Just finished with college, best friends Julie and Kim decided to take one last fling before starting real life with jobs and futures. They have no real plans, they are just going to drive and enjoy their week with no rules before settling down. Seems so easy, so many kids have done the same thing over and over through the years, yet nothing is ever as it seems.

On their first stop for lunch, the girls take up with a pair of clean looking college guys, only to find their worst nightmares are waiting. Kim, so worldly and beautiful, surely she can be the strong one and get them out of this mess. Julie, the innocent and sheltered child, can she have the strenght to get out and get home?

Ethan has his own demons, and never thinks he will be involved in anything like what he got himself into. New client, and for some reason he felt the need to impress, now they are taking him into their secret world. A world he never knew existed but one he wants no part of. How to get out safe and keep the account is his main focus until he is left alone with Julie. Now she is his main focus.

You have two distinct storylines that start and later merge into one, which is wonderful storytelling on the part of Riley Moreno. Each person has their own scars already and then to deal with what is happening is ever tougher. Who will become the strong one? Who will be able to survive?

Although there is some sexual references in the novel, and given that the girls are kidnapped you would expect them. They are not overly graphic, in fact the author does a wonderful job of allowing you o understand what is going on but at the same time keeping the information and details to a minimum. Wonderfully skilled writer in the author to do such a good job with this terrible topic.

This is definitely an adult book, but the whole premise of the story will have you wanting to hug your daughters and remind them again just how dangerous it can be to go with someone you just met. I was truly moved by the story.

This is my first review ever. Trigger warning for this book, it is about sexual assault/trafficking.

I enjoyed the pace of the book. The author did a good job with imagery and that the book progressed at an ideal pace. I didn't feel like it dragged on before advancing. It captivated me and I couldn't hardly put it down. The author was effective in bringing out all the appropriate emotions at the right time.

I did find all the grammatical errors to be distracting. My biggest pet peeve of the book was the over-use of italics. I understand putting emphasis on words, but it was ridiculously over-done. I also struggled with words that were completely wrong, but not caught in editing because the word was spelled correctly (example: striped instead of stripped). There was also a point in the book in which the main character is said to have looked at Kim. However, it was Kim's mother that she was looking at (Kim was not even there). When I find these errors, I have to go back and re-read the section to make sure I didn't miss something; only to find out it was just a mistake.

While I do tend to notice errors like this in books, I still enjoy the story-telling. I was not surprised at any of the twists in the book. I was disappointed in the character, but had figured out the twist well before the big reveal. I was surprised with Julie's mother and the lack of any information pertaining to the search for Julie and Kim (was there even a search?).


Spoiler Alert:



I found the circumstances that led Ethan to the trafficking to be far-fetched. I would think that two men who are involved in sexual assault are extremely unlikely to invite a person they just met that day to join them because of one vague comment made about "the blonde upstairs". After finishing the book, I understand where the author was going with it (a sort of guardian angel from Julie's father), but it still doesn't sit well with me.

This book could be very triggering for some.
A young woman name Julie and her friend Kim head off on a pre Real World road trip after college graduation.
They meet two guys who seem nice at first. But are sexual traffickers. The book is told from Julies pov.
So... OK. Where do I start? I'm with everyone who had issue with the editing.
The characters weren't fleshed out. A few seemed like caricatures.
There were a few things that made me suspend my belief. The mother and stepfather?
Kims mother when she went to see Julie? I can totally see her blaming Julie in her grief. But slapping her in a hospital with nurses milling around?
How Ethan wound up in the situation?
Ethan and Julie together didn't strike me as strange. Especially as her mother was a a piece of trash. He did also rescue her.
I would read the next in the series if I knew for sure the editing was better.

So bad I had to give up. Excessive use of italics, stupid editing errors and flat out wrong words made this more than I could bear. Gave up at 23%. Not worth the price of FREE.

good, but i doubt ill read the 2nd one

I read this book in a matter of a day. It draws you in and keeps you engaged, wanting to know how it is going to end. The story is a bit dark but given that it is a thriller it fits the theme. The characters are well written and the only rough transition in the book was the introduction of the hero. Overall it was a good book, a good read and a very good ending.

Hard to get through for many different reasons. Has an element of suspense that compelled me to finish the book for closure.