Handled with Care by Emily Porterfield

"It was nice to laugh and smile again." - Abigail Miles

Handle with Care
Author: Emily Porterfield
Publisher: self-published
Published: November 27, 2013
Source: Amazon

I purchased this book when it was free on Amazon. I do not know if it'll be free at the time of this review.

“It’s normal to feel that way.”

Six small words destroy Abigail Miles’ life. Haunted by her past, made a pariah by the media, she seeks refuge in a sleepy town in Oregon. All she wants is some time and space – to be left alone, hoping to find peace in solitude... that is, until she's discovered...

But the gentle patience of widower Craig Port, and his young daughter, throws what Abby knows into doubt. Her profession is to know people, yet she is a total stranger to herself. She believes she doesn't deserve their kindness, their mercy or their love.

When something blossoms between the Craig and Abby, she is overcome by the demons in her self-imposed torture chamber - no longer trusting her own perceptions, doubting everything and everyone – most of all, herself. Can Abby risk trusting Craig's insights and open her heart to what he has to offer? Or will she keep on running... from herself?

Handle with Care is a sweet contemporary romance, a journey of forgiveness, of ownership, and recovery from trauma.

Handled with Care is a hauntingly sweet story of Abigail Miles and Craig Port. As a psychologist that works with war veterans, Abby has seen people in their darkest points. She is haunted when one of her patients acts upon his dark thoughts. As his psychologist, she's blame for his actions and Abby breaks down. Now Abby desperately wants to disappear from the world. Craig refuses to let Abby drown herself in grief for something she did not do. Together, they learn to move forward and to open their hearts once again.

I picked up Handled with Care a couple days ago while I was perusing Amazon. As with most of the free books I pick up, it got tucked away on my Kindle because I was already reading a book. Last night, I needed a bit of a break from my current book. After scrolling through my books, the cover of this book jumped out at me and I picked it up. To say that Handled with Care is a sweet book would be an understatement. This is a haunting story of two wounded people needing to move forward. Abby and Craig wrenched many emotions from me, including sadness for their past and hopefulness for their future with Chloe. My only grief is that I wish this book was longer. If it was a full length book, I would have probably cried at several points. I would have loved to watch Abby and Craig grow closer still. I want to watch Abby and Chloe grow closer. As a novella, I still loved it. The pacing was quick, but not too quick. It had a very sweet ending with a promise of love. Perfect story for when you need something sweet and quick to read.