What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forever Factor
Is it truly better to have loved and lost? Bethany Cahill says nope. Eleven years ago, her fellow cheerleader Reid Thatcher held her heart in her hand...and crushed it like a bug. Since then, Bethany avoids risk, reward, and anything romantic on TV. Just, no. When a new patient walks into her office, she’s catapulted into the past and staring into Reid’s eyes, who is still annoyingly stunning. Forgiveness doesn’t come easy, and Bethany isn’t about to let Reid in. Not after all she took.
Reid never understood why Bethany ran from her all those years ago, but no kiss since has ever been as satisfying as Bethany’s lips on hers. Orchestrating a run-in was the best idea she’s ever had, and Reid plans to get to the bottom of Bethany’s silence, a mystery she can’t let drop. But she hadn’t planned on the reckoning in store when she learns the truth.
When Bethany and Reid confront their past, they give new meaning to letting go, forgiveness, and a future worth fighting for.
Reid never understood why Bethany ran from her all those years ago, but no kiss since has ever been as satisfying as Bethany’s lips on hers. Orchestrating a run-in was the best idea she’s ever had, and Reid plans to get to the bottom of Bethany’s silence, a mystery she can’t let drop. But she hadn’t planned on the reckoning in store when she learns the truth.
When Bethany and Reid confront their past, they give new meaning to letting go, forgiveness, and a future worth fighting for.
Audible Audio
First published November 1, 2022
70 people are currently reading
1943 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Brayden
32 books2,756 followersMelissa Brayden is the multi-award winning author of more than twenty-five sapphic romance novels and is hard at work on more. She is a wine enthusiast, a fan of all donuts, and is probably staring off into space as you're reading this. You can find her at www.melissabrayden.com and on most social media sites.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
October 21, 2022
A second chance.
This second chance romance wasn't uninteresting and it didn't take much to finish it. In fact, I thought what the characters had between them was sweet, save for the break up the first time round, but the story just wasn't my favourite.
This is a second chance romance where the couple got together and split in high school and found their way back to each other in adulthood. To be exact, Reid found Beth out of the blue and pursued a reunion. I felt Beth gave in way too easily for two people who had practically been strangers in the last 10 years or more. Even after they get reintroduced, they never even had the chance to communicate the most basic facts about their lives before they started making moves on each other. And I didn't really like that even though they did discover things about each other spontanously along the way.
My other issue was the multiple flashbacks that come in between the main story. I'm generally okay with flashbacks but this also meant that we had to wait to find out why Reid and Beth broke up the first time round because adult versions of them just kept avoiding talking about it.
Melissa Brayden is one of my favourite authors so I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't like this one better. Maybe the next one...
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This second chance romance wasn't uninteresting and it didn't take much to finish it. In fact, I thought what the characters had between them was sweet, save for the break up the first time round, but the story just wasn't my favourite.
This is a second chance romance where the couple got together and split in high school and found their way back to each other in adulthood. To be exact, Reid found Beth out of the blue and pursued a reunion. I felt Beth gave in way too easily for two people who had practically been strangers in the last 10 years or more. Even after they get reintroduced, they never even had the chance to communicate the most basic facts about their lives before they started making moves on each other. And I didn't really like that even though they did discover things about each other spontanously along the way.
My other issue was the multiple flashbacks that come in between the main story. I'm generally okay with flashbacks but this also meant that we had to wait to find out why Reid and Beth broke up the first time round because adult versions of them just kept avoiding talking about it.
Melissa Brayden is one of my favourite authors so I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't like this one better. Maybe the next one...
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2022
Melissa Brayden's books will always be an automatic read for me, not only because they are some of my favorites but because she writes banter better than anyone in sapphic romance. Second chance romances are one of the genres I gravitate towards the most and this one was a really enjoyable read. Bethany and Reid fell in love their senior year of high school and thought they would always be together but it wasn't meant to be. Fast forward eleven years and the two find themselves running into each other, literally, at the grocery store. Forgiveness isn't easy but what choice do you have when your forever keeps showing up.
I really liked how Melissa wrote this alternating between then and now. Flashbacks don't always work for me but I can't imagine this one being written any other way. The then was a very good YA story of first love and the mistakes that are made when fears get in the way. And the now is an adult romance between two women who had lived their lives always looking back to that first love that they have never been able to duplicate.
Melissa Brayden never fails to impress. I read this one in a day and had a smile on my face throughout. Bethany and Reid were always meant for each other, even if the forever took a little longer than they expected. An easy read filled with the snappy banter and heartfelt longing that Melissa writes so effortlessly.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
I really liked how Melissa wrote this alternating between then and now. Flashbacks don't always work for me but I can't imagine this one being written any other way. The then was a very good YA story of first love and the mistakes that are made when fears get in the way. And the now is an adult romance between two women who had lived their lives always looking back to that first love that they have never been able to duplicate.
Melissa Brayden never fails to impress. I read this one in a day and had a smile on my face throughout. Bethany and Reid were always meant for each other, even if the forever took a little longer than they expected. An easy read filled with the snappy banter and heartfelt longing that Melissa writes so effortlessly.
An ARC was received from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley for an honest review.
November 4, 2022
3.5 stars. This was once again an easily recognizable Brayden book although there was one element slightly different, a large part of this book is actually a YA book. This is a second chance romance that shows their first romance in high school as flashbacks. I’m generally not a fan of flashbacks, but here I found myself looking forward to reading the flashbacks.
The YA part has everything I look for in a YA book, two teens discovering themselves, being flawed and insecure and a whole lot angsty. One is the popular girl and the other is the new girl who’s not really an outsider but also does not entirely belong. They are cute together and I liked how naturally their romance develops, and of course there is also plenty of meanness going on like only teenagers seem capable of doing.
How much I liked the YA story is probably also the reason why this was not a five-star book for me. I kept wishing for this to be a YA/NA story without the “now”. I could not very well connect to the story in the now. A lot is left mysterious due to things that happened in the past which are told in the backstory, but strangely enough I found the now story rather predictable and it felt as if their romance in the now skipped some steps. Because of this the now story lacked depth for me.
Something that surprised me in the writing style is that the book starts with the typical banter Brayden is known for, including all the witty quips of which I’m not necessarily the biggest fan, but in the flashbacks, there is still some banter but it is toned down and to me it is a more believable style, I really liked that. As you see, I’m advocating for Brayden to write a full YA/NA book in the future.
An interesting mix of YA and adult romance with plenty of angst, it had some bumps for me, but I enjoyed most of it and I think many will too.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The YA part has everything I look for in a YA book, two teens discovering themselves, being flawed and insecure and a whole lot angsty. One is the popular girl and the other is the new girl who’s not really an outsider but also does not entirely belong. They are cute together and I liked how naturally their romance develops, and of course there is also plenty of meanness going on like only teenagers seem capable of doing.
How much I liked the YA story is probably also the reason why this was not a five-star book for me. I kept wishing for this to be a YA/NA story without the “now”. I could not very well connect to the story in the now. A lot is left mysterious due to things that happened in the past which are told in the backstory, but strangely enough I found the now story rather predictable and it felt as if their romance in the now skipped some steps. Because of this the now story lacked depth for me.
Something that surprised me in the writing style is that the book starts with the typical banter Brayden is known for, including all the witty quips of which I’m not necessarily the biggest fan, but in the flashbacks, there is still some banter but it is toned down and to me it is a more believable style, I really liked that. As you see, I’m advocating for Brayden to write a full YA/NA book in the future.
An interesting mix of YA and adult romance with plenty of angst, it had some bumps for me, but I enjoyed most of it and I think many will too.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2022
It's been a while since I enjoyed a Melissa Brayden book this much if I'm gonna be totally honest.
The Forever Factor follows two used-to-be lovers from high school reconnecting ten years later, both with their own intricate pasts and two broken hearts that have never fully healed.
Reid and Bethany are both charming in their own right and I immediately loved them together and individually. Loved the background characters, specifically, Mason, Thea, Victoria, and Bethany's dad. Really wished they made more appearances but they kind of just faded into the background.
The plot is cute, the author put her own spin on a cliche which was refreshing from her last couple of books.
I've never been a fan of flashbacks but in this book, I looked forward to them. Probably due to the amazing writing and structure of the book.
Overall, really enjoyed it, wished it was longer, definitely recommend it.
The Forever Factor follows two used-to-be lovers from high school reconnecting ten years later, both with their own intricate pasts and two broken hearts that have never fully healed.
Reid and Bethany are both charming in their own right and I immediately loved them together and individually. Loved the background characters, specifically, Mason, Thea, Victoria, and Bethany's dad. Really wished they made more appearances but they kind of just faded into the background.
The plot is cute, the author put her own spin on a cliche which was refreshing from her last couple of books.
I've never been a fan of flashbacks but in this book, I looked forward to them. Probably due to the amazing writing and structure of the book.
Overall, really enjoyed it, wished it was longer, definitely recommend it.
November 7, 2022
As soon as I saw that Melissa Brayden was writing a second-chance romance I knew I had to read it. Second-chance is one of my favorite tropes and Brayden is one of my favorite authors over all so I didn’t figure I could go wrong.
Bethany and Reid were high-school loves and haven’t seen one another in eleven years when they unexpectedly run into each other. This alternates timelines between their senior year when they meet and begin their friendship which then evolves into a secret relationship and their reintroduction to one another.
I really loved the YA version of the story and found that fun and interesting. However, I wasn’t as sold on the current storyline. While I liked them and loved their history as it unfolded, I felt that they really didn’t get to know one another as adults. It seemed like they depended on their feelings from their teen years and it didn’t make sense to me how quickly they got back together. I would’ve liked had this been a little longer and developed their adult emotional connection a bit more. They do talk and reconnect but a lot of it happens off page but it wasn’t enough to buy their feelings after so much time apart.
Even with that, I still enjoyed this a lot and would recommend it. This is in typical Brayden fashion where there’s a lot of heart and banter. Not only between the main characters but between them and the people in their lives as well.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bethany and Reid were high-school loves and haven’t seen one another in eleven years when they unexpectedly run into each other. This alternates timelines between their senior year when they meet and begin their friendship which then evolves into a secret relationship and their reintroduction to one another.
I really loved the YA version of the story and found that fun and interesting. However, I wasn’t as sold on the current storyline. While I liked them and loved their history as it unfolded, I felt that they really didn’t get to know one another as adults. It seemed like they depended on their feelings from their teen years and it didn’t make sense to me how quickly they got back together. I would’ve liked had this been a little longer and developed their adult emotional connection a bit more. They do talk and reconnect but a lot of it happens off page but it wasn’t enough to buy their feelings after so much time apart.
Even with that, I still enjoyed this a lot and would recommend it. This is in typical Brayden fashion where there’s a lot of heart and banter. Not only between the main characters but between them and the people in their lives as well.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2022
Bethany and Reid were high school sweethearts, each other’s first love, and their relationship at the time felt much deeper and stronger than teenage lust and first love, even if that’s also what it was. They were kids though and dealt with problems in very teenagery ways: badly. When they literally bump into each other again eleven years later, they’re both obviously different people but the connexion and attraction are the same.
I have a lot of feelings about this book, not all good I’m afraid. It feels like a missed opportunity, the story could have easily been a 5⭐️. I’m not sure what happened but some chapters flow easily while in others, the writing feels choppy, clunky. As if the chapters in which Reid and Bethany are teenagers were complete and some of the ones with them as adults were left hanging, whether at the writing stage or in editing.
Don’t let that stop you from reading, though. The “then” chapters are excellent and gave me all the feels. The “now” ones aren’t perfect but they have that Brayden quality of story and the same wonderfully flawed and lovely characters. Through lessons learned, life experience and unexpected detours, the author gives MCs and secondary characters alike substance and depth and a few issues in the writing can’t ruin that.
I noticed some reviewers called this a YA book, but I really don’t think it is. Sure, the characters are teens for part of the story but it wasn’t written for teenagers, and even though it’s very well-written, with all the sensitivity I felt was needed, it’s still adult literature in my eyes. And not only because of how hot the sex scenes are.
The reconciliation happens very quickly and it should bother me, but I was too interested in Bethany and Reid moving on with each other rather than with how they got there to care for very long. Brayden writes longing and questioning beautifully. The Forever Factor would have been an easy 5⭐️ if the whole book sustained that level of storytelling. It ends up with 4⭐️ but I’ll hold on to these breathtaking moments.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Read all my reviews on my blog (and please buy from the affiliation links!): Jude in the Stars
November 6, 2022
3.5⭐️ rounded up
This is a story told in two parts, the first is the teenage love between Bethany Cahill and Reid Thatcher. They meet as seniors in high school when Bethany moves to California and attends Reid’s school. Bethany is a very good gymnast and makes it on to Reid’s cheerleading squad when another girl gets hurt. The other girls on the team are nasty and say mean and hurtful things to Bethany. Reid comes to her defense sometimes.Reid is the cool and popular girl that everyone likes and she wants to keep her popular image no matter what.
In part two they meet again 12 years later and Reid pursues Bethany to win her back. The book is told in flash backs going back and forth thru time.
I thought the YA portion was a cute love story to like and with the usual mean girls to dislike. The self discovery on Reid’s character development was interesting and annoying for me.
It bugged me that Reid was the more feminine character and had the more androgynous name. I thought the character names should have been reversed. Silly I know but it took me halfway through the book to get used to their names.
In the adult portion Bethany is way too nice to forgive Reid and I’m not entirely trusting that Reid had matured.
ARC received from NetGalley for a voluntary and honest review.
This is a story told in two parts, the first is the teenage love between Bethany Cahill and Reid Thatcher. They meet as seniors in high school when Bethany moves to California and attends Reid’s school. Bethany is a very good gymnast and makes it on to Reid’s cheerleading squad when another girl gets hurt. The other girls on the team are nasty and say mean and hurtful things to Bethany. Reid comes to her defense sometimes.Reid is the cool and popular girl that everyone likes and she wants to keep her popular image no matter what.
In part two they meet again 12 years later and Reid pursues Bethany to win her back. The book is told in flash backs going back and forth thru time.
I thought the YA portion was a cute love story to like and with the usual mean girls to dislike. The self discovery on Reid’s character development was interesting and annoying for me.
It bugged me that Reid was the more feminine character and had the more androgynous name. I thought the character names should have been reversed. Silly I know but it took me halfway through the book to get used to their names.
In the adult portion Bethany is way too nice to forgive Reid and I’m not entirely trusting that Reid had matured.
ARC received from NetGalley for a voluntary and honest review.
November 17, 2022
I’m sure we can all remember our first love. It usually happens during our teenage years, often during high school. For most of us, that love fades as we grow older and move on. But every once in a while, for a few people, that first love turns out to be the one and only.
The Forever Factor by Melissa Brayden is a story of first love that ends up going horribly wrong for the two main characters, Bethany Cahill and Reid Thatcher. The result of this affects them both women. Then they meet again eleven years later. The question is can they look past the hurt and heartache to see that their first love might be one of those meant to last forever.
The author really takes us on an emotional ride with this book. She uses extensive flashbacks to let the reader see how Bethany and Reid met, fell in love, and fell apart. With her words, Ms. Brayden brings all of those emotions to life…the highs and the lows, the passion and the anguish. Then we get to see them meet again in the present with all of that history between them.
These characters will worm their way into your heart. They are so well developed you will absolutely believe they are real. Their story is also very realistic. The author has captured the true essence of teenage first love in this narrative.
This novel really brings back the highly emotional feelings we all had during these teenage years, and blends them into a beautiful reunion romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. For those of you who love second-chance, reunion love stories, give this book a try.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
The Forever Factor by Melissa Brayden is a story of first love that ends up going horribly wrong for the two main characters, Bethany Cahill and Reid Thatcher. The result of this affects them both women. Then they meet again eleven years later. The question is can they look past the hurt and heartache to see that their first love might be one of those meant to last forever.
The author really takes us on an emotional ride with this book. She uses extensive flashbacks to let the reader see how Bethany and Reid met, fell in love, and fell apart. With her words, Ms. Brayden brings all of those emotions to life…the highs and the lows, the passion and the anguish. Then we get to see them meet again in the present with all of that history between them.
These characters will worm their way into your heart. They are so well developed you will absolutely believe they are real. Their story is also very realistic. The author has captured the true essence of teenage first love in this narrative.
This novel really brings back the highly emotional feelings we all had during these teenage years, and blends them into a beautiful reunion romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. For those of you who love second-chance, reunion love stories, give this book a try.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
December 3, 2022
This book tells the story of two wonderful main characters, specially Bethany. It's a second chance romance with a lot of flashbacks, and unfortunately I don't like flashbacks at all. Moreover, I find the present storyline pretty uninteresting. But the author is Melissa Brayden and the story has, of course, it's moments.
October 22, 2022
Whenever you see Melissa Brayden’s name on a cover you just know it’s a must-read. I really like second chance stories, one of my favourite tropes, but it has to be done a certain way to get the most enjoyment out of it for me. For me, Brayden gets about half of it right.
Reid and Bethany were together, sort of, senior year of high school. Over a decade later a chance encounter in the grocery store has them reconnecting. What I find hard to enjoy is how we get to when these two broke up back in high school. We have flashback chapters and present day chapters. I don’t mind the flashback chapters, and that’s saying something for someone who isn’t a big fan of those, but it takes too long to get to the point. On the other hand, I enjoy those chapters because it’s a coming of age story in which they find themselves and each other, it’s sweet. Much nicer than the present day if I’m being honest. In present day we just have too many unanswered questions as a reader up until very far into the story. But these characters are seemingly all in after their third meet up. It’s a little strange. For Beth especially once you have the full picture it’s hard to understand how easily she gave in. It’s like they didn’t get to know each other in the present day at all.
I do like them together, but I think that comes from the “then” chapters, not the “now”.
I’m finding this one hard to rate because I did enjoy most of it, but it also has some major faults. I’m going with 3.5
*ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Reid and Bethany were together, sort of, senior year of high school. Over a decade later a chance encounter in the grocery store has them reconnecting. What I find hard to enjoy is how we get to when these two broke up back in high school. We have flashback chapters and present day chapters. I don’t mind the flashback chapters, and that’s saying something for someone who isn’t a big fan of those, but it takes too long to get to the point. On the other hand, I enjoy those chapters because it’s a coming of age story in which they find themselves and each other, it’s sweet. Much nicer than the present day if I’m being honest. In present day we just have too many unanswered questions as a reader up until very far into the story. But these characters are seemingly all in after their third meet up. It’s a little strange. For Beth especially once you have the full picture it’s hard to understand how easily she gave in. It’s like they didn’t get to know each other in the present day at all.
I do like them together, but I think that comes from the “then” chapters, not the “now”.
I’m finding this one hard to rate because I did enjoy most of it, but it also has some major faults. I’m going with 3.5
*ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 27, 2022
Dr. Bethany Cahill has a history with Reid Thatcher and not all of it is pleasant. They fell in love during their senior year of high school but have not spoken since their falling out at graduation when Reid shows up for an appointment at Bethany's family practice. They both still have feelings for each other but their history may be too much for them to overcome.
I enjoyed this story a lot as I do most written by Melissa Brayden. The characters were bright and engaging and I really liked their high school love story. About half the book was set in their high school days and I enjoyed both the before and the now but splitting the book made each part shorter than I would have liked. I also felt like there were a few timeline issues with the portions set in the past and their usage of social media platforms that didn't exist in 2009 when they would have started their senior year. I loved Bethany's dad though, he was very supportive of her and I liked his portrayal as a single father. Would have loved a few more scenes with Alice and Reid's Mom, they were great too. Mason was adorable and I liked his interactions with Bethany. It was another great book by Melissa Brayden whose work I have never been disappointed when reading. I absolutely recommend picking this one up!
I enjoyed this story a lot as I do most written by Melissa Brayden. The characters were bright and engaging and I really liked their high school love story. About half the book was set in their high school days and I enjoyed both the before and the now but splitting the book made each part shorter than I would have liked. I also felt like there were a few timeline issues with the portions set in the past and their usage of social media platforms that didn't exist in 2009 when they would have started their senior year. I loved Bethany's dad though, he was very supportive of her and I liked his portrayal as a single father. Would have loved a few more scenes with Alice and Reid's Mom, they were great too. Mason was adorable and I liked his interactions with Bethany. It was another great book by Melissa Brayden whose work I have never been disappointed when reading. I absolutely recommend picking this one up!
December 19, 2022
I'm glad I decided to read this book, even though I've been a bit disappointed by this author lately. But I must say that this has been a very fulfilling story for me and I’m pleased about that.
The story is told in flashbacks, now and then, to portray the relationship between two women, from their senior year in high school to the present day.
Bethany arrived at the high school where Reid was studying, right in her senior year, so she was lost and unsure of how to place herself in a group of students who had been together for years. What initially brings the two girls together is an after-school activity, Reid is the captain of the cheerleading squad, and Bethany is applying to be the badger/team mascot. But Bethany's tumbling prowess eventually lands her on the cheer squad, too. From this moment, Reid, who is the popular girl, followed by everyone, girlfriend of the soccer team captain, begins to doubt what she seemed to have so clear about her future. Also, some other events in her life cause her to become closer to Bethany than her lifelong group of friends. That was then, and obviously the two of them didn't have a happy ending at the time.
But now they meet again, about 12 years have passed and they are no longer girls, they are adult women. We don't know what happened then when they meet again, because the author mixes the two stories so that step by step we can understand why they are acting the way they do now. Because both have, at the same time, need and resentment.
The then been really sweet and charming, both of them are authentic in their doubts, without evil, although the lack of certainty made them make wrong decisions. But there has been more between then and now that is going to be important in the conclusion.
And finally, the drama here is where it has to be, with meaning, that has been what has made me appreciate this story more.
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review
The story is told in flashbacks, now and then, to portray the relationship between two women, from their senior year in high school to the present day.
Bethany arrived at the high school where Reid was studying, right in her senior year, so she was lost and unsure of how to place herself in a group of students who had been together for years. What initially brings the two girls together is an after-school activity, Reid is the captain of the cheerleading squad, and Bethany is applying to be the badger/team mascot. But Bethany's tumbling prowess eventually lands her on the cheer squad, too. From this moment, Reid, who is the popular girl, followed by everyone, girlfriend of the soccer team captain, begins to doubt what she seemed to have so clear about her future. Also, some other events in her life cause her to become closer to Bethany than her lifelong group of friends. That was then, and obviously the two of them didn't have a happy ending at the time.
But now they meet again, about 12 years have passed and they are no longer girls, they are adult women. We don't know what happened then when they meet again, because the author mixes the two stories so that step by step we can understand why they are acting the way they do now. Because both have, at the same time, need and resentment.
The then been really sweet and charming, both of them are authentic in their doubts, without evil, although the lack of certainty made them make wrong decisions. But there has been more between then and now that is going to be important in the conclusion.
And finally, the drama here is where it has to be, with meaning, that has been what has made me appreciate this story more.
Publisher Bold Strokes Books was kind enough to provide me with an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for an honest review
January 3, 2023
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a second chance story by Brayden, featuring Bethany and Reid, who were together in high school and broke up for ‘reasons’ and then reunite 11 years later. Upon seeing each other again, Reid is all for trying to start over and Bethany is less interested, due to the ‘reasons’.
A lot of this story is told via flashbacks, one of my least favourite methods of storytelling. I prefer second chance stories where the reason for the breakup is known from the start and the book is about how the couple reconnects. It also meant that a large part of the book was YA, which is also not a favourite.
The back story for these two could have been handled in the first few chapters through a mature discussion between the two, not at the last possible minute. We did not need to spend endless chapters reading about cheerleading and Reid’s parents issues, that time would have been better spent on having the two reconnect as Reid’s situation has changed quite a bit but that reveal doesn’t come til the halfway mark, and it’s a big one.
Both MCs are fairly likeable, and I did believe they were each the others ‘one’, but I found the second stab at a relationship to be fairly superficial, with not a lot of substance to their reconnection. There are quite a few supporting characters, Bethany has two BFFs in the present, Reid has her family, and there’s a bunch of others characters from when they were younger, some of whom carry over into the present storyline, but none of whom are fully fleshed out.
The rest of the reveals about why they broke up and the ramifications of it don’t happen til around the 90% mark, making the ending much too rushed. Less time in the past would have allowed for a more realistic unfolding of their new relationship but as it was, I didn’t buy the neat resolutions, even with the time jump in the epilogue.
If you enjoy second chance stories with YA/present, then I recommend Brayden’s other second chance story Strawberry Summer, which has a similar premise but better execution. 3 stars.
This is a second chance story by Brayden, featuring Bethany and Reid, who were together in high school and broke up for ‘reasons’ and then reunite 11 years later. Upon seeing each other again, Reid is all for trying to start over and Bethany is less interested, due to the ‘reasons’.
A lot of this story is told via flashbacks, one of my least favourite methods of storytelling. I prefer second chance stories where the reason for the breakup is known from the start and the book is about how the couple reconnects. It also meant that a large part of the book was YA, which is also not a favourite.
The back story for these two could have been handled in the first few chapters through a mature discussion between the two, not at the last possible minute. We did not need to spend endless chapters reading about cheerleading and Reid’s parents issues, that time would have been better spent on having the two reconnect as Reid’s situation has changed quite a bit but that reveal doesn’t come til the halfway mark, and it’s a big one.
Both MCs are fairly likeable, and I did believe they were each the others ‘one’, but I found the second stab at a relationship to be fairly superficial, with not a lot of substance to their reconnection. There are quite a few supporting characters, Bethany has two BFFs in the present, Reid has her family, and there’s a bunch of others characters from when they were younger, some of whom carry over into the present storyline, but none of whom are fully fleshed out.
The rest of the reveals about why they broke up and the ramifications of it don’t happen til around the 90% mark, making the ending much too rushed. Less time in the past would have allowed for a more realistic unfolding of their new relationship but as it was, I didn’t buy the neat resolutions, even with the time jump in the epilogue.
If you enjoy second chance stories with YA/present, then I recommend Brayden’s other second chance story Strawberry Summer, which has a similar premise but better execution. 3 stars.
November 5, 2022
Bethany and Reid was secretly involved in high school when Bethany transferred to a high school in Los Angeles due to her dad's work. They both was intrigued by each other but being in high school and everything going in their lives they had a painful break up. Years later they both meet again and this time they have a second chance to be together but will past hurt prevent them from seeing what’s right in front of them. I like that’s it’s alternate between the past and present I like Bethany father he was sweet and like that he was supportive also like Reid mom also.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
March 25, 2023
One of the better ones that I’ve read from the author. Second chance romance with flashbacks in between. I’m not a big fan of flashbacks and am always a fan of the present. And there is always that urgency in me to get to the present….I’m impatient like that.
With The Forever Factor (and perhaps many other second chance romances, you need to know the past to understand the present. Story flashback to when our 2 MCs, Bethany and Reid, met back in high school and how feelings evolved between them. It is perhaps the same formula with other stories; straight popular girl with a boyfriend who likes girl, girl dumped boyfriend, girl gets on with girl she fancied, girl said the wrong thing when being confronted with her close relationship with said girl, girl part ways, found love again and HEA finally! The ride is pretty similar but the scenes are different…and my take? I like and enjoy reading TFF
High 4⭐️
With The Forever Factor (and perhaps many other second chance romances, you need to know the past to understand the present. Story flashback to when our 2 MCs, Bethany and Reid, met back in high school and how feelings evolved between them. It is perhaps the same formula with other stories; straight popular girl with a boyfriend who likes girl, girl dumped boyfriend, girl gets on with girl she fancied, girl said the wrong thing when being confronted with her close relationship with said girl, girl part ways, found love again and HEA finally! The ride is pretty similar but the scenes are different…and my take? I like and enjoy reading TFF
High 4⭐️
November 24, 2022
the concept of ever saying anything negative about brayden is kind of unthinkable to me. it feels blasphemous, but i will shove down those feelings to discuss why this book didn’t hit.
i think really the bottom line here is that the story felt rushed. and this is coming from someone that really has to power through the third act conflict most days. i felt that given everything bethany and reid had been through that tore them apart the first time, they got back together awfully quickly. the whole “i love you” scene happened way too quick as well, so much so that it kinda had me wondering if i had missed a few chapters?? the resolution, the epilogue…what the heck went on with Reid’s family, bethany’s accident which was kind of thrown into the mix in such a way that it had you wondering whether brayden had even originally thought about it or just decided to chuck it in there? it was all just very rushed.
all in all though - this book wasn’t terrible by romance book standards. but this one barely even held a candle to some of the other books brayden’s put out in the past. so in short, ‘the forever factor’ noticeably lacked the melissa brayden factor.
(ps. if anyone’s looking for a read similar to the concept in this one (a second chance romance that features the teenage beginnings and first breakup to a full blown adult reunion and subsequently relationship) i HIGHLY recommend Strawberry Summer by Brayden herself!)
X
i think really the bottom line here is that the story felt rushed. and this is coming from someone that really has to power through the third act conflict most days. i felt that given everything bethany and reid had been through that tore them apart the first time, they got back together awfully quickly. the whole “i love you” scene happened way too quick as well, so much so that it kinda had me wondering if i had missed a few chapters?? the resolution, the epilogue…what the heck went on with Reid’s family, bethany’s accident which was kind of thrown into the mix in such a way that it had you wondering whether brayden had even originally thought about it or just decided to chuck it in there? it was all just very rushed.
all in all though - this book wasn’t terrible by romance book standards. but this one barely even held a candle to some of the other books brayden’s put out in the past. so in short, ‘the forever factor’ noticeably lacked the melissa brayden factor.
(ps. if anyone’s looking for a read similar to the concept in this one (a second chance romance that features the teenage beginnings and first breakup to a full blown adult reunion and subsequently relationship) i HIGHLY recommend Strawberry Summer by Brayden herself!)
X
December 5, 2022
Right from the get-go Melissa Brayden had me hooked with The Forever Factor. I was so glad when the timeline started jumping around, because Melissa Brayden does that beautifully! And I love a second chance romance!
I couldn’t help chuckling over the flashback to when Bethany and Reid meet. Fans of the movie Bring it On will enjoy the nod to Torrance and Missy’s friendship. (It sure had me thinking of that movie in a different light.)
thank you to Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley, for providing an ARC of The Forever Factor, all opinions are my own
I couldn’t help chuckling over the flashback to when Bethany and Reid meet. Fans of the movie Bring it On will enjoy the nod to Torrance and Missy’s friendship. (It sure had me thinking of that movie in a different light.)
thank you to Bold Strokes Books, via NetGalley, for providing an ARC of The Forever Factor, all opinions are my own
April 8, 2024
Now I’m annoyed 😑. Didn’t like Reid one bit.
December 31, 2022
hmm. i'm a little conflicted on this one.
it was decent, but i found myself confused/frusturated a few times. mostly... i have no idea what era the 'then' chapters were supposed to be? iirc, bethany and reid are in their early 30sish? in the 'now' chapters, so, they're abt my age. so... their senior year of high school would be around mine, in the 07/08ish era.
GIRL, teens were using flip phones then. there weren't a lot of photos/social media stuff. iirc, facebook only had JUST been allowed to be non-college accounts my senior year, like some of my friends had it and it was slowly becoming more common, but ppl weren't rlly dm'ing each other on the regular? this was mostly the era of myspace and livejournal and that wasn't like... messaging each other kinda sites in the same way one would with social media today. not to the extent this book makes it out to believe. it felt like it was a teen mostly now wrt the way she spoke abt bethany and reid talking/texting each other and with how bethany reacted to reid coming out? maybe i'm RLLY nitpicking, but it genuinely threw me off more than once. like, high school for me in this era was constant 'that's so gay' comments and constant PSAs on Disney channel and shit of stars saying 'hey, don't say 'that's so gay', it's mean' kinda shit. girls were VERY MUCH (at lesat in my experience) talking like the cheerleaders in the gym abt changing in front of a possible queer girl. like... it wasn't easy for any of the ppl i knew who were out, and there was a reason i had no idea i was queer or was even close to being ready to come out lol.
i also... wasn't in love with this narrator. it was my first experience with lula larkin and i don't think she is someone that i would seek out. similarly, she wasn't terrible, like i don't think i will pass on a story just bc she's narrating, but i didn't love her narration or voices much. her bethany voice didn't endear me to bethany very much, and her male/deeper voices weren't all that great. however, i did like her reid voice, and her mason voice, and the co-workers. so it wasn't all bad, just... not my fav.
the conflict bothered me a little in that... adult bethany seemed quite hung up on/still dealing with a lot of baggage from what reid "did" in the 'then' chapters. and... i didn't think it was that bad. it was bad. it was an absolutely shitty thing to say/do, but i fully understood it, and it was all in a moment of panic of not being ready to come out in a very public way as a teenager. that's... VERY FORGIVABLE for me, an adult. so i couldn't rlly see why bethany seemed so hung up on it in the 'now' chapters. the accident did add some depth that made it a little more believable as to why she'd associate things with reid, but... it still annoyed me a little. i think the structure of the 'then' and 'now' chapters didn't quite work for me personally. i was much more invested in the 'now' bc 'then' already happened and is stagnant, so i only rlly care abt flashbacks in how it affects the present. they felt longer than the present chapters, and it was pretty drawn out before we knew what had happened to cause them to break up, and it just took a bit too long for me, personally.
i think i've RLLY loved all of the other books i've read by melissa brayden before, that this one just didn't quite hold up as top tier of hers, for me. it was good. it was enjoyable, but i don't think it will be one of my re-reads/stick with me ones like some of her others have.
it was decent, but i found myself confused/frusturated a few times. mostly... i have no idea what era the 'then' chapters were supposed to be? iirc, bethany and reid are in their early 30sish? in the 'now' chapters, so, they're abt my age. so... their senior year of high school would be around mine, in the 07/08ish era.
GIRL, teens were using flip phones then. there weren't a lot of photos/social media stuff. iirc, facebook only had JUST been allowed to be non-college accounts my senior year, like some of my friends had it and it was slowly becoming more common, but ppl weren't rlly dm'ing each other on the regular? this was mostly the era of myspace and livejournal and that wasn't like... messaging each other kinda sites in the same way one would with social media today. not to the extent this book makes it out to believe. it felt like it was a teen mostly now wrt the way she spoke abt bethany and reid talking/texting each other and with how bethany reacted to reid coming out? maybe i'm RLLY nitpicking, but it genuinely threw me off more than once. like, high school for me in this era was constant 'that's so gay' comments and constant PSAs on Disney channel and shit of stars saying 'hey, don't say 'that's so gay', it's mean' kinda shit. girls were VERY MUCH (at lesat in my experience) talking like the cheerleaders in the gym abt changing in front of a possible queer girl. like... it wasn't easy for any of the ppl i knew who were out, and there was a reason i had no idea i was queer or was even close to being ready to come out lol.
i also... wasn't in love with this narrator. it was my first experience with lula larkin and i don't think she is someone that i would seek out. similarly, she wasn't terrible, like i don't think i will pass on a story just bc she's narrating, but i didn't love her narration or voices much. her bethany voice didn't endear me to bethany very much, and her male/deeper voices weren't all that great. however, i did like her reid voice, and her mason voice, and the co-workers. so it wasn't all bad, just... not my fav.
the conflict bothered me a little in that... adult bethany seemed quite hung up on/still dealing with a lot of baggage from what reid "did" in the 'then' chapters. and... i didn't think it was that bad. it was bad. it was an absolutely shitty thing to say/do, but i fully understood it, and it was all in a moment of panic of not being ready to come out in a very public way as a teenager. that's... VERY FORGIVABLE for me, an adult. so i couldn't rlly see why bethany seemed so hung up on it in the 'now' chapters. the accident did add some depth that made it a little more believable as to why she'd associate things with reid, but... it still annoyed me a little. i think the structure of the 'then' and 'now' chapters didn't quite work for me personally. i was much more invested in the 'now' bc 'then' already happened and is stagnant, so i only rlly care abt flashbacks in how it affects the present. they felt longer than the present chapters, and it was pretty drawn out before we knew what had happened to cause them to break up, and it just took a bit too long for me, personally.
i think i've RLLY loved all of the other books i've read by melissa brayden before, that this one just didn't quite hold up as top tier of hers, for me. it was good. it was enjoyable, but i don't think it will be one of my re-reads/stick with me ones like some of her others have.
October 29, 2022
I’m a huge Melissa Brayden fan and in this story she combines a coming of age story and a second chance romance. The story alternates between then, which is senior year of high school and now. I actually went back and added up the percentage of time spent on each story and it is fairly equal. I personally was drawn more to the YA than timeframe and could have sworn more time was spent there. Bethany moves with her dad to southern California in time for her senior year of HS. She meets Reid on her first day of school. Reid is co-captain of the cheer squad, student officer and is girlfriend of the hot football player. They are the power couple envied by all. Beth ends up on the cheer team because of her great tumbling skills giving the two time together. Reid realizes she isn’t as straight as she thought and they become each others intense first loves. Reid is confident but reeling from her new discovery and her parents separation. Her senior year isn’t going how she planned.
Flashing forward to now Reid meets Beth in the grocery store and asks if they can meet and talk. It is frustrating because you want to shake them and force conversations when they want to stay present in the moment. You know there are big issues to come and you have to wait for author to peel back the layers to get the break-up and other secrets.
Brayden is the queen of writing banter. There is friend banter, family banter and even co-worker speak. Her banter shows familiarity and connection between friends and family. I love to slow down my reading and enjoy her word play. Although at times I want them to cut the shortcuts and say fully what they mean.
And kudos for the Easter eggs hidden in the pages. I love Beth and Reid seeing Autumn and her coffee shop from the Seven Shores series. And Beth's dad works doing lighting for the tv show in that same series. Also Skyler’s name is mentioned. She is a MC in Exclusive that was released earlier in 2022. I love knowing that her books and characters overlap and exist in each others worlds. It’s a bonus gift to Brayden’s readers but has no impact on the story itself. (There could be others but those are the few I caught.)
Overall I really enjoyed the story. There are other books by the author I’ve enjoyed more but she made me care about the characters and buy into them being soul mates. I’ve never understood the drama and pull of high school romances and yet I’m am someone who married a person from my graduating class. We were never together in high school but we re-met in our late 20s.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Flashing forward to now Reid meets Beth in the grocery store and asks if they can meet and talk. It is frustrating because you want to shake them and force conversations when they want to stay present in the moment. You know there are big issues to come and you have to wait for author to peel back the layers to get the break-up and other secrets.
Brayden is the queen of writing banter. There is friend banter, family banter and even co-worker speak. Her banter shows familiarity and connection between friends and family. I love to slow down my reading and enjoy her word play. Although at times I want them to cut the shortcuts and say fully what they mean.
And kudos for the Easter eggs hidden in the pages. I love Beth and Reid seeing Autumn and her coffee shop from the Seven Shores series. And Beth's dad works doing lighting for the tv show in that same series. Also Skyler’s name is mentioned. She is a MC in Exclusive that was released earlier in 2022. I love knowing that her books and characters overlap and exist in each others worlds. It’s a bonus gift to Brayden’s readers but has no impact on the story itself. (There could be others but those are the few I caught.)
Overall I really enjoyed the story. There are other books by the author I’ve enjoyed more but she made me care about the characters and buy into them being soul mates. I’ve never understood the drama and pull of high school romances and yet I’m am someone who married a person from my graduating class. We were never together in high school but we re-met in our late 20s.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2022
While I certainly had fun with some parts of this book this was in all honesty lacking in my opinion.
I don't think I've ever been bored while reading Melissa Brayden, this is never the issue. And since Brayden was like my first ever romance author I've liked all those years ago, I am very easy at letting a lot of things slide when it comes to her nevels.
I couldn't however get over the fact that for a second chance romance there was zero amount of development whatsoever between the characters in the present day before they just jumped back into it almost immediately and that's considering how much of a big deal their falling out was made out to be. With which I also have a lof of problems, it was underwhelming and overdramatic at the same time.
All I'll say is that my overall enjoyment would have been easily upped if the present day story was at least a little bit more detailed than it turned out to be.
I don't think I've ever been bored while reading Melissa Brayden, this is never the issue. And since Brayden was like my first ever romance author I've liked all those years ago, I am very easy at letting a lot of things slide when it comes to her nevels.
I couldn't however get over the fact that for a second chance romance there was zero amount of development whatsoever between the characters in the present day before they just jumped back into it almost immediately and that's considering how much of a big deal their falling out was made out to be. With which I also have a lof of problems, it was underwhelming and overdramatic at the same time.
All I'll say is that my overall enjoyment would have been easily upped if the present day story was at least a little bit more detailed than it turned out to be.
March 1, 2023
Although I topically like second chance romances, I need to see why it'll work the second time around after the first lead to a break up. Unfortunately, I just didn't see it this time around as there was no great build up or character development from their teenage flashbacks to now. They both seemed quite young and the way the story is pieced together just led more to confusion then cohesion. The flashbacks just weren't necessary IMO.
An interesting premise but just wasn't a fan of the way the story played out.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting premise but just wasn't a fan of the way the story played out.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 3, 2023
I'm right between three and four stars for Melissa Brayden's The Forever Factor. There's a lot a liked about this and a lot I felt could have been better.
I love a good second-chance romance, so I knew I wanted to read this. And Melissa Brayden sets us right up in the prologue. Bethany Cahill runs into Reid Thatcher--literally--after not having seen her for around 11 years and not since her heart was broken in ways she still hasn't quite reconciled.
Bethany is starting her senior year at a new school and a day late. She's ready to be involved on the periphery but not fully avoid all social interactions, and trying out for the school's mascot would give her the opportunity to be involved and continue to execute her tumbling skills all while masking herself with the mascot uniform. Reid is the most popular girl in school: cocaptain of the varsity cheer squad, vice president of the student body, and girlfriend of the school's football star. She doesn't intentionally seek Bethany out--she's just nice and she's trying to recruit people to try out to be the school's mascot--but there's something about Bethany. She's quiet, but not quite shy. She's really funny, but in a dry way. And then Reid sees Bethany's tryout, and, well, Bethany's talents are better used on the cheer squad, she decides. A quick friendship is formed. Attraction is undeniable, which should be weirder for Reid, who had no idea she was attracted to girls...
With all good second-chance romances, some time spent with the past is expected. And this one divides the time fairly evenly, and I was engaged in both timelines. And I was actually impressed with the sections with Bethany and Reid as seniors in high school. I wasn't sure how Melissa Brayden would handle so much YA-type writing, but I thought it was great. My only complaint with the structure of the novel is that I wish Brayden would have put all the high school moments in the first half of the novel and then the present in the back half. I just really don't like having to mentally switch between the two timelines. I know Brayden is telling a story and wanting to keep her readers engaged, but I could have done without the mental manipulation.
In going back and forth, as she does in this novel, she's actually able to hide the fact that there's not as much relationship building happening in the present. And this is where a lot of second-chance romances don't get it right. I need to see that the characters still have a connection in the present, and there wasn't enough of that here. I do believe Bethany and Reid are meant to be, but I'm not sure that's because Brayden fully convinces me or just because I want it to be so. I don't know. There was just something missing from it.
It also doesn't help that Brayden likes for the narrative drama to unfold in the last quarter of the novel, as a rule. But in The Forever Factor, that drama is happening even later than that. It doesn't give me, the reader, enough time to recover from that to where the characters are ready and decide to leave the past in the past. I'm a lesbian! I need more processing time. And I just don't get it.
Two other random notes:
(1) Brayden had a good run with brown eyes (3 books in a row!), but that ended here. Back to the land of blue and green eyes for our protagonists. Sigh.
(2) This shouldn't impact most readers, but Brayden's concept of Southern California was funny to me, a SoCal native. I know people drive stupid distances on a daily basis in California. I really do know this. But those people don't drive stupid distances and then still have the kind of time Brayden's characters get here. A date in Venice Beach when Bethany lives in Mission Viejo? At a place where Bethany is enough of a regular that the owner knows her by name and drink? One where she needs to leave her car in Venice and take an Uber home because she's had too many drinks to drive home? And, then, presumably need to get another Uber or alternative ride to go retrieve her car the next day? Yeah, no. That's not a thing. I call foul. Long Beach? Anaheim? Sure. I can maybe go with that, but Mission Viejo? It's definitely *possible*, I suppose, but just thinking about it stresses me out.
I love a good second-chance romance, so I knew I wanted to read this. And Melissa Brayden sets us right up in the prologue. Bethany Cahill runs into Reid Thatcher--literally--after not having seen her for around 11 years and not since her heart was broken in ways she still hasn't quite reconciled.
Bethany is starting her senior year at a new school and a day late. She's ready to be involved on the periphery but not fully avoid all social interactions, and trying out for the school's mascot would give her the opportunity to be involved and continue to execute her tumbling skills all while masking herself with the mascot uniform. Reid is the most popular girl in school: cocaptain of the varsity cheer squad, vice president of the student body, and girlfriend of the school's football star. She doesn't intentionally seek Bethany out--she's just nice and she's trying to recruit people to try out to be the school's mascot--but there's something about Bethany. She's quiet, but not quite shy. She's really funny, but in a dry way. And then Reid sees Bethany's tryout, and, well, Bethany's talents are better used on the cheer squad, she decides. A quick friendship is formed. Attraction is undeniable, which should be weirder for Reid, who had no idea she was attracted to girls...
With all good second-chance romances, some time spent with the past is expected. And this one divides the time fairly evenly, and I was engaged in both timelines. And I was actually impressed with the sections with Bethany and Reid as seniors in high school. I wasn't sure how Melissa Brayden would handle so much YA-type writing, but I thought it was great. My only complaint with the structure of the novel is that I wish Brayden would have put all the high school moments in the first half of the novel and then the present in the back half. I just really don't like having to mentally switch between the two timelines. I know Brayden is telling a story and wanting to keep her readers engaged, but I could have done without the mental manipulation.
In going back and forth, as she does in this novel, she's actually able to hide the fact that there's not as much relationship building happening in the present. And this is where a lot of second-chance romances don't get it right. I need to see that the characters still have a connection in the present, and there wasn't enough of that here. I do believe Bethany and Reid are meant to be, but I'm not sure that's because Brayden fully convinces me or just because I want it to be so. I don't know. There was just something missing from it.
It also doesn't help that Brayden likes for the narrative drama to unfold in the last quarter of the novel, as a rule. But in The Forever Factor, that drama is happening even later than that. It doesn't give me, the reader, enough time to recover from that to where the characters are ready and decide to leave the past in the past. I'm a lesbian! I need more processing time. And I just don't get it.
Two other random notes:
(1) Brayden had a good run with brown eyes (3 books in a row!), but that ended here. Back to the land of blue and green eyes for our protagonists. Sigh.
(2) This shouldn't impact most readers, but Brayden's concept of Southern California was funny to me, a SoCal native. I know people drive stupid distances on a daily basis in California. I really do know this. But those people don't drive stupid distances and then still have the kind of time Brayden's characters get here. A date in Venice Beach when Bethany lives in Mission Viejo? At a place where Bethany is enough of a regular that the owner knows her by name and drink? One where she needs to leave her car in Venice and take an Uber home because she's had too many drinks to drive home? And, then, presumably need to get another Uber or alternative ride to go retrieve her car the next day? Yeah, no. That's not a thing. I call foul. Long Beach? Anaheim? Sure. I can maybe go with that, but Mission Viejo? It's definitely *possible*, I suppose, but just thinking about it stresses me out.
November 3, 2022
At first I thought this was a YA story.....And it is.......But then it turned into so much more. It's a story about 2 kids falling in love but not really mature enough to handle it. But what happens when they mature and bump into each othe 11 years later. In true Melissa Brayden style, she weaves an emotional roller coaster with some surprising twists that I didn't see coming. The 2 main characters are made for each other. The supporting characters are mostly either very sweet or very evil. Even though it is a bit predictable it is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 26, 2022
The Forever Factor had my emotions jumping around from the moment I started reading.
Bethany and Reid fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers, but social expectations and self doubt meant they ended just as quickly.
Years later a chance encounter reignites the chemistry that never went away and they decided to see what possibilities lie ahead for them.
Melissa Braydon takes the reader between then and now, which I didn't think I would enjoy, but I quickly realised it was the perfect way to tell Beth and Reid’s story. Without it, the angst may have become too overwhelming. Reading the happy ending in a making, while cutting back to why they didn’t work as kids kept the story flowing nicely but the emotions from tumbling too far onto uncomfortable territory.
There is a distinct separation in the characters from the past and present, and their individual personal growth is ultimately what makes this story resonate.
Bethany and Reid fell in love fast and hard when they were teenagers, but social expectations and self doubt meant they ended just as quickly.
Years later a chance encounter reignites the chemistry that never went away and they decided to see what possibilities lie ahead for them.
Melissa Braydon takes the reader between then and now, which I didn't think I would enjoy, but I quickly realised it was the perfect way to tell Beth and Reid’s story. Without it, the angst may have become too overwhelming. Reading the happy ending in a making, while cutting back to why they didn’t work as kids kept the story flowing nicely but the emotions from tumbling too far onto uncomfortable territory.
There is a distinct separation in the characters from the past and present, and their individual personal growth is ultimately what makes this story resonate.
December 8, 2022
estou decepcionada com esse livro, porque eu esperava MUITO mais em relação a tudo, personagens, história, o plot, e a forma de como a melissa desenvolveria o casal em si. não gosto de falar mal de livros da mb, até porque todos que eu li sempre foram impecáveis, mas esse.. 👋🏻 lola e eu estamos chorando até agora.
primeiro, não sei por que diabos a melissa fez uma história que passava entre presente e passado se ela não soube desenvolver isso. achei completamente sem nexo e confuso essa separação, e eu achei muito, muito, muito mal trabalhado principalmente o presente das duas personagens. ela colocou a ideia de que, elas, estavam separadas a anos, e que a bethany não conseguia nem ao menos olhar direito pra reid, porque ela não queria vê-la nunca mais depois da escola.
o que me incomodou com tudo isso, foi que a melissa deixou isso extremamente claro, pra depois fazer uma correria da metade pro final, com “eu te amo”, beijo, e um final feliz, o que eu achei extremamente mal planejado. se elas ESTAVAM ressentidas uma com a outra, como caralhos elas iriam se reconciliar tão facilmente assim (?) não achei bem feito, porque eu esperava um desenvolvimento, conversa, tudo melhor. acho que elas precisavam passar um tempo separadas para LIDAREM com os problemas, e o passado que havia sido exposto, coisa que a melissa não fez, e que me incomodou muito.
as personagens foram legais, não acho que tenham sido chatas ou algo assim, mas elas me irritaram em alguns pontos do livro, principalmente a reid, que no começo, era minha favorita. me decepcionei muito com ela, porque mesmo que eu entendesse o que ela havia passado, que ela tinha inseguranças, e tinha medo de contar as amigas, a forma como ela tratou a bethany foi ridícula. mesmo que ela tivesse inseguranças, ela não tinha o direito de menosprezar e diminuir a beth pros amigos, só porque se sentiu pressionada com toda a situação. ela lidou com tudo muito mal, seja em relação a bethany, como em relação aos próprios sentimentos, machucando quem ela amava, quando tudo poderia ter sido evitado.
acho que a bethany foi uma personagem fofa e querida, mesmo que eu não tenha visto nada demais nela, nenhuma característica marcante, ou personalidade que me chamou a atenção. acho que ela conseguiu lidar com as coisas melhor que a reid, e eu concordo plenamente na parte em que ela tinha que tirar um tempo pra si, se afastando da reid depois de tudo. a bethany se sentiu muito sozinha, humilhada e cansada de amar e valorizar, quando a reid não fazia o mesmo por ela pelo medo.
admito que eu estava muito mais ansiosa pra esse livro, ansiosa pela história, e acabei me decepcionando muito em relação a isso. a melissa poderia ter trabalhado de mil e uma formas diferentes, seja o enredo, como o plot, e os traumas do passado em si. eu queria saber mais sobre o acidente da bethany, o divórcio dos pais da reid, que acabaram sendo deixados de lado pela história ter sido corrida e sem desenvolvimento.
o que eu mais gostei foi em relação ao amor delas, o amor genuíno e lindo que elas sentiam uma pela outra, e que mesmo que passassem anos (como havia passado), elas sempre estariam apaixonadas uma pela outra, iriam prezar e almejar pelo relacionamento que, um dia elas tiveram.
e ps, lola eu te amo, mesmo que o livro seja uma droga… você é meu tudo, beijo duplo pra você! 👩🏻❤️💋👩🏻
primeiro, não sei por que diabos a melissa fez uma história que passava entre presente e passado se ela não soube desenvolver isso. achei completamente sem nexo e confuso essa separação, e eu achei muito, muito, muito mal trabalhado principalmente o presente das duas personagens. ela colocou a ideia de que, elas, estavam separadas a anos, e que a bethany não conseguia nem ao menos olhar direito pra reid, porque ela não queria vê-la nunca mais depois da escola.
o que me incomodou com tudo isso, foi que a melissa deixou isso extremamente claro, pra depois fazer uma correria da metade pro final, com “eu te amo”, beijo, e um final feliz, o que eu achei extremamente mal planejado. se elas ESTAVAM ressentidas uma com a outra, como caralhos elas iriam se reconciliar tão facilmente assim (?) não achei bem feito, porque eu esperava um desenvolvimento, conversa, tudo melhor. acho que elas precisavam passar um tempo separadas para LIDAREM com os problemas, e o passado que havia sido exposto, coisa que a melissa não fez, e que me incomodou muito.
as personagens foram legais, não acho que tenham sido chatas ou algo assim, mas elas me irritaram em alguns pontos do livro, principalmente a reid, que no começo, era minha favorita. me decepcionei muito com ela, porque mesmo que eu entendesse o que ela havia passado, que ela tinha inseguranças, e tinha medo de contar as amigas, a forma como ela tratou a bethany foi ridícula. mesmo que ela tivesse inseguranças, ela não tinha o direito de menosprezar e diminuir a beth pros amigos, só porque se sentiu pressionada com toda a situação. ela lidou com tudo muito mal, seja em relação a bethany, como em relação aos próprios sentimentos, machucando quem ela amava, quando tudo poderia ter sido evitado.
acho que a bethany foi uma personagem fofa e querida, mesmo que eu não tenha visto nada demais nela, nenhuma característica marcante, ou personalidade que me chamou a atenção. acho que ela conseguiu lidar com as coisas melhor que a reid, e eu concordo plenamente na parte em que ela tinha que tirar um tempo pra si, se afastando da reid depois de tudo. a bethany se sentiu muito sozinha, humilhada e cansada de amar e valorizar, quando a reid não fazia o mesmo por ela pelo medo.
admito que eu estava muito mais ansiosa pra esse livro, ansiosa pela história, e acabei me decepcionando muito em relação a isso. a melissa poderia ter trabalhado de mil e uma formas diferentes, seja o enredo, como o plot, e os traumas do passado em si. eu queria saber mais sobre o acidente da bethany, o divórcio dos pais da reid, que acabaram sendo deixados de lado pela história ter sido corrida e sem desenvolvimento.
o que eu mais gostei foi em relação ao amor delas, o amor genuíno e lindo que elas sentiam uma pela outra, e que mesmo que passassem anos (como havia passado), elas sempre estariam apaixonadas uma pela outra, iriam prezar e almejar pelo relacionamento que, um dia elas tiveram.
e ps, lola eu te amo, mesmo que o livro seja uma droga… você é meu tudo, beijo duplo pra você! 👩🏻❤️💋👩🏻
November 4, 2022
I'm nurturing a heartbreak for Bethany, she deserves everything. The first few pages were hard to read, how Reid's presence affected her and even though I didn't have all the facts about their relationship, my heart went out to her.
.
.
.
This is a second chance romance between two women who were his first love in high school when they were trying to discover the world and themselves
.
Bethany begins her last school year with a change of schools and with it ...Reid, the co-captain of the cheerleader team with whom she feels a very deep connection
.
The Bethany of the present fulfilled her dream and became a doctor, she opened her own Practice with her two best friends and tries to move on but she could never stop thinking about her first and only love
.
That's why when she collides with an adult version of her in a supermarket aisle, her world turns upside down and the pain returns with full force. Reid is shocked and is willing to do whatever it takes to see her again, including ambushing her
.
The story flows between then and now, as they meet and their relationship in high school flows and the Now, where Beth and Reid try to sort out their feelings and old pains to see if they can have a future together
.
I cried for her, Bethany has my heart from the beginning so I'm happy for the ending but only because Bethany deserves everything she wants in the world
.
.
.
Thanks to Melissa Brayden and Bold Strokes books for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion
.
.
.
This is a second chance romance between two women who were his first love in high school when they were trying to discover the world and themselves
.
Bethany begins her last school year with a change of schools and with it ...Reid, the co-captain of the cheerleader team with whom she feels a very deep connection
.
The Bethany of the present fulfilled her dream and became a doctor, she opened her own Practice with her two best friends and tries to move on but she could never stop thinking about her first and only love
.
That's why when she collides with an adult version of her in a supermarket aisle, her world turns upside down and the pain returns with full force. Reid is shocked and is willing to do whatever it takes to see her again, including ambushing her
.
The story flows between then and now, as they meet and their relationship in high school flows and the Now, where Beth and Reid try to sort out their feelings and old pains to see if they can have a future together
.
I cried for her, Bethany has my heart from the beginning so I'm happy for the ending but only because Bethany deserves everything she wants in the world
.
.
.
Thanks to Melissa Brayden and Bold Strokes books for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion
November 5, 2022
Three stars. For me, this was another miss by Brayden.
The alternating past-present narrative might seem fun, but it's tricky to execute well. I didn't find that Brayden shone with the time skips in The Last Lavender Sister, and after reading The Forever Factor, I'd probably implore her to go back to a single linear narrative structure. The separate timelines didn't inform or interact with each other in any way. Each could have stood on its own as a story. At best, this leaves the reader asking why it's important that this particular bit of backstory be given before this chapter. At worst, the reader might find themselves (as I did) apathetic to one of the timelines, and ask why bother at all. I didn't find that Reid and Bethany's history was important enough to carry its weight as half of the story. The key elements of their characters, their feelings, and their interactions might have been conveyed almost as completely in a prologue and a few memories sprinkled throughout. As it was, the contrasting levels of tension in the two parts left me feeling that the overall story was just plodding along.
This is probably why I started out somewhat resistant to the idea of Bethany and Reid reuniting, but eventually found that I just... stopped caring. I read passively with a "That's nice" when the characters were getting along. The introduction of the "forever factor" at 75% in, and then all of its mentions afterwards, felt a little heavy-handed. The crisis point didn't seem to work well, because the present one relied on a rehashing of the past one.
I have to reiterate what I mentioned in my The Last Lavender Sister review: I don't think second-chance romances are for me, especially not when the break-up happened between teenagers. There are a few exceptions, but from here on, I think I'll be here and ready only for Melissa Brayden books that don't feature the trope.
The alternating past-present narrative might seem fun, but it's tricky to execute well. I didn't find that Brayden shone with the time skips in The Last Lavender Sister, and after reading The Forever Factor, I'd probably implore her to go back to a single linear narrative structure. The separate timelines didn't inform or interact with each other in any way. Each could have stood on its own as a story. At best, this leaves the reader asking why it's important that this particular bit of backstory be given before this chapter. At worst, the reader might find themselves (as I did) apathetic to one of the timelines, and ask why bother at all. I didn't find that Reid and Bethany's history was important enough to carry its weight as half of the story. The key elements of their characters, their feelings, and their interactions might have been conveyed almost as completely in a prologue and a few memories sprinkled throughout. As it was, the contrasting levels of tension in the two parts left me feeling that the overall story was just plodding along.
This is probably why I started out somewhat resistant to the idea of Bethany and Reid reuniting, but eventually found that I just... stopped caring. I read passively with a "That's nice" when the characters were getting along. The introduction of the "forever factor" at 75% in, and then all of its mentions afterwards, felt a little heavy-handed. The crisis point didn't seem to work well, because the present one relied on a rehashing of the past one.
I have to reiterate what I mentioned in my The Last Lavender Sister review: I don't think second-chance romances are for me, especially not when the break-up happened between teenagers. There are a few exceptions, but from here on, I think I'll be here and ready only for Melissa Brayden books that don't feature the trope.
January 28, 2023
This is a reread, I don't know why I didn't write a review the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I absolutely love Beth and Reid. It's great how Melissa takes us back to when the girls meet in high school, and follow as their friendship/romance grows. Then pair it with them meeting now, years later. I enjoyed this the 2nd time as much as the first. 5 stars both times!
March 24, 2025
Enjoyable
I like second chance romances when they are done right. This one was good, but i feel like the now portion on Reid and Bethany's relationship moved too quickly, and we didn't get to see a lot of it. Overall, it was good, but not my favorite of Brayden's books.
I like second chance romances when they are done right. This one was good, but i feel like the now portion on Reid and Bethany's relationship moved too quickly, and we didn't get to see a lot of it. Overall, it was good, but not my favorite of Brayden's books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews