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Seems Like Old Times
When Lee Reynolds, nationally known television news anchor, returns to the small town where she was born to sell her now-vacant childhood home, little does she expect to find that her first love has moved back to town. Nor does she expect that her feelings for him are still so strong.
Tony Santos had been a major league baseball player, but now finds his days of glory gone. He's gone back home to raise his young son as a single dad.
Both Tony and Lee have changed a lot. Yet, being with him, she finds that in her heart, it seems like old times...
Tony Santos had been a major league baseball player, but now finds his days of glory gone. He's gone back home to raise his young son as a single dad.
Both Tony and Lee have changed a lot. Yet, being with him, she finds that in her heart, it seems like old times...
291 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
127 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 6, 2023
DNF'd at 13%. I just do not have time for girl-moves-to-New-York-and-makes-good-but-returns-home-to-podunk-and-sees-her-high-school-sweetheart.
Deep sigh. This was one of the books that had been downloaded to my Kindle for a long time, and I can't imagine why I downloaded it.
Note to others: I am confused as to why I type in "Seems Like Old Times" by Joanna Pence, and this one, by Ms. Lodge, pops up. Names of characters and plot is the same. ??? This occurred on both Goodreads and Kindle. Did the author change her name?
Deep sigh. This was one of the books that had been downloaded to my Kindle for a long time, and I can't imagine why I downloaded it.
Note to others: I am confused as to why I type in "Seems Like Old Times" by Joanna Pence, and this one, by Ms. Lodge, pops up. Names of characters and plot is the same. ??? This occurred on both Goodreads and Kindle. Did the author change her name?
February 5, 2013
One of the best love stories I've read in a very long time. I loved it.
February 25, 2013
Something about this feel-good story made me stay up late reading it. I could not put it down.
November 19, 2019
I loved this story! Lee has to come home to clean out her mother’s house along with her aunt Miriam and she thinks she can be done in a couple days and go home. No memories keep popping up and then she sees Tony her first love but he moved on and she did too, maybe. I loved how as tough a news woman as she is she found the girl she used to be buried inside the problem is can she give up her life and dreams to be that girl again.
July 16, 2017
Promising start soon gave way to the same old story line of 2 high school sweethearts who grew up and apart then crossed paths again later in life ... complete with all the inner self talk, questions, and admonitions of why they shouldnt get back together, getting in the way of building a real story. Come on!!!! Still searching for great story teller authors.
October 5, 2019
Second Chance
Decent story line. Felt like parts were forced together. The characters seem very superficial in places. I do think Ben makes the whole story. He is just too adorable for words~
Decent story line. Felt like parts were forced together. The characters seem very superficial in places. I do think Ben makes the whole story. He is just too adorable for words~
January 17, 2022
Love Wins
When I started this book I found that I couldn't put it down The story Called to me With Lisa and Tony I found there struggles To be very heartfelt And I'm so glad that in the end the love did win
When I started this book I found that I couldn't put it down The story Called to me With Lisa and Tony I found there struggles To be very heartfelt And I'm so glad that in the end the love did win
January 20, 2026
found it very hard to put down. finished it in 2 days. tugged at my heart more than once for sure. I love the back and forth of points of view. I tend to find single chapters as one character a little boring. wish there was a sequel to see where Tony and Lisa and Ben end up.
June 30, 2017
A sweet second chance romance.
June 1, 2020
Enjoyed this story. An easy read that had a sweet ending.
July 10, 2023
It does, doesn't it
A lovely grown up love story. Sometimes the plot was obvious but never doubt one's heartstrings were pulled by a gifted storyteller.
A lovely grown up love story. Sometimes the plot was obvious but never doubt one's heartstrings were pulled by a gifted storyteller.
October 1, 2012
3.5 Stars
This is a sweet yet emotional story of love lost and reunited later in life. I enjoyed this book and was rooting for Lee/Lisa and Tony. Tony was really the star of the novel for me. He is such a great guy and a devoted father. As much as I wanted things to work out for him and Lisa, I hoped he and his son would have a happy ending even more.
I had kind of a hard time connecting with Lee. I didn’t dislike her – I just think our personalities are miles apart. I understand why she made the decisions she did and why she was so career-driven, but there were times when I wanted to throttle her. She’s not perfect even though she strives to be, leaving behind a wake of heartache for Tony. Maybe it’s because I cared so much for Tony that I wished she hadn’t made such mistakes.
The author wrote this story very realistically – how many of us regret the hasty decisions we made when we were young and in love? I know I do. Pressure and problems seem much larger in youth. Though Lee’s actions bothered me, I do get it.
The characters are well developed. I adored Lisa’s aunt, Miriam. There is a nice side story with Miriam; moments with her were some of my favorites in the book. I like how much detail the author put into describing Lee’s job as a reporter. Overall, this is a really good book, but there were some things I didn’t like.
First, I think the pacing needs a little work. Sometimes it moved much slower than I would have liked. Also, the depth in which outfits and possessions were described was a bit painful for me. However, this is just my personal taste. Some people prefer stories written with these aspects. And a lot of people will completely connect with Lee – her focused and driven personality.
What I really took points off for was the lack of detail in the exchanges between Tony, his son, and Lisa. I was looking forward to finding out how well they all interacted in their first outing together, etc., but it’s not written. We only get a summary through Lee or Tony’s internal monologues. There are scenes that are written with the three of them together, I just wanted more.
Despite this, I did enjoy the book and I do recommend it. I have no doubt that many people will absolutely love it.
**I received a copy of this book from the author for review. No incentive was offered or accepted for a favorable rating or review.
This is a sweet yet emotional story of love lost and reunited later in life. I enjoyed this book and was rooting for Lee/Lisa and Tony. Tony was really the star of the novel for me. He is such a great guy and a devoted father. As much as I wanted things to work out for him and Lisa, I hoped he and his son would have a happy ending even more.
I had kind of a hard time connecting with Lee. I didn’t dislike her – I just think our personalities are miles apart. I understand why she made the decisions she did and why she was so career-driven, but there were times when I wanted to throttle her. She’s not perfect even though she strives to be, leaving behind a wake of heartache for Tony. Maybe it’s because I cared so much for Tony that I wished she hadn’t made such mistakes.
The author wrote this story very realistically – how many of us regret the hasty decisions we made when we were young and in love? I know I do. Pressure and problems seem much larger in youth. Though Lee’s actions bothered me, I do get it.
The characters are well developed. I adored Lisa’s aunt, Miriam. There is a nice side story with Miriam; moments with her were some of my favorites in the book. I like how much detail the author put into describing Lee’s job as a reporter. Overall, this is a really good book, but there were some things I didn’t like.
First, I think the pacing needs a little work. Sometimes it moved much slower than I would have liked. Also, the depth in which outfits and possessions were described was a bit painful for me. However, this is just my personal taste. Some people prefer stories written with these aspects. And a lot of people will completely connect with Lee – her focused and driven personality.
What I really took points off for was the lack of detail in the exchanges between Tony, his son, and Lisa. I was looking forward to finding out how well they all interacted in their first outing together, etc., but it’s not written. We only get a summary through Lee or Tony’s internal monologues. There are scenes that are written with the three of them together, I just wanted more.
Despite this, I did enjoy the book and I do recommend it. I have no doubt that many people will absolutely love it.
**I received a copy of this book from the author for review. No incentive was offered or accepted for a favorable rating or review.
October 5, 2012
Seems Like Old Times left me squirming the way we do when we recognize characteristics in a character that we don't necessary like about ourselves. Well, that's not quite true, perhaps its more accurate to say characteristics we thought we'd "outgrown" as we matured. The defenses we built to shut out love and true happiness often become mired in what we call reality though it's not really. As I read about Lee's struggles to become the woman she wanted to be I recognized my own struggles to please and find my place in the world. As I read of the love she and Tony shared and she abandoned, my heart ached for lost love yet I recognized my own reluctance to accept love at a young age. Seems Like Old Times is a love story that will strike at the heart of anyone who has ever loved and walked away from a love the heart refused to forget. Sometimes, just as Lee did, we make the decisions we feel we must in the moment, but we sacrifice our own happiness in the process. Then we spend a lifetime trying to find our way back to that happiness just as both Lee and Tony did. When Lee and Tony have a second chance, they struggle to figure out how to resolve the past and embrace a second chance. Seems Like Old Times had me in tears while I contemplated decisions from my own life yet it reminded me that love is never a mistake even when it hurts. Pence delivers complex characters who in many ways create their own problems just as we tend to do in real life. Throughout the pages of Seems Like Old Times, the question isn't just about second chances but about forgiveness, understanding, and acceptance of others but also of one's self. Be warned; reading Seems Like Old Times, may make you nostalgic for a lost love... Read at your own risk, but read. You won't regret it!
June 29, 2012
This book was a really heartwarming, down-to-earth, beautiful romance! I really enjoyed reading this book, Lisa and Tony's story was so realistic and lovely.
Lee (Lisa) and Tony were in love as teenagers, but circumstances and life kept them from being together. As adults they have both striven to achieve different dreams and goals, but meet again when Lee must return to her home town to see to her family home.
The main characters were both believable and likable. Lee is a very independent, intelligent, and career-minded woman. She is an extremely successful news anchor, with the perfect fiance, and seemingly perfect life. Tony is just wonderful. He used to be a major league baseball player, but quit playing to spend more time with his son (how sweet). He bought the ranch where he grew up and is content with his life. When they meet again, there are a lot of things from the past that need laid to rest, but boy do sparks fly! You can tell from that first moment that they have unresolved feelings for each other.
The author did a wonderful job of making you feel what Lisa & Tony feel, and her characters were really well developed. I loved that she took her time to really hash out the characters, without making it feel like the story was progressing too slowly. Overall it was a great read, and I really liked it!
***Review copy provided by author***
Lee (Lisa) and Tony were in love as teenagers, but circumstances and life kept them from being together. As adults they have both striven to achieve different dreams and goals, but meet again when Lee must return to her home town to see to her family home.
The main characters were both believable and likable. Lee is a very independent, intelligent, and career-minded woman. She is an extremely successful news anchor, with the perfect fiance, and seemingly perfect life. Tony is just wonderful. He used to be a major league baseball player, but quit playing to spend more time with his son (how sweet). He bought the ranch where he grew up and is content with his life. When they meet again, there are a lot of things from the past that need laid to rest, but boy do sparks fly! You can tell from that first moment that they have unresolved feelings for each other.
The author did a wonderful job of making you feel what Lisa & Tony feel, and her characters were really well developed. I loved that she took her time to really hash out the characters, without making it feel like the story was progressing too slowly. Overall it was a great read, and I really liked it!
***Review copy provided by author***
September 30, 2012
This book was a good read. It made me think back real quickly in my life to see if there was a lost love (didn't find one, so I kept reading).
The characters were real. I could actually see this scenario occurring in real life. There were a couple of slow spots in the book, but I think it was necessary so that the reader could get a complete picture of what was truly going on when the characters were apart from each other. This was also during a time when Tony's world completely fell apart (you need to read it, to see what I am talking about) and was trying to put it back together the best way he knew how.
The storyline did flow well. The only issue I had was with one of the secondary characters: Lee's fiance Bruce. He stated several times that he loved her. Bruce didn't even want to let her go when she was questioning their relationship, but it seems to me he was always putting down where she came from, how she reacted to where she came from, and her lack of support of him (considering he wasn't really supporting her during the death of her mother),
This was the first book I read from this author, and I would actually read another.
The characters were real. I could actually see this scenario occurring in real life. There were a couple of slow spots in the book, but I think it was necessary so that the reader could get a complete picture of what was truly going on when the characters were apart from each other. This was also during a time when Tony's world completely fell apart (you need to read it, to see what I am talking about) and was trying to put it back together the best way he knew how.
The storyline did flow well. The only issue I had was with one of the secondary characters: Lee's fiance Bruce. He stated several times that he loved her. Bruce didn't even want to let her go when she was questioning their relationship, but it seems to me he was always putting down where she came from, how she reacted to where she came from, and her lack of support of him (considering he wasn't really supporting her during the death of her mother),
This was the first book I read from this author, and I would actually read another.
December 6, 2012
I honestly cannot give this book more than two stars. I had to skip the most part of the first 50% of the book. There was just so much detail and unnecessary explanation for everything. I get it, her mom was a very abusive person. I can figure out where the story is heading. It was very difficult for me not to put the book down but for the sake of Tony I just wanted to read on. Tony was great! He was a strong character and he wasn't all sucker for love and annoyingly clingy or alpha which was great because you could see how much he cared but could survive without her. She on the other hand was annoying. She just seemed selfish and the way everything always came back to her and her life just didn't paint a good picture for her. Overall, they're story was cute but I could have done with a little more drama and a little less of the boring pensiveness.
February 9, 2016
This was one of those books that it probably doesn't matter how well-written the book was (although it wasn't bad at all) so much as my emotional response to the characters being based off of too much of this book hitting too close to home. I wish my situation were so easily solved as, "Being a parent was just too hard, so here's your kid back..." And apparently all I need is for my mother to die to bring closure. Good to know! If only life were as "easy" and forgiving as fiction...
It was a decent book, though, and the fact that it hit enough points in common with my own life wascreepy as hell indicative of it being a well-written novel. For once, I was able to look a happy ending in the eye and be grateful for it, rather than analyzing whether it was too unrealistic to give justice to the story itself.
It was a decent book, though, and the fact that it hit enough points in common with my own life was
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2013
This book irritated me more than anything I've read in a while. I give it two stars only because I loved 'Ben'. He was such a cute kid. Not realistic at all but cute. Most romance novels tend to rush to the ultimate "I love you so much" thing. This was the exact opposite. I've never seen it drawn out so painfully slow before. It ruined the whole moment of when the two main characters finally see each other. I was feeling more "FINALLY!!" than "AWWWW!!". There were so many things that irritated me that I won't even begin to list them all. I'll just say that the only reason this isn't going on my "I give up" shelf is that I wanted to know what happened with little Ben but had to wait until the very end to have a super quick tie up for that part of the story. Highly disappointed. I'll be avoiding this author in the future.
July 24, 2012
This was a freebie, and a slowly unfolding story that takes the heroine over a lot of ground - both old and new- I honestly at the start of the story just couldn't see a happily ever after for her and the old flame that she left behind, but the romance reader in me was still hoping for one.
September 6, 2012
I really enjoyed the nastolgia of this book. Toward the end it dragged a tiny bit, but overall a really great book especially for the price I paid for it on amazon. 2.99 I might check out more of her books.
January 18, 2013
I'm finished with Seems Like Old Times: Not crazy about this book. Too predictable. Successful career woman goes back to her hometown, reunites with old boyfriend, gives up fancy job and moves home. Blah,blah, blah. I think I just prefer mysteries and thrillers to romance novels.
February 17, 2013
Enjoyed this book about a retired baseball player who is raising his 8 year old son. The girl he loved in high school returns to town when her mother dies. They are still in love, but Tony lives in a small town and Lisa lives in new York as a tv anchor.
September 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book, it held my interest. At times, I couldn't put it down. I got emotionally involved with the characters. Yes, it was predictable but it wasn't a bad thing.
December 31, 2012
It was a little too wordy for the first half of the book but it did pick up in the second half. I wasn't very impressed with the heroine but Tony, the hero of the book, makes your heart melt.
February 10, 2013
this was a great read. such a touching story and loved the auntie. she was nostalgia for me...
February 8, 2013
Really liked this 4.5 stars from me.
September 9, 2016
Not bad but: Edit edit edit... could be so much shorter and more efficient, thus making it sweeter.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews