Scratch by Rhonda Helms

Scratch by Rhonda Helms
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Kensington
Pages: 240
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The most painful scars are the ones you never see.

In her DJ booth at a Cleveland dance club, Casey feels a sense of connection that's the closest she ever gets to normal. On her college campus, she's reserved, practical-all too aware of the disaster that can result when you trust the wrong person. But inexplicably, Daniel refuses to pay attention to the walls she's put up. Like Casey, he's a senior. In every other way, he's her opposite.

Sexy, open, effortlessly charming, Daniel is willing to take chances and show his feelings. For some reason Casey can't fathom, he's intent on drawing her out of her bubble and back into a world that's messy and unpredictable. He doesn't know about the deep scars that pucker her stomach - or the deeper secret behind them. Since the violent night when everything changed, Casey has never let anyone get close enough to hurt her again. Now, she might be tempted to try.

My Thoughts:
Scratch is a book I enjoyed mostly because of the characters and their journeys. I liked that our main character, Casey, went through a gradual process of opening up to people and changing her mindset. With our hero, Daniel, I liked how he was sweet and patient, but that he didn't let himself get walked all over. Daniel was willing to wait on sexual matters and never ever pressed Casey, but when it came to matters of trust he was willing to stand up for himself and what he was worth.

In terms of plot you get hints of what happened to Casey, and then you can basically figure out what happened to her before it’s all spelled out. I’m not sure it had to be such a secret until that reveal, but it didn’t detract too much from the story. One of my favourite parts of the book was Casey’s relationship with her grandparents and how her understanding of them evolved. Casey has the realization that they’ve also been hurting because of what happened, and that they’ve had to deal with the same situation, just from another perspective.

Overall this is a good read. I love nice guy love interests and strong female friendships, both of which Scratch features in great ways. Not a favourite, but definitely still recommended.

The Cover:
I like it.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

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