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When the Past Finds You
A company buy-out. An arch nemesis returns. A crush that never went away.
Wil thought she had the world ahead of her—eight years of experience in her job, her temper under control and working for her, and a manager who understood her. All Wil’s fears tumble out when her best friend’s stepmom becomes her new manager. No longer able to hide who she is, Wil fights to control her temper and crush on the one person she’s never been able to hold back on.
Lynda has worked hard to get where she is, but when she takes over a new financial company, she knows she has to lay low and rebuild her reputation. When the opportunity arises to work with her estranged stepdaughter’s best friend, she leaps at the chance to reconnect. But she never thought the past would haunt her and the memories of her husband’s death would resurface.
They never wanted to see each other again. Will they be able to overcome their mutual past and find love in the person they least expected? What will happen when fire meets ice?
Wil thought she had the world ahead of her—eight years of experience in her job, her temper under control and working for her, and a manager who understood her. All Wil’s fears tumble out when her best friend’s stepmom becomes her new manager. No longer able to hide who she is, Wil fights to control her temper and crush on the one person she’s never been able to hold back on.
Lynda has worked hard to get where she is, but when she takes over a new financial company, she knows she has to lay low and rebuild her reputation. When the opportunity arises to work with her estranged stepdaughter’s best friend, she leaps at the chance to reconnect. But she never thought the past would haunt her and the memories of her husband’s death would resurface.
They never wanted to see each other again. Will they be able to overcome their mutual past and find love in the person they least expected? What will happen when fire meets ice?
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2023
136 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Adrian J. Smith
71 books433 followersAdrian J. Smith has been publishing since 2013 but has been writing nearly her entire life. With a focus on women loving women fiction, AJ jumps genres from action-packed police procedurals to the seedier life of vampires and witches to sweet romances with a May-December twist. She loves writing and reading about women in the midst of the ordinariness of life. Two of her novels, For by Grace and Memoir in the Making, received honorable mentions with the Rainbow Awards.
AJ currently lives in Cheyenne, WY, although she moves often and has lived all over the United States. She loves to travel to different countries and places. She currently plays the roles of author, wife, and mother to two rambunctious kids, occasional handy-woman. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.
AJ currently lives in Cheyenne, WY, although she moves often and has lived all over the United States. She loves to travel to different countries and places. She currently plays the roles of author, wife, and mother to two rambunctious kids, occasional handy-woman. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
March 12, 2023
This was on okay book. I felt a bit weird at times because of some parts of the story, but I also couldn’t seem to stop reading until i got to the end.
March 17, 2023
When I started this book two things happened very early on. At first when we were at Wil‘s POV I disliked Lynda about as much as Wil did. The next thing I knew was that my heart went out to Lynda when we arrived at her POV. This definitely shows how much I was invested in the story right from the start. When an author is able to do that with me they definitely did a fantastic job.
The story continues as strong as it starts and I just loved their whole journey. A journey that couldn’t be more complicated when you look at their circumstances. When Wil grew up her best friend Isla was the most important person in her life aside from her grandmother. If there just wouldn’t have been Isla’s stepmother Lynda. The two of them never got along, and Wil‘s temper definitely overboarded more than once. After going their own ways they meet again in the same workplace. And well their work situation definitely doesn’t make things easier for them.
One thing that is there right from the start is an incredible tension. It feels like a matter of time Wil is going to explode like she so often did in the past. Having to spend lots of time together at work, doesn’t seem to ease the tension between them. And then there is this different tension. An attraction that grows, one that isn’t as unknown for one of them. They start to play with fire more and more and it will just bring you to not wanting to stop reading. At least that’s what happened to me. I wanted to know what happens next and next. And well one thing that also happened was that the heat was definitely turned up more and more the longer the story went on.
I just loved their dynamics and also how the whole boss/employee situation was handled. Something that is definitely tricky, but for me was done in a great way. And then of course there is also the topic of grief. Another thing that was handled in a wonderful way. They were both affected by the same loss, but in a different way. Both have their opinion about how the other dealt with it and how much they suffered at the time. But were they really right with what they thought? This question and so many others definitely will be answered. Their process touched me a lot and there was more than one scene where I wanted to give them both a hug.
Adrian J Smith definitely has written an incredible story that kept me engaged from the beginning until the end. One I definitely highly recommend.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving a review.
The story continues as strong as it starts and I just loved their whole journey. A journey that couldn’t be more complicated when you look at their circumstances. When Wil grew up her best friend Isla was the most important person in her life aside from her grandmother. If there just wouldn’t have been Isla’s stepmother Lynda. The two of them never got along, and Wil‘s temper definitely overboarded more than once. After going their own ways they meet again in the same workplace. And well their work situation definitely doesn’t make things easier for them.
One thing that is there right from the start is an incredible tension. It feels like a matter of time Wil is going to explode like she so often did in the past. Having to spend lots of time together at work, doesn’t seem to ease the tension between them. And then there is this different tension. An attraction that grows, one that isn’t as unknown for one of them. They start to play with fire more and more and it will just bring you to not wanting to stop reading. At least that’s what happened to me. I wanted to know what happens next and next. And well one thing that also happened was that the heat was definitely turned up more and more the longer the story went on.
I just loved their dynamics and also how the whole boss/employee situation was handled. Something that is definitely tricky, but for me was done in a great way. And then of course there is also the topic of grief. Another thing that was handled in a wonderful way. They were both affected by the same loss, but in a different way. Both have their opinion about how the other dealt with it and how much they suffered at the time. But were they really right with what they thought? This question and so many others definitely will be answered. Their process touched me a lot and there was more than one scene where I wanted to give them both a hug.
Adrian J Smith definitely has written an incredible story that kept me engaged from the beginning until the end. One I definitely highly recommend.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving a review.
November 26, 2023
Loss, grief, anger, lust and love: everyone deals with these emotions in a different way, that doesn't mean you "don't feel them".
First book I read by Adrian J. Smith and I liked very much the style and the story. The build up of the tension had me flipping the pages so fast.
I read it in one go. I had to know things would be okay for Wil and Lynda.
Now I need to know more about Isla...
First book I read by Adrian J. Smith and I liked very much the style and the story. The build up of the tension had me flipping the pages so fast.
I read it in one go. I had to know things would be okay for Wil and Lynda.
Now I need to know more about Isla...
March 13, 2023
withholding that last star till i can process how i feel about the characters love dynamic.
June 30, 2025
“Why are you such a f*king bi*ch?” – The first line of this novel had me hooked instantly.
Reread 2025: Still liked this one. I’m re-reading with a plan of finally reading the sequel(s). About the same as I remembered it!
Wil and Isla have been forever-best-friends since childhood, despite Wil’s problems with her anger, her giant childhood crush on Isla’s stepmom Lynda, and how much Wil and Lynda used to fight and hate each other. Now, years later, Wil’s company is suddenly bought out and she finds herself confronted with the reality of Lynda being her new boss after years of not seeing each other. With her job on the line Wil needs to keep her emotions in check, that nasty temper as well as some other unfortunate and unresolved feelings. Lynda meanwhile hopes to repair not only her relationship with Wil, but her estranged daughter Isla that she hasn’t spoken to in five years.
When the Past Finds You was an incredible novel that successfully spanned the entire emotional range. Full of classic tropes that were executed very well, deep characters, and a story that had me tearing through the pages. It is a romance story that delivers in a delightful way, while also tackling deeper issues of loss and grief from multiple perspectives. Unless your specifically looking for a light and fluffy story (this one aint!), I would recommend this one to everyone.
Possible spoilers below:
Highlights:
-The writing was incredible. The tension between the characters was palpable right from the start in ways that I don’t usually find in most novels. You could feel that the characters had history and that there were stakes in these situations. I always appreciate when the characters have history, or the story timeline is long enough, so that the emotions and stakes presented feel believable to the reader.
-The characters of course! Both of the MC’s as well as the side characters were very well done. They were so well developed, I could understand them, see their thought processes in their actions, and cared about what was going to happen to them. Even when the characters made “dumb” choices it made sense given their characters and it never felt like it was simply for the sake of the plot moving forward.
-The dual POV was used expertly in this novel as I immediately empathized with and loved both characters, despite strongly disliking them when the story was being told from the other POV. The dual POV isn’t always the best choice but in this case the narrative benefitted significantly from seeing it from both sides.
Now I need to find and read the sequel to learn more about Isla! This novel managed to light a fire for the sequel without feeling incomplete its self, which I always appreciate.
Reread 2025: Still liked this one. I’m re-reading with a plan of finally reading the sequel(s). About the same as I remembered it!
Wil and Isla have been forever-best-friends since childhood, despite Wil’s problems with her anger, her giant childhood crush on Isla’s stepmom Lynda, and how much Wil and Lynda used to fight and hate each other. Now, years later, Wil’s company is suddenly bought out and she finds herself confronted with the reality of Lynda being her new boss after years of not seeing each other. With her job on the line Wil needs to keep her emotions in check, that nasty temper as well as some other unfortunate and unresolved feelings. Lynda meanwhile hopes to repair not only her relationship with Wil, but her estranged daughter Isla that she hasn’t spoken to in five years.
When the Past Finds You was an incredible novel that successfully spanned the entire emotional range. Full of classic tropes that were executed very well, deep characters, and a story that had me tearing through the pages. It is a romance story that delivers in a delightful way, while also tackling deeper issues of loss and grief from multiple perspectives. Unless your specifically looking for a light and fluffy story (this one aint!), I would recommend this one to everyone.
Possible spoilers below:
Highlights:
-The writing was incredible. The tension between the characters was palpable right from the start in ways that I don’t usually find in most novels. You could feel that the characters had history and that there were stakes in these situations. I always appreciate when the characters have history, or the story timeline is long enough, so that the emotions and stakes presented feel believable to the reader.
-The characters of course! Both of the MC’s as well as the side characters were very well done. They were so well developed, I could understand them, see their thought processes in their actions, and cared about what was going to happen to them. Even when the characters made “dumb” choices it made sense given their characters and it never felt like it was simply for the sake of the plot moving forward.
-The dual POV was used expertly in this novel as I immediately empathized with and loved both characters, despite strongly disliking them when the story was being told from the other POV. The dual POV isn’t always the best choice but in this case the narrative benefitted significantly from seeing it from both sides.
Now I need to find and read the sequel to learn more about Isla! This novel managed to light a fire for the sequel without feeling incomplete its self, which I always appreciate.
August 22, 2023
You may be dealt with the same grief but it looks different on each individual.
This book was heeeaaavy. The alternating timeline was a smart move by the author to distribute the weight of grief so as not to overwhelm the reader.
Poignant, well written and engaging. The journey of the characters’ development were realistic and relatable. Since I started on book 2 (I didn’t realise when I picked it) book 1’s story makes sense and keeps my emotions in check since I know how the story goes full circle.
Lynda was dealt the most awful cards in life but she came out of her situation in 4 inch heels and a pencil skirt.
Four words describing Wil - hurt people, hurt people.
This book was heeeaaavy. The alternating timeline was a smart move by the author to distribute the weight of grief so as not to overwhelm the reader.
Poignant, well written and engaging. The journey of the characters’ development were realistic and relatable. Since I started on book 2 (I didn’t realise when I picked it) book 1’s story makes sense and keeps my emotions in check since I know how the story goes full circle.
Lynda was dealt the most awful cards in life but she came out of her situation in 4 inch heels and a pencil skirt.
Four words describing Wil - hurt people, hurt people.
April 20, 2023
Well written story, but I found it really hard to connect with the MCs.
March 14, 2023
TLDR: A widow develops feelings for her step-daughter's friend (F/F), but their history is troubling.
Set in Colorado, When The Past Finds You is a dual-point-of-view forbidden romance. Following the death of her husband Laura is consumed by work to the point of exhaustion. What would she do on vacation? She has few friends, two estranged stepdaughters, and a sorrow that rips her from her nightmares. When her investment firm acquires a new company, Lynda seizes the opportunity to reconnect with her stepdaughter’s friend Wilda. Though it's clear Wil is still a thrall to her mood swings Lynda hopes they can mend their relationship so she can get back the family she lost to tragedy.
While I harbor many criticisms of this book, there are some things the author tackles particularly well. One example is the discussion of Wil’s temperament. In the beginning, Wil is a difficult character to like because she lobs emotional grenades at everyone — including herself. She doesn’t seem to care who she hurts, what her reasons are, or why she does it. She has to be right regardless of the cost. I now realize she vexes me because we are alike. She’s choking on years of barely suppressed rage, and it has no appropriate outlet. As the story unfolds, the source of her anger is laid bare and she becomes someone that is easier to understand and love.
However, I now know I do not like romantic fiction which involves a parent falling in love with their child’s best friend. Boundaries exist for a reason and a child’s friends should be one of them. There are some exceptions to my rule, though few and far between. For example, if the child’s friend isn’t met before reaching adulthood (30s or older) *then* it might be acceptable. My biggest issue with this book is that Lynda is around to watch her stepdaughters and Wil grow up together. She is involved in Wil’s upbringing. She sends Wil home! I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics that need to occur to justify falling in love with someone you knew as an awkward adolescent.
On the whole, I think When The Past Finds You is difficult for me to enthusiastically recommend. In addition to my struggle to overcome the parent/friend relationship, there are sentences that need revision and spelling and grammar errors that need correction. Even though this book didn’t land for me, I still believe the author is talented and would highly recommend looking into her other work.
Set in Colorado, When The Past Finds You is a dual-point-of-view forbidden romance. Following the death of her husband Laura is consumed by work to the point of exhaustion. What would she do on vacation? She has few friends, two estranged stepdaughters, and a sorrow that rips her from her nightmares. When her investment firm acquires a new company, Lynda seizes the opportunity to reconnect with her stepdaughter’s friend Wilda. Though it's clear Wil is still a thrall to her mood swings Lynda hopes they can mend their relationship so she can get back the family she lost to tragedy.
While I harbor many criticisms of this book, there are some things the author tackles particularly well. One example is the discussion of Wil’s temperament. In the beginning, Wil is a difficult character to like because she lobs emotional grenades at everyone — including herself. She doesn’t seem to care who she hurts, what her reasons are, or why she does it. She has to be right regardless of the cost. I now realize she vexes me because we are alike. She’s choking on years of barely suppressed rage, and it has no appropriate outlet. As the story unfolds, the source of her anger is laid bare and she becomes someone that is easier to understand and love.
However, I now know I do not like romantic fiction which involves a parent falling in love with their child’s best friend. Boundaries exist for a reason and a child’s friends should be one of them. There are some exceptions to my rule, though few and far between. For example, if the child’s friend isn’t met before reaching adulthood (30s or older) *then* it might be acceptable. My biggest issue with this book is that Lynda is around to watch her stepdaughters and Wil grow up together. She is involved in Wil’s upbringing. She sends Wil home! I cannot imagine the mental gymnastics that need to occur to justify falling in love with someone you knew as an awkward adolescent.
On the whole, I think When The Past Finds You is difficult for me to enthusiastically recommend. In addition to my struggle to overcome the parent/friend relationship, there are sentences that need revision and spelling and grammar errors that need correction. Even though this book didn’t land for me, I still believe the author is talented and would highly recommend looking into her other work.
April 17, 2023
When a book starts with ‘Why are you such a fucking bitch?’ I can’t help but think two things - this is my kind of book and I just know I’m going to love this character.
When the past finds you has two timelines, the past and the present. The two collide and as we get further into the book we learn more about each of our main characters, Wil and Lynda.
It’s an age gap enemies to lovers office romance. I often forgot it was age gap because it was rarely mentioned directly as the bigger tension between them was a tumultuous history and Isla, Will’s best friend and Lynda’s step daughter.
The writing is fun, heart punching, and eventually (slow burn) steamy AF.
I would love to see more of Isla. She’s she a pivotal part of this book yet we don’t see a lot of her on the page and that intrigues me to no end.
Both main characters grow a lot and while not everything is outwardly resolved in scratched black and white the subtleness of this book is beautiful.
When the past finds you has two timelines, the past and the present. The two collide and as we get further into the book we learn more about each of our main characters, Wil and Lynda.
It’s an age gap enemies to lovers office romance. I often forgot it was age gap because it was rarely mentioned directly as the bigger tension between them was a tumultuous history and Isla, Will’s best friend and Lynda’s step daughter.
The writing is fun, heart punching, and eventually (slow burn) steamy AF.
I would love to see more of Isla. She’s she a pivotal part of this book yet we don’t see a lot of her on the page and that intrigues me to no end.
Both main characters grow a lot and while not everything is outwardly resolved in scratched black and white the subtleness of this book is beautiful.
January 26, 2024
Strange one: hated step mum of best friend… Kept going back in time, then back to present. Not sure, jury out.
June 7, 2025
This book had the setup for an emotional story by featuring grief, complicated dynamics, and an unexpected romance, but it didn’t really hit for me. While the writing itself was strong with vivid scenes and good pacing, I felt emotionally disconnected from the characters.
The story explores the relationship between a woman and her best friend’s former stepmother, which definitely made things interesting, complex, and hot. The flashbacks were a nice touch, and the romance had some steamy moments, but I still struggled to feel invested in their connection.
This honestly gave nothing emotionally. It dealt with grief, but I didn’t feel sad at all. Although the book was technically well-written, I just didn’t feel any of the emotions that the characters were supposedly going through.
The story explores the relationship between a woman and her best friend’s former stepmother, which definitely made things interesting, complex, and hot. The flashbacks were a nice touch, and the romance had some steamy moments, but I still struggled to feel invested in their connection.
This honestly gave nothing emotionally. It dealt with grief, but I didn’t feel sad at all. Although the book was technically well-written, I just didn’t feel any of the emotions that the characters were supposedly going through.
December 26, 2023
So. Much. Angst.
Leaving aside the problematic bit of this adult woman knowing the other main character as a child (best friend of her stepdaughter), I don't really like or understand Wil's character at all. She has a temper, but has matured from screaming at her friend's stepmom (who has lost a husband and is trying to take care of her stepdaughters) for some reason, but also incredibly attracted to the stepmom, who is a good thirty years older than her. She's often crossing the lines at work with said older woman, but doesn't want to lose her job and worries about that constantly as well. She also has a weirdly toxic relationship with her childhood best friend, who thinks it's charming to sign off on phone calls with the reminder that she's the only one in the world who loves her friend.
Mix in a lot of angst from the stepmom's point of view (I don't know why she put up with Wil being around, honestly. A child that screams obscenities at a grieving family needs to be sent to therapy and banned from the house until she can behave like a reasonable child). She's never been attracted to women before, but suddenly the early twenties version of the child that would yell at her does it for her. She's on the brink of losing her job due to "inappropriate conduct" and complaints about that sort of thing, yet gets adjoining rooms for herself and this young woman she's attracted to for a conference. Bizarre.
If you like a lot of sad sacks pining for each other, this will hit the spot. If you like people behaving in reasonable ways and explanations about drama (what on earth was Isla's problem, anyway?), this is probably not for you.
Justice for Lynda for having to put up with Wilda being ridiculous and insulting in her own house as she's dealing with being a single parent to her stepdaughters and losing a husband she loved a lot.
Leaving aside the problematic bit of this adult woman knowing the other main character as a child (best friend of her stepdaughter), I don't really like or understand Wil's character at all. She has a temper, but has matured from screaming at her friend's stepmom (who has lost a husband and is trying to take care of her stepdaughters) for some reason, but also incredibly attracted to the stepmom, who is a good thirty years older than her. She's often crossing the lines at work with said older woman, but doesn't want to lose her job and worries about that constantly as well. She also has a weirdly toxic relationship with her childhood best friend, who thinks it's charming to sign off on phone calls with the reminder that she's the only one in the world who loves her friend.
Mix in a lot of angst from the stepmom's point of view (I don't know why she put up with Wil being around, honestly. A child that screams obscenities at a grieving family needs to be sent to therapy and banned from the house until she can behave like a reasonable child). She's never been attracted to women before, but suddenly the early twenties version of the child that would yell at her does it for her. She's on the brink of losing her job due to "inappropriate conduct" and complaints about that sort of thing, yet gets adjoining rooms for herself and this young woman she's attracted to for a conference. Bizarre.
If you like a lot of sad sacks pining for each other, this will hit the spot. If you like people behaving in reasonable ways and explanations about drama (what on earth was Isla's problem, anyway?), this is probably not for you.
Justice for Lynda for having to put up with Wilda being ridiculous and insulting in her own house as she's dealing with being a single parent to her stepdaughters and losing a husband she loved a lot.
March 1, 2023
When The Past Finds You by Adrian J. Smith puts you on an emotional roller coaster as Wil’s past catches up with her in an unexpected turn of events. Lynda is the stepmom of Wil’s best friend Isla, who has come in during a company takeover.
The dual timeline is good and has you see events from different perspectives. As the story develops, the past is not all it appears to be. The family dynamics and office politics are interesting and had me hooked. Oh, and Adrian certainly knows how to write a hot, passionate scene, or two, or three!!
How many categories this novel fits also surprised me, which is great for a reading challenge. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I already have. As the pace of the book picks up, I became totally invested in Wil’s future.
I received an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.
The dual timeline is good and has you see events from different perspectives. As the story develops, the past is not all it appears to be. The family dynamics and office politics are interesting and had me hooked. Oh, and Adrian certainly knows how to write a hot, passionate scene, or two, or three!!
How many categories this novel fits also surprised me, which is great for a reading challenge. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I already have. As the pace of the book picks up, I became totally invested in Wil’s future.
I received an ARC copy of this book for my honest review.
March 20, 2023
i loved the couple, i really loved them but wil was so fucking annoying sometimes lol...😭 anyways i need isla's book she's my princess
March 2, 2023
Totally relatable
Without going into too many personal details, I am familiar with stepparents (myself, my dad’s second wife, and four grandparents) as well as with estranged family members. Things can be weird in any family, but add either (or both) of those logistics and awkwardness prevails.
I appreciate that boundaries are also a common theme, just as in other books by this author:
‘Do you want to kiss me, or do you want to kiss a woman?’
Not taking advantage of someone in need of “liquid courage”.
There was a discussion around the difference between power and authority (in a workplace environment).
Fave character:
Laura is reliable for advice as well as keeping confidentiality. She judges, which is a good thing since many people don’t have someone who will provide constructive feedback so they can improve. I’ve been fortunate to have my “support” group who does just that…and I’m a much better person for it.
This author has proven that she can write across multiple genres and I’ll keep reading her as long as she keeps writing.
Without going into too many personal details, I am familiar with stepparents (myself, my dad’s second wife, and four grandparents) as well as with estranged family members. Things can be weird in any family, but add either (or both) of those logistics and awkwardness prevails.
I appreciate that boundaries are also a common theme, just as in other books by this author:
‘Do you want to kiss me, or do you want to kiss a woman?’
Not taking advantage of someone in need of “liquid courage”.
There was a discussion around the difference between power and authority (in a workplace environment).
Fave character:
Laura is reliable for advice as well as keeping confidentiality. She judges, which is a good thing since many people don’t have someone who will provide constructive feedback so they can improve. I’ve been fortunate to have my “support” group who does just that…and I’m a much better person for it.
This author has proven that she can write across multiple genres and I’ll keep reading her as long as she keeps writing.
June 4, 2024
When the Past Finds You by Adrian J. Smith.
1.5 ⭐️✨
I got to chapter 20, then skimmed the last 5. I just couldn’t bear it any longer. I found the whole premise icky; She was hooking up with a mother figure. 😬
Wil finds herself working for her best friend’s estranged stepmother, Linda. Wil realises that the crush she had when she was 14 years old still stands now when she’s an adult. Linda’s friends were more concerned for her professional career than anything else. 🤷🏻♀️
Some chapters dived into the past; Wil was 8, 12, 14, 16, etc., as significant memories were relived. The fact that she and Linda had known each other each other when Wil was so young, this dynamic felt off.
The characters didn’t spend much time together; they just had this infatuation. Apart from the work conference, they didn’t really talk. I couldn’t believe they were falling in love. Unravelling their shared history, losing Patrick- Linda’s husband and a father figure to Wil. Yes, working through past shared history should have been the book's point, not trying to sleep together. I thought they would overcome the childish crush but had to jump into bed. 😳
Linda even revealed that they were planning on adopting Wil if her grandmother died. Such a strange storyline.
I know that age gaps aren’t a big deal when both characters are adults, but the dynamic between these two was off-putting.
Sorry, but it wasn’t for me.
1.5 ⭐️✨
I got to chapter 20, then skimmed the last 5. I just couldn’t bear it any longer. I found the whole premise icky; She was hooking up with a mother figure. 😬
Wil finds herself working for her best friend’s estranged stepmother, Linda. Wil realises that the crush she had when she was 14 years old still stands now when she’s an adult. Linda’s friends were more concerned for her professional career than anything else. 🤷🏻♀️
Some chapters dived into the past; Wil was 8, 12, 14, 16, etc., as significant memories were relived. The fact that she and Linda had known each other each other when Wil was so young, this dynamic felt off.
The characters didn’t spend much time together; they just had this infatuation. Apart from the work conference, they didn’t really talk. I couldn’t believe they were falling in love. Unravelling their shared history, losing Patrick- Linda’s husband and a father figure to Wil. Yes, working through past shared history should have been the book's point, not trying to sleep together. I thought they would overcome the childish crush but had to jump into bed. 😳
Linda even revealed that they were planning on adopting Wil if her grandmother died. Such a strange storyline.
I know that age gaps aren’t a big deal when both characters are adults, but the dynamic between these two was off-putting.
Sorry, but it wasn’t for me.
September 10, 2023
2.75 ⭐
No estuvo mal, pero no entendí la mitad. Ok, no entendí nada, es una historia que mezcla el pasado y el presente, y eso está bien, solo que nunca supe donde estaba el clímax de la historia...
Lynda como personaje me gustó, aunque también le faltó desarrollo porque hubo cosas que no se explican y confunden. Y Will es de esos personajes que amas o odias, y en mi caso fue lo segundo, es insoportable... En fin quede confundida, con dudas y con situaciones que nunca se resolvieron y personajes que estaban de nombre, pero nunca existieron... Mal por este libro. Pero si leeré la historia de Isla por curiosidad.
No estuvo mal, pero no entendí la mitad. Ok, no entendí nada, es una historia que mezcla el pasado y el presente, y eso está bien, solo que nunca supe donde estaba el clímax de la historia...
Lynda como personaje me gustó, aunque también le faltó desarrollo porque hubo cosas que no se explican y confunden. Y Will es de esos personajes que amas o odias, y en mi caso fue lo segundo, es insoportable... En fin quede confundida, con dudas y con situaciones que nunca se resolvieron y personajes que estaban de nombre, pero nunca existieron... Mal por este libro. Pero si leeré la historia de Isla por curiosidad.
July 17, 2023
i love them so much stop.
December 22, 2023
i really didn’t like this book
August 14, 2023
I find myself struggling to write a review of this book. It skirts such a line of morality / immorality (that is: how bad is it that Lynda enters a relationship with someone she knew as a kid / teenager 11 years earlier?) that it probably requires far more nuance than I can adequately give it.
So I suppose it would be best to start with: I am generally okay with age gaps as long as it is adult-meets-adult (preferably both at least 20 or older). I get the difference in maturity / life experience, but I think such a base requires far less scrutiny than something like this, where the characters knew one another (and interacted both frequently and with open hostility) all before one turned 18.
That preface out of the way, I shall talk about the better points of the book before broaching the relationship again. Grief is the theme of this. Well, grief and how it manifests in different people, and how painful it is to heal. We get a number of flashbacks interspersed that show how both Lynda and Wil forced themselves to cope with the situation (Lynda’s husband, the father of Wil’s best friend, dying). Both of them, in a sense, shut down their outward emotions for the most part; Lynda withdrawing herself and becoming aloof to her stepchildren (and neglecting Wil entirely), Wil becoming increasingly more angry with everything (along with her crush on Lynda).
In the present, the two have numerous heart-to-heart conversations in which they work together to unpack their emotions and how they dealt with them years before. I have no idea how realistic that is to grief / healing, but it seemed decent enough. It was a long, slow process that took most of the book for them to be okay with everything and for their true fears to come to light.
But now I must talk about the romance. So to my knowledge, they have a 19-21 year gap: I feel like Lynda was either 35 or 37 when Wil was 16. And that is why this one feels so icky at points: Wil had a massive crush on Lynda pretty much as long as they knew one another, whereas Lynda only became attracted to Wil after meeting her again as an adult.
Much of Lynda’s pain in the present stems from her fear of losing those she cares about like she lost her husband (and her eldest stepdaughter who cut her out of her life). Wil honestly felt more underdeveloped? She really only seemed to like Lynda…as a kid, and as an adult, that is all she really has. Her “anger” is primarily because of her infatuation, and that she knows how infeasible that is while still young. Actually, her anger issues needed more depth.
You know what, I am done talking about this. I thought it was interesting to read. As a romance, it is creepy because of their history. I have no idea what to think of it, even after reading it and attempting to summarize parts of the book (since that is what all of this really is: an attempt at summary to try and focus my thoughts as to whether this is a good book or no).
EDIT 13 August 2023: So, I decided I did like this book, upon reflection (and after finishing the other three books in this world).
So I suppose it would be best to start with: I am generally okay with age gaps as long as it is adult-meets-adult (preferably both at least 20 or older). I get the difference in maturity / life experience, but I think such a base requires far less scrutiny than something like this, where the characters knew one another (and interacted both frequently and with open hostility) all before one turned 18.
That preface out of the way, I shall talk about the better points of the book before broaching the relationship again. Grief is the theme of this. Well, grief and how it manifests in different people, and how painful it is to heal. We get a number of flashbacks interspersed that show how both Lynda and Wil forced themselves to cope with the situation (Lynda’s husband, the father of Wil’s best friend, dying). Both of them, in a sense, shut down their outward emotions for the most part; Lynda withdrawing herself and becoming aloof to her stepchildren (and neglecting Wil entirely), Wil becoming increasingly more angry with everything (along with her crush on Lynda).
In the present, the two have numerous heart-to-heart conversations in which they work together to unpack their emotions and how they dealt with them years before. I have no idea how realistic that is to grief / healing, but it seemed decent enough. It was a long, slow process that took most of the book for them to be okay with everything and for their true fears to come to light.
But now I must talk about the romance. So to my knowledge, they have a 19-21 year gap: I feel like Lynda was either 35 or 37 when Wil was 16. And that is why this one feels so icky at points: Wil had a massive crush on Lynda pretty much as long as they knew one another, whereas Lynda only became attracted to Wil after meeting her again as an adult.
Much of Lynda’s pain in the present stems from her fear of losing those she cares about like she lost her husband (and her eldest stepdaughter who cut her out of her life). Wil honestly felt more underdeveloped? She really only seemed to like Lynda…as a kid, and as an adult, that is all she really has. Her “anger” is primarily because of her infatuation, and that she knows how infeasible that is while still young. Actually, her anger issues needed more depth.
You know what, I am done talking about this. I thought it was interesting to read. As a romance, it is creepy because of their history. I have no idea what to think of it, even after reading it and attempting to summarize parts of the book (since that is what all of this really is: an attempt at summary to try and focus my thoughts as to whether this is a good book or no).
EDIT 13 August 2023: So, I decided I did like this book, upon reflection (and after finishing the other three books in this world).
Read
January 15, 2024I don't want to leave a rating because I don't really know what to rate this. I feel bad giving low ratings to contemporary authors in general but even more so to lesfic authors but I can't rate this highly.
Why? Because this story feels very icky to me.
I almost never read the synopsis of a book by an author I'm already familiar with and I liked Don't Quit Your Daydream enough to go ahead and listen to this one. Plus it was read by not only Lori Prince and not only Quinn Riley but the both of them together so really it was a recipe for success. Plus after reviewing the synopsis after reading I can see it doesn't convey the ickiness I felt at the story content.
Age gap, ice queen, even the daughter's friend/friend's mom trope are all here but that last one is usually present in an "oops I didn't realize you knew my daughter" matched with "oops I didn't know you were my friend's mom" and it's all ha ha ha well we knew each other intimately first so that's how the relationship was established. What feels icky here is because (and I will start using a spoiler tag now) I may be painting myself prude by reacting this way but my suspension of disbelief got stretched too thin. Which, honestly, is saying something because I've read Change Of Heart and Scarlett which have absolutely insane stories but I still enjoyed them.
tl;dr
I think after some much needed therapeutic assistance, I can support the relationship. Until then, I won't be revisiting this book.
Why? Because this story feels very icky to me.
I almost never read the synopsis of a book by an author I'm already familiar with and I liked Don't Quit Your Daydream enough to go ahead and listen to this one. Plus it was read by not only Lori Prince and not only Quinn Riley but the both of them together so really it was a recipe for success. Plus after reviewing the synopsis after reading I can see it doesn't convey the ickiness I felt at the story content.
Age gap, ice queen, even the daughter's friend/friend's mom trope are all here but that last one is usually present in an "oops I didn't realize you knew my daughter" matched with "oops I didn't know you were my friend's mom" and it's all ha ha ha well we knew each other intimately first so that's how the relationship was established. What feels icky here is because (and I will start using a spoiler tag now) I may be painting myself prude by reacting this way but my suspension of disbelief got stretched too thin. Which, honestly, is saying something because I've read Change Of Heart and Scarlett which have absolutely insane stories but I still enjoyed them.
tl;dr
I think after some much needed therapeutic assistance, I can support the relationship. Until then, I won't be revisiting this book.
April 8, 2023
Adrian J. Smith
When the Past Finds You
New Review
Arc
When Wil thought she had the world ahead of her, she never expected her life to take a sharp turn. Her best friend’s stepmom becoming her new manager brought along a wave of fear and uncertainty. Wil was always able to keep her temper in check and was happy with her work-life until the change of management. She now had to fight to control her temper and crush on the one person she’s never been able to hold back on.
Lynda, on the other hand, had worked hard to get where she is. When she took over a new financial company, she knew she had to lay low and rebuild her reputation. The opportunity to work with her estranged stepdaughter’s best friend allowed her to reconnect but the past started to haunt her. The memories of her husband’s death resurfaced, making her feel vulnerable.
They never wanted to see each other again, but they were now forced to work together. Wil tried her best to control her temper around Lynda, while Lynda tried to keep her distance from Wil. However, as they started to work together, they realized that they had more in common than they thought. They both had been through difficult times and had similar struggles.
Their mutual past had made them bitter towards each other, but as they started to spend more time together, they found themselves drawn towards each other. Wil and Lynda started to understand each other’s perspectives and found a common ground. They also started to develop feelings for each other, but they were unsure if it was appropriate.
The fire in Wil and the ice in Lynda made for an interesting combination. They were different in every way possible, but they complemented each other perfectly. They had to overcome their mutual past, but they also had to deal with their own fears and insecurities.
In conclusion, Wil and Lynda’s story is a beautiful example of how two people from different backgrounds can find love in unexpected places. They both had their own struggles and past traumas, but they found solace in each other. The fire and ice combination may seem challenging, but it is also a beautiful and rare thing. Wil and Lynda’s love story is proof that love can bloom in the most unexpected places.
When the Past Finds You
New Review
Arc
When Wil thought she had the world ahead of her, she never expected her life to take a sharp turn. Her best friend’s stepmom becoming her new manager brought along a wave of fear and uncertainty. Wil was always able to keep her temper in check and was happy with her work-life until the change of management. She now had to fight to control her temper and crush on the one person she’s never been able to hold back on.
Lynda, on the other hand, had worked hard to get where she is. When she took over a new financial company, she knew she had to lay low and rebuild her reputation. The opportunity to work with her estranged stepdaughter’s best friend allowed her to reconnect but the past started to haunt her. The memories of her husband’s death resurfaced, making her feel vulnerable.
They never wanted to see each other again, but they were now forced to work together. Wil tried her best to control her temper around Lynda, while Lynda tried to keep her distance from Wil. However, as they started to work together, they realized that they had more in common than they thought. They both had been through difficult times and had similar struggles.
Their mutual past had made them bitter towards each other, but as they started to spend more time together, they found themselves drawn towards each other. Wil and Lynda started to understand each other’s perspectives and found a common ground. They also started to develop feelings for each other, but they were unsure if it was appropriate.
The fire in Wil and the ice in Lynda made for an interesting combination. They were different in every way possible, but they complemented each other perfectly. They had to overcome their mutual past, but they also had to deal with their own fears and insecurities.
In conclusion, Wil and Lynda’s story is a beautiful example of how two people from different backgrounds can find love in unexpected places. They both had their own struggles and past traumas, but they found solace in each other. The fire and ice combination may seem challenging, but it is also a beautiful and rare thing. Wil and Lynda’s love story is proof that love can bloom in the most unexpected places.
March 28, 2023
It looks like I am the anomaly here. I could not connect with either of these MCs and their history together was confusing. The book went back and forth from present times to bits of their interactions from between 10-15 years ago but the flash backs didn't seem to be in any specific order and were pretty vague on the actual issues between the two of them so I didn't feel like they really added much to the story. I think their previous relationship history, which started when one MC as 8-10 and the other in her late 20s was just too cringey for me. I don't mind age gaps, even when they are 20 years but having one MC meet and interact with the other as a kind of parental figure only for them to begin a romantic relationship later just feels wrong. I also wasn't able to figure out what they did at work. The company is referred to as an investment company but Wil and Lynda are the Assistant Manager and Manager of the branch and many of their activities seem almost like they are managing more of a retail store where they have to make schedules and make sure a manager is on site to deal with late employees. In an investment office I'd expect to see more professional type employees where managers aren't dealing with schedules like that and it threw me off every time I read about what they were doing at work or how they couldn't leave the office at the same time. There's also a very confusing relationship between Lynda and her stepdaughters that is very light on details. Everything moves along a little too easily with no real resolution. Overall with such a seemingly complicated history and the vague resolutions I just didn't have a feel for the MCs or their relationships with the side characters and what I did feel was mostly cringing about their romantic relationship. Give it a try though, it looks like a lot of others have enjoyed this but for me the best part was that it didn't take long to read.
March 29, 2025
Stars: 4.5 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Lori Prince and Quinn Riley
Series: When the Past Finds You Book 1
Steam Level: Steamy
I read this for the I Heart Sapphic 2025 Reading Challenge for the prompt Second Chance.
Quick Thoughts:
- I had major reservations about this pairing once the book explained how they knew each other, but Adrian J. Smith does a fantastic job of building the story in such a way to make it not creepy at all
- The previous owner of Wil’s company really did all his employees dirty. Hope he steps on Lego everyday for a decade
- One of the best things in this book is how each character grows and learns to communicate
- All the issues/drama isn’t black and white but various shades of gray that don’t have easy solutions
- Lynda isn’t an evil stepmother, she’s just a woman who made mistakes raising her kids while also grieving the loss of her husband and it makes her a great, interesting character
- Having flashbacks mixed in really help paint a fuller picture of the situation the present day was currently in
- I will always celebrate stories where the protagonists have their own, separate friends they can rely on and talk things out with and don’t solely rely upon each other
- No third act breakup!
- Still fanning myself over the hot sex scenes (especially that last one)
- The epilogue was so cute! Absolutely loved it
- This almost got five stars but I took off half a star because we get to see how poorly Wil treated Lynda in the past and how deeply it hurt Lynda, and then in present day Wil makes a couple of comments that sends Lynda right back into the past. I had a little bit of a hard time rooting for Wil after that
- Lori Prince AND Quinn Riley in one audiobook? I’m in love
Overall I enjoyed this book a whole lot even with my little quibble about Wil. I had accidentally read the forth book in this series first, so I’m really excited to read this series from the beginning.
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Lori Prince and Quinn Riley
Series: When the Past Finds You Book 1
Steam Level: Steamy
I read this for the I Heart Sapphic 2025 Reading Challenge for the prompt Second Chance.
Quick Thoughts:
- I had major reservations about this pairing once the book explained how they knew each other, but Adrian J. Smith does a fantastic job of building the story in such a way to make it not creepy at all
- The previous owner of Wil’s company really did all his employees dirty. Hope he steps on Lego everyday for a decade
- One of the best things in this book is how each character grows and learns to communicate
- All the issues/drama isn’t black and white but various shades of gray that don’t have easy solutions
- Lynda isn’t an evil stepmother, she’s just a woman who made mistakes raising her kids while also grieving the loss of her husband and it makes her a great, interesting character
- Having flashbacks mixed in really help paint a fuller picture of the situation the present day was currently in
- I will always celebrate stories where the protagonists have their own, separate friends they can rely on and talk things out with and don’t solely rely upon each other
- No third act breakup!
- Still fanning myself over the hot sex scenes (especially that last one)
- The epilogue was so cute! Absolutely loved it
- This almost got five stars but I took off half a star because we get to see how poorly Wil treated Lynda in the past and how deeply it hurt Lynda, and then in present day Wil makes a couple of comments that sends Lynda right back into the past. I had a little bit of a hard time rooting for Wil after that
- Lori Prince AND Quinn Riley in one audiobook? I’m in love
Overall I enjoyed this book a whole lot even with my little quibble about Wil. I had accidentally read the forth book in this series first, so I’m really excited to read this series from the beginning.
November 3, 2025
the author said I am going to write a romance with the weirdest dynamic and by sappho they did it
torn between 3 and 3.5 and I'm a big believer in rounding up, but wow
so a romance between a character (Wil) and their best friend's mum/stepmum (Lynda) is already weird. then you just make it absolutely crystal clear that Wil and Lynda knew each other when Wil was a kid, and there's painful history from Lynda's husband's tragic passing. and then on top of that Lynda and her daughter have a lapsed relationship, and Lynda was kinda hoping to use Wil to get back in touch. and then on top of that Lynda is Wil's new boss. and then they go around explaining this dynamic to their friends like love is complicated
in between cringing violently at... all of this, is a very moving backstory about how Lynda and Wil grieved the death of Lynda's husband. Lynda closed inward in her grief which caused her to fall short in parenting his daughters, and Wil couldn't help but attack Lynda for her shortcomings in trying to protect her best friend, and god it's all so messy
I do respect the author for writing a taboo romance and then having other characters react in a normal way about it. Lynda's best friends listening to her updates on her life like "what. no. what are you doing. you should not do this. you should do anything other than this. why." and if you take out the... everything it is a sweet second chance romance and moving past grief story
torn between 3 and 3.5 and I'm a big believer in rounding up, but wow
so a romance between a character (Wil) and their best friend's mum/stepmum (Lynda) is already weird. then you just make it absolutely crystal clear that Wil and Lynda knew each other when Wil was a kid, and there's painful history from Lynda's husband's tragic passing. and then on top of that Lynda and her daughter have a lapsed relationship, and Lynda was kinda hoping to use Wil to get back in touch. and then on top of that Lynda is Wil's new boss. and then they go around explaining this dynamic to their friends like love is complicated
in between cringing violently at... all of this, is a very moving backstory about how Lynda and Wil grieved the death of Lynda's husband. Lynda closed inward in her grief which caused her to fall short in parenting his daughters, and Wil couldn't help but attack Lynda for her shortcomings in trying to protect her best friend, and god it's all so messy
I do respect the author for writing a taboo romance and then having other characters react in a normal way about it. Lynda's best friends listening to her updates on her life like "what. no. what are you doing. you should not do this. you should do anything other than this. why." and if you take out the... everything it is a sweet second chance romance and moving past grief story
January 12, 2024
Certain relationships have boundaries that should never be crossed. In this story, we have Will, a teenager who has developed a crush on Lynda, who happens to be his best friend Isla's stepmom. Lynda is a young stepmom to two teenage daughters and the author emphasizes that she sees Will as just a teenager and is protective of her stepdaughters in her own way. However, she fails to show this to her daughters, but she understands the dynamics.
When Will and Lynda meet again after 13 years maybe, it becomes evident that Will's feelings resurface for Lynda(though, it is more of an obsession rather than love). On the other hand, Lynda seems infatuated by the idea of it all. It's as if she is attracted to the forbidden fruit. It's quite unbelievable to see a woman who prides herself on being a protective mother lusting after her daughter's best friend. I couldn't find any genuine love between the main characters, it was all about lust. It felt like two horny teenagers trying to navigate their hormonal surges without any emotional connection.
What I also found hard to believe was that it was Will who was bullying Lynda. Is it really possible for a teenager to have such power over someone who is almost 17 years older than them? And a mental abuse is an abuse, it cannot be served as any other thing, period.
When Will and Lynda meet again after 13 years maybe, it becomes evident that Will's feelings resurface for Lynda(though, it is more of an obsession rather than love). On the other hand, Lynda seems infatuated by the idea of it all. It's as if she is attracted to the forbidden fruit. It's quite unbelievable to see a woman who prides herself on being a protective mother lusting after her daughter's best friend. I couldn't find any genuine love between the main characters, it was all about lust. It felt like two horny teenagers trying to navigate their hormonal surges without any emotional connection.
What I also found hard to believe was that it was Will who was bullying Lynda. Is it really possible for a teenager to have such power over someone who is almost 17 years older than them? And a mental abuse is an abuse, it cannot be served as any other thing, period.
December 15, 2023
Well this was a double forbidden-romance. Wow, those two people were REALLY not supposed to get together! So there was some beautiful tension along the way, especially since they both knew they were supposed to decline and couldn’t bring themselves to walk away but couldn’t bring themselves to go ahead either. So the vast majority of this was wonderful as they bounced back and forth and in between.
Which gets us to my one gripe… it felt like there were too many loose ends when all was said and done. For instance, there’s a lot of beating around the bush about why Isla cut off her stepmom and a promise to explain in detail over tequila — but that never happened. We got a flashback about how Isla almost broke off her friendship with Wil, but not one about how they overcame that (unless I missed something in the flashback sequencing?). We’re told Aisling’s opinion on things, but I’d have loved to hear from her directly and specifically hear her reasoning when clearly she had different thoughts on it than Isla.
So I loved the ride, but I was nevertheless a little underwhelmed by the end. Which is frustrating, because it had been going so well up until that point! Anyway, this seems like a one-off issue and I’ll be happy to read more by this author.
Which gets us to my one gripe… it felt like there were too many loose ends when all was said and done. For instance, there’s a lot of beating around the bush about why Isla cut off her stepmom and a promise to explain in detail over tequila — but that never happened. We got a flashback about how Isla almost broke off her friendship with Wil, but not one about how they overcame that (unless I missed something in the flashback sequencing?). We’re told Aisling’s opinion on things, but I’d have loved to hear from her directly and specifically hear her reasoning when clearly she had different thoughts on it than Isla.
So I loved the ride, but I was nevertheless a little underwhelmed by the end. Which is frustrating, because it had been going so well up until that point! Anyway, this seems like a one-off issue and I’ll be happy to read more by this author.
March 13, 2023
To say Wil and Lynda have history would be a colossal understatement. The estranged stepmother of Wil’s longtime best friend, Lynda is a woman Wil loathed and longed for in equal measure as a teenager. She’s also the woman who has just come strolling back into Wil’s life, taking over her company, threatening her job, and inciting a complex storm of feelings. As Wil and Lynda reconnect, they face the difficult past, an awkward, confusing present, and a possible future neither could have ever expected.
When the Past Finds You is full of angst, emotion, and spice as the story unravels the grief that Wil and Lynda faced years before, along with the growing attraction that ensnares them in the present day. The way these two flawed but endearing women's narratives and hearts gradually intertwine is as beautiful as it is unexpected. The workplace drama, sexual tension, and profound introspection that accompany the process all serve to make it a compelling and unforgettable romance.
Fans of age gap sapphic romances featuring women with strong personalities and soft hearts will love When the Past Finds You.
When the Past Finds You is full of angst, emotion, and spice as the story unravels the grief that Wil and Lynda faced years before, along with the growing attraction that ensnares them in the present day. The way these two flawed but endearing women's narratives and hearts gradually intertwine is as beautiful as it is unexpected. The workplace drama, sexual tension, and profound introspection that accompany the process all serve to make it a compelling and unforgettable romance.
Fans of age gap sapphic romances featuring women with strong personalities and soft hearts will love When the Past Finds You.
February 5, 2025
If you want to read about an immature, intolerable MC with anger issues she’s too old for, and an ongoing crush on her best friend’s mother she claims to hate, you might like this.
If you want to read about a mother who’s still struggling to be a mother well after her step children have grown up, but doesn’t do anything to make the relationship between them and herself better (by let’s say…communication?), then you might like this.
Both women are insufferable in their own right, but Wil takes the cake. She’s a bratty, self centred woman, who’s so sure that she’s right about having the worst attitude known to mankind that she does nothing to fix it. She’s not relatable and I can’t sympathise with her, because nothing she was angry about was valid. Not from a sane adult’s perspective. She can’t even treat people in higher positions with respect—in real life, Wil wouldn’t be in an office. She’d be working remotely from home so she wouldn’t have to interact with any other humans and ruin their day.
If you’re known for your bad temper to your coworkers, then that’s a pretty red flag. In short: both MCs should be in therapy
If you want to read about a mother who’s still struggling to be a mother well after her step children have grown up, but doesn’t do anything to make the relationship between them and herself better (by let’s say…communication?), then you might like this.
Both women are insufferable in their own right, but Wil takes the cake. She’s a bratty, self centred woman, who’s so sure that she’s right about having the worst attitude known to mankind that she does nothing to fix it. She’s not relatable and I can’t sympathise with her, because nothing she was angry about was valid. Not from a sane adult’s perspective. She can’t even treat people in higher positions with respect—in real life, Wil wouldn’t be in an office. She’d be working remotely from home so she wouldn’t have to interact with any other humans and ruin their day.
If you’re known for your bad temper to your coworkers, then that’s a pretty red flag. In short: both MCs should be in therapy
March 8, 2023
I think this has just become my favorite AJ Smith's book. I enjoyed reading it so much that i had to immediately repeat it. Wil and Lynda's paths cross again after 16 years...what i loved the most is how AJ portrays both characters. They are so well developed and beautifully flawed as well.
Wil and Lynda did not have an easy past, Wil had always had a crush on her best friend's step-mom. She had dealt with the crush by always giving grief to Lynda in hopes it will be gone. Lynda has always thought Wil hated her. Now after 16 years they meet again when Lynda's company buys out Wil's company and lynda is now her boss.
This was so well put together that i never had a boring phase reading it.
Their attraction grows by the minute and they get to deal with their shared past grief, with only helps to bring them together more as well as the whole family that had gone estranged.
I totally recommend it, it is worth your while to read it.
I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wil and Lynda did not have an easy past, Wil had always had a crush on her best friend's step-mom. She had dealt with the crush by always giving grief to Lynda in hopes it will be gone. Lynda has always thought Wil hated her. Now after 16 years they meet again when Lynda's company buys out Wil's company and lynda is now her boss.
This was so well put together that i never had a boring phase reading it.
Their attraction grows by the minute and they get to deal with their shared past grief, with only helps to bring them together more as well as the whole family that had gone estranged.
I totally recommend it, it is worth your while to read it.
I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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