Rebel Hearts

Danny Cooney and Samantha Collins have been in love for what seems like forever. Since meeting when they were 13, separated by time and circumstance again and again, Danny and Sam have always found their way back to each other. But now Sam is hiding a secret so terrible that she's not sure that there is enough love in the world to keep them together. Oh, my goodness, the feelings that I went through while reading REBEL HEARTS. I wanted Danny and Sam to get their happily ever after so badly, and thought that this was it. It was clear from early on, though, that trouble was brewing, and that things were not going to go nicely here. I don't think that Lili Valente can write a character that I don't love. Danny Cooney, for all that he is only 20 years old, has been through one heck of a time in his young life. That he has emerged strong, whole, and full of love for his family and for Sam is pretty miraculous. He has spent the seven years since meeting and falling for Sam making a way for them to be together. All he wants is to be with her, the girl that he fell for, and the woman that he'll always love. Sam, for her part, is typical Lili heroine material. Strong, sassy, independent, and sure of what she wants in life, Sam has always lived with a take-no-prisoners attitude, even when her family fell apart, because she had Danny to lean on during the tough times. But sometimes, things are so bleak, so dark, that the light at the end of the tunnel seems too far off to reach. I love this story. I love everything about it, even the tears and the anger and the sinking feeling when things start going crazy. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lili, for continuing to amaze me with your gifted storytelling, characters that feel like family, and the blessing of your creativity that makes it all possible.