Only Ever You by CD Reiss

 

BLURB

Rachel knew exactly what turning thirty would be like. She had a plan, after all. First college, then a climb up the professional ladder. Love, marriage, children. All of it was on the schedule.

The cheap Hollywood apartment wasn’t on the list. Neither was the string of heartbreaks. Or the effect her mother’s cancer had on her career.

It’s hard to stay practical and on point when everything takes a left turn.

Enter Sebastian, the nerd across the street. The boy she defended when he couldn’t defend himself. The best friend she promised she’d marry if life didn’t go according to plan.

Not only is he successful, confident, and gorgeous, but he also still has their handwritten marriage contract.

No one goes through with childhood wedding pacts.

That’s crazy.

But their families might just be crazy enough to rent a hall and set a date. All Rachel and Sebastian have to do is fall in love.

MY REVIEW

Only Ever You by CD Reiss, a wonderful coming of age, friends to lovers tale of what happens when life doesn't go as planned.  A love defining story you won't be able to put down.  Prepare to be a simultaneously laughing, gasping, fist pumping & teary eyed - hot mess.

Told in first person, from dual perspectives, an emotional & funny "You know what happens to nerds. They get gorgeous and rich." love story with honesty & grit.  You will love Sebastian, vulnerable dweeb turned voice of reason & Rachel, brave heart turned uncertain mess.  Holy. Hot. Wow. Sexy "...gone weak kneed with anticipation." angst that is as tough to take for the reader as the characters.  Heartstring pulling & soul bearing as Sebastian & Rachel get to know each other again. "...old and new at the same time."  They'll work their way back & come to terms with who they are to themselves & each other.  "...the question of who we were and how we fit."  Striving to ensure the happiness of those they love so very much, all the while wrestling with emotions & fears that come with seeking love, success & overcoming illness.  Family & friends that will have you laughing out loud & whispering 'oh no's'.

The deep rooted friendship between Sebastian & Rachel combined with the courage to do what is right & live without apology makes this one of epic love story.  I haven't read a romance like this, that had me so invested in all of the characters so quickly.  Couldn't get enough of the witty banter that comes from knowing someone forever.  Like coming home.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK

Trailer Park Heart by Rachel Higginson

Blurb:

Trailer park born and raised. It’s my legacy. That’s how my mama lived. And that’s how her mama lived. It’s the life I was born into and it’s the life I swore I would leave the second I was old enough to make it out.

Only legacies have a funny way of sneaking up on you. An innocent decision the night of high school graduation led to a series of complications in my plans to escape.

Seven years later, I’ve resigned myself to this small town and the roots I’m tied to. Nothing could make me leave. And nothing could make me spill the secrets that keep me here.

Until he walks back into town with a chip on his shoulder and a stupid hunch nobody else in town has been smart enough to follow.

Levi Cole is my opposite. Born on the right side of the tracks with family money to spare, he’s the kind of black sheep that can afford to be rebellious—because his family will always pay for his mistakes. He’s also the only living heir to Cole Family Farms, after his brother Logan was killed in duty seven years ago.

He sees something in my life that he thinks he has a right to. But he’s wrong. And obnoxious. And he needs to take his stubborn good looks and that intense way he looks at me and go back to wherever it was he came from.

I know better than to trust men like him. I was born and raised in a trailer park, I know nothing good happens to girls like me—girls with trailer park lives and trailer park hearts. Especially from gorgeous, kind, pigheaded men like him.

My Review

Trailer Park Heart by Rachel Higginson is a beautiful coming of age, second chance romance that will have you so hooked by the prologue, you won't be able to put down.  Angsty, funny & sweet, this sexy, emotion filled & heart wrenching tale will make your heart feel full.

You will be instantly drawn in by the "...lifetime of tug-of-war familiarity..."  between these characters "This man was my nemesis and yet he'd managed to light up my entire body with the tiniest touch and the smell of clean laundry."    Secrets & surprise twists you won't see coming are what are in store.  A "...life-altering, soul-shattering, world-rocking kiss." an irresistible pull, passion & the ability to be seen like no other ever had.  Friendships old & new, of the tried & true kind - Lessons in "...passion and promise, anger and truth." Learning to let go of the burdens of "...regret and humiliation and fear." & let others in. 

Written with so much heart, the genuine tenderness can't help but shine through.  I struggled with this review because I don't want to give away to much & spoil the pure beauty.  Couldn't get enough of Ruby's independence & fierce protectiveness of those she holds most dear - without apology.   Levi & the way he makes Ruby feel seen - knows her so well.  So much raw emotion, I absolutely loved this story. 

"...life is hard and heavy..." "...but its also beautiful and so full of joy and laughter and...purpose."

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon US/UK