Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon

Charles Preston Carmichael is the most infuriating man I’ve ever met.

I want to sock the golden boy of college hockey right in the mouth.

He enjoys telling me everything I’m messing up. Publicly.

And since he’s my roommate for the next year, I can’t avoid him.

Yet there’s something about him that makes me watch him.

Something dark.

A secret I want to uncover.

When he returns from a weekend away, broken and haunted, I can’t keep my distance anymore.

He needs someone and I’ll be damned if it’s not me.

Soon my life no longer revolves around hockey, but the nightmares he’s living with.

Desperately I want to save him but I can’t, not yet. The timing has to be just right.

Can I watch him destroy himself as he tries to hold tight to the things that matter or will I be the final hit in the destruction of his life?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62342935-hidden-scars

********

My Review: 5/5 Stars

Preston has been abused by his father since he was a child shortly after his mother died. His father is a sick man who uses his skills as a surgeon to cut Preston and stitch him back up among many other things. But Preston knows he would go through it again and again if it meant his sister remains safe. He'll draw attention to himself if it means his father won't turn his attention to Lily. And when Preston is forced to head to Colorado to play for a D1 hockey team, he'll do it. But he doesn't expect to be drawn by Jeremy. Jeremy doesn't understand Preston's problem. The man is a beast on the ice and now as a teammate, you would think the aggression and attitude would go toward opposing teams, not his own teammates. However, despite the snarling and aggressive behavior, Jeremy is drawn to Preston. He starts to see the mask Preston wears and he is realizing that some thing don't add up. And when the two finally give into their sparkling chemistry, Preston realizes that he may have found the one person he could drop his guard around and make him feel safe. Jeremy realizes that his feelings for Preston are only going stronger. He'll do whatever it takes to keep Preston by his side and keep him safe. This story was so good! Despite Preston's attitude early on, you can't help but cheer for Jeremy to get past Preston's walls so he can help. The connection between Preston and Jeremy is strong and they break down one another's walls bit by bit. Really touching story.