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Always and Forever

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Singer/Song Writer Shannon "Shann" Delaney has struggled for years to make a life for herself and her ten year old son, Corey. Her career is just starting to take off when Shann's older sister, Liz, asks for help.

Shann has been estranged from her family for over ten years due to an argument with her father. Now Liz begs Shann to return and help look after him while he undergoes surgery. With reservations, Shann agrees to help, hoping she can mend the breach with her family and introduce Corey to his grandfather.

Shanns reservations of returning home are not completely concerned with her father, but with the object of her youthful angst. "The girl next door" who broke Shann's heart is now happily married and no longer a part of Shann's thoughts. But when Shann arrives home there is a new "girl next door" who turns Shann's world upside down…

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

14 people are currently reading
88 people want to read

About the author

Lyn Denison

22 books60 followers
Lyn Denison was born and still resides in Brisbane, Australia, and attended school in Brisbane and Charters Towers. Before making writing a full-time career, Lyn was a librarian. Apart from reading, Lyn enjoys genealogy, scrapbooking, photography, playing her 12-string guitar and chatting with friends.

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5 stars
55 (30%)
4 stars
69 (38%)
3 stars
44 (24%)
2 stars
8 (4%)
1 star
3 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Loek Krancher.
1,042 reviews67 followers
September 2, 2022
Due to a terrible incident and a family from whom she received no support and understanding, Shann fled her hometown and it all had changed her life. After a 10-year absence, Shann has returned to her family to take care of her estranged father and sister. A lot has happened in 10 years, but have her feelings also changed? I really liked this sweet love story. The attraction is instant but there relationship isn't that simple. The chemistry was beautiful and intense. The main characters are lovable especially Corey and the story is well written. The ending was a bit abrupt and I wish the author has added an epilogue. This was my first Lyn Denison book but definitely not the last.
Profile Image for Guerunche.
645 reviews35 followers
February 14, 2023
Updated review of audiobook version:

This paperback had been sitting on my shelves since 2006 and before we had such a huge number of sapphic releases to choose from, I would pull this one off the shelves and re-read it. I was so excited when Lyn Denison decided to produce all her books - classics and new releases alike - on audio and I'm thrilled that she chose the uber dreamy Aussie narrator Jenny Walters to do this one. Walters really brought the characters to life and I'm eternally grateful to have yet another way to enjoy an old favorite. If you love audiobooks and are looking for a new narrator with a swoon-worthy delivery, I urge you to listen to this and some of Lyn Denison's other releases that Walters does. Everyone I've convinced to listen to any of these have fallen in love with her voice too!

4.5 stars

It had been way too long since I'd pulled some of my old favorite paperbacks off the shelves to read so I decided to start with this beauty by Lyn Denison. I'm so happy I did because it felt like visiting an old friend.

Singer/songwriter Shann Delaney is asked by her older sister to return home to help care for her father while both of them are dealing with health issues. It's complicated because Shann hasn't been back in a decade after falling out with her father and having her heart broken by the girl next door. In her late 20s, she's just starting to break through in the Australian music scene and is enjoying some success, but she is nervous about the emotional turmoil that she will undoubtedly face. She also has a son, Cory, that has never met his grandfather and Shann is anxious how he will react to the child. At least she doesn't have to worry about running into her childhood love Leigh since she has since moved out of town with her husband and children, so that's a plus. But when she is enthusiastically welcomed back by Leigh's younger cousin Angie, a now-VERY attractive woman who was only 15 years old the last time she saw her, sparks fly in a way Shann never saw coming.

One of my favorite things about this book is how well Denison wrote the chemistry between Shann and Angie from the moment they reconnected. But it wasn't just sexual because they knew and cared about each other growing up - albeit in different ways. And while this is a romance, there are so many other things happening. Family dynamics, a trauma that altered the course of Shann's life, professional growth and success. The relationship between Shann and her precocious son Cory is also wonderful. There's also a little Easter egg in this book with a cameo from two characters from one of Denison's other books, Dream Lover. Which means that yes - I'll be pulling that one off the shelf soon too.

This book has held up quite well 15 years later. I loved it all over again.
Profile Image for Dide.
1,489 reviews53 followers
February 17, 2021
There's a lot of emotions traversing the characters in this book and for anyone whose romantic aspirations is for romantic trials to end with closure and happily ever after, this book surely delivers.
Profile Image for Kexx.
2,306 reviews98 followers
October 31, 2020
What can I say? This book raised important issues such as homophobia, (others are plot spoilers) and then did not deal with them but just ended the book! Stunningly unimpressed. The book was well written, had some excellent characters but with an ending like that I'll not going near her again (looked to make sure not 1st in the series... can't see any others.)
Profile Image for Jay Odon.
52 reviews14 followers
September 2, 2013
If you have ever had your heart broken and tried to put it together again only to be faced with the person again after you started falling for someone else then this book will speak to you... and if you haven't then it is a great read so read it anyway!

Shann is returning home after 10 years, one son, and an unforgettable family feud. Her sister asks her to come home and stay with their father after his hip surgery and her surgery knowing she won't be able to take care of him herself. Nervous doesn't describe how she feels about returning home not just to her family but also to the home where she lost it all. Leigh, her best friend, and her were caught kissing each other and everything just hit the fan. Not only did she lose her best friend and family she also got pregnant by rape and the only good thing to come of it was her almost 10 year old son Corey. As she makes a truce with her father and Corey bringing smiles to everyone's face, Shann only has to worry about Leigh. Luckily Leigh is out of town with her husband and kids but Leigh's cousin is still next door and feeling between Shann and Angie heats them both to the point of no return. That is until Leigh shows up for her father's birthday and Shann doesn't know what to do and Angie doesn't want to stand in her way...

She thought her tough decisions were out of the way but will she realize that it isn't Leigh she has loved for so long. Will Shann let her heart open up to Angie and put Leigh in the past. Will Shann ever tell anyone about Corey's father...
285 reviews2 followers
July 22, 2024
I really like this author and I raced through this in only a few hours. Finished another book, then started and finished this on the same day!
This was an enjoyable tale of Shann going home with her lovely son 10 year old son, Corey after being away for all 10 of those years. She goes to help out her older sister and father who need some care following medical procedures. She’s not sure what reception she’ll receive from her father and is also reluctant to revisit painful memories of the girl next door, who broke her heart many years before. She doesn’t expect the girl next door to be someone she wants to make new memories with now…
Whilst I really enjoyed this it did end rather suddenly. It could ideally have done with an Epilogue rounding off some family acceptance of the MC’s love and care for each other….otherwise lovely.
Profile Image for Kathleen Wills.
44 reviews1 follower
May 7, 2023
Another lovely read from Lyn Denison.
Ten years after fleeing home amid personal turmoil, Shann returns to help her sister and father as they recover from surgeries...and introduce her young son, Corey, to a family he's never met. She hopes to mend the relationship with her father and perhaps heal a heart broken by Leigh, the girl who turned her back when Shann needed her.
Enter Angie, Leigh's cousin, and all bets are off.
This book has it all...a lost love, a terrible secret, a gorgeous, grown up Angie, family drama!
Just read this one!
Profile Image for Kennedy.
1,166 reviews80 followers
July 26, 2025
Enjoyable read with interesting characters. Singer Song writer Shann Delaney, returns to her home town with her son Cory to assist her sister Liz and father as they deal with health issues. While there, she is reconnected with her childhood love Leigh and Leigh's younger sister Angie. The communication is wonderful among Angie, Shann and Cory. The chemistry is intimate and sweet between Angie and Shann.
Profile Image for Trippentigger.
341 reviews4 followers
April 21, 2025
enjoyable

Another enjoyable quick read from this author. Seems to follow a similar path to the last book I read by her, while still maintaining its own identity. The characters are what make these books work for sure. Once again the ending came too soon imo, while complete there was still meat to the story left.
745 reviews3 followers
March 29, 2022
Good Story

As always, Lyn Denison writes a compelling story about love, pain, loss and again finding love. She does a great job of writing with well fleshed out characters and a wonderful storyline. Well done!
Profile Image for Terri.
166 reviews8 followers
April 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I really liked the characters. I wish it went a little farther. I wanted Shann's son and her father to meet the ladies at the Club and see her perform. I wanted more interaction with her family with the truth about her rape.
813 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2024
Great yarn of returning home to the girl next door only to find her married
Profile Image for isa Simonet.
378 reviews11 followers
November 3, 2021
Lyn Denison has been a pioneer of the lesbian book since 1990, when she released her first book.
She has written over twenty books formerly published by Bella Books. The 90s were not yet very open to lesbianism. but since that date she has been able to write lesbian romances with sexual relations.
Many lesbian books today would not be published if some authors had not taken the lead. Read,The Wild One, Gold Fever, among others.
Read her books and see the modernity of what she wrote.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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