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bookishlychar 's review for:
Steadfast
by Sarina Bowen
4.5/5 - Steadfast is the second novel in the True North series by Sarina Bowen and follows Jude and Sophie's story. This is an emotional book with a lot of trigger warnings, please check them out if they are something that you need.
Jude is a recovering addict and has just gotten out of prison for manslaughter. We met him in the previous book as the new hire at the Shipley's farm. He is now back living with his dad when the work season at the farm finished up. His dad is an alcoholic and lives in the town he never wanted to return to. He is trying to make amends for the accident he caused three years ago that killed his ex-girlfriends brother. Sophie is the ex-girlfriend. She feels like her life has been on hold for three years because the wrong child died. Her parents blame her.
This was a hard story. Sarina Bowen does such an excellent job of portraying addiction and recovery from addiction. The descriptions of cravings and withdrawal were so well written, it really allowed the reader to see and empathize with the strength a recovering addict shows every time they choose to stay sober. This was such a raw and real story. Jude's story is so painful to read, there are moment I sobbed for him and the pain he was enduring because of addiction and because of the guilt he feels.
Sophie was an interesting character. She had experienced two tremendous losses, the loss of her brother and the loss of the love of her life. Not only that, her family is in a constant state of mourning and has not even begun to heal. She has picked herself and moved on, even though she is dealing with the pain of feeling (and knowing as the dad verbalizes it) that her parents wish it was her that died.
When Jude and Sophie come together, the feelings they had in the past come back to the surface as there was no closure. You can easily see how much love they have. This isn't a story about everything being "okay", it is more about dealing with the hand you are dealt and figuring out how to live with painful choices and memories.
Overall this is a wonderful and beautiful second chance romance. Sarina Bowen has written a wonderful couple that you are rooting for against all the odds stacked up against them.
Jude is a recovering addict and has just gotten out of prison for manslaughter. We met him in the previous book as the new hire at the Shipley's farm. He is now back living with his dad when the work season at the farm finished up. His dad is an alcoholic and lives in the town he never wanted to return to. He is trying to make amends for the accident he caused three years ago that killed his ex-girlfriends brother. Sophie is the ex-girlfriend. She feels like her life has been on hold for three years because the wrong child died. Her parents blame her.
This was a hard story. Sarina Bowen does such an excellent job of portraying addiction and recovery from addiction. The descriptions of cravings and withdrawal were so well written, it really allowed the reader to see and empathize with the strength a recovering addict shows every time they choose to stay sober. This was such a raw and real story. Jude's story is so painful to read, there are moment I sobbed for him and the pain he was enduring because of addiction and because of the guilt he feels.
Sophie was an interesting character. She had experienced two tremendous losses, the loss of her brother and the loss of the love of her life. Not only that, her family is in a constant state of mourning and has not even begun to heal. She has picked herself and moved on, even though she is dealing with the pain of feeling (and knowing as the dad verbalizes it) that her parents wish it was her that died.
When Jude and Sophie come together, the feelings they had in the past come back to the surface as there was no closure. You can easily see how much love they have. This isn't a story about everything being "okay", it is more about dealing with the hand you are dealt and figuring out how to live with painful choices and memories.
Overall this is a wonderful and beautiful second chance romance. Sarina Bowen has written a wonderful couple that you are rooting for against all the odds stacked up against them.