🌟🌟🌟🌟

An emotionally gripping story, highlighting the debilitating trail cut by grief, loss, fear and self-shaming. Narrated in turn by Kyle McCray, a fortyish mechanic, now living in Spokane, Washington and his ex-wife, Casey, who remained behind two-and-a-half years ago in their home and hometown of Potsdam NY, Kyle’s losses include both his wife and his community – a homebase brimming with small-town charm, ice-hockey mania, neighbors, and deep-rooted relationships.

When a family emergency sees Kyle unexpectedly forced back to Potsdam, Kyle and Casey’s difficult (and tragic) decisions, along with their repercussions, must finally be dealt with.

Told in alternate timelines of “then” and “now”, the story gradually unfurls to reveal exactly what did happen to the McCrays – an intimate tale that comes to be seen as both heartbreaking and poignant.

As both Kyle and Casey confront their pasts, re-visiting the lives they are attempting to build (individually) it is not at all clear if they will find their way to share a future, or if their secrets, and shame will continue to overwhelm them.

An interesting tale with more than one well-crafted emotional tug, this is a sweet and tender story with plenty of twists and turns (and a whole lot of heart) along the way.

A great big thank you to the Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this story. All thoughts presented are my own.