A review by bribreez
The Sharpest Edges by Anna Callaway

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

*Thank you to Love Notes PR for providing me an ARC of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Please check trigger warnings before reading.

4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️

I have read quite a few books, and surprisingly I haven’t read a book such as this one. This story followed, Ava who was a nurse working at prison, and Dean who was the newest inmate to arrive. Ava and Dean couldn’t be any more different aside from the obvious of Ava not being in prison and Dean was. Despite the initial meeting of these two characters, Ava and Dean formed a connection in the time that Dean came to the infirmary to see Ava for his injuries. This was a slow burn romance with angst, the comforting trope, and eventually down the line things got spicy between Ava and Dean. 

I have heard of some people having read romances that were set within a prison, but for this being my first time reading this kind of storyline, I was really curious to see how Ava and Dean’s story would be. Within the first couple chapters, I got a sense that both Ava and Dean were no strangers to dealing with hardships in their lives. Based off of what was mentioned of Ava’s life and her past, I got the gist that she suffered loss, and a painful experience before that still left its mark on her both in a physical and emotional sense. Dean also had a hard childhood, and dealt with struggles within his family that would later play a role into how he ended up in prison in the first place. Both, Ava and Dean were familiar with different kinds of pain, but somehow they met in the last place you would expect..prison.

I have mentioned in the past, I love a good slow burn romance, and I loved the way this romance evolved. Honestly, while I was curious to see how Ava and Dean’s story would play out, I wondered how their romance would proceed especially since Dean was in prison. Suffice it to say, the way the romance progressed was surprisingly natural and the chemistry between Ava and Dean was sweet, kind, and later revealed a deep layer of desire they had for one another. The slow burn in this story was good especially from the way it was written in how Ava and Dean had their “firsts” together. The way Ava and Dean held hands together, hugged, or even the first kiss was sweet, and meaningful. For Dean, being in prison obviously meant dealing with a lot on top of being incarcerated, but also being unable to touch or hold Ava as he wished. The first time Ava and Dean had small physical contact was met with both of them feeling very close to each other, as well as a strong affection Dean had for Ava. Dean wasn’t an affectionate person by any means, and even before prison he wasn’t the kind of man who went out of his way to seek relationships or instigate physical touch. With Ava, Dean wanted to embrace all the things he normally never wanted, and more importantly wanted to spend any time he could with her (*even more when he was released). 

This was such an interesting story that I hadn’t read before. With the premise of Ava being a prison nurse and Dean being the newest inmate in prison, it wasn’t the typical romance I was use to reading. Nonetheless, the way this story was written made me follow along Ava and Dean’s story in a seamless way that made sense to me. Obviously, realistically speaking I don’t know if I could see this happening, but for this to happen to Ava and Dean, I was more than happy to cheer for them! The slow burn romance was done perfectly in a way that made me excited to see Ava and Dean share their first hug and be like, “OMG THIS IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT!” The chemistry was natural, palpable, and I could feel the sparks flying between Ava and Dean. There was also the added angst in both Ava and Dean’s backstories that was heartbreaking, but allowed them to see that they each understood the level of pain and loss they experienced in different points in their lives. For all the horrible things both Ava and Dean had endured in their lives, they got their chance at happiness with each other, and it was so satisfying to see them get their happing ending. I also loved that there wasn’t a third act breakup! Woo! Slow burn romance, angst, hurt/comfort trope, and spice was all great in this story. Highly recommend if you’re looking to read a unique romance, fairly short read, but not rushed, and an overall enjoyable read with dashes of angst to tug on your heartstrings. 
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