ONCE WE WERE STARLIGHTGenre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Mia Sheridan
Release Date: March 1, 2021
A bed posed on a stage under a dazzling spotlight. An audience of hungry eyes. And him, the other half of my soul, our supple bodies moving as one . . .
Sundara: the lush and forbidden oasis in the desert where men travel to watch acts of sexual deviancy, and the only existence seventeen-year-old Karys has ever known. But despite a life where secrets and sin are in high supply, and freedom remains far beyond their reach, Karys and her partner Zakai find safety in each other, their passionate love the light that helps them both survive the darkness.
Very suddenly, Karys and Zakai find themselves in the bright and confusing world of New York City, navigating separation, school, and relatives who are all but strangers. If they’ve been found, why do they still feel so lost? As their new lives threaten to drive them apart, and Zakai spins out of her grasp, Karys must figure out who and what can be trusted in this strange city, seemingly filled with more venom than the desert they once called home.
We are two halves of the same beautiful star, broken in the heavens. We fell to earth, separate, yet yearning to be together.”
Once We Were Starlight was an incredibly poignant, beautiful, and captivating story that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting any time soon.
The story is told in separate parts of past and present and nothing prepared me for the emotional roller coaster that was this story.
At one point Zakai and Karys were each other’s everything. The desert setting of Sundara, all young Karys having ever seen. She’s sheltered, uneducated, and with her wings clipped but without really realizing it. Zakai is older and seems more jaded. He understands what the outside world holds while Karys has no knowledge of anything outside of Sundara. As the story progresses, you’re taken on an emotional journey of Karys realizing what her life really is. It covers incredibly poignant subjects like sex trafficking and handled flawlessly. Karys and Zakai are as much in love as two young people who only have each other could be. They’re also part of a sex show for rich visitors of Sundara. But Karys doesn’t realize just how wrong this is for her. Yet she yearns to be with Zakai, while Zakai dreams of escape.
When they’re rescued from Sundara and thrust into a brand new world in New York, their lives have a ripple effect that pulls them both in separate direction. You’re taken on the journey to witness ultimately how they tragically fall apart, only to be reunited years later.
Mia Sheridan is a master with crafting one incredibly emotional and unforgettable story. I spent parts sick to my stomach and in tears. Most of the book is spent with their time in Sundara and focused on their lives when they fall apart. Having said that, I would have loved to get more time from their reunion at the end. If you’re looking for a beautiful and emotional story of second chances and survival, this is an absolute must read.
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