What do you do if you are afraid of going outside your boundaries? Do you live in your safe little padded room without the thrill of experiencing new things? Or, do you learn everything you can about it, take precautions that may seem over the top & experience it anyway? Juliet had a stroke & almost drowned when she was a child. Her mother started to panic if Juliet even did every day, simple things because she might get hurt again. Juliet took that to heart. She may have ended up almost wrapped in pads & safety gear but then she went out & did it. She rode that bike & scrapped herself up when she fell but all of her precautions minimized the injuries. So she continued with this behavior.

Sawyer loved the Bayou & everything it entailed until his best friend was accidentally injured out in the Bayou & Sawyer wasn’t fast enough to save him. Now, instead of seeing the Bayou as the same entertaining but dangerous place it’s always been, he just sees the danger. He’s determined to keep everyone safe & it’s changed his temperament from funny & sexy to dark & brooding. Until he met Juliet & realized she was even more paranoid about safety than he was.

This was the best story!! In the words of little Conner, “Everyone needs someone to balance them out.” How can a little kid be so smart? Sawyer & Juliet balance each other out & support each other. They both have fears & paranoid concerns but Sawyer keeps Juliet from being too serious. He pulls her out of her own thoughts & helps her prepare for any eventuality. Juliet reminds Sawyer that he doesn’t have to be the only one looking out for everyone. It’s not on him to keep everyone safe. This story hit every button. Sympathy for what they’ve both been through. Laughter for the pictures Ms. Nicholas has drawn in my mind of Juliet in all of her safety gear. Fear that Juliet & Sawyer have, & are still feeling, but also the fear of Sawyer’s family watching him drift further away from the person he once was. I loved catching up with Gabe, Stella & Conner & experiencing their moments with Sawyer. This was the hottest, most intense story I’ve read in a while & I loved it! I really can’t wait for Kennedy & Bennett! ( )