“I am the fire that forges the clay into something stronger.”-Tess“A narcissist can’t stand when their victim has attachments outside of them. He wants you to push me away. He wants caring for me and being my friend to be a burden for you—”-TessUmm… So torn on this. It wasn’t fabulous, but it wasn’t bad. It left me wanting more. There was so much with the other players and their wife’s that there were parts that made me think Tess and Ryan were a side story. It is great in books in a series to include others you have met from previous books, this just felt more of a extended anthology.My heart hurts for Tess. How she was cast aside by everyone who was supposed to support her hits hard. No wonder she is a runner. Why would she believe for a second people will love her and hold her up, much less catch her if she falls? It just makes you want to hug her and shield her from all the evil of the world.Oh Ryan. That sweet boy. Having to be the man in his home to help his mom and sister on top of finding a way to do so while battling his own demons is not a fun life. He is doing well and making it happen, but that is a lot on one’s shoulders.Now to why there is a glitch in the system as to why my mind cannot decided to shout “yay” on the rooftops or ask “what the what?” due to this book.There was a lot about the Prices and Poppy and her boys. Yes, Rachel and her boys started this, but this story isn’t about them. Appearances and cameos are expected, but so much of their lives being in this story shouldn’t be Tess’ story. For someone finding her own legs to stand on, their was a lot of focus on the behavioral patterns of the Price men. Rachel, whom is why Tess is in Jacksonville, is hardly in the story when it actually comes to Tess. She is mostly there for her men. That all just felt odd to me.Now we get to Troy. We won’t go full throttle into that awful waste of space, but just focus on when he gives Ryan the TRO. A restraining order was not an option running through my mind. How Troy was talking, how Ryan was panicking, and talks of jail time with the signatures on the paperwork, my mind was going to things like accusations of assault on a puck bunny or his sister or public intoxication leading to resisting arrest and assaulting an officer. That whole scene didn’t make any sense to me. Almost as if something had to be there so this was added as a voice to text while driving to work.When we get to see Tess and Ryan in their element, together or at their careers, thats when you remember how much you love them. Their passion for things that mean something to them is wonderful making them impossibly easy to love. Just wish we had more of that.