Echoes of Us by D.M. Simmons: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A captivating story that explores the complexities of love and loss and the friendships that forever change us.

When five friends come home from college for the summer, it feels as if the friendship that has bound them since childhood, is stronger than ever. But when Laney Thomas wakes up two months later and discovers she is the sole survivor of an accident that has claimed the lives of three friends, Laney realizes the world she awakened to, is not the one she remembers.

With her memory of what happened that night seemingly lost, Laney must rely on Evan Davies, the only one not in the car, to help her remember what happened. The two have always been close all their lives, sharing a bond that is rare and inextricable. But when Evan disappears from her life without explanation, Laney is left to navigate her new world alone.

Haunted by the past, where memories of the friendship she always cherished start to come to light, Laney finds an unexpected ally in former classmate, turned marine, Dean Danvers. With his warm smile and unwavering resolve, Dean provides the friendship she desperately needs. But when Dean’s true intentions start to come out, Evan returns to her side and the reason for his absence starts to unravel, making Laney question whether this new reality is a nightmare—or the life she’s been waiting for all along.

Please be advised this story deals with grief and the death of loved ones (i.e. three friends, college age, killed in a car accident). FMC dabbles in light risk-seeking behavior (one night drinking alone). There is also a second male character that is a Marine who suffers from mental health issues and possesses an obsessive vibe toward the FMC, which includes a minor assault situation where he grabs her arm and leaves a bruise. There are no explicit sexual situations or content on the page. Resources included in the book. Please read with care and empathy. Parts of the story were included in a previously published, but no longer available release, Evoke. This is not the same book.

The Author

D.M. Simmons is an award winning author who studied literature, creative writing and communications at University of the Pacific. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and has for more than two decades has written for executives, parenting websites, fiction anthologies, and lovers of YA and NA fiction. She grew up in a small town in California's Sierra Nevada Foothills, at the end of a dusty road, in a town no one can spell right. She has lived and worked overseas, and currently calls the San Francisco Bay Area home, where she lives with her husband, sons, and two cats. You can find her on online at www.dmsreadwrite.com, and Twitter and Instagram @dmsreadwrite.

Book Review

Right from the very beginning, this book had me feeling all the heartbreak as Laney wakes up to discover that she's been in a coma after an accident that killed three of her closest friends with no memory of the week leading up to the accident. As she grieves, she's also dealing with some tension she doesn't quite understand from those around her... and growing feelings for her best friend, the only in their group not in the car. The author did such a great job of revealing just enough information about the events leading up to the accident to keep me absolutely captivating and reading on to fill in the missing pieces... I usually prefer multiple POV in romance, but the single worked so well for this one, allowing us as readers to get the information as it's coming back to Laney as well. The chemistry between Laney and Evan was wonderfully done... I couldn't help but love how very protective he was over her! With the addition of Dean and his possessive attitude towards Laney, there was definitely a lot more angst and drama... blended with a lot of healing and a tender romance making it a beautiful story. 

Echoes of Us is a closed-door romance but does have implied intimacy/fade to black scenes. While nothing overly explicit happens on the pages, the buildup does get rather steamy before ultimately fading to black (clothes coming off, etc). There was also a good amount of language throughout the story as well, including multiple uses of the f-word. As a closed-door reader, this is definitely more than I personally tend to read/prefer, but I found myself enjoying their story regardless. 



You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3DykVH5