First of all, the writing here is superbly done. The book opens up with one lead character on the run and readers immediately learn so much about this character. With one scene alone, the tension was set, stakes were obvious, and the lead was shown to be extremely resilient and determined and I was convinced in that opening scene alone that I would love this book. Kaye has a knack for giving enough information to keep the reader moving with the story while at the same time, holding enough back so that the reader is able to see the many threads woven into the tale that make the reveals hit that much harder when they come. What I also enjoyed was the fact that while the book was written as a dual narrative, the chapters weren't titled with the character names which I found to be an interesting choice. Instead, symbols were used to show whose perspective we were following, sometimes even changing mid-chapter, and I grew to enjoy seeing the symbol for each of our leads when it was their turn to tell us their story. The back and forth kept things moving naturally while we learned more about each character, and each point-of-view helped with learning more about the various townsfolk, so many incredible people who accepted these new characters into their town, just by showing who each lead interacted with the most.
As for the characters, by the time Cassidy and Beckett brought me to the end of this book, I loved both of them equally. I thought Cassidy was amazing for a lead, the tenacity she had and her determination to learn as much as possible to make herself indispensable to the town felt familiar to me. I wanted this girl to find the peace she was looking for and I was so grateful to the people of Bronn, the village she found refuge in, for recognizing her potential and being willing to help her with everything she wanted to learn. As for Beckett, yes, it took me time to love this guy but Kaye made the journey with his struggles worthwhile. In the beginning I wanted to wring his neck or just bash him in the back of the head but the point of his journey was to recognize his trauma and see the efforts he made to change both the way he perceived the world and his place in it. I was proud of the growth he showed and when he and Cassidy came together, I was giddy with the sweetness of their growing care for each other. Their every move showed how far they'd come to be something more than their families thought they'd be able to be and I wanted to wrap them up and keep them safe. For now, I'll content myself with the fact that we will hopefully see them again in another book.
As for the plot, Kaye had a fairly straightforward plot, or at least that is what we were led to think. Cassidy and Beckett have both found themselves in a town where their existence depends on trading for the goods they need. They each need to learn how to help in the town and contribute to the care of everyone that calls Bronn home. Beckett's background means that his time in the town comes with an expiration date and Cassidy's means that she is in hiding. Like I said, seems straightforward enough but there are so many different points that Kaye juggles in this story, like Cassidy's true origin, and the threat that comes with Beckett's previous home. There's also the idea of what both find in the town and the significance of the willows that surround it, the way the title is inspired by these trees and what it means to each lead, what they found within the willows. Suffice to say, when those lines hit, I found my heart struggling to beat. There are so many different ways this story can go from here and I have no idea what will come next but after loving this book, I'm confident the next tale will break my heart and mend it again, in that order.
With the way this book ended, I can confidently say that I will be waiting with bated breath to find out what happens next. I can only hope that Kaye will have mercy on us readers and have something for us soon. I am desperate to know what comes next for our two leads.
Read this book if you like books about learning new ways of thinking, finding true families, and becoming better than you realized you could be.
Rating on my Scale: 10 Beautiful Stars! This book kept me up late reading and I didn't even realize how much time was passing. When my copy arrives, it will live on my shelf of favorites for the rest of all time.
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