Showing posts with label Adult Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adult Fiction. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Dangerous Minds - Janet Evanovich (Review)

31522138Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich 
Series A Knight and Moon Novel #2
Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Action
Publication date: 
June 20th 2017
Publisher:  Bantam
Format: hardcover, 319 pages
How I got it: My public library
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5 

 

The irrepressibly charming duo of Emerson Knight and Riley Moon returns in another gripping mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.

Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus lost his island of solitude and wants to get it back. The island was about two hundred miles northeast of Samoa. It had a mountain, beaches, a rain forest, and a volcano. And now it’s gone. Poof! Vanished without a trace.

Brilliant and boyishly charming Emerson Knight likes nothing better than solving an unsolvable, improbable mystery. And finding a missing island is better than Christmas morning in the Knight household. When clues lead to a dark and sinister secret that is being guarded by the National Park Service, Emerson will need to assemble a crack team for help. Since a crack team isn’t available, he enlists Riley Moon and his cousin Vernon. Riley Moon has a Harvard business degree and can shoot the eyes out of a grasshopper at fifty feet, but she can’t figure out how to escape the vortex of Emerson Knight’s odd life. Vernon has been Emerson’s loyal and enthusiastic partner in crime since childhood. He now lives in an RV behind Emerson’s house.

Together, this ragtag, mismatched trio will embark on a worldwide investigation that will expose a conspiracy one hundred years in the making.

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My thoughts:

This is the second book Emerson Knight and Riley Moon series from Janet Evanovich.  This book follows Emerson and Riley as they start working on a case of a missing island.   Emerson has the grand idea of finding out what happened to a friend’s island that he got kicked off and Riley sort of gets roped into helping him since she is working for him.

I loved the storyline of this book.  The comedy in Janet Evanovich’s writing really comes through again with this book.  The author does a great job creating the characters of Emerson and Riley.  Emerson has a quirky personality and he really sticks with it the entire book.  Riley is more of a by the book girl and this makes a great combination with Emerson.

The author does a great job with keeping the story moving once the action begins.  I feel like once we get on the road with the characters the story just keeps moving along at a very fast pace.  The story follows through the National Parks in the US and they are very interesting to read about.  I enjoyed getting to hear the descriptions from the author and also learning a little more about our National parks.

I don’t believe you would need to know what happened in the first book to follow the second book.  Most of the hints the author gives about the relationship between Emerson and Riley are very prevalent in this book and the other characters that are introduced all get full introductions by the author.

I have two issues with the book.  The beginning of the book was a little slow for me.  I enjoy Janet Evanovich’s writing so I did stick with reading this book, but I could see if you start reading it you might be put off.  The action really picks up about half way through the book so it took a bit to get there.   The second issue was the science in the book seemed a little heavy for a Janet Evanovich book I was not really expecting that from her, but it didn’t make the book any less enjoyable.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read.  I felt like it was the perfect mix of take your mind of the day and just enough to relax me to sleep. 


My Rating: 4/5

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About the Author



Janet EvanovichJanet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.


Thursday, June 8, 2017

{Blog Tour} Thorn's Journey - Shirleen Davies (Spotlight & Giveaway)

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Description:
Welcome to Burnt River, a new series of Contemporary Western Romance stories set in the fictional town of Burnt River, Montana. Brought to you by Shirleen Davies, Peggy L Henderson, Kay P. Dawson, Tristi Pinkston, and Kate Cambridge.
Thorn’s Journey, Book Two, Burnt River Contemporary Western Romance Series, by Shirleen Davies.
Thornton “Thorn” Macklin, ex-Special Forces sergeant, has returned home to focus on his future. Scorpion Custom Motorcycles is one of the two dreams he pushed aside when he left Burnt River. The second dream? Well, it died long ago.
Grace Jackson works hard to be successful, trying to forget the one great mistake from her past. Returning to Burnt River to work for the family business forces her to confront her future—as well as the man who shattered her heart.
Being close to his brothers, helping at the ranch, and working with lifelong friends is exactly what Thorn needs. The last person he expects to see is the woman who vanished from his life without a word. Now she sits in her plush office down the street, resurrecting emotions, as well as memories he’d buried long ago.
Not only must he confront his feelings for Grace, he and his friends face another danger. Someone wants their new business to fail, and isn’t above putting people at risk to achieve this goal.
Guarding against threats is what Thorn does best. Protecting his heart from the woman he’s never forgotten is another matter.
Could coming home, and the hope of a second chance, be his ultimate journey?
Thorn’s Journey, book two in the Burnt River Contemporary Western Romance Series, is a full-length novel with an HEA and no cliffhanger.


Excerpt:

“Mind if I join you?”

She jumped, startled at the familiar voice. Twisting around, she saw Thorn a few feet away, a bag from Evie’s in his hand. Pushing aside the lump in her throat, she gestured to the other side of the table. “Go ahead.” Picking up her drink, Grace did her best to ignore him and the butterflies now lodged in her stomach.

Unwrapping his sandwich, Thorn couldn’t seem to move his gaze away from Grace, studying her features for signs of the girl he once loved. Taking a bite, he chewed slowly, making her squirm under his intense gaze.

“Did you follow me?” She took another bite, but the sandwich now tasted more like cardboard than chicken salad.

“Nope.”

She looked around, expecting to see Josh and Tony walk up any minute. Grabbing her drink, she took a long sip, deciding the best way to deal with him being so close was to talk.

“I eat here all the time. Two or three times a week, in fact. Sometimes there are families with children, but most days, it’s quiet, like today. I’ve even brought my fishing rod a few times, although I’ve yet to catch anything. Seems the older I get, the less luck I have. I…” Her voice faded when she saw Thorn raise his hand.

“Do I make you nervous?” He wadded up the sandwich paper, easily tossing it into a can several feet away.

Grace crossed her arms, scowling at him. “Of course you don’t make me nervous.”

He mimicked her behavior, crossing his arms, although his lips turned up at the corners. “Then why are you babbling? I don’t remember you being so chatty.” Some perverse pleasure washed over him when he saw her face redden, her eyes going wide.

“It’s called small talk, Thorn. It’s what people do when they’re trying to break the ice, be sociable. You should try it sometime.”

He studied her a moment, his gaze hooded. “I’ve seen you naked, Grace. Several times. Do you really think small talk is necessary?”

Without an inkling of warning, she picked up her cup and threw the contents at him. Shock came in an instant, followed by disbelief, then a sputtering laugh as he stood, letting the liquid sluice off him.

Grabbing her trash, she tossed it into the can, then picked up her purse. “You’re such a jerk, Thorn. I don’t know how I ever loved you. Leaving here was the best decision I ever made.” Her stomach twisted when his smile disappeared, replaced with something she couldn’t quite define.


Standing, Thorn stepped beside her, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “You’re right. My love would never have been enough for you. I’m all the things your father thought—and worse.” Straightening, he adjusted his sunglasses and strode away, not bothering to check her reaction. If he had, he’d have seen the indignation of a moment before replaced with grief and regret, tears welling in her eyes at the love they’d lost and the pain that replaced it.

Bio:


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Shirleen Davies writes romance—historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense. She grew up in Southern California, attended Oregon State University, and has degrees from San Diego State University and the University of Maryland. During the day she provides consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses. But her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance.  She now lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona.

Author Links


Monday, May 8, 2017

{Blog Tour} Rebel Custody - Sarah Hawthorne (Review & Giveaway)

In REBEL CUSTODY, Skeeter is a man used to breaking the rules while Miriam is always on the right side of the law. When Miriam agrees to pose as Skeeter's woman to get details they need for a case the lines between business and pleasure begin to blur. Golden Heart Finalist, Sarah Hawthorne returns to her Demon Horde series with this sinfully hot must read from Carina Press!

Rebel Custody Virtual Blog Tour Giveaway:

Sarah is offering one (1) lucky winner a $50 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


About Rebel Custody

Title: Rebel Custody
Author: Sarah Hawthorne
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 1, 2017
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Demon Horde, MC #2
Format: Digital eBook
ASIN: B01MUG1G4V

Synopsis:

A son in danger
The Demon Horde MC are no strangers to breaking the rules, but making a man pay to get his son back crosses one too many lines for Skeeter. He'll do anything, including play by the book, if it means bringing his son home. Hiring straitlaced attorney Miriam Englestein is meant to solve his problems, not create new ones. One look at her and his good-guy facade goes out the window. He wants to throw his buttoned-up lawyer onto the back of his bike and make her his.

A woman at risk
Miri wants nothing to do with the club. Her father may be in their pocket, but she's on the right side of the law and she intends to stay there. But there's something about Skeeter's plea—something about him—she can't walk away from. While she's tempted to let him do unspeakably wicked and delicious things to her, she can't risk her law practice, or her heart.

A dangerous deception
When Miriam agrees to pose as Skeeter's woman to get details they need for the case, things heat up fast—and it's not long before the lines between business and personal blur, and they're both in over their heads. In the MC world, lies have a way of coming back to you, and they put everyone at risk.

Add to your TBR list:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes


Look for Outlaw Ride (Demon Horde #3) releasing in September 2017 with Carina Press! And be sure to pick up your copy of Enfocer’s Price (Demon Horde #1), available today!

Review:
This book contains adult themes.

This is the second book in the Demon Horde series that follows Skeeter as he learns that he has a son.   Skeeter seeks out a lawyer to gain custody of this son and that is when he meets Miriam.  Skeeter and Miriam skate around it, but you can almost feel the chemistry instantly with them.   There first interaction is perfect for these two and does come full circle in this book.   Miriam’s father is a very powerful lawyer and she works at his firm so she comes from a lot of money.  Skeeter and Miriam come from two different worlds.

The author does a great job creating the entire world for Skeeter and Miriam.  The author gives a lot of background information on both main characters so that you can easily become invested in their futures.   The book is told in alternating POV between Skeeter and Miriam.    We get to see how they think about each other as well as what their concerns are about events happening in the book.

Skeeter is a biker from Louisiana originally who the author gave a large amount of background and details on how he got to where he is today.  Skeeter is a very caring individual and only wants the best for his son.  Skeeter hasn’t had very much experience in relationships so he has trouble opening up and also doesn’t know what to say to make things go forward.  Miriam is a very interesting character that the author created.  She also lacks experience in relationships and doesn’t know what to say or act.   They are both trying to figure out how to make a relationship work and if they want to have a relationship.   Skeeter is also going through a major life event of finding out he has a child so there is a lot going on that the author does a great job working through.

I love the author’s writing style.  In such a short book, I felt connected to the characters and we went through two major events.  The story flows very naturally and the building of the relationship happens at the right pacing for me.  The author does a great job creating all the chemistry needed for the two characters as well as the challenges that come with any relationship.   I also loved that you don’t need to read the first book to know what is going on.  This book does follow the same motorcycle club, but the author gives enough information that you wouldn’t have needed to know what happened before to be able to follow along.   

I also loved the comedy that the author put in this book.  The ending was just amazing to me and I felt that it was perfect for this book to make it come back full circle!

My one major complaint was I felt like compared to the first book there was one major build up to action and in this book, we have two build ups to action.  I sort of thought the book was going to end after the first event, but then it kept going.  I felt after all the build up to the first event it just wasn’t what I expected to happen.  I wanted to see more action and drama from the author.    The author is amazing at creating these scenes that you don’t want to stop reading and I felt like the first one was just blah, I mean the author completely makes up for it with the second build up because I didn’t see it coming at all.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read the book was an easy one to pick up and just get lost in after a long day.  The author does a great job creating an entire new world to fall into and it was a great break.


I received a copy of this book from Barclay Publicity to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

My Rating: 4/5







About Enforcer’s Price:

Title: Enforcer’s Price
Author: Sarah Hawthorne
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Demon Horde #1
Release Date: February 6, 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9781488024412

A man looking for redemption
Colt spent eight months in prison for trusting the wrong woman, nearly bringing down his entire motorcycle club in the process. Now he needs to fix the MC's cash flow problems or watch the only family he's ever known fall apart.
Meeting Krista wasn't part of his mission.
Falling for her could mean his destruction.

A single mom trying to get by
Krista was ready to leave hooking behind when her ex cleaned out her bank account. Stuck working to provide for her daughter, she protects herself with one rule: never get involved with someone at the club.
Not that she wants to. Sex has become a job, a means to an end.

One night together as an escape
Krista's body wakes at Colt's touch, allowing her to imagine a life after the MC. A future. A happily-ever-after, if only briefly. Krista brings out feelings in Colt he forgot could exist. But just as he begins to trust again, Krista's truth is revealed - testing the very boundaries of Colt's jealousy and faith.

Add to your TBR list:  Goodreads

Available at:  Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes


Praise for Enforcer’s Price:

“I’ve been looking forward to Enforcer’s Price since the moment I learned the premise, and I’m happy to say that this debut novel by Sarah Hawthorne doesn’t disappoint. Edgy and real, Enforcer’s Price grabs at your heart and doesn’t let go!” -- J. Kenner/Julie Kenner, New York Times & #1 International bestselling author

“I loved Enforcer’s Price. It’s a wild ride showing the gritty side of love in an MC.” -- Jade Chandler, author of the Jericho Brotherhood series

“Enforcer's Pride is a wild ride. It gets you in the feels and keeps going. It's a dark and gritty MC romance, and I can't wait for more.” -- Jade Chandler, author of the Jericho Brotherhood series

“Enforcer’s Price is a sexy romance with spicy, cagey, and memorable characters who need to make the right choices this time around or forfeit everything. The plot is believable and has intense moments that leave the reader breathless. Hawthorne writes with passion and honesty.” -- Romantic Times

Excerpt from Rebel Custody:

Chapter One

Skeeter

I liked to keep my back to the wall. It was a habit I developed in the Registan Desert. But tonight I was just in a neighborhood hangout, a strip club called Jiggles. I surveyed the strip club from a corner near the pool tables. A woman danced onstage while a rock song played. The booming bass had a slight buzz. The strip club’s sound system had blown a few speakers last year, but no one bothered to replace them.
When it was my turn, I leaned across the green felt. Bank shot. Three ball into the corner pocket. I closed my eyes and let the cue slide through my fingers. The balls cracked together. I heard the thump off the side cushion and then the rattle as the ball sank into the pocket. Easy.
I opened my eyes to set up my next shot.
“Hey, genius.” Clint laughed. “You’re stripes. Thanks for taking care of one of my balls, though.”
Fuck. I looked at the table. He was right; I was stripes. I hadn’t been paying attention. Instead of returning to my favorite spot against the wall, I sat on a stool in front of the bar.
“Hi, baby.” Asia, one of my favorite pay-to-play hookups, leaned in close. “I’d be happy to take care of your balls, but how about you buy me a drink first?”
I rolled my eyes and asked the bartender to get her a beer.
Asia pouted. “You haven’t called me in weeks.” She stuck her lower lip out. “I could call a friend, and the three of us could have our own personal party. Remember how fun it was that time?”
Tempting. Asia was always enthusiastic and willing to please in bed, especially if it would earn her a big tip.
“Actually, I don’t really remember much of that night.” I sipped on my beer. “I haven’t been in the mood lately.”
“Oh!” She smiled and started to root through her huge purse. “I got stuff for that.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just not interested, okay?”
What the hell was wrong with me? Asia was tall with long legs that she could bend any which way I wanted. And her fees were reasonable. But sex had just lost its thrill. It was the same old shit. Women in skimpy outfits trying to entice me to buy, which I often did. Then a meaningless meet-up in my room at the clubhouse and a morning alone.
Maybe I could soften the blow. “Why don’t you go hang out with Clint?”
We both looked over at him—he was chatting up a blonde stripper in a purple dress. Asia frowned.
“Well, maybe I’ll just make a new friend tonight. Thanks.” She walked away, hips swinging. I knew she wanted me to take a good look at her ass and change my mind, but I just didn’t care.
Leaning against the bar, I finished off my beer and surveyed the room. Hanging out at a strip club every Friday night was getting tiring. The constant noise and empty flirting made me wish for a night at home, and not just a night in my room at the MC. I bought a house last year and never fucking stayed there. I was always partying. Maybe it was time to move.
I tried to catch Clint’s eye; I was thinking of making the long drive out to my place. He was still talking to the blonde, so I decided to hit the john. Strip club bathrooms were always nasty. No matter how much froufrou crap they piled in there, it was still a urinal in a titty house.
As I was zipping up, something touched the back of my neck.
Cold. Hard. Steel.
Fuck.
“Thought I’d find you here.”
The man’s thick Cajun accent brought me home, the voice vaguely familiar. My father’s face floated in my head before I remembered the fucking gun pressed to my neck.
“I know you?” I started to turn to see who this fucker was.
He cocked the hammer. I froze. It’s a distinctive click, and when it’s pressed below your ear, it’s real fucking loud.
“Well, then put away the gun and we’ll go get a beer.” The barrel pressing into my neck eased off, and I heard him release the hammer. “I’m turning around now,” I told him.
Holding the pistol was Davide Lavernge. A year or two behind me in school, he had been a class clown who dealt a little weed on the side.
“How ’bout dat drink?” He grinned.
Davide followed me over to the bar, and we ordered a round. I sucked on my beer and studied the piece of shit next to me. His sour breath wafted over from two bar stools away. He smelled like crawfish three days after the boil.
Davide licked the salt off his lips and combed peanut shells out of his beard. His face was lined and weathered, his teeth yellow. He was no longer the happy-go-lucky guy I used to know.
“Tacoma, Washington, is damn far from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. What’re you doing this far north, Davide?”
He put down the beer I had paid for and turned toward me. “I’m here about child support.”
He must be in a shit ton of trouble if he was coming to me for help. I shrugged. “How much do you owe?”
He shook his head. “You owe me, Skeeter. Forty large. I been taking care of your kid.”
The world went fuzzy, so I blinked. Again. My vision was clear, but my brain didn’t quite understand what Davide had just said.
“Embrasse moit chew.” Kiss my ass. I pushed back from the bar. “I haven’t been back to Breaux Bridge in years. I don’t got no kid.”
Davide scratched at his beard. “After you joined the Army, Delphie realized she was pregnant. She decided she wanted to raise it on her own. That’s why she dumped you.”
Delphie. My first love. We had been nineteen and full of dreams. Well, I was full of dreams, and she was full of meth, weed, whatever else she could get her hands on. I put a tiny ring on her finger and then packed up for boot camp. The letter came two days after I arrived in Afghanistan. Classic Dear John. I read it in my bunk and then had to find a private place to fucking punch something. A captain saw me, and I spent the next three weeks cleaning latrines in the Registan Desert.
I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t about to fall for his line of shit. “She never told me she was pregnant.”
“Don’t matter. You got a kid that you ain’t never paid child support for. So, by my accounting, you owe me forty Gs.” Davide shrugged and stuffed more peanuts in his mouth.
I rolled my eyes. That’s what this was about. “This is a goddamn shakedown. If there was a kid, Delphie would be serving me with papers. You’re bullshitting me, and you fucking know it.”
Davide stared at me, cold, hard. This was not the man I used to know. Back then he sold a little weed and raised a lot of hell. He was always quick to laugh, the life of the boil. Whatever he was into now had changed him.
“Delphie overdosed about six years ago. Don’t matter, though. You got a fucking kid, and I want my fucking money. Once you get that through your head, call me. Else I’ll come find you again. I promise you that.” He handed me an old-fashioned matchbook with the name of a dive motel and a cell phone number scrawled in pencil. “Kid is here with me.”
Davide got up and left me with the tab.
The matchbook was blue with a red stylized horse. Cowboy Motel. Printed on the back was a map. It was just off the highway, south of town, in the middle of a bunch of apple orchards. Tourists would drive right on by and find a room in Seattle or Tacoma. This place was meant only for truckers or the kind of people who didn’t like to deal with society. The kind of people who would blackmail someone for child support for a kid that didn’t exist.
This was just another way for the Lavernge family to screw me over. Delphie had dumped me as soon as deeper pockets had come along, and now Davide was trying to milk me for all I was worth. I had enough to make ends meet, but forty grand wasn’t sitting in my back pocket for a rainy day.
I ran my thumb over the top of the matchbook and felt ridges. In the light of the bar, I could just make out indentations from a pen. Something was written on the inside. I flipped open the damn matchbook and saw a drawing. There wasn’t much room, but someone had drawn a sun with sunglasses. The rays of the sun weren’t quite even, and the lines all wobbled. A kid had drawn it.
What if I did have a kid? What if Delphie had been pregnant when I shipped out? I did some quick calculations. The kid would be nine or ten. I thought of myself at that age, all skinned knees and dirty hands. If I had a kid, what would he or she be like?
I flipped the matchbook over and stared at the map printed on the back. Same shitty location, right off the interstate. Davide was pretty desperate if he’d come all the way up here to Washington State hoping to get a lot of cash. I didn’t know what Davide was mixed up in, but it was bad, and no child should be caught up in it.
I paid my tab and went to find Clint at the pool table. If this was blackmail, I was gonna need reinforcements.

* * *

An hour later me and Rip and Clint cut our engines and parked in a field behind the motel. It was easy to track down which room belonged to Davide. There was a beat-up blue truck with Louisiana plates parked at the far end, as far away as possible from the motel office and the security camera.
So we crouched with ivy up to our goddamn shoulders and waited. The lights flickered in the room, like someone was watching television.
“Shit, Skeeter, it’s been forty-five minutes,” Clint muttered in our ivy hole.
A sliver of light shone in the dark motel as someone opened their door. It was a woman coming out for a smoke. She collapsed into a plastic patio chair and lit up a joint. Too short to be Delphie, dark hair. Craggy face. Torn jean shorts. Maybe Davide’s girlfriend? Under the hyperfocus of the binoculars, she looked worn.
Then Davide came out and sat in the other chair. They passed a joint back and forth. The door opened again and showed a small, dark figure. With the bright light of the inside of the room, the person’s features were in shadow. The shadow only went a foot or so past the doorknob. A kid
My heart leaped up into my throat. I tried to breathe, but it just came out as a guttural sound. Even though I couldn’t see the kid clearly, I knew. It was like a brush stroke inside my brain that spread truth. Davide hadn’t come all the way across the country just to shake me down. He was telling the truth.
Holy shit.
I had a kid.

Copyright © Rebel 2017 Rebel Custody by Sarah Hawthorne


About Sarah Hawthorne:

Sarah Hawthorne lives in the Pacific Northwest and drinks coffee in the winter and champagne in the summer. She enjoys writing, gardening and planning vacations. Please visit Sarah at www.sarahhawthorne.com.

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Amazon


Saturday, May 6, 2017

One True Loves - Taylor Jenkins Reid (Review)

27189194One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genres: Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Publication date: 
June 7th 2016 

Publisher: Washington Square Press
Format: paperback, 352 pages
How I got it: My public library

Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 
My rating: 5/5 
 

From the author of Maybe in Another Life—named a People Magazine pick and a "Best Book of the Summer" by Glamour and USA Today—comes a breathtaking new love story about a woman unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiancé who has finally brought her back to life.

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

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My thoughts:

Emma Blair married her high school sweetheart Jesse.  They both worked hard at their careers dealing with a lot of traveling and got to see the world.   On their first anniversary Jesse was in a helicopter crash and presumed dead.   Emma needs to move on with her life and after some time passes she decides to move home and run her parent’s bookstore.   Emma then starts to fall in love with Sam an old friend.

The book flows very naturally for me.  The author sets us up in present day and then moves back in time to where Emma and Jesse met.   We get to go through Emma’s life up until present day.   We get to learn a lot about the type of relationship she had with Jesse as well as Sam.  We get to see how Emma felt in these different situations and how she currently feels about what is going on.   Emma’s thoughts feel so natural throughout the book since we are dealing with lose, grief, and love the emotions are running high.

Things I love about this book is Emma the author does a great job creating her as a character.   We get a look at her background and history as well as how she is feeling in present day.    I love the tidbits that the author gives us with Emma, especially the family section because it shows how they developed into a very close family.  The author does a great job creating the relationships between all the characters.   When I was reading this book, I could feel the emotions coming through from the author’s writing.   Emma is a very strong main character she is going through a lot and just working on trying to figure everything out.  Emma must keep all her thoughts together and figure out what she wants.

 Sam might be a top ten book boyfriend.  He had previously liked Emma, but didn’t pursue it once she turned him down on one date.   Sam then comes back into her life at almost the right time.  He is very caring and loving to Emma.  Sam comes off to me as someone who loves with his whole heart and just wants what is best for Emma, even if it means letting her go.  I loved reading the parts about Sam as it showed how deeply he loves Emma.

Jesse is an interesting character in the book.  I don’t feel like we get as many emotions from him up front and then towards the end we get an in depth look at his character.   Jesse goes through so much during the book it can only be expected that he isn’t 100% ok, but he tries hard to go back to the way things where.  

I can say I loved the ending of this book.  It was what I wanted to happen and what I felt would naturally happen.   The author brings everything together so nicely at the end and makes a lot of points about love and how it is constantly evolving.


I would suggest this as a weekend read.  I got totally sucked into the book and had a hard time putting it down.  I wanted to know what was going to happen in the end since we are given the conflict right in the first chapter of the book.   The book is laid out perfectly that we get all the background and then we get to see how someone can move forward. 


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About the Author



Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do and Forever, Interrupted. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and their daughter, Lilah. You can follow her on Twitter @tjenkinsreid.

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