This is not a standalone. You must read the previous books before this. While it has it’s own couple, the events that happen and the people in it are carried over from the first two books. This is not one of those where you can read it without reading the previous books.
It took me until about 30% to get into this book. Not because it was bad or that I didn’t connect with the characters. It was just so intense. I had a lot of interruptions and I just couldn’t concentrate. And then last night around midnight, when my house was quiet, I picked it up again. And I didn’t put it down until it was done at 6 am. It’s been a long time that a book held me so much that I didn’t even doze off while reading throughout the night. But I couldn’t put this down. I had to just invest and read. Because that’s what happens with this series, and especially with this book. You get invested. Your eyes open up to what is going on in this world. And even though you ache deep inside you reading about what two incredible strong but broken people go through, you can’t put it down.