*This
is the follow up to The Line That Binds*
While searching for answers involving Stockton
Estate's stone well, Ben Shadows and LJ Wayde discover one truth: the curse is
real.
Unfortunately, that truth has LJ facing the same
fate that's been tied to her bloodline for generations. The curse has given her
the ability to help others conquer their greatest weaknesses, but it comes with
a torturous price. As the rush of helping people starts to outweigh the pain of
the consequences, LJ moves toward acceptance. She considers it a gift and a
possibility to make up for the way she treated people in her past.
Ben pushes on to find an end to the curse
despite LJ's reluctance. With reasons linked to her Aunt Janine's memory loss,
Ben fears the real consequences are far worse than LJ's current symptoms. His
love for her drives his need to protect her, even if it means hiding the next
piece of the well's mystery.
When LJ finds what Ben has kept secret, she may
never forgive him.
Will he lose her heart before he can save her
mind?
**Recommended
mature YA for mild language and mild sexual content.**
What a roller coaster
ride. JM Miller follows up The Line That Binds flawlessly. It seems like she
cranked everything up from the characters, emotions, and plot. It is an awesome
follow up that you don’t want to miss. I’m going to stop here and say that if
you have not read The Line That Binds, you need to stop reading this review as
it will contain slight spoilers. You can check out my The Line That Binds
review here.
This book picks up
about a month after the 1st book ends. Ben and LJ are together, and they are done
searching the basement for clues regarding the curse. Unfortunately their
search continues. The author does a wonderful job at bringing not only Ben and
LJ to life, but all the characters. Each one has a distinct personality, and
you feel like you really get to know them. As far as friends go, Spaz and Izzy are a hoot. I really enjoyed them. We even see glimpses of Gavin’s maturity, even
though he is so young. He tries to step out of the little brother role at times
and wants to look out for LJ.
I got so invested in
these characters. Their heartbreak, worry, joy, love, determination, and
everything else they went through became my own. And as pervy as it makes me
feel (thanks for that J.M., LOL) I have a new BBF in Ben Shadows. *sigh* I am
fully aware that he is only 18, but back off birches…for real. He is so swoon
worthy. He always knows what LJ needs and is always there for her. I love how
he is always careful and considerate with her, but he is not overbearing. He is
the right amount of everything. Oh and the sweet things he says to her. Melts.
My. Heart.
The story is packed
full of emotion. You have both Ben and LJ trying to protect the other from the
curse. Did I get frustrated with them from time to time? Heck yeah I did. BUT,
they are such a sweet couple and everything they do for each other is out of
love. What a deep, enduring love it is.
To be honest, I was a
bit sad when I finished the last page. I just didn’t want to let go of these
characters. Just thinking about their story now makes my heart ache a little.
This is definitely a series that I will have no problem reading over and over.
What are you waiting for? Go pick up your copy now and experience Ben and LJ’s
journey for yourself.
Prologue
November, 1864
Tonight was the last night.
Dahlia pulled on her jacket and stepped into the darkness. The air
nipped at her face and fingers, but she pushed on, knowing this would be the
last night she knelt before the well.
The moon hovered low on the horizon, giving just enough light to
guide her across the still property. Winter was close. Color had fallen from
the trees and the sun was setting earlier every day. Travel would be harder
now, harsher, making the possibility of finding a new home more difficult.
Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to dissuade Dahlia from leaving. The only thing
that worried her now was how the Stocktons would treat her servant mother after
she had gone. Mr. Stockton had passed last month, which meant Charles, with
some guidance from his mother, was now in charge of the estate.
Dahlia stopped in front of the well and gazed up to the mansion like
she had every night for weeks. Noticing a dim light in the farthest of the
upstairs windows, she crouched low to hide. It was Charles' office, not his and
Sarah's bedroom. Unfortunately, Dahlia knew which bedroom was theirs most of
all─it could've been hers. In the weeks following the wedding, she'd been
called upon to help clean their house. Their room.
Every time she had to change
the blankets on their bed, it made her physically ill. Thoughts of their
lovemaking charged her mind. They ripped at her heart every day and haunted her
every night. But they also fueled her anger, and kept her coming back to the
well.
Seeing no movement within the lit room, she decided to continue. She
stayed low and twisted sideways to keep an eye on the window. Digging into her
pocket, she removed a thin iron pick. Its rounded tip had been worn close to
its base. Her palm gripped the cool metal and its grooves settled into the cuts
already etched in her skin. She located the final area of stone then started to
scratch.
Hours later, after the last letter was done and her hands were raw
and bloody once more, Dahlia read the words aloud and rubbed her hands over the
stones. She thought of him as she spoke. Thought of him lying in her bed. His
lips caressing hers. His promise for forever.
This was her promise to him and she was certain it would last longer
than his had.
It would surpass their lifetimes.
Letting the pick fall to the ground, Dahlia turned toward the house
again. A silhouette stood at the window, darkened by the dim light at its back.
It was him.
Charles.
She stared at his figure, knowing he was looking at her too. For one
weakened moment, she longed to see his green eyes, taste the breath of his
kiss, and feel the comfort of his arms again. Warm tears rolled over her icy
cheeks, waking her from the spell.
He'd made his choice.
It wasn't her.
So she walked away from the well, leaving the darkened figure behind
and never looking back.
J.M. Miller first discovered her love of writing in high school
where she penned poetry for extra credit in English class and even braved the
anxiety of an open-mic night at a local coffee shop. Life soon followed, with a
couple of careers, marriage, and a baby. The urge to write again came not long
after her daughter's birth, this time calling for more than a few lines in a
messy composition notebook.
She is a military spouse, and a veteran herself, who finds
inspiration in the people she's met and the places she's lived and traveled.
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3 eBook copies of The Line That Binds OR The Line That Breaks
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