Title: Heart of Light
Author: T.K. Leigh
Release Date: August 25, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
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.
Almost.
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.
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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.”
Falling head over heals for Cam was never a hardship for me. Knowing the pain he endured in the past couple years tore at my heartstrings. He is the epitomy of what every woman dreams their man to be. And as I was able to relate to him, I could see my own husband through Cam so many times throughout this story. He has the heart of gold and the loving attention that you would never tire from. He also knows when and how to turn it on in the bedroom.
Jolene has lived a life of hell. Plain and simple. Knowing who to trust is definitely not in her realm. She has good reason for this. Being lied to since her teenage years and having her life abruptly changed when she turned 18 will do that to anyone. Finding her way to Florida was the best and worst thing that could have happened to her. Growing up her teenage years thinking that every person who should have been there to protect her and care for her, was not something Jolene had. Being forced into a life no one deserves taught her that trust and love was not in her cards. I fell in love with T.K. Leigh's first book series where we first met Cam. This book about Cam and his need to keep his heart guarded so that he doesn't risk losing it again and also dealing with Human Trafficking will play at every emotion possible to feel. But it will be worth every minute you spend reading it. It is a lesson to us as well that the underlying problem this book revolves around is truly out there and in our own neighborhoods, back yards, cities and towns. Please, I urge you, as a reader to take the time and read this book. It has definitely touched me in a way I wasn't expecting. And just knowing that this problem is out there, definitely will have you being more attentive to what is around you.
Let me say... this one... this book... this story. It scared me. I didn't want to read it. I was terrified to crack the pages of it based on the teasers I had seen floating around Facebook. I even email T.K. Leigh and told her, I don't want to read this book, BUT I signed up for the tour anyways. Why? Because it's T.K. Leigh.
And damn...
T.K. Leigh has this seriously crazy mind. I don't think I would survive living in it for a while. It's obvious she has a knack for mystery - if you read her Beautiful Mess series - you'd understand she can twist one helluva story.
And that's where we first meet Cam. Cam is one of those underdogs that you know has this amazing story coming, it's just not the one you are currently reading. Well, Heart of Light, is his story. And yea. It's nothing short of amazing.
I generally go into detail about each of the characters in the book I'm reviewing, but this time I'm not going to. I will say this. This book? There's no words for how heartbreaking, how astounding, how inspiring, how tragic, and how beautiful it is.
When I finished this one, I immediately messaged T.K. Leigh and these were my words.
"God bless the book hangover. Just phenomenal" ~ Me
$100 Amazon Gift Card, (10) Signed Paperback of Heart of Light
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