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Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #2
The Christmas He Loved Her
All he wants this Christmas is her.
In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.
In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.
353 pages, ebook
First published September 24, 2013
95 people are currently reading
1056 people want to read
About the author
Juliana Stone
65 books1,298 followersJuliana Stone is also known as J.A. Stone.
USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.
USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
October 1, 2013
4 Stars...Friendship, Loss, and Love…Get the tissue box!
How can Jake Edwards move on with his life when the person he needs the most is his twin brother’s wife? Raine Delgotto Edwards is the one woman he has always loved. Jake had accepted she would never be his. His brother’s death twists him up and his longing for Raine adds another level of guilt. Loving Raine would be so wrong. He leaves town on bad terms to return a year and a half later. Jake hopes to make amends, and perhaps unburden himself of the torment causing his nightmares.
If you’re looking for a poignant contemporary romance that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then The Christmas He Loved Her will deliver in spades! A husband dies in a war and his tormented twin brother, who served with him, returns with a promise to keep. The promise comes with complication, especially when it places Raine, within Jake’s reach, and it compounds his guilt. The long history between Jake, one of the ‘Bad Boys of Crystal Lake,’ and the girl he’s known since childhood produces an intricate love story.
The hero and heroine are as complicated as their situation, which was obvious in The Summer He Came Home, the first book in the series. Jake returns to Crystal Lake a year and half later after leaving on bad terms with Raine, which wasn’t shown in previous book. Each of them has secrets from each other and the reader; they are slowly revealed as the story rapidly progresses. Of the two main characters, I found Jake the least demanding. His struggles are easily understandable. He’s torn-up by the death of his brother and we, the reader, know there’s something he’s not ready to tell us. It’s an affective story, and I felt it was skillfully executed. Jake’s family and friends had their place and time. Their behavior and actions felt honest.
Raine presented a problem for me. I had to suspend my disbelief and accept her character as she was. Even though she felt like the right person for Jake and they had a strong bond, it was hard to understand the ease she’d entered a relationship her husband’s twin brother, especially with the small town setting. It is explained, yet I struggled, and it is my main glitch with the story.
While not exactly a holiday novel to deliver the warm fuzzies, The Christmas He Loved Her offers a passionate and moving romance. It was a rewarding read. I am definitely interested in reading more work by Juliana Stone, and highly recommend this book for those who enjoy emotional wringers.
ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
Special thanks to Karla for recommending this author! ;o)
How can Jake Edwards move on with his life when the person he needs the most is his twin brother’s wife? Raine Delgotto Edwards is the one woman he has always loved. Jake had accepted she would never be his. His brother’s death twists him up and his longing for Raine adds another level of guilt. Loving Raine would be so wrong. He leaves town on bad terms to return a year and a half later. Jake hopes to make amends, and perhaps unburden himself of the torment causing his nightmares.
If you’re looking for a poignant contemporary romance that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then The Christmas He Loved Her will deliver in spades! A husband dies in a war and his tormented twin brother, who served with him, returns with a promise to keep. The promise comes with complication, especially when it places Raine, within Jake’s reach, and it compounds his guilt. The long history between Jake, one of the ‘Bad Boys of Crystal Lake,’ and the girl he’s known since childhood produces an intricate love story.
The hero and heroine are as complicated as their situation, which was obvious in The Summer He Came Home, the first book in the series. Jake returns to Crystal Lake a year and half later after leaving on bad terms with Raine, which wasn’t shown in previous book. Each of them has secrets from each other and the reader; they are slowly revealed as the story rapidly progresses. Of the two main characters, I found Jake the least demanding. His struggles are easily understandable. He’s torn-up by the death of his brother and we, the reader, know there’s something he’s not ready to tell us. It’s an affective story, and I felt it was skillfully executed. Jake’s family and friends had their place and time. Their behavior and actions felt honest.
Raine presented a problem for me. I had to suspend my disbelief and accept her character as she was. Even though she felt like the right person for Jake and they had a strong bond, it was hard to understand the ease she’d entered a relationship her husband’s twin brother, especially with the small town setting. It is explained, yet I struggled, and it is my main glitch with the story.
While not exactly a holiday novel to deliver the warm fuzzies, The Christmas He Loved Her offers a passionate and moving romance. It was a rewarding read. I am definitely interested in reading more work by Juliana Stone, and highly recommend this book for those who enjoy emotional wringers.
ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review
Special thanks to Karla for recommending this author! ;o)
November 27, 2015
27 November 2015: $1.99 on Kindle
2 December 2014: $1.99 on Kindle
Review:
After reading The Summer He Came Home, where we first met Raine and Jake, I was anxious to read their story. I knew it was going to break my heart and had the potential to be incredibly satisfying at the same time - something I was perfectly in the mood for. From the first moment we meet them it's easy to see that Jake's in love with his brother's widow, and it's ripping him apart inside.
Jake is eaten up by guilt, on multiple fronts; he has survivor's guilt, guilt that he didn't bring his brother home alive, guilt for wanting his brother's wife...my heart was breaking for him. What also was clear was that Jake is suffering from PTSD from his experiences in the war, and the day his twin died. I thought the author did a great job portraying this, with a few quibbles that I'll get into later. I loved the small moments that shows the closeness between Jake and his twin, Jesse throughout their childhood and even into adulthood. It really helped to cement the kind of person that Jake is, and the family that surrounds him, that means so much to him.
Raine's been a part of this family for years now, always tagging along with Jake and Jesse and the other 'Bad Boys'. It's her love as much as anyone's that has been such a constant in Jake's life. Raine's suffering from losing her husband too, and her best friend when Jake walked away for over a year, the depression, the loss, is clear in everything she does - or rather doesn't do. I loved that her road back from this was gradual - and not entirely due to Jake. She realizes bit by bit that she's not living how she wants to, and she takes small steps to change that, incremental and momentous.
I didn't expect an easy story between these two, and I definitely didn't get one. With all the guilt and hurt to be worked through Jake and Raine had a hard road to travel. More than once my heart broke while reading and I wanted to just see them realize what they had with each other. They had a lot of healing to do, and I was so glad when I saw them on the road to that...together.
My one complaint is that I think love healed a bit too much. As soon as Jake gave in and started sleeping with Raine, his nightmares stopped. Just like that, he was sleeping through the night. Up until this point the guilt and PTSD was portrayed so well, and to see it just cured made me disappointed. It seems to me that it'd be so much more realistic if he continued to struggle, even if his acceptance and love did make things significantly better. But overall, I was able to overlook this and enjoy this story immensely!
Now that I've confirmed my suspicions about the heroine for the third book, The Day He Kissed Her, I'm so excited to finish out this series! Juliana Stone continues to get better in this series, and I can't wait to see where she takes us next.
2 December 2014: $1.99 on Kindle
Review:
After reading The Summer He Came Home, where we first met Raine and Jake, I was anxious to read their story. I knew it was going to break my heart and had the potential to be incredibly satisfying at the same time - something I was perfectly in the mood for. From the first moment we meet them it's easy to see that Jake's in love with his brother's widow, and it's ripping him apart inside.
Jake is eaten up by guilt, on multiple fronts; he has survivor's guilt, guilt that he didn't bring his brother home alive, guilt for wanting his brother's wife...my heart was breaking for him. What also was clear was that Jake is suffering from PTSD from his experiences in the war, and the day his twin died. I thought the author did a great job portraying this, with a few quibbles that I'll get into later. I loved the small moments that shows the closeness between Jake and his twin, Jesse throughout their childhood and even into adulthood. It really helped to cement the kind of person that Jake is, and the family that surrounds him, that means so much to him.
Raine's been a part of this family for years now, always tagging along with Jake and Jesse and the other 'Bad Boys'. It's her love as much as anyone's that has been such a constant in Jake's life. Raine's suffering from losing her husband too, and her best friend when Jake walked away for over a year, the depression, the loss, is clear in everything she does - or rather doesn't do. I loved that her road back from this was gradual - and not entirely due to Jake. She realizes bit by bit that she's not living how she wants to, and she takes small steps to change that, incremental and momentous.
I didn't expect an easy story between these two, and I definitely didn't get one. With all the guilt and hurt to be worked through Jake and Raine had a hard road to travel. More than once my heart broke while reading and I wanted to just see them realize what they had with each other. They had a lot of healing to do, and I was so glad when I saw them on the road to that...together.
My one complaint is that I think love healed a bit too much. As soon as Jake gave in and started sleeping with Raine, his nightmares stopped. Just like that, he was sleeping through the night. Up until this point the guilt and PTSD was portrayed so well, and to see it just cured made me disappointed. It seems to me that it'd be so much more realistic if he continued to struggle, even if his acceptance and love did make things significantly better. But overall, I was able to overlook this and enjoy this story immensely!
Now that I've confirmed my suspicions about the heroine for the third book, The Day He Kissed Her, I'm so excited to finish out this series! Juliana Stone continues to get better in this series, and I can't wait to see where she takes us next.
August 31, 2016
A friend recommended this book to me and I kept putting it off. But I finally decided to read it and I’m so glad that I did! Thank you Gokce for the amazing book rec!
I’ve read some Juliana Stone books before along with her other pen names but I think this series is definitely her best work. I love the combination of small-town romance with a little bit of bad boy charm. But probably the best thing about this series is the amount of heart and emotion that Stone puts into this story. THE CHRISTMAS HE LOVED HER broke my heart. I didn’t expect this book to be as dark as it was, but it’s that grief and that torment that makes this story so meaningful.
Jake Edwards is home for the holidays and since the death of his brother, he hasn’t visited his brother’s widow, Raine. Raine is still drowning in her grief and she holds a lot of animosity towards Jake for leaving her when she needed him most. Raine’s hurt is so all-consuming that it becomes too much to bear. Even reading this book was heavy and these two have so much to work through for even a chance of a relationship but I do think it’s worth reading. Jake and Raine have really pure hearts and I found myself cheering them on as fell in love. This book is very much about healing as it is about love. Juliana Stone did a really good job of capturing the emotions in this book.
Since this was the first book that I read in this series, I will definitely have to go back and read the other books. Like I mentioned earlier, I think Juliana Stone found something special with this series and I’m surprised she didn’t continue writing more in this world. The combination of sweet small-town romance with the heavy emotions is definitely what makes this series stand out amongst the crowd
November 12, 2012
Juliana Stone reunites readers with the quaint town of Crystal Lake, delving into the tension-ridden relationship between sexy ex-military man, Jake Edwards, and the heart-broken widow, Raine. Angsty, edgy and realistic, The Christmas He Loved Her is a heart-pounding and emotional roller-coaster adventure that readers won't want to get off. This series may just be her best work yet, I cannot get enough of these Bad Boys!
*Beta read
You can check out Crystal L's full review of this title at Reading Between the Wines!
*Beta read
You can check out Crystal L's full review of this title at Reading Between the Wines!
October 1, 2013
4 Stars...Friendship, Loss, and Love...Get the tissue box!
How can Jake Edwards move on with his life when the person he needs the most is his twin brother’s wife? Raine Delgotto Edwards is the one woman he has always loved. Jake had accepted she would never be his. His brother’s death twists him up and his longing for Raine adds another level of guilt. Loving Raine would be so wrong. He leaves town on bad terms to return a year and a half later. Jake hopes to make amends, and perhaps unburden himself of the torment causing his nightmares.
If you’re looking for a poignant contemporary romance that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then The Christmas He Loved Her will deliver in spades! A husband dies in a war and his tormented twin brother, who served with him, returns with a promise to keep. The promise comes with complication, especially when it places Raine, within Jake’s reach, and it compounds his guilt. The long history between Jake, one of the ‘Bad Boys of Crystal Lake,’ and the girl he’s known since childhood produces an intricate love story.
The hero and heroine are as complicated as their situation, which was obvious in The Summer He Came Home, the first book in the series. Jake returns to Crystal Lake a year and half later after leaving on bad terms with Raine, which wasn’t shown in previous book. Each of them has secrets from each other and the reader; they are slowly revealed as the story rapidly progresses. Of the two main characters, I found Jake the least demanding. His struggles are easily understandable. He’s torn-up by the death of his brother and we, the reader, know there’s something he’s not ready to tell us. It’s an affective story, and I felt it was skillfully executed. Jake’s family and friends had their place and time. Their behavior and actions felt honest.
Raine presented a problem for me. I had to suspend my disbelief and accept her character as she was. Even though she felt like the right person for Jake and they had a strong bond, it was hard to understand the ease she’d entered a relationship her husband’s twin brother, especially with the small town setting. It is explained, yet I struggled, and it is my main glitch with the story.
While not exactly a holiday novel to deliver the warm fuzzies, The Christmas He Loved Her offers a passionate and moving romance. It was a rewarding read. I am definitely interested in more work by Juliana Stone, and I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy emotional wringers.
ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Special thanks to Karla for recommending this author! ;o)
How can Jake Edwards move on with his life when the person he needs the most is his twin brother’s wife? Raine Delgotto Edwards is the one woman he has always loved. Jake had accepted she would never be his. His brother’s death twists him up and his longing for Raine adds another level of guilt. Loving Raine would be so wrong. He leaves town on bad terms to return a year and a half later. Jake hopes to make amends, and perhaps unburden himself of the torment causing his nightmares.
If you’re looking for a poignant contemporary romance that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride then The Christmas He Loved Her will deliver in spades! A husband dies in a war and his tormented twin brother, who served with him, returns with a promise to keep. The promise comes with complication, especially when it places Raine, within Jake’s reach, and it compounds his guilt. The long history between Jake, one of the ‘Bad Boys of Crystal Lake,’ and the girl he’s known since childhood produces an intricate love story.
The hero and heroine are as complicated as their situation, which was obvious in The Summer He Came Home, the first book in the series. Jake returns to Crystal Lake a year and half later after leaving on bad terms with Raine, which wasn’t shown in previous book. Each of them has secrets from each other and the reader; they are slowly revealed as the story rapidly progresses. Of the two main characters, I found Jake the least demanding. His struggles are easily understandable. He’s torn-up by the death of his brother and we, the reader, know there’s something he’s not ready to tell us. It’s an affective story, and I felt it was skillfully executed. Jake’s family and friends had their place and time. Their behavior and actions felt honest.
Raine presented a problem for me. I had to suspend my disbelief and accept her character as she was. Even though she felt like the right person for Jake and they had a strong bond, it was hard to understand the ease she’d entered a relationship her husband’s twin brother, especially with the small town setting. It is explained, yet I struggled, and it is my main glitch with the story.
While not exactly a holiday novel to deliver the warm fuzzies, The Christmas He Loved Her offers a passionate and moving romance. It was a rewarding read. I am definitely interested in more work by Juliana Stone, and I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy emotional wringers.
ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Special thanks to Karla for recommending this author! ;o)
January 16, 2020
3.5/5
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I wanted a Christmas romance, and with the cover I expected something nice even if the theme is not necessarily easy. But I have to say that in the end, whether it’s close to Christmas or not, in fact, it’s the same. It’s not a problem, I assure you, but it wasn’t necessarily what I expected either.
Jake has left his hometown since his twin brother died in the war. He was there, and it was unbearable for him to stay. He abandoned his own, but he is now back. Yet it is still broken. And then there is Raine, his brother’s widow, for whom he always had feelings and who is as angry as she is happy to see him. But there are many things between them and moving forward will really not be easy.
I had a good time with the novel even if some points annoyed me a little. It was nice to see Jake and Raine trying to rebuild themselves, to tell each other all those things they never told each other. It’s not easy, but if they want to try, they can do it.
I haven’t read Volume 1 and I don’t think it’s important. However, I must admit that I am quite curious to discover the story of Lily that we are discovering here.
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I wanted a Christmas romance, and with the cover I expected something nice even if the theme is not necessarily easy. But I have to say that in the end, whether it’s close to Christmas or not, in fact, it’s the same. It’s not a problem, I assure you, but it wasn’t necessarily what I expected either.
Jake has left his hometown since his twin brother died in the war. He was there, and it was unbearable for him to stay. He abandoned his own, but he is now back. Yet it is still broken. And then there is Raine, his brother’s widow, for whom he always had feelings and who is as angry as she is happy to see him. But there are many things between them and moving forward will really not be easy.
I had a good time with the novel even if some points annoyed me a little. It was nice to see Jake and Raine trying to rebuild themselves, to tell each other all those things they never told each other. It’s not easy, but if they want to try, they can do it.
I haven’t read Volume 1 and I don’t think it’s important. However, I must admit that I am quite curious to discover the story of Lily that we are discovering here.
July 24, 2013
4.5 Page Turning Stars!! WOW!! A mother’s pain, a father’s grief, a young widow’s anguish, a brother’s guilt and regret, what an emotional ride…prepare yourself!!
Review closer to release date…
*ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley*
February 15, 2014
It's been well over a year since Jake Edwards left his sister-in-law, Raine, after having spent the night with her. He returns to Crystal Lake after not having found the peace or redemption he thought he would if he left home. He's back and doesn't know how to get Raine to forgive him, nor is she ready to let go of her anger at him leaving her alone to deal with her grief, anguish and conflicted feelings (she's his twin brother's widow).
I enjoyed this story even though it lacked the passion and intrigue of the first book. Raine was much more interesting than I'd given her credit and I understood her descent into depression and retreat from the world around her. I also got Jake's guilt about his feelings for Raine and his inability to save his twin brother, Jesse, in Afghanistan but was frustrated by his pattern of running when things got hard. He also could have handled explaining his relationship with friend Lily St. Clare to Raine (and me!) much better than he did. I'm still not clear about that one. Still, I loved how he and Raine ultimately came together and her way of managing it. She's the rock in this relationship and the more interesting character.
There are still some unanswered questions about Jesse and I'm hoping the next book provides some clarity. I think I know what it is and can't wait to find out. This was an interesting and sometimes tough story about overcoming grief and moving on, which made it even better. I'm enjoying the series and am dying to learn more about the enigmatic Mackenzie Draper.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
I enjoyed this story even though it lacked the passion and intrigue of the first book. Raine was much more interesting than I'd given her credit and I understood her descent into depression and retreat from the world around her. I also got Jake's guilt about his feelings for Raine and his inability to save his twin brother, Jesse, in Afghanistan but was frustrated by his pattern of running when things got hard. He also could have handled explaining his relationship with friend Lily St. Clare to Raine (and me!) much better than he did. I'm still not clear about that one. Still, I loved how he and Raine ultimately came together and her way of managing it. She's the rock in this relationship and the more interesting character.
There are still some unanswered questions about Jesse and I'm hoping the next book provides some clarity. I think I know what it is and can't wait to find out. This was an interesting and sometimes tough story about overcoming grief and moving on, which made it even better. I'm enjoying the series and am dying to learn more about the enigmatic Mackenzie Draper.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
December 28, 2013
This one was much more emotional/heartbreaking than the first book and i was def. more satisfied with the ending (i'm still sore about the way things were left at the end of book 1)...there was an actual feeling of completion to this one! Looking forward to Mac's book! :)
July 16, 2018
Reviewed for Romancing the Readers Blog: https://romancingthereaders.blogspot....
On one of our (Un) Forgettable Friday post I mentioned how I have this one sitting on the shelf and would love to get to it. Since it would work for Christmas in July I decided to read it.
Between reading this and Hallmarks preview of Christmas movies I was so in the mood to put up my tree and decorate. Then I walked outside and the heat slapped me right in the face.
Yep, it's not the holidays yet!
So instead of putting up Christmas decorations I went back to painting my bedroom furniture. Have I mentioned that I was redoing my houses decor? What a mess. I do something move on to something else and come back and redo what I did the day before. Slowly it's all coming in order. I getting to the part where I have to put out big bucks for the furniture part and I'm just not willing to do that yet. Enough about my woes.
The Christmas he Loved Her is the second book in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series. I've let myself get very far behind on these and I'm not sure why. I remember enjoying the first one but then I stopped and the author kept going. Rude of her, right! Now I want to get myself caught up a little on her so I never fall this far behind again.
This one like the first one is a tearjerker in many ways. Loss can really keep you from moving on and living life. I enjoyed the way the author helped her characters do that. She did it with love and some tough words. And lets not forget time. We all sometimes need time to heal.
I really enjoyed Raine. She was so sad and alone. Her relationship with her mom is tough to read about because you really do understand where she's coming from. It's had to feel like your mother cares about everyone but you until she now feels the need to care for you and wants you to forget the past.
That's not always something easy to do.
Jake is a tough nut to crack. I'm not sure what I first thought of him. It's like he ran away from all that was going on and then came back and said...I'm here now! Now don't get me wrong much more then that happens I just don't want to give too much away. In fact, so many good and some sad things happen and you will be so happy to read about them.
I truly enjoyed this story and I'm so glad I picked it for my Christmas in July reading. I feel so much better knowing I've read it and I can now move on to The Day he Kissed Her. Now this one should be a good one. One character I like, another not so much. I really like Mac! ha!!
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On one of our (Un) Forgettable Friday post I mentioned how I have this one sitting on the shelf and would love to get to it. Since it would work for Christmas in July I decided to read it.
Between reading this and Hallmarks preview of Christmas movies I was so in the mood to put up my tree and decorate. Then I walked outside and the heat slapped me right in the face.
Yep, it's not the holidays yet!
So instead of putting up Christmas decorations I went back to painting my bedroom furniture. Have I mentioned that I was redoing my houses decor? What a mess. I do something move on to something else and come back and redo what I did the day before. Slowly it's all coming in order. I getting to the part where I have to put out big bucks for the furniture part and I'm just not willing to do that yet. Enough about my woes.
The Christmas he Loved Her is the second book in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series. I've let myself get very far behind on these and I'm not sure why. I remember enjoying the first one but then I stopped and the author kept going. Rude of her, right! Now I want to get myself caught up a little on her so I never fall this far behind again.
This one like the first one is a tearjerker in many ways. Loss can really keep you from moving on and living life. I enjoyed the way the author helped her characters do that. She did it with love and some tough words. And lets not forget time. We all sometimes need time to heal.
I really enjoyed Raine. She was so sad and alone. Her relationship with her mom is tough to read about because you really do understand where she's coming from. It's had to feel like your mother cares about everyone but you until she now feels the need to care for you and wants you to forget the past.
That's not always something easy to do.
Jake is a tough nut to crack. I'm not sure what I first thought of him. It's like he ran away from all that was going on and then came back and said...I'm here now! Now don't get me wrong much more then that happens I just don't want to give too much away. In fact, so many good and some sad things happen and you will be so happy to read about them.
I truly enjoyed this story and I'm so glad I picked it for my Christmas in July reading. I feel so much better knowing I've read it and I can now move on to The Day he Kissed Her. Now this one should be a good one. One character I like, another not so much. I really like Mac! ha!!
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August 31, 2013
4.5 Stars!!
The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series has been a wonderfully pleasant surprise for me! I received the first book in this series last year from Netgalley and I loved it! First, they take place in northern Michigan, and since Michigan is my home I love authors that write stories based in my beautiful home state! I don't know why they have a special place in my heart, they just do!
This is the second book in that series and it was just as wonderful as the first. In this book we dive into the explosively tense relationship between Jake and Raine. Jake is the definition of a tortured hero, so of course I LOVE him!! The death of Jake's twin brother Jesse is what brought all of the Bad Boys back home in the first book. He was killed in Afghanistan and Jake was with him and of course he shoulders the unwarranted guilt for not bringing his brother home.
Oh, did I mention that Jesse was Raine's husband?? Yeah, and Jake is in love with her and has been since they were kids! See....issues!
Anyway, Raine grew up tight with the Bad Boys and even if she didn't know it she has always had massive chemistry with Jake. Of the brothers Jesse was the calm even tempered brother and Rained loved him for as long as she could remember. They married and had a great, if albeit, short life together. As for Jake and Raine, they argue and spark off of one another like nobody's business!!! See....Passion!
With Jesse gone both Jake and Raine go off the rails, Jake runs away and has been staying away for over a year, mainly because he doesn't trust himself with Raine, the only woman he has ever loved. But now that he has returned and he can see that Raine is wasting away and withdrawing from everyone he has to do something! I promise even with all of the emotion in this book there is a HEA!
Watching Raine and Jake bury their demons and find love was a beautiful journey and I was really happy to be along for the ride!!
There is one more Bad Boy and I can't wait for Mac's story - it is bound to be just as wonderfully tortured and emotional!! Keep them coming!
**This book was provided to me by Netgalley
The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series has been a wonderfully pleasant surprise for me! I received the first book in this series last year from Netgalley and I loved it! First, they take place in northern Michigan, and since Michigan is my home I love authors that write stories based in my beautiful home state! I don't know why they have a special place in my heart, they just do!
This is the second book in that series and it was just as wonderful as the first. In this book we dive into the explosively tense relationship between Jake and Raine. Jake is the definition of a tortured hero, so of course I LOVE him!! The death of Jake's twin brother Jesse is what brought all of the Bad Boys back home in the first book. He was killed in Afghanistan and Jake was with him and of course he shoulders the unwarranted guilt for not bringing his brother home.
Oh, did I mention that Jesse was Raine's husband?? Yeah, and Jake is in love with her and has been since they were kids! See....issues!
Anyway, Raine grew up tight with the Bad Boys and even if she didn't know it she has always had massive chemistry with Jake. Of the brothers Jesse was the calm even tempered brother and Rained loved him for as long as she could remember. They married and had a great, if albeit, short life together. As for Jake and Raine, they argue and spark off of one another like nobody's business!!! See....Passion!
With Jesse gone both Jake and Raine go off the rails, Jake runs away and has been staying away for over a year, mainly because he doesn't trust himself with Raine, the only woman he has ever loved. But now that he has returned and he can see that Raine is wasting away and withdrawing from everyone he has to do something! I promise even with all of the emotion in this book there is a HEA!
Watching Raine and Jake bury their demons and find love was a beautiful journey and I was really happy to be along for the ride!!
There is one more Bad Boy and I can't wait for Mac's story - it is bound to be just as wonderfully tortured and emotional!! Keep them coming!
**This book was provided to me by Netgalley
October 9, 2013
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2013/10/review-...
Jake Edwards, one of the three original bad boys of Crystal Lake, has come home to face his past. After witnessing his twin brother’s death in Afghanistan, Jake finds himself sinking into a dark pit of despair. He thought his brothers death was the worst thing he could ever endure. Until he realized he was falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Raine Delgotto Edwards has always been a part of the Edwards family and Jake’s life. Growing up with Jesse and Jake, it was no surprise to anyone when she and Jesse married. After Jesse’s death, Raine has been living in limbo, unable to move forward. She can’t eat or sleep; floundering helplessly against the depression that encases her. She lost more than her husband that terrible day, she also lost Jake, and that just about killed her.
Now Jake is back in town to fulfill the promise he made his twin. To take care of Raine. But Raine doesn’t need Jake to take come back because of a promise…she needs him to come back because she loves him. Raine hopes she and Jake can finally face their demons together and go forward with their lives before the darkness consumes them both for good.
First off, The Christmas He Loved Her is NOT a normal holly jolly Christmas story. The second book in Stone’s Bad Boys of Crystal Lake trilogy, this is a somber tale of grief and despair. A melodramatic offering that addresses the tragic consequences of war and death on the families left behind. There is so much pain in here it was very hard to read and assimilate. Angst and bittersweet sorrow intertwine as we slip effortlessly back into the lives of these residents and the stories they have to tell us. Multiple storylines running abound, all intertwining and conversing on the main attraction, Jake Edwards and Raine Delgotto Edwards.
This was a hard for me to read and review. On one hand, the poise and emotion conviction Ms. Stone puts into the story and her characters is exceptional. Ms. Stone leaves nothing to chance and your heart bleeds for everyone who loved Jesse Edwards. His parents. His wife. His brother. All of them are suffering from his death and trying to cope in their own ways. Jake drinks and suffers not only from PTSD but also survivors guilt. He and his brother were together when the tragedy occurred and Jake could not save him. Add in his attraction to his sister in law and you have a Shakespearean drama in the making. Raine, Jesse’s widow, suffers from deep depression and guilt over her feelings for Jake. Jesse’s parents live with losing a son and being unable to help their surviving son. The emotions and actions presented are real and honest in light of what they are all facing.
On the other hand, this book opened some old wounds for me that were hard for to deal with. I felt the emotions and actions were an overly dramatic outpouring of pain with no real solutions offered. Quite a few tropes were used that overwhelmed this reader. We are continuously faced with Jake running away from his feelings and Raine struggling to hold it all in and present a happy face to the town and her family. Why none of them were in counseling I don’t know. Raine and Jakes journey is hard won but I couldn’t help but feel like everyone was stuck in this endless cycle of guilt and despair and suddenly they weren’t. I’m not sure exactly what the catalyst was.
We see old friends and meet a new one who I am sure is the heroine of book three. We get a small glimpse into what Cain and Maggie have been up to, along with the third bad boy in the group-Mac Draper. I missed the humor and spontaneity that was present in book one. This one has very few moments of levity. The action is low key; this book is more emotional based and centers almost completely on our protagonists.
The ending leaves us with more questions then answers. Though we are led to believe Raine and Jake are well on their way towards a bright future together, I’m unsure of the realities of that unless they both seek the counseling as I mentioned earlier. I would have also liked more memory scenes about Jesse from both Jake and Raine. I found it odd that neither of them spoke or thought about him in happier times.. Also, Raine and her mother’s conflict seemed to flare then die with no resolution. I hope this and more will be addressed more in book three.
Though I didn’t enjoy this as much as book one, it’s a story that will appeal to many readers. I was pleased with the pains Ms. Stone took to stay on the path she set up and didn’t feel the need to use cheap plot devices to push the story into an unbelievable happily ever after. I am looking forward to Mac’s story as I think he deserves a HEA more than anyone in Crystal Lake combined. Book three, The Day He Kissed Her, will release April 1, 2014.
Rating: C
Jake Edwards, one of the three original bad boys of Crystal Lake, has come home to face his past. After witnessing his twin brother’s death in Afghanistan, Jake finds himself sinking into a dark pit of despair. He thought his brothers death was the worst thing he could ever endure. Until he realized he was falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Raine Delgotto Edwards has always been a part of the Edwards family and Jake’s life. Growing up with Jesse and Jake, it was no surprise to anyone when she and Jesse married. After Jesse’s death, Raine has been living in limbo, unable to move forward. She can’t eat or sleep; floundering helplessly against the depression that encases her. She lost more than her husband that terrible day, she also lost Jake, and that just about killed her.
Now Jake is back in town to fulfill the promise he made his twin. To take care of Raine. But Raine doesn’t need Jake to take come back because of a promise…she needs him to come back because she loves him. Raine hopes she and Jake can finally face their demons together and go forward with their lives before the darkness consumes them both for good.
First off, The Christmas He Loved Her is NOT a normal holly jolly Christmas story. The second book in Stone’s Bad Boys of Crystal Lake trilogy, this is a somber tale of grief and despair. A melodramatic offering that addresses the tragic consequences of war and death on the families left behind. There is so much pain in here it was very hard to read and assimilate. Angst and bittersweet sorrow intertwine as we slip effortlessly back into the lives of these residents and the stories they have to tell us. Multiple storylines running abound, all intertwining and conversing on the main attraction, Jake Edwards and Raine Delgotto Edwards.
This was a hard for me to read and review. On one hand, the poise and emotion conviction Ms. Stone puts into the story and her characters is exceptional. Ms. Stone leaves nothing to chance and your heart bleeds for everyone who loved Jesse Edwards. His parents. His wife. His brother. All of them are suffering from his death and trying to cope in their own ways. Jake drinks and suffers not only from PTSD but also survivors guilt. He and his brother were together when the tragedy occurred and Jake could not save him. Add in his attraction to his sister in law and you have a Shakespearean drama in the making. Raine, Jesse’s widow, suffers from deep depression and guilt over her feelings for Jake. Jesse’s parents live with losing a son and being unable to help their surviving son. The emotions and actions presented are real and honest in light of what they are all facing.
On the other hand, this book opened some old wounds for me that were hard for to deal with. I felt the emotions and actions were an overly dramatic outpouring of pain with no real solutions offered. Quite a few tropes were used that overwhelmed this reader. We are continuously faced with Jake running away from his feelings and Raine struggling to hold it all in and present a happy face to the town and her family. Why none of them were in counseling I don’t know. Raine and Jakes journey is hard won but I couldn’t help but feel like everyone was stuck in this endless cycle of guilt and despair and suddenly they weren’t. I’m not sure exactly what the catalyst was.
We see old friends and meet a new one who I am sure is the heroine of book three. We get a small glimpse into what Cain and Maggie have been up to, along with the third bad boy in the group-Mac Draper. I missed the humor and spontaneity that was present in book one. This one has very few moments of levity. The action is low key; this book is more emotional based and centers almost completely on our protagonists.
The ending leaves us with more questions then answers. Though we are led to believe Raine and Jake are well on their way towards a bright future together, I’m unsure of the realities of that unless they both seek the counseling as I mentioned earlier. I would have also liked more memory scenes about Jesse from both Jake and Raine. I found it odd that neither of them spoke or thought about him in happier times.. Also, Raine and her mother’s conflict seemed to flare then die with no resolution. I hope this and more will be addressed more in book three.
Though I didn’t enjoy this as much as book one, it’s a story that will appeal to many readers. I was pleased with the pains Ms. Stone took to stay on the path she set up and didn’t feel the need to use cheap plot devices to push the story into an unbelievable happily ever after. I am looking forward to Mac’s story as I think he deserves a HEA more than anyone in Crystal Lake combined. Book three, The Day He Kissed Her, will release April 1, 2014.
Rating: C
October 8, 2013
I rarely DNF a book as many have started off rough but ended up being at least decent by the ending if not really enjoyable. I even looked up the Goodreads ratings for this book and kept pushing after seeing that it got a majority of 4 and 5 star reviews but I finally had to give up. There are just too many other books I want to read at this moment.
*After writing the rest of my review I had to come back and add a disclaimer that my opinion may have been influenced by my own experience with PTSD after a loved one's military deployments. So something to keep in mind when deciding if this is something you are considering reading.
I found the story line to be so slow moving that I had a hard time getting into it but that wasn't the primary problem. The main character Raine was what I couldn't stand anymore. Perhaps it's because my own husband is going through PTSD therapy after multiple deployments but the way she treated Jake when he returns home infuriated me. I get she's hurting (and not having lost someone like that I can't say how I would be in her shoes) but she pretty much treats him like his feelings aren't as important as hers. Yes, she comments on how haunted he looks and how she knows he's hurting but damn it he should still have made her feelings and pain a priority. Seriously?! This is his twin brother that he lost in an obviously very traumatic manner. I think he deserves to be cut some slack. She even has the nerve to refer to the time he's spent trying to deal with his brother's death as a "yearlong vacation". Believe me this had me wanted to slap her despite knowing she is dealing with her own pain.
Then the book triggered a pet peeve of mine (no pun intended) in that Raine who seems pretty aware of how depressed and unstable she is goes out and buys a puppy. Early on in the book she drops into such a funk that she can't even drag herself out of bed to feed this poor puppy, give him water or take him outside. I know depression can do this to a person but to go out and purposely buy a pet who is solely dependent on you when you obviously are in no shape to take care of him pisses me off.
I also found it a little disconcerting over how easily Raine seemed to be fine with having sex with Jake despite him being the twin brother of her dead husband. Yes, all her arguments make sense when she lays it out to Jake but still for someone who was so devastated over her husband's death I expected a lot more agonizing before coming to this realization that her husband would have wanted her to be happy even if it's with his brother.
The final straw came when she threw a hissy fit that Jake would leave her (not even permanently mind you) for a few days to go to a friend whose brother may be dying. This is a woman who Jake confesses was there in his darkest days and helped pull him through and the dying brother was a buddy of his from his military days. Yet again, all Raine wants is for him to focus on her pain and is pissed that Jake doesn't make her his priority. A) She's survived this long will a few more days hurt? Callous I know but she's already on my bad size. B) How can you be so callous to someone who is currently in the hellish situation of wondering if her brother will live or die and C) Judgmental much? She doesn't even make an effort to get to know Lily. Yes, she's jealous but still Raine is such a bitch toward Lily basically based on who her family is.
At this point I'm thinking why should I like this woman? Is there really a way she can redeem herself in my eyes to think she even warrants Jake's love? I didn't think so. So I put the book down and decided to move on.
Sorry for the long rant but despite the fact that I felt sympathy towards Raine for losing her husband so young and in such tragic circumstances it couldn't overcome everything else about her that pissed me off.
Like I mentioned this book received rave reviews from plenty of readers but obviously just didn't click with me.
*After writing the rest of my review I had to come back and add a disclaimer that my opinion may have been influenced by my own experience with PTSD after a loved one's military deployments. So something to keep in mind when deciding if this is something you are considering reading.
I found the story line to be so slow moving that I had a hard time getting into it but that wasn't the primary problem. The main character Raine was what I couldn't stand anymore. Perhaps it's because my own husband is going through PTSD therapy after multiple deployments but the way she treated Jake when he returns home infuriated me. I get she's hurting (and not having lost someone like that I can't say how I would be in her shoes) but she pretty much treats him like his feelings aren't as important as hers. Yes, she comments on how haunted he looks and how she knows he's hurting but damn it he should still have made her feelings and pain a priority. Seriously?! This is his twin brother that he lost in an obviously very traumatic manner. I think he deserves to be cut some slack. She even has the nerve to refer to the time he's spent trying to deal with his brother's death as a "yearlong vacation". Believe me this had me wanted to slap her despite knowing she is dealing with her own pain.
Then the book triggered a pet peeve of mine (no pun intended) in that Raine who seems pretty aware of how depressed and unstable she is goes out and buys a puppy. Early on in the book she drops into such a funk that she can't even drag herself out of bed to feed this poor puppy, give him water or take him outside. I know depression can do this to a person but to go out and purposely buy a pet who is solely dependent on you when you obviously are in no shape to take care of him pisses me off.
I also found it a little disconcerting over how easily Raine seemed to be fine with having sex with Jake despite him being the twin brother of her dead husband. Yes, all her arguments make sense when she lays it out to Jake but still for someone who was so devastated over her husband's death I expected a lot more agonizing before coming to this realization that her husband would have wanted her to be happy even if it's with his brother.
The final straw came when she threw a hissy fit that Jake would leave her (not even permanently mind you) for a few days to go to a friend whose brother may be dying. This is a woman who Jake confesses was there in his darkest days and helped pull him through and the dying brother was a buddy of his from his military days. Yet again, all Raine wants is for him to focus on her pain and is pissed that Jake doesn't make her his priority. A) She's survived this long will a few more days hurt? Callous I know but she's already on my bad size. B) How can you be so callous to someone who is currently in the hellish situation of wondering if her brother will live or die and C) Judgmental much? She doesn't even make an effort to get to know Lily. Yes, she's jealous but still Raine is such a bitch toward Lily basically based on who her family is.
At this point I'm thinking why should I like this woman? Is there really a way she can redeem herself in my eyes to think she even warrants Jake's love? I didn't think so. So I put the book down and decided to move on.
Sorry for the long rant but despite the fact that I felt sympathy towards Raine for losing her husband so young and in such tragic circumstances it couldn't overcome everything else about her that pissed me off.
Like I mentioned this book received rave reviews from plenty of readers but obviously just didn't click with me.
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September 4, 2013
***09/03/2013 Full Review now Posted***
08/14/2013 --
Overall Rating = 3.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 1 = 2.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 3 Stars -- [$7.49 on Amazon when released 09/24/2013]
I was in the mood for a Holiday romance. I liked this book, but the whole Holiday thing was a bust. I think the last chapter or so had some Holiday but the rest of the book wasn’t cheerful much. It is the story about two brothers, both in love with the same woman. One brother dies. Both were soldiers in the Middle East. You can imagine the rest. No spoiler needed, this is in the blurb.
A few things I really liked about this book:
1 – I liked this author's voice. I hadn’t read her before and I was very pleased. She tells a solid story. Her characters are multidimensional. You want to immediately pick up another and read more of her. She is the real deal.
2 – The characters. Raine could have so easily been a whiny, bitchy character. She wasn’t. She was just a normal widow trying to get through the heartache of moving on without her husband. She didn’t have a clue what she should do. She only knew she didn’t want to do anything but curl up a bit longer and escape. Jake, Jesse and Raine were friends. Had been friends as long as each could remember. Raine was Jesse’s wife, but she loved them both. She could get along so much better with Jesse. Jesse is gone. Jake can still make her think about him in ways she probably shouldn’t. Jake and Raine are so full of guilt for the way they each think of the other. You’ve heard stories like this so many times. Even so, Juliana Stone does a nice job. We like these people and we want them to work things out. We feel their pain, their anxiety and then their joy.
3 – She portrays the struggle to survive after losing a loved one in the war very well. Realistic. I was crying along with Raine at one point.
Now, for a few things I wasn’t crazy about:
1 – Okay, I seriously only had Holiday in the last two or so chapters. I feel rather grumpy about that. This wasn’t a happy, comedic romp. It is a pretty dramatic tale about survivors guilt, about the struggle to peel away the grief and move on. If you want a happy Holiday book, this isn’t it. It really isn’t much of a Holiday book at all, hence the low rating for the book title and cover.
2 – I think the price may be a deal breaker for some. This was a first time author read for me. If I hadn’t been awarded an ARC, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have paid the almost $8 price for the book. Too many good books out there much less than this. Unfortunately, I think others may feel the same. Having read it, I think it should come in at $4 and be okay. It will go for about twice that. Oh, well…
This was a solid read for me by a new author. I immediately started reading the first in this series and pulled down a few others. One is free right now on Amazon. I like this authors storytelling. She creates some really nice characters. I’ll be on the lookout for more by her.
I was Very Happy Reading this one. I hope you are too!
ARC received from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
08/14/2013 --
Overall Rating = 3.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 1 = 2.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4 Stars
Worth the Chili = 3 Stars -- [$7.49 on Amazon when released 09/24/2013]
I was in the mood for a Holiday romance. I liked this book, but the whole Holiday thing was a bust. I think the last chapter or so had some Holiday but the rest of the book wasn’t cheerful much. It is the story about two brothers, both in love with the same woman. One brother dies. Both were soldiers in the Middle East. You can imagine the rest. No spoiler needed, this is in the blurb.
A few things I really liked about this book:
1 – I liked this author's voice. I hadn’t read her before and I was very pleased. She tells a solid story. Her characters are multidimensional. You want to immediately pick up another and read more of her. She is the real deal.
2 – The characters. Raine could have so easily been a whiny, bitchy character. She wasn’t. She was just a normal widow trying to get through the heartache of moving on without her husband. She didn’t have a clue what she should do. She only knew she didn’t want to do anything but curl up a bit longer and escape. Jake, Jesse and Raine were friends. Had been friends as long as each could remember. Raine was Jesse’s wife, but she loved them both. She could get along so much better with Jesse. Jesse is gone. Jake can still make her think about him in ways she probably shouldn’t. Jake and Raine are so full of guilt for the way they each think of the other. You’ve heard stories like this so many times. Even so, Juliana Stone does a nice job. We like these people and we want them to work things out. We feel their pain, their anxiety and then their joy.
3 – She portrays the struggle to survive after losing a loved one in the war very well. Realistic. I was crying along with Raine at one point.
Now, for a few things I wasn’t crazy about:
1 – Okay, I seriously only had Holiday in the last two or so chapters. I feel rather grumpy about that. This wasn’t a happy, comedic romp. It is a pretty dramatic tale about survivors guilt, about the struggle to peel away the grief and move on. If you want a happy Holiday book, this isn’t it. It really isn’t much of a Holiday book at all, hence the low rating for the book title and cover.
2 – I think the price may be a deal breaker for some. This was a first time author read for me. If I hadn’t been awarded an ARC, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have paid the almost $8 price for the book. Too many good books out there much less than this. Unfortunately, I think others may feel the same. Having read it, I think it should come in at $4 and be okay. It will go for about twice that. Oh, well…
This was a solid read for me by a new author. I immediately started reading the first in this series and pulled down a few others. One is free right now on Amazon. I like this authors storytelling. She creates some really nice characters. I’ll be on the lookout for more by her.
I was Very Happy Reading this one. I hope you are too!
ARC received from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 29, 2015
This was such an emotional story that I found myself at times all choked up!
This was a good read and the reason I was 100% on board with this romance is because Raine is Jake's dead brothers widow!!!
That just didn't sit right with me. I get that there was a history with Jake and Raine, but I felt like that should have been developed a little more to make this convincing. This story would have worked so much better for me if Jake was a good friend of Jesse's rather then his twin brother. But, that's just my opinion.
This was a good read and the reason I was 100% on board with this romance is because Raine is Jake's dead brothers widow!!!
That just didn't sit right with me. I get that there was a history with Jake and Raine, but I felt like that should have been developed a little more to make this convincing. This story would have worked so much better for me if Jake was a good friend of Jesse's rather then his twin brother. But, that's just my opinion.
December 21, 2013
Jake Edwards
Raine Edwards
Overall I liked this story. It was emotional, intense, sexy and had some much needed comic relief, thanks to Gibson. I had one issue with Raine but even that wasn't enough to kill my enjoyment of the story. 3.5 Stars
Read With Me; The Christmas He Loved Her
Raine Edwards
Overall I liked this story. It was emotional, intense, sexy and had some much needed comic relief, thanks to Gibson. I had one issue with Raine but even that wasn't enough to kill my enjoyment of the story. 3.5 Stars
Read With Me; The Christmas He Loved Her
December 21, 2013
Wow! Just Wow! I loved the first book but this one just blew me away! Author Juliana Stone did a beautiful job writing this story with all the emotional turmoil that both Jake & Raine are drowning in. I will write a full review as soon as I can collect my thoughts and form a coherent sentence! Wow! Goes on my favorites shelf! A must read!
September 2, 2013
You can see my full review over on the blog:
http://nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com...
Thanks!
http://nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com...
Thanks!
October 19, 2013
Don't be fooled by the cover and blurb on this one. This is not a sweet little Christmas story with all the precious gooey little moments from the holiday season. It does eventually give you a huge warm fuzzy, but a lot and I mean A.LOT has to go down first for it to happen. This is a story of two people who fall to the very bottom of a dark pit with just a pin point of hopeful light far above them before they can make their way out. They have become distorted versions of themselves that walk around with a lot of anger, bitterness and guilt, but they are survivors. This is their story set against the backdrop of small town holidays, concerned friends and family and a connection to each other that never broke through it all.
I know I'm being dramatic, but this story was dramatic. It is a sequel bringing forward two strong secondary characters from the first book in the series. They were both in a bad place already so I was prepared for how gut-wrenching and intense this book would get. I just didn't want someone to accidentally pick it up based on the clues from the cover and blurb to get a shocker and not what they were expecting. It is a holiday story and one of those Christmas miracle types, but not in the usual sense. It should definitely be read after the first book, The Summer He Came Home, to get a better picture of what's going on because this one dives right back into the swirling drama of its main characters.
It's almost a year and a half from when Jake left Crystal Lake and Raine, his brother's widow. He couldn't take what being around Raine did so after what he thinks of as a big mistake he leaves with no warning. He lives cold and unemotional. He recognizes that distance hasn't done anything for the demons he has carried with him since his brother's death. The guilt from the way he left Raine behind and refused to connect with her has come to a head. Now he's home to try to sort things out and try to take care of her like his twin would have wanted and asked of him. There's no hope for him coming back from what happened when Jesse was killed, but he does feel responsible for Raine and his parents.
Raine is barely surviving from one day to the next. She holes up in her cottage cut off from the outside world and just- exists. Just before Thanksgiving she opens her door to let her puppy out and finds Jake standing there. All the pent up anger and all the blackness from Jesse's death, the secret pain she carries, Jake's desertion and her feelings for him come to the surface. Jake has kept in touch with everyone, but her. He has brought a woman home to his family. Raine is devastated. They attack each other brutally from the depths of their pain leaving each other more raw and broken than ever.
Thanksgiving is torture for both Raine and Jake. Raine struggles with her long absent mother trying to make amends and seeing Jake with this poised beautiful ice queen that Jake swears is just a friend while being asked by Jake's mom to help Jake and this woman come together. Jake struggles with looking all his loved ones in the eye and feeling unworthy, with having Raine right there and seeing that she's not doing well and fending off his mother's well meaning matchmaking efforts.
Something has to give for both of them. Two broken people have to shatter even further letting all the secrets, the guilt and the feelings pour out before the true healing can begin. It doesn't hurt that they live in the perfect place and amongst the perfect people to make it all happen. Then there is the Christmas spirit that can't quite be quenched.
The plot on this one is almost entirely character-driven. It is very much a passionate, steamy romance, but it is a tough one to read. Neither Raine nor Jake are likeable and easy to read for much of the book. The narrative moves back and forth between them which is good because to even feel some sympathy with either of them and know where their heads are at is a big deal. Raine is such a hot mess and desperately trying to keep it all bottled up, but then she just starts lashing out at her mother and Jake. She's just determined that if she's going to suffer then they will suffer too. Jake's in a similar boat, but where Raine is a weaker and needier person, he's strong and just needs to realize it. Don't get me wrong, he can be cruel and ugly too when it comes to Raine.
Somehow, the author managed to convey something that was core to this couple that kept me reading in spite of how I didn't connect well with Raine and just barely with Jake. I think its because this is real people stuff. We can't all be the strong capable types when it comes to loss and guilt, but we can sure hope that in the end we'll get through it into a good place. And that is what this story conveyed to me at its most basic. Though it didn't hurt that Jake was one compelling male that had my vivid attention from the first book. These Bad Boys are a mouthwatering group of guys for certain.
The characters from the first book make their appearance. I loved the check-in with Cain and Maggie and their delightful news. The Crystal Lake crowd of peeps were fun as usual. And Mackenzie, he's still as messed up as Jake. I can't wait to get his book next to see what it takes to give him his happy ending.
So overall, I was blown away with the deep, dark intensity of these people and was behind them getting their chance at happiness all the way. This series is for those Contemporary Romance lovers who enjoy a small town backdrop during the holidays, flawed characters who enjoy a lot of heat and passion in their relationships and a not so easy to achieve yet worth it romance.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I know I'm being dramatic, but this story was dramatic. It is a sequel bringing forward two strong secondary characters from the first book in the series. They were both in a bad place already so I was prepared for how gut-wrenching and intense this book would get. I just didn't want someone to accidentally pick it up based on the clues from the cover and blurb to get a shocker and not what they were expecting. It is a holiday story and one of those Christmas miracle types, but not in the usual sense. It should definitely be read after the first book, The Summer He Came Home, to get a better picture of what's going on because this one dives right back into the swirling drama of its main characters.
It's almost a year and a half from when Jake left Crystal Lake and Raine, his brother's widow. He couldn't take what being around Raine did so after what he thinks of as a big mistake he leaves with no warning. He lives cold and unemotional. He recognizes that distance hasn't done anything for the demons he has carried with him since his brother's death. The guilt from the way he left Raine behind and refused to connect with her has come to a head. Now he's home to try to sort things out and try to take care of her like his twin would have wanted and asked of him. There's no hope for him coming back from what happened when Jesse was killed, but he does feel responsible for Raine and his parents.
Raine is barely surviving from one day to the next. She holes up in her cottage cut off from the outside world and just- exists. Just before Thanksgiving she opens her door to let her puppy out and finds Jake standing there. All the pent up anger and all the blackness from Jesse's death, the secret pain she carries, Jake's desertion and her feelings for him come to the surface. Jake has kept in touch with everyone, but her. He has brought a woman home to his family. Raine is devastated. They attack each other brutally from the depths of their pain leaving each other more raw and broken than ever.
Thanksgiving is torture for both Raine and Jake. Raine struggles with her long absent mother trying to make amends and seeing Jake with this poised beautiful ice queen that Jake swears is just a friend while being asked by Jake's mom to help Jake and this woman come together. Jake struggles with looking all his loved ones in the eye and feeling unworthy, with having Raine right there and seeing that she's not doing well and fending off his mother's well meaning matchmaking efforts.
Something has to give for both of them. Two broken people have to shatter even further letting all the secrets, the guilt and the feelings pour out before the true healing can begin. It doesn't hurt that they live in the perfect place and amongst the perfect people to make it all happen. Then there is the Christmas spirit that can't quite be quenched.
The plot on this one is almost entirely character-driven. It is very much a passionate, steamy romance, but it is a tough one to read. Neither Raine nor Jake are likeable and easy to read for much of the book. The narrative moves back and forth between them which is good because to even feel some sympathy with either of them and know where their heads are at is a big deal. Raine is such a hot mess and desperately trying to keep it all bottled up, but then she just starts lashing out at her mother and Jake. She's just determined that if she's going to suffer then they will suffer too. Jake's in a similar boat, but where Raine is a weaker and needier person, he's strong and just needs to realize it. Don't get me wrong, he can be cruel and ugly too when it comes to Raine.
Somehow, the author managed to convey something that was core to this couple that kept me reading in spite of how I didn't connect well with Raine and just barely with Jake. I think its because this is real people stuff. We can't all be the strong capable types when it comes to loss and guilt, but we can sure hope that in the end we'll get through it into a good place. And that is what this story conveyed to me at its most basic. Though it didn't hurt that Jake was one compelling male that had my vivid attention from the first book. These Bad Boys are a mouthwatering group of guys for certain.
The characters from the first book make their appearance. I loved the check-in with Cain and Maggie and their delightful news. The Crystal Lake crowd of peeps were fun as usual. And Mackenzie, he's still as messed up as Jake. I can't wait to get his book next to see what it takes to give him his happy ending.
So overall, I was blown away with the deep, dark intensity of these people and was behind them getting their chance at happiness all the way. This series is for those Contemporary Romance lovers who enjoy a small town backdrop during the holidays, flawed characters who enjoy a lot of heat and passion in their relationships and a not so easy to achieve yet worth it romance.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 3, 2021
This storyline or trope kinda one of my pet peeve. You know the whole siblings died and you fell in love with their spouse. I don't know why I made myself suffered through this.
I get it if the Hero was a good friend to the Heroine. But twins to her spouse plus both of them said they love each other since like forever?? That's a bit suspicious. Yeah this trope in this book kinda fuck up.
Even in the book 1, Jake was being an asshole to Raine. In this book, he didn't improve that much either. I expect to see some grovelling but idk. As for Raine, well she was in depression and mixed in with her thing for Jake yeah... There was a time she was being spiteful and hurtful to Jake when he tried to reconnect with her, yeah she had a miscarriage with their accidental baby and he wasn't there for her when she reached out to him. I don't really get how she was okay with the way Jake treated her. It's a bit blurry on how Jesse was portrayed in the story.
Well just glad it was a short one and yeah nothing left to be desired.
I get it if the Hero was a good friend to the Heroine. But twins to her spouse plus both of them said they love each other since like forever?? That's a bit suspicious. Yeah this trope in this book kinda fuck up.
Even in the book 1, Jake was being an asshole to Raine. In this book, he didn't improve that much either. I expect to see some grovelling but idk. As for Raine, well she was in depression and mixed in with her thing for Jake yeah... There was a time she was being spiteful and hurtful to Jake when he tried to reconnect with her, yeah she had a miscarriage with their accidental baby and he wasn't there for her when she reached out to him. I don't really get how she was okay with the way Jake treated her. It's a bit blurry on how Jesse was portrayed in the story.
Well just glad it was a short one and yeah nothing left to be desired.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2013
Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads
Blog rating: B
Jake lost his brother while they were both serving in Afghanistan and over a year later, he’s still in a dark place, never dealing with his grief. He left town shortly after the funeral leaving behind his parents and Jesse’s widow and Jake’s close friend Raine. Jake and Raine found comfort together before he left but he couldn’t begin to deal with the feelings he’s always had for Raine so soon after burying his brother, so he just left. His absence hurt the family even more especially Raine, who was dealt another blow that she kept secret and is still battling depression that she’s unable to pull herself out of. Jake is now back in Crystal Lake and while he might not be ready to talk about Jesse or what happened overseas, he is ready to stay and he bought an old fixer upper that he’s throwing all his energy into. The home has a lot of memories for Jake, his group of friends known as the Bad Boys and for Raine and it’s the catalyst that Raine needs to start to come to life again when she moves into the carriage house on Jake’s newly acquired property.
When we first meet Raine, she’s a mess. She’s spending all day in bed, not taking care of herself, she’s barely managing to take care of her new puppy and she’s rarely leaving her home. She’s depressed, angry, sad and most of her feelings are directed toward Jake once she realizes that he’s back in town and that he didn’t come back alone, bringing along a friend, Lily. It takes more than one visit from Jake, but Raine starts to come back to life. She’s tired of living in the dark and letting the past and her sadness ruin the present. So she starts to go out more and her new attitude is helped when she starts staying at the carriage house and not in the empty house she shared with Jesse. When she starts going nose to nose with Jake, like they used to do growing up, she starts to feel alive for the first time in months. Initially I wasn’t sure what I thought about Raine. Obviously I felt for her with everything she’s going through, but she was constantly going at Jake for leaving her and not being there for her and talking about how much she needed him and he wasn’t there. I don’t want to call her whiny, because it wasn’t that, but she was very much all about what Jake hadn’t been doing for her early on and I was glad to see her drop that as the book went on and start to do for herself instead of focusing on what Jake hadn’t done for her.
Jake and Raine’s relationship spans many years, first they were best friends as Raine would tag along with the Bad Boys growing up since her mom was absent and never around. We get a few short flashbacks to Jake and Raine as teens and it helped show how deep their relationship really is. This isn’t just about a brother falling in love with his dead brother’s wife. This group was best friends for years and Raine’s feelings for both brothers were strong. Jesse was the calm rock in her life and he gave her stability that she never had growing up. But with Jake, they would argue and debate about any and everything and she just had a different type of relationship with Jake. For me it worked, especially having the scenes between them when they were younger, it made it feel like their love for each other in the present didn’t just happen out of thin air. But they have a lot to work through. Jake hasn’t dealt with Jesse’s death and it’s slowly killing him. What I appreciated about his journey was, yes Raine gives him a new reason to move forward and he starts to come alive when she’s back in his life, but I really loved that the breakdown Jake needed to have happen, happens with his parents. It’s a touching scene and one that I’ll remember from this story.
The overall feeling of the book is very heavy. Jake and Raine each have a lot of pain they need to work through and it’s an emotional road for them both. Their romance felt deeper because of it and I really liked the progression of their relationship. But the heaviness wasn’t just centered around Jake and Raine’s relationship. Raine is also dealing with her now present mother who wants to build a relationship with the daughter that she all but ignored when Raine was growing up. As if that wasn’t enough, Jake’s friend Lily is losing her brother, a man who was injured during the fight that took Jesse’s life. I was expecting a happy, uplifting, light hearted Christmas read but there’s so much angst and heartache! The ending and HEA is sweet for both Jake and Raine and after everything they’ve gone through, it was well deserved. I was easily caught up in this story and yes the pain is high for these characters but seeing the broken relationships start to mend and especially seeing Jake and Raine find love together was worth all the angst they have to go through.
Blog rating: B
Jake lost his brother while they were both serving in Afghanistan and over a year later, he’s still in a dark place, never dealing with his grief. He left town shortly after the funeral leaving behind his parents and Jesse’s widow and Jake’s close friend Raine. Jake and Raine found comfort together before he left but he couldn’t begin to deal with the feelings he’s always had for Raine so soon after burying his brother, so he just left. His absence hurt the family even more especially Raine, who was dealt another blow that she kept secret and is still battling depression that she’s unable to pull herself out of. Jake is now back in Crystal Lake and while he might not be ready to talk about Jesse or what happened overseas, he is ready to stay and he bought an old fixer upper that he’s throwing all his energy into. The home has a lot of memories for Jake, his group of friends known as the Bad Boys and for Raine and it’s the catalyst that Raine needs to start to come to life again when she moves into the carriage house on Jake’s newly acquired property.
When we first meet Raine, she’s a mess. She’s spending all day in bed, not taking care of herself, she’s barely managing to take care of her new puppy and she’s rarely leaving her home. She’s depressed, angry, sad and most of her feelings are directed toward Jake once she realizes that he’s back in town and that he didn’t come back alone, bringing along a friend, Lily. It takes more than one visit from Jake, but Raine starts to come back to life. She’s tired of living in the dark and letting the past and her sadness ruin the present. So she starts to go out more and her new attitude is helped when she starts staying at the carriage house and not in the empty house she shared with Jesse. When she starts going nose to nose with Jake, like they used to do growing up, she starts to feel alive for the first time in months. Initially I wasn’t sure what I thought about Raine. Obviously I felt for her with everything she’s going through, but she was constantly going at Jake for leaving her and not being there for her and talking about how much she needed him and he wasn’t there. I don’t want to call her whiny, because it wasn’t that, but she was very much all about what Jake hadn’t been doing for her early on and I was glad to see her drop that as the book went on and start to do for herself instead of focusing on what Jake hadn’t done for her.
Jake and Raine’s relationship spans many years, first they were best friends as Raine would tag along with the Bad Boys growing up since her mom was absent and never around. We get a few short flashbacks to Jake and Raine as teens and it helped show how deep their relationship really is. This isn’t just about a brother falling in love with his dead brother’s wife. This group was best friends for years and Raine’s feelings for both brothers were strong. Jesse was the calm rock in her life and he gave her stability that she never had growing up. But with Jake, they would argue and debate about any and everything and she just had a different type of relationship with Jake. For me it worked, especially having the scenes between them when they were younger, it made it feel like their love for each other in the present didn’t just happen out of thin air. But they have a lot to work through. Jake hasn’t dealt with Jesse’s death and it’s slowly killing him. What I appreciated about his journey was, yes Raine gives him a new reason to move forward and he starts to come alive when she’s back in his life, but I really loved that the breakdown Jake needed to have happen, happens with his parents. It’s a touching scene and one that I’ll remember from this story.
The overall feeling of the book is very heavy. Jake and Raine each have a lot of pain they need to work through and it’s an emotional road for them both. Their romance felt deeper because of it and I really liked the progression of their relationship. But the heaviness wasn’t just centered around Jake and Raine’s relationship. Raine is also dealing with her now present mother who wants to build a relationship with the daughter that she all but ignored when Raine was growing up. As if that wasn’t enough, Jake’s friend Lily is losing her brother, a man who was injured during the fight that took Jesse’s life. I was expecting a happy, uplifting, light hearted Christmas read but there’s so much angst and heartache! The ending and HEA is sweet for both Jake and Raine and after everything they’ve gone through, it was well deserved. I was easily caught up in this story and yes the pain is high for these characters but seeing the broken relationships start to mend and especially seeing Jake and Raine find love together was worth all the angst they have to go through.
August 26, 2023
I loved everything about Jake and Raine’s story from their happy memories, to their devastating emotional pain and the survivor guilt that haunts Jake because he’s in love with his brother’s wife but can never act on it. Knowing that military families suffer the emotions expressed in this story was gut wrenching for me and while I loved Raine and Jake’s journey there wasn’t a minute where I could put that reality out of my mind. Raine and Jake’s feisty personalities have roots leading back many years to a childhood group of friends where Jake’s twin brother Jesse was a huge part of what cemented them together as a threesome but the two people left behind were devastated when Jesse was killed in Afghanistan. Jake’s mental anguish, feelings of guilt, and the horrible truth of that fateful day haunt him and his pain was palpable on every page because it’s the same pain that haunts Raine’s because the void of losing both brothers at once is too much for her to bear. I loved the additional perspective of Jake’s parents and was intrigued by his friendship with Lila and look forward to her and Cam’s story which is next in this series.
December 9, 2014
I knew that Jake and Raine's story would be an emotional one considering their history but I don't think I'd anticipated exactly how gut wrenching it would be to read. I think that's one of the things I loved most about The Christmas He Loved Her though, Juliana Stone doesn't shy away from the pain that her characters are suffering and she pulls you into the story so you feel their emotions right alongside them. Although each book in this series features a different main couple I would recommend reading these books in order, we met both of these characters in The Summer He Came Home so already had an insight into their background that meant I was immediately invested in the outcome of their story.
Raine didn't just lose her husband Jesse when he was killed in Afghanistan, she also lost one of her best friends when Jake walked away and left her alone to deal with the consequences. She was going through the most difficult time in her life and she didn't really have anyone to lean on to help her through so as much as she's pleased Jake has come back she also has to work through her anger at him for leaving in the first place. In a lot of ways Raine's grief has broken her, she is a shell of the woman she used to be and has been living in limbo for the last year and a half, struggling just to make it through the days. It was hard to see how much pain she was in but I was glad to see her start to slowly pull herself back together. There is no doubt that Jake coming back gives her the kick she needs to start moving forward but she doesn't just do it for him, she realises that she has to make a change for herself more than anything and I think that was an important distinction to make.
It just about broke my heart reading from Jake's point of view, he had to deal with seeing his twin brother die in front of him and I don't think that is something you'd ever get over. He feels so guilty that he couldn't save his brother and bring him home to Raine but he's also angry that Jesse let himself get hurt in the first place. Jake is obviously suffering from PTSD and I thought that this was very realistically portrayed, the lack of sleep and nightmares are wearing him down but there isn't really anyone he feels comfortable talking to about it all. Another thing I liked was how the story shows the effect of Jesse's death on the whole family, his parents are just about coping but they're worried sick about Jake and scared that they're going to end up losing both of their sons. As if Jake wasn't messed up enough he also has guilt about his feelings for Raine, he has loved her since they were teenagers but it feels like a betrayal of Jesse to act on that, even if it does seem like she cares for him too.
This couple really does have so much going against them but it was fabulous to see them working through their issues both individually and together as a couple. I don't want to say too much more because I think it's a story you should savour for yourselves but it's definitely a book I'd highly recommend. We still have one remaining Bad Boy's story to go and I must say that The Day He Kissed Her is at the top of my 2014 wish list. I already love Mac's character and am looking forward to seeing him confront his past in what I suspect will be another emotional roller coaster of a book. I have to confess that I'm not too sure how I feel about Lily yet, I wasn't the biggest fan of her in this story but I think that there is a lot more depth to her than we've seen so far so I'm prepared to hold off on judging her for now. I'm sure if anyone can make me warm up to her character Juliana Stone can!
Raine didn't just lose her husband Jesse when he was killed in Afghanistan, she also lost one of her best friends when Jake walked away and left her alone to deal with the consequences. She was going through the most difficult time in her life and she didn't really have anyone to lean on to help her through so as much as she's pleased Jake has come back she also has to work through her anger at him for leaving in the first place. In a lot of ways Raine's grief has broken her, she is a shell of the woman she used to be and has been living in limbo for the last year and a half, struggling just to make it through the days. It was hard to see how much pain she was in but I was glad to see her start to slowly pull herself back together. There is no doubt that Jake coming back gives her the kick she needs to start moving forward but she doesn't just do it for him, she realises that she has to make a change for herself more than anything and I think that was an important distinction to make.
It just about broke my heart reading from Jake's point of view, he had to deal with seeing his twin brother die in front of him and I don't think that is something you'd ever get over. He feels so guilty that he couldn't save his brother and bring him home to Raine but he's also angry that Jesse let himself get hurt in the first place. Jake is obviously suffering from PTSD and I thought that this was very realistically portrayed, the lack of sleep and nightmares are wearing him down but there isn't really anyone he feels comfortable talking to about it all. Another thing I liked was how the story shows the effect of Jesse's death on the whole family, his parents are just about coping but they're worried sick about Jake and scared that they're going to end up losing both of their sons. As if Jake wasn't messed up enough he also has guilt about his feelings for Raine, he has loved her since they were teenagers but it feels like a betrayal of Jesse to act on that, even if it does seem like she cares for him too.
This couple really does have so much going against them but it was fabulous to see them working through their issues both individually and together as a couple. I don't want to say too much more because I think it's a story you should savour for yourselves but it's definitely a book I'd highly recommend. We still have one remaining Bad Boy's story to go and I must say that The Day He Kissed Her is at the top of my 2014 wish list. I already love Mac's character and am looking forward to seeing him confront his past in what I suspect will be another emotional roller coaster of a book. I have to confess that I'm not too sure how I feel about Lily yet, I wasn't the biggest fan of her in this story but I think that there is a lot more depth to her than we've seen so far so I'm prepared to hold off on judging her for now. I'm sure if anyone can make me warm up to her character Juliana Stone can!
December 18, 2013
The emotional in this book was off the charts. I swear towards the middle of the book, where all the necessary stuff that needed to be out in the open was being let out in the open, I read it all with a lump in my throat. I admit, I'm a bit of a crybaby. Give me anything even remotely dramatic and watch the waterworks. And considering this book had twin brothers who were close and who also loved the same woman, with only one of them surviving the beginning of the series, I'm sure you can understand me doing the reading with a clarity in my eyes that only unshed tears can provide.
Jake Edwards has left the small town of Crystal Lake after his brother's funeral a year ago. He lives in a dark place along with his grief over his brother's death, his own nightmares from his days in Afghanistan where he served with, and lost his brother, and his guilt over loving his sister-in-law. He finally decides to come back to his hometown and piece his life back together as best he can. And the biggest piece of all? Raine, his brother's widow, the only woman he ever loved.
The pain these characters felt, the depression and the dark they fell into, the guilt they felt over falling for each other, and generally being the survivor, it was all coming off the pages. I felt everything along with them and that's good storytelling. I guess I should've seen this coming since the first book grabbed me pretty much the same way, but man, this was much more intense. It's already a delicate issue, having the hero falling for his dead brother's widow, but to make it this real and this good sure is a talent. I rooted for these two, I wanted them to be happy, but not just any happy, I wanted them to be happy together, because it was the right way. The only way, actually. The author made me realize that.
It broke my heart to know their backstory, not because it was tragic, but because they could've easily had a happy ending, but then of course this book wouldn't have existed. It reminded me of the movie Sliding Doors though, with Gwyneth Paltrow, of how they could've easily avoided all this turbulence if only Jesse, Jake's twin, hadn't loved Raine and she hadn't loved him back. Sounds silly, I know, maybe doesn't even make sense now, but it was that easy. But I'm still glad for the way things worked out simply because this way I got to read their book.
I loved the flashbacks in this story. There had to be flashbacks, because they were the only way for us to understand the relationship between Jake and Raine, and Jake and Jesse. And we got to know Jesse a little bit better. He was the phantom fourth hero of this series. There, but not there. He doesn't live, and he doesn't have his own book, but he's in all the books. It was bittersweet and I liked that. Trips down memory lane were bittersweet and I liked those too.
A wonderful book that was not just about the happily ever after or the sexy-and there was sexy- but also about family and friendship, and though they may seem unimportant, about little things and second chances.
Jake Edwards has left the small town of Crystal Lake after his brother's funeral a year ago. He lives in a dark place along with his grief over his brother's death, his own nightmares from his days in Afghanistan where he served with, and lost his brother, and his guilt over loving his sister-in-law. He finally decides to come back to his hometown and piece his life back together as best he can. And the biggest piece of all? Raine, his brother's widow, the only woman he ever loved.
The pain these characters felt, the depression and the dark they fell into, the guilt they felt over falling for each other, and generally being the survivor, it was all coming off the pages. I felt everything along with them and that's good storytelling. I guess I should've seen this coming since the first book grabbed me pretty much the same way, but man, this was much more intense. It's already a delicate issue, having the hero falling for his dead brother's widow, but to make it this real and this good sure is a talent. I rooted for these two, I wanted them to be happy, but not just any happy, I wanted them to be happy together, because it was the right way. The only way, actually. The author made me realize that.
It broke my heart to know their backstory, not because it was tragic, but because they could've easily had a happy ending, but then of course this book wouldn't have existed. It reminded me of the movie Sliding Doors though, with Gwyneth Paltrow, of how they could've easily avoided all this turbulence if only Jesse, Jake's twin, hadn't loved Raine and she hadn't loved him back. Sounds silly, I know, maybe doesn't even make sense now, but it was that easy. But I'm still glad for the way things worked out simply because this way I got to read their book.
I loved the flashbacks in this story. There had to be flashbacks, because they were the only way for us to understand the relationship between Jake and Raine, and Jake and Jesse. And we got to know Jesse a little bit better. He was the phantom fourth hero of this series. There, but not there. He doesn't live, and he doesn't have his own book, but he's in all the books. It was bittersweet and I liked that. Trips down memory lane were bittersweet and I liked those too.
A wonderful book that was not just about the happily ever after or the sexy-and there was sexy- but also about family and friendship, and though they may seem unimportant, about little things and second chances.
November 4, 2013
5 Stars
Jake Edwards left home eighteen months ago. The pain was too great. Now it is Thanksgiving and his Dad is fighting cancer, he can’t avoid the pain anymore. He must come home and spend time with his Dad, and see his brother’s widow Raine. Jesse and Jake were twins and part of the town’s “Bad Boys”. They did everything with Raine and it was no shock when Jesse and Raine got married. What no one knew is that Jake loved her too, so when the twins were deployed to Afghanistan and Jesse made Jake promise to look after Raine if he didn’t make it home it was an easy promise to make. He never thought he would have to keep it.
What makes this a fantastic book is that it truly could be set during anytime of the year. Yes it happens in a small town during Thanksgiving and the weeks leading to Christmas, but the entire Christmas theme is just a wonderful snowy backdrop to a great plot and characters of great depth. Jake is suffering; he came home from battle without his twin. He couldn’t save him, and the guilt has kept him away from home. Raine has lost herself. She lost her husband, but then she lost Jake too. One month after the funeral Jake left town and they have barely communicated since, and it is tearing her apart. She barely eats; and rarely leaves her home. Jake and Jesse were always part of her life; they were her family when she had no one else. She loved them both. The words Juliana Stone uses to convey her pain brought tears to my eyes at times. I could feel Raine’s anguish, I just wanted to reach into my Kindle and give her a hug. At the same time I could understand why Jake’s return is not met with open arms by Raine. The two of them walked on egg shells for a period of time, each protecting their hearts, and paying a penance for their deep secrets. When Raine is the first to give into the emotional pull they have and relishes the feeling of finding herself again I beamed with pride. I found this part of their relationship a joy to read, Juliana Stone’s wrote characters who are dealing with complex emotions, issues and regrets. Many authors would shy away from this theme, and never consider it in a Christmas book; Juliana Stone shows great confidence in her story and the depth of her characters to explore this plot on the way to their HEA. Don’t think this book is just filled with lots of pain; there are moments the characters show great personality. There are moments of joy and a few laughs too.
This quaint town is one I would love to go visit. There are secondary characters that have sparked my interest, and I look forward to meeting them again in another book. This is the second book in a series (it can be read as a standalone with NO issues) and I am going back to read book 1 and I will be on the lookout for any future books in this series.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.
Jake Edwards left home eighteen months ago. The pain was too great. Now it is Thanksgiving and his Dad is fighting cancer, he can’t avoid the pain anymore. He must come home and spend time with his Dad, and see his brother’s widow Raine. Jesse and Jake were twins and part of the town’s “Bad Boys”. They did everything with Raine and it was no shock when Jesse and Raine got married. What no one knew is that Jake loved her too, so when the twins were deployed to Afghanistan and Jesse made Jake promise to look after Raine if he didn’t make it home it was an easy promise to make. He never thought he would have to keep it.
What makes this a fantastic book is that it truly could be set during anytime of the year. Yes it happens in a small town during Thanksgiving and the weeks leading to Christmas, but the entire Christmas theme is just a wonderful snowy backdrop to a great plot and characters of great depth. Jake is suffering; he came home from battle without his twin. He couldn’t save him, and the guilt has kept him away from home. Raine has lost herself. She lost her husband, but then she lost Jake too. One month after the funeral Jake left town and they have barely communicated since, and it is tearing her apart. She barely eats; and rarely leaves her home. Jake and Jesse were always part of her life; they were her family when she had no one else. She loved them both. The words Juliana Stone uses to convey her pain brought tears to my eyes at times. I could feel Raine’s anguish, I just wanted to reach into my Kindle and give her a hug. At the same time I could understand why Jake’s return is not met with open arms by Raine. The two of them walked on egg shells for a period of time, each protecting their hearts, and paying a penance for their deep secrets. When Raine is the first to give into the emotional pull they have and relishes the feeling of finding herself again I beamed with pride. I found this part of their relationship a joy to read, Juliana Stone’s wrote characters who are dealing with complex emotions, issues and regrets. Many authors would shy away from this theme, and never consider it in a Christmas book; Juliana Stone shows great confidence in her story and the depth of her characters to explore this plot on the way to their HEA. Don’t think this book is just filled with lots of pain; there are moments the characters show great personality. There are moments of joy and a few laughs too.
This quaint town is one I would love to go visit. There are secondary characters that have sparked my interest, and I look forward to meeting them again in another book. This is the second book in a series (it can be read as a standalone with NO issues) and I am going back to read book 1 and I will be on the lookout for any future books in this series.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review.
September 30, 2013
First reviewed at Red Hot Books http://redhotbooks.com/2013/09/the-ch...
Earlier this year, I reviewed the first book in Juliana Stone’s Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series and I really enjoyed it for a solid small town romance with a rock star. Stone returns with her second novel in a flurry of angst and emotions. If you were expecting a light hearted holiday book, turn around now.
Raine Edwards has been a walking ghost ever since her husband Jesse was killed during deployment in Afghanistan 18 months ago. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the one other person she could always lean on, Jake, Jesse’s twin brother, bails on her without so much as a see-ya-later. She spends her days half-heartedly taking care of a puppy and generally trying to avoid contact with the outside world, especially her estranged mother. Raine exists only in a grief fueled depression quietly wasting away until Jake shows up on her doorstep.
Jake Edwards returns to Crystal Lake, and Raine, a guilt ridden haunted man – guilt for not saving his brother in Afghanistan, for surviving and for being in love with his brother’s widow since they were kids. Jake is home to try to put some of his demons to rest but Jesse’s death has had a ripple effect on the whole family that is still keeping them all bound in a transitory place of pain. It’s only when Jake and Raine finally concede their long simmering attraction that the journey of healing begins.
I’m not usually one for the brother’s widow trope. Even after this book, it’s still not my favorite, but I believe Stone does pull off the plausibility of their relationship founded on Raine’s childhood crush on Jake even though the particulars are not spelled out. I would have liked if she had explored more of their early connection, but wasn’t a mark in my book.
I won’t lie to you – their story is sorrowful. Raine’s mourning over Jesse is so aching and heartfelt any reader could empathize. And Jake…the weight of this poor man’s guilt is almost suffocating. Fortunately, just before it got to be too much to even read about, Jake would break through to the next step easing the angst a bit. Stone is skilled in writing the fine line so that their sadness was not overblown and trite. When the couple finally breaks through their personal barriers, I felt myself taking a deep breath for them.
The rest of the Bad Boys make a brief appearance and readers are introduced to Lily St. Clare, a sister of one of Jake’s teammates who he befriended who will be hooking up with Mac in the third book, The Day He Kissed Her. I expect another hand wringer as both Mac and Lily are damaged even more than Jake and Raine!
Another solid and poignant read from Stone that I can happily recommend.
Grade: B+
*ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via NetGalley
Earlier this year, I reviewed the first book in Juliana Stone’s Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series and I really enjoyed it for a solid small town romance with a rock star. Stone returns with her second novel in a flurry of angst and emotions. If you were expecting a light hearted holiday book, turn around now.
Raine Edwards has been a walking ghost ever since her husband Jesse was killed during deployment in Afghanistan 18 months ago. As if that wasn’t hard enough, the one other person she could always lean on, Jake, Jesse’s twin brother, bails on her without so much as a see-ya-later. She spends her days half-heartedly taking care of a puppy and generally trying to avoid contact with the outside world, especially her estranged mother. Raine exists only in a grief fueled depression quietly wasting away until Jake shows up on her doorstep.
Jake Edwards returns to Crystal Lake, and Raine, a guilt ridden haunted man – guilt for not saving his brother in Afghanistan, for surviving and for being in love with his brother’s widow since they were kids. Jake is home to try to put some of his demons to rest but Jesse’s death has had a ripple effect on the whole family that is still keeping them all bound in a transitory place of pain. It’s only when Jake and Raine finally concede their long simmering attraction that the journey of healing begins.
I’m not usually one for the brother’s widow trope. Even after this book, it’s still not my favorite, but I believe Stone does pull off the plausibility of their relationship founded on Raine’s childhood crush on Jake even though the particulars are not spelled out. I would have liked if she had explored more of their early connection, but wasn’t a mark in my book.
I won’t lie to you – their story is sorrowful. Raine’s mourning over Jesse is so aching and heartfelt any reader could empathize. And Jake…the weight of this poor man’s guilt is almost suffocating. Fortunately, just before it got to be too much to even read about, Jake would break through to the next step easing the angst a bit. Stone is skilled in writing the fine line so that their sadness was not overblown and trite. When the couple finally breaks through their personal barriers, I felt myself taking a deep breath for them.
The rest of the Bad Boys make a brief appearance and readers are introduced to Lily St. Clare, a sister of one of Jake’s teammates who he befriended who will be hooking up with Mac in the third book, The Day He Kissed Her. I expect another hand wringer as both Mac and Lily are damaged even more than Jake and Raine!
Another solid and poignant read from Stone that I can happily recommend.
Grade: B+
*ARC provided by SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via NetGalley
September 23, 2013
This book almost did me in. Every once in a while I come across a book that will have me in tears and feeling every emotion the characters do and completely absorbs me The Christmas He Loved Her is that book times a million. This is such a heartfelt, gut wrenching story. There are so many aspects and so many feelings that it was almost too much at times. I didn't know what to feel half of the time.
"But right now, in this lifetime, in this moment... it's different. It's raw and it's hungry, and I don't think that I can live without you."
~Raine
We start with Jake Edwards, who lost his brother overseas and blames himself, and Raine Edward his brothers widow. Raine and Jake have known each other since they were kids, and Raine fully admits that she was always in love with both Jake and Jesse. I have read the widow story line before, but it is so much harder to read when the late spouse was a likable, upstanding person. What the story conveys so well though, is that there are different kinds of love. I never feel like Jake and Raine were betraying Jesse. When you lose someone you love there is always pain to overcome, but where Raine and Jake are concerned there is almost too much pain to deal with. They are dealt so much more than the loss of a brother/husband and they almost miss their chance at happiness again.
"'We're trying to survive,' she whispered through tears.
I'm trying to survive."
~Raine
At first Jake and Raine try to form a relationship without clearing their history first, and it works for a while. Despite their love for one another they both have too many secrets and feel too much blame to form a cohesive relationship. Raine is such a heartbreaking character, she has experienced enough grief for an army. The one thing she finds that she needs in her life is Jake. Not as a crutch or as a replacement for Jesse, but to make her heart whole again. With the circumstances she has been handed in life she finds that if you can find that all consuming love, it shouldn't matter who it is with, she needs to grab it and live her life without regrets. Jake on the other hand can't get past the guilt of watching his brother die in front of his eyes, and he feels that by falling for Raine he is taking over Jesse's life. These two have to learn to forgive themselves, Jesse and each other. This is such a beautiful story of two people finding acceptance and learning to love again. Juliana Stone is a fantastic writer and I am in awe of how captivating this story is. The Christmas He Loved Her is a book that sets the standards for all books in my opinion. Make sure to pick up a copy and fall in love with Jake and Raine the way I did!
Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest opinion*
*Originally posted on: samebookdifferentreview.blogspot.com*
"But right now, in this lifetime, in this moment... it's different. It's raw and it's hungry, and I don't think that I can live without you."
~Raine
We start with Jake Edwards, who lost his brother overseas and blames himself, and Raine Edward his brothers widow. Raine and Jake have known each other since they were kids, and Raine fully admits that she was always in love with both Jake and Jesse. I have read the widow story line before, but it is so much harder to read when the late spouse was a likable, upstanding person. What the story conveys so well though, is that there are different kinds of love. I never feel like Jake and Raine were betraying Jesse. When you lose someone you love there is always pain to overcome, but where Raine and Jake are concerned there is almost too much pain to deal with. They are dealt so much more than the loss of a brother/husband and they almost miss their chance at happiness again.
"'We're trying to survive,' she whispered through tears.
I'm trying to survive."
~Raine
At first Jake and Raine try to form a relationship without clearing their history first, and it works for a while. Despite their love for one another they both have too many secrets and feel too much blame to form a cohesive relationship. Raine is such a heartbreaking character, she has experienced enough grief for an army. The one thing she finds that she needs in her life is Jake. Not as a crutch or as a replacement for Jesse, but to make her heart whole again. With the circumstances she has been handed in life she finds that if you can find that all consuming love, it shouldn't matter who it is with, she needs to grab it and live her life without regrets. Jake on the other hand can't get past the guilt of watching his brother die in front of his eyes, and he feels that by falling for Raine he is taking over Jesse's life. These two have to learn to forgive themselves, Jesse and each other. This is such a beautiful story of two people finding acceptance and learning to love again. Juliana Stone is a fantastic writer and I am in awe of how captivating this story is. The Christmas He Loved Her is a book that sets the standards for all books in my opinion. Make sure to pick up a copy and fall in love with Jake and Raine the way I did!
Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest opinion*
*Originally posted on: samebookdifferentreview.blogspot.com*
October 1, 2013
My Review:
This is a tough series since book #1 starts with the funeral of one of the four Bad Boys of Crystal Lake. The stories surround the three remaining Bad Boys and this is book #2. This one is about Jake, Jessie's (the one who died) twin and Rhaine, the widow he left behind. Okay, with that set-up you know that this book is going to be emotional and wow...it did not disappoint. This book was amazing and so incredibly heart-wrenching.
The books surround the lives of the four bad boys, but Rhaine was always the fifth who hung around with all the guys. She was especially close to the twins, Jesse and Jake. It's been a year and a half since Jesse died, but neither Jake nor Rhaine are even close to living again. They are both living half-lives....both because of their loss of Jesse and the resulting loss of each other in the aftermath. It's really difficult to watch how much pain they are both in and how they are so close to not recovering. But it's the holidays and Jake is back home because his father is sick. As Jesse's widow, Rhaine is included in all the family activities. There's no avoiding each other this time.
The pain of the characters in this book is palpable. There were moments when reading that I had to set the book down because I hurt so much for them, but it's a romance novel so there's that hope there for an HEA that keeps you reading. It's obvious that no matter what happened between Jesse and Rhaine (and there's absolutely no doubt that she loved him) that she is meant to be with Jake. He's her other half as much as Jesse ever was although they are completely different men. Where as Jesse fit her in a comforting way, Jake fits her in a passionate way. They've always had a more contentious relationship over the years, but it was Jake who she was out dancing in the rain with on her wedding day, not Jesse. And yes, there absolutely is pain and guilt involved in the whole thing too...for both characters.
Everything about this story worked for me. I loved the characters and the glimpses we get to see of their pasts...both together and with Jesse. It's a really rich, deep, emotional story with a few shocks that I saw coming, but were still just as heart-wrenching as if they had taken me completely by surprise. I loved the addition of the house and the little cabin to the story. It was interesting to see how completely opposite Jake and Rhaine view that cabin and what it means to them. But that also shows each of their individual strengths as characters.
And then there's Mac & Lily....the final couple of the series. I worry about Mac and his drinking. There's an obvious problem there. It will be interesting to see how that book plays out because Lily's scars are already so obvious too. These both are definitely wounded. I think it's gonna be another book full of the feels as they find a way to heal each other.
This is a tough series since book #1 starts with the funeral of one of the four Bad Boys of Crystal Lake. The stories surround the three remaining Bad Boys and this is book #2. This one is about Jake, Jessie's (the one who died) twin and Rhaine, the widow he left behind. Okay, with that set-up you know that this book is going to be emotional and wow...it did not disappoint. This book was amazing and so incredibly heart-wrenching.
The books surround the lives of the four bad boys, but Rhaine was always the fifth who hung around with all the guys. She was especially close to the twins, Jesse and Jake. It's been a year and a half since Jesse died, but neither Jake nor Rhaine are even close to living again. They are both living half-lives....both because of their loss of Jesse and the resulting loss of each other in the aftermath. It's really difficult to watch how much pain they are both in and how they are so close to not recovering. But it's the holidays and Jake is back home because his father is sick. As Jesse's widow, Rhaine is included in all the family activities. There's no avoiding each other this time.
The pain of the characters in this book is palpable. There were moments when reading that I had to set the book down because I hurt so much for them, but it's a romance novel so there's that hope there for an HEA that keeps you reading. It's obvious that no matter what happened between Jesse and Rhaine (and there's absolutely no doubt that she loved him) that she is meant to be with Jake. He's her other half as much as Jesse ever was although they are completely different men. Where as Jesse fit her in a comforting way, Jake fits her in a passionate way. They've always had a more contentious relationship over the years, but it was Jake who she was out dancing in the rain with on her wedding day, not Jesse. And yes, there absolutely is pain and guilt involved in the whole thing too...for both characters.
Everything about this story worked for me. I loved the characters and the glimpses we get to see of their pasts...both together and with Jesse. It's a really rich, deep, emotional story with a few shocks that I saw coming, but were still just as heart-wrenching as if they had taken me completely by surprise. I loved the addition of the house and the little cabin to the story. It was interesting to see how completely opposite Jake and Rhaine view that cabin and what it means to them. But that also shows each of their individual strengths as characters.
And then there's Mac & Lily....the final couple of the series. I worry about Mac and his drinking. There's an obvious problem there. It will be interesting to see how that book plays out because Lily's scars are already so obvious too. These both are definitely wounded. I think it's gonna be another book full of the feels as they find a way to heal each other.
December 10, 2013
Title: The Christmas He Loved Her
Series: Bad Boys of Crystal Lake bk 2
Author: Julianna Stone
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday Romance
All he wants this Christmas is her.
In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.
Thoughts: I've never read a Juliana Stone book before so I wan't sure what to expect from her. Or this story. I was pleasantly surprised by the book.
As the parent of twins I'm really picky about how twins are represented in books and have only run across a few who get it right. Juliana is one of them. She was able to capture how close twins are and how one would feel watching his twin die.
For me this book was more about Jake than Raine, in fact it wasn't until almost the end of the book that I finally connected with her. And it wasn't until the revelation about why she was so depressed. I really wish we the readers could have known the reason behind this sooner, with Jake still finding out when he did.
Jake is a great character who is coming back from a very dark place and is hanging on to his sanity by his fingertips. One of the things he struggles with is his feelings for his dead twin's widow. Add in the soldier from his unit who is dying, and the fact for the first time in his adult life he is at loose ends and you have a hero that makes you want to wrap your arms around him and never let go.
This is one of those romances where I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading, and yet I was compelled to keep reading. And I'm glad I did. Because this book really speaks to the heart of what the Christmas season is all about. So while I wasn't in love with the book I did enjoy it.
Grade B
Review by: Heather
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com
Series: Bad Boys of Crystal Lake bk 2
Author: Julianna Stone
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday Romance
All he wants this Christmas is her.
In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire with those you love. For Jake Edwards, it’s also time to come home and face his past. He thought there would never be anything harder than losing his brother. Turns out there is: falling in love with his brother’s widow, Raine.
Ever since they were little, Jesse was the Edwards brother who was always there for her, and Jake was the one who knew just how to push her buttons. Raine can’t imagine a life without them, which is why it was doubly decimating when Jake left town after his brother’s sudden death. Now he’s back and she doesn’t know whether to be mad or thrilled. Maybe both. Maybe it will be the perfect chance for both of them to finally find happiness again.
Thoughts: I've never read a Juliana Stone book before so I wan't sure what to expect from her. Or this story. I was pleasantly surprised by the book.
As the parent of twins I'm really picky about how twins are represented in books and have only run across a few who get it right. Juliana is one of them. She was able to capture how close twins are and how one would feel watching his twin die.
For me this book was more about Jake than Raine, in fact it wasn't until almost the end of the book that I finally connected with her. And it wasn't until the revelation about why she was so depressed. I really wish we the readers could have known the reason behind this sooner, with Jake still finding out when he did.
Jake is a great character who is coming back from a very dark place and is hanging on to his sanity by his fingertips. One of the things he struggles with is his feelings for his dead twin's widow. Add in the soldier from his unit who is dying, and the fact for the first time in his adult life he is at loose ends and you have a hero that makes you want to wrap your arms around him and never let go.
This is one of those romances where I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading, and yet I was compelled to keep reading. And I'm glad I did. Because this book really speaks to the heart of what the Christmas season is all about. So while I wasn't in love with the book I did enjoy it.
Grade B
Review by: Heather
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com
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