Back With You at Forty-Two

Forty-Something Singles of Virginia Beach #2

by Kimberly Krey

Get ready for another Forty-Something Singles of Virginia Beach with this second-chance romance!

The Forty-Something Singles of Virginia Beach Series features closed-door rom-coms filled with romance, humor, and hope in the midst of hardship.

Sting Op 'Fun' at Forty-One
Back With You at Forty-Two
Stuck With Me at Forty-Three

Genres: Second Chance, Clean Romance, Romance

216 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2024

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author Kimberly Krey is known as the Queen of Steamy Clean Romance. She's a fervent lover of God, family, and cheese platters, as well as the ultimate hater of laundry. Her readers count on faith-filled romance novels that stay clean without losing the steam.

* 2021 USA Today Bestselling Author

* 2020 RONE Award Winner

* THREE-TIME SWOONY Award Winner

* KINDLE All-Star Author Award Winner

* KINDLE All-Star Book Award Winner

* TWO-TIME RONE Award Finalist

To stay connected, and receive a FREE book, subscribe to her newsletter: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8f1uz6q272 To follow her author page on FB @: https://www.facebook.com/kimberlykrey... For a printable PDF of her work (listed by series) see her website @ https://www.kimberlykrey.com

Reviews

[Jenn (YeahOrNeighReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - Giving this 40+ hope for love again!

I'm enjoying this series of finding love after the age of Forty. Closed door romance that have great character development and banter, you'll be drawn in from the start and hooked until the end.

I love the group of friends as it grows, and it definitely is the epitome of the found family trope. Don't miss out on this series, I'm counting down until the next one is available!

[Julie Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet second-chance story from the very beginning. My heart sank a little for both Liam and Ashley as we meet them, learn a little about their history in the prologue and then jump into the present with them in chapter one. Lots of changes after 20 years but I loved their attitudes. I loved seeing their growth and learning through the struggles and the good moments.

The humor was so much fun! The family campout, the water run, the embarrassing moments, the reconnecting and friendship, the children, the parents, the grandparents, the dental office *maniacal laugh* and soooooo much more!!! Oh, yeah, the sweet romance was sizzling!

I loved it all. It wasn't an instant everything is fixed but two characters who had to dig deep and figure out who they are and their goals and dreams and being true to their families and themselves. So good! I can't wait for the next book (and I need to go back and read the first book, which was referenced but not reading it didn't have me feeling like I'd missed something for this book).

Content: Clean. Some making out but it was clean and nothing more than kisses. Talk about divorce. Trigger Warning: Talk of accidental near-drowning of a baby.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you believe in second chances? Liam and Ashley were high school sweethearts until they weren’t and despite a desperate attempt at reuniting, they went their separate ways. Now years later, they both find themselves divorced and have another shot at true love.

This author always delivers a steamy clean romance and this one is sweet. I love how the first part of the book sets up the importance of this romantic connection. The characters and their kids, and even the curmudgeon of a grandma can’t dampen the sparks. I love the camping, river runs, singles connections, and the growth and realizations that made this one so enjoyable.

It’s never too late to find joy, happiness, and amorous chemistry.

⚠️Trigger Warning: Talk of accidental near-drowning of a baby; makeouts

*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness Kimberly Krey , thank you for this sublime book you wrote in the Fortysomething Singles of Virginia Beach series. A sweet romantic comedy that immersed me with ease into their epic story. Talk about the one that got away ? More like threw away you silly boy. With crossed wires aplenty and a broken heart , he only had himself to blame when she took him at his word and departed , leaving him broken hearted. Ya see he put himself through the wringer when all he was really after was a ring on her finger. He didn’t want her to regret their time together and rather than tether her he let her know she could go and he wouldn’t hold her back. He didn’t mean break up but she mistook what he meant and because he’s a gent and didn’t want to hurt her , he paid the ultimate price for being so dumb. And he lived his life and was perfectly glum. Silly man ! Your plan backfired and now here you are , begging for her back ! It’s been a year , it doesn’t surprise me …why can I hear Wham in my ear as I just wrote that next line ? Anyway she’s about to be wed so it’s uber daft timing but he needs to know if she loves him still because she is the one who fits his bill. Well regardless of this laying out his heart and a shaky start , they still have a way to go and comedic timing proves this laugh out loud sweet romantic comedy trope has at least a little hope and a few bouts of laughter , an happy ending was all I were after , in this daft situation the forty two year old duo created , havoc aplenty and comic timing created in this fated romance . Go on love give him a chance of a dance at the wedding …just not yours to another man if you can but please help it. Loved this sooooo much! Kimberly Krey I was agog by your awesome writing and super dialogue . These characters I adore and I’m left smiling and happy ….a bit like Liam and his Ashley …after she’d exacted her revenge…. Awesome work from this fine author . Bravo ms Krey! I was quickly smiling and beguiled by this book and with the very first words on opening I was hooked. I’m leaving my review voluntarily and in my own words.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my what a brilliant story. Ashley lives her life always listening and doing what others tell her is best. Other than her kids who are her world and would do anything to keep them healthy happy and safe, she has suddenly realised she has to do what she thinks is best for her for a change. Moving back in with her parents after her divorce she knows she needs to change and be more assertive. When she sees her first love Liam she knows he's still the one, but can she get back what they had. This is an hilarious laugh out loud story that you really won't want to miss reading. Between camping trips and broken teeth to romantic late night talks at look out point this book has it all. I love the characters from previous books who make an reappearance to Nini who really is a cantankerous outspoken nan but who you would never want to change in a million years. Kimberley just has a way of bringing the story to life and gripping you, I can't wait for the next installment of this brilliant series 💕💕

[Kimberly Krey]

Ah, this was a special book for me. I knew our MC, Ashley, had some tough things to overcome, but I had no idea her journey would make me both laugh and cry. I went through ALL the feels!

Liam also had some learning to do, and I love how it prepared him just in time to encounter the one who got away. These two have so much history that when they come together once more, the chemistry comes back with a vengeance.

I hope you enjoy Back With You at Forty-Two.

[Shauna Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun second chance romance
This book had me smiling, snickering, and laughing out loud even while talking about difficult situations the characters face. Liam and Ashley dated through high school and even her first year of college. Then a misunderstanding drove them apart eventually leading to both marrying someone else. Now two children for each, a divorce for each, and twenty-two years after the breakup, they find themselves living in the same area and interacting. The spark of attraction is still there but so are the issues that drove them apart the first time. Can each recognize and resolve their issues or will this second chance end like the first? I received an early copy and this is my honest review.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good romantic comedy.. Heartfelt, funny and emotional..

[Paula Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberly Krey hit it out of the park again with another wonderfully funny and heartwarming rom-com. I love books with the second chance at love trope and this one surely hits the spot with the right mix of shared history and sweet and clean romance as the characters reconnect. Throw in the comedic element of a crotchety old grandma, a cow-print swim tube named Bessie and a whole lot of witty banter and you have a very entertaining read. I received this book as an ARC reader and I am honored to leave my honest voluntary review.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good!! I do love that they got back together, but I LOVE that they each gave their first marriage their all and that they recognize that they did. I love Ashley's revenge! Great characters and great writing!!
I received an advanced copy of this and am voluntarily sharing my honest opinion.

[MJ Lockey · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy clean, sweet, second chance, later in life romance, then this book is a must read! Kimberly Krey has penned yet another great story full of characters with their own issues, struggles and second chances. One can’t help cheering the main characters on as they discover what is holding them back and work to overcome these obstacles and get their HEA. Looking forward to reading the next one in this series!

[Rebecca White · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun and funny

I enjoyed the humor and fun of this midlife love story. I enjoyed the destruction of bossy the float in the tubing incident- great descriptions. I loved the way each of the characters dealt with their past issues to overcome them.

[Melanie Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful

This was a delightful story. I’m loving the over forty stories. It gives me a little hope. Great story. Great ending.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley and Liam's story is filled with emotion. The writing is witty and sweet. The characters grow a lot during the book. Delightful story!

[Cecelia Gardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. I got a bit lost as couple of times, but it was due more to watching television and being interrupted by family.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back with You at 42 is amazing!
This is the second book in the Fortysomething Singles of Virginia Beach and the dual POV second chance romance of Liam and Ashley is so much fun to experience.

This book is full of surprises that had me either laughing out loud, choking down tears of sympathy, or swooning with a hopeful romance. I love the pull of emotions as it made Liam and Ashley's growth as individuals and together as a couple that much more real for me to dive into.

I highlighted so many pages, but here are some of my favorite scenes/people:
Ornery Nini
Saying Yes!
Campout
Liam hearing Ashley's voice while chopping wood
Developing Trust
Saying No to the ex
The ending/epilogue!!!!

I highly recommend this sweet and swoony kisses only book!

Thank you to the author for a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts expressed are my own.

[Patricia Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute ,romantic, and funny, empowering for the main character to learn to stick up for herself. Love second chance stories. Childhood trauma affects adulthood for Ashley she overcame and took charge. Love it. Highly recommended

[Teddy G · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up
This started out okay and I had high hopes but after finally getting together then they were breaking up?
The end was just exhausting.
I love a good over 40 romance because by that age you’ve lived enough life to know what you want.
So…it almost felt childish that they jumped back in and didn’t talk things through. I also feel like the reason they broke up to start with was dumb. Even young most people would just say no I care about you I don’t need that. Especially after he chased after her repeatedly. You deserves better Liam!

[Hilma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back With You at Forty-Two by Kimberly Krey is a sweet second chance romance story. Ashley and Liam were high school sweethearts, but then something went wrong. They are meeting again after several years and they have not forgotten each other.

From the very first I was hooked. The prologue was so sad and I wondered where the story would go. Ashley is a great character. She is a mother and loves her job, but not her boss, who happens to be her ex husband. She is someone who does not put herself first, so everyone, including her ex, walks all over her. He is totally selfish, has a great ego. So it was great to read Ashley finally took some action. Liam, the one who got away, is a wonderful character as well. I loved how he interacted with his brothers. And for those who have read some novels in the Coffee Loft series and books written by Kimberly Krey can see traces of those books, which was great to read.

Ashley and Liam have a great chemistry and I hoped they would finally be together. But as Ashley is insecure and maybe afraid, things were not going well and that made that I could not stop reading. Their interactions and growing relationship was so sweet to read about. There were also humorous situations woven into this book, as well as some drama. And maybe there is also a lesson you can learn from reading this book and that is that you can get a trauma in childhood which can fester on later in life. I think Kimberly Krey has done a great job in mentioning this, as Ashley overcomes her fear. The writing style is flowing and the book is really a relaxing read. I enjoyed reading it a lot.

So, if you want to read a cute and sweet second chance romance story, with lovely characters, a flowing writing style, read Back With You at Forty-Two.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute story! Sometimes I have mixed feelings about second chance romance stories- why did they not work out to begin with and is it really going to work out the second time around? A lot of times it could be a simple misunderstanding that initially caused them to separate and that can be frustrating- the whole miscommunication trope. And while some of that goes on in this story, it's more than that. Also, hindsight is 20-20. When couples work out the second time, it makes you wonder, could they really have made it the first time? Or was it necessary to have time away from each other in order to mature, grow and develop into the people they needed to be in order to make it work? My heart always clenches a little bit at the "what-if's" and "what could've beens" in life and mourn the time they lost together. But, no one can deny life teaches you lessons along the way and that they may just prepare you in no other way for that reunion with a lost love.

Some of those life lessons, though learned the hard way, were important for the main characters in this story to have experienced in order to have a chance at second love. They needed time to work on themselves before they could be better together. (I think that's something a lot of people overlook). They were so cute and I love their growth. I love going through character's growth and changes- it oftentimes gets me thinking and teaches me a lot as well. Definitely recommend this story!

[Carla Dau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, Snarky Sibling Relationships both Adults and Teenagers

Liam and Ashley met in high school, first love, committed 3 year relationship, deeply in love. In college Liam’s friends convinced him they should take a break so Ashley could date other guys to be sure Liam is her ‘forever love’ .. disastrous idea, they separate .. both are broken hearted. Ashley marries Ross, a selfish, controlling, narcissistic man. They have 2 children. Liam doesn’t fare much better. He marries Gabriella who only loves herself, is controlling, and constantly belittles Liam in public, around their children, families and friends. Spring ahead 22 years. They’re both divorced and raising teenagers. When Liam and Ashley meet again there’s sparks! As they date and build relationships with each other’s families. The dialog is engaging, funny, snarky, lively and sometimes outrageous. I love how Liam and his 3 brothers tease, insult, interfere in each other’s lives while supporting each other. I enjoyed how these books link these 4 brothers’s stories and I’m excited to read ‘Stuck With Me at 43’.

[Shelley Wahls · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK first off, who does not LOVE Kimberly Krey? If you don't, you have not read any of her stuff! So, this is the story of Ashley and Liam, It is has all the feels, she took some serious stuff, and made it manageable, she made it funny with out taking away from the serious. Childhood trauma is real, people who prey on your insecurity is real, but this book deals with this stuff and handles it all really well and the book is entertaining and funny. These two were high school and first year of college sweethearts, they both went on to marry others and now are meeting back up. There are lessons and there is learning and growth which is so great to see in a couple who isn't in their early 20's. This book hooks you immediately and you want to finish it in one sitting. This was 10 out of 10 for me, forget these 5 star ratings!! Kim Krey makes me CRAVE more and more, I always read these the second I can get my hands on them!!!

[Vitoria Silva · Rating 2 out of 5]

And here we are again, with a second-chance romance, which I'm generally not a fan of, and this book confirms my opinion on the subject.
For me, this story was bittersweet. I know the intention was to be light and reunite a couple separated for over 20 years, but for the themes addressed, I saw a complexity in the characters that was dealt with too quickly. In this case, I would have liked to see individual character development and also a slow building of their relationship now, to show why, even after all this time, they chose each other.
From college, marriage, career, to family and children, people change, have new understandings about life, perhaps other goals... It's a little hard to believe that with a few encounters, they rekindled a flame. This is one, if not the biggest, of my problems with second-chance romances.

[Richard Goodrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam and Ashley are both single after long marriages. Both for similar reasons. He, by inaction, encouraged his wife to become bolder at humiliating him in public until he broke. She allowed her husband to make almost all of her decisions, again inaction. When they meet again, their chemistry explodes into the fierce passion it had been twenty years earlier. Unfortunately, their breakup holds enormous power over them.

This Clean & Wholesome Romance is enjoyable. The first several chapters provide a detailed back story for the couple. Their time together, before the inevitable renewed breakup, is full of delightful passion. The end is admirable.

Entertaining. Haunting. Romantic. Unpredictable. Whimsical. Wonderful characters.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liam and Ashley were in love in their youth but broke up due to a misunderstanding and went on to give their hearts to others in marriage, have kids, and then suffer through divorces. The author manages to take the serious matter of divorce and show us the aftermath in a hopeful way that came as the main characters reconnect about 20 years after their break up and figure out how to finally get their relationship to work. There was a lot of self-discovery and personal growth, both humorous moments and hard ones, and of lots of chemistry and swoony kisses. It was emotional, hopeful, humorous at times, and kept me absorbed from start to finish. I recommend it! I received a complimentary copy and this voluntary review contains my honest opinions.

[Denice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. This series is so fantastic, it is a second chance for the couple Ashley and Liam, they dated in High School and in college, but one conversation and it all fell apart with lack of understanding. I loved how they got together later for their second chance after divorce for both, the banter had me laughing, but there were some real and serious things that were heartfelt. This is a fantastic series, and it just keeps getting better, can’t wait for the next book. Fantastic and recommend this fun rom-com.

[Allegra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a closed-door, second-chance, later-in-life, Christian-themed, with lots of laughs, swoony kisses, and several world-rocking realizations. Liam is trying to get out of his post-divorce funk, and Ashley is working to find herself after letting her ex-husband make every decision. Both are navigating co-parenting children after divorce. Such a relatable storyline. The statements his brother makes at a later point in the book were actually told to me after my own divorce. Again, they are so relatable. This is such a fun series; I can't wait for what age 43 brings.

[Karen Brasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

Back With You at Forty-Two is a wonderful and fun second chance at romance for Liam Wheaton and Ashley Chen. Ashley and Liam had dated during high school years. After a misunderstanding they broke up, going their separate ways. Now, both have been married then divorced with teenage children. Will they be able to forgive the hurts of their past to a new relationship together?

[Kimberly Prytherch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a feel good read. I loved the Coffee Loft book, and getting to revisit with some of the characters was delightful. Ashley and Liam were such a sweet couple, and they have exes that you love to hate. Throw in some camping mishaps, funny family members, and a cow…. It’s just perfect. I also really enjoyed how Ashley worked through her issues and figured out how to be happy… and some sabotage doesn’t hurt 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real-life fiction story about how things said to you during your childhood can affect your whole life. I know that's not the gist of the story, but that really stands out.
This one will make you think and maybe change your outlook.
Well-done!