You know how her story ends, what you don't know is how it began...
Before Darcy Ray Carpenter became the girl Matt Turner would spend the rest of his life grieving, she was just a small-town Oklahoma girl.
Fresh out of high school, Darcy makes a promise with Matt and Gus: one year to chase the dream. One year to turn late-night barn rehearsals and backroad songs into something real. For the first time, Darcy and the Boys aren't just talking about a future. They're building one.
But life has a way of stopping even the best-laid dreams.
When life brings everything they were chasing to a halt, the music fades and the future they planned is put on hold. Darcy learns that loving Matt means standing beside him through the silence. Months pass. The dream waits. And for a while, it feels like the life they wanted may stay just out of reach.
Until one show changes everything.
When Darcy and the Boys catch the attention of Shelby, a woman with the power to take their small-town band beyond Oklahoma, the dream comes rushing back brighter than before. Suddenly, the crowds are bigger, the lights are brighter, and the future they almost lost is finally within reach.
But the brighter the lights get, the darker the shadows become.
As Darcy and Matt's love deepens, so does the danger surrounding her. Letters appear and boundaries are crossed by a man who believes Darcy belongs to him. Obsession quickly turns into something more and the life she is fighting so hard to build starts closing in around her.
Through every song, every mile, and every stage they step onto, Matt and Darcy keep building a future around each other. One filled with music, love, and the promise of a life together.
Until one night changes everything forever.
The emotional prequel to Where the Stage Lights End, revealing the love story, their rise to fame, and the tragedy that changed everything forever.
Because before the stage lights went out...
Darcy Ray shined.
Content Warning: This book contains stalking, obsessive behavior, attempted sexual assault, physical violence, violence against women, death of a main character, strong language, sexual content, and alcohol abuse.
