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Heartfelt #1
Reclaimed Love
Dear Arik,
With a pen pal like you, who needs enemies? It’s bad enough that you broke my heart twelve years ago, but you’re the one who won’t let it go.
I returned every letter, declined every call, deleted every email.
What I didn’t tell you was that I wanted to read every letter, almost answered every call, and have craved you ever since I left.
And now that I’m back, you’re hotter than ever and impossible to ignore because you’re literally helping me save Grams’ bookstore. I can’t help but ask myself…
Are you going to break my heart again?
Or the even bigger question...
Am I going to let you?
Sincerely,
Kate
Reclaimed Love is the first book in Alina Lane's debut contemporary romance series. If you like hunky hero's headstrong heroines and happily every after's then you'll love the first installment in the Heartfelt Series.
Grab Reclaimed Love and fall head over heels for Kate, Arik and Felt Idaho.
With a pen pal like you, who needs enemies? It’s bad enough that you broke my heart twelve years ago, but you’re the one who won’t let it go.
I returned every letter, declined every call, deleted every email.
What I didn’t tell you was that I wanted to read every letter, almost answered every call, and have craved you ever since I left.
And now that I’m back, you’re hotter than ever and impossible to ignore because you’re literally helping me save Grams’ bookstore. I can’t help but ask myself…
Are you going to break my heart again?
Or the even bigger question...
Am I going to let you?
Sincerely,
Kate
Reclaimed Love is the first book in Alina Lane's debut contemporary romance series. If you like hunky hero's headstrong heroines and happily every after's then you'll love the first installment in the Heartfelt Series.
Grab Reclaimed Love and fall head over heels for Kate, Arik and Felt Idaho.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2024
140 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
About the author
Alina Lane
10 books212 followersAlina Lane writes swoony, steamy, romance that combines all three to capture you from page one and keep you hooked long past the happily ever after.
A pocket sized powerhouse, Alina lives with her personal Hunky Hero and two children in Arizona. Slathering on sunscreen and living life to its fullest she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing and rock climbing in her desert backyard.
When not hard at work on your next literary escape, you can find Alina embracing her bad-assery on Call of Duty, binge reading or shopping for nail dip sets to compliment her book covers.
Join Alina's information packed newsletter here: https://alinalane.com/contact
A pocket sized powerhouse, Alina lives with her personal Hunky Hero and two children in Arizona. Slathering on sunscreen and living life to its fullest she enjoys hiking, camping, fishing and rock climbing in her desert backyard.
When not hard at work on your next literary escape, you can find Alina embracing her bad-assery on Call of Duty, binge reading or shopping for nail dip sets to compliment her book covers.
Join Alina's information packed newsletter here: https://alinalane.com/contact
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March 31, 2022
R A T I N G: 4.5 stars to Reclaimed Love ★ ★ ★ ★
First things first, I was floored with the perspective-shifting revelation that Reclaimed Love is (in every traditional sense) a debut novel. I wasn't aware of this precious fact until I finished the book entirely. Wow. A first for me and an apparent first for the author, it's like this story already knew itself without hesitation, found itself as if it belonged and resolved itself without apologies. It adjectivises itself with a series subtitle that fits like a dream because to call this book heartfelt is to say the sea is fit for swimming. It's like its heartfelt chords already knew how to sing a song of second chance romance with the confidence and habituated hand of only one with multiple writes under the belt could accomplish. I say with veritable veneration: brilliantly done Alina Lane. And another unapologetic declaration: Swoony authentic heroes for the win. Always.
A family emergency brings Kate Palicki back to Felt, Idaho, familiarising herself with the people of a town she hadn't let herself be a part of for twelve long years. Kate 2.0 has had a major transformation but that doesn't mean that a lifelong battle with confidence evaporates entirely once she's back on home soil. Having the eyes of an entire town on her again and it's hard not to feel the rise of that old inhibition when everything she decided to become originated from the people who made her feel like an outcast; like her social acceptance was a conditional thing; like she was worth the torment of a bully who made her feel worthless. After learning that her gram's independent bookstore is on the brink of closure Kate is nothing less than determined to make sure that doesn't happen. She's a pro, a woman on a mission and full steam ahead to revamp and modernise the family business.
Even if it means stomaching the man she shared the best of her formative years with because Arik Beaumont was once everything to Kate. The germ of her reactive decision for that 12-year distance is an ex best friend who broke her heart and her trust. What she doesn't know though is that she isn't the only one who has nursed that pain for twelve years, and what she also hasn't entertained is that there are two sides to every story. Arik's not the teenager she ran away from anymore and she's not the girl who turned tail from a town that once made her feel the smallest she's ever been. He's a man who's overcome his own obstacles, and taking on the major project of restoring the bookstore requires a partnership she doesn't want to be a part of. While Kate's hellbent on avoiding Arik, he's desperate to nip this long-time animus in the bud.
The "at odds" stage of the relationship dissolves quite quickly because we have a determined hero who just, in his own humble words, "wants his friend back" (and that’s adorable Arik in a nutshell) even if the subtext lets us know that he wants a lot more than just that as he bides his time. Persistent heroes are my weakness (I'm unhealthily infatuated with them) but this precious hulking alpha with Viking-likeness is something special. It was clear how much he wanted Kate but didn't want to push her, even if he really wanted to push the situation between them. What really melts this heart though is Arik's fidelity to Kate throughout their years apart. She abandoned him, refused to let him be a part of her life and he remained the most loyal friend to her a friend could be. Out of sight and out of mind, he never stopped caring, and he championed her from afar through the gaping gorge between them.
Neither of these two always make the right decisions, they may not be as communicative as they should be (in the past as well as the present; ergo the big misunderstanding/miscommunication and then the repeat of that almost-identical conflict in their adult years) and they may not always think and act in harmony but even if their connection had been sworn into a book of vows, I would have believed in their longevity without a second thought. I knew I wanted them together from the offset. I knew I wanted them as one from their first on-page meeting. I felt that way the entire way through, decisional flaws and all. One can't read this and come up for air without being caught up by the history, the past friendship (which, while wasn't on-page, held its own), the chemistry, the intensity, the pride, the pain and the natural depth and freshness of their re-connection.
The theme of their relationship is on the fairer side of omission because Arik and Kate struggle with truth, the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Because they've both become different people through a lot of self-work, I did hope for them to assume a more agile cut-from-a-different-cloth approach as opposed to dodging each other where it matters. The emotive component however, was truly on point because the author both puts into them (and pulls from them) a lot of believability as people with real lives and real feelings. It's easy to argue the futility of one tiny misunderstanding causing such a long, displaced rift but the writing intentionally seizes what it sets out to explore, in a way that delivers what needed to happen with some depth, distance and delicious chemistry. Kate had come a long way from the girl who struggled in her early life with her weight, self-image, abandonment and bullying and I loved the retrospective commentary of that road taken, just as I really appreciated the same of Arik's dyslexia.
Friends to lovers (or ex-friends to lovers in this case) isn't one of my favourite tropes because I struggle with the abstraction of a friend being blind to the potential best of someone who's been a sidelong all-time companion to them. Or one wanting more and burying any non-platonic affection or in the case of it being fully chaste on both sides, what could possibly be the turning point? How does that ensuing dynamic change from friend zoned to the love zone. Why didn't it sooner? I did enjoy the approach here though. Both Arik and Kate grew up together from the earliest age when things were harmlessly guileless in a way being childhoods friends always is. And in their late teenage years (though Arik had dated other people - and they've both been with others during the separation - but once it clicked for him), their best-friends relationship was on the verge of transforming into something more until a misunderstanding becomes the obstacle. All in all, a wonderful play out of a familiar theme, and what I do prize about this trope? Its core sentiment of friendship before courtship.
It's so easy to surrender love to the scene, the setting, the plot points and the resonant community. It’s especially a personal joy to cede said love over to story that introduces a wonderful community of people. Supportive families and friendships just make my heart soar, and all the connections they have to each other, all the roots they have to the town authenticate the story - I even found myself moved in places I didn’t expect to be moved. Many small town romances that aim to institute the small town vibe either use a few quintessential small town strokes as an anaemic backdrop or execute the story with bombastically overripe characters with overanimated sensibilities. With Reclaimed Love there aren't any highly unrealistic situations to walk through nay any sensationalist schemes (well, there is a bit of that actually but it’s a face of the charm that delivers without façade).
But mostly, it’s believable without shouting at height and I’m starting to believe that stories are a lot like people because some make you feel estranged, some make you feel like a stranger in your own skin and then some just make you feel warmly shadowed by a companionable body or arm-linked by a long-suffering friend. so I thank this book for being that friend and taking a stroll with me. I loved walking through the setting, I loved piecing myself into the clime of Felt Idaho, I loved getting to know the side characters (there was an especially funny moment involving two burly men and a camera) and I desperately need Arik to let me stay in his home because I'd consider it a heavenly gift if I got to spend a few days in his idyllic ranch house. The characters were a casual delight without their personalities assuming an overly embellished device to persuade me into loving them. I just did.
Reclaimed Love was a small town romance that felt like a small town romance. A romance without a hitch is a romance that hasn't lived its best life so I embrace the bump, light, lumpy, flighty or foolish (or in this case, stubbornly misunderstood). Pride and pain get in the way but love and longing loom large. Having the town's attention becomes problematic for Kate Palicki. Her fear defines what a relationship with her ex-bestie could be. But being forced to stay is a big cause for reflection; it's not the town she hates but the way she was made to feel by a handful of tormentors. With complicated feelings about her hometown, it's easy to forget the other side to a story, especially when the keeper of the other half is enshrined into every part of her formative years.
But then there's also the truth; that love never really left and it takes this emotionally bruised heroine a smidge longer to realise it. Reconnection is always done best side by side and within close quarters, and with two stubborn personalities it proves to be a bit more of a challenge because sometimes love is hard to face when it means so much. With a hero who didn't know why he was just a token of the past, a heroine who never felt enough Alina Lane’s debut was wonderful on multiple fronts and probably one of the best romance debuts I’ve ever read.
Content Warning: Swearing. Mentions past/present bullying including fat shaming/body shaming and belittling. Past violence, alcohol consumption. Panic attacks.
Extra thoughts
1) Because Kate mentions her transformation and to road to self-love, she is presented as a character who's had a bit of a journey (and I really appreciated that because she's much more confident in so many ways) but there is one scene where she's body-shamed by her former bully in front of a crowd of watchers and I was a bit disappointed with the way she reacts by covering herself up rather than perhaps shamelessly making a point of who she's become now. I understand that insecurities stay with us and that the scene pointedly pushed that point forward but I wanted her to stand taller in that scene.
-----------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
-----------------------------------------------
First things first, I was floored with the perspective-shifting revelation that Reclaimed Love is (in every traditional sense) a debut novel. I wasn't aware of this precious fact until I finished the book entirely. Wow. A first for me and an apparent first for the author, it's like this story already knew itself without hesitation, found itself as if it belonged and resolved itself without apologies. It adjectivises itself with a series subtitle that fits like a dream because to call this book heartfelt is to say the sea is fit for swimming. It's like its heartfelt chords already knew how to sing a song of second chance romance with the confidence and habituated hand of only one with multiple writes under the belt could accomplish. I say with veritable veneration: brilliantly done Alina Lane. And another unapologetic declaration: Swoony authentic heroes for the win. Always.
A family emergency brings Kate Palicki back to Felt, Idaho, familiarising herself with the people of a town she hadn't let herself be a part of for twelve long years. Kate 2.0 has had a major transformation but that doesn't mean that a lifelong battle with confidence evaporates entirely once she's back on home soil. Having the eyes of an entire town on her again and it's hard not to feel the rise of that old inhibition when everything she decided to become originated from the people who made her feel like an outcast; like her social acceptance was a conditional thing; like she was worth the torment of a bully who made her feel worthless. After learning that her gram's independent bookstore is on the brink of closure Kate is nothing less than determined to make sure that doesn't happen. She's a pro, a woman on a mission and full steam ahead to revamp and modernise the family business.
Even if it means stomaching the man she shared the best of her formative years with because Arik Beaumont was once everything to Kate. The germ of her reactive decision for that 12-year distance is an ex best friend who broke her heart and her trust. What she doesn't know though is that she isn't the only one who has nursed that pain for twelve years, and what she also hasn't entertained is that there are two sides to every story. Arik's not the teenager she ran away from anymore and she's not the girl who turned tail from a town that once made her feel the smallest she's ever been. He's a man who's overcome his own obstacles, and taking on the major project of restoring the bookstore requires a partnership she doesn't want to be a part of. While Kate's hellbent on avoiding Arik, he's desperate to nip this long-time animus in the bud.
The "at odds" stage of the relationship dissolves quite quickly because we have a determined hero who just, in his own humble words, "wants his friend back" (and that’s adorable Arik in a nutshell) even if the subtext lets us know that he wants a lot more than just that as he bides his time. Persistent heroes are my weakness (I'm unhealthily infatuated with them) but this precious hulking alpha with Viking-likeness is something special. It was clear how much he wanted Kate but didn't want to push her, even if he really wanted to push the situation between them. What really melts this heart though is Arik's fidelity to Kate throughout their years apart. She abandoned him, refused to let him be a part of her life and he remained the most loyal friend to her a friend could be. Out of sight and out of mind, he never stopped caring, and he championed her from afar through the gaping gorge between them.
Neither of these two always make the right decisions, they may not be as communicative as they should be (in the past as well as the present; ergo the big misunderstanding/miscommunication and then the repeat of that almost-identical conflict in their adult years) and they may not always think and act in harmony but even if their connection had been sworn into a book of vows, I would have believed in their longevity without a second thought. I knew I wanted them together from the offset. I knew I wanted them as one from their first on-page meeting. I felt that way the entire way through, decisional flaws and all. One can't read this and come up for air without being caught up by the history, the past friendship (which, while wasn't on-page, held its own), the chemistry, the intensity, the pride, the pain and the natural depth and freshness of their re-connection.
The theme of their relationship is on the fairer side of omission because Arik and Kate struggle with truth, the whole truth and nothing but the whole truth. Because they've both become different people through a lot of self-work, I did hope for them to assume a more agile cut-from-a-different-cloth approach as opposed to dodging each other where it matters. The emotive component however, was truly on point because the author both puts into them (and pulls from them) a lot of believability as people with real lives and real feelings. It's easy to argue the futility of one tiny misunderstanding causing such a long, displaced rift but the writing intentionally seizes what it sets out to explore, in a way that delivers what needed to happen with some depth, distance and delicious chemistry. Kate had come a long way from the girl who struggled in her early life with her weight, self-image, abandonment and bullying and I loved the retrospective commentary of that road taken, just as I really appreciated the same of Arik's dyslexia.
Friends to lovers (or ex-friends to lovers in this case) isn't one of my favourite tropes because I struggle with the abstraction of a friend being blind to the potential best of someone who's been a sidelong all-time companion to them. Or one wanting more and burying any non-platonic affection or in the case of it being fully chaste on both sides, what could possibly be the turning point? How does that ensuing dynamic change from friend zoned to the love zone. Why didn't it sooner? I did enjoy the approach here though. Both Arik and Kate grew up together from the earliest age when things were harmlessly guileless in a way being childhoods friends always is. And in their late teenage years (though Arik had dated other people - and they've both been with others during the separation - but once it clicked for him), their best-friends relationship was on the verge of transforming into something more until a misunderstanding becomes the obstacle. All in all, a wonderful play out of a familiar theme, and what I do prize about this trope? Its core sentiment of friendship before courtship.
It's so easy to surrender love to the scene, the setting, the plot points and the resonant community. It’s especially a personal joy to cede said love over to story that introduces a wonderful community of people. Supportive families and friendships just make my heart soar, and all the connections they have to each other, all the roots they have to the town authenticate the story - I even found myself moved in places I didn’t expect to be moved. Many small town romances that aim to institute the small town vibe either use a few quintessential small town strokes as an anaemic backdrop or execute the story with bombastically overripe characters with overanimated sensibilities. With Reclaimed Love there aren't any highly unrealistic situations to walk through nay any sensationalist schemes (well, there is a bit of that actually but it’s a face of the charm that delivers without façade).
But mostly, it’s believable without shouting at height and I’m starting to believe that stories are a lot like people because some make you feel estranged, some make you feel like a stranger in your own skin and then some just make you feel warmly shadowed by a companionable body or arm-linked by a long-suffering friend. so I thank this book for being that friend and taking a stroll with me. I loved walking through the setting, I loved piecing myself into the clime of Felt Idaho, I loved getting to know the side characters (there was an especially funny moment involving two burly men and a camera) and I desperately need Arik to let me stay in his home because I'd consider it a heavenly gift if I got to spend a few days in his idyllic ranch house. The characters were a casual delight without their personalities assuming an overly embellished device to persuade me into loving them. I just did.
Reclaimed Love was a small town romance that felt like a small town romance. A romance without a hitch is a romance that hasn't lived its best life so I embrace the bump, light, lumpy, flighty or foolish (or in this case, stubbornly misunderstood). Pride and pain get in the way but love and longing loom large. Having the town's attention becomes problematic for Kate Palicki. Her fear defines what a relationship with her ex-bestie could be. But being forced to stay is a big cause for reflection; it's not the town she hates but the way she was made to feel by a handful of tormentors. With complicated feelings about her hometown, it's easy to forget the other side to a story, especially when the keeper of the other half is enshrined into every part of her formative years.
But then there's also the truth; that love never really left and it takes this emotionally bruised heroine a smidge longer to realise it. Reconnection is always done best side by side and within close quarters, and with two stubborn personalities it proves to be a bit more of a challenge because sometimes love is hard to face when it means so much. With a hero who didn't know why he was just a token of the past, a heroine who never felt enough Alina Lane’s debut was wonderful on multiple fronts and probably one of the best romance debuts I’ve ever read.
Content Warning: Swearing. Mentions past/present bullying including fat shaming/body shaming and belittling. Past violence, alcohol consumption. Panic attacks.
Extra thoughts
1) Because Kate mentions her transformation and to road to self-love, she is presented as a character who's had a bit of a journey (and I really appreciated that because she's much more confident in so many ways) but there is one scene where she's body-shamed by her former bully in front of a crowd of watchers and I was a bit disappointed with the way she reacts by covering herself up rather than perhaps shamelessly making a point of who she's become now. I understand that insecurities stay with us and that the scene pointedly pushed that point forward but I wanted her to stand taller in that scene.
-----------------------------------------------
Visit my blog for more reviews: V.L. Book Reviews
T W I T T E R: @TheVicarious1
I N S T A G R A M: @Vicarious.Hearts
-----------------------------------------------
May 5, 2022
So this is kinda funny cause where she is returning to Idaho. I live in Idaho. I enjoyed this book, a second chance at romance. It was beautifully written and I fell in love with the character Kate.
I don’t like spoiling anything which a lot of people know if they follow my reviews I don’t I’d say this series is a good investment so far. Time and money wise!
I don’t like spoiling anything which a lot of people know if they follow my reviews I don’t I’d say this series is a good investment so far. Time and money wise!
June 29, 2021
4.5 stars
A beautifully written 2nd chance love story, a debut novel, and a series starter. Kate is returning home to Idaho after twelve years. Home is a small town, complete with a well-formed gossip mill, meddlers, long memories, and mean girls. Gran is injured, her bookstore needs attention, and Gran forgot to mention she has a boyfriend and a few other things. Unfortunately, Kate also has a life and career in AZ, and she will have to go back.
Twelve years ago, Arik was Kates best friend, but she leaves him without a word due to a misunderstanding. He plans to make the most of the opportunity to clear the air since she has returned. But is the spark still there? Will all the shenanigans keep them apart?
I am looking forward to more from this author. I love the spunk and fire of Kate’s personality, the unconditional support of her friends and Gran. The author did a great job setting us up with characters who we will want to read their books to get their stories. I was drawn into the story immediately, and I need to read more.
A beautifully written 2nd chance love story, a debut novel, and a series starter. Kate is returning home to Idaho after twelve years. Home is a small town, complete with a well-formed gossip mill, meddlers, long memories, and mean girls. Gran is injured, her bookstore needs attention, and Gran forgot to mention she has a boyfriend and a few other things. Unfortunately, Kate also has a life and career in AZ, and she will have to go back.
Twelve years ago, Arik was Kates best friend, but she leaves him without a word due to a misunderstanding. He plans to make the most of the opportunity to clear the air since she has returned. But is the spark still there? Will all the shenanigans keep them apart?
I am looking forward to more from this author. I love the spunk and fire of Kate’s personality, the unconditional support of her friends and Gran. The author did a great job setting us up with characters who we will want to read their books to get their stories. I was drawn into the story immediately, and I need to read more.
May 3, 2021
I fell hard for this second chance happily ever after. ❤
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
✔Small town
✔Childhood friends turned to Lover
✔Second Chance Romance
✔Meddling friends and family
For her debut novel, Alina Lane writes as well as any other well seasoned author. (Strong Claire Kingsley and Melanie Harlow vibes🌟) Her characters Arik and Kate have the perfect amount of give and take to one another, that from start to finish you are invested in how they play out. The secondary characters are just as good and I am eagerly anticipating their return in the next installment of the series. With Reclaimed Love, Lane secured her spot as a 1-click author on my list. ❤
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
✔Small town
✔Childhood friends turned to Lover
✔Second Chance Romance
✔Meddling friends and family
For her debut novel, Alina Lane writes as well as any other well seasoned author. (Strong Claire Kingsley and Melanie Harlow vibes🌟) Her characters Arik and Kate have the perfect amount of give and take to one another, that from start to finish you are invested in how they play out. The secondary characters are just as good and I am eagerly anticipating their return in the next installment of the series. With Reclaimed Love, Lane secured her spot as a 1-click author on my list. ❤
April 20, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when you have to go home again and your best friend turned worst enemy is the one you have to work with to save your history? What happens when said best friend is even better looking than you remember and your crush from your youth is in danger of getting worse? What happens when your worst enemy turns into someone you can't live without?
Alina Lane has slayed it with her debut in Reclaimed Love. A vibrant small town in the Idaho Tetons complete with quirky characters (I'm looking at you Grams), scenes that light your Kindle on fire (broken hip through the front door, you're up), and emotions that have you crying, laughing, and swooning from page one to Kate and Arik's happily ever after.
Welcome to Felt, Idaho... where Alina Lane welcomes us with open arms and characters you love and characters you want to smack some good sense into. Loved, loved, loved Reclaimed Love and if I could give this book more than ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would. If you're thinking about it, stop thinking about it and start reading. If you haven't thought about it until now, pick it up and fall in love with Kate and Arik right now!
What happens when you have to go home again and your best friend turned worst enemy is the one you have to work with to save your history? What happens when said best friend is even better looking than you remember and your crush from your youth is in danger of getting worse? What happens when your worst enemy turns into someone you can't live without?
Alina Lane has slayed it with her debut in Reclaimed Love. A vibrant small town in the Idaho Tetons complete with quirky characters (I'm looking at you Grams), scenes that light your Kindle on fire (broken hip through the front door, you're up), and emotions that have you crying, laughing, and swooning from page one to Kate and Arik's happily ever after.
Welcome to Felt, Idaho... where Alina Lane welcomes us with open arms and characters you love and characters you want to smack some good sense into. Loved, loved, loved Reclaimed Love and if I could give this book more than ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I would. If you're thinking about it, stop thinking about it and start reading. If you haven't thought about it until now, pick it up and fall in love with Kate and Arik right now!
May 1, 2021
Arik and Kate’s story is everything that an avid romance reader could possibly want! They have history, desire, secrets, love, heat, humor and unfortunate misunderstandings. Debut author Alina Lane brings a fresh voice to the genre and tells their story like a seasoned pro. Arik and Kate kick off the Heartfelt series with a huge bang, and their surrounding cast of characters leave you wanting more.
May 3, 2021
I have a hard time believing this is a debut book. It’s absolutely wonderful.
Gotta love a small-town romance with a meddling grandma, the gossip mill, and two friends who just can’t get out of their own way.
I 100% recommend this book. I think you’ll like it as much as I did!
Gotta love a small-town romance with a meddling grandma, the gossip mill, and two friends who just can’t get out of their own way.
I 100% recommend this book. I think you’ll like it as much as I did!
May 4, 2021
What do you do when you’re back home in a small town after 12 years of running from an awful night ? The night that crushed your dreams and your heart ?
Suck it up. That’s what Kate does when her grandmother breaks her hip (I cackled at how!) and has to help her and the mess that is her book store. This book will make you laugh, cry, and yell. People have a way of protecting their heart that can ultimately end up breaking it. So many wasted years that could have been avoided if the truth had been HEARD. Not told, because Arik tried to tell her.
This is one of the best second chance romance books that I have read in a long long time yall. The passion and fiery nature in Kate that has risen from a bullied young woman makes me cheer. It makes me happy as she stands up to the grown up bullies in town. Buckle up, because Alina takes you for a ride and you’re going to NEED more !
Triggers: bullying
Suck it up. That’s what Kate does when her grandmother breaks her hip (I cackled at how!) and has to help her and the mess that is her book store. This book will make you laugh, cry, and yell. People have a way of protecting their heart that can ultimately end up breaking it. So many wasted years that could have been avoided if the truth had been HEARD. Not told, because Arik tried to tell her.
This is one of the best second chance romance books that I have read in a long long time yall. The passion and fiery nature in Kate that has risen from a bullied young woman makes me cheer. It makes me happy as she stands up to the grown up bullies in town. Buckle up, because Alina takes you for a ride and you’re going to NEED more !
Triggers: bullying
May 26, 2022
A delicious small town, friends to lovers second chance romance!! For a debut novel this was beyond impressive!! Check your trigger warnings.
Arik and Kate were childhood best friends but a misunderstanding had her running away and starting a new life!
Kate ends up going back home to try to save the family business after a member of her family is hurt and she ends up meeting back up with Arik.
This story literally has it all. Romance, spice, misunderstandings and a truly awesome love story!! I loved that Kate grew and became a force to be reckoned with regardless of the ‘mean girls’ she had to deal with at school.
I was crying, smiling and howling with laughter in equal measure throughout this book! The meddling friends and family was a brilliant part of the story and it just added to the overall feeling that this really could be real life!!
Highly recommend and I’ll definitely be reading more of the heartfelt series 💜
Arik and Kate were childhood best friends but a misunderstanding had her running away and starting a new life!
Kate ends up going back home to try to save the family business after a member of her family is hurt and she ends up meeting back up with Arik.
This story literally has it all. Romance, spice, misunderstandings and a truly awesome love story!! I loved that Kate grew and became a force to be reckoned with regardless of the ‘mean girls’ she had to deal with at school.
I was crying, smiling and howling with laughter in equal measure throughout this book! The meddling friends and family was a brilliant part of the story and it just added to the overall feeling that this really could be real life!!
Highly recommend and I’ll definitely be reading more of the heartfelt series 💜
May 5, 2021
This was a great debut novel for Alina Lane. It is a second chance romance & the two main characters Arik and Kate definitely need to work out their past before they can move forward. I love the dynamic between these two, they are both rather flawed characters and I absolutely loved that about them. You could really see how the past had affected them.
I also loved the dynamic these two had with their friends in the small town & for Kate back hike in AZ. I really enjoyed this book, it was a very (in my mind) traditional romance book & a great break from some of the heavier and darker romances that I have been reading. I definitely will need to check out the next book when it arrives.
I also loved the dynamic these two had with their friends in the small town & for Kate back hike in AZ. I really enjoyed this book, it was a very (in my mind) traditional romance book & a great break from some of the heavier and darker romances that I have been reading. I definitely will need to check out the next book when it arrives.
March 22, 2024
Oh my goodness! I absolutely love everything about small towns! I really enjoyed my time in Felt and getting to know and love the town and the people! I loved every little thing about Kate and Arik! I loved getting to know them! They were definitely meant for one another! Their love story was so sweet! I couldn't get enough of these two! The ending was perfect! Can't wait to continue this series and visit Felt soon! 💛
May 17, 2022
A beautiful 2nd chance romance, and an amazing start to a beautiful series! Kate has been out of the small town for 12 years, and nothing seems to have changed except her!!! Arik, the adorable guy he is, want his friend back!!! Amazing start to a wonderful series!
May 26, 2022
This was a well-written story and I was surprised to learn it was the author’s debut novel. Having said that the heroine made me cringe. I’m actually kinda sorry the Hero didn’t get his HEA with someone more deserving.
I will read more by this author.
I will read more by this author.
April 23, 2021
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review!
Alina Lane has such a way with words. She knows how to pluck your heartstrings then make you snort laugh, all within the same chapter.
Kate fled her small town of Felt after her senior prom, devastated by the actions of her best friend, Arik. She does her best to forget that life as she moves on in Arizona. Twelve years go by and she's forced to return and deal with him. She has worked hard to overcome her childhood insecurities and is a strong person, both mentally and physically. But being in a place with so many terrible memories has those insecurities creeping back up.
Arik doesn't know why his best friend left suddenly twelve years ago, all he knows it that she never answered his calls and returned every one of his letters unopened and unread. Now that she's back in town, he wants to clear the air, but will she stick around to see what might happen between them?
Lane hooks you from the very beginning, keeps you entertained with humor, steamy scenes and a writing style that makes it hard to put your book down. If you're looking for small-town, friends to lovers/second chance, this is it!
Alina Lane has such a way with words. She knows how to pluck your heartstrings then make you snort laugh, all within the same chapter.
Kate fled her small town of Felt after her senior prom, devastated by the actions of her best friend, Arik. She does her best to forget that life as she moves on in Arizona. Twelve years go by and she's forced to return and deal with him. She has worked hard to overcome her childhood insecurities and is a strong person, both mentally and physically. But being in a place with so many terrible memories has those insecurities creeping back up.
Arik doesn't know why his best friend left suddenly twelve years ago, all he knows it that she never answered his calls and returned every one of his letters unopened and unread. Now that she's back in town, he wants to clear the air, but will she stick around to see what might happen between them?
Lane hooks you from the very beginning, keeps you entertained with humor, steamy scenes and a writing style that makes it hard to put your book down. If you're looking for small-town, friends to lovers/second chance, this is it!
April 25, 2021
This is a debut book and it is so well written! I give Alina 2 thumbs up for giving us an amazing story at a second chance at happiness, after a misunderstanding caused two childhood best friends to be apart for years. While Kate didn't have plans to spend a lot of time back in her childhood home in Idaho, she goes back after her grandmother gets injured and needs looking after. My heart broke for both Arik and Kate for the years they spent apart but also for the years of bullying that poor Kate went through. The character development was exceptional and I loved so many characters in this story. I was hooked from the very beginning until I finished.
April 27, 2021
Alina Lane has knocked it out of the ballpark with her debut novel. Reclaimed Love is a small town, second chance romance that sucked me in and pulled me under. Kate and Arik are well-rounded individuals who you get to know so thoroughly that you miss them when you finish the book. I truly believe that Alina Lane will be a huge name in romance, sooner rather than later. Her first novel is written like she is a well-seasoned author, and I can only see her going up from here.
April 29, 2021
Oh my feels! This book was everything! Very well written. I Couldn’t put it down! Dying to get more of Jackson and Connor!
April 21, 2021
I don’t even know where to begin telling you how much I loved this book.
Kate and Arik have a complicated past that started after growing up as best friends attached at the hip. The characters are well developed, the story is emotionally chaotic, and the town is so adorable I want to live there!
And why is Arik so perfect?!
So hard to believe this is a debut novel. A new one-click author for me.
Kate and Arik have a complicated past that started after growing up as best friends attached at the hip. The characters are well developed, the story is emotionally chaotic, and the town is so adorable I want to live there!
And why is Arik so perfect?!
So hard to believe this is a debut novel. A new one-click author for me.
April 17, 2021
This is one heck of a story that I will be recommending to everyone!! Small towns and romance...yes please. Characters you adore...another check. Emotional rollercoaster...yep. You feel these characters emotions, pain, and love. I tried to adult today and every time I tried to put my kindle down, I couldn’t. She sucked me in and I loved every minute. You need this book in your life so make sure it’s added to your must read list. I know I want more and cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.
May 15, 2021
Huge Accolade to Alina Lane for her debut book, Reclaimed Love, she nailed it!! Small Town Romance? Yes please! Two childhood friends who are inseparable until one huge misunderstanding separates them, only for the heroine in our story to have to return to that small town to help her Grandmother, and face her fears, insecurities, and the one person her broke her heart, her Sexy, Infuriating childhood bestie? So freaking fantastic in every way! Amazing character and plot development, sizzling sexy times, I couldn’t be more thankful to have been one of the first to enjoy this book! Alina Lane, I can not wait for your next fabulous read!! Well done, babygirl.
November 3, 2021
✔️Happily Ever After
✔️Friends-to-lovers
✔️Small town romance
✔️Drama (Good & Bad)
Reading this book started out as a good deed to a fellow author. I am in a writing group with her and absolutely was excited to see what she was up to. (I'm nosey can you blame me?)
Well let me start off that very few books give me butterflies, very few stories make my blood boil... (in a good way) Maybe its cause I related to Kate, I too was bullied in school. (I ran away much quicker though...)
So it kept getting better and better and then I tried to read it slower so that way I could enjoy it much better. Welp by chapter 23 I was like.... FUCK IT... its too good... give me more.
Now I stayed up way to late (past my bedtime folks, almost 21 and by 10:30 I need to sleep or I feel like the walking dead. I got anemia... anyway getting off topic.)
So I finished the whole thing. My brother (who has been roomies with me for the past little while. Long story...) Grunted while he was sleeping during the fight scene and during the epilogue (no spoilers) groaned just like he does during a romance movie. The sound effects were totally funny since he does the same like I said with romance movies.
(Brother not included with the purchase of this book. To get your own please ask your parents. I'm not liable for any injury or cruelty you receive by asking such a question, regardless of your age)
Anyway this was an OUTSTANDING book. If I could give it 10 stars I would!
May 22, 2021
Reclaimed Love by Alina Lane is her debut novel and the steamy, sizzling first book in the Heartfelt Series. Kate and Arik are childhood friends who had some misunderstandings causing Kate to leave her hometown only to return twelve years later for a family emergency.
This is a friends to lovers, second chance, small-town romance with amazing characters. I loved Kate and Arik no matter how stubborn they could be. There was always a spark between these two and when they come together again the second chance at love is emotional. Reclaimed Love is written so beautifully and the characters' emotions are conveyed very well. I was captivated from the first page and I can’t wait for more by Alina Lane!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is a friends to lovers, second chance, small-town romance with amazing characters. I loved Kate and Arik no matter how stubborn they could be. There was always a spark between these two and when they come together again the second chance at love is emotional. Reclaimed Love is written so beautifully and the characters' emotions are conveyed very well. I was captivated from the first page and I can’t wait for more by Alina Lane!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
March 13, 2022
Excellent Story
Honestly Katie is an obnoxious twit during most of this story. Makes me ashamed to be a redhead. Aril is a saint for the most part. I want a novel where Christina drools on herself and piddles herself in front of everyone
I really enjoyed the story.
Honestly Katie is an obnoxious twit during most of this story. Makes me ashamed to be a redhead. Aril is a saint for the most part. I want a novel where Christina drools on herself and piddles herself in front of everyone
I really enjoyed the story.
May 22, 2021
LOOOVED this book so much! I do want to start off with my only negative comment. The description of the book did not seem to match with how the book started. I was really confused for a few chapters but soon enough it all made sense. So if you find you have the same confusion, just push through, it will make sense and be worth it in the end, this book was phenomenal. I love this book, it was emotional, and funny with interesting characters and an intriguing storyline. Any book that starts off with the grandma getting a sex injury has my attention! Best friends, Arik & Kate, go to prom together but don’t get the night either one of them were hoping for. When Kate ends up back in town, Arik tries to find out what went wrong all those years ago. Will he be able to get her to tell him? Do they have a chance at making things work between them? They often seem to not be on the same page about what they want but their relationship is full of passion and a very real friendship so they have the foundation to make a relationship work. Their separate lives might be the one thing to keep them apart if they can’t communicate enough to make a decision for their future. I didn’t just fall in love with Arik and Kate, but I fell in love with the whole town and the other characters. Kate’s grandmother has a history and story of her own and I would really like to see Hedy and Ben get a novella of their own. Until then, I will be waiting to hear from the other characters in this series because this author has me hooked!
“Kate might have cut me off from her life, but I stayed very much in hers while she was gone
“Kate might have cut me off from her life, but I stayed very much in hers while she was gone
May 17, 2021
Title: Reclaimed Love
Author: Alina Lane
Hero/Heroine: Arik & Kate
Trope: Second Chance/Small Town Romance
THE GOOD 😁
Small town? Check. Childhood friends reunited? Check. Just enough steam to give a girl heart palpitations? Check. This was one of those feel good romances that felt like a hug in book form.
Arik and Kate were the best of friends growing up in the small town of Felt, but when a misunderstanding at prom sends Kate running for the hills, the two don’t speak until an emergency brings Kate back home. Still angry and upset about the events that happened twelve years previous, Kate is surprised when she comes face to face with her ex best friend.
Arik, or the Adorable Viking as I’ve nicknamed him, is desperate to clear the air with Kate, however she refuses to listen to him. When Arik is eventually given the chance to explain, well, this is where things heat up for these pair.
Both characters experienced their own personal struggles throughout the years; Arik with his dyslexia and Kate with self esteem issues as a result of constant bullying throughout school. Witnessing them both grow and overcome these things that they felt held them back was wonderful. Even though you could tell they were both wary about admitting their feelings for each other for fear of getting their hearts broken again, you could tell that both Arik and Kate felt an intense and deep connection to each other.
A wonderfully feel good story with loveable characters and a cozy small town setting, Reclaimed Love ticked all the boxes.
THE BAD ☹️
Christina. As Phoebe from Friends would say, she really needed to get out of the bitter barn and play in the hay.
Thank you to the author for providing an arc copy of this book for me to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: A fabulously feel good small town romance guaranteed to put a smile on your face
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Alina Lane
Hero/Heroine: Arik & Kate
Trope: Second Chance/Small Town Romance
THE GOOD 😁
Small town? Check. Childhood friends reunited? Check. Just enough steam to give a girl heart palpitations? Check. This was one of those feel good romances that felt like a hug in book form.
Arik and Kate were the best of friends growing up in the small town of Felt, but when a misunderstanding at prom sends Kate running for the hills, the two don’t speak until an emergency brings Kate back home. Still angry and upset about the events that happened twelve years previous, Kate is surprised when she comes face to face with her ex best friend.
Arik, or the Adorable Viking as I’ve nicknamed him, is desperate to clear the air with Kate, however she refuses to listen to him. When Arik is eventually given the chance to explain, well, this is where things heat up for these pair.
Both characters experienced their own personal struggles throughout the years; Arik with his dyslexia and Kate with self esteem issues as a result of constant bullying throughout school. Witnessing them both grow and overcome these things that they felt held them back was wonderful. Even though you could tell they were both wary about admitting their feelings for each other for fear of getting their hearts broken again, you could tell that both Arik and Kate felt an intense and deep connection to each other.
A wonderfully feel good story with loveable characters and a cozy small town setting, Reclaimed Love ticked all the boxes.
THE BAD ☹️
Christina. As Phoebe from Friends would say, she really needed to get out of the bitter barn and play in the hay.
Thank you to the author for providing an arc copy of this book for me to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: A fabulously feel good small town romance guaranteed to put a smile on your face
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 17, 2021
Reclaimed Love, Alina Lane’s debut novel, is a contemporary, small town, friends to lovers, second chance romance told in first person, dual POV.
Kate and Arik were childhood best friends until his actions on prom night broke her heart and she left town, cutting all ties with him. Twelve years have passed when a family emergency brings Kate back to her small hometown and face-to-face with Arik, unable to avoid him any longer.
What will happen between Kate and Arik as they spend time together? And what really happened on prom night? Can Arik convince Kate to hear his side of the story? Can Kate let go of the past and forgive Arik? Read the book to find out.
I loved Kate and Arik’s story! If I didn’t know better, I’d never believe this was a debut because Alina Lane writes like a prolific author who has been churning out best-sellers for ages. Kate and Arik were likeable, well-developed, relatable, and realistically flawed. The secondary characters were great too. The story was emotional, funny, sexy, and sweet. A perfect blend of humor, heat, and heart. I highly recommend it, and can’t wait to read what comes next!
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
Kate and Arik were childhood best friends until his actions on prom night broke her heart and she left town, cutting all ties with him. Twelve years have passed when a family emergency brings Kate back to her small hometown and face-to-face with Arik, unable to avoid him any longer.
What will happen between Kate and Arik as they spend time together? And what really happened on prom night? Can Arik convince Kate to hear his side of the story? Can Kate let go of the past and forgive Arik? Read the book to find out.
I loved Kate and Arik’s story! If I didn’t know better, I’d never believe this was a debut because Alina Lane writes like a prolific author who has been churning out best-sellers for ages. Kate and Arik were likeable, well-developed, relatable, and realistically flawed. The secondary characters were great too. The story was emotional, funny, sexy, and sweet. A perfect blend of humor, heat, and heart. I highly recommend it, and can’t wait to read what comes next!
*** I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. ***
May 22, 2021
Oh this book break my heart!
Kate and Arik are childhood best friends. They did everything together and they both had crushes on each other without the other one knowing. A HUGE misunderstanding on prom night causes Kate to go to college early and they do not speak for 12 years. When Kate returns to help her grandmother after hip surgery, Kate and Arik are forced to finally talked about what happened prom night.
For this being her debut novel, Alina Lane did a fantastic job! The character and plot development was outstanding! They both did not run to each other and forget everything that happened, it took time for them to finally have that conversation, and when they had it, ugh! My heart that they lost those 12 years. But because of those 12 years apart Kate was able to grow and really work on her self esteem. She became a strong woman that Arik needed. This book got hot, hot, hot when they reconnected. They both still dealt with some trust issues because of their past, but hello that is expected.
And the grandmother made this story even better! All the sneaky ways she was trying to get them together, silly Grams. And the ending with they truly got back together was too sweet.
Great job on your debut, I hope their is a next one!
Kate and Arik are childhood best friends. They did everything together and they both had crushes on each other without the other one knowing. A HUGE misunderstanding on prom night causes Kate to go to college early and they do not speak for 12 years. When Kate returns to help her grandmother after hip surgery, Kate and Arik are forced to finally talked about what happened prom night.
For this being her debut novel, Alina Lane did a fantastic job! The character and plot development was outstanding! They both did not run to each other and forget everything that happened, it took time for them to finally have that conversation, and when they had it, ugh! My heart that they lost those 12 years. But because of those 12 years apart Kate was able to grow and really work on her self esteem. She became a strong woman that Arik needed. This book got hot, hot, hot when they reconnected. They both still dealt with some trust issues because of their past, but hello that is expected.
And the grandmother made this story even better! All the sneaky ways she was trying to get them together, silly Grams. And the ending with they truly got back together was too sweet.
Great job on your debut, I hope their is a next one!
May 20, 2021
I am amazed that this story is the author’s debut novel - it was so well written!
This book has all of my favourites: small town romance, second chance, friends to lovers and AMAZING secondary characters. I am so excited to see what comes next in this series.
Arik and Kate were childhood friends that had a tragic falling out after a tragic misunderstanding at prom. Even after 12 years apart they think they know what the other is thinking or how they are acting and self sabotage and break each other’s hearts. Their story is full of emotion, pain, misunderstanding, heat and passion and most of all growth.
I loved that they both had to do some serious personal growth to be fully able to rekindle. Meddling family members may save the day and relationship. I love a HEA that makes me cry and Alina definitely had those tears running down my face at the end of this book with the sweetest of grand gestures.
This book also had the perfect sprinkling of comedic lines strategically placed in it:
“His mouth fastened to mine, and before I knew it, I was grinding on him like an exotic dancer trying to earn her mortgage payment.”
This book has all of my favourites: small town romance, second chance, friends to lovers and AMAZING secondary characters. I am so excited to see what comes next in this series.
Arik and Kate were childhood friends that had a tragic falling out after a tragic misunderstanding at prom. Even after 12 years apart they think they know what the other is thinking or how they are acting and self sabotage and break each other’s hearts. Their story is full of emotion, pain, misunderstanding, heat and passion and most of all growth.
I loved that they both had to do some serious personal growth to be fully able to rekindle. Meddling family members may save the day and relationship. I love a HEA that makes me cry and Alina definitely had those tears running down my face at the end of this book with the sweetest of grand gestures.
This book also had the perfect sprinkling of comedic lines strategically placed in it:
“His mouth fastened to mine, and before I knew it, I was grinding on him like an exotic dancer trying to earn her mortgage payment.”
May 16, 2021
This book was so good. I was just going to read one chapter but before I knew it I had read the whole story. Its a 2nd chance at love for both Arik and Kate in a small town and with her coming back to town after leaving 12 years before.
She comes back to town when her grandmother ends up in the hospital and Arik meets her at the hospital and she has to face him and how he hurt her on prom night 12 years before. Arik has always loved Kate and tried to explain what happened at prom but she refused to listen. She thinks he didn't care about her romantically, even if they grew up as friends.
I loved this story so much. I loved how Kate and Arik had to work together to save her grandmothers bookstore and how hard he tried to fight to get his second chance at love with her. At times I thought she was hard on him but I loved when she starts to look at their past in a different way and especially when she reads the letters that he had sent her but she never opened.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
She comes back to town when her grandmother ends up in the hospital and Arik meets her at the hospital and she has to face him and how he hurt her on prom night 12 years before. Arik has always loved Kate and tried to explain what happened at prom but she refused to listen. She thinks he didn't care about her romantically, even if they grew up as friends.
I loved this story so much. I loved how Kate and Arik had to work together to save her grandmothers bookstore and how hard he tried to fight to get his second chance at love with her. At times I thought she was hard on him but I loved when she starts to look at their past in a different way and especially when she reads the letters that he had sent her but she never opened.
I received a free ARC copy of this book from the author prior to release and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 5, 2021
I absolutely fell in LOVE with Arik and Kate’s story, and all things Felt, Idaho. Full of humor, sass, and ever-lasting love, this second-shot-at-love story will have your heart beating for Arik and Kate.
A strong-willed heroine, determined to overcome her past and save her family’s bookstore, and a swoony, compassionate hero that wants nothing more than a second shot at love with his childhood best friend, and to provide for his students. These two characters will fill your heart with love and have you begging for more.
With swoony men, strong females, fun side characters, a captivating plot, and problems to overcome, this book has everything I love in an epic romance story. My only wish is that it never ended.
Reclaimed Love was beautifully written, and I NEVER would have guessed it was Alina Lane’s debut novel. 10/10 will read again, and can’t wait to return to Felt, Idaho for the next story!
A strong-willed heroine, determined to overcome her past and save her family’s bookstore, and a swoony, compassionate hero that wants nothing more than a second shot at love with his childhood best friend, and to provide for his students. These two characters will fill your heart with love and have you begging for more.
With swoony men, strong females, fun side characters, a captivating plot, and problems to overcome, this book has everything I love in an epic romance story. My only wish is that it never ended.
Reclaimed Love was beautifully written, and I NEVER would have guessed it was Alina Lane’s debut novel. 10/10 will read again, and can’t wait to return to Felt, Idaho for the next story!
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