Trust - Kathy Lockheart

After hearing about Knox throughout th*e previous four books, I could not wait for his story, and Kathy absolutely delivered. I loved the other books, don’t get me wrong, but there was something about this one that hit differently. It felt deeper, more emotional, and somehow even more satisfying after waiting so long for him.

Harper begins the story being very critical of Knox, and honestly, it made complete sense. She doesn’t know the man behind the reputation. As readers, we already knew pieces of him from the earlier books, so we had seen his good side. But Harper only sees the convicted killer everyone talks about, and fear shapes how she views him at first.

Getting Knox’s point of view was one of the best parts of the book. You see this tough, intimidating man completely unravel over a woman. He worries about her constantly, wondering if she’s okay, what she’s doing, and whether she needs him. It adds so much depth to his character. He isn’t just hard and dangerous, he feels deeply and loves hard. There are several moments where he doesn’t hold back his thoughts or feelings, and I was fully here for every one of them.

Watching Harper slowly realize she may have judged him wrong was so satisfying. She doesn’t stay stuck in her first impression. Instead, she allows his actions and words to change her opinion over time, which made that growth feel real. At the same time, Harper is carrying struggles of her own that she isn’t sharing with anyone, yet Knox knows something is wrong. That awareness between them adds another emotional layer to their connection.

This book also gives you everything you want from the series. All the Sinners and Saints guys are here, along with their women, hilarious group texts between the men, and moments that swing from laugh-out-loud funny to incredibly emotional.  Some things happened exactly the way I hoped they would, while other moments completely blindsided me. And the tears... I’ve gotten emotional while reading before, but this book had me ugly crying in a way no book ever has.  I received this book as an ARC and am leaving this honest review voluntarily. 

One touch.  That's all it took to wreck fourteen years of carefully constructed apathy.