KILL DEVIL HILLS
Author: Sarah Darlington
Genre: New Adult Romance
More info: Goodreads
He’s twenty-four. She’s eighteen.
His life is exactly the way he’s always wanted it to be...stable.
She’s quite possibly the very definition of unstable.
Noah saved her.
Georgina never wanted to be saved.
Growing up, Noah Clark was passed from one relative to the next until he finally ended up living with his abusive, alcoholic uncle in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Thanks in part to the unwavering love and support of his best friend, Ellie Turner, Noah survived those years, escaped his uncle, and grew into the man he is today. Now he runs his own business and lives a pretty normal, no-nonsense life—one where he maintains a high level of control.
Georgina is Ellie’s younger sister. Four months ago, Noah saved Georgie’s life, but he thought that was where his involvement with his friend’s sister would end. Now Georgie has returned home from the recovery facility her parents sent her away to and Noah, still haunted by the night that connects them, can’t stop himself from continuously trying to protect this girl he barely knows. But is he willing to give up all of the control he’s worked so hard to build in his life and risk everything for her? Even more importantly, would she do the same for him?
Kill Devil Hills had a premise and a beginning that immediately hooked me. However, although I really enjoyed the story and the characters, I would have liked a little more back story. It would have given the story more depth.
Georgina (Georgie) Turner has just returned from a treatment facility where she was sent following her suicide attempt. She's spent the last 4 months learning to deal with the issues that drove her to attempt to take her life wile also thinking about Noah Carter - her sister's best friend and the man who saved her life.
Noah Carter is quiet and generally a loner. He has a few demons he's still dealing with but he employs a strict set of rules to maintain the control he needs. One of those rules is 'no drama' which would include staying away from Georgie. Trouble is, he can't seem to stop thinking about her or to squelch the protectiveness he feels towards her.
The chemistry between Georgie and Noah is undeniable. And I liked the pull between them and the bond they forged the night of Georgie's suicide attempt.
"Her scars would forever connect us both to the night I saved her life. I liked that, too. I had to repress my desire to kiss each of her arms." -Noah
The story was really sweet. There were lots of reasons Georgie and Noah together didn't make sense. But there were reasons they did as well. I liked seeing Georgie's and Noah's internal debates on whether they should be together - seeing them fight the pull. There was something in them both that quieted the other's demons. I also enjoyed watching Ellie, Georgie's older sister, try to reconnect with Georgie. Ellie is protective of Georgie and doesn't judge her based on her previous or present actions. I liked that she was so supportive. And Rosie, the youngest Turner sister, sparkled in her few scenes. She also wanted to be there for Georgie but was sassy in her interactions with her sister, which I think Geogie needed.
I would have liked to have seen more development in Georgie's and Noah's relationship. While we could see that there were feelings there, we didn't get a real feel for why. Noah has been best friends with Georgie's sister, Ellie, for 10 years and has been such a constant presence around the Turner house that he has his own key. Yet, we're led to believe he and Georgie barely know one another because she was too tied up in her own life. I would have liked more insight into the struggles Georgie was enduring that led to her suicide attempt as well as a little more detail on Noah's tragic past. We're told that they each suffered but we don't see it. I also think Georgie's parents should have had more of a presence. They weren't as interested in Georgie's life as I would be had my daughter tried to kill herself.
Okay, this all makes it seem like I didn't really like Kill Devil Hills and that's absolutely not the case. It was a endearing story. I liked the small town setting. I liked the dynamics between Georgie and her sisters, Ellie and Rose. I liked the give and take between Georgie and Noah. And the heat between them as well. The dual POV worked well because getting inside Noah's head was enlightening and humorous. But in my opinion, because it dealt with some heavy topics, more detail would have given the story more depth. However, I would love to see Georgie and Noah's story continue.
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Also by Sarah: HE BELONGS WITH ME {Amazon I Amazon UK}
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