Ash and Essie are a mass of kinetic energy. They share more than chemistry. The danger for them lies in allowing themselves to be vulnerable. He's running from the pain of a recent curveball in his life. She's running toward a better future for herself. It's the fear that keeps them moving, but the heart that holds them back. The contradictions are what make them a perfect match. She pushes him to look beyond the past and into the future. He challenges her to face the past without drowning in the heartache. Harroway tackles romance with a realism that is temptingly gritty, but never skips out on heart. ( )