When fifteen-year-old Imaniyah loses her mom to cancer and addiction, she’s left with more questions than answers—and a name she’s never known, Brooks.She’s never met her father. Never seen a photo. But when grief becomes unbearable, Imaniyah travels to Quinn City in search of the man who abandoned her before she was born. What she finds isn’t what she imagined. Brooks is more than a stranger—he’s an addict, haunted by a violent past and a lifetime of regret.Thrown together by blood but divided by pain, Imaniyah and Brooks don’t trust each other—not at first. But as secrets unravel and walls begin to crack, they uncover something healing. Slowly, clumsily, they start to rebuild the family neither thought they’d ever have.Just as they find their footing, Imaniyah is hit with a life-altering diagnosis that threatens to undo it all. Now Brooks must stay clean—for her—and Imaniyah must find the courage to let someone in, even as her world starts to fall apart again.Told with raw emotion, quiet hope, and sharp humor, this is a story of second chances, found family, and the fight to love—even when it hurts.
This story was just what I needed to get out my slump. Imaniyah lost her mom to addiction and Cancer at just fifteen. She never met her dad but has his address and name Brooks so she starts her journey to get answers and possibly build a relationship with him. The next year of her young life was hard but her strength was amazing I enjoyed the dynamic between Brooks and Imaniyah. I will definitely be purchasing copies for family members. This is a must read. Thank you Rayona for my gifted ARC