They Always Come Back

Unfinished Love #1

by Bailey Thomas

Avery Kline and her best friend, Paige Jensen, relocate their entire lives from their hometown of East Tawas, Michigan to Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite going through a tumultuous breakup, Avery is open to putting her heart back on the line when she meets the apartment’s pool security guard, Kyle Kingsley. Kyle is no stranger to female attention as all the residents seem to gravitate towards him, but he has a rule against dating girls who live at the complex. This disappoints Avery, but doesn’t discourage her from pursuing him anyway. She believes that once Kyle gets to know the real her, she will be able to break his rule and make him fall in love with her. Avery is relentless in her mission to capture Kyle’s heart, but his feelings against dating residents may be more of a warning than a rule. Their differing values cause friction among their friendship until one of them finally prevails. Will Avery be able to win Kyle over, or will his dark past leave them both heartbroken?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2024

Reviews

[Poppyflowerjj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished 'They Always Come Back' by Bailey Thomas, a contemporary romance that I gave 3.5 stars.

First off, let's talk about Avery's best friend, Page. She's an absolute gem! Her loyalty, humor, and fierce protectiveness make her a standout character. I loved every scene she was in.
But on the flip side, we have Kyle. Ugh, where do I start? His behavior and choices just rubbed me the wrong way throughout the story. Definitely not a fan. Overall, if you enjoy contemporary romance with a mix of lovable and infuriating characters, give this one a shot! Just be prepared for some strong feelings about certain characters.


…………………………………


only 3 more days until!!!

[beautyfulyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avery avery avery. WOW, she stressed me out lol. But what can we expect from a young woman who’s gone through some heartbreaking situations. I WAS NOT A FAN OF MR KYLE. Not only did this book have me in giggles but it also had me wanting to yell lol! Over all i’m happy i picked this book up and i really enjoyed reading it! I found that a lot of us women have a similar way of thinking when it comes to men. We just have to learn that we are ENOUGH. <3

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
This is Bailey’s debut book, and I see so much potential in her writing! This book wasn’t what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. It was easy to read, and the chapters were pretty short. This is an NA novel, but it felt more like a YA novel. The characters felt more like high schoolers than adults to me. I wish the characters had more fleshed-out backstories and reasons for acting how they did. I enjoyed seeing Avery’s backstory, but we lacked it in the other characters. I did enjoy Avery’s friendship with Paige and Hannah. Avery needed to listen to Paige more. I wish Avery stopped seeing Kyle much earlier or made him more redeemable. I don’t like the cheating trope, so all of Avery’s interactions with him were red flags. I’m also not thrilled that she didn’t communicate what happened between her and Kyle with Graham. I really enjoyed seeing Graham, but he was a little flat. I would’ve liked to have seen him as the main love interest that developed, but Avery needed the character development from Kyle. Seeing him treat Avery right and the whole dinner date scene was so cute, though. The ending was very surprising. It didn’t feel too fitting to the plot. Overall, not bad, and I see a lot of potential in the writing, but there were a few things I didn’t love about the book.
There were a few passionate kisses and a few scenes where characters undress, but there is nothing past that. There is a bit of violence and few mentions of drinking. 

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an easy quick read. I recommend this book if you want something to read in a week.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️

[Rita Maria Haykal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am always excited when indie authors send me their books, and I have to say Bailey Thomas is such a sweetheart. I appreciate her reaching out to me to read her debut book.

First, I must preface this by saying that Bailey's writing skills exceeded my expectations for a debut book. I honestly think it'll only get better from here for her. I can't wait to see what she comes out with!

Now, on to the book.
Starting with the FMC, Avery... she is so hard to like. From beginning to end, she did not make a single intelligent move. From constantly comparing herself to her best friend to always going back to a sorry excuse of a human being, I did not root for her for one second. I don't like weak-minded characters; there's a way to go about it without making the character so devoid of character and as insecure as Avery. She was so insecure and genuinely didn't seem like a good friend. One thing I'd point out is her constantly mentioning how Paige (her best friend) dresses, precisely when she said that her less modest swimsuit still had more fabric than all of Paige's swimsuits combined. She was such a "pick me" and I couldn't stand it. Paige and Hannah CARRIED this book, and it pissed me off when Avery tried to paint Paige as the villain when she talked badly about Kyle.

LET'S TALK ABOUT KYLE. Kyle is a nightmare in human form. The biggest loser you'll ever come across. What had her so attached to him, I don't know. I also didn't understand why she felt so strongly about him from the beginning; they didn't develop a connection throughout the story, so her being so attached to him didn't make sense. She constantly told him she'd accept him for his flaws and all that...WHY??? Why would you?? I'll never understand what had her going back to him, and I pray to God I never do. She had sweet Graham RIGHT THERE and just kept going to Kyle.

I genuinely think the title "They Always Come Back" is more about Avery. At first, I thought it would be about her parents or the men in her life, but I genuinely see it as being about Avery. Her life didn't go so well, leading her down a path where she goes for people like Kyle to feel needed because her parents abandoned her. She wanted to feel wanted, and even though Kyle treated her like gum stuck to his shoe, she kept returning because she wished to feel wanted, even if it was just momentarily.

Saying all that, I genuinely think this book could've been a fun girls' summer book, the three girls in Vegas having fun, but this is not the type of book I'd enjoy. Even though I didn't love this book, I still root for Bailey. I think she will only get better from this, and I'm sure she'll do great things in the future!

Thanks again to Bailey for reaching out to me and kindly sending me her debut book! Much love to you!

[Clo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 or 4 ⭐️ I’m undecided!

[Hailey Reading Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have chatted with Bailey on Instagram a bit and she is so nice and passionate about her debut novella, so I was super excited to read this!

First and foremost, this book includes discussions and instances of DV, so if you’re sensitive to books that describe these scenarios, I would suggest you pass on this one and come back to her second book!

I was particularly impressed with Bailey’s writing skills for her debut book. Independent authors usually don’t have anyone on their team but themselves, which means they write, edit, and market their books all on their own. You can definitely tell she took a lot of time and put in WORK for this book.

Some critiques for this book exclusively for the author to improve later and for readers thinking about picking this up:

1. The main character is very hard to root for. She compares herself to her friends constantly and doesn’t see red flags in men who give her attention. She continues to hang out with a man who attempts to SA her multiple times. She is just very insecure, and I wish we saw some confidence building throughout the novella.
2. There is a big cheating trope in this book. Again, Avery is a very insecure girl who seeks attention from men. Her and the guy weren’t technically together, but it just made me sad to see because of their history.
3. There is a lot of insta-love happening here, which is often the case for novellas. But, it felt like both of her romantic interests in this book showed up and they were instantly in love. A little more pining and dialogue would have helped a ton here!

Overall, I think if there wasn’t a cheating trope and if the book wasn’t a novella, I think I would have loved this book! It just needed some more dialogue and time to let the characters develop. I look forward to Bailey Thomas’ next book, I can’t wait to watch her grow as a writer!

[Sabra Gaskill-Fitch (mycoffeeandmybook)]

Really wanted to love this one before I adore the author and her courage for writing a whole freaking book at such a young age, but it fell short for me.

I think this book is definitely for a younger crowd. At my ripe age of 33, reading about 21-22 years olds is really hard to relate to anymore

[Tiffany &#x1f380; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Summer Romance

[Courtney Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough story to read, but unfortunately it isn't an uncommon one for many young women. Our FMC has moved to Vegas with her best friend, after living alone for the past few years with her parents abandoning her to travel when he dad won the lottery. One of the MMCs that she meets is a security guard at the pool of her new building. He is attractive and aloof, and never dates residents. Except he keeps pulling her under giving her just enough crumbs to keep her coming back even though he is toxic AF! When an MMC of her past, her roommates brother, comes back into the picture. Will she choose the safe option or try and fix the dangerous one?

[Daizie Fratello · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk what i thought going into this but this was NOT what i was expecting😭 i thought it was going to be a fluffy romance and it is not…. at all.. but i really loved it😭 this was like. 3.75-4⭐️ for me. the reason it’s not higher is because the FMC is “not like other girls” and keeps making STUPID decisions, but the decisions are so real if you’ve ever been in a similar position so i can’t even hate her! but one of the characters, Kyle, i’m looking at you, fucking sucks. i hate this dude so much. i don’t think i’ve ever hated a character more if i’m SO honest. but this was a fun quick read, and i highly recommend it!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this when I was younger. Everyone needs a friend like Paige. I felt a little too old reading this, as much of it in my current life I couldn’t relate to. But younger me definitely could. Kyle is a grade A loser. He is infuriating. I feel like Avery needs a hug and to realize her worth. I would love a book 2 with Paige or Hannah and for us to see Avery’s growth.

[Pamela Ogburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me all the feel it pissed me off made me laugh and just when I thought I knew what was happening it threw me for a loop and that’s what good books do!!! Read it!!!!

[Lauren Ritter · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off I want to congratulate Bailey on writing and self publishing her very first book. I appreciate her reaching out to me and asking me to read it. It takes a lot of bravery and hard work to accomplish something like that.

I enjoyed the fact that she tried to make this a mixture of romance and mystery. This was definitely a good first book and I enjoyed her writing.

I did have some things with this book I really didn’t enjoy. This is a personal thing for me as plenty of people don’t mind, but I do not connect with “weak” characters. I found the FMC In this book incredibly insecure and weak and I don’t connect with characters like that. The fact that she continued to keep going back to Kyle after he was clearly attempting to SA her and only wanted her around for selfish reason along with constantly dismissing her, blowing her off and disrespecting her. I didn’t enjoy that story at all. And then when she finally meets someone who treats her well, she continued to think about Kyle and make efforts to see him.

I respect the vulnerability in this book and the very real struggle of someone who doesn’t believe they deserve love and is insecure but it just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t the kind of “love” story that I personally enjoy. I don’t enjoy reading about someone who continues to go back to someone who does nothing but be disrespectful and constantly abuses them mentally and physically.

And the ending for me I didn’t enjoy. I was hoping she would come to her senses, find her confidence and worth and finally be the person that shows her real love. And some of that happens, but there was no wrap up work Kyle and his brothers, and she left the situation with Kyle open ended, like there was a possibility of him again.

I commend Bailey and am definitely cheering for her and her writing future, I think it’s only going to get better for her. This first book was commendable and brave but it just wasn’t a book I enjoyed

[Jessica Schiele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am super grateful that the author reached out and encouraged me to read her book. As a first book from this indie author, the story’s premise was a good idea but I would say this book is more of a coming of age or cautionary tale book than a romance.

Things I would’ve liked to see:
-Timeline spread out further. The FMC’s intense emotions felt too soon to occur. It seemed like she fell in and out of love or obsession over the course of days.
-Less major plot points and deeper dives into a few key points. There was parental death, parental abandonment, lottery winnings, anger issues, toxic previous ex, abuse and DV, attempted SA, obsession, and possible murder. I think more time was spent on Avery’s internal dialogue instead of building up why she was the way she was.
-Avery learning from previous mistakes. Overall, I think both Avery and Kyle were just way too toxic together and separately. I found myself genuinely upset with the FMC while also rooting for her to grow up along the way. I had to keep in mind that she was still very young and had a lot to learn.

I will say I think Bailey Thomas has a great writing style and do hope she continues to write! I liked the overall premise but ultimately felt like the FMC had a perspective that I didn’t mesh with.

[Aryauna Valdez]

I’m really sorry, but I had to DNF this book. It was marketed as a clean read, but I personally didn’t find it to be one. There were quite a few uncomfortable moments—like him grabbing her by the neck just to see if she’d flinch, which felt unsettling. There were also detailed scenes of him going out with other girls, making out, and even being bitten. At one point, he tries to unzip her dress a couple of times, and there’s a scene where she sees his underwear inside out, which makes her question his involvement with other girls.

Even early on, there’s a brief mention of her best friend liking a boy who likes her brother. I know that part won’t bother everyone, but these things added up for me, and I realized this just isn’t a story I feel comfortable continuing.

That said, I’ve messaged this author a few times before picking up the book, and she’s incredibly sweet. This isn’t anything personal against her—I truly appreciate her—but the content just wasn’t for me.

[Courtney Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book 😍 absolutely beautiful read couldn't put down

[Sarah Parker · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel bad giving this book a 1 star but I can’t even finish it. DNF’d at 50%/page 101

I honestly cannot see anything redeeming in the story the only character I respect is the best friend Paige for telling it how it is in regard to Kyle.

First of all your name is Kyle, secondly your a pool security guard and third you are disgusting!

This man has zero respect for women and acts as tho he is gods gift to earth when in fact he is just another roach that won’t die.

He is giving mixed signals and honestly I don’t know how Avery can forgive him at all let alone so easily it’s giving they both should be in therapy instead of this “relationship” he simply does not like her and she simply does not respect herself enough to do something about it.

I was never rooting for them I was actually rooting for her to dumb his sorry ass and I can’t honestly imagine the story getting better after 50% or how on earth they end up together.

Anyways rant over, read at your own risk but I’m telling you you’ll hate this man!

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially found the writing style of this book challenging to adapt to; it felt as though the narrative was delivered in an unbroken, breathless manner that's hard to articulate. Despite this, the story managed to leave me in utter shock multiple times, with my mouth literally agape.

I couldn't help but wonder if the author intended for readers to develop a strong aversion toward a particular character, as Kyle's actions became increasingly reprehensible. I believe the narrative would have benefited from a more gradual development of Kyle and Avery's relationship, providing deeper insight into their connection. Additionally, portraying more of Kyle's positive traits initially could have added depth to his character and enhanced the story's realism.
In contrast, Graham's character was a dream.

The first half of the book took some time to engage me due to the writing style, though it remained enjoyable. However, after reaching the midpoint, I was completely engrossed. The plot twist was entirely unexpected and left me astounded.

Overall, I would rate this book 3.5 stars. I'm eager to explore more of Bailey Thomas's work.

[ProseAndPetals · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars

I liked the writing style and the pace of the story. I also liked the friendship in the story. The story had a great plot twist. I enjoyed reading this book especially it being a new authors book!

I do not like the message this story portrayed. From what I got it seemed like at the end the message was justifying having a horrible boyfriend because it turns out alright because you get a good guy in the end. “I didn’t regret any of my decisions, because they’d let me to this moment, but I’d learned to be more careful into my life” and also this quote: “it had taken a tragic incident for me to get back on the right path, but I had a lot of great company to help me along the way.”

(Finished the book at 3:30 am 👀)

[Skylar Bucci · Rating 1 out of 5]

I DNFed I’m sorry. Kyle and the main girl are making me mad. She deserves so much BETTER!!! I got 50% and she bought the pizza on their “first” date. He told a girl he got a number from that she was his sister. The only good character was Paige!!!!! She wanted to help her friend. I get it the main character went through a lot with her parents but Paige is not the enemy. I really wanted to finish it, but I’m getting too upset just not for me! I can see potential in her writing style I think that’s why I stayed so long!

[Kaylee White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never enjoyed struggling with an MC as much as I did Avery. Were her choices questionable? Undoubtedly so. Did it make the book that much more entertaining? 100%. Imagine Devi from Never Have I Ever mixed with Bianca from the DUFF and Belly from TSITP and you’re in for one heck of a book. It was a fresh take on a romance and I would 100% recommend it.

[Queenie2023 aka Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was well written and flowed well. Avery and her friends were great characters. Mr Kyle I wanted to knock out 👊🏻 Omg ! So hot and then cold. Up and then down. I was like make up your mind dude ! 🤣

[Maddy Bourgault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey is an incredible writer! This book is extremely relatable and really resonated with me. Absolutely worth the read and HIGHLY recommend it!

[Lauren Gates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a quick read to me and I thought the storyline was SO addicting lol. I couldn’t put it down. It gave me romcom vibes for sure.

[Mary Lohorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. It will definitely make you feel all the emotions. Great storyline and character development. It’s written very well and I cannot wait to read more from this author. Definitely recommend this read.

[Emma Grace Mock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This one will make you feel every emotion possible but the story wraps up perfectly!

[Mood, Vibes & Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly I could not finish. I got to 44%, and from that I can say the writing is not bad and has nothing to do with why I did not finish. From what I got to read, I started to not feel good during reading. Kyle’s behavior and Avery’s constant forgiveness in the percentage read was personally triggering for me 😔.

I

[Aelisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book STRESSED me out, so here’s my detailed rant (not even a review at this point). Spoilers ahead!!

First off, Avery, the MC, pissed me tf off with her decisions. Like, girl just left her abusive and narcissistic ex, moved to a new city with her bff Paige (an actual queen), and what does she do? Immediately starts thirsting after the hot pool guard from their apartment. And guess what? He’s all “I don’t date residents,” but still flirts with her and makes it clear he’s only into casual hookups. Red flag deadass. I was like, GIRL, you literally just got out of a toxic relationship, you should KNOW better.

But nah, instead of running the other way when he treated her cold in front of her friends and flirted with other girls right after they kissed (seriously ew), she still chased after him. And it’s not like she didn’t know he was trash like, she straight-up admitted it and girl was not getting the ick. But then she said she was honored to be the girl he picked to mess with. HONORED?! I wanted to reach into the book, grab her shoulders, and scream.

Shoutout to Paige for constantly trying to knock some sense into her (best girl, period). They fought about Kyle so many times, and every time, Avery would STILL side with him. Kyle (aka the stupid a-hole I forgot to name earlier) would drop some trash excuses like, “I was testing your loyalty” or “I was trying to make you jealous,” and Avery would EAT IT UP. Be so fckn for real right now.

Avery kept saying she couldn’t let go of him because he made her feel sexy or excited or whatever, but I could NOT understand her logic. I’m not always on board with the saying “you deserve what you tolerate,” but in this case? Yeah, kinda. She had so many chances to leave Kyle and just… didn’t.

Then there’s Paige again hitting her with this line:

“Kyle will always come back to you—not because he likes you, but because he’s trying to see if you’re still stupid enough to take him back.”

Clocked her!! but even THAT didn’t wake her up.

What sent me over the edge was when she started hanging out with Paige’s brother Graham (a literal saint) during his Vegas visit. They had this mutual understanding thing going on, and it was actually sweet. But then as soon as he left? She went BACK to Kyle. Like, girl, are you fr rn? And then it all spiraled—Kyle tied her up, choked her, robbed her, and she STILL didn’t snitch on him to the police because she “felt bad” for him for going through so much stuff already, and among that stuff was him killing his parents. But yeah, poor boy.

Now, about the title. I know They Always Come Back was aimed at boys like Kyle—Avery even said in the last lines of the book that it wasn’t their last meeting and he’d always come back but honestly, it’s more suited for Avery in this situation. SHE was the one constantly going back to Kyle. Like, girl, the title’s about you at this point.

Anyway, Graham deserved way better. He was a breath of fresh air compared to Kyle, who set the bar at hell. Also, Paige and Hannah? They were absolute MVPs of this book likr they really carried the entire story on their backs.

So final thought: Avery stressed me out, Kyle was the worst, Graham deserves the world, Hannah is a sweetie pie, Paige is a queen, and the book was kind of realistic, considering how there are actual people like Avery and Kyle in real life. That said, the plot was just not my thing, and I couldn’t stand characters like them.

[Denice Leong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I connected with the author on IG as I like supporting new authors and finally got a chance to read her debut novel. I think it was a decent first attempt and can see this author growing in the future.

Things I liked:
-Paige, the best friend, really was a strong character, looking out for her bestie, calling her on her behavior, independent and took her nanny job into an entrepreneurial venture. She also was really receptive to her brother and bestie getting together.
-Graham, Paige's brother, was a solid boyfriend, good head on his shoulders, great job, and I loved how he treated Avery and all the banter/scenes they had together. Solid secondary MMC vibes.

Things I think could have been better:
-The FMC Avery Kline was not very strong, like she felt second to her bestie Paige in looks. I get she has a pattern of letting people use her like her college boyfriend and she is tempted by the bad boy security guard, but even seeing the signs of his bad behavior I was pretty aggravated that she still continued to seek him out. Also, while she was now involved w/ her bestie's brother in a long distance relationship she justified that she wasn't cheating because he didn't ask to be his girlfriend. She wasn't in middle school, she was 22. At the end when she was in the hospital and still didn't turn Kyle in, I understand victims sometimes protect their abusers, but I just wanted to shake some sense into her. She lied to everyone she loved. The only time she seemed strong was when she walked out on her parents the first time.
-The MMC Kyle Kingsley is a manipulative, abusive man who apparently killed his parents for insurance money. There wasn't much to know about him since the story isn't shared from his POV.
-There was a lot of instalove between these 2 and while they were involved for 2 different reasons, one of the things that was a bit annoying was that there wasn't a ton of dialogue where you could see them taking each other's walls down. It was more, we talked and now I want to see you outside. His date consisted of him eating in silence then trying to have sex with her.
-She's 22. There is no way you go from being a social media manager to Director of Marketing at a large national modeling agency. Then later on being a CMO of 2 restaurants with locations in 2 different states. I understand having some sense of fantasy, but given I'm in marketing that seemed like a huge stretch. That and the incident where she submitted a pic of her, Paige and Hannah for the contest and they won. There was no follow conversation with the girls about it or them on the cover. This lacked a bit of believability.
-I was also surprised that all the girls were ok staying in the building after her attack. Even Graham moving in without questioning it though Avery knew who it was, it still seemed a bit off.
-I wasn't please with the cliffhanger of Kyle potentially coming back. Found that disturbing for a romance book.
-Lastly, I think this book could have benefitted from a trigger warning.

This had good bone structure for a first novel. I just think some things didn't land as well with me, but excited to keep an eye on this author.