Heather Huffman provided me with mixed feelings of all kinds. Not necessarily a good thing though. Take your time with the summary, and bear with me through it all, okay?

When society deemed Jessie a throwaway, she didn't let it stop her from finding the sunshine in her world... But that world is threatened when she finds herself undeniably drawn to the mischievous glint in the eyes of a man unlike any she's ever met before. What starts as a simple crush will lead them both on a journey they could never have anticipated. From a vibrant St. Louis neighborhood known as Cherokee Street to a cave in the Ozark Mountains with a 120-year-old mystery to hide, Jessie fights organized crime, corruption and her own fears to reclaim her life and leave her mark on this world. 

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Snapshots to buy me extra minutes.

Okay, the whole "let me share the snapshots first and then you make your own conclusions" will have to be my introduction at some point... and the summary might have absolutely won you over. It was a tad different for me. I got this book as a freebie sometime ago, on my iBooks, and was never interested, because I hate iBooks. It used to crash a lot and all, and I love my Kindle app, for the record. 

So, thirty-something Jessie lives the life of selling her body, no strings attached, always looking behind her shoulder, etc. And a cop might change this forever. They will get to know each other, their constant jabbing will make you cross-reference of sorts with YA books, which this one is not -- and make you think of bunch of childish characters. Jumping from not-getting to know-each-other to jumping-your-bones, pregnancy, shooting the bad guys to getting to know each other more and marriage, and baby girl. So fast, you'd better not blink or you will miss some info. Did you see the promise on the summary? I did too. The book didn't live to its expectations -- at least on my book. Some things were humorous enough to make me forget the whole crazy plot (you have seen them if you took your time reading the tiny snapshots) and enjoy it before some huge leap occurred in the story. 

Maybe this book is the author's style and I was not used to it, but I usually give it another go when I don't like it as much. It wasn't a fast read, it took me three excruciating days due to the storyline... it kept throwing me off each time; maybe you might be able to read it super fast, enjoy it. Caught some reviews on Goodreads that were positive and negative. Unfortunately this one, leans towards negative. But each to their own tastes, I guess.

Be True

“Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby your worst may be inferred”

That’s a line from one of my favorite novels, the Scarlet Letter. Maybe it’s because I read that book at an impressionable age, but that line has stuck with me through the years and become something I live by. It inspired the transparency that permeates my life. It’s freeing because it removes the fear of “they wouldn’t like me if they knew [fill in the blank].”

I sometimes joke that I don’t make mistakes, but I do have lots of learning experiences. Everything that’s happened in my life, every choice I’ve made, has in some way molded and shaped me and my world into what it is today. And I like who I am today, so how can I regret those choices? They’re a part of me. I’m far from perfect, but I’m comfortable in my skin and I think I’m on the right path for my life.

Those two concepts – living transparently and not lamenting wrong turns of the past – not only help me navigate my life, but they drive the choices my characters make and how their worlds unfold. Often, when trouble develops in a novel, it’s because of a secret. Skeletons in the closet have a way of haunting a person at the most inconvenient of times.

If ever a character of mine had a reason to hide her past, it’s Neena from Jailbird. If ever a character had reason to be hardened by her past, it’s also Neena. Maybe that’s why she’s one of my favorite characters. Despite her terrifying past, she moves forward with her chin up, determined to set her life right again. She keeps her wit and fights to regain her sense of humanity.

Neena has her share of secrets – things she feels she can’t tell without putting herself and others in danger – but she’s constantly wrestling with herself over half-truths. She wants desperately to tell those she loves about her past. This, in many ways, is a book of unraveling secrets of the past.

On one side, there’s old money, cover-ups and corruption. On the other, secrets preserved to protect loved ones. When the two collide, everything explodes. But sometimes that’s what has to happen to build something new.

About Heather

Heather Huffman writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense with strong female leads who refuse to lose hope. She sees her books as a way to not only entertain, but to also raise awareness of the realities of modern day slavery. She shares the passion of her resilient heroines to make a difference, and so dedicates both her time and a portion of her book royalties to organizations that fight against human trafficking.

Heather was born and spent her early childhood in Florida, but now calls the beautiful state of Missouri home. Her greatest joy, aside from writing, is to hit the road with her three boys for adventures unknown.

Listening to music, reading Throwaway by Heather Huffman, drinking hot chocolate, eating ravioli, and lying in bed with my dog.