Every day, Faith Watters puts on a mask of happiness,
complicity, and popularity. It seems like only her best
friend, Melissa, can see beyond it until she meets Diego
Alvarez. Newly moved to the States from Cuba, Diego knows
everything about survival and little about love. Somehow, he
can still see straight through Faith, and that terrifies
them both. As their attraction grows, they can feel the
people around them disapproving, but love will put up a
strong fight to keep them together.
BEFORE YOU by Amber Hart has some of the most beautiful
writing I've read in a long time. From the very beginning,
the words seem to wrap around you and flow right into your
heart. Faith and Diego have pasts full of different pains
and hurts, but both have an intense passion that seems to be
only met by each other. Their dual narration is moving,
crushing, and utterly memorable.
Two elements of the story ended up being my favorites. The
Latino aspect sings a rich culture in the story, and the
portrayal of Diego trying to overcome his past dangers in
Cuba feels so real. The chemistry between Diego and Faith
nearly sizzles off the page. I constantly battled between
screaming if they didn't kiss and whooping out loud if they
did. The steamy scenes fit perfectly in expressing all the
turmoil and emotion going on inside them, and I loved every
bit of it.
BEFORE YOU easily makes my list of favorite reads this year.
Much like the emotional intensity of Katie McGarry's works,
Amber Hart delivers a story that leaves a mark on your
heart. With the smaller story lines involving the secondary
characters, Melissa and Javier, I can't wait to read about
them as main characters in the companion to this.
It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And
I don't care.
Faith Watters has a picture-perfect life. She's captain of
the dance team, popular, happy. She even spent her junior
year traveling the world before returning to Oviedo High
School for senior year. But she's living a lie.
Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying
in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars,
Diego doesn't stand a chance of fitting in, and doesn't want
to. His only concern is his secret past--a past, which if it
were to surface, would cost him his life.
Everyone knows that Faith and Diego don't belong together.
But fate has its own plan. All they want is to be free. What
they get is something different entirely.