ARC REVIEW: Possession by A.M. Johnson

*ARC given in exchange for an honest review

Title: Possession
Author: A.M. Johnson
Series: Avenues Ink Series #1
Release Date: February 16, 2017

S Y N O P S I S: 

Paige Simon was the only girl Declan ever loved. The only one capable of silencing his voices, the only person to ever have faith in who he was, until the day her faith turned to doubt and destroyed everything they’d made together.

Declan O ’Connell was the only person Paige could be herself with. The only one she could rely on, until the day she was forced to make a choice that would condemn them both.

They’ve had years apart, and second chances don’t belong to the damned. But when you come face to face with your savior, it’s almost impossible to walk away. In order to move beyond the sins of their past, and forever silence the demons in his head, they’ll have to risk it all.  

But with love, there are real reasons to be afraid and, sometimes… your salvation is your damnation.   

Other than a riveting plot and an engaging prose, I always look for depth each time I read a book. And wow, did Miss Amanda ace all those. In a book world filled with swoony billionaires and perfect prince charmings, here comes Declan O’Connell, a warrior of his own, slaying his demons even in his sleep.

I belonged to the abyss, and no chemical on Earth would drag me from its depths.

I’ve never quite read something as poignant and beautiful as Declan. He was an artist through and through. The depth of his character was so deep, he might as well be a living, breathing abstract. His loyalty, his heart, and his love were perfect components of his troubled mind and soul. A character cut from human imperfections and still, I fell for him perfectly. 

She’ll bleed you dry. Maybe… But, at least the poison would at last be free from my system and maybe then the death she’d give me would be sweet, because I’d have tasted what it felt like to live again one last time.

Paige had a depth of her own. A woman who loved fiercely but was persuaded by guilt and honor. Oh, how Paige will test a reader’s heart. She was a woman of her own strength and she fought battles at her own pace. A woman who made wrong choices but was never defined by them. 

“I love you. It’s my affliction, and I’ll never be cured of it, never be rid of how I feel about you.”

I wish I was articulate enough to form the perfect words for what this book made me feel. AM Johnson’s evocative prose was most stunning in this book. The story was so complex and yet every detail of the story was clear, palpable, and equally important. Every tinge of emotion was utterly felt. The characters were so moving, bearing unique depths that I’ve never ever felt from a book before. 

Paige’s inner light basked in Declan’s darkness. A couple from different worlds but were bound by each other’s soul. 

This book is a masterpiece.