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Walker Family #1
Keep You
Told in both the “Then” and the “Now”, the novel follows the story of Tameron Wales, a boy who had to grow up too fast because his mother needed him, and who drove away the love of his life on purpose so that he might spare her from the violent threat of his father.
Joanna Walker, twenty-three and youngest of five, struggling to make ends meet post-grad, still doesn’t understand exactly what happened four years ago when Tam left her standing up against her dorm building, in the rain, like something out of a bad made-for-TV movie. She only knows that her brother Mike’s wedding – an extravagant, farcical Irish castle ordeal ordered by his fiancée – will reunite her with Tam. The only thing more painful than remembering how it all ended is seeing him again. Jo Walker is the kind of girl who knows what she wants out of life, and she’s always wanted Tam, even if she kind of hates him a little bit right now.
The first volume in the Walker Family series, 'Keep You' introduces five siblings each trying to carve out their own tiny slice of the American dream. More than a romance, the novel explores all the bonds and experiences – the heartbreaks and hopes – that create a family.
Look for the sequel, Dream of You.
Joanna Walker, twenty-three and youngest of five, struggling to make ends meet post-grad, still doesn’t understand exactly what happened four years ago when Tam left her standing up against her dorm building, in the rain, like something out of a bad made-for-TV movie. She only knows that her brother Mike’s wedding – an extravagant, farcical Irish castle ordeal ordered by his fiancée – will reunite her with Tam. The only thing more painful than remembering how it all ended is seeing him again. Jo Walker is the kind of girl who knows what she wants out of life, and she’s always wanted Tam, even if she kind of hates him a little bit right now.
The first volume in the Walker Family series, 'Keep You' introduces five siblings each trying to carve out their own tiny slice of the American dream. More than a romance, the novel explores all the bonds and experiences – the heartbreaks and hopes – that create a family.
Look for the sequel, Dream of You.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2012
18 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 29, 2017
Another solid read from Ms. Gilley.
I don't really have much to say about it...I find myself very much in a non-review mood lately, and when I say "lately," I mean, the last few months, actually.
Regardless, enough about me.
I really enjoyed this.
Gilley is definitely on my "could shit in paper and I would read it" list.
I don't really have much to say about it...I find myself very much in a non-review mood lately, and when I say "lately," I mean, the last few months, actually.
Regardless, enough about me.
I really enjoyed this.
Gilley is definitely on my "could shit in paper and I would read it" list.
November 16, 2016
When it comes to books, I have a few weaknesses ... two of those happen to be family sagas and Lauren Gilley. Combine them together and BOOM! you get a book I can't put down!
Maybe it's me being an only child or the way Lauren writes families ... I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with the fictional perfection that is the Walker clan! I swear, I can still smell cookies being baked by Beth and hear Randy's voice booming through the house ... the Walkers ... *sigh* The latest family of Lauren Gilley's to steal my heart!
'Keep You', the first book in the series, is the first book Lauren has ever published and one of THE sweetest 'friends to lovers/second chance romance' tales! Told both in 'then' and 'now' (another FAVORITE of mine!), you get the story of Tam and Jo, whose first encounter occurs when they are only 13 and 10, respectively. There are so many precious moments as the two develop feelings for one another told via Lauren's wonderful writing that I've fallen in love with when I first read her Dartmoor series earlier this year.
If you enjoy stories that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, you'll love this novel! Sweet and with a wonderful message that families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, this book made me laugh, cry [sad and happy tears] but in the end, it left me grinning like a lunatic! Especially the last two paragraphs.
I am off to start book 2 ...
Cheers!
Maybe it's me being an only child or the way Lauren writes families ... I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with the fictional perfection that is the Walker clan! I swear, I can still smell cookies being baked by Beth and hear Randy's voice booming through the house ... the Walkers ... *sigh* The latest family of Lauren Gilley's to steal my heart!
'Keep You', the first book in the series, is the first book Lauren has ever published and one of THE sweetest 'friends to lovers/second chance romance' tales! Told both in 'then' and 'now' (another FAVORITE of mine!), you get the story of Tam and Jo, whose first encounter occurs when they are only 13 and 10, respectively. There are so many precious moments as the two develop feelings for one another told via Lauren's wonderful writing that I've fallen in love with when I first read her Dartmoor series earlier this year.
If you enjoy stories that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, you'll love this novel! Sweet and with a wonderful message that families come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, this book made me laugh, cry [sad and happy tears] but in the end, it left me grinning like a lunatic! Especially the last two paragraphs.
I am off to start book 2 ...
Cheers!
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
May 20, 2016Not for me...h is with no-one in separation while H( who was the one to dump her) is with many many women...gah! Hate the double standard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2017
6 stars aren't enough!!
Can Lauren Gilley write a bad book? Not a chance! I absolutely bloody LOVED Keep You. Loved it, and fair warning, I'm probably going to the L word a lot in my review! It was a bit on the angsty side which I didn't expect yet loved it. Watching them have to really work to get their happy, going back and forth between the then and now and desperate to see how and why Tam dumped Jo and the results thereof. Okaaaaay, so I hate flashbacks usually unless it's done by an author of Gilley's calibre which means it's done to perfection. And in Keep You it was. Gilley teases you all the way through using the flashbacks to drive the story. So yeah, in this instance I loved the flashbacks.
Gilley's writing is sheer perfection, I really felt at times I was in that book. The way she writes her characters is second to none, and I love that attention to detail not only to the main characters but to the entire cast is spot on. The depth to her characters is phenomenal. What I especially LOVE about her characters is that they are real! They are not muscle-bound alpha ninjas with 12" donkey-kong dicks, nor are they billionaires, nor are they perfect little pretty princesses, nor are there any annoying TSTL moves .... or any of the other ridiculous tropes out there. They are normal people with struggles and hardships like most of us have, they work, they feel, they care, they live and they love.
This is the start of one hell of a family saga and I am thrilled to just be starting out on the Walker journey.
Can Lauren Gilley write a bad book? Not a chance! I absolutely bloody LOVED Keep You. Loved it, and fair warning, I'm probably going to the L word a lot in my review! It was a bit on the angsty side which I didn't expect yet loved it. Watching them have to really work to get their happy, going back and forth between the then and now and desperate to see how and why Tam dumped Jo and the results thereof. Okaaaaay, so I hate flashbacks usually unless it's done by an author of Gilley's calibre which means it's done to perfection. And in Keep You it was. Gilley teases you all the way through using the flashbacks to drive the story. So yeah, in this instance I loved the flashbacks.
Gilley's writing is sheer perfection, I really felt at times I was in that book. The way she writes her characters is second to none, and I love that attention to detail not only to the main characters but to the entire cast is spot on. The depth to her characters is phenomenal. What I especially LOVE about her characters is that they are real! They are not muscle-bound alpha ninjas with 12" donkey-kong dicks, nor are they billionaires, nor are they perfect little pretty princesses, nor are there any annoying TSTL moves .... or any of the other ridiculous tropes out there. They are normal people with struggles and hardships like most of us have, they work, they feel, they care, they live and they love.
This is the start of one hell of a family saga and I am thrilled to just be starting out on the Walker journey.
November 10, 2016
5 "Only because I know you." Stars
Lauren Gilley's intelligent and eloquent writing tells a story in the same way a warm blanket covers you. Her precisely vivid and descriptive prose allows readers to fully immerse themselves in her worlds. In Keep You, the first of the Walker Family saga books, we meet a "normal", loving, loyal, and funny family in the Walkers.
In her signature writing style Gilly sets out to achieve an all-encompassing read for her readers by giving them bits and pieces of each character in the third person. As she juxtaposes past and present within the story of Keep You we see this family grow, flourish, fall, and flourish again as friends and family.
The two main characters in which the romantic element surrounds have an epic love story of hardship, loyalty, loss, and so very much love and admiration. Strength and acceptance prevail in the Walker family. Being true to oneself, one's family, one's dreams are themes prevalent throughout the text.
For me, there's nothing better than a solid family structured saga. Keep You provides that in spades with a friends to lovers second chance romance woven within the context of the Walker's story. It's a beautiful novel brilliantly executed and another shining example of why Lauren Gilley's fiction hails as some of the absolute best you can read.
September 26, 2015
I liked this book. At the beginning I thought it had a lot of potential. In the end though, I grew tired of all of the time hopping, multiple POVs and the drama just felt drawn out.
I also wasn't fond of the "I love you so I had to dump you" plot line. She forgave him too quickly. Also, I wasn't a fan of the fact that in their four year separation, she wasn't with anyone else while he was with many, many women. I feel like this is the way it always goes with this genre and I'm not a fan.
All that said, I did enjoy the book and would like to read more by this author.
I also wasn't fond of the "I love you so I had to dump you" plot line. She forgave him too quickly. Also, I wasn't a fan of the fact that in their four year separation, she wasn't with anyone else while he was with many, many women. I feel like this is the way it always goes with this genre and I'm not a fan.
All that said, I did enjoy the book and would like to read more by this author.
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July 3, 2016
07/02/2016 -- Re-read this.
09/15/2015 -- I liked this book quite a bit. I like this series and am looking forward to reading more.
09/15/2015 -- I liked this book quite a bit. I like this series and am looking forward to reading more.
January 14, 2018
5 stars
LOVED LOVED LOVED!
Second chance, told in 'then' and 'now'.
Dual POV, angsty and so darn heart wrenching...my heart broke so many times.
I loved the main characters and i was rooting for them from the get-go!
I probably would not read the other books in this series, mainly because I was not a fan of other Walker family members mainly Mike & Delta...nor Jess/her hubby, but who knows...
Highly recommend this one!
LOVED LOVED LOVED!
Second chance, told in 'then' and 'now'.
Dual POV, angsty and so darn heart wrenching...my heart broke so many times.
I loved the main characters and i was rooting for them from the get-go!
I probably would not read the other books in this series, mainly because I was not a fan of other Walker family members mainly Mike & Delta...nor Jess/her hubby, but who knows...
Highly recommend this one!
July 17, 2016
This is such a feel good romance novel. Scratch that..
This is a feel good novel.
There are so many components that made this story so so touching, raw and beautiful. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't dressed up. That is why it was so refreshing. It was a REAL story about REAL people going through REAL problems. I connected so much with the Walker Family and every character. Keep You just goes to show you don't need money, a fancy location, or things to have an authentic and beautiful love.
It just showed me how much I LOVE love. :)
This is a feel good novel.
There are so many components that made this story so so touching, raw and beautiful. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't dressed up. That is why it was so refreshing. It was a REAL story about REAL people going through REAL problems. I connected so much with the Walker Family and every character. Keep You just goes to show you don't need money, a fancy location, or things to have an authentic and beautiful love.
It just showed me how much I LOVE love. :)
June 11, 2020
I love Lauren Gilley and I enjoyed this story .I loved the big family dynamic and the walker family themselves. I really liked Tam as a character but I thought much more could have been done with his story and winning Jo back. I understood his reasons for breaking up the relationship but I thought he could have worked on deserving her trust a little more in the now tense of the book Also regarding the sex scenes
It was cute how much he loved her and I liked Jo but I wanted more about them after they worked things out.
It was cute how much he loved her and I liked Jo but I wanted more about them after they worked things out.
May 13, 2016
4.5 stars. Her writing is so beautiful and so real. The way she phrases things just paints a gorgeous picture. This is a past present book which I usually don't enjoy, but this one worked. I loved Tam and Jo and seeing their secret budding romance. I loved her family, her mom and dad, sister Jess and brother Jordan. Mike? Ass. Walt? Dickhead. But it felt real in that nothing with them was fixed at the end. This is book 1 of a family saga and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I do wish we had more time with Tam and Jo at the end, there was a lot of push and pull. But knowing Lauren Gilley's writing, we will get much more of them in the next books.
April 18, 2020
Hmmmm... So I wanted to like this book because I read and loved the Dartmoor series, but I just couldn't. I found the back and forth from past to present annoying, and the plot drawn out and anti-climactic. I was expecting something super dramatic, and instead got a wa-wa ending. Not pumped to continue reading this series. I am however seeing a pattern with this author making her lead characters have unconventional age gaps. I'm starting on the Russell series and hope that isn't the case there. Change it up!
June 10, 2017
Lauren Gilley is probably one of the greatest authors, in my opinion, of all times!
Her writing style is so so believable, its hard to imagine these people aren't real!!
I cannot get enough of this author!
Her writing style is so so believable, its hard to imagine these people aren't real!!
I cannot get enough of this author!
May 17, 2021
I love this author after having read most of the Dartmoor series. The heroines are tough and willful the heroes unapologetically alpha but with a soft Centre for their ladies.
It took a while to understand what happened between these two. They loved each other, still love each other but were broken up. All is revealed and it isn’t pretty. Not a thing to do with their relationship one of those outside circumstances. One that left the heroine confused and heartbroken.
It’s four years of separation and sadness for her. She has only ever been with him I don’t know if he was with anyone else in the four years they were separated. I think not as he was holding down three jobs and looking after his mum.
I love the walker family unit. Straight away we know the sisters are beautiful and the brothers handsome. Mike was a wild card that came good. Walt? Well he needs an attitude adjustment for sure. I’m not into the Jordan storyline and am intrigued by Jess’s story so will jump book two.🙃
It took a while to understand what happened between these two. They loved each other, still love each other but were broken up. All is revealed and it isn’t pretty. Not a thing to do with their relationship one of those outside circumstances. One that left the heroine confused and heartbroken.
It’s four years of separation and sadness for her. She has only ever been with him I don’t know if he was with anyone else in the four years they were separated. I think not as he was holding down three jobs and looking after his mum.
I love the walker family unit. Straight away we know the sisters are beautiful and the brothers handsome. Mike was a wild card that came good. Walt? Well he needs an attitude adjustment for sure. I’m not into the Jordan storyline and am intrigued by Jess’s story so will jump book two.🙃
August 19, 2017
4 stars!!!
Good read and lovely characters. This made my day. :)
Good read and lovely characters. This made my day. :)
May 21, 2016
Wonderful, heartwarming story that choked me up and brought me to tears several times. If you love a rich, well written story that is deep with complex characters add this one to your list. Jo and Tam were childhood friends that went through so much. It is written with well placed flashbacks and flowing dialog...I can't wait to read more from this author.
August 4, 2016
THE BEST!!! awesome read and beautifully written!!!
July 31, 2020
Let's just say my eyes are still burning from my power read of this book. I loved Jo, as usual, Lauren Gilley writes smart and fierce heroines and Tam, well he broke my heart. Tam takes on the troubles of everyone and never asks for help. That boy needed a big hug
Told in "then" and "now" chapters, which I didn't care for because I wanted the NOW, but it also gave me insight into the pivotal moments that formed their relationship over 15+ years.
Can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.
Told in "then" and "now" chapters, which I didn't care for because I wanted the NOW, but it also gave me insight into the pivotal moments that formed their relationship over 15+ years.
Can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series.
March 13, 2020
I loved this book so much and I will never not read anything by this author. Also, how is it that Lauren Gilley always somehow makes me cry in all of her brilliant books.
First book read for backlist Readathon.
First book read for backlist Readathon.
July 12, 2016
:::
Overall Rating :: 3-3.5 stars
Series :: Book one of the Walker Family series.
Hero/Heroine :: Tameron/Joanna
POV :: Alternating.
Cliffhanger :: No.
HEA ::
:::
Lauren Gilley's writing is just magical. It really is. It's lyrical, and she has this gift to match precise character development with the perfect amount of detail. Truly beautiful. Keep You was no different. Although not my favorite Gilley novel, it was still beautifully written. The addition of the large family dynamic was nicely done - giving each member of the family a completely different role and personality. Sometimes when telling a story with a large family involved, some of the characters start to blend or sound the same. That wasn't the case here, unsurprisingly.
Nothing really overly impressed me, and nothing certainly let me down, so Keep You was very middle of the road for me. Tam and Jo were cute together, but there wasn't a whole lot of time spent with them as an adult couple. We did get the then portions of the story, which was a beautiful way of developing their relationship, but I admittedly wanted to get to the meat of them together now. The angst was there - it was definitely there, but I wanted more, I guess.
Overall, a great read - can't wait to see what the rest of the Walker clan gets into.
Overall Rating :: 3-3.5 stars
Series :: Book one of the Walker Family series.
Hero/Heroine :: Tameron/Joanna
POV :: Alternating.
Cliffhanger :: No.
HEA ::
:::
Lauren Gilley's writing is just magical. It really is. It's lyrical, and she has this gift to match precise character development with the perfect amount of detail. Truly beautiful. Keep You was no different. Although not my favorite Gilley novel, it was still beautifully written. The addition of the large family dynamic was nicely done - giving each member of the family a completely different role and personality. Sometimes when telling a story with a large family involved, some of the characters start to blend or sound the same. That wasn't the case here, unsurprisingly.
Nothing really overly impressed me, and nothing certainly let me down, so Keep You was very middle of the road for me. Tam and Jo were cute together, but there wasn't a whole lot of time spent with them as an adult couple. We did get the then portions of the story, which was a beautiful way of developing their relationship, but I admittedly wanted to get to the meat of them together now. The angst was there - it was definitely there, but I wanted more, I guess.
Overall, a great read - can't wait to see what the rest of the Walker clan gets into.
September 5, 2016
Loved getting back into Lauren Gilley's head! I was completely rooting for Joey and Tam!! Loved every page written! The beautiful words jumped at me immediatley and I felt as tho I was right there in Ireland with the Walker clan! I am NOT A FAN of Walt or Mike ... Walt I completely get it ... Mike is just mean! He didn't even APOLOGIZE to his sister dammit!!! He should of ... she should of at least been able to kick him in the nads!! Cannot wait to continue on the Walker Journey! ps ... Randy Walker is a hoot!!!!
February 21, 2016
Blooming amazing, I can't get enough of this author. I absolutely loved Tam and Jo's story. Such amazing writing, what a story teller. The bee scene at the castle in Ireland had me chuckling, just had to say that in my review,lol, you'll get it if you've read the book.
I'm not normally a fan of then and now, but I loved it for Keep You.
I'm not normally a fan of then and now, but I loved it for Keep You.
December 14, 2017
Family saga..first in series..second chance romance..
Lauren writes very well..Like warm blanket on cold day or glass of red wine after hard day.. like sound of fire burning in winter or wind blowing in summer.. comfort and serenity.. ease and cosiness.
I enjoyed it very much...
Bit "lighter" than Dartmoor series, but still very real and very heartwarming.
Lauren writes very well..Like warm blanket on cold day or glass of red wine after hard day.. like sound of fire burning in winter or wind blowing in summer.. comfort and serenity.. ease and cosiness.
I enjoyed it very much...
Bit "lighter" than Dartmoor series, but still very real and very heartwarming.
May 26, 2016
This was my first book by this author that I found by stalking another author. What a great find. I loved this book, the real down to earth characters made it feel like I was reading about my own family. I look forward to Jordans story.
August 22, 2016
Good story but a little over the top the H felt too much heartbreak without much reason for it (for me). I saw this as a young love break up and in this book it was made like some superdrama. Maybe I missed it, but I couldnt feel it.
August 19, 2023
I've been reading HR books for so long that I've forgotten the absolute enjoyment a good old contemporary romance gives you.
Recently, I had a strange interaction with my big brother's friend. Hate to credit that person I really didn't even like but he got me thinking about this trope. What I experienced in real life was lame and underwhelming. Thus I decided to coat my experience with fictional ones to charge up my hopeless romantic soul🤭❤️
'Keep You' surprisingly proved to be perfection inked. In all honesty, it had nothing new to serve yet it dished out the cliches so deliciously that it had me invested. I love when two people that have a past meet again and they have to act like everything is okay, like it doesn't hurt. I adore stories which carry a melancholy to their romance.
Also, the story had some amazing jealousy scenes😘chef's kiss 😘 I feel jealousy scenes have lessened so much in books like proper ones where you see them get into dramatic fistfights, where feelings become extremely apparent😍. I love it and loved that the book had it🙈
He’d spent so much time telling himself he didn’t deserve a lucky break…and his lucky break had been there all alodng. Ten and tousled. Twelve and awkward. Fifteen and warping his thoughts. Sixteen and telling him she wanted him. Nineteen and trying to make him understand. Twenty-three, a ring on her finger.
Recently, I had a strange interaction with my big brother's friend. Hate to credit that person I really didn't even like but he got me thinking about this trope. What I experienced in real life was lame and underwhelming. Thus I decided to coat my experience with fictional ones to charge up my hopeless romantic soul🤭❤️
'Keep You' surprisingly proved to be perfection inked. In all honesty, it had nothing new to serve yet it dished out the cliches so deliciously that it had me invested. I love when two people that have a past meet again and they have to act like everything is okay, like it doesn't hurt. I adore stories which carry a melancholy to their romance.
Also, the story had some amazing jealousy scenes😘chef's kiss 😘 I feel jealousy scenes have lessened so much in books like proper ones where you see them get into dramatic fistfights, where feelings become extremely apparent😍. I love it and loved that the book had it🙈
He’d spent so much time telling himself he didn’t deserve a lucky break…and his lucky break had been there all alodng. Ten and tousled. Twelve and awkward. Fifteen and warping his thoughts. Sixteen and telling him she wanted him. Nineteen and trying to make him understand. Twenty-three, a ring on her finger.
January 2, 2019
I haven't written a review in so man months, but this book made me want to!
First, I have to say that this author could write anything and I would probably love it. She takes her time, adds enough detail (but not so much that it gets distracting). The characters are well developed and likable. The dialogue is authentic.
This story had everything I love: forbidden romance (she falls for her older brother's best friend); she fell for him when she was just a girl (she was ten and he was 13 when he entered their lives); he becomes like a brother, sharing all the good times with her family; she's the "baby" of the family (a little half-pint); of course they hook up. Of course there's a fallout. But I love it. All of it. Because they get a second chance. There it is. The other "trope" I love. Second chance romances. Yay me.
Not an original story, but it doesn't mater. Lauren Gilley made me love these two and the secondary characters are lovable too. This is the first in the series - The Walkers are a family to love.
First, I have to say that this author could write anything and I would probably love it. She takes her time, adds enough detail (but not so much that it gets distracting). The characters are well developed and likable. The dialogue is authentic.
This story had everything I love: forbidden romance (she falls for her older brother's best friend); she fell for him when she was just a girl (she was ten and he was 13 when he entered their lives); he becomes like a brother, sharing all the good times with her family; she's the "baby" of the family (a little half-pint); of course they hook up. Of course there's a fallout. But I love it. All of it. Because they get a second chance. There it is. The other "trope" I love. Second chance romances. Yay me.
Not an original story, but it doesn't mater. Lauren Gilley made me love these two and the secondary characters are lovable too. This is the first in the series - The Walkers are a family to love.
August 14, 2017
5 Stars
I might have said this already but I am totally addicted to LG’s books. I love how she writes her characters they are so rich and layered and above all else they feel real, as in they have their flaws but that makes them all the more likeable. I loved the family dynamic in this book they weren’t the perfect happy clappy family all loving on each other, some of them were first rate arseholes and I loved it!
I’m not a fan of the dreaded flashback but when LG does it she does it to perfection and I am chomping at the bit for more. I was routing for Tam and Jo all the way through the book and boy did they struggle to get their happy, however I think this will continue throughout the rest of the series eek #nervous. I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on the rest of these books.
I might have said this already but I am totally addicted to LG’s books. I love how she writes her characters they are so rich and layered and above all else they feel real, as in they have their flaws but that makes them all the more likeable. I loved the family dynamic in this book they weren’t the perfect happy clappy family all loving on each other, some of them were first rate arseholes and I loved it!
I’m not a fan of the dreaded flashback but when LG does it she does it to perfection and I am chomping at the bit for more. I was routing for Tam and Jo all the way through the book and boy did they struggle to get their happy, however I think this will continue throughout the rest of the series eek #nervous. I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on the rest of these books.
June 9, 2017
I absolutely loved this!!!! I am a sucker for series about families and this one is priceless. The father (Randy) had me in stitches, laughing out loud. He's not the only one but he was the funniest. The dynamics between all the characters was done so well. Not liking Mike or Walt at this point in time, we'll see if they ever redeem themselves. Tam and Jo were awesome - together and individually. My heart went out to Tam and his situation. Really looking forward to the next book in this series. The "Dartmoor" series is one of my all time fav's - this series is completely different subject wise but just as masterful.
May 16, 2021
Sweet and sad. Jo And Tam were secret lovers for a couple years as teenagers. Tam leaves Jo and they don't see each other or speak for a four years. Neither one is over the break up and Jo never understands why Tam left her. They are forced together when her brother is getting married and much is revealed. I often don't enjoy flashback style writing, because it can be confusing. Gilley does it well. The reader ends up feeling heartbroken for both Tam and Jo, mistakes were made but they both were hurt. This book demonstrates how open communication is necessary for any relationship to work, even a young one.
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