Chloe has one plan for the future, and one plan only: the road. She’s made a promise to herself: don’t let anyone in, and don’t let anyone love her. She’s learned the hard way what happens if she breaks her rules. So she’s focused on being invisible and waiting until she can set out on the road—her dream of freedom, at least for a little while.
Blake Hunter is a basketball star who has it all—everything about him looks perfect to those on the other side of his protective walls. He can’t let anyone see the shattered pieces behind the flawless facade or else all his hopes and dreams will disappear.
One dark night throws Chloe and Blake together, changing everything for Blake. For Chloe, nothing changes: she has the road, and she’s focused on it. But when the so-called perfect boy starts to notice the invisible girl, they discover that sometimes with love, no one knows where the road may lead.
Amazon
5 red-lettered STARS!!!
What an intense, emotional rollercoaster of a journey! A book that really made me feel, made me take a step back and… think. I laughed, cried, worried, smiled, shook my head, laughed, and cried some more. I felt intensely connected to these characters. Like I was listening to friend telling me her/his story. And the writing? The writing was stunning. Something this author did, which I found to add depth and insight, were quotes throughout this book. I was amazed by the quotes. The intricacies woven throughout – the connections of certain characters – were poetic.
“Sometimes the wrong path can lead us to the right road. And that’s the greatest thing that will ever happen to us.”
Chloe, A.K.A. Abby/Not Abby, was one hell of an 18-year-old woman. She was wise beyond her years though, at times, just as naive. She was strong, resilient, warm and loving. I found her to be caring and confident, though that description didn’t come until later. I not only read this book, but felt this book because of the stunning development of Chloe. I’m not going to go on delving into the story line. You need to experience that for yourself. What I will do is tell you how it moved me. I became breathless from the endless string of emotions pulled from me. Chloe made a decision to go on a ‘endless summer’ road trip due to certain tragedies in her life.
“For a second I wanted to tell him everything. The truth about me and my future.”
Chloe didn’t make it lightly and at first I felt proud of her for making her choice. But as the book progressed, I thought of her as selfish and finally landed on sadness. Sad that she felt there was no other choice for her to make. Chloe refused to let anyone in. And when someone threatens to crumble her walls she’s at a loss.
“You and me … us … This can’t be a thing. I can’t be what you want, Blake. I’m sorry.”
She wasn’t sure what to do with those feelings knowing her choice had been made. What makes Chloe so endearing is her tenacity. She was so determined to follow through that she almost misses her red-lettered days and her unexpectedly phenomenal.
Blake was an excellent Hero. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Blake was the guy everyone knew. Guys wanted to be him and girls to be with him. But I could see him just going through the motions of life and not really living.
“A constant state of numbness was my euphoria.”
To say he had some family issues – that he and Chloe both had family issues – wouldn’t be putting it lightly. He had some tough decisions to make as well. It was weighing on him – his dream or someone else’s. But after running into Chloe – he can’t get her out of his mind and he’s not sure why. Yes, she intriguing and beautiful, and not like other girls. But it was more.
“It was as if she had reached inside me, taken my heart in her hands, squeezed tight, and made it start being again.”
There couldn’t possibly be a more mature or more responsible characters. Granted there are a few times they do some questionable things. But, overall, I felt as though the life they each lived so far, somehow made available to deal with each other. That they could be so vulnerable with one another spoke volumes.
“You’re always trying to save me.”
“Yeah, well, you already saved me.”
There was a ton of angst in this book. Although there is an immediate and true connection in the first chapter, it takes into about 70% for most of Chloe’s walls to come down. If you’re looking for a book with instant gratification, well this isn’t it. The drawn out process that becomes this journey is utterly indescribable. The emotions that these characters had and the depth to which they each dug was priceless. It was beautifully written and beautifully received. Thank you, Jay McLean, for the adventure!
The Sassy Bookista 