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Author: Lyla Payne
About the book: Jeyne Dalton has graduated from college, medical school, and has slogged through half of a surgical internship year with flying colors, which she figures HAS to mean she’s put her past – and her family – behind her for good. If only she hadn’t answered that random ad for a roommate, her life would be pretty damn perfect.
Dinah Robbins knows that, no matter what she does, the horror that is her life will never be behind her…unless her controlling, threatening, abusive boyfriend finally kills her. She’s floating, waiting, and advertised for a roommate as a last ditch, listless effort to save herself a few beatings here and there.
Jeyne and Dinah may have been roommates for months, but they’re not anything like friends. In fact, they hardly know each other at all – until the night Jeyne comes home late to find Dinah in a heap of trouble. The two girls then find themselves sharing a secret that brings them together in a way they never expected. And upends their lives in a way they may never be able to set right.
My thoughts: This book started out pretty heavy with a very realistic scene between Dinah and Tritt - her abusive boyfriend. It was very hard for me to read because of personal reasons (no, nothing happened to me, but to someone very close to me). I am glad that I stayed with it though. I liked the way that the friendship between Jeyne and Dinah developed after that first night. They had both been very careful with letting anyone close to them and it was cool to see them slowly open up to each other and learn to trust. The same can be said about the men in their lives.
With Jeyne it was Nathan, a fellow doctor who has been her study partner for months. She has been attracted to him from the beginning, but until recently didn't think he was interested in her. Unfortunately he is keeping secrets of his own and when they come out, Jeyne is not sure that they can still be friends - let alone anything else.
Dinah becomes friends with Eli - Tritt's younger brother. She discovers things about him that make her realize that there were people who were trying to help her, even when she wasn't willing/able to help herself. Overcoming/forgetting what brought them together might be tougher than they think though.
I liked this book and read it very quickly. This looks like it might be the first in a series - so looking forward to what comes next.
Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
If you want to know more, please visit her at http://lylapayne.com
If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction--science fiction or otherwise--please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com
