures are not over the top, and I think this is what makes him a character you can enjoy in the hero's role.
Emanuel is the man Sahara's heart has never forgotten. His brief appearance in the book has an enormous impact and I can understand why Sahara has such a hard time working out which Sahara she wants to be; the one living in the present or the one holding onto the past, and therefore knowing which man truly owns her heart.
The ending of this book is a cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers because they give me a true indication of how enthralled I am in a book. This is one book where I had no idea I'd reached the end and a resounding "NOOOOOO!" echoed through the house when I turned the page and found only "The End' staring back at me. This ending has me as deperate as a glutton locked out of a banquet for the next book, not only to see what happens with the story, but because the writing style of the author is very good, with important plot points being revealed in manner that adds to the reading experience.
The sex scenes are really love making scenes but they are well written and will make you reach out to touch your own lover. (Whether it's a caress, or a smack across the head for not having the same finesse, is up to you.)
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| 4.5 hearts for Back to Life |
About the Author
Life is good!
I have fabulous friends, a great family and a wonderful husband. One of my favorite things to do is curl up with a good book. I'm always looking for book suggestions so if you've read a good book, send it my way!
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