To face down a tragic past
She must first confront the long-withheld truth…
A disturbed fellow student made Kate McKendrick's high
school a hunting ground. Now, as Briar Ridge High's new principal, she's
struggling to help the divided town -- and herself -- heal. But a vengeful
individual won't stop until Kate is dead. As Kate and former bad boy Riggs
Benford uncover the secrets of that day, their irresistible attraction could
turn their future to ashes…
Good story though a painful one to read given recent
events. The book opens fifteen years before the main story as a fellow student
opened fire in the halls of the high school. Several students died, others were
injured, and one teacher also died. That teacher was our heroine's mother, and
it had a profound impact on her. The author did an excellent job of showing the
pain, fear, and confusion experienced by everyone there.
Fifteen years later, Kate became a teacher like her
mother and is now the principal of Briar Ridge High. Determined to help the
town heal, she pushed for building a new high school. Not everyone favors the
idea, and the latest town meeting quickly gets out of control. I ached for
Kate, who wants the best for her students, but I could also understand the
mixed feelings of some others. Kate is on edge because that day, she'd received
a note blaming her for the shooting, and the shooter's brother accosts her.
She's rescued by Riggs, another classmate who was one of the injured and is now
a firefighter.
Riggs is impressed by Kate's efforts to help the town
overcome the tragedy. As he's gotten older, he's outgrown the bad-boy antics of
his high school days though some rumors persist from those days. The anger
present at the town meeting rouses his protective instincts toward Kate, even
though she claims she doesn't need his help. He's glad he ignored those claims
when following her home and witnessing her car on fire. Though Kate tries to
put a brave face on it, she's grateful when Riggs insists on sleeping on her
couch that night.
The suspense kept me turning the pages as it became
increasingly evident that someone wasn't happy about the hype surrounding the
new school and the planned reunion. There's threatening graffiti at the old
school, a fire in the woods behind her house, and a pipe bomb was thrown into
her home. Kate and Riggs work with the sheriff to figure out who is behind the
attacks. There is any number of possibilities, and though I had my suspicions,
I wasn't sure until near the end. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as
Kate faced her attacker. I liked how it turned out and watching Kate and Riggs
use what they learned to create a better resolution.
I liked watching the development of the relationship
between Riggs and Kate. Riggs has a hard time living down his high school
reputation even though he's changed a lot. He's drawn to Kate and wants to get
to know her, but his reputation keeps getting in the way. I loved his
protectiveness. I also loved his sensitivity and respect for her feelings, even
when they went against his interests. I could see how his feelings for her grew
and how it hurt when she wouldn't trust him. Kate is a very independent woman
who refuses to rely on other people. Because of her past, she doesn't trust
men, and those feelings spill over onto Riggs. She was more judgmental than I
cared to see and wished she'd let go of her pride long enough to talk to him
about that one sticking point. It took nearly losing each other for them to
leave the past behind and look to a future together.
I liked how the book tackled the effects of the shooting
on various people. Everyone handled it differently, with survivor's guilt,
PTSD, and other ways it affected their lives. There was an unexpected twist
with one character that was a pleasant surprise. I loved how Kate found a way
to honor everyone at the new school.
She must first confront the long-withheld truth…
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