New Release Review ~ No One But You ~ Brenda Novak (@BrendaNovak) #2017NewRelease

No On But You by Brenda Novak
Silver Springs #2
Release Date: June 1, 2017
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author. This did not affect my rating and my review is provided voluntarily.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2017NewRelease
Goodreads

Synopsis
Struggling to make ends meet after a messy divorce, Sadie Harris is at the end of her tether. Her waitressing gig isn't enough to pay the bills let alone secure primary custody of her son, Jayden, a battle she refuses to lose. Desperate, she accepts a position assisting Dawson Reed the same Dawson Reed who recently stood trial for the murder of his adoptive parents. Joining him at his isolated farm seems risky, but Sadie is out of options.

Dawson has given small town Silver Springs plenty of reasons to be wary, but he's innocent of the charges against him. He wants to leave his painful past behind and fix up the family farm so he can finally bring his dependent sister home where she belongs.

As Sadie and Dawson's professional relationship grows into something undeniably personal, Sadie realizes there's more to Dawson than the bad boy everyone else sees he has a good heart, on that might even be worth fighting for.

My second visit to Silver Springs was utterly satisfying. No One But You delivered a compelling story with fully-realized characters. I was tense, worrying over how things would work out, but I also was "melty" over Dawson, Sadie, and Jayden. *sigh*

Sadie Harris is doing her darnedest to gain her independence, her freedom, from her soon-to-be ex-husband and create a life for herself and her 5 year old son, Jayden. It's not easy since she's been unable to find a decent paying job and her ex is having problems letting go. When she applies for a position with Dawson Reed, she's apprehensive. After all, Dawson was accused of murdering his parents. But he was acquitted. And this job would really benefit Sadie's future.

There was something - a pull? - between Sadie and Dawson from the get-go. But neither of them were in a good spot to start up a relationship. And Sadie's issues soon became Dawson's, since her ex is a cop. These two had already endured so much but as they got closer, it was clear they had something special. Maybe because they both believed in the other? I admired them both - Sadie for using her wits in dealing with her ex and Dawson for being so determined to find justice. They were both hard working and together they were stronger. I liked what they brought out in the other - they were equals in the relationship, professional and personal - and that was especially good for Sadie.

The suspense over trying to figure out whether Dawson would clear his name and over an incident with Sadie kept me glued to the pages. On top of that, the worry over what Sadie's ex was going to do next and if he'd get away with it had me tied in knots. Especially since it seemed Sadie and Dawson were on their own where law enforcement was concerned.

I really like how Novak inserted commentary on how people are "tried and convicted" by the media these days as well as demonstrating that not all law enforcement are good, nor are they all bad. It was relevant and added that much more depth to Sadie and Dawson's story.

I'm very eager for my next visit to Silver Springs, a town and community I'm coming to really like.