Harleigh Harlow

Harleigh Harlow is definitely my rebel of this series. She has some self-confidence issues, but she’s still fiercely independent and lives by her own choices. She wanted to go to college, but she made the decision to help her father with his restaurant after he got sick. She wanted Gavin, but she made the decision to leave him before he could leave her. Read on to learn more about Hareligh and how strong she really is!

It’s possible I made Harleigh out to be kind of a naive little self-absorbed bitch. Or at least I tried. Unfortunately for me, Harleigh was having NONE of that. And just in case you didn’t know, she’s loud! She’s nothing like I envisioned her to be. 

I suppose that’s usual with my characters. I see them one way. They say, nope. You’re going to write me this way. And I end up doing what they want because the character always knows best. Harleigh was definitely the loudest of all of my female characters because she knew exactly what she wanted.

While she is fiercely independent, she’s also got some insecurities. The men she’s dated have never made her feel the way Gavin does. Not pretty. Not worth anything more than a quick lay before they were done with her. She doesn’t feel worthy of him because she’s never been made to feel worthy of someone like him. 

It throws her completely off when he treats her the way she does. She is used to the playboys and the lowlifes who frequented the diner. The ones who would whisper sweet nothings until you’re in bed and they’ve gotten what they wanted. Then disappear in the middle of the night with no word. Not the kind of man who wines and dines her and actually follows through on the promises he makes.  

Gavin scares her. She’s sure he’s faking it all so he can break her heart like everyone else has. It’s why she left him first. So he can’t. 

When she comes around, we can see clearly her vulnerabilities laid out for all to see. And we can see how strong she is when she starts to trust Gavin and put herself back together piece by piece. With his help, of course, because they are both stronger together. 

In the end, Harleigh is fierce, strong, beautiful, and tough enough to take her rightful place as Lucinio Mafia’s Second In Command’s Rebel.

What’s your opinion of Harleigh? Let me know in the comments!