Summary
Laia
If you ever leave me, you’d better pray to God I don’t find you.
Words that have woken me up in the night more times than I care to remember this last year.
Running from your past isn’t much fun, running from a past that has every intention of causing you actual bodily harm if it ever finds you? Really not fun.
Even if it has led me to Clua, the most picture-perfect little island I’ve ever seen.
I’ve never had a problem blending in before. Fading into the background has never been an issue. Until now. Here. Where the universe’s whole energy seems to be geared towards throwing me into the path of, I’m not gonna lie, possibly the most ruggedly handsome stranger I’ve ever had the pleasure of nearly plastering to a road.
Accidentally, I swear.
Felix
Widower.
It’s what people see when they look at me. It’s what I see when I look in the mirror.
I had it all and it was taken from me. No way to make it better. No way to ever get it back. Most days I’ve come to terms with it. Most days I can block it out or fall into women that look like her. Women I can pretend are her for just a fraction of time.
Until Laia.
Until she crashed into my life and just kept on crashing. She’s nervous, and wary, and about as open to being with me as I am to being with her even if she does kiss me like she means it every, single time.
The best thing about her though—the thing I can’t seem to make myself walk away from? She doesn’t know enough about my past to look at me like I’m broken.
But that’s the thing about pasts … they always catch up with you in the end.
Review
“Losing people you love doesn’t just leave its mark, it changes everything about you.”
4.5 Stars ⭐️ Safe in Clua deals with tough subjects, such as grief and trauma. As well as contains some scenes that may be upsetting to some readers about domestic violence. There is a trigger warning in the beginning. But Safe in Clua is more than that. If that doesn’t bother you, I would recommend reading it. It’s real and emotional, and there is a lot that someone may be able to resonate with in one way or another.
When you don’t know the summary or cover of a book, the title is what draws someone in. I love a full-circle moment. While reading Safe in Clua, not only does the title show up but there was a moment when it just clicked and just made sense.
I finished Safe in Clua in one day. Every time I stopped, I got pulled back in. I wanted to keep reading, and I ignored all of my plans to read.
Running away from her ex, Laia escapes to a little island called Clua. Because of her past, she’s alone and afraid. I could relate to Laia; she hears these voices in her head and has low self-esteem because of her past. She is cautious, and she has reason to be.
“You know what almost hurt more than the physical stuff?” His jaw clenches, and for a second, I hesitate. He’ll think I’m ridiculous. “What?” I blink up at him. “The way he took away my … me.”
Clua seems too good to be true. She doesn’t want to get attached in case her past catches up to her. But Clua is a close-knit community and embraces her as soon as she gets there. It took some time for her to realize that Clua loves and wants her.
Laia bumps into Felix and changes his life. Take that however you want. But when you read the scene of their first meeting, it would be funnier, or maybe that’s just me. I love Laia’s relationships with people. Be it with Felix or Kenzi. All of the friendships in general.
In a close-knit community, everyone knows your business. So when an outsider comes in, it’s a breath of fresh air. Laia and Felix don’t know anything about each other. So it’s a fresh start for both of them.
I forgot they were there because that’s what he does—he makes me forget. He makes me feel like a normal scar-free person. But I’m not. I never will be.
As they get to know each other, they are able to understand one other.
Fair warning, Elle Wylee and I follow each other on Instagram. I wanted to be 100% transparent about that. Regardless, everything will be my honest opinion without a bias since I don’t know her personally.
Before I knew Safe in Clua would be a thing, I saw a few teasers from her posts. There was something there that pulled me in and interested me. I am a sucker for quotes, and if they resonate with me, even better! So, I wanted to add all of my favorite quotes to my review. But, I didn’t want to cross the line of spoilers and give too much away.
The moment I saw a chance to get an ARC, I signed up immediately. Funny story, the cover was on there in the signup even before it was revealed, and I scrolled by it; I probably thought it looked pretty but didn’t realize. Then, Elle told me the cover was on there, and I had to go back and check and just laughed.
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. So here are some of my favorite quotes from Safe in Clua:
Neither of us talk. I’m not sure we even breathe. The air is still thick with unasked questions, but also with a weird sort of understanding I don’t think I’ve ever had with anyone. We’ve both suffered. We’ve both survived. We both have scars.
I’ve never had anyone look at me like that … like they can read my mind. Like they like what they read there.
Thank you, Elle Wylee and LitUncorked, for an ARC.
