Beautiful Scars

Noah Bova

Tessa Claremont was everything I never wanted. She was a chubby wallflower I didn't take much notice of until the night we both ended up at the lake in our small town seeking comfort from our pain. Over a handful of summer days, Tessa ignited my body and soul and became the only thing I craved. I ignored my vow to never fall for a woman and expressed my feelings to Tessa in a letter, which she never acknowledged. She left town for college, leaving me with nothing except the beautiful scars from the wound of a love that would never be.

Now, seven years later, she's back, and my silly heart wants her even more. But falling for her a second time, without knowing the secrets behind her beautiful eyes, may be the most dangerous thing a mafia boss like me has ever done.

Tessa Claremont
I return to Sorrow Bay, a small town shrouded in secrets, with a few of my own. After six harrowing years, I've come back to confront my past, which means confronting Noah, though nothing could've prepared me to reconcile the boy I'd clung to during my time in Hell, with the man Noah has become.

Noah is no longer the tortured but gentle soul I remember; his world is one of darkness, violence, and unforgiving loyalty, and I've had enough cruelty to last several lifetimes. Yet, fate had intertwined our paths once more, igniting a dangerous game of desire, hope, and redemption.

But secrets and scars run deep, and trust is a luxury life has taught us we can't afford. Can we confront our pasts to find the courage to embrace a future together—or will we both have to accept that some love stories are meant to remain unfinished?

Tropes:
Big, Beautiful, Women
Opposites Attract
The One That Got Away
Second Chance Love