«Blossoms in the Wind» by Ross Richdale

Blossoms in the Wind is a romantic thriller centred around two families, the Suttons and the Knights who are linked when two senior high school students, Jeff Sutton and Ava Knight meet and are attracted to each other after Jeff transfers to a liberal co-educational high school rather than having his final year back at a conservative single sex school. Through them, their parents, Chloe Sutton and Adrian Knight meet.

Chloe is a victim of a dominating husband with the ongoing violence finally stopped when Jeff steps in after years of seeing his mother suffer. One evening he retaliates rather than continuing to ignore the latest outburst by his father when his fear of the older man turns to anger. David Sutton suddenly finds he is the victim rather than the perpetrator of a thrashing and is thrown out of the family home.

Adrian Knight is a widower after his wife died of cancer and has two children, seventeen-year-old Ava and son Logan who is twelve. When he meets Chloe she is separated from her husband and their friendship becomes more serious.

David Sutton's true character begins to show when he perpetuates his violent streak against his latest mistress, Nicole Wilks while he seeks revenge against Chloe and Jeff.