So Many Reasons Why by Missy Johnson

So Many Reasons Why by Missy Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emma is stuck in the past, dealing with the aftermath of a devastating attack from her childhood. She has not left her house willingly in the ten years subsequent to the attack and has continuing nightmares. Taking classes online, Emma finds an unlikely friend in one of her professors.

Simon is significantly older than Emma, her college professor, assistant DA, and divorcee with a young child. Emma and Simon's relationship seems to be doomed from the start, but you just cannot ignore the sizzling chemistry between them. Though he knows technically his relationship with Emma is wrong, Simon just cannot stay away from her. Ultimately he plays a large role in Emma's moving forward with her life. Ultimately, though, some things follow you even when you try to leave them behind. After her attacker is released from prison, Emma must find the strength to face her nightmares and overcome her fears.

This story was not about pitying the victim or forgiving the one who hurt you, but rather celebrating life and the fact that it will go on when you're willing and able to let go of the past. I really liked Emma. You would think that having agoraphobia would be a weakness, but Emma was a strong character despite that. She was a lot of fun, and adding Simon and his amusing personality to the mix made the story was overall enjoyable. The author was able to throw in a mix of fun, drama, happiness, tears, fear, and surprise into this story.

Two things could have made this story even better – 1) There needed to be distinct transition points between one scene and the next. Often times I found myself having to back up a sentence or two because I had not realized that the scene/day/speaker had changed, and what I was reading was not making sense. Better transition between scenes would have made the overall flow of the story more continuous and ultimately smoother. 2) The book is set in America, but there is a lot of English speak in the story. It would have been much more realistic if Emma had been English and living in America or the story was set in the UK. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this story very much.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.


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