![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Sparrow-and-Hawke-Available-Banner.jpg?resize=556%2C291&ssl=1\")
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Darius<\/strong><\/p>\n My attraction to her is wrong. I\u2019m like the serpent in the Garden of Eden targeting Eve. Corrupting her.<\/p>\n I understand the serpent, though. When you\u2019ve seen the worst of humanity, taken the brunt of evil, you crave purity and goodness. You want compassion and courage, even when it comes in a girl far too young and innocent for the likes of you.<\/p>\n Nell<\/strong><\/p>\n He says I\u2019m too young and he\u2019s too experienced. I want him, even though he can\u2019t want me\u2026 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.5 stars<\/b><\/p>\n Wow. This first book in the Birdsong<\/i> trilogy is an intense and heartwrenching read, introducing us to two damaged yet wonderfully developed characters, and setting up what is sure to be an epic story of forbidden love. It\u2019s beautifully written and gorgeously emotive, and I loved it.<\/p>\n This is the story of Darius and Nell, and their romance is forbidden in so many ways: Darius is an acclaimed war photographer who is still recovering from a horrifying ordeal where he was held hostage in Afghanistan before making a daring escape. He\u2019s back home on US soil, and while he has physically recovered, he still carries the mental and emotional scars of his captivity. In an attempt at healing, he temporarily moves in with his childhood best friend and his daughter, and takes on a job teaching photography at the local high school to try and find his way forward in the world again.<\/p>\n Nell has been through her own traumas that have left her withdrawn and lost, and she\u2019s just going with the flow, about to graduate high school and follow the plan that her mostly inattentive father has laid out for her, even though it\u2019s not what she wants. But she doesn\u2019t know what she wants, and she just seems to be existing<\/i> without purpose.<\/p>\n Darius and Nell have always had a close relationship. They haven\u2019t seen each other for a few years though \u2013 mostly because of Darius\u2019 captivity and its aftermath \u2013 so when they see each other again, it\u2019s with surprise at the differences they see in each other. It\u2019s awkward at first, but when they start to talk about what they\u2019ve been through, they open up to each other like they haven\u2019t been able to with anybody else. They talk about their experiences and the pain and grief that they live with, and the bond that was always between them begins to deepen.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first came here, I thought you were a stranger.\u201d Nell folds her arms around her chest, like she\u2019s hugging herself. \u201cI didn\u2019t recognize you anymore. I didn\u2019t know all the ways you\u2019d changed from the Uncle Darius I once knew and loved. I also thought you probably didn\u2019t recognize me either. But now\u2026\u201d Their experiences and shared history bond them together, but it\u2019s their shared love of art and photography that sparks life in both of them. It\u2019s the first time Darius has been able to talk about his passion for photography, and pick up a camera since his captivity. And Nell has always admired Darius\u2019 skill and bravery in doing what he does, but when he brings his experience to her classroom, she begins to see the world in a new light, bringing her to life in ways she never expected.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to be the death of me.\u201d And underneath this new awakening in both of them, there is a growing attraction. They both feel it, and they know the other is feeling it too, and I loved watching the dynamic shift and change between them. You can see their deep connection and how much they care for each other, and I could feel it as things started to change for them. Their tragic backgrounds and the comfort that they find together draws them even closer together, and I love that they found that. They both deserve to have it.<\/p>\n When you\u2019ve seen the worst of humanity, taken the brunt of evil, and only lived another day, another minute, because your captor allowed it\u2026you crave purity and goodness. You want to get as close as possible to generosity, compassion, and courage, even when all those things come wrapped up in a girl who is far too young and innocent for the likes of you. <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Darius has been through hell, and I felt so much for him. He understandably wrestles with his feelings for Nell. He knows he shouldn\u2019t be feeling what he is feeling for her, and he tries his best to keep his distance, but his feelings for her are so strong, and I could feel<\/i> his struggle.<\/p>\n The urge to touch her is overwhelming, suffocating. I fist my hands, I can\u2019t grasp the growing comprehension that despite all our differences, at some deep, primal level, Nell and I are the same.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The emotion is beautifully written and so intense, and their situation is heartwrenching.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a lot older than you. Not to mention I\u2019ve known you your whole life. The power dynamic is on me. I\u2019m the one who needs to be in control. And when I lose control, you\u2019re not safe.\u201d Nell is such a wonderful character. Yes, she\u2019s been traumatised, and she still has scars from all that she has endured, but she has incredible strength, and we see that over and over in her journey through this book, and I loved watching her begin to blossom in so many ways. She\u2019s completely open with Darius about her feelings and what she wants, and she is as supportive as she is tenacious, caring for Darius while never backing down about how much she feels for him.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time you talk about yourself like that or tell me I shouldn\u2019t want you, you\u2019re belittling <\/i>my feelings. As if my wanting you is shameful and wrong, when honestly it\u2019s one of the few things that has ever felt right.\u201d <\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This book is very much an introduction to Darius and Nell\u2019s story, and it\u2019s emotional and slow-burning. We see glimpses of what is coming, and I feel like this book gives us the dramatic backstory for what will become an epic romance. It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but it\u2019s a positive ending, and I\u2019m so excited for this story to continue.<\/p>\n I loved it. 4.5 stars.<\/p>\n An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sparrow & Hawke (#1)<\/strong> Feather & Flame (#2)<\/strong> Wishes & Wings (#3)<\/strong> <\/p>\n He sets a cup down with such force that coffee sloshes over the rim. His hair is a sweaty mess, and dried blood tracks down his jaw from the gash on his forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cDarius, your\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrink this.\u201d He jabs a finger at the cup.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care.\u201d He flattens his hands on the counter and glares at me. His arms are roped with strong, corded muscles, his shoulders bunched. \u201cThis is what\u2019s going to happen. You stay here. You don\u2019t leave. You lock the doors and don\u2019t even step outside. I\u2019m going back to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going\u00a0back<\/em>? No way.\u201d<\/p>\n His mouth tightens. \u201cYou are not calling the shots.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously I should be, if you think I\u2019ll let you go back into that hellhole. And stop treating me like a child.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are a child!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am not, and you know it.\u201d A flame bursts to life deep inside me\u2014a combination of rage and frustration that has nowhere to go. \u201cIs that why you\u2019re fighting? Because you can\u2019t stand whatever is happening between us?\u201d<\/p>\n His expression hardens to stone. \u201cNothing<\/em> is happening between us.\u201d<\/p>\n The force of his statement knifes into me.<\/p>\n No.<\/em>\u00a0Of all the people in the world, Darius Hawke will not be the one to link me with the word\u00a0nothing<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a lie.\u201d I fist my hands, my fingernails digging into my palms. \u201cI saw those pictures you took of me. I see the way you look at me. I\u2019d never show anyone else my scars, and you wouldn\u2019t either, not like that. You\u2019re not trying to escape nothing. You\u2019ve been avoiding me because you know we\u2019re the same and because you\u00a0want me<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n The words come out like arrows, sharp and directed. Only in this instant do I realize the truth. I\u2019m desirable. Coveted.<\/p>\n What I have, who I am, this man wants.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Though she was born and raised in California, Nina Lane now lives in Wisconsin where the winters are freezing and the cheese is exceptional. Mom to two teenagers and a neurotic dog, she lives in two worlds\u2014one world of laundry, driving, horses, Girl Scouts, and football, and the other of epic romances between hot alpha heroes and the women who bring them to their knees. Nina only cooks when she can\u2019t avoid it (i.e., there are no frozen pizzas left), binge-watches serial TV whenever she can get control of the remote, and checks in about the weather daily with her meteorologist husband. She\u2019s a fan of popcorn, actual print magazines, French Roast coffee, working out, and trying new things\u2026especially if it\u2019s food.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n Website\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Facebook Page<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Facebook Profile\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Instagram\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Goodreads\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Bookbub<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sparrow & Hawke, the first book in The Birdsong Trilogy by Nina Lane, is now live! Amazon US\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Amazon UK\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Amazon CA\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Amazon AU\u00a0 B&N\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Kobo\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Apple Books\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0Google Play Blurb Darius My attraction […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":62107,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[297,52,972,25,9,29],"tags":[59,188,48,1364],"class_list":["post-63464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angsty","category-drama","category-forbidden","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-nina-lane","tag-review","tag-the-birdsong-trilogy"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Sparrow-and-Hawke.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-gvC","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/62107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHe thinks I\u2019m pure and he\u2019s ruined.
\nHe swears I don\u2019t know enough and he knows too much.
\nHe walks away because I\u2019m fragile and he\u2019s broken.<\/p>\n
\nBut he does.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Sparrow-and-Hawke-Teaser-3.jpg?resize=450%2C450&ssl=1\")
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\nReview<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nHe\u2019s 40, she\u2019s 18
\nHe\u2019s her father\u2019s best friend
\nHe\u2019s her deceased mother\u2019s step-brother
\nHe\u2019s her teacher<\/p>\n
\nShe pauses, her gaze steady on me. \u201cI feel like I recognize you more than I\u2019ve ever recognized anyone in my life. I <\/i>know you more than I\u2019ll ever know anyone.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cI think \u2026 you\u2019re going to be the life of me.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cThat\u2019s bullshit.\u201d I gulp back a lingering sob. \u201cI have spent my entire life feeling <\/i>unsafe.\u201d \u2026 \u201cThe only times in my life I\u2019ve ever felt completely and unequivocally safe are the times when I\u2019ve been with you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\nBirdsong Trilogy<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 B&N<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 B&N<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n
\nReview<\/a>
\nBuy:\u00a0 Amazon<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 B&N<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Kobo\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Apple Books<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 Google Play<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nAbout the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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