Review: Scratch by Rhonda Helms

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.

Paperback, 240 pages
Expected publication:  September 30th 2014 by Kensington

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Kensington via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is September 30, 2014.

This was a nice quick read for me.  I enjoyed the fact that the lead character had some flaws and was dealing with some serious emotional issues when she met Daniel.  As a result of this we got to see Casey and Daniel get to know each other before they hit the sheets which was nice.  Too often we see the physical chemistry before the emotional chemistry and this story worked in the reverse.  We got to experience Casey dealing with her struggle to navigate dating and developing feelings for someone.

I felt the underlying theme of the story was the journey of discovering oneself and what a person is capable emotionally.  It also dealt with a horrifying back-story that was the starting point of Casey's struggles.

While I did find that there was repetitive use of some phrases i.e. he smiled and the tension eased a bit, the story flowed well.  You really wanted Casey to let her walls down and truly start to live.

This was my first story by Helms but I think I do see more of her work on my to read list.  If you are looking for a love story that has more plot than bedroom scenes (there are those also if that is what you like) then this is the read for you.

About the Author

Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits.

When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.

Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family

Website:  http://www.rhondahelmsbooks.com
Twitter:  rhelmsbooks