M. Leighton

Pocketful of Sand

Ashley Janssen

Insta-love :(. Also, the characters and their backgrounds felt kind of unrealistic.

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I have to start this review out with a confession. It's pretty embarrassing, too. Before this book, I'd never read an M. Leighton book. I know. I'm so ashamed. Even worse? I own most of her books. I just hadn't made time to read one yet. But now I can say I'm officially hooked and intend to start chipping away at her backlist soon. 

I really liked the characters in this book. Eden was a wonderful mom. It was clear she was on the run, hiding from something in her past, but we don't know what right away. Her daughter, Emmy, was painfully withdrawn and didn't speak to anyone but her. She hides from nearly everyone, but that changed the day she saw the man building sandcastles on the beach in their new town. She was intrigued by him and connected with him. And, so did Eden. 

Cole was dealing with his own painful past and the loss of his young daughter, Charity. Again, we don't know the full story right away, but we can see how whatever happened affected him. Rumors around town are that he's crazy, but in reality, he's just a man mourning his daughter. A man with a load of guilt. My heart ached for him. 

I liked how things built between Eden and Cole. It wasn't immediate, despite the initial spark. They took their time getting to know each other and sharing their own pasts, learning to trust each other. It was raw and emotional, but gave me hope that together they could move forward. I loved watching as they began working towards a beautiful second chance together. 

Pocketful of Sand wasn't necessarily an easy read, but my goodness, I haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished. It was a pretty heavy story, emotionally, so make sure you're ready for a book like that before you start. It was heartbreaking and hopeful. There were some unexpected twists and turns and, while I'm not going to give you any spoilers, an ending that I can't stop thinking about. Oh, and please take the warning in the blurb to heart. There are some rather disturbing issues tackled in this book, though thankfully none of them are written in vivid detail. 

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Pocketful of Sand

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