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Past Due
Jenna Austin is a young, widowed artist raising a teenage son on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. As the costs of living in paradise rise, she struggles to make ends meet. Life isn't easy, but she manages.
When her car breaks down, she trudges on. She assumes life can't get any more complicated than it is. But it can...
Chance brings her nose to well-formed chest with Tres Coulter, the handsome, affluent aid to Governor Hunt. Jenna and Tres share a history; they also share a love they thought long lost. Their lives are about to be altered forever as the deceptions of the past transform the very foundation of the present.
The price of happily ever after may be too steep to pay once the past comes due.
When her car breaks down, she trudges on. She assumes life can't get any more complicated than it is. But it can...
Chance brings her nose to well-formed chest with Tres Coulter, the handsome, affluent aid to Governor Hunt. Jenna and Tres share a history; they also share a love they thought long lost. Their lives are about to be altered forever as the deceptions of the past transform the very foundation of the present.
The price of happily ever after may be too steep to pay once the past comes due.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2012
10 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Seckman
16 books89 followersMulti-published author of romantic women's fiction. I am a former social worker, constant day dreamer, and mother of four fabulous boys.
I have a house in desperate need of cleaning. No set date on completion.
I have a house in desperate need of cleaning. No set date on completion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 20, 2012
I recently had the opportunity to read a book that was published by one of my blog followers, Elizabeth Seckman called Past Due.
Jenna Austin has a secret that she’s been keeping for fifteen years and the only person who knows is buried six feet under North Carolina soil and isn’t telling a soul.
But, when Tres Coulter bumps into Jenna at a gas station all of the emotions and feelings that Jenna felt fifteen years earlier are still intact. She loved Tres Coulter when she was sixteen and she loved him now. She tries to avoid Tres as much as possible but when fate (in the form of the towns people) force the two together, neither one of them can resist the physical connection.
Jenna is confused, why had Tres returned after all this time? Did he come back to take away her son Tanner? Or was it just coincidental that he showed up out of nowhere? Jenna, against her better judgment meets with Tres where they make sweet passionate love and he confesses that he has loved her every second of his life and Jenna begins to think that he will understand why she had to do what she did.
When she lets out the secret that had been haunting her for over fifteen years, Tres learns that he has a fifteen-year-old biological son that was raised by another man. But, he wants answers and Jenna can give him none that can satisfy his hunger. When the truth unwinds she realizes that everyone including her father, her dead sister, her deceased husband, and Tres’ mother had a part in keeping the two from their happily-ever-after.
Now, Tres wants to be a part of Tanner and Jenna’s lives even after all the secrets and lies. But, can Jenna give up her stubborn I-don’t-need-a man-attitude long enough to win Tres back? You will have to read and find out.
Past Due is an adult romance novel that I really enjoyed reading. At first it was a little slow for my taste but after the third or so chapter I dived into the tragedy of young Jenna’s life and flew right through the content.
It’s a beautifully written story and I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions. Some agents think less is more and in this case I completely disagree. I loved all of them from the sandy dunes to Jenna’s wretched house. I loved it.
The plot wasn’t as strong as it could be but I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters. It felt so right, so natural and wasn’t repeats of books I’ve read before.
I’m not a huge face on 3rd Person POV; but Mrs. Seckman pulled it off. Head hopping is a difficult task to master but it seems that she conquered it. It was a great story and from her acknowledgments page I understand that Past Due is her sister’s story. Color me romantic. She did a very good job with Past Due and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
Jenna Austin has a secret that she’s been keeping for fifteen years and the only person who knows is buried six feet under North Carolina soil and isn’t telling a soul.
But, when Tres Coulter bumps into Jenna at a gas station all of the emotions and feelings that Jenna felt fifteen years earlier are still intact. She loved Tres Coulter when she was sixteen and she loved him now. She tries to avoid Tres as much as possible but when fate (in the form of the towns people) force the two together, neither one of them can resist the physical connection.
Jenna is confused, why had Tres returned after all this time? Did he come back to take away her son Tanner? Or was it just coincidental that he showed up out of nowhere? Jenna, against her better judgment meets with Tres where they make sweet passionate love and he confesses that he has loved her every second of his life and Jenna begins to think that he will understand why she had to do what she did.
When she lets out the secret that had been haunting her for over fifteen years, Tres learns that he has a fifteen-year-old biological son that was raised by another man. But, he wants answers and Jenna can give him none that can satisfy his hunger. When the truth unwinds she realizes that everyone including her father, her dead sister, her deceased husband, and Tres’ mother had a part in keeping the two from their happily-ever-after.
Now, Tres wants to be a part of Tanner and Jenna’s lives even after all the secrets and lies. But, can Jenna give up her stubborn I-don’t-need-a man-attitude long enough to win Tres back? You will have to read and find out.
Past Due is an adult romance novel that I really enjoyed reading. At first it was a little slow for my taste but after the third or so chapter I dived into the tragedy of young Jenna’s life and flew right through the content.
It’s a beautifully written story and I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions. Some agents think less is more and in this case I completely disagree. I loved all of them from the sandy dunes to Jenna’s wretched house. I loved it.
The plot wasn’t as strong as it could be but I really enjoyed the relationship between the characters. It felt so right, so natural and wasn’t repeats of books I’ve read before.
I’m not a huge face on 3rd Person POV; but Mrs. Seckman pulled it off. Head hopping is a difficult task to master but it seems that she conquered it. It was a great story and from her acknowledgments page I understand that Past Due is her sister’s story. Color me romantic. She did a very good job with Past Due and I am glad to have had the opportunity to read it.
June 12, 2012
Honestly, I’m not much for a romance novel, so I was a bit reticent to pick up the book. And honestly, I now am very glad I did. Past Due follows Jenna Austin, a widow and resident of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She’s a single mom, raising a child, always one step ahead of the bill collector, and bumps into the handsome, affluent Governor’s aid Tres Coulter. From there, things get complicated. Very Complicated. Tres and Jenna have a past, or rather a PAST. And unfortunately the past has a way of catching up.
Seckman has a very breezy, light touch with her writing. Her characters have depth, her dialogue is crisp and jumps off the page, and I was pleasantly surprised at how deep and meaningful the resolution of this book is. I won’t lie, there’s a big twist, a sappy happy ending, and every single character could use some serious therapy. But at it’s heart this book is filled to the brim with complex, human characters who are just trying to get by. If you’re looking for a book to curl up with, this is definitely the one for you.
Seckman has a very breezy, light touch with her writing. Her characters have depth, her dialogue is crisp and jumps off the page, and I was pleasantly surprised at how deep and meaningful the resolution of this book is. I won’t lie, there’s a big twist, a sappy happy ending, and every single character could use some serious therapy. But at it’s heart this book is filled to the brim with complex, human characters who are just trying to get by. If you’re looking for a book to curl up with, this is definitely the one for you.
January 7, 2018
One of the things I loved about “Past Due” is that it was chock-full of twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat. I kept turning page after page desperate to see what was going to happen next. Although I assumed it would have a happy ending (it is a romance after all), the tension and misunderstandings between the main characters were so skillfully written that there were times I feared that they weren't going to live happily after.
I also really enjoyed the fact that this wasn't your ordinary “handsome guy comes to the rescue of a helpless girl” story. Instead, we're presented with a woman who is strong, independent, and self-reliant and who wants to be accepted as an equal, not as someone to be taken care of.
If you like romances with realistic, relatable characters battling with their own personal flaws and histories and a plot that defies some of the stereotypes associated with the romance genre, then you'll enjoy “Past Due.”
I also really enjoyed the fact that this wasn't your ordinary “handsome guy comes to the rescue of a helpless girl” story. Instead, we're presented with a woman who is strong, independent, and self-reliant and who wants to be accepted as an equal, not as someone to be taken care of.
If you like romances with realistic, relatable characters battling with their own personal flaws and histories and a plot that defies some of the stereotypes associated with the romance genre, then you'll enjoy “Past Due.”
January 20, 2013
Jenna Austin is one tough cookie, but she’s tired. She works tirelessly to try and make a good life for herself and for her son, Tanner. Without moral support from Maureen, Jenna’s deceased husband’s mother, she wouldn’t have made it this far. To say that Jenna has had it tough all of her life would be a gross understatement. She is estranged from her father, with whom she lived with after her mother died. And, boy, what a back story there is with that bunch!! And, things just seem to get more complicated when Tres Coulter comes to town.
Once Tres runs into Jenna, he knows that he’s in trouble. Even though it’s been years since he last saw her, he knows that he still loves her more than anything. But, in typical Jenna fashion, she pushes him away. Seems she’s been keeping a secret for 15 years that has the possibility of hurting everyone she loves and tearing apart what family she has left. And, once that secret is revealed, an avalanche of things happen that throws everyone and everything into chaos. Will the secret truly cost Jenna everything and everyone she’s ever loved? Or, will true love conquer all? You’ll have to read to find out.
I really enjoyed the world that Seckman created in Past Due. The real life struggles of a single mom trying to raise her child really hit home with me. It is set on the outer islands of North Carolina, a place where I have been many times myself. I could hear the gulls calling each other and feel the wind……. The one downside, at least for me, is that when the secret is revealed, it leads to more secrets and disclosures from numerous people and the details got bogged down just a little bit for me. The upside to that is that we get to meet some great folks along the way and I can’t wait to read more about Tres’ family, namely his two brothers, Craig and Trip. And, the boys’ mom, Barbara Coulter? Let’s just say she adds a whole new dimension to round out the Coulter clan. This is, in a nutshell, a story about life, love, family, hope and forgiveness. I have a feeling that the family dynamics in future books will be well worth the read!!
http://thereadingcafe.com/past-due-by...
Once Tres runs into Jenna, he knows that he’s in trouble. Even though it’s been years since he last saw her, he knows that he still loves her more than anything. But, in typical Jenna fashion, she pushes him away. Seems she’s been keeping a secret for 15 years that has the possibility of hurting everyone she loves and tearing apart what family she has left. And, once that secret is revealed, an avalanche of things happen that throws everyone and everything into chaos. Will the secret truly cost Jenna everything and everyone she’s ever loved? Or, will true love conquer all? You’ll have to read to find out.
I really enjoyed the world that Seckman created in Past Due. The real life struggles of a single mom trying to raise her child really hit home with me. It is set on the outer islands of North Carolina, a place where I have been many times myself. I could hear the gulls calling each other and feel the wind……. The one downside, at least for me, is that when the secret is revealed, it leads to more secrets and disclosures from numerous people and the details got bogged down just a little bit for me. The upside to that is that we get to meet some great folks along the way and I can’t wait to read more about Tres’ family, namely his two brothers, Craig and Trip. And, the boys’ mom, Barbara Coulter? Let’s just say she adds a whole new dimension to round out the Coulter clan. This is, in a nutshell, a story about life, love, family, hope and forgiveness. I have a feeling that the family dynamics in future books will be well worth the read!!
http://thereadingcafe.com/past-due-by...
December 26, 2012
This book should just be renamed, The Big Misunderstanding, because that's all it was in gist. Jenna's car breaks down, and when she goes to get help, she bumps into Tres Coulter, her former love who she believes walked out on her in her time of need. Both are devasted about the love they lost and what could've been. Tres is especially frustrated at the thought that Jenna had married another man and had a son with him. When Tres and Jenna do finally meet after all these years, they are both forced to face reality and know once and for all what really separated them so long ago.
First of all, I loved the storyline. I love the second-chance romance stories, and this one doesn't disappoint in that regard. Tres and Jenna are both wary and suspicious of one another, but there's no denying they both still have feelings for each other.
So, the misunderstandings that brew in this book are so much. It is overwhelming, and that is what frustrated me most about the book. Their lives could have been so much happier and straightforward had they communicated better. But, what wasn't too bad is that the misunderstandings are reasonable and make sense. I can see why both Jenna and Tres ended up where they are right now. They work out their problems nicely, and they do get to communicating well as the book progresses. I loved Tres. I felt for him. He was in pain and his anger at random times was understandable. Jenna annoyed me at some parts. Her devotion to Jake, the man she married (who has died a while ago), keeps tearing at Tres, and I seriously wanted to shake her for mentioning Jake so many times in front of Tres. Could she not realize that all Tres wanted was for Jenna to trust and believe in him, and not Jake?
There are also great secondary characters. They're all important and add to the story significantly. In fact, everyone is pretty much a part of the big misunderstanding that happens. I also really adored Tanner. He was a sweet son and I appreciated his bluntness and love.
This was a nice book. It's fairly predictable, but there are some surprising twists that will definitely keep you interested.
First of all, I loved the storyline. I love the second-chance romance stories, and this one doesn't disappoint in that regard. Tres and Jenna are both wary and suspicious of one another, but there's no denying they both still have feelings for each other.
So, the misunderstandings that brew in this book are so much. It is overwhelming, and that is what frustrated me most about the book. Their lives could have been so much happier and straightforward had they communicated better. But, what wasn't too bad is that the misunderstandings are reasonable and make sense. I can see why both Jenna and Tres ended up where they are right now. They work out their problems nicely, and they do get to communicating well as the book progresses. I loved Tres. I felt for him. He was in pain and his anger at random times was understandable. Jenna annoyed me at some parts. Her devotion to Jake, the man she married (who has died a while ago), keeps tearing at Tres, and I seriously wanted to shake her for mentioning Jake so many times in front of Tres. Could she not realize that all Tres wanted was for Jenna to trust and believe in him, and not Jake?
There are also great secondary characters. They're all important and add to the story significantly. In fact, everyone is pretty much a part of the big misunderstanding that happens. I also really adored Tanner. He was a sweet son and I appreciated his bluntness and love.
This was a nice book. It's fairly predictable, but there are some surprising twists that will definitely keep you interested.
February 8, 2013
I want to say that I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
I found a new author to add to my FAVORITE AUTHOR list! Past Due was a well thought out and planned story. From the first paragraph the characters, especially Jenna, reach out their hands to the readers, pulling them into their world. I love books and characters that have been written in a realistic setting. Don't get me wrong I love my paranormal book and characters with supernatural abilites, but there is something refreshing about being able to relate to the characters that you hold in your hand. I was impressed by Elizabeth Seckman's writting, it was smooth and never failed to hold my attention.
Jenna is a widow and doing her best to raise her teenage son. As a single mother, she finds that providing for her child is a tough job that often leaves her sleep deprived. Money is tight and when her car brakes down she looks for ways to take care of this financial burden without asking her friends for handouts. While meeting with her next client, she finds herself working closely with an old friend...not just any friend, but the one person she never wanted to have to face again.
When Tres comes into town to take care of business he runs into the one woman that he thought he may never see agian, Jenna. Tres and Jenna once shared something wonderful, they had been in love, but lies and deception tore them apart and they have both lived with this heartache for far too long.
I highly recommend Past Due by Elizabeth Seckman, though I suggest keeping a box of tissues close by.
I found a new author to add to my FAVORITE AUTHOR list! Past Due was a well thought out and planned story. From the first paragraph the characters, especially Jenna, reach out their hands to the readers, pulling them into their world. I love books and characters that have been written in a realistic setting. Don't get me wrong I love my paranormal book and characters with supernatural abilites, but there is something refreshing about being able to relate to the characters that you hold in your hand. I was impressed by Elizabeth Seckman's writting, it was smooth and never failed to hold my attention.
Jenna is a widow and doing her best to raise her teenage son. As a single mother, she finds that providing for her child is a tough job that often leaves her sleep deprived. Money is tight and when her car brakes down she looks for ways to take care of this financial burden without asking her friends for handouts. While meeting with her next client, she finds herself working closely with an old friend...not just any friend, but the one person she never wanted to have to face again.
When Tres comes into town to take care of business he runs into the one woman that he thought he may never see agian, Jenna. Tres and Jenna once shared something wonderful, they had been in love, but lies and deception tore them apart and they have both lived with this heartache for far too long.
I highly recommend Past Due by Elizabeth Seckman, though I suggest keeping a box of tissues close by.
March 19, 2013
I'll be the first to admit that I've always had a bias against the romance genre. I've thought it was trite, self-indulgent drivel barely disguised as porn.
But that changed when I read Seckman's 'Past Due.' This author breaks all barriers down when it comes to romance. She masterfully writes a story NOT filled with perfect, weak-kneed virgin heroines and perfect Prince Charming and instead gives the reader reality-based characters with whom you empathize from the start. The story, while filled with the sexual tension we can all relate to, is clean and FAR from that half of the genre that is barely-disguised porn. I spent the last half of the book alternating between gasping, giggling, and tearing up as I put myself in the role of Jenna. Mrs. Seckman is a master story-teller and I have to think that the part I loved most was the humor and strength with which her characters faced adversity. They were all people that I would have loved to have known; people who felt real in every sense of the word. That is the most a reader could ever ask for from an author, and we seldom get such a wonderful gift of it as we do from this book. Jenna Austin is real, she's strong, she's flawed, she's stubborn, she's an incredible mother... she could be a role model for anyone.
This book has completely changed my outlook on romance novels and I can promise the first thing I will do is go download Healing Summer so I can continue this newfound love!!
But that changed when I read Seckman's 'Past Due.' This author breaks all barriers down when it comes to romance. She masterfully writes a story NOT filled with perfect, weak-kneed virgin heroines and perfect Prince Charming and instead gives the reader reality-based characters with whom you empathize from the start. The story, while filled with the sexual tension we can all relate to, is clean and FAR from that half of the genre that is barely-disguised porn. I spent the last half of the book alternating between gasping, giggling, and tearing up as I put myself in the role of Jenna. Mrs. Seckman is a master story-teller and I have to think that the part I loved most was the humor and strength with which her characters faced adversity. They were all people that I would have loved to have known; people who felt real in every sense of the word. That is the most a reader could ever ask for from an author, and we seldom get such a wonderful gift of it as we do from this book. Jenna Austin is real, she's strong, she's flawed, she's stubborn, she's an incredible mother... she could be a role model for anyone.
This book has completely changed my outlook on romance novels and I can promise the first thing I will do is go download Healing Summer so I can continue this newfound love!!
March 19, 2015
Elizabeth Seckman is a talented writer. Her characters are fully-developed and as three-dimensional as real-life people. Her descriptions are marvelous, and I loved the humor in the first few pages when Jenna’s car breaks down and her and her son, Tanner, have to walk to their small town’s gas station—in the rain—with groceries in each hand. I know exactly what that’s like. The realism, humor, and relatable characters made it that much easier to sink into this story. The relationship between mother and son is also fun.
At the gas station is a mysterious Porsche, which Tanner drools over, and Jenna runs into the driver, a tall, sexy man named Tres. And what’s better than that? The two of them have history. The kind of history that makes the heart thump.
Needing money to fix her car, Jenna takes a lot of odd jobs. One of them is to take pictures of a man from the governor’s office and that guy is...you’ve guessed it. From there the story only gets more interesting. I enjoyed waiting to find out what exactly happened between Jenna and Tres. And learning how everyone played a role in what happened. There are secrets nearly oozing off the pages of this book.
If you like romances that revolve around the mysterious pasts of the characters, this one is for you!
At the gas station is a mysterious Porsche, which Tanner drools over, and Jenna runs into the driver, a tall, sexy man named Tres. And what’s better than that? The two of them have history. The kind of history that makes the heart thump.
Needing money to fix her car, Jenna takes a lot of odd jobs. One of them is to take pictures of a man from the governor’s office and that guy is...you’ve guessed it. From there the story only gets more interesting. I enjoyed waiting to find out what exactly happened between Jenna and Tres. And learning how everyone played a role in what happened. There are secrets nearly oozing off the pages of this book.
If you like romances that revolve around the mysterious pasts of the characters, this one is for you!
September 11, 2012
This book is not just another fluffy read. I can admit I was expecting it a bit but I was pleasantly surprised.
Jenna has a secret, one she has held close to her heart for fifteen years. The only person who knew the truth is long gone, leaving Jenna to suffer under the burden alone.
And then she sees him. Tres is a face from her past, one who sets her heart racing for a number of reasons. Immediately Jenna's greatest fears are coming true and her life as she knows it is about to change.
From the offset I was just pleased in general with how Elizabeth writes. The dialogue and the problems were believable. When we often read these books the situations can get ridiculous but Seckman is a refreshing change. The opening between Jenna and her son immediately draws you in - giving you an understanding of the characters without laying out their biographies within the first page. Even the progression did not leap forward so fast that you wonder how fifteen years of issues disappeared to.
For a quick read that is definitely worth the paper it is written on, you should definitely check out Seckman.
Jenna has a secret, one she has held close to her heart for fifteen years. The only person who knew the truth is long gone, leaving Jenna to suffer under the burden alone.
And then she sees him. Tres is a face from her past, one who sets her heart racing for a number of reasons. Immediately Jenna's greatest fears are coming true and her life as she knows it is about to change.
From the offset I was just pleased in general with how Elizabeth writes. The dialogue and the problems were believable. When we often read these books the situations can get ridiculous but Seckman is a refreshing change. The opening between Jenna and her son immediately draws you in - giving you an understanding of the characters without laying out their biographies within the first page. Even the progression did not leap forward so fast that you wonder how fifteen years of issues disappeared to.
For a quick read that is definitely worth the paper it is written on, you should definitely check out Seckman.
July 2, 2012
This book seriously surprised me.
I am one of those people who will read anything. Whether I think I will like it or not I will at least give it a go.
Normally I enjoy reading romances because they are "fluffy"..."Easy Reads". So of course I thought this would be just like any other fluff book.
But once I started to read it it wasn't like the others I read. I didn't roll my eyes every single time the main character opened her mouth.
They had REAL problems and issues in there lives which drew me in.
The book had substance which is hard to find in most romance novels.
There were a few mistakes in and there in the printing which honestly isn't even a problem. I'm just one of those people who likes finding typo's.
Obviously I'm no grammar Nazi...if a story is good its good. Typo's or no typos.
I will definitively recommend this book and follow Elizabeth's books in the future. =)
I am one of those people who will read anything. Whether I think I will like it or not I will at least give it a go.
Normally I enjoy reading romances because they are "fluffy"..."Easy Reads". So of course I thought this would be just like any other fluff book.
But once I started to read it it wasn't like the others I read. I didn't roll my eyes every single time the main character opened her mouth.
They had REAL problems and issues in there lives which drew me in.
The book had substance which is hard to find in most romance novels.
There were a few mistakes in and there in the printing which honestly isn't even a problem. I'm just one of those people who likes finding typo's.
Obviously I'm no grammar Nazi...if a story is good its good. Typo's or no typos.
I will definitively recommend this book and follow Elizabeth's books in the future. =)
June 19, 2013
Love, love, love this story! Past Due was the first romance I've read in a long time that didn't put me to sleep. I enjoyed the little mysteries that unfolded at perfect pace. Page-by-page, I found myself cheering, crying, and fighting mad for Tres and Jenna.
I think we all have times where our minds drift back to loves of our past. We wonder, what if? Well, Jenna doesn't have to wonder because her long lost love, Tres has breezed into town. At first, his arrival has her angry and fearful. She thinks he's come to take from her. But Tres has no intention of stealing anything, except Jenna's heart. Once all the secrets of the past surface, hearts ache and tempers flare. Will Jenna be able to forgive herself for her horrible mistake, and will Tres be able to accept that she has robbed him of something he wants more than anything in the world? Order your copy to find out!
I think we all have times where our minds drift back to loves of our past. We wonder, what if? Well, Jenna doesn't have to wonder because her long lost love, Tres has breezed into town. At first, his arrival has her angry and fearful. She thinks he's come to take from her. But Tres has no intention of stealing anything, except Jenna's heart. Once all the secrets of the past surface, hearts ache and tempers flare. Will Jenna be able to forgive herself for her horrible mistake, and will Tres be able to accept that she has robbed him of something he wants more than anything in the world? Order your copy to find out!
March 30, 2013
Jenna is a proud woman. She’s a single mother and widow who’s doing her best to maintain her house and keep up with financial obligations, even though money is always tight. When she bumps into Tres Coulter, she lies to her son and tells him that she’s never met him before. Actually, he’s an old flame.
All these years Jenna has kept secrets regarding Tres, her deceased husband, and her son. Not wanting to bother people or look like someone who’s money hungry, she’s held onto these secrets. When these secrets start to surface, there’s a ripple effect that rocks her world and everyone else’s.
Jenna is a great character. I loved her spirit and high morals. The web of secrets surrounding her life was intriguing and I enjoyed the layers being peeled away, as well as everyone’s reactions to the truth coming out. The romance was sweet and tensions were high.
All these years Jenna has kept secrets regarding Tres, her deceased husband, and her son. Not wanting to bother people or look like someone who’s money hungry, she’s held onto these secrets. When these secrets start to surface, there’s a ripple effect that rocks her world and everyone else’s.
Jenna is a great character. I loved her spirit and high morals. The web of secrets surrounding her life was intriguing and I enjoyed the layers being peeled away, as well as everyone’s reactions to the truth coming out. The romance was sweet and tensions were high.
April 17, 2013
There are just so many things I love about this book. At each new revelation, each big plot point, I found myself wondering what could possibly happen next, and each time I was pleasantly surprised. I'm not usually a romance reader (things I read usually have an action/genre type twist to them) but I found Past Due to be just as quick paced as the other stories I read.
I especially loved the secondary characters, particularly Barbara and Maureen. These two ladies were so well developed and such key parts of the story.
Every character was flawed, to different degrees, which made me love them and feel for them all the more. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Seckman's work!
I especially loved the secondary characters, particularly Barbara and Maureen. These two ladies were so well developed and such key parts of the story.
Every character was flawed, to different degrees, which made me love them and feel for them all the more. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Seckman's work!
November 13, 2014
this was a sad book for me, the emotional complications caused a lot of issues with the main characters but the story itself seemed to concentrate on too many outside sources and wasn't very focused. i liked that the author tried to build more character plots with more than the couple it was based on and its a realistic issue that could easily happen in real life and i like that. its not coated in fakeness and fluff to make it a corny story like most romances. past due wasn't a bad read but wasn't one of my favorites.
November 27, 2012
Okay --- so adult romance is usually the last thing I go for on the shelf. And after reading this, I have NO IDEA WHY! I'm in love!
I read this in two days. It was GREAT! I seriously couldn't put it down. The story was intense and had me emotional during more than one scene. Such amazing characters with a plot so twisted you're never sure how it's all going to work out.
Seckman is brilliant! I can't wait to read more!
I read this in two days. It was GREAT! I seriously couldn't put it down. The story was intense and had me emotional during more than one scene. Such amazing characters with a plot so twisted you're never sure how it's all going to work out.
Seckman is brilliant! I can't wait to read more!
July 9, 2012
Though I don't usually read adult fiction, after finishing this one, I was satisfied. Seckman writes with an airy touch that brings the reader into the story. Her characters are full of life and her dialogue is fresh and honest. I didn't feel as though I was reading a book. I felt like I was sitting at a table with these characters, listening to them tell their stories with fervor.Nice job, Ms. Seckman.
December 30, 2012
I loved Past Due! Hello hot leading man, and it was such a page turner :) Elizabeth knows how to write killer romance! So much heat and chemistry.
I also loved that this story was about the importance of family. I cried more than once because of the wonderful way Elizabeth showed emotions. These characters will stay with me for a long time.
I'll be buying every single one of her books!
I also loved that this story was about the importance of family. I cried more than once because of the wonderful way Elizabeth showed emotions. These characters will stay with me for a long time.
I'll be buying every single one of her books!
August 17, 2012
Past Due is about misunderstanding, making wrong choices and undying love. It was a good read and the author did a good job with vivid descriptions of the landscape. Jenna was a strong character and raised her son while suffering financial hardship. She truly deserved her HEA.
July 30, 2012
Elizabeth Seckman is a dream to read! Her descriptions are so vivid, you can't help but be transported into the world of the characters, and the characters themselves are wonderful! Past Due is a must read for romance fans, so add it to your TBR list NOW! :D
January 20, 2013
Elizabeth Seckman has created a saga over just one weekend! Her descriptions are lush, and her characterisation is vivid and rounded. A great romance with lots of heart.
June 29, 2012
What a wonderful book! I loved every page. As a North Carolina girl, anything about the OBX warms my heart. Elizabeth Seckman did an amazing job. Well done.
July 17, 2012
Love this book! Read it twice and will read it again.
July 18, 2012
I posted this review on my blog! http://seekatyread.blogspot.com/2012/...
March 22, 2013
elizabeth outdid herself with this one! what an emotional tingle she puts in ever chapter. best one yet!
April 6, 2013
I really enjoyed this book.
June 19, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure that Elizabeth took me on in this book. I could not put it down once I started reading it. It had depth, it had humor, it had heartache, it had healing and it had love.
June 28, 2014
I got this book via ebook on Amazon off Elizabeth to read and review.
Jenna has a secret she has been keeping for years, the only other person who knows this secret is buried six feet under.
She's a single mum raising a child staying one step ahead of the bailiffs at all times.
Then Jenna bumps into someone after fifteen years of not seeing him.
Tres Coulther................What does he want?
Once Jenna has heard him out and listened she trusts him enough AND realises that she still loves him after all this time and tells him everything that happened over fifteen years , including the fact that he has a biological son aged fifteen.
Once she lets the secret out that's been haunting her for all this time Tres wants answers, but Jenna can't give him what he wants.
Once they start unwinding all the facts they discover it was down to family (her father, her deceased sister, his mother).
Tres decides he wants to be part of Tanners and Jennas life but will Jenna and her stubbornness allow him?
This is a book you have to read to find out.
Elizabeth has really shown the characters in this book.
She describes them to perfection...........their stubbornness, their giddiness and their over all character.
All in all I found this the best of Elizabeth's books although it may only have four stars (due to slow beginning) it's got to be her best yet.
BUT I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jenna has a secret she has been keeping for years, the only other person who knows this secret is buried six feet under.
She's a single mum raising a child staying one step ahead of the bailiffs at all times.
Then Jenna bumps into someone after fifteen years of not seeing him.
Tres Coulther................What does he want?
Once Jenna has heard him out and listened she trusts him enough AND realises that she still loves him after all this time and tells him everything that happened over fifteen years , including the fact that he has a biological son aged fifteen.
Once she lets the secret out that's been haunting her for all this time Tres wants answers, but Jenna can't give him what he wants.
Once they start unwinding all the facts they discover it was down to family (her father, her deceased sister, his mother).
Tres decides he wants to be part of Tanners and Jennas life but will Jenna and her stubbornness allow him?
This is a book you have to read to find out.
Elizabeth has really shown the characters in this book.
She describes them to perfection...........their stubbornness, their giddiness and their over all character.
All in all I found this the best of Elizabeth's books although it may only have four stars (due to slow beginning) it's got to be her best yet.
BUT I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 1, 2013
Unfortuately, this one ended up on the DNF pile.
I really wanted to like it since it takes place on one of my favorite places as well as my hometown. This sort of set me up for failure, unfortunately, since I kept being torn out of the story by what I call "Google Maps mistakes." When Jenna leaves the island, she talks of driving over the "Herbert C Bonner Bridge." Locals call it the Oregon Inlet bridge. Same goes with her description of downtown Norfolk. It's not really a "busy port city." Hmmm, kinda. But downtown not so much. And it's on the Elizabeth River, not the James, and... you get the point.
That was just the first straw. The second was the main character's name - I think it's supposed to be Trey, but for some reason, the author is giving it the French spelling of "Tres" and I kept saying "Trez" in my head.
The one that broke the camel was Jenna. God I wanted to smack her one. Was she strong independent woman? Or was she whimpering "he's going to hate me" woman? I also wasn't expecting all the exposition to come so quickly. I mean, barely at 40% on the Kindle and I knew both sides. I got to 50% and the main adversary, the mother, had already admitted her culpability.
When I realized I was skimming through it and only reading a few snippets of dialogue to track the story, I gave up and closed it.
I really wanted to like it since it takes place on one of my favorite places as well as my hometown. This sort of set me up for failure, unfortunately, since I kept being torn out of the story by what I call "Google Maps mistakes." When Jenna leaves the island, she talks of driving over the "Herbert C Bonner Bridge." Locals call it the Oregon Inlet bridge. Same goes with her description of downtown Norfolk. It's not really a "busy port city." Hmmm, kinda. But downtown not so much. And it's on the Elizabeth River, not the James, and... you get the point.
That was just the first straw. The second was the main character's name - I think it's supposed to be Trey, but for some reason, the author is giving it the French spelling of "Tres" and I kept saying "Trez" in my head.
The one that broke the camel was Jenna. God I wanted to smack her one. Was she strong independent woman? Or was she whimpering "he's going to hate me" woman? I also wasn't expecting all the exposition to come so quickly. I mean, barely at 40% on the Kindle and I knew both sides. I got to 50% and the main adversary, the mother, had already admitted her culpability.
When I realized I was skimming through it and only reading a few snippets of dialogue to track the story, I gave up and closed it.
March 15, 2015
I think I realised at the time that I was reading these books out of order (when I read book #2 ), but only when I started reading this one, and got further into the story, did I remember that book #2 has a reformed Craig, much nicer than the character we briefly week in book #1. I really loved book #2, and reading this first book in the series didn't disappoint at all either.
Poor old Tres Coulter is very misunderstood, and I felt sorry for him reading the parts where Jenna was being mean for him and breaking his heart over and over again. But Jenna is misunderstood too, and is under many wrong illusions. It was hard to figure out who to blame for the mess that Jenna's and Tres's lives had become - at first I was thinking we could put all the blame at Tres's mum's feet, but then it was revealed she didn't know Jenna was pregnant. So in a way she wasn't to blame either. It's very rare to read a book where no one character is to blame for the main drama. ;)
Anyway, it sure was a great relief when everything got sorted out in the end! And it was interesting seeing small glimpses of Craig Coulter back when he was a major jerk. ha.
Poor old Tres Coulter is very misunderstood, and I felt sorry for him reading the parts where Jenna was being mean for him and breaking his heart over and over again. But Jenna is misunderstood too, and is under many wrong illusions. It was hard to figure out who to blame for the mess that Jenna's and Tres's lives had become - at first I was thinking we could put all the blame at Tres's mum's feet, but then it was revealed she didn't know Jenna was pregnant. So in a way she wasn't to blame either. It's very rare to read a book where no one character is to blame for the main drama. ;)
Anyway, it sure was a great relief when everything got sorted out in the end! And it was interesting seeing small glimpses of Craig Coulter back when he was a major jerk. ha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2015
After reading book two of this series, followed by book four, I figured it was time to read the first one. (Yeah, I'm a rebel...)
I'm pleased to say I enjoyed this book as much as the other two. It's a somewhat classic story of star-crossed lovers, only it isn't so much a case of the stars getting in their way as it is their well-meaning family members, and their own self-doubts. In their defense, none of the family knew about the baby...
The father didn't even know. For fifteen years, this very-much-in-love couple are apart because of misunderstandings, assumptions, and the aforementioned well-meaning interference of their families.
Then they meet again. Unexpectedly. Then what...? More misunderstandings, assumptions, and near-tragedies before the truths come out, and the couple is given another chance to find their happily ever after. But is it too late for them?
You'll have to read it to find out. Me, I've already started reading book three. Now, if the author writes another book in this series, I'll be all caught up, and can proceed... and in the proper order. (What a concept!)
I'm pleased to say I enjoyed this book as much as the other two. It's a somewhat classic story of star-crossed lovers, only it isn't so much a case of the stars getting in their way as it is their well-meaning family members, and their own self-doubts. In their defense, none of the family knew about the baby...
The father didn't even know. For fifteen years, this very-much-in-love couple are apart because of misunderstandings, assumptions, and the aforementioned well-meaning interference of their families.
Then they meet again. Unexpectedly. Then what...? More misunderstandings, assumptions, and near-tragedies before the truths come out, and the couple is given another chance to find their happily ever after. But is it too late for them?
You'll have to read it to find out. Me, I've already started reading book three. Now, if the author writes another book in this series, I'll be all caught up, and can proceed... and in the proper order. (What a concept!)
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