THE CANDLE PALACE (Jamison Valley #6) by DEVNEY PERRY

‘Maybe his feelings for me weren’t as strong as mine were for him, but he wanted me to stay. That was something. That was everything.’

The Candle Palace by Devney Perry was incredibly sweet, romantic and encompassed the purity of humanity as well as its counterpart, compassion and ultimately love. We really enjoyed the love story of Sara and Milo, who we know from previous books in this wonderful series. There’s no question that Devney Perry writes the most heart-warming romance that’s both classy and subtle in its seduction.

‘Here, it was just two strangers keeping one another company. Here, we were two new friends quickly becoming…more.’

The Candle Palace was a slow build romance in some respects, yet it also had an intense and immediate attraction. A somewhat forbidden romance, under difficult circumstances, which builds on an initial act of empathy and understanding. It was swoon-worthy, low on angst with emotional moments of heartbreak and pain.

‘When Sara was in the room, the pain was bearable. Sara. Even her name brought me comfort.’

Devney Perry, as always, has some wonderful and profound messages in her writing and we love her for this very fact. On the whole, her stories are always perfectly balanced without being ‘preachy’ about a personality trait or habit. However, there can indeed be a fine line as no reader wants to feel guilt when reading fictional romance, which sadly we experienced to some degree whilst reading The Candle Palace. Feeling chastised resulted in a disconnect at times. It most likely won’t bother the majority but sadly it did for us at times.

“I don’t see scars when I look at you. I see a man who makes me feel safe. A man who makes me feel wanted and sexy. You don’t have to hide these scars from me. They don’t scare me.”

The Candle Palace had raw emotion at its heart which compelled us as it felt incredibly intense. In a story that almost relied solely on the two main characters, we felt their pain and struggles in our hearts. They held their own and we rejoiced and fell in love with their love. A love that felt incredibly solid and unwavering in the face of adversity. Both Milo and Sara had this gentleness about them, a beauty that almost felt vulnerable, which was incredibly endearing. The Candle Palace is a quick enjoyable read in the wonderful Jamison Valley series, which we adore and highly recommend.

“I’m grateful for the explosion. All the pain. It was worth it. To be here, lying in your bed. It was all worth it.”