Safe at Last (Slow Burn, #3) by Maya Banks Series: Slow Burn #3
Published by Avon on June 23rd 2015
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 256
Goodreads
Very Angst Filled Action Suspense
“She’d thought she’d felt pain over the years. Grief. Regret. She didn’t think it could get any worse than what she’d already been dealt. She was wrong.”
FINAL DECISION: I found this story heartbreaking. There was so much angst and pain and sadness for this couple that I wish there could have been more time for the horrible past to be put behind them and for their happiness to be shown. I felt the resolution occurred too quickly for the darkness that encompasses much of the book.
THE STORY: Zach Covington works for Deveraux Security and is haunted by the disappearance of the girl he loved twelve years ago. He loved Gracie with a singular passion. When he sees a painting, he knows that Gracie is the artist. Anna-Grace Hill loved Zach until she believed herself betrayed by him in the worst way. When a chance encounter reunites them, Zach and Anna-Grace have to struggle through the lies and horrible tragedy that separated them twelve years ago to see if there is any future for them.
OPINION: Zach and Gracie have an epic romance but this story was so filled angst and pain and betrayal and sadness that I had a hard time getting through parts of it. I was pleased that things turned out well in the end, but I think that because of the depth of the darkness in the book, the resolution between Zach and Gracie needed to be more prolonged. After the disclosure of what happened twelve years ago, the two just picked up again. That didn’t work for me because it seemed like the two needed to work up to their happiness in order for it to feel real next to the blackness of the past.
I did love Zach’s dedication to Gracie and I thought the suspense story that continued from the second book in the series was well done and kept the story moving. I liked this book, but I thought that it bordered on being a very, very good book but that the transition to the happy ending didn’t work as well for me.
WORTH MENTIONING: I can’t wait for the story of the next couple. They have a stunning debut in this book (no spoilers as to who they are).
CONNECTED BOOKS: SAFE AT LAST is the third book in the Slow Burn series. This book can be read as a standalone although it does have a continuing storyline from book two in the series.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.