Review for The Burden of Trust by Tabitha Young
The Burden of Trust, by Tabitha Young, is a contemporary romance about moving on from tragedy, as well as caring for the people you love.
Katherine “Kate” Woods decides to attend a party in New York for her best friend, Alexa. From there, she meets Chris Cody, a celebrity who is more than a little alienated from society. After a few choice words and an awkward first meeting, Chris decides to follow Kate to her home in Florida, where he hopes to change himself for the better. As time passes, and the two start to open up to each other, they realize that sometimes, they need someone to lean on when they’re at their most vulnerable. Young writes a touching story about grief and forgiveness, as two different people slowly but surely fall in love with each other.
I loved reading about Kate and Riley. Their relationship laid the foundation for a lot of Kate’s character, and played a role in Kate’s development throughout the story. Despite her religious upbringing, Riley still pursued Kate, and though she did meet a horrific end, it’s clear they loved each other to the very end. What’s more, I liked how Chris stayed by Kate’s side, only caring about her well-being and nothing else. He’s there every step of the way, never taking advantage of her even though he could. And when he fights for Kate’s innocence, he immediately became my second favorite character in the book, right before Riley. I do wish that Chris’s conflicts were more fleshed out, and at times, the supporting characters seemed a little too focused on Kate and Chris’s relationship, rather than Kate’s own emotions. Nevertheless, it was interesting to read.
The book was particularly clear about how entitlement plays in perceived romantic relationships. I’ve seen it over and over again in real life, and the way Becky reacted to both Kate and Chris, it cemented that. She’s cared for Kate, was there with her when Riley died, and though she’s very protective of her, that protectiveness could easily overlap with possessiveness. The same could be said of Barbara Jean and her attempting to drag Kate’s name through the mud, despite the fact she’s not even dating Chris. Though scenes with these characters were awkward at times, they gave the book a clear sense of morality.
Overall, the book was enjoyable. The plot was easy to follow, and though the characters were predictable, they were nonetheless relatable. The relationships between Chris and Kate, as well as Kate and her dead wife, were easy to understand. Young accurately portrays the struggles people have, whether it be dealing with grief or imperfections or even regret. As such, I would give this book a 3.6 out of 5.0 stars, and would recommend it to those who enjoy romance, specifically contemporary, sweet, and small town romance.
