New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release: February 24, 2015
If we didn’t know darkness, we couldn’t fully appreciate the light. Garth Black’s more familiar with this concept than most people are. He hadn’t just lived in the dark for the majority of his life—he thrived in it. With a mom who’d bailed on him and a dad whose understanding of coddling started and ended with a bottle of whiskey, Garth had never been expected to rise to any sort of occasion other than following down the same dead-end paths. That changed when he fell in love with Josie Gibson. After years of pulling each other closer before shoving the other way, they finally stopped shoving. Josie’s love is like nothing Garth’s ever experienced. He holds it close. He holds it sacred. He would do anything to preserve it and keep it from pollution, even if that means removing himself from the picture. Garth might have been allowed a temporary furlough to bask in the light, but that pass has been revoked, and he’s been swallowed again by the dark. Will he revert to his old ways of hurting those he cares for most? Will he go back to the same destructive patterns . . . or will it be worse this time? We can’t know light without first knowing dark . . . and Garth Black’s about to get acquainted with the dark in a whole new way. 
Review
★★★★★ stars
This book has left me with a loss of words. I don't know where to start or how to accurately describe how I feel about it. If it was up to me, I'd give this book 10 stars, or an infinite number. Even then it wouldn't be enough. I knew when I started it, Garth Black and Josie Gibson were going to experience some tough times, but I had no idea how tough. I went from a moment of elation to moments of fear and pain for the both of them. Hearing him tell this next chapter in his story could've only been enhanced if Josie got to share her experiences too.
I really truly love Garth Black. That man has not had it easy his entire life. Just when he and I think he's golden, something happens that throws him back into the dark place he just recently came out of. This time it's not just him but Josie, her parents, even Jesse and Rowen who are all affected, and Garth is torn between pushing everyone away and pulling them closer.
I completely understood his desire to push everyone away. I even understood his reasoning why. When you love someone beyond reason, it often makes more sense to let them go, then see them suffer and miss out on what they could've had if they stay with you. That doesn't mean I wanted him to succeed in pushing everyone away though. I hated seeing Garth struggle with his reality. Like Josie, I too was hoping for a miracle. I wanted Garth to fight with everything in his being instead of giving up so easily.
The resolution of certain conflicts Garth had in Finders Keepers didn't happen, and I was really hoping they'd happen. Instead, I understood he had larger problems at hand then a bunch of prissy no-good city boys who were trying to be country. I still wouldn't have minded them getting a beat down. And before you judge me for being blood thirsty and mean, read Finders Keepers and you'll understand my sentiments, if not agree with them.
Even with Garth and Josie facing some unprecedented challenges, I love how Josie NEVER gave up on Garth. She loved and fought for him with everything in her. I can't tell you how hard or fast my heart was beating come the climax of the book. I'd stopped hoping for a miracle at that point and just started hoping things wouldn't get worse for the two of them. Of course Nicole Williams pulled a twist or four that left me reeling. Thankfully there is a happy ending.
I'm sincerely hoping Heart & Soul isn't as draining on me emotionally as all of the books in this series have been. Of course, who am I kidding? It doesn't matter, because I'm going to read it anyway. It was wonderful to see Jesse and Rowen again. Those two also have some major challenges coming their way. I'm also hoping Nicole Williams decides to write stories featuring Jesse's sister. There was a certain revelation that had me raising my eyebrows. Either way, I loved this book. It made me ugly cry in public and I didn't even try to hide it. Of course I didn't know I was crying until I realized I couldn't see the screen of my e-reader. Nicole Williams has written another fabulous tale you won't be able to put down. It's certainly one of my favorites.
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
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About the Author
I’m the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the CRASH series (HarperTeen, S&S UK), LOST & FOUND series, UP IN FLAMES (S&S UK), The EDEN TRILOGY, and a handful of others. I write stories about everyday kinds of people who find themselves in extraordinary kinds of situations. I tell love stories with happy endings because I believe in making the world a better place, and that’s one tiny way I can make it so. I’m one of those people who still believe in true love and soul mates, and would rather keep my head in the clouds any day over having my feet firmly on the ground.
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