The Trouble With Goodbye by Sarra Cannon

"We both have our secrets. Scars we're afraid to let anyone see. Whatever it is, I won't judge you."

One night can change everything…

Two years ago, Leigh Anne Davis shocked everyone in tiny Fairhope, Georgia when she broke up with her wealthy boyfriend to attend an Ivy League university a thousand miles away. At school, she finds a happiness and independence she’s never known.

Until one terrifying night takes it all away from her.

With no place else to go, Leigh Anne heads home to reclaim her old life. A life she worked so hard to escape. On the outside, she seems like the same girl everyone has always known. But deep inside, she’s hiding a terrible secret.

That’s when she meets Knox Warner, a troubled newcomer to Fairhope. His eyes have the same haunted look she sees every day in the mirror, and when she’s near him, the rest of the world fades away. But being with Knox would mean disappointing everyone all over again. If she wants to save what’s left of her old life, she has no choice but to say goodbye to him forever.

Only, the trouble with goodbye is that sometimes it’s about courage and sometimes it’s about fear. And sometimes you’re too broken to know the difference until it’s too late. 

I had a hard time getting into the book from the get go as I found that it was written so you get a bit of the Leigh Ann's story at a time.  I think it wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so many names dropped but it almost felt like you had a whole cast of characters you had no idea what they pertained to in the book you're reading.  That being said, when I did finally get into it, it wasn't bad. It's your typical story where both guy and girl come with their own dark, secretive pasts.  In finding each other, they find an unlikely, supportive being that they inevitably fall in love with.  

Despite the general storyline is very common, there's a fairly dark theme that drapes over the entire story. Without actually spelling it out and ruining the plot, I absolutely despised her mother through most of this novel. I can't even voice how disgusted I was with her as a mother and fellow female. I am so proud of Leigh Ann and how she took the reigns and ended the story on a strong note. Not a bad read, a bit like a lot of books I've read but, like I said Leigh Ann's story made it worth reading.