Vick and Pepper began their relationship with a tiny crack in her heart, and then the tiny crack widened into a crater. Pepper acted childishly, but she did the best she could with all the issues she endured growing up.  Vic loved her, all her weaknesses, and her dirty drawers to boot. Occasionally in the story, both characters made me scream and yell ‘what is wrong with you two?’ At times, it was easier to accept them as a couple, other times, I was able to see her side of the tale better. Pepper Matthews had a childhood no one should endure, and to have to deal with the situations from her childhood didn’t seem fair. After she’d buried her past hurt for years, and once again it was maddening. It was apparent her behavior was erratic from time to time due to her past. Conversely, her friendship with Vick Yates added some spice to the mix. Vick, determined to be different from his father, was the one she tried to keep at arm’s length. His dad’s example of fatherhood was not one to use as a template. But, somehow, Vick started to fall in that ill-advised invisible pattern.  Later, Vick and Pepper began to get closer, he was determined to scale any obstacles she erected to prevent them from seeing their love magnify. Their divergent backgrounds signaled some of the things to add a little drama and excitement to this edition. Neither wanted to get their hearts mixed up with another, and that became the connecting issue they needed to overcome.  Their collective uncertainty in relationships matched their combined desperation to keep their hearts safe. The fear factor of the couple losing themselves in another was stifling to watch. It was nice when the couple found the same page and verse to be able to sing in harmony. Finally! 4.0 Stars.