Until I Get You by Claire Contreras Summary, Characters and Themes

Until I Get You by Claire Contreras is a gripping mix of dark romance, suspense, and sports drama set against the backdrop of college life and professional hockey. Lachlan Duke, the star of Fairview University’s hockey team, is used to getting everything he wants, both on and off the ice—until he meets Lyla James Marichal, a woman with secrets who refuses to fall for his charms. 

What begins as an intense college romance spirals into a story of obsession, trauma, and survival. When Lyla vanishes after a violent confrontation, Lachlan embarks on a relentless search to reclaim her, leading them both down a path of danger and healing.

Summary

The story opens with a fateful encounter between Lachlan Duke, a star college hockey player, and Lyla James Marichal, a quiet and reserved student with a traumatic past. Lachlan is immediately captivated by Lyla’s indifference toward him, something he’s not used to as a highly sought-after athlete. 

Despite their attraction, Lyla keeps her distance due to the emotional scars she carries. She’s still grappling with the trauma of losing her mother in a car accident and the abuse she endured at the hands of her godfather and former hockey coach, David Jameson. 

Unbeknownst to Lachlan, Lyla’s godfather has been stalking her for years, and she is living in constant fear of him.

As Lachlan’s obsession with Lyla deepens, he is unaware of the full extent of the dangers she faces. While they begin a romantic relationship, Lyla is continuously haunted by her past. 

Her relationship with Lachlan provides her with a brief sense of safety, but she remains on edge. Their budding romance takes a dark turn when her stalker attacks both of them, forcing Lyla to flee in an effort to protect Lachlan. 

She disappears without a trace, leaving him heartbroken and enraged.

The narrative jumps forward three years. Lachlan is now a professional hockey player and the CEO of his father’s company. His life may appear successful, but he is consumed by his unresolved feelings for Lyla and his desperate need to find her. 

After years of searching, he finally locates her, now going by the name Delilah and having completed medical school. 

Determined to bring her back into his life, Lachlan concocts a plan to marry her under the guise of needing her for a business-related inheritance. His real motive, however, is to protect her and rekindle their love.

Despite their rocky reunion, Lyla is still running from her traumatic past. Lachlan’s protective, and at times controlling, behavior tests their fragile relationship. But Lyla eventually agrees to marry him, although her fear of Jameson still lingers. 

Their relationship intensifies as they try to find common ground, even while Lachlan’s obsessive tendencies push the boundaries of love and control.

The story’s climax comes when Jameson kidnaps Lyla with the intention of assaulting her once again. In a desperate struggle, Lachlan manages to save her, leaving Jameson in a coma. With the immediate threat neutralized, Lachlan and Lyla finally feel free to move forward. 

The book concludes with their marriage and an epilogue revealing Lyla’s success as a professional soccer player, along with the couple’s plans to start a family and live a quieter life away from their traumatic past.

Until I Get You explores themes of obsession, trauma, survival, and redemption, as both protagonists struggle to move past their emotional scars and find safety in each other’s love.

Characters

Lachlan Duke

Lachlan Duke, the male protagonist, is portrayed as a star hockey player with a larger-than-life reputation at Fairview University. He is confident, obsessive, and controlling, driven by his desire to excel in both his professional and personal life.

His obsession with Lyla begins at first sight, largely driven by her disinterest in him, which stands in stark contrast to how others perceive him. This fixation turns into a full-blown obsession, marked by his subtle stalking of her movements, and even when she leaves, he spends three years searching for her.

Despite his controlling tendencies, Lachlan is depicted as a protector—possessive yet devoted to Lyla, determined to save her from her traumatic past and her stalker. He is a complicated character whose love for Lyla is both his motivation and his flaw, as it leads him to make impulsive decisions to maintain control over her.

Lachlan’s arc involves moving from being a selfish, obsessive man to one who is willing to confront and battle her abuser, though the possessiveness that defines him remains a central feature throughout the narrative. His transformation is driven more by circumstances than by personal growth, making his development somewhat superficial.

Lyla James Marichal / Delilah

Lyla is a complex character whose personality is shaped by deep-seated trauma. She is depicted as strong and independent on the surface, but her inner world is marred by the emotional scars left by her godfather, David Jameson, who abused her.

This trauma informs her interactions with Lachlan and others, making her wary of forming connections and drawing her inward. Lyla is intelligent and resilient, having pursued medical school while running from her past, yet her decisions often feel contradictory to her character’s strength.

She avoids confiding in Lachlan about her abuser, which strains their relationship and leads to the three-year separation. Her reluctance to disclose her trauma creates tension but also feels contrived, serving the plot rather than reflecting organic character behavior.

Her transformation by the end of the book, where she begins to open up and allows herself to be with Lachlan, reflects a shift towards emotional healing, but it is hurried and lacks depth. Lyla’s strength, particularly her ability to survive years of abuse and to excel in her studies and career, contrasts with the fragility that comes from her trauma, and this duality makes her both sympathetic and frustrating as a character.

David Jameson

David Jameson is the central antagonist of the story and the source of Lyla’s trauma. As her godfather and former hockey coach, he groomed and abused her from a young age, positioning himself as a figure of trust while exploiting his proximity to her family.

Jameson is portrayed as manipulative, calculating, and disturbingly powerful. His connections with law enforcement and other figures of authority allow him to evade justice, further complicating Lyla’s efforts to escape his influence.

He represents a persistent and menacing presence throughout the book, and his hold over Lyla symbolizes the long-lasting impact of trauma. His character is one-dimensional, embodying pure evil without much nuance, and his role as a villain is primarily to create suspense and to serve as the driving force behind Lyla’s and Lachlan’s actions.

While his presence creates a sense of fear and urgency, his actions and ability to evade consequences stretch believability, particularly in the context of the legal and social structures depicted in the story.

Lachlan’s Family and Friends

Lachlan’s social circle is depicted as a mix of enablers and secondary characters who enhance his larger-than-life persona. His friends and teammates view him as the ultimate alpha male, a figure of admiration both on and off the ice.

This dynamic reinforces Lachlan’s ego and fuels his sense of entitlement, particularly in how he approaches women. His family, particularly his father, who is depicted as a powerful businessman, provides the backdrop for Lachlan’s privileged life.

His father’s influence shapes Lachlan’s perception of success and power, which carries over into his relationship with Lyla. Though these characters are not deeply developed, they serve to underline Lachlan’s position as someone used to getting what he wants, and their admiration contributes to his obsessive behavior when it comes to Lyla.

Lyla’s Family and Friends

Lyla’s family is defined by her strained relationship with her late mother and the political pressure exerted by her father. After her mother’s death, which occurred while fleeing from Jameson, Lyla is left to cope with her trauma largely on her own.

Her father, though depicted as loving, is distant and caught up in his political career, unaware of the abuse Lyla suffered. This detachment exacerbates Lyla’s isolation, as she feels she cannot turn to him for help or protection.

Her friends, including some who are aware of her abuse, provide a limited support system. One of her friends is even a lawyer, but despite this, they fail to take meaningful action against Jameson, highlighting the failures in her support network.

This lack of effective intervention contributes to the story’s atmosphere of helplessness and underscores the theme of survival amidst overwhelming odds.

Themes

Trauma and Healing

The theme of trauma is central to Until I Get You, shaping both the characters’ personal journeys and their evolving relationship. Lyla’s traumatic past, including sexual abuse and the death of her mother, forms the emotional backbone of the story.

Her experiences have left her deeply scarred, making her emotionally distant and hesitant to trust anyone, especially men. These scars are not just psychological but manifest physically in her behavior—her tendency to withdraw from social settings and isolate herself speaks to her internalized trauma.

The novel portrays the slow and painful process of healing, not as a linear journey but as a cyclical one, with setbacks and moments of vulnerability. Lyla’s fear of David Jameson, her abuser and stalker, dictates her actions and decisions.

Her eventual confrontation with him symbolizes a crucial step toward reclaiming her autonomy, though it comes with immense emotional and physical cost. Lachlan, on the other hand, experiences a different kind of trauma when Lyla vanishes without explanation.

His obsessive behavior toward her, his fixation on tracking her down, can be interpreted as his own way of coping with loss. Though his form of obsession is at times unhealthy and controlling, it underscores how deeply her absence affected him.

The reunion of the two characters doesn’t suggest that their traumas are completely healed, but rather that they can face their wounds together. This begins the process of mutual healing.

Obsession and Possession

Obsession is another dominant theme in the novel, with both protagonists exhibiting obsessive tendencies. Lachlan’s obsession with Lyla begins the moment they meet at a college party.

Unlike other women who admire or pursue him, Lyla’s indifference captivates Lachlan, sparking an obsessive desire to win her over. This obsession only deepens after she disappears, morphing into a relentless pursuit to find her.

The language used in the novel—phrases like “touch her and die”—emphasizes his possessiveness, reinforcing the trope of the “obsessed alpha male” often seen in dark romance narratives. While this can be appealing to readers who enjoy protective male leads, it also borders on problematic, especially in light of Lachlan’s controlling behavior.

His need to “own” Lyla, to have her with him at all costs, raises questions about the balance of power in their relationship. Lyla, too, is an object of obsession, both for Lachlan and her stalker, Jameson.

Jameson’s long-term fixation on her is far more sinister, adding a darker layer to the theme of obsession. His desire to control and possess Lyla started when she was a teenager, and it spiraled into abuse.

Jameson’s obsession is contrasted with Lachlan’s, highlighting the fine line between love and control. Lachlan may be obsessive, but his intention is to protect Lyla, while Jameson’s obsession is about dominance and control.

Love and Survival

At its core, Until I Get You is about love as a form of survival. Both Lyla and Lachlan endure immense pain—Lyla from her abusive past and Lachlan from losing the woman he loves.

Their love is fraught with challenges and moments of darkness, but it is also depicted as something that keeps them going. For Lachlan, his love for Lyla drives him to track her down and protect her, even when it borders on obsession.

For Lyla, love becomes something she must learn to accept again after years of associating intimacy with pain and betrayal. The novel explores the idea that love can be both a source of pain and healing, depending on how it is wielded.

The story also juxtaposes romantic love with survival in the literal sense. Lyla’s survival is not just emotional but physical, as she has to continually evade Jameson, her stalker and abuser.

Her relationship with Lachlan is framed as a potential refuge from this danger, but her ability to survive on her own is equally important. The final confrontation between Jameson and Lachlan underscores the notion that love, in its most intense and violent form, can be a battle for survival.

Lachlan’s brutal fight with Jameson is less about justice and more about protecting the person he loves.

Power Dynamics and Control

The novel grapples with power dynamics, both in relationships and in the larger societal context. Lachlan is depicted as a powerful figure—he is not only a star athlete but also becomes the CEO of his father’s company, symbolizing his control over his own life.

Lyla, by contrast, is often portrayed as powerless, particularly when it comes to her interactions with Jameson, who holds a psychological and emotional grip over her due to his abusive history. The imbalance in power between Lyla and the men in her life is a recurring theme.

However, by the end of the novel, Lyla begins to regain some of that lost power, especially when she makes the decision to marry Lachlan on her own terms and confront her past. Lachlan’s protective nature also intersects with themes of control.

His desire to protect Lyla often translates into possessiveness and a need to control her environment. This dynamic is complex because while Lachlan’s actions are framed as acts of love, they also mirror the controlling behavior of her stalker, though with vastly different motivations.

The novel asks readers to consider where the line between protection and control is drawn in a relationship, particularly one where trauma plays a significant role.

Redemption and Revenge

The theme of redemption runs parallel to the idea of revenge, particularly in how the characters seek closure for past wrongs. Lachlan feels that Lyla’s departure ruined his life, and when he finds her again, part of his motivation is to seek closure for the hurt he endured.

However, his anger transforms as he learns the full extent of her trauma, and his desire for revenge against Jameson takes precedence. The climax of the novel, where Lachlan saves Lyla from Jameson’s final assault, is framed as a moment of redemption for both characters.

Lachlan redeems himself by proving he can protect her, while Lyla gains her own form of redemption by surviving and refusing to be a victim any longer. Jameson, the antagonist, is a character who embodies the theme of unredeemable evil.

His obsession with Lyla and the abuse he inflicts on her are unforgivable, and the novel offers no opportunity for his redemption. Instead, his fate—a coma after a brutal fight with Lachlan—suggests that the only resolution for his evil is incapacitation.

The novel positions Lachlan as the agent of revenge, fulfilling the role of the protective, vengeful lover who will go to any lengths to keep his partner safe.

In summary, Until I Get You is a complex exploration of heavy themes like trauma, obsession, and love, filtered through the lens of romantic suspense. The characters’ journeys are shaped by their emotional scars, and the novel portrays love as both a source of healing and danger, depending on how it is expressed.

These themes are woven into a dark, intense narrative that straddles the line between love and control, making it a story about survival as much as romance.