Laid Out

Violet’s two best friends Cain and Jeremy enlisted in the Army and were leaving. Before Cain left, he gave Violet her first kiss. She has always had feeling for Cain, so she hopes this will lead to something more. Cain however knows his best friend, Jeremy is interested in her. Therefore Cain writes to Violet and tells her it was a mistake. He thought he was doing the right thing by stepping aside to allow Violet and Jeremy to have a future together. They finally do get engaged but then tragedy strikes. Years later they find themselves in the same town together. Violet tries to reconnect with Cain. But Cain feels guilty about Jeremy’s death and wanting to build a relationship with Violet. He feels he is not good enough for her. While Violet will always miss Jeremy, she wants to move on and find someone. But she is a little shy and awkward so who does she get help from; Cain of course. Then things seem to heat up between the two of them. Overall this is a great book. It deals with touchy subjects, such as PTSD and body image. Characters are well developed and strong individuals. It pulls in characters from the author’s other books. So you get to still connect to them and see how things turned out for them in the future. So far I have been disappointed in any book by this author. And this one is no different. I will certainly continue to read her books.

I think it’s safe to say that Laid Out is probably the most emotional book in this series yet, dealing with old friendships, devastating loss, redefining the future, and all the issues that come from having gone to war. If you’d told me after reading Against the Cage that there’d be a story like this one in the series, I probably wouldn’t have believed it, but Sidney Halston’s characters aren’t slightly modified versions of each other, and each story and couple has proven to be quite a bit different than the ones who’ve come before them. I’m still loving this series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next piece of it! ***FicCentral received this book from Random House LLC (via NetGalley) for free in exchange for an honest review.

Ever girl's fantasy. Violet and Cain's relationship started out sweet. As a teen lacking confidence Violet could always count on Cain to lift her spirits by encouraging her to be herself. He was her white knight, her safe place when she felt like she didn't belong. Fast forward to adulthood. Cane has always harbored secret feelings for Violet but he refuses to act on them. His secret has lead to a broken heart and he refuses to lose Violet as a friend. Laid Out is a sweet look at the course that love takes from youth to adulthood. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Sometimes actions speak louder than words.