More like a 3.5/5

“Your heart is the only one that mine responds to.” What. A. Line!

Karina Halle was one of the first romance authors I started reading multiple books of. I’m not sure how this one (or this series as a whole) passed me by but while this is nowhere near my favorite of hers, I’m happy I get to read it now!

After years of being away, Rachel comes back home to take care of her mother, who has just been diagnosed with cancer, and has to face the life she left behind, especially the boy who broke her heart.

Shane, who never left North Ridge, has never stopped loving Rachel, and now gets a second chance to right the wrong and explain why he had to do what he did all those years ago.

While this isn’t Karina Halle’s best, it’s nowhere near her worst- it’s squarely middle of the road for me. A dual POV and relatively steamy in the second half, it’s also less than 300 pages, so a relatively quick read, and you really get sucked into their relationship, the side characters, and the town.

Oh boy, this book was an emotional ride. I felt so bad for Shane and Rachel and all of the time they missed out on. I was enraged when I found out what had happened and why Shane and Rachel broke up. I am so glad these two found each other again and they deserve the world. I loved Shane and I just knew they would somehow find their way back together. Rachel is strong and resilient and she is a true winner here even if her past was filled with so much hurt and trauma.

Wonderful book and I'll definitely be continuing this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Metal Blonde Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

g enough. I feel like to correctly develop the past in the present and the relationship and the development and the apologies and the groveling etc., in order for it to have really resonated and meant something in that deep level that a book like this should if that makes sense. I did like the characters and I did like their relationship, but the intimate scenes were just written weird and were sort of awkward. I also didn’t love that the problem with Fox and Shane never really got resolved. Like maybe they’re saving that for foxes book and I hope that’s the case because it feels really wrong that she thinks fox hates him and blames him for their mothers death I feel like that’s a trauma that definitely should’ve been resolved and talked about and it was just kind of brushed over. Other than that, I did enjoy the book. I just felt it was too short to fully dive into all the heavy topics and the second chance romance, and the graveling in the making up and the getting back together all of that should’ve been expanded and made longer, so it was more deep and we had more time to grow with the characters and really root for them and feel connected to them. The book just ended up being too short in order to fully capture and inspire the emotions of readers in the way that it should’ve been able to do in my opinion.

Such sad lives, such beautiful love!

I read the book in one sitting and it thoroughly cleansed my tear ducts. Thanks for the story of love and forgiveness Karina Halle.

Thanks to Metal Blonde Books and NetGalley for the early review copy of this re-publication.

Definitely was exited to read this from the same author as Meet The Royals.
It was sweet, great character development, and a bit spicy.
I’m excited to read more from the series.
Thank you NetGalley!

3.5 stars

Only rated so low because I should of read the TW (that's on me not the book)

Probably the wrong time to read this book as I'm currently going through similar things in life.


That being said, Karina wiring is always so beautiful and handles sensitive subjects well.
Our two MC are both still hurting from past events and here we get to see them have a second chance!
I related to Rachel in many ways so it was good for her to get some form of pay back on her past events, by the hand of her old boyfriend.
Shane is such a little sweetie deep down, he's carried words he's never said for 6 years and finally he gets to say them.

I would of liked to have more on what really went down on the break up 6 years ago, so we could feel a little bit more. But in the end you get why things were done the way they were.