Tenley still has screaming nightmares about the accident that took all her loved ones away. In an effort to move on, she decides to get a tattoo done by sexy Hayden Stryker. Hayden has a past as well that continues to haunt him, but seeing Tenley makes him feel hope again. Together, they fall hard for each other, but nothing can separate them from their own darkness.

CLIPPED WINGS by Helena Hunting is an intense novel full of romance and people trying to overcome the past. Tenley and Hayden are so good together that they practically sizzle off the page. I like how much they get to care for each slowly, but still with plenty of steam. They both have some faults that occasionally made me cringe while reading, but it gives them excellent depth and rounds them out nicely as characters. Some of the secondary characters like Lisa and Carrie add flavor to the novel, and I wouldn't mind seeing them get their own story at all.

Though I like many things about this story, I really wanted it to be a standalone by the time I got to the end of it. The story doesn't drag or anything like that, but I felt Tenley's and Hayden's issues could easily have been resolved by the end of this book. They're complex people, but they grow so much in the story that I thought they were more than in a place to set everything straight. Even so, I absolutely want to read the sequel to see what happens to them.

Even though I had a few issues with it, I really like CLIPPED WINGS overall. Helena Hunting is a great writer, and I want to see what happens next for these characters. I would definitely recommend it for any new adult romance fans.