Pain by Amanda Mackey

Forced to work out his probation time on a wildlife sanctuary has Justice rubbed up the wrong way and he is absolutely certain that he will not be alone in his misery, heck if he has to suffer then his ego and attitude is sure that everyone within his immediate vicinity is also on his perceived road to purgatory with him.

But despite the jail time, Justice doesn’t seem to understand that this is the opportunity that he needs, with the people that he needs to be with in order to finally find the man that he is meant to be.

His past is one that includes everything that a childhood shouldn’t but his actions are letting that time define him, can he shake it off once and for all and allow what and who he truly is the opportunity to shine?

Lillian has everything that Justice has never had, and she can top it off with the fact that she has a father that sees her as the centre of his universe. Looking after the animals at the Zoo is what makes them both happy but Lillian also has a pain that she keeps hidden, she wears her pain well and in a way she takes comfort in the fact that what everyone sees on the outside has them all fooled.

When they meet Lillian is smitten with the handsome help that has arrived but she isn’t naïve she knows he has problems and when his temper rears its ugly head, she is loathed to understand why he is so angry, why he is determined to be miserable and Oh yes, that he is a pain in the butt.

So can these two young people show each other what it is like to really live, to let go of the secrets and lies, to cut the past out and finally move on? And more to the point is it something that they might be able to do together?

This is beautifully written book, one that I found completely engaging and was totally smitten by. Lillian and Justice were fabulous together but I appreciated the fact that the author didn’t make their journey completely predictable, they had to work to have what they had and that made the end result all the more realistic.

It is not without cause for tears and I’ll give you the heads up, keep the tissues handy, I was caught unawares initially and was a blubbering mess when things went belly up for Justice, his plight broke my heart.