REVIEW: Tragic by Devney Perry

In Tragic (Lark Cove #3) by Devney Perry, Holed up on the side of a mountain in Montana, Kaine Reynolds is slowly working through his grief after suddenly losing his family a few years ago. He left behind his former life, only keeping his woodworking tools to make his living. The peace and beauty of his mountain has helped Kaine immensely. But when a new neighbor moves in and a construction crew ruins his quiet solitude as they renovate, he’s had enough. His first meeting with Piper could’ve gone better. Then things quickly get even more heated–and he’s not talking about arguing. Nope. Kaine, the man who swore off relationships forever, finds himself not only lusting after Piper, but also entertaining thoughts of a future. Scared that he’ll have to relive his tragic past, it might take some convincing to get Kaine on board with giving it a shot.

‘Piper Campbell had broken past all of my walls and made me fall in love with her. She’d worked her way into my broken heart, filling the black holes with light.’

Moving to Montana might have seemed drastic to her friends and family, but Piper is convinced it’s just the change she needs after her divorce. She adores her boss Logan and his wife Thea and can’t wait to start working in the same town with them again–especially in beautiful Lark Cove. Finding a gorgeous piece of property on a mountainside is a happy bonus. But everything gets turned on its ear when Piper meets her new neighbor Kaine. Handsome. Troubled. Antisocial. He’s not really someone she would ever dream of having a relationship with. Although a one-off might be just what she–and Kaine–needs. What starts off as a way to get rid of their incredible attraction soon turns into something way more than Piper bargained for. Just when one dream is coming true, she’s afraid it will mean an end to her time with Kaine. Unless they can find a way to overcome their pasts.

‘Kaine chased away the homesickness. When he held me in his arms, I wasn’t alone.
When he was in the room, I wasn’t the loneliest person there.
He was.’

A novel that reduced me tears more than once, Tragic was heartbreakingly raw in its emotional intensity but also inspiring in how this couple made their own HEA after struggling through the worst times of their lives.

‘I wouldn’t let myself get attached to Kaine Reynolds. I wouldn’t let myself believe that I could heal his broken heart. Or that he could heal mine.’

I’ve fallen in love with Devney Perry’s writing style as I’ve followed along with this Lark Cove series. Surprisingly, Kaine and Piper’s romance is tied as my favorite with Thea and Logan’s from Tattered (book one) so far–which I didn’t think Perry would be able to top. I’ve also been quite impressed with the overall storytelling of each novel. There’s a wonderful flow to the passages, making it hard to put each book down or leave the characters for even a moment. But it’s the way Perry dives headfirst into tough backstories and super emotionally-charged situations that has wowed me from the start.

Kaine and Piper. Oh. My. Goodness. Sparks flew from the second they met. As strong as their attraction was, they got off the wrong foot initially which was a fun way to begin their story, with a little verbal sparring that turned into oh-so much more. Kaine was the type of guy that I honestly love to see in romance. He was a grumbly yet kindhearted tortured hero who was still suffering with deep grief over the loss of his family. When we first meet him and then when we first see Kaine through Piper’s eyes–*sob*–it will tear your heart into a million pieces. (That book cover nailed one of his many gut-wrenching moments!) But getting to watch him interact with Piper and finally smile and laugh after his self-imposed exile in the mountains? Yeah. Those moments will bring happy tears to a reader girl’s eyes and make you want to give Kaine a big hug.

If you’ve read the series from the beginning then you’ve “met” Piper already. And she was every bit as awesome as I thought she’d be. Smart, funny, caring and a hard worker, she was still dealing with the emotional fallout after her messy divorce. Okay, so there were a few times when it came to Piper’s ex that I wanted her to stand up for herself quicker, but I got the feeling that where they’d been together so many years, it was like the loss of her marriage and her best friend in one. So I got it. But Piper did woman up (lol) and I loved how realistic Perry described her feelings that grew quickly for Kaine. They had some surprises thrown their way that tested their new relationship right out of the gate, but I loved how they eventually became a team–without losing that all-encompassing passion between them.

Devney Perry deftly wove our hero’s shattered past around his present life, revealing it bit by bit, until I completely empathized with him and our heroine couldn’t live without him. Tragic is a must-read for those who crave books with depth and heart, and that explores loss and the discovery of enduring love.

Book Info:

Publication: Published November 13th 2018 | Devney Perry | Lark Cove #3

Kaine Reynolds wants nothing more than solitude. After an unthinkable tragedy destroys his family, he’s cut off all ties to his former life so he can battle his grief the only way he knows how.

Alone.

So when Piper Campbell knocks on his door, rambling on about being his new neighbor, he slams the door in her face.
But Kaine’s gruff demeanor doesn’t scare her. She’s set on living in Montana and starting over after a terrible divorce. And she wouldn’t mind having a fling to chase away the pain of her husband’s betrayal. Her handsome, albeit rude, neighbor is the perfect candidate.

Yet what neither of them suspect is that their no-strings affair will result in the surprise of Piper’s lifetime—and Kaine’s worst fear.