Kill Devil Hills by Sarah Darlington
5 Stars
Though he’s six years older than her, Noah Clark feels a bond with his best friend Ellie’s younger sister—a bond formed on drunken night when he found Georgie Turner in a pool of blood.
Now four month later, Georgie has come home and neither have been able to get the other out of their minds. Georgie can’t stop thinking of the man who saved her life, nor can she help but notice him in a new light. And OCD Noah isn’t any different. Before him is no longer Ellie’s little sister, but a grown eighteen year old woman. The force between them is strong and the two, both wrestling with their own issues, are drawn to each other for comfort late at night where in each other’s arms they can’t deny their feelings much longer.
“The plaid of his pajama pants came into focus, and I realized that I was currently using his lower stomach as a pillow, dangerously close to his…goodies.”
“‘Lose control with me,’ I whispered, standing before him as naked as he was, still stuck in my own personal snowstorm.”
Oh when the finally give in it’s really hot!
Set in a coastal North Carolina town (and the beach setting is used well), the story is told via Noah and Georgie’s alternating point of views. The opening scene will grip you right from the start and immediately pull you in to the characters.
Kill Devil Hills addresses some serious issues but is neither too heavy nor angsty. Georgie’s attempted suicide (as part of the plot) never feels like it is done for shock, and reminders of the lessons she learned in therapy are woven in a way that makes the book feel positive. While tragedy is part of the story, it never defines the story and the overall feel is largely sweet romance. Both Georgie and Noah’s background traumas are woven well, causing them at times to struggle with their own worthiness for each other, and add to the development of their characters. I especially appreciated the fact that the issues they deal with are handled as a recovery road that they continue to travel, one that isn’t healed overnight but a continuing process. And while falling in love with Noah certainly helps Georgie, it was nice to see that the story addressed how Georgie also has to deal with her friends and family and their role in her troubles.
Like her previous novel, He Belongs With Me, author Sarah Darlington does a great job creating likable characters along with an engaging plot and just a tiny touch of suspense in places to keep the pages turning. The pace is good and the scenes feel unique. (I read it in one sitting as once I picked it up I didn’t want to put it down.) Plus, there are plenty of cute moments between the pair.
The supporting characters round out the story well. I actually felt like I wanted to hang with them longer. Ellie was cute and a lot of fun. Wish I’d had an older sister like her. And I definitely look forward to Rhett getting his own book at some point. He’s an intriguing addition to the story as a side plot.
Updated:
Keep reading the series...
No comments:
Post a Comment