For both Zane and Darby, their small town roots hold a terrible secret. Now, decades later, they've come together to build a new life. But will the past set them free or pull them under?

Zane Bigelow grew up in a beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back...

Years later, Zane returns to his hometown determined to reconnect with the place and people that mean so much to him, despite the painful memories. As he resumes life in the colorful town, he meets a gifted landscape artist named Darby, who is on the run from ghosts of her own.

Together they will have to teach each other what it means to face the past, and stand up for the ones they love.

NORA ROBERTS is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Year One, Shelter in Place, Come Sundown, The Obsession, and many more. She is also the author of the bestselling In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print. - (Macmillan School)

Booklist Reviews

Twenty years after leaving a home that was made a living hell by his father's abuse and his mother's compliance, Zane Walker returns to Lakeview, ostensibly to open his law practice, but more importantly to be closer to his sister, Britt, and his Aunt Emily. While Zane begins the process of reconciling with his past, he finds himself connecting with Darby McCray, who recently moved to Lakeview to launch her landscape-design business. However, as Darby and Zane begin exploring the possibility of a long-term relationship, a dark shadow from Zane's past threatens their future together. When it comes to depicting the horrific toll physical, verbal, and emotional abuse can have on a child, Roberts doesn't pull any punches, but she does counterbalance these gut-wrenching episodes with some examples of just how important a loving and nurturing home environment can be for a child (and an adult). Roberts goes on to skillfully weave into the plot the kind of domestic details her readers love, while presenting incisively etched characters, thus making for an impressive addition to her remarkable literary canon.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Roberts continues to wow readers, and this heartfelt tale will receive the usual star treatment with a hefty print run and lots of publicity. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Library Journal Reviews

Zane Bigelow and Darby McCray have something in common—broken noses received at the hands of their abusers. As a teenager, Zane survived a horrendous attack that ended with his mother and father behind bars, and young newlywed Darby's ex-husband went to prison after putting her in the hospital. Now living in a small lakeside town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, they meet and fall in love. They are survivors, made stronger by their experiences but also because they have each other. Zane and Darby may have moved on, but their abusers have not, and with them out and looking for revenge, that strength will be put to the test. VERDICT Prolific and hugely popular author Roberts (Shelter in Place; Year One), who also writes as J.D. Robb ("In Death" series), combines complex characters with a vivid setting to create a real page-turner. Broken into four sections, each of which packs a punch, this contemporary fiction mixed with a bit of suspense is completely engaging. Expect wide appeal beyond the author's regular fanbase. [See Prepub Alert, 1/23/19.]—Vicki Briner, Broomfield, CO