Safe with You Author by Bridgette Anne

Book Review

4.8 out of 5 stars!

"Home. I'd been running for almost a decade now, and I was tired." - Krystal

Krystal's walking back into the house and town she swore never to return to. Yet thanks to a worldwide pandemic she's made the choice to come "home". Her younger brother needs her as he struggles to keep up with everything and the new pandemic at the hospital he works for. Only things go downhill fast when Cameron Morris waltzes into the house and back into Krystal's life. . .

No matter how hard you try to run from your ghosts and simply "forget" about them, they always find you. Krystal's stay with her little brother is going to be very challenging even if it is only two weeks. . . Will Kyrstal and Cameron be able to make amends? Can Krystal remain in one spot for fourteen days? And can she release the ghosts of her past?

This book was a RIDE! First, please read the content warnings for this book!

This read has two timelines going on at the same time. The present and the time frame of eight years ago. We are slowly working through the present while piecing together a past and how things got so bad, helping to understand the main cast more. This book does have a happy ending, but we have to get there first.

Krystal has had a hard life and had to grow up very quickly, not getting to fully enjoy being a kid or having those "golden years". Coming from a broken home with no one as the parental figure, she had to step up for her younger brother. She became the adult before her eighteenth birthday candles had a chance to be blown out. . .

The book is focused on her POV in both time periods. I liked how the book flowed with going from the present to the past. Krystal's life changed the moment she saw Cameron return home from construction work that one summer night. No longer her brother's lanky best friend, but now a young man. Only he's seventeen and she's four years older than him and the adult in their lives.

Krystal's present is full of guilt, ghosts she has yet to face, and emotions she doesn't want to deal with. You can tell she needs to release so much and heal from a lot, but she doesn't know where to begin. And with Cameron under the same roof as her things get complicated. She has no more excuses to run away from him and the history they have together. Could there ever be a second chance for them?

Adults always tell their kids they need to grow up, that the oldest child needs to be the adult. Not knowing how damaging that is to a child. Not to mention when parents just check out on their kids and force them to step up. Both Krystal and Cameron had to grow up too fast. Broken homes, promises, and words caused them to become adults.

One thing that may be triggering to some is the age gap and how eight years ago Cam was only seventeen while Krystal was twenty-one. If you want to skip this paragraph, go ahead because it may contain spoilers. Krystal didn't want to fall for Cam, but things happened. The two did wait until he was a month or so shy of being officially eighteen. Things up to that point was just clear tension and some passionate kissing. Part of the guilt Krystal carries around is this, not to mention some implying she was grooming him or worse. She was not and Cam states he knew exactly what he was doing!

Again, this may be triggering for some, but I saw two people who had to grow up too quickly and were meant to be together. We love the age gap romances but what happens when you meet that person when they are just almost eighteen? There was no grooming of any kind and I understand other people's angers and words toward Krystal specifically, but still. They both were consenting, knew what they were doing, and mutually agreed. I am only speaking on behalf of this read and the story/plot.

I absolutely loved Krystal's best friend! From the moment I read about Lyndsey I knew she was going to be that ride or die friend. Also, this quote had me laughing:

"It really is precious time. Soon those abs will be covered in hoodies and winter jackets for at least six months." - Lyndsey

Oh, but honey. . .you do know that in those six months we have Grey-Sweatpants-Winter. . . 

I loved the chemistry between Cameron and Krystal. Cameron's a big sweetheart and will protect his found family with everything he has. However, there were several times I just wanted to yell at all the cast to sit down and talk it out. So many moments of frustration! This book is about healing and letting go of things not to mention facing pasts.

The small town this book is placed in reminded me of mine, right down to the grade school up to college being present in town. Everyone knows everyone and sometimes that's not a good thing. Rumors and things that happen to you or your family spread through the grapevine like wildfire. . .

This book has very heavy themes! Grief, abusive pasts, emotional and physical abusive behaviors, language, and some other triggers. Again, read the list before you dive into the story. This was still a very good read and kept me interested until the very end. Not to mention just all the sexual tension built up in BOTH timelines! There're also some crazy twists that absolutely blew me away!

Do enjoy this read filled with raw emotions and feelings. Don't forget to give the author some stars!

Safe With You - Kindle edition by Anne, Bridgette. Contemporary Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

I couldn't find the author's website, but I did find her socials:

Bridgette Anne (@bridgetteannewrites) • Instagram photos and videos

Bridgette Anne (@bridgette.anne.writes) TikTok | Watch Bridgette Anne's Newest TikTok Videos