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Forever and Always
When 17 year old Melanie O’Leary agreed to spend the summer with her Aunt Maggie in Boston, she was less than thrilled. But after an argument with her father, the trip gives her just the space she needs.
When she meets the handsome and very charming Sam Cooper, she loses her heart completely and utterly and then has it broken. Suddenly her life falls apart and is changed forever. Now she has to pick up the pieces and start again.
Seven years have passed and three weeks before her wedding to the dependable Simon Brennan, she comes face to face with the man who stole her heart and broke it. Now she must decide between her past and her future. But will a secret she is hiding find her having the choice made for her instead. Will she find the one who will love her.... Forever and Always.
When she meets the handsome and very charming Sam Cooper, she loses her heart completely and utterly and then has it broken. Suddenly her life falls apart and is changed forever. Now she has to pick up the pieces and start again.
Seven years have passed and three weeks before her wedding to the dependable Simon Brennan, she comes face to face with the man who stole her heart and broke it. Now she must decide between her past and her future. But will a secret she is hiding find her having the choice made for her instead. Will she find the one who will love her.... Forever and Always.
- GenresContemporary
Unknown Binding
First published December 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Beverley Hollowed
14 books268 followersMy name is Beverley, though most people call me Bev. I live in Dublin, Ireland with my husband, my two sons and my dog Alfie.
I released my first book, Forever and Always in December 2012. I have since released 10 more books, including two series.
I am stay at home mom and a full time writer.
I love music and almost anything creative, including designing all my own covers, knitting, crochet, sketching and Jewellery making.
I released my first book, Forever and Always in December 2012. I have since released 10 more books, including two series.
I am stay at home mom and a full time writer.
I love music and almost anything creative, including designing all my own covers, knitting, crochet, sketching and Jewellery making.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 21, 2013
This was a very cute, very touching story about all kinds of love. Most obviously, the love between a boy and a girl, which grows to be a love between a man and a woman. A lost love, a betrayed love.
The book also tells of the love between a father and a daughter, between best friends and the difference between loving somebody and being in love with somebody.
"Love is always complicated, my dear. But when you find the one, you must hold on with both hands and never let it slip away."
For me, I definitely enjoyed the second half of this book more than the first half. I struggled to believe in the younger Melanie and Sam. I don't know why, I just didn't feel their love at first sight story and wasn't convinced by them. However, when Melanie's life is thrown into utter turmoil, my feelings began to shift. Finally, when the story skipped forward seven years, I found the older characters much more believable, relatable and got drawn into the book completely. From then on, I was all in!
"What happened?"
"You did." She whispered, her eyes locking onto his. "You're making me fall for you, and I know I'm going to be hurt in the end."
Melanie's story is tragic and heart breaking. There were tears threatening to spill on more than one occasion. I also cried for Simon and Melanie. I found that aspect of the story so sad. A true example of how many lives are affected by the choices we make and also the choices our hearts make, that we have no control over.
"I tried staying away from you because I knew if I walked to you I would lose my heart forever."
The one thing that bothered me was the ease of which Sam and Melanie seemed to desert everybody around them. What Melanie's father did at the end of the book, although it was through love for his daughter, was, in my opinion, completely unforgivable and would have hurt so many people. I can't abide by that.
But... I was rooting for Sam and Melanie, so I had to put it aside momentarily in search of my HEA. And I got it. The epilogue was beautiful and the perfect ending to Sam and Melanie's tale.
"Melanie O'Leary" he said as he kissed her lips softly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, Sam Cooper." Melanie replied and smiled.
"Forever and always?" He asked.
"Forever and always." She replied.
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February 23, 2013
******Spoiler Alert******
Do not read this review if you don’t want to hear pretty much everything that happens in this novel.
Also, don’t read this review if you loved this book (which seems to be everyone else here) because you’ll probably track me down and hurt me.
What. The. Flying. Fuck. Did. I. Just. Read???
Is there some parallel universe with an alternative Ireland that I visited while reading this? I cannot have read the same book everyone else here read.
Melanie O’Leary has to be the stupidest, most ridiculous, most annoying, demented, pathetic, ISSUE AVOIDING romance novel heroine I have ever encountered.
Oh, and she cries. A LOT!
Did I mention that she was stupid? Yes, is the Queen, no, the Empress of the land of “Too Stupid To Live”. How did she turn out this way? Her parents seemed normal. Her friends were normal. Her grandmother was a little witchy, but she was only on for two paragraphs, so that can’t be it. And God knows Sam was PERFECT. I mean, seriously, not in the typical romance novel way. No, I mean that he didn’t have an unkind bone in his body, he essentially never screws up, he waits for her for seven years (celibate - schmuck!) and is essentially a doormat that takes any and all the shit that Melanie flings at him. Finally, towards the end, he gets a little backbone and leaves when he thinks she murdered their baby), but then finds out she was actually lying to him and hadn’t really killed the kid (who probably never made it past a centimeter in diameter), and took her back. He also had perfect blue eyes (this is why I could never be in a romance novel – because I have brown eyes – unless I was the villain, I suppose. All heroes must have blue eyes. PIERCING blue eyes. Also, I don’t put up with all the drama shit that goes on in this book in real life).
Besides the spoiler (about the dead zygote in case you missed it), here is some more of Melanie’s sheer annoyingness:
She loves her boyfriend Mike and he “loves” her. So he practically rapes her. Her father saves her ass. She’s mad at Alex (her father). The very next day she goes to see Mike again. He almost rapes her again. Alex punches Mike in the face and promises to kill him if he ever comes near her again, saving her ass yet again. Note to Melanie: People who love you don’t try to have sex with you against your will. She, naturally, and yet again, is beside herself with anger, which leads to…
Her father says something that could be construed as horrible (but wasn’t meant that way), so she ignores him for two weeks, crushing him. Then she says something horrible about he and her mother (it involves the word “fuck” as a verb) and it is so awful that he smacks her for the first time in her life (personally I would smacked her (metaphorically) many, many times previous to this event – you just don’t suddenly become like that at 17). She then completely ignores him, flies off to Boston, where she ignores every text and voicemail pleading for forgiveness for a MONTH, even though her mother and her aunt beg her to talk to him (OK, at this point I was thinking this girl was a real bitch, which is a word I have never used in over 200 reviews, but she’s pretty much irredeemable at this point). She even wants to forgive him and talk to him, but she just doesn’t know how to get over herself. Yeah, I would disown her and adopt a foster child (because I’ve done that in real life). Eventually she sends him one text asking for time. All the while he’s practically been driven to suicide with guilt and grief. Avoidance much?
She goes to Cape Cod, sulks for a week, and then meets Sam (the perfect one). They are madly in love and ready to spend their lives together in about 10 minutes (maybe they were secret werewolves and were mates). She’s so over Mike. They eat a lot of food, have a lot of sex, and it’s a great month. Until…
Melanie sees a girl with Sam and assumes THE WORST. He pleads with her to let him explain (he’s innocent). She totally ignores him, and flies back to Ireland that night. He texts her and calls her about 700 TIMES and she totally ignores him. She lapses into a clinical depression and is prescribed antidepressants. Naturally she doesn’t take them (because God forbid she might feel better) and loses a lot of weight, frightening her parents and friends, but she doesn’t care that she’s wasting away (possibly the first teenage girl in modern literature NOT happy that she’s lost weight). Finally, on her 18th birthday, she relents, texts Sam back, says they’ll talk after she has her birthday dinner…
And then something truly awful happens (seriously). This had to be one of the saddest twists I have ever read in a book about a teenager. That doesn’t get spoiled. Since she hasn’t texted back, he tries communicating with her another 700 TIMES, but she’s just not good enough for him now. Then she sees a picture of him and previous girl on the internet (he is innocent yet again) so she is totally pissed (angry, not drunk). He finally gives up (well, I would have), and they go 7 years without seeing each other….
Melanie is babysitting her friend’s 2-year old. He falls on his head (toddlers do that) and bleeds a lot (head wounds do that too) but Melanie uses the one common sense brain cell she possesses and rushes him to the hospital. The doctor walks in and …OMG…it’s SAM! Because what is the likelihood that he would leave his home in New York and go to Dublin to practice medicine, hoping for 7 years that he would bump into her (never actually looking for her on the internet or calling directory assistance of course)? Naturally they’ve never bumped into each other in all that time. And he’s been celibate (schmuck – Irish women are gorgeous!).They look at each other longingly, and then in walks Simon, another doctor in the hospital, Sam’s friend…and Melanie’s FIANCE! What a strange and unlikely coninkadink. Plus, they’re getting married in 3 weeks.
I’ll sum up the rest of it for you: she still loves him, he still loves her, they have a lot of sex behind Simon’s back, she screams to God a lot, they decide to run off together to Boston, she’s going to cancel her wedding…but she’s too chicken to tell Simon, or her mother, or well, anyone, so she gets her father to do it for her (see, there’s that who avoidance thing again). Then…by this point I was ready to commit suicide, but there was still another 20% of the book left, so I didn’t because I hate to leave things incomplete. Finally there is a deliriously wonderful HEA and everyone is happy as hell…except Simon.
OK, I really wanted Simon and Sam to wind up with each other and lock Melanie in the closet, because the streets of Dublin and Boston would be safer that way.
Don’t get me wrong…it would be easy to…this author can write. She’s talented. It’s just that the heroine is so freaking AWFUL that I wanted to eat my Kindle or something. Except I was totally engrossed in it and read it one afternoon!
I will now read a book about gay male werewolves, because Melanie has put me off women for a day or two.
Do not read this review if you don’t want to hear pretty much everything that happens in this novel.
Also, don’t read this review if you loved this book (which seems to be everyone else here) because you’ll probably track me down and hurt me.
What. The. Flying. Fuck. Did. I. Just. Read???
Is there some parallel universe with an alternative Ireland that I visited while reading this? I cannot have read the same book everyone else here read.
Melanie O’Leary has to be the stupidest, most ridiculous, most annoying, demented, pathetic, ISSUE AVOIDING romance novel heroine I have ever encountered.
Oh, and she cries. A LOT!
Did I mention that she was stupid? Yes, is the Queen, no, the Empress of the land of “Too Stupid To Live”. How did she turn out this way? Her parents seemed normal. Her friends were normal. Her grandmother was a little witchy, but she was only on for two paragraphs, so that can’t be it. And God knows Sam was PERFECT. I mean, seriously, not in the typical romance novel way. No, I mean that he didn’t have an unkind bone in his body, he essentially never screws up, he waits for her for seven years (celibate - schmuck!) and is essentially a doormat that takes any and all the shit that Melanie flings at him. Finally, towards the end, he gets a little backbone and leaves when he thinks she murdered their baby), but then finds out she was actually lying to him and hadn’t really killed the kid (who probably never made it past a centimeter in diameter), and took her back. He also had perfect blue eyes (this is why I could never be in a romance novel – because I have brown eyes – unless I was the villain, I suppose. All heroes must have blue eyes. PIERCING blue eyes. Also, I don’t put up with all the drama shit that goes on in this book in real life).
Besides the spoiler (about the dead zygote in case you missed it), here is some more of Melanie’s sheer annoyingness:
She loves her boyfriend Mike and he “loves” her. So he practically rapes her. Her father saves her ass. She’s mad at Alex (her father). The very next day she goes to see Mike again. He almost rapes her again. Alex punches Mike in the face and promises to kill him if he ever comes near her again, saving her ass yet again. Note to Melanie: People who love you don’t try to have sex with you against your will. She, naturally, and yet again, is beside herself with anger, which leads to…
Her father says something that could be construed as horrible (but wasn’t meant that way), so she ignores him for two weeks, crushing him. Then she says something horrible about he and her mother (it involves the word “fuck” as a verb) and it is so awful that he smacks her for the first time in her life (personally I would smacked her (metaphorically) many, many times previous to this event – you just don’t suddenly become like that at 17). She then completely ignores him, flies off to Boston, where she ignores every text and voicemail pleading for forgiveness for a MONTH, even though her mother and her aunt beg her to talk to him (OK, at this point I was thinking this girl was a real bitch, which is a word I have never used in over 200 reviews, but she’s pretty much irredeemable at this point). She even wants to forgive him and talk to him, but she just doesn’t know how to get over herself. Yeah, I would disown her and adopt a foster child (because I’ve done that in real life). Eventually she sends him one text asking for time. All the while he’s practically been driven to suicide with guilt and grief. Avoidance much?
She goes to Cape Cod, sulks for a week, and then meets Sam (the perfect one). They are madly in love and ready to spend their lives together in about 10 minutes (maybe they were secret werewolves and were mates). She’s so over Mike. They eat a lot of food, have a lot of sex, and it’s a great month. Until…
Melanie sees a girl with Sam and assumes THE WORST. He pleads with her to let him explain (he’s innocent). She totally ignores him, and flies back to Ireland that night. He texts her and calls her about 700 TIMES and she totally ignores him. She lapses into a clinical depression and is prescribed antidepressants. Naturally she doesn’t take them (because God forbid she might feel better) and loses a lot of weight, frightening her parents and friends, but she doesn’t care that she’s wasting away (possibly the first teenage girl in modern literature NOT happy that she’s lost weight). Finally, on her 18th birthday, she relents, texts Sam back, says they’ll talk after she has her birthday dinner…
And then something truly awful happens (seriously). This had to be one of the saddest twists I have ever read in a book about a teenager. That doesn’t get spoiled. Since she hasn’t texted back, he tries communicating with her another 700 TIMES, but she’s just not good enough for him now. Then she sees a picture of him and previous girl on the internet (he is innocent yet again) so she is totally pissed (angry, not drunk). He finally gives up (well, I would have), and they go 7 years without seeing each other….
Melanie is babysitting her friend’s 2-year old. He falls on his head (toddlers do that) and bleeds a lot (head wounds do that too) but Melanie uses the one common sense brain cell she possesses and rushes him to the hospital. The doctor walks in and …OMG…it’s SAM! Because what is the likelihood that he would leave his home in New York and go to Dublin to practice medicine, hoping for 7 years that he would bump into her (never actually looking for her on the internet or calling directory assistance of course)? Naturally they’ve never bumped into each other in all that time. And he’s been celibate (schmuck – Irish women are gorgeous!).They look at each other longingly, and then in walks Simon, another doctor in the hospital, Sam’s friend…and Melanie’s FIANCE! What a strange and unlikely coninkadink. Plus, they’re getting married in 3 weeks.
I’ll sum up the rest of it for you: she still loves him, he still loves her, they have a lot of sex behind Simon’s back, she screams to God a lot, they decide to run off together to Boston, she’s going to cancel her wedding…but she’s too chicken to tell Simon, or her mother, or well, anyone, so she gets her father to do it for her (see, there’s that who avoidance thing again). Then…by this point I was ready to commit suicide, but there was still another 20% of the book left, so I didn’t because I hate to leave things incomplete. Finally there is a deliriously wonderful HEA and everyone is happy as hell…except Simon.
OK, I really wanted Simon and Sam to wind up with each other and lock Melanie in the closet, because the streets of Dublin and Boston would be safer that way.
Don’t get me wrong…it would be easy to…this author can write. She’s talented. It’s just that the heroine is so freaking AWFUL that I wanted to eat my Kindle or something. Except I was totally engrossed in it and read it one afternoon!
I will now read a book about gay male werewolves, because Melanie has put me off women for a day or two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2012
5 STARS for Beverley Hollowed for such a beautifully composed piece of writing. This story had me gripped from the start and was so touching and powerful that i felt the joys & the pain of the two main charactors, Melanie & Sam. Their emotional journey to be with each other against all the odds moved me to tears. A must read for any book lover but make sure you have the tissues handy :)
February 26, 2013
What a truly touching book that will remain with me for a LONG time! Beverley Hollowed is an amazing writer that makes you feel what the characters are going through. I felt like I was right there with them. It was also such a different kind of story than what is typically out there these days, which made me so happy to see. This story broke my heart, made me laugh, made me cry, made me smile, and, when it was over, sigh with happiness. Even the secondary characters were amazingly written. I LOVED Forever and Always and would highly recommend it to everyone! Well done Beverley, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you and will be eagerly awaiting your next book!
January 1, 2013
When Melanie meets the handsome and very charming Sam, she loses her heart and so will you. I almost guarantee it! Forever and Always is a powerful story about the past, present and future and I want to say that it was beautifully written. I was drinking up every sentence and absorbing it for my own writing. The way she writes, it just pulls you into the story and you lose yourself instantly. I loved everything about it. And it has everything - a little steam, a little drama, and most of all it's laced with love and understanding. I loved, absolutely loved, this book. Read it!
December 19, 2012
This novel was so emotional and yet very beautiful to read. I loved that Sam knew right away he was in love with Melanie. I adored that even though bad things happened, they were reunited again and everything worked out for the better. It truly was an emotional read. I wish the epilogue had a bit more clarity though.
January 10, 2013
I have read a lot of books in this genre, but I can say without a doubt that Forever and Always one of the best books in this genre. The book is very well-written and the characters very realistic and lovely :) I can only say positiv things about Forever and Always :)
March 19, 2013
This is the first full length romance novel I've read in over a decade. No lie. When I was in college I read romance novels by the truckload...then I got a computer and I stopped reading that much altogether. Travesty. So I'm glad to be back in the swing of things. That said, I am now reminded both why I love romance novels and why they make me absolutely cray cray! This book pretty much goes as follows:
Reader meets girl.
Oh the drama! The teen angst! The overprotective parents! The arguments! The misunderstandings! The world travel!
Boy meets girl.
The States! The burgeoning emotions! The excitement! The elation! The nerves! The trembling! The deflowering! The innocence lost! The promises! The lurve! The beach!
Boy loses girl.
The heartbreak! The sobbing! The world travel! The Emerald Isle! The major health crisis! The adult angst! The weight loss! The grief! The panick attacks!
Boy tries to get girl back.
The love triangle! The nosy friends! The yummysweatymonkeylovin'! The self-hatred! The lies! The meddling loved ones! The drinking! The further weight loss! The dresses! The promises! The broken promises! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The last leg of world travel! The States!
Boy gets girl back.
Happily ever after. I think. Is there another shoe somewhere? Cuz my heart can't take anymore. Watch the sky!
It's an absolute emotional roller coaster, my friends. A big ole sappy, gooey, angsty, heartbreaking emotional roller coaster. If you love that sort of thing, THIS IS YOUR BOOK! Admittedly, I like a big dose of realism with my romance (i.e. - I don't believe for one second that *SPOILER ALERT* ANY man would be celibate for seven years while he pines away for his first love, Miss Beverley...boys just aren't wired that way...just sayin'), but this book sucked me in and the author did it with the lovely relationship she set up at the front between Melanie, our 17 year old heroine (when we first meet her) and her father Alex, who is hopelessly, charmingly besotted with his daughter.
Melanie in the first half of the book is a bit of a petulant brat. But she's a teenager, so of course she is. In the second half of the book, she is a 24 year old adult but severely broken, with more than one excellent reason. But she's managed to move on with her life and put it back together, albeit with not much more than Scotch tape at best.
Sam Cooper, our hero, is of course uber-gorge and whipped from minute one. I kinda liked that, since everything on the market right now is all about men who treat women like shit and somehow get away with it (what the hell is wrong with us, ladies? Cheezandcrackers.). He is also endlessly patient not just with teenage Melanie but with adult Melanie, long past the point where a good man actually should be. I had more than one "Moonstruck" moment while reading where I wanted to slap Melanie and scream "Snap out of it!" -- I can only imagine that if Sam was real he may have wanted to, also. But Mel's cootch must've had super powers!
Two things saved Melanie for me:
1) Her dad finally calls her on her shit. Dear God, someone had to. (And then he meddles in her love life to a degree that is grossly inappropriate and absolutely aaaaaawwwww all at the same time, making me wish my dad would have cajones that size in regard to my happiness if ever I needed him to.)
2) Beverley writes the blossoming love story between Melanie and Sam so sweetly and tenderly as well as Sam's conviction that there is no one else for him so unshakably that I couldn't help but root for them, no matter how star-crossed the pair was and how woe-is-me Melanie got (and again I feel compelled to mention that she does have good reason). Did I believe how desperately they loved each other? Abso-fuckin-lutely. And that's the most important thing to me.
Last note is that I was impressed with Beverley's through line with the story - many tiny little details seemed meticulously thought out, and no call back missed, which is no small feat when you have a seven year time jump in the middle of the book. I also offer kudos in how she wrote Sam and Melanie as a young couple and then how she wrote them seven years later...both were entirely believable at their given ages in both time frames of the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed Forever and Always and I highly recommend it to anyone who is all about the romance. The reason it gets a four out of five is because I know what she's got coming up the bend and I have a feeling I'm gonna need the wiggle room!
Rating: 4 smooches (out of 5)
And now, if you'll excuse me...I have to go call my daddy...
Reader meets girl.
Oh the drama! The teen angst! The overprotective parents! The arguments! The misunderstandings! The world travel!
Boy meets girl.
The States! The burgeoning emotions! The excitement! The elation! The nerves! The trembling! The deflowering! The innocence lost! The promises! The lurve! The beach!
Boy loses girl.
The heartbreak! The sobbing! The world travel! The Emerald Isle! The major health crisis! The adult angst! The weight loss! The grief! The panick attacks!
Boy tries to get girl back.
The love triangle! The nosy friends! The yummysweatymonkeylovin'! The self-hatred! The lies! The meddling loved ones! The drinking! The further weight loss! The dresses! The promises! The broken promises! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The misunderstandings! The flip-flopping! The last leg of world travel! The States!
Boy gets girl back.
Happily ever after. I think. Is there another shoe somewhere? Cuz my heart can't take anymore. Watch the sky!
It's an absolute emotional roller coaster, my friends. A big ole sappy, gooey, angsty, heartbreaking emotional roller coaster. If you love that sort of thing, THIS IS YOUR BOOK! Admittedly, I like a big dose of realism with my romance (i.e. - I don't believe for one second that *SPOILER ALERT* ANY man would be celibate for seven years while he pines away for his first love, Miss Beverley...boys just aren't wired that way...just sayin'), but this book sucked me in and the author did it with the lovely relationship she set up at the front between Melanie, our 17 year old heroine (when we first meet her) and her father Alex, who is hopelessly, charmingly besotted with his daughter.
Melanie in the first half of the book is a bit of a petulant brat. But she's a teenager, so of course she is. In the second half of the book, she is a 24 year old adult but severely broken, with more than one excellent reason. But she's managed to move on with her life and put it back together, albeit with not much more than Scotch tape at best.
Sam Cooper, our hero, is of course uber-gorge and whipped from minute one. I kinda liked that, since everything on the market right now is all about men who treat women like shit and somehow get away with it (what the hell is wrong with us, ladies? Cheezandcrackers.). He is also endlessly patient not just with teenage Melanie but with adult Melanie, long past the point where a good man actually should be. I had more than one "Moonstruck" moment while reading where I wanted to slap Melanie and scream "Snap out of it!" -- I can only imagine that if Sam was real he may have wanted to, also. But Mel's cootch must've had super powers!
Two things saved Melanie for me:
1) Her dad finally calls her on her shit. Dear God, someone had to. (And then he meddles in her love life to a degree that is grossly inappropriate and absolutely aaaaaawwwww all at the same time, making me wish my dad would have cajones that size in regard to my happiness if ever I needed him to.)
2) Beverley writes the blossoming love story between Melanie and Sam so sweetly and tenderly as well as Sam's conviction that there is no one else for him so unshakably that I couldn't help but root for them, no matter how star-crossed the pair was and how woe-is-me Melanie got (and again I feel compelled to mention that she does have good reason). Did I believe how desperately they loved each other? Abso-fuckin-lutely. And that's the most important thing to me.
Last note is that I was impressed with Beverley's through line with the story - many tiny little details seemed meticulously thought out, and no call back missed, which is no small feat when you have a seven year time jump in the middle of the book. I also offer kudos in how she wrote Sam and Melanie as a young couple and then how she wrote them seven years later...both were entirely believable at their given ages in both time frames of the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed Forever and Always and I highly recommend it to anyone who is all about the romance. The reason it gets a four out of five is because I know what she's got coming up the bend and I have a feeling I'm gonna need the wiggle room!
Rating: 4 smooches (out of 5)
And now, if you'll excuse me...I have to go call my daddy...
June 10, 2014
I purchased this book back in 2013, along with hundreds more, lol.
But I have already read all of Beverley's books, and not sure how I skipped this one, so I went back to it. I am so ever glad I did. It was great. I loved all the charcters, the plot, the beginning, the middle, and the end.
But my favorite of it all was SAM. OHH EMMM GEEE, I love me some SAM!!
By the way Bev, I told him you said hi :)
Alex and Sarah were great best friends, lovers, and parents, but Alex was fricken AWESOME. I just loved him. He was perfect throughout the whole book.
So glad Mel went to stay with Maggi, if not, then things would have been way different.
I HATED the the evil B!&$^ C. She caused 7 years of lonely, in my eyes.
It just took to damn long for them to re-connect, with Mel being so damn stubborn,lol
But that awesome Sam was one determining hell of a guy!
I hated what Mel had to go through when she came back from the states alone, it was horrible. She should have gave in at that point.
I know I am all over the place with this review but that is how my brain is after reading this book, lol.
Simon was also a good guy, not for Mel, for any other woman, cause he loved hard, but Mel couldn't give it back to him that way, her heart was already taken. But I am so glad he filled Sam in on everything, without all the fighting. That is a real man.
And what she found behind the fence when she went back at the end was like OMG-heart-stopping. Just lost for words. Goes to show you how awesome Sam is. O did I also say how H-O-T he is, and knows how to take care of his woman? Sorry, I forgot to mention that, lol. But ummmm, yeah, he is allllll that plus some!!!!
And then the very very end with what they walked through the doors with was just great, a wonderful way to end a lovely story. So thank you Beverley for a great book. Absolutely loved it.
Please don't hate me people for all the things I left out, it was for a reason. I don't like giving away everything, cause it's best if you read it. :)
But I have already read all of Beverley's books, and not sure how I skipped this one, so I went back to it. I am so ever glad I did. It was great. I loved all the charcters, the plot, the beginning, the middle, and the end.
But my favorite of it all was SAM. OHH EMMM GEEE, I love me some SAM!!
By the way Bev, I told him you said hi :)
Alex and Sarah were great best friends, lovers, and parents, but Alex was fricken AWESOME. I just loved him. He was perfect throughout the whole book.
So glad Mel went to stay with Maggi, if not, then things would have been way different.
I HATED the the evil B!&$^ C. She caused 7 years of lonely, in my eyes.
It just took to damn long for them to re-connect, with Mel being so damn stubborn,lol
But that awesome Sam was one determining hell of a guy!
I hated what Mel had to go through when she came back from the states alone, it was horrible. She should have gave in at that point.
I know I am all over the place with this review but that is how my brain is after reading this book, lol.
Simon was also a good guy, not for Mel, for any other woman, cause he loved hard, but Mel couldn't give it back to him that way, her heart was already taken. But I am so glad he filled Sam in on everything, without all the fighting. That is a real man.
And what she found behind the fence when she went back at the end was like OMG-heart-stopping. Just lost for words. Goes to show you how awesome Sam is. O did I also say how H-O-T he is, and knows how to take care of his woman? Sorry, I forgot to mention that, lol. But ummmm, yeah, he is allllll that plus some!!!!
And then the very very end with what they walked through the doors with was just great, a wonderful way to end a lovely story. So thank you Beverley for a great book. Absolutely loved it.
Please don't hate me people for all the things I left out, it was for a reason. I don't like giving away everything, cause it's best if you read it. :)
February 26, 2013
5 out of 5 heart warming stars
Reviewed by M.Leigh
This was a beautifully written story about young love that starts out magical and carefree, but is faced with some hard knocks dealt by misunderstandings and life in general.
This book pulls you in from the very beginning. You fall in love with every single character in this story (especially Sam Cooper <3) and become so emotionally invested in the welfare and outcome of the main characters lives. You smile, laugh, swoon, cry, and smile again right along with all of the characters. This is how it should be with every book you read. Your heart breaks over the misunderstandings, and then your heart rejoices at the resolutions. The chemistry between not only the main characters, but also the supporting characters is what makes this story flow so smoothly and beautifully, and is also what makes it so relatable. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t get enough.
This was the first book I’ve read by the talented Beverly Hollowed, but after reading this work of art, I can’t wait to read more of her work. You will not be disappointed after reading Forever and Always.
Reviewed by M.Leigh
This was a beautifully written story about young love that starts out magical and carefree, but is faced with some hard knocks dealt by misunderstandings and life in general.
This book pulls you in from the very beginning. You fall in love with every single character in this story (especially Sam Cooper <3) and become so emotionally invested in the welfare and outcome of the main characters lives. You smile, laugh, swoon, cry, and smile again right along with all of the characters. This is how it should be with every book you read. Your heart breaks over the misunderstandings, and then your heart rejoices at the resolutions. The chemistry between not only the main characters, but also the supporting characters is what makes this story flow so smoothly and beautifully, and is also what makes it so relatable. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t get enough.
This was the first book I’ve read by the talented Beverly Hollowed, but after reading this work of art, I can’t wait to read more of her work. You will not be disappointed after reading Forever and Always.
March 3, 2013
What can I say about Forever and Always? First of this is how a romance novel is written, it's filled will love,angst,jealousy and forgiveness.
I'll start off with a little snippet, Melanie is heartbroken by someone, I won't tell you who, she leaves to go and stay with an Aunt overseas. She meets Sam Cooper, he is sweet,sexy and determined to mend Melanie's heart. Their relationship blossoms and it is truly beautiful to read. A heartbreaking event sends their relationship into turmoil, I won't spoil it. Can they move past it all and be together.
What I loved about this book.
It's a beautifully well written novel, the way the author writes you will be drawn into the book,the characters are well developed and I truly didn't want this book to end :( I was teary when it did.
I will be recommending this book to everyone, I can not wait to read more books by Beverley :)
It's in my top 5 of 2013 so far!
I'll start off with a little snippet, Melanie is heartbroken by someone, I won't tell you who, she leaves to go and stay with an Aunt overseas. She meets Sam Cooper, he is sweet,sexy and determined to mend Melanie's heart. Their relationship blossoms and it is truly beautiful to read. A heartbreaking event sends their relationship into turmoil, I won't spoil it. Can they move past it all and be together.
What I loved about this book.
It's a beautifully well written novel, the way the author writes you will be drawn into the book,the characters are well developed and I truly didn't want this book to end :( I was teary when it did.
I will be recommending this book to everyone, I can not wait to read more books by Beverley :)
It's in my top 5 of 2013 so far!
March 5, 2013
loved it I cried, at there sadness.... This book has everything rolled into one.... I Loved It! A Must Read deffo a rollercoaster ride but i am glad it all turned out great in the end i loved sam and knew he loved her from the start i was screaming near the end of the book thinking she would never tell him the truth but it ened all good very well done beverley hollowed really enjoyed it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2013
This has to be one of my most favourite reads. This book has so many ups and downs it's an emotional rollercoaster. Mel is such a strong willed person and that totally shows throughout! The father-daughter relationship between Alex and Mel really touched me, how close they were etc! loved this book!
January 7, 2013
An emotional story of first love & losing your first love. The heartbreaking part was Mel's dilemma when returning to the states & that did get me. A great story, although some parts I felt was slightly rushed or predictable but overall a good story. 3 & a half stars ***
January 9, 2013
Wow! This was an emotional read, I really didn't see the twist coming.
January 9, 2013
Absolutely loved this book. Had a rollercoaster of emotions while reading it and couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more books from Beverley Hollowed.
January 27, 2013
I cried, I laughed and their was sadness.... This book has everything rolled into one.... I Loved It! A Must Read
March 12, 2013
What a pleasant surprise.....really liked this book even though I felt like Melanie could get irritating at times
January 6, 2014
This was the first book I ever read of Beverley holloweds and wow I laughed and I cried would recommend to everyone
February 27, 2013
Loved this book!! It ripped my heart apart and then slowly put it back.
April 13, 2013
Actual rating 4.5 stars
I would give this a 5 star rating but the grammatical errors & mispelled words were distracting to say the least.
At first I thought I was gonna hate Melanie since she cries and whines a lot but I don't and it's because I get her.
I love the supporting characters especially Alex.
This story struck too close to home for me and I'm happy Sam & Mel got to have their HEA.
Life is anything you make out of it.
I would give this a 5 star rating but the grammatical errors & mispelled words were distracting to say the least.
At first I thought I was gonna hate Melanie since she cries and whines a lot but I don't and it's because I get her.
I love the supporting characters especially Alex.
This story struck too close to home for me and I'm happy Sam & Mel got to have their HEA.
Life is anything you make out of it.
January 29, 2014
This was my first Beverly Hollowed read!
I read this book quite some time ago, and having refreshed my memory I remembered that I really loved this story!
I think I need to re-read this before I can give it any kind of review!
I read this book quite some time ago, and having refreshed my memory I remembered that I really loved this story!
I think I need to re-read this before I can give it any kind of review!
May 11, 2016
Forever and Always......
I had this book for a while now and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. This was such a great love story between Sam and Melanie. My heart broke for them and healed for them. What an awesome ending to their forever and always!
I had this book for a while now and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. This was such a great love story between Sam and Melanie. My heart broke for them and healed for them. What an awesome ending to their forever and always!
September 27, 2013
omg! i knew it I knew it! The whole synopsis screamed boring and blah! but still i had hope for something great...... but what a waste of time!!
June 19, 2014
See other review on Forever and Always.
January 22, 2016
Great read
Couldn't put it down well done Beverley. I look forward to the next read. Please Keep up the good work
Couldn't put it down well done Beverley. I look forward to the next read. Please Keep up the good work
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