Never have I read anything like Before That Night. There is no subterfuge the rawness of a life interrupted and the courageous actions of a woman at the brink of despair. Addison is a very meaty character. She leads this story like a mama bear protecting her cubs and faces unspeakable danger head on. Caine is her rock when her secrets and responsibilities become too much to bear. Caine is hardly a hero, he has his own demons to bear but for a while he becomes Addison's soft place to fall. Before That Night provides a glimpse at subjects like homelessness, alcoholism and obsession while delivering an organic story of love and hope. My one pet peeve is that I didn't get my happy ending. ( )

Typical story, not bad not good. Girl wants to take care of her siblings like a good girl would. Girl falls in love with local cop. Now I did not feel the chemistry between these two. I’m not sure if it was just the writer or the story itself, I just could not grasp it. Felt pushed. I really felt for Addison, having a junkie mother and her poor siblings. Nothing breaks my heart more. I liked Caine for the most part but thought he was a little bossy and overprotective, maybe that’s just the cop in them. This story does have a twist that I will not give away. Earned a 3.5 star but gotta round down to a 3….. ( )

A cliffhanger!! And a masterful one at that! Violet Duke has managed to write one heck of a start to a new series! Each sibling's story is in two parts. Book 1 takes place & then Book 2 takes place a number of years later so the scene was set for a cliffhanger. Addison has had a horrible life growing up & has ended up raising her brother & sister for all their lives. However, her druggie mother took off with her boyfriend & abandoned them. They don't miss her except then they became homeless. Caine is a police officer that comes into the diner for meals & is interested in Addison. He begins to see Addison but she has to keep her secrets around him. If he found out they are homeless & that she doesn't have legal custody of the kids, he'll have to turn them in & the kids will be put into foster care. With all of this going on, Addison manages to catch the eye of a crazy stalker. Will she trust Caine with the truth? What happens with the stalker?

Wow! There is a lot going on in this book. Violet has created complex characters with such distinct personalities. Her writing manages to bring you right into the scene with the characters. Her descriptive use of language makes each scene very realistic & the emotions the characters are feeling believable. You can sense the intense yearning Caine feels when he looks at Addison. This book is a testament to what lengths an older sibling will go to in order to keep their family together no matter what. Violet pulled me into the story immediately with Addison's desperation as she lied to Joe to get a job so she could afford to attempt to keep the kids & the twists, turns & suspense of the plot keep me involved until the end. I couldn't put it down & at the end, all I could say is NOOO!!! It can't end here!! ( )