Gave 3 stars cause I wanted to read their first time. Other than that really liked it!! ( )

Review of eBook

Laura, still reeling from the death of her father, finds solace in Seth’s self-appointed duty of walking her home; she dreams of a relationship with him while he [unbeknownst to her] wants her. But will the secret he’s keeping destroy any chance of a relationship with her?

This short story, a prequel to the author’s “Hard to Love,” focuses on teens Laura and Seth as the relationship between them sparks to life. For most of the story, they are usually at school or on the way home after. When they do finally have a date of sorts, Seth’s friend, Derrick, doesn’t seem to think much of Seth and Laura having a relationship; nevertheless, Seth perseveres.

But Seth and Derrick, along with some unnamed others, are involved in something clandestine. What are they involved in and what does it have to do with the death of Laura’s father? And what is the secret Seth is determined to keep from Laura . . . forever? Readers will find no hint regarding any of this in these pages.

Unanswered questions remain when the reader has turned the last page. [Presumably, these are resolved in “Hard to Love”]; here they set the stage for events to come and provide an undercurrent of mystery for the larger story.

As Laura and Seth each take a turn at telling their story, there’s enough longing and teen angst to offset Laura’s shyness and Seth’s determination to keep something from her. There is a hint of sweetness in the story that softens the fretting over what the reader knows is coming . . . but no one knows exactly what that might be.

The only downside here is the overuse of an offensive expletive; it’s off-putting and lowers the rating for this story. ( )

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