Even when you’re good as something, if there isn’t any passion in it…

Synopsis

Arianna Banks never committed to anything, whether a relationship, a job, or her education. Carrying a damaged reputation because of an atrocious childhood incident, Arianna’s poor self-image has been her downfall. When her parents die unexpectedly, awash with grief, she wonders what her purpose is. She makes several changes, including quitting beauty school to work at a charity call center. Convinced she is doing important work, Arianna isn’t prepared when a coworker named Marc Arnold challenges her to achieve her dreams through her suppressed passion for writing. Coming off a nasty breakup, Arianna grows closer to Marc, but she tells herself she won’t be at another guy’s mercy. But Marc isn’t ready to give up on her. Now Arianna must choose to walk away or invite him in. But inviting him into her heart means sharing who she really is, ugly scars and all. In the midst ofnavigating her heart, Arianna excels at her telemarketing job, but does she choose what’s familiar or dare to pursue her heart’s song, as Marc encourages her?

Arianna is the great-granddaughter of Lorna and Tristan Blake from the Lorna & Tristan Series.

My review

Arianna Banks finds it difficult to stick to a decision she makes. Whether it’s about a job, her studies, even being in a relationship makes her doubt if that is what she truly wants. She also has a dark past that made her act in a way that now caused her a damaged reputation.
And her parents dying unexpectedly, surely doesn’t help her self – esteem and makes her take even more rushed decisions, like quitting beauty school and start working for a charity call centre.
After initial struggles, Arianna finds herself finally doing something she is good at, and feelings like she is truly doing important work.
And when her co-worker Marc Arnold not only challenges her to follow her dreams, but also doesn’t give up on her, Arianna must decide to keep her distance or allow Marc in, sharing all her scars and fears. And maybe actually listen to Marc and dare to chase her dreams after all? 

Arianna is the kind of girl I immediately wanted to comfort and give a huge hug and tell everything would be okay in the end.
And that is when we are only aware of one of the horrible things that happened to her… So you can imagine how I felt after reading her whole story… 

I understood how little she thought of herself, and being in that downward spiral doesn’t make it easy to let Arianna realize that in fact whatever happened to her wasn’t ever her own fault and that in truth she is an amazing, lovely young woman. 

Reading about her struggles, broke my heart, because in fact nobody should have gone through what she went through, and nobody should feel useless as she does…
And so, even if my warning bells went of when she starts working at the call centre, I was happy for her she found something she was good at.
We all know how call centres try to take your money without knowing where it will truly end.
But for Arianna is was exactly what she needed for a boost of confidence. 

And of course, that job makes her meet Marc… Marc who wants to befriend Arianna, even if she isn’t really kind to him all the time.
Marc, who understand her boundaries and accepts to be just friends and accepts her wish to take things very slowly.
Marc is exactly what Arianna needs, to make her realize what her dreams are and that chasing them isn’t just wishful thinking… 

The author doesn’t run away of addressing heart-breaking events, showing also that not everything gets the justice it deserves.
But she also shows us that, yes, to get over the traumatic event may take some serious time and we are allowed to make mistakes.
But she also shows us that there are people who love us unconditionally, family but also new friends. And with them by our side, we are allowed to dare to dream and pursue our dreams, even how impossible they may seem to get realized.