This story is about Bella hunt who at this point in her life is a successful therapist with money to buy wood she wants it has a group of very helpful and supportive friends. She is also very comfortable in her life as a lesbian. However this was not the case 15 years ago when she was in high School and was tormented and bullied by some very mean girls because she was poor or secondhand clothes and had no friends. She was struggling to come to terms with her sexuality and was tormented brutally as a result. Upon graduation from high school she moved on to college and then a career choice to move several hours away from her hometown and start a new life.
The other character is Easton Evans who is recently divorced and she has custody of her daughter with her ex-husband. She is also a high- end manager of a company and is learning to live her life as a lesbian. Her new job takes her several hours away from her hometown. When she was in high school she came from a very wealthy family, had everything she wanted, with the star of the football team as her boyfriend and hung around with the biggest bullies in the school .
Imagine the sparks that fly when these two people meet now especially when Bella recognizes Easton as one of the people who tormented her and bullied her about her sexuality . Easton does not remember or recognize Bella as someone from her past since she views her as a Very interesting and beautiful woman who she like to get to know better and possibly date. As the two women become very attracted to one another and start to date you just know when Easton realizes who Bella is the whole foundation of her new found relationship will come tumbling down. Or will it?

Beers develop these two characters in such away that you want to be friends with either of them and hope that a long last the two of them can find happiness and love. The character development in this story is beautifully written. Like all of Beers stories. I highly recommend this book because it is an excellent read.

3.75 Stars. This was a solid romance that I think most Beers’ fans will enjoy. I have to be honest that it’s not my favorite by her, but it is still a quality book that is worth the read.

What if fifteen years after high school you run into a woman who helped make school miserable for you. The woman doesn’t even recognize you, but would you confront her after all this time? And even more important, what if you started to develop feelings for her? It’s a great premise and one I was hooked into instantly.

Beers did a great job of weaving a few flashbacks in with the current timeline to really put you in the headspace of both characters. I’m not a flashback fan, but this was the perfect example of the kind of way flashbacks should be used. They were all important to the story and never used just for filler.

Something I also enjoyed was the chemistry. I thought the chemistry was really well written in this book. You could see the characters connecting right in front of your eyes and it was really enjoyable.

My one slight complaint was I felt the “secret” took a little long to get too. The book slowed down a little for me and I felt like saying just get it over with already. I didn’t like the feeling of the “secret” hanging over my head and I just wanted to move on. In the grand scheme of things it’s not a huge deal, but it may be why I didn’t love this book like many other have so far.

I also want to mention that I really enjoyed the ending. I found myself tearing up and bit and I was happy with how Beers wrapped everything up. Even having a few small complaints, this book was absolutely worth the read. If you are a Beers fan or just a lesfic romance fan, this is one to grab.

Not bad. I enjoyed the conflict but I felt sort of stressed out throughout the story. I also do not really "get" being into Easton. Maybe I needed a bit more squirming on her part.

I really enjoyed this book. Beers is a brilliant writer and she didn't disappoint with this book. Every time I had to put it down, I looked forward to picking it up again and getting pulled back into the pages. Not one part of this book was boring there was romance, heartbreak, joy and a happy ending. What more could a girl ask for.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review

Georgia Beers writes, I come a-running!

For this new book, we follow Easton, a recently divorced business lady, and Bella, a therapist with a sad past. Fifteen years ago, they'd crossed paths as high school seniors and to call this connection problematic would be an understatement. Years later, they meet and sparks fly. Only thing is--Bella remembers Easton immediately. And Easton, well, doesn't remember Bella at all.

I'll admit, in the back of my mind, I'd waited for the other shoe to drop, being that their past would be revealed. Still, it didn't affect the journey to getting to know each other. Beers is surely a pro at giving all the cute ins and outs of girl-meets-girls, filled with flirty quips, coffee, and dogs galore!

For some reason, it took a more effort on my part to get into the side characters. Amy and Heather, Bella's best friends, served their purpose as the supportive/protective two, but they seemed a little...I don't know, cold? I can't put my finger on it. They just weren't as warm as I'd imagined. As for Easton, her husband and kid were fine, but didn't stand out to me. I mostly loved this for Easton and Bella's chemistry.

Speaking of chemistry, this could've used a bit more sex. I feel like I've been saying that lately.

We're given some flashback scenes to high school for better context. I'm usually 'eh' about flashbacks, but Beers was merciful and kept most of them quite short and insightful. They added something good to the story, I must admit.

Is it weird I'm already looking forward to Georgia Beers' next creation?

Always like to start off a review saying that I'm a fan of the author. I've probably read most, if not all, of the books that Beers writes. I just like her style...

That being said, here is my specific review for this book. I enjoyed the concept of Bella knowing Easton, but Easton not remembering her. The flashbacks had a differentness to them as well, because they are pretty standard from Easton's perspective, but really hard to read from Bella's because Easton is such a jerk back in high school. Since that's the struggle that Bella is also facing, in trying to view Easton now instead of back then, it's nice that you are going through that as the reader with her.

I also have to give props that Easton's ex didn't just pop up all of a sudden, like a lot of plot points in this genre. This will probably make more sense once you've read the book. I don't mean her ex-husband...

I found it a bit odd that there are more dog interactions with Bella than child interactions. I would have liked Easton's daughter being a little more present.

This book also isn't as sexy as a lot of Georgia Beers books are. Just a heads up that it's definetly not focused on that part of their relationship.

Overall, pretty formulaic in the best sense of the word. Well done!

I was really looking forward to reading this one by Beers. I loved the description and was hoping this would be a 5 star read for me. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. With that said, I still thought it was good, just not on the same level as Blend (for me). As I read this book, I found myself really just going with the flow. There wasn't a point in the book where I just couldn't wait to get to the end because I wanted to see what was going to happen. Sure there was chemistry between the MC's and I did like the story line. I guess I just wanted more. More sparkle, more magic, more something else that I didn't get. You know how when you read a book and you connect with the MC's? Maybe that was my issue. I didn't connect with them the way I wanted.

Oh well, like I said before, I still thought it was a good read.

3.75

I received an ARC copy of this book by the Publisher via Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

This book is a fantastic read. I am not normally a fan of books that have flashbacks but this book I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt the pace of the book was just right and I loved the storyline. The characters were loveable (Easton from the beginning, Bella after a few chapters). The chemistry was hot between the two main characters and I also loved the romance. I already have quite a few of this authors work on my kindle that I will have to read soon.

Definitely recommend reading it.

And there it is! This is what I expect when I read a Beers novel and the last couple have left me a little disappointed, but not this one. Easton Evans is having a little trouble with the staff she’s in charge of when her company takes over theirs. In an effort to smooth over the transition all of the new managers are required to take a six-week conflict resolution class. The first thing Easton notices about the facilitator is how very pretty she is. Unfortunately for Bella Hunt, she has never forgotten the beauty of her high school crush and tormentor.

I’m not really sure what it is that makes the difference between this and her last novel but I really loved this. Maybe it’s the trope; I am a fan of high school crush revisited. The confusion of both characters’ pasts defines their adult selves but in a way that has made them both stronger rather than bitter. Their dialogue is dynamic and ranges from informative to flirtatious. The tension of the past is sustained throughout. There are flashbacks (which I really don’t mind) but there are few enough of them to not detract from the present. The BFFs were different from the usual secondary characters.

And the ending: perfect! This is an easy four and half stars rounded up.

Book received from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.

This is the first book that I've read by Georgia Beers and I can see why she is one of the renowned authors of lesbian fiction. She knows how to write emotional scenes and how to construct the backstory to make those scenes very realistic. That is the case in the The Do-Over with the high school back story that she creates for Bella, the poorer unpopular high school student who is questioning her sexuality, and Easton, the blond cheerleader dating the high school quarterback and who appears to have it all. This book explores what harm can be imparted on a teenager's psyche when bullied by classmates. I'd recommend this book to other readers, but would have like to see a few more intimate scenes between Bella and Easton than the two written toward the latter stages of the book.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia Beers....my "Goddess of Emotion". If you have never read her books..get them now. I call her my "Goddess of Emotion" because her stories are amazingly FULL of emotion. This story starts out sweet and cute and then takes a very dark turn to expose all our embarrassing moments in high school when kids were sometimes heartless and emotional. I was soooo moved by her description of Izzy's devastating verbal abuse in high school. I felt every moment. And I know how kids can change. Georgia did an amazing job at expressing the feelings of both the abused and the abuser.
Don't let me scare you off this story. It is very warm and very sexy. The characters and dialog are very rich and clever. But there is a strong message in this wonderful love story and I enjoyed it immensely. Georgia knows how to touch all your emotions.

I ARC received via NetGalley and in exchange for an honest review.

Bella is a transfer student she was mocked and bullied by Tara Easton and her boyfriend Connor. Bella couldn't wait to leave high school when she did she became a successful woman.

Easton is newly divorced mother of a 7 year old daughter she finally admit to herself she a lesbian.

When Easton company requires all management to take a conflict resolution class Bella is shock to see one of her bully in her class as Bella and Easton get to know each other Bella realize Easton doesn't know who she is as she keeps Easton at arm lengths she start to see Easton is not the same person she was fifteen years ago.

I like the chemistry between the main characters and how both characters grow to be e great human being. I like how Bella was hesiant to reveal thier past connection and how it was force to come out and the way they deal with it was great.

I love this book how they deal with bully how overcome that and grow and sometimes you need to confront the matter and find resolution. Georgia Beers did wonderful job incorporated the flashbacks with the present because some writers doesn't do it well.

Loved it! This book had the perfect amount of everything, it reminded me of some of her older work like Too Close to Touch and Turning the Page.
I feel like this one deserves more than 5 stars. I’m thinking maybe 7 or 8. This is now my favorite Georgia Beers novel.

I recently read a very good contemporary book about high school bullying. I just finished reading another book about high school bullying that occurred 15 years in the past. Seasoned author Georgia Beers’s latest book, The Do-Over, gave the reader a glimpse into the adult lives of teenagers who were bullied and those that took part in tormenting others-either by their actions or silent gestures.

As a transfer student, it was difficult enough for Bella when she entered a high school where cliques and friendships have already been established, but added to that, was the constant scrutiny placed upon her as the new girl. Unfortunately, Bella soon became the target of the high school bully, Tara, and her cohorts, which consisted of Easton and her boyfriend Connor. Bella couldn’t wait to leave those tormenting years behind her, and she successfully did. Then fifteen years later she came face to face, with not only her tormentor, but love fantasy, Easton, who did not remember Bella at all. Even though Bella liked this new version of Easton, she was hesitant to reveal their past connections until it became a forced issue.

The characters dealt with these issues in a mature realistic manner. I especially liked how Ms. Beers allowed Easton to experience a gut wrenching reaction when she realized how she hurt and tormented Bella in high school. The secondary characters were also likable and supportive with a nice mix of humor added to their interactions.

Georgia Beers wrote an entertaining story on how people can overcome their past-with a good support system-and find happiness with those they least expected to be in a relationship with.

Another great romance from Georgia Beers. All around the Do-Over is wonderful. I was also a huge fan of Lucy and Ethel but also of this book. I didn't want to finish as fast as I did but I must say what a way to end had me smiling from ear to ear.

I don't know how she does it, but once again Georgia Beers has written another gem. In all honesty, I felt like her last few books weren't quite up to her usual standard, and am happy to say that this one was right back up there as one of her better offerings.

Both MCs were likeable, despite the serious bullying that Bella endured at the hands of Easton and her group of friends during high school. I'm not typically a fan of flashbacks, but they didn't distract at all and really added to the story to help give the reader insight into both characters feelings and motivations. The conflict between the two MCS was perfect, with little angst, and the romance and chemistry was solid.

What more can I say? Beers is a master at her craft, and this is one of her better offerings. Solid 4 stars.

**Many thanks to Bold Strokes for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.**

I have a soft spot for Georgia Beers' books. She just managed to get to me with her romance, like few other authors do. I loved this book, I really did! Both Izzy (Bella) and Easton are very likable characters, their chemistry is great, and the whole plot was not unknown, but Beers managed to give it some fresh twist.

What if the girl you were crushing on in high school reappears in you live a decade and a half later? What if the erstwhile mean girl cheerleader is interested in you now without knowing who you are? What if you have a chance for wish-fulfilment?

Isabella’s school shuts down in her senior year and she is transferred to another school. The cheerleader-football jockey clique of beautiful people has one Easton Evans on whom a sexually-confused Izzy develops the biggest crush. While not the meanest of the group, Easton wasn’t particularly nice to Izzy either, mocking her with winks and flirtatious kisses blown in her direction.

Fifteen years later, Easton has a seven year old daughter and ha just finalised her divorce. An amicable divorce since Easton is finally embracing her Sapphic side. Izzy, now Bella, reappears in her life as a trainer for a work-related mandatory training. Easton is immediately attracted to the now-completely-unrecognisable Bella and tentatively strikes up a relationship. Bella is unable to tell Easton about their shared history until too much time passes.

This is a low-angst book. The MCs are normal, really nice women. Their attraction is palpable. Everything about the book is smooth and easy making it a decent enough read.

4.5 stars I really liked this classic Georgia Beers book. She is an author you can't count on to write lovely romantic stories that sometimes include uncomfortable issues with grace and feeling. I love pets in books because they add another dimension to the story and this book has some loveable dogs. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the concept behind this book. I really loved how this story unfolded the flash backs and the interactions between Bella and Easton in the now were perfect. The pain and realness of the flash backs just broke your heart for Bella but loved how Beers was able to make me feel for Easton on how she would feel on reflection of how she treated Bella back in high school, the pain of truly being able to understand the pain inflicted on Bella one that as a teenager she just didn't get because she was going through her own stuff.

The slow build up of the romance was well balanced and prefect in my mind. I loved Bella's strength to be able to let Easton in as quickly as she did as she could understand people change and grow up. Easton was sweet as an adult and thought that balanced with the flashbacks.

As always with Beers books I am always a little sad as to how quickly the endings end. In this book I didn't find it as quick to end as some of her books but would always love a epilogue which I appreciate is my own personal preference.