Review: Heart of Light by T.K. Leigh

Synopsis

Twelve years ago, Jolene’s adoptive mother died. Twelve years ago, a man showed up at Jolene’s door and promised to take care of her. Twelve years ago, Jolene was happy. Then it all changed… 

Jolene Bergio has spent the last twelve years of her life asking one question… Why? Why was she left in the custody of a man who would sell her each and every night to the highest bidder? After a few years, she shut off, giving up hope that anyone would ever find her. Until her luck changed one night and she escaped. 

Twelve years later, she finally feels something she hasn’t felt in a long time… Free. 

Almost. 

Scared that her past will find her unexpectedly, she hides away in a rented beach house, trying to distance herself from everyone… Until Dr. Cameron Bowen enters her world and slowly tears down the walls that she has built up over the past twelve years of her captivity. Jolene begins to learn to love again. 

And trust again. 

But when a man from Jolene’s past emerges, will she be able to keep her identity hidden? When lies are told and hearts are broken, will the truth surface in time to bring Jolene back from the shadows that threaten to expose who she really is? 

My review

I am a big fan of the Beautiful Mess series, so I couldn't wait to read yeah another TK Leigh book! We first met Dr. Cameron Bowen in the Beautiful Mess series. It's two years later and he is still in a funk about Olivia. When Cam first meets Jolene he sees a resemblance to Olivia and wants nothing to do with her. But the more Cam gets to know Jolene, the more he learns that she is definitely her own person. Unfortunately, we discover that Jolene's story is a sad and heartbreaking one and at times a hard one to read. For the past ten years she has been held captive and sold to the highest bidder on a nightly basis. There were moments when I actually found myself putting the book down to regroup before moving on. The human trafficking storyline was one that I had not encountered before and I liked that TK chose to write about it. 

Cam and Jolene's relationship was very complicated and along the way obstacles made things even harder for them. TK outdid herself this time with the baddies. They were the absolute WORST and they made my skin crawl every time they appeared so I couldn't help but cheer at the end of the book. haha. 

And we even got a little bit of Mr. Burnham in this book, which made this reader VERY happy.