Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and David Cristofano for allowing me to read this before the publication date.

This book follows the lives of two main characters: Jonathan Bovaro and Melody Grace McCartney. ‘Johnny’ feels trapped in his mafia family; his only path is one of violence and murder. Melody is a young witness to one of his father’s crimes and along with her mother and father, she is placed into the witness protection scheme. But is that enough protection? Johnny has felt the need to protect Melody ever since, despite the contradicting wishes of his family.

Essentially, this is a love story with a happy ending, but it also has a dark side with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. If you’re looking for a story of lust, you won’t find it here. It is always based on love, the kind of love that makes your heart ache, your eyes stream and your lips smile.

When I knew the story was coming to a close, I was disappointed that there was never physical intimacy between Jonathan and Melody (despite a few kisses). There were so many opportunities where this would have fit in so well. I guess Cristofano has his reasons for deciding not to write about it, after all it’s personal preference!

At times I found the pace a little too slow and this made me frantically skim read quite a few pages. For me it was a book I had to read again to appreciate the intricate detail and flamboyant writing. I have been told I can be an impatient person so maybe this won’t be the case for you!

Overall, I found I connected with Jonathan well, mainly because the story is told from his point of view. The book made me really think about the people I know, or do I just think I know them? It will leave you contemplating this for some time after you have read it.

‘The one man I ever truly loved also happened to be my loophole.’ Melody Grace McCartney.

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