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A review by theeclecticreview
Darling Venom by Parker S. Huntington
5.0
What a fantastic Christmas gift for me. Ms. Huntington has created an exquisite love story from a heartbreaking tragedy. It's about an extremely broken and dysfunctional group of people who are wallowing in their guilt and fighting for their sanity over a young man's tragic death. To the rescue comes a lonely, intelligent, and unwavering young woman with a mission to carry out her best friend's wishes and find the love that is needed to heal them all.
Charlotte "Lottie" "Charlie" Richards has lost a lot over the years. From the accident that killed her parents and maimed her sister to her best friend's death, Charlie has carried her guilt for years. Her sister Leah hates her for the fire and her best friend's brother, Tate, hates her for keeping Kellan's secret for so many years. Charlie couldn't save Kellan, but she is determined to save Tate with the legacy Kellan left for the people he loved. But at what cost?
Tatum "Tate" Marchetti is an OBGYN who is called the "Miracle Doctor" by his patients, but his inner torment of losing the brother he couldn't save and dealing with his worthless POS sperm donor of a father leaves him angry and cold. When he meets his brother's only friend, Charlie, he dislikes her immediately with her strange clothes and quirky personality. But the more time he spends around her, the more she messes with his composure and control. Something he cannot give up at any cost.
Charlie's first meeting with Tate is a shocker with his crude and extremely inappropriate behavior. It confirms why his brother Kellan despised him so much. But the chemistry slowly builds as these two try to piece together why Kellan died. What I love about Charlie is that she doesn't hesitate to take his gift to her and unselfishly use it to help his brother and father deal with their demons and eventually find peace. She's a natural-born nurturer and so strong as she learns to live with so much grief and generously gives her time and compassion to the people that don't want her help. Tate is a cold fish at first until Charlie starts to get under his skin and frequently calls him out on his bullshit. He is torn at his attraction to her because of the age gap and her relationship with his brother as innocent as it was. Watching Tate spiral out of control is upsetting but necessary for him to open himself up to love. It's a slow burn getting there, but so worth the wait.
This story is by no means is just about Charlie and Tate, but about Tate and Kellan's selfish and entitled father who threw all his money away on drugs and alcohol. What Charlie does for him is nothing short of a miracle as he comes clean and makes amends.
And then there is Charlie's sister Leah with her scarred heart and her scarred body who blames Charlie for her problems. All she needed was a good kick in the ass to make her open her eyes and be grateful she still had a loving sister who was there for her despite everything she put her through.
This moving and unforgettable story threw the whole book at me so to speak. I laughed, I cried (a lot), and I cheered for all of the characters in this book to find happiness and peace after such a crushing event. I'm adding this as another favorite book in 2021. Pick it up. You won't regret it.
Charlotte "Lottie" "Charlie" Richards has lost a lot over the years. From the accident that killed her parents and maimed her sister to her best friend's death, Charlie has carried her guilt for years. Her sister Leah hates her for the fire and her best friend's brother, Tate, hates her for keeping Kellan's secret for so many years. Charlie couldn't save Kellan, but she is determined to save Tate with the legacy Kellan left for the people he loved. But at what cost?
Tatum "Tate" Marchetti is an OBGYN who is called the "Miracle Doctor" by his patients, but his inner torment of losing the brother he couldn't save and dealing with his worthless POS sperm donor of a father leaves him angry and cold. When he meets his brother's only friend, Charlie, he dislikes her immediately with her strange clothes and quirky personality. But the more time he spends around her, the more she messes with his composure and control. Something he cannot give up at any cost.
Charlie's first meeting with Tate is a shocker with his crude and extremely inappropriate behavior. It confirms why his brother Kellan despised him so much. But the chemistry slowly builds as these two try to piece together why Kellan died. What I love about Charlie is that she doesn't hesitate to take his gift to her and unselfishly use it to help his brother and father deal with their demons and eventually find peace. She's a natural-born nurturer and so strong as she learns to live with so much grief and generously gives her time and compassion to the people that don't want her help. Tate is a cold fish at first until Charlie starts to get under his skin and frequently calls him out on his bullshit. He is torn at his attraction to her because of the age gap and her relationship with his brother as innocent as it was. Watching Tate spiral out of control is upsetting but necessary for him to open himself up to love. It's a slow burn getting there, but so worth the wait.
This story is by no means is just about Charlie and Tate, but about Tate and Kellan's selfish and entitled father who threw all his money away on drugs and alcohol. What Charlie does for him is nothing short of a miracle as he comes clean and makes amends.
And then there is Charlie's sister Leah with her scarred heart and her scarred body who blames Charlie for her problems. All she needed was a good kick in the ass to make her open her eyes and be grateful she still had a loving sister who was there for her despite everything she put her through.
This moving and unforgettable story threw the whole book at me so to speak. I laughed, I cried (a lot), and I cheered for all of the characters in this book to find happiness and peace after such a crushing event. I'm adding this as another favorite book in 2021. Pick it up. You won't regret it.