Down and Out perfectly describes Kalen “Dive” Brooks and Mena McAdams’ lives – both suffering from losses that threaten to consume them, and they probably would have if not for a beautiful baby boy who brings sunshine and laughter into their lives and helps them to continue living despite the pain…despite the darkness…despite the loneliness that’s always burning beneath the surface.
Dive is a cold-hearted bastard for a majority of the book, and while I understand why he turned into the harsh, emotionless man that he did, I seriously wanted to throat punch him because his treatment of Mena was reprehensible. But because Lila Rose provides readers with Dive’s perspective, I was able to witness his conflicting feelings and the guilt and rage that prompted every hurtful word and thoughtless act, and as Mena’s brightness and his son’s innocence allows Dive’s heart to start beating again, he makes amends and starts to live again, knowing that laughter and love are meant to be experienced fully without the darkness overshadowing the light.
Lila Rose definitely knows how to write strong and sassy heroines, and Mena fits into that category perfectly. Despite everything that she has had to deal with, she remains pure and sweet. She gives so much to everyone else, not asking for anything in return, even though she could desperately use some help. Regardless of Dive’s treatment of her, she remains Koda’s nanny because she loves that little boy and wants to be there for him, and as Mena fills Dive’s home with as much love and light as she can, she allows a man to find his way out of the darkness and gives them both a chance to heal from their pasts and move forward.
Dive and Mena’s story is an emotional journey that is both heart breaking and heartwarming, and it demonstrates the effect loss and guilt have on people and the slow process it takes to learn to let go of the past and let a little sunshine into one’s life.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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