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immortal_embers's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lmrivas54's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book with a mixture of enthrallment and some anger. Derek and Teagan were best friends in high school and by the time they were in college, they already loved each other but didn’t have the guts to share that information. Teagan was dating Keith, their town football hero, and Derek was dating Meghan. Teagan got pregnant with Keith’s baby and Derek got Meghan pregnant. Derek married Meghan, and Teagan got stabbed in the back by Keith. And all this time they were loving each other and denying their feelings. How dumb can that be?
It gets worse because early in their marriage, Meghan finds out about Derek’s feelings for Teagan and makes him choose. Being a dutiful man, he chose his wife and unborn baby and commits the biggest betrayal there is, he cut off all contact with his best friend and in so doing not only broke Teagan’s heart but doomed her to a lifetime of regrets.
Teagan used to be one of the cool, mean girls in school. Highly popular and cruel to the less cool kids, there was an inner core of kindness that rebelled against the peer pressure of being cool. When she got paired with Derek in a school project, it turned her life around, she found out she could be best friends with a dork and liberate her inner kindness, say goodbye to her mean besties, and be her own person. I still don’t understand why she insisted on going out with Keith, who was a self-centered narcissist football player. He was her Mr. Right Now and she was waiting for the right time to get with Derek but then he got engaged to Meghan. Huh?!? I really didn’t understand her reasoning.
Thirteen years later, Derek is back in town with his daughter. Neither of the two wanted to meet up because the years and the pain had been so much. There didn’t seem to exist a way back for them, with a betrayal to forgive.
And this is where I start my rant. In my opinion, Derek is a wimp who didn’t have the guts to declare his feelings. He got married to a woman that he thought he loved and when given a choice, he forsook his best friend who he loved so much for the sake of his marriage. This is all well and good but he also punished himself to a life that was much less than perfect.
Teagan made bad choices and then had to pay for long years. She was constantly badgered by her mother about her choices, and made to feel like a failure. The town gossips kept commenting on her, and her daughter had to listen to criticism about her mother. I can understand ignoring the gossips, but I just couldn’t understand why she didn’t stand up to her mother, and instead took and took the abuse. She took her losses and dealt as best she could, and raised a wonderful girl. Chastity is smart, kind, mature with the right amount of sassy and snark. In spite of working a minimum wage job and living rent free above her mother’s, she gave her daughter a secure life, a lot of love and acceptance.
The second chance between Teagan and Derek was all you hoped it would be. Reluctance, distrust, regrets, and recriminations. It was riveting and enthralling and although I enjoyed the story I never stopped being mad at Derek for being a wimp. I thought Teagan made a mistake by not coming forward with her feelings but she paid a heavy price and then lived a meal to mouth existence for thirteen years. Meanwhile, Derek enjoyed a successful life, full of regrets and missing his best friend, but he didn’t have financial hardships like Teagan did.
I throughly enjoyed the story, I was riveted all during the story. This author is a master storyteller and her books are page turners. My only complaint was that I wasn’t too impressed with the characters. There was a lack of forthrightness and assertiveness in them, apart that Derek is a wimp and Teagan was a little lame in making Derek grovel as much as he needed.
It gets worse because early in their marriage, Meghan finds out about Derek’s feelings for Teagan and makes him choose. Being a dutiful man, he chose his wife and unborn baby and commits the biggest betrayal there is, he cut off all contact with his best friend and in so doing not only broke Teagan’s heart but doomed her to a lifetime of regrets.
Teagan used to be one of the cool, mean girls in school. Highly popular and cruel to the less cool kids, there was an inner core of kindness that rebelled against the peer pressure of being cool. When she got paired with Derek in a school project, it turned her life around, she found out she could be best friends with a dork and liberate her inner kindness, say goodbye to her mean besties, and be her own person. I still don’t understand why she insisted on going out with Keith, who was a self-centered narcissist football player. He was her Mr. Right Now and she was waiting for the right time to get with Derek but then he got engaged to Meghan. Huh?!? I really didn’t understand her reasoning.
Thirteen years later, Derek is back in town with his daughter. Neither of the two wanted to meet up because the years and the pain had been so much. There didn’t seem to exist a way back for them, with a betrayal to forgive.
And this is where I start my rant. In my opinion, Derek is a wimp who didn’t have the guts to declare his feelings. He got married to a woman that he thought he loved and when given a choice, he forsook his best friend who he loved so much for the sake of his marriage. This is all well and good but he also punished himself to a life that was much less than perfect.
Teagan made bad choices and then had to pay for long years. She was constantly badgered by her mother about her choices, and made to feel like a failure. The town gossips kept commenting on her, and her daughter had to listen to criticism about her mother. I can understand ignoring the gossips, but I just couldn’t understand why she didn’t stand up to her mother, and instead took and took the abuse. She took her losses and dealt as best she could, and raised a wonderful girl. Chastity is smart, kind, mature with the right amount of sassy and snark. In spite of working a minimum wage job and living rent free above her mother’s, she gave her daughter a secure life, a lot of love and acceptance.
The second chance between Teagan and Derek was all you hoped it would be. Reluctance, distrust, regrets, and recriminations. It was riveting and enthralling and although I enjoyed the story I never stopped being mad at Derek for being a wimp. I thought Teagan made a mistake by not coming forward with her feelings but she paid a heavy price and then lived a meal to mouth existence for thirteen years. Meanwhile, Derek enjoyed a successful life, full of regrets and missing his best friend, but he didn’t have financial hardships like Teagan did.
I throughly enjoyed the story, I was riveted all during the story. This author is a master storyteller and her books are page turners. My only complaint was that I wasn’t too impressed with the characters. There was a lack of forthrightness and assertiveness in them, apart that Derek is a wimp and Teagan was a little lame in making Derek grovel as much as he needed.
lisa_me's review
5.0
I loved this book. Yes, there were some motivations I didn't quite buy or understand. And I wish that Teagan's mom and Keith had gotten their comeuppances. But the book was both heart wrenching and heartwarming. It broke my heart and it made me smile. And I loved Derek. He was gentle and loving and funny. It was an emotional read that left me feeling good.
abbiegalipeau's review against another edition
4.0
teagan and derek were so fun and i love them. im also a sucker for second chance trope, so there’s that. the flashbacks to their highschool years were the cutest and the whole idea of this book was amazing and very well executed. overall, i loved this so so much
booklovershangout's review against another edition
4.0
This story is beautiful, emotional, and full of heart. It is breathtaking and swoonworthy. I loved every minute of reading this. I had to catch my breath after doing so. I loved these characters so much. They were perfect together and I enjoyed their journey. I absorb Corinne's writing everytime and this has become one of my favorites. I can't wait for more from her.
andreaamyr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
anne_11_k's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5