Official Synopsis:
Just when Grace is beginning to get used to being an orphan, her estranged uncle suddenly comes forward to claim her. That might have been okay if he’d spoken to her even once since her father died. Or if moving in with Uncle Rusty didn’t mean returning to New Harbor.
Grace once spent the best summers of her life in New Harbor. Now the place just reminds her of all she’s lost: her best friend, her boyfriend and any memory of the night that changed her forever.
People say the truth will set you free, but Grace isn’t sure about that. Once she starts looking for it, the truth about that night is hard to find — and what happens when her healing hurts the people she cares about the most?
Marci Lyn Curtis, the critically acclaimed author of The One Thing, has crafted an honest and emotional story that will resonate with the wide range of readers impacted by sexual assault.
Sexual assault does not define this story, however, just as it does not define Grace. Wry humor and true love emerge as Grace, like many in the #MeToo era, seeks to find her truth, face her truth, and speak her truth.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Review:
Despite exploring the serious subject content of sexual assault, Mari Lyn Curtis has created a captivating novel with just the right amount of humor and heart that will leave readers desperate for her next book.
I really liked Grace, the main character. She didn’t let her sexual assault define her, as she shouldn’t. The book was about Grace, not about her sexual assault, which can be a tricky thing to write, since being assaulted has such an effect on her.
Grace’s ex-boyfriend/love interest, Owen, had his own share of demons that he struggled with throughout the book. One thing that I really liked about their relationship was that it felt realistic. By that, I mean the book didn’t follow the trope of ‘love can immediately fix everything that was wrong’. I’m not sure how to explain it, but the progression of their relationship felt real, as did Grace’s relationship with her former best friend (and Owen’s sister), Janna. There were definitely a lot of obstacles that they had to navigate, both before and after they tried to reconnect.
The progression of Grace’s relationship with her uncle and his girlfriend felt realistic too. I know I’m repeating myself, saying that everything felt realistic, but it really did. Both Rusty and Grace are dealing with grief after losing Grace’s dad, but they both are dealing with it in different ways.
I was shocked when the true identity of Grace’s rapist was revealed. Absolutely floored. I didn’t see it coming at all. I was kept guessing and trying to figure it out right up until the reveal. A year ago, it might have seemed like a plot hole to reveal his identity without giving too many (if any) clues beforehand, but with everything that’s going on in the news right now with a ton of people who you wouldn’t immediately expect to be sexual predators turning out to be just that, it didn’t feel unrealistic to read at all.
Overall, this was a great read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has been following the #MeToo movement, but the book will be a great fit for any reader who is mature enough to deal with the subject content. This isn’t your typical contemporary romance novel (which, as you all know, is what I usually read), but it now has a special place in my heart nonetheless.
PREORDER ‘THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW’
buried in a bookshelf 
5 thoughts on “[ARC REVIEW] ‘The Leading Edge of Now’ By: Marci Lyn Curtis”