Sweet Hope by Tillie Cole

Some books are worth their weight in gold, Sweet Hope is definitely one of them.

Sweet Hope is the final instalment of the Sweet Home series and it follows the story of Ally prince as she falls in love with the mysterious and reclusive artist Elpidio. This is a beautiful story of love, grief and second chances that had me glued to my kindle from beginning to end. Ally Prince is a great admirer of Elpidio's so when a position as the curator of his first official exhibit comes up, she makes sure she is the one to showcase his work. This showcase is conveniently going to be in Seattle where the rest of the Alabama group are all living. 

Elpidio is a man who has committed many sins and he's paid for them in spades. He lives in a darkness that still haunts him. He's a tortured soul yet he finds his Salvation in Ally. One of my favourite things about this book is that the reader finds out the true identity of Elpi quite early on in the book and you see before your very eyes the villain of someone else's story become the misunderstood hero looking for redemption. 

“You’re not the villain in this story, you’re the beautifully flawed hero. You’re the dark hero who has been sacrificing himself all along.” 

Elpidio has possibly the hardest journey out of all the men in the Sweet Home series as he tries to overcome his past but Tillie has managed to make this one of the best love stories i have ever read with her flawless characters and poetic words. Sweet Hope is the type of book that will completely overwhelm you and leave you emotionally drained as you can not help but invest in the unique characters brought to life on the page. 

Ally herself is such a pleasure to read as she is a strong independent heroine, yet she's vulnerable enough to admit to herself that she is lonely and wishes for the type of love her friends and family have found. When she finds it thats when Ally truly comes into her own, as she refuses to give up on the man she loves and isn't afraid to stand by her decisions regardless of what other people might say or think. 

My only negative is that this is the last book in this series and i shall sincerely miss the characters i have come know and love. Although, there is an amazing Epilogue that gives the perfect send off to what can only be described as a perfect series. 

“Months ago I was lost, drowning in a sea of guilt and fucking crippling sadness. Though I was fighting to break the surface, I couldn't ever get free. Every fucker I knew was watching me from the sideline, letting me drown, but not her. Not la mia luce. I thought she might throw me a lifeline, or at least try to pull me through. What I didn't expect her to do was jump in and tread water beside me… Waiting, just waiting until I was ready to follow her to the shore."