ARC Review: Start to Finish

 

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

A poet, artist, and art professor, Ian Start is struggling after suffering a horrific infection in his leg, one that left massive physical and emotional scars. Unable to find the poetry inside himself ever since, Ian has thrown himself into teaching and painting, and accepting that he will always be alone. Then one of his students is murdered, and the crime brings Ian's ex, Jake, now a police officer, back into the picture.

First, my advice is to push past the first chapter or so. I honestly almost closed the book within the first chapter, because I was really struggling to like Ian. He came across as very prententious, and all his thoughts felt like a lecture on art. But something told me to keep going, and I'm definitely glad I did.

Once readers were allowed to see the real Ian, his struggles, the emotional walls he put up after his tragic illness, his character began to really resonate and feel like a human being I was rooting for. When Jake and Ian first reconnect, I became even more invested, as their chemistry was apparent from the start. The mystery is a good one too, with a very surprising and dramatic ending. 

I'm interested to see where this series goes next. Now that I'm invested in the characters and relationships, I suspect I will like the next book even more.