I just read this book for the second time, because I wanted the story fresh in my mind before Thoughtful releases on Feb. 22, 2015.

This is a painfully wonderful story about a love triangle. The words come off the page and warm the heart with the intensity of love that the characters feel for each other. At the same time, the words choke and crush the heart when the characters are devastated. One of my favorite lines is when Denny tells Kiera, “I want to be someone’s everything. I want fire and passion, and love that’s returned, equally. I want to be someone’s heart. … Even if it means breaking my own[.]”

Why does this story stand out above other love triangles? Well, beside some great writing, all three characters possess a well-crafted balance of positive and negative characteristics that make them both attractive and realistically flawed. Needless to say, Kellan is extremely physically attractive (he is the definitive sexy as all get-out Rock Star), but it is the vulnerability of his heart that makes him incredibly alluring. Kellan’s challenge is dealing with feelings of love that are entirely new to him. In contrast, Denny is a good looking man with an irresistible Australian accent, but he is young and foolishly makes decisions on his own without consulting Kiera. As a side note, I love that both Kellan and Denny’s voices are both similarly one of their most seductive qualities. Lastly, Kiera – the point of the triangle – balances precariously between being considerate, heartless, loving, and selfish. Her naivete and lack of confidence is her ultimate shortcoming. She never comes across as being intentionally mean or malicious.

Finally, this story works so well because the theme is all about trust: trusting one’s own feelings and trusting in another’s person’s love. This applies to relationships of all ages, not just couples in their early twenties.

See my other post for Thoughtless Series: