FindMyTBR

About Close to You (Through the Years, #1)

A deeply emotional, angsty coming-of-age romance about a mute girl navigating trauma and foster care, whose unbreakable bond with her protective foster brother evolves into a powerful, forbidden love as they fight to survive their pasts and choose each other against all odds. I think some people are worth standing in the storm for. Milow can’t speak. Her father took her voice before she ever had a chance to use it, leaving her trapped in silence and haunted by memories no one should ever endure. Every day is a reminder of what was taken from her, and every moment is a quiet battle to survive the shadows of her past. When she arrives at a new foster home, Milow expects nothing. Just another place where she doesn’t belong and isn’t loved. But then she meets Ashby , her new foster brother, who has lived through his own hell. Somehow, without words or judgment, he understands her in a way no one else ever has. They spend years leaning on each other, but childhood doesn’t last forever, and their closeness starts to shift into something more complicated. As they grow older, the world gets crueler. The bullying Milow has endured her whole life gets heavier, and the pressure on Ashby builds as school and swimming demand more from him. Milow must decide how much of herself she can risk in a world that has never treated her gently, while Ashby must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice to reach his goals. But they know one truth: no matter what it costs, they will always choose each other .