Seared on My Soul by Cole Gibsen – a Review
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Description:
She’s so young, so full of life…
I couldn’t let her die…
Even if she made the world’s worst coffee.
Emily Garret never asked to be rescued, let alone by a walking JCrew ad whose idea of fun is probably managing his stock portfolio and watching the nightly news. Then again, she never thought she would wind upside-down in a ditch after a night having a little too much fun.
Reece Montgomery never planned on being anyone’s hero, especially the foul-mouthed, bleach-blonde barista from the local coffee shop. He thinks there’s more to Emily than her tattoos, and lip ring, but getting close means letting her into his past and meeting his ghosts.
And he’s not sure she’s ready for that battlefield.
Review:
It started off grim, dark even. Two damaged souls who neglect the world and worse, themselves. Fully immersed in self-destructiveness, Emily’s car crashes into a ditch and is on the verge of exploding when Reece hones his soldier instincts and extracts her from a worse fate. Light pierced the sky that night, but the journey to happiness is a tumultuous one for Emily and Reece. Even if there had been epiphany, Reece and Emily are too wounded, too dubious. Unfortunately, the war lies within…the personal demons that stalk and torment. Cole Gibsen‘s writing is very appealing. She pounds you with brutal grief and guilt, jolts and halts progress, and wraps you in euphoria. I think those are apt depictions for Seared On My Soul.
Last night, when I saw the car was on fire, I sped toward it.
I had no idea who I’d find or what I was getting myself into. Was I really concerned with saving a life-or on some level was I looking to end my own?
Reece battles agonizing pain, physically and mentally, on a daily basis since his army tour, but it’s not enough, not nearly enough, to make up for a personal failure. The bullet that hangs over his heart serves as an anchor to misery. Emily labels herself a loser. She’s a little flighty, sure, but excessive drinking and poor judgment have created a shame spiral that she’s drowning in.
There’s no big mystery here, no one from the past who comes to steal their happiness. Reece and Emily impede that road all on their own. Their paths join, wariness a commonality between them, but it’s fear of being more when someone else can’t or when no one expects you to achieve. They are in a wretched stasis of their own making because of all-consuming guilt. The road to acceptance is not without push and pull, heartache, and turmoil. We grieve with/for them and pray they’ll come to realize how resilient they are. How courageous they’ve become. How helping one another to cope is a gift in itself.
My teeny-tiny complaint I need to get out of my head? I wish there had been an exchange between Emily and Reece (and her crummy barista skills) prior to their fateful encounter. It felt like a missed opportunity for optimum connection, especially when Emily seemed “unaware” of Reece post-accident. Amid the heavy issues and shortcomings, managing to traverse each others minefields is no minor success, the amount of irreverence and humor really stood out and finessed the story. I was prepared for love to conquer Reece’s stoicism, but Emily teased and flirted and pushed Reece into corners to bring him to life. These characters demonstrated heart and a vitality they once deemed too toxic.
There are conflicts to face and a resilience necessary to bear them. Have Emily and Reece found peace? Is love enough to sustain them or has one remained in the dark for too long?
Reviewed by Carmen
Copy provided by Publisher
