The people we love are thieves.
They steal our hearts. They steal our breath.
They steal our sanity.
And we let them.
Over and over and over again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They say you never forget your first love.
Mine was a homeless musician who wandered straight into my soul.
He was my first everything. And fourteen years later, I still can't get him out of my head.
He broke all my rules.
He also broke my heart.
I watched him climb to stardom, cheering him on from afar.
But I was never a fan; just a girl in love.
Like a tornado, he spiraled, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.
But love conquers all, right? It has to. Because here I stand, ravaged and ruined, needing it to be true.
We can't go back, but I want to. Back to the park. Back to when he sang only for me. Before he was famous. Before he shattered my heart.
I thought I knew everything about him.
But I could not have been more wrong.
He promised me every tomorrow. And here I am, waiting.
And hoping.
Again.
Carian Cole does not disappoint. This book took me to another level with the depth of the characters. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it explores addiction and mental health. The characters struggled in such a raw, REAL way. As someone who has witnessed addiction I can relate to this story. It hurt my heart so much, but it was also beautiful. Love is so powerful. I'm so thankful to have ready this story.
No Tomorrow takes place over approximately 15 years. Life doesn’t always happen quickly like in some novels. Things take time. You learn each other and grow. Experiences take time. Piper and Blue had a hard, difficult, lengthy journey to get to their happily ever after. A LOT of life happened in this book. But you can also see their journey will continue even though the story was technically done.
As usual Carian brought me to tears. Painfully beautiful and such an important story to tell. I beg you to read this if you haven't. I hope I can give this book the justice it deserves and summarize it while avoiding spoilers. Piper Karel is twenty-one years old when she meets "Evan. But my friends call me Blue" at a park by her job. She's been going to this particular park during her lunch break for three months. Each day she sits on the same bench. On this day she hears music playing as she nears the bench. The music is being played by a man. He has long brown hair, is covered in tattoos, and is sitting on the ground playing a guitar. His dog sits next to him.
Piper is instantly intrigued by him, and when their eyes meet she realizes he has noticed her too. Rather quickly she learns from Blue that he both works and lives in the park. He's homeless. Piper and Blue spend Piper's lunch breaks together and begin to get to know each other. Blue tells her they're destined to fall in love.
She develops quite a soft spot for Blue, and his dog Acorn. Piper changes her habits and even visits the park on Saturdays just to see Blue and Acorn. Throughout these encounters her desire and attraction for him grows. Their attraction explodes in a rather hot and dirty encounter where Piper loses her virginity. This scene was HOT!! I want to give more details, but I won't to avoid spoilers.
After a few months Blue makes some minor compromises with Piper and no longer sleeps under the bridge at the park. Piper learns Blue is a recovering addict who suffers with migraines. He has also started exhibiting some behaviors that confuse and worry Piper. He warns her numerous times he's a bad bet. One day he'll hurt her and she'll hate him. Based on what she knows, she's so scared to lose him she doesn't question things or push him for more. More answers. More commitment. She knows he loves her and she decides that's enough for her. Until one day he's gone. Blue leaves without a word. Only a note explaining that he didn't actually leave her. He needed to wander, and he left to try to be better. For them. Piper is devastated.
Fast forward some years into the future. Piper is working in the same job, but has moved up the corporate ladder. Blue is never far from her mind as he left behind quite a bit when he walked away. While he's been gone, he has also left some random notes for her to find to remind her he still loves her. One day she hears his music on the radio and discovers that sometime within the years he was gone he has become famous. His music is loved by many. Piper is happy for him and yet upset that he hasn't contacted her. She didn't even know his last name until she looked him and the band up on the internet.
Piper enlists the help of her friends to track down Blue so she can confront him. Her friends caution her not to do it. Her friends and her family all believe Piper's relationship with Blue is toxic. And to a certain extent it just may be. They feel he has negatively impacted Piper's life and more harm than good can come from this confrontation. But Piper knows she needs to see Blue. She has something important to tell him.
When Piper sees Blue again things don't quite go as planned. Their chemistry is still there. They can't deny it. But Blue knows he's still toxic. He's still struggling through some things. Things Piper discovers that shatter her. They continue talking as the years continue to pass. And Blue continues to struggle. Piper busts her butt to remain stable, but she never loses sight of the love she has for Blue.
At this point, it's been about ten years since they first met. Blue seems to have gotten himself a bit more settled and they've finally started a real relationship. During this time quite a few more years pass. The climax of this story was so unexpected it took my breath away. That seems to be a talent of Carian's. My breath was gone and my heart was in my throat. Blue's addictions and odd behaviors have all come to a head. He needs real help if they will ever be able to move forward. Blue has some hard work to do, and if he puts in the time and energy they may be able to get through this and build their happily ever after.
I must say, it is very hard to talk about Piper and Evan's story without including any spoilers. Their story is woven so deep that each and every part of it is so vital to their story. There's so much more that needs to be shared. No Tomorrow is a tiny bit on the darker side, but it is also a story that needs to be read. It may contain some triggers for some readers so be warned.
It's worth noting that Piper's character was so strong. She never once wavered in her support of Evan. Even during their tough times, she always had his back. But she also knew when enough was enough. The usage of his name versus his nickname is also a key part in the story. Don't just take my word for it. Please read this story and share your thoughts with me. I love this book so much! I will be adding it to my signed paperback collection the second it becomes available on Carian Cole's website listed below.
RATING: 5/5 STARS ✰✰✰✰✰
Website: https://www.cariancolewrites.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CarianColeGroupies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cariancoleauthor/
Buy this book on Amazon or read for free with Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/No-Tomorrow-Carian-Cole-ebook/dp/B07H78JKKH
Happy reading!
Post a Comment