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Stitched Hearts #1
Pretty Broken Butterfly
How do you rebuild a life when the person you trusted most is the one who burned it to the ground?
Charlie Henderson thought she had forever mapped out. From childhood best friends to first kisses, she and Keaton Carr were supposed to be untouchable with the kind of love that survived every storm.
But betrayal doesn’t just bruise, it carves deep.
Charlie learns that when she catches the boy who swore she was his everything sleeping with another girl he promised was “just a friend.”
The betrayal isn’t just physical. It’s the unraveling of a lifetime. Every memory, every whispered vow is tainted by the sting of infidelity.
Now, Charlie’s left with more questions than answers. Who is she when she isn’t half of Keaton and Charlie? How do you let go when your heart refuses to stop bleeding for the one who broke it?
Keaton may be ready to beg, to fight, to prove that one catastrophic choice doesn’t define him.
But some betrayals demand more than apologies. Some demand blood, tears, and groveling so deep it leaves scars.
Because love can be reborn from ashes…or it can stay pretty, broken, and gone forever.
This book contains subjects that some readers may find upsetting. You can view the trigger warnings by checking out the 'Trigger Warning' page on my website. If you are susceptible to any of the triggers listed, please do not read. Recommended for 18+ due to sexual content and adult situations. Please be sure to read responsibly.
Charlie Henderson thought she had forever mapped out. From childhood best friends to first kisses, she and Keaton Carr were supposed to be untouchable with the kind of love that survived every storm.
But betrayal doesn’t just bruise, it carves deep.
Charlie learns that when she catches the boy who swore she was his everything sleeping with another girl he promised was “just a friend.”
The betrayal isn’t just physical. It’s the unraveling of a lifetime. Every memory, every whispered vow is tainted by the sting of infidelity.
Now, Charlie’s left with more questions than answers. Who is she when she isn’t half of Keaton and Charlie? How do you let go when your heart refuses to stop bleeding for the one who broke it?
Keaton may be ready to beg, to fight, to prove that one catastrophic choice doesn’t define him.
But some betrayals demand more than apologies. Some demand blood, tears, and groveling so deep it leaves scars.
Because love can be reborn from ashes…or it can stay pretty, broken, and gone forever.
This book contains subjects that some readers may find upsetting. You can view the trigger warnings by checking out the 'Trigger Warning' page on my website. If you are susceptible to any of the triggers listed, please do not read. Recommended for 18+ due to sexual content and adult situations. Please be sure to read responsibly.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2025
About the author
Lynne Leslie
26 books401 followersMom. Fiancee. Wine Drinker. Hot Mess. Even bigger Walking Disaster. Fluent Sarcasm Speaker. Word Writer. Collector of Readers Hearts. Taco Lover. Book Nerd. USA Today Bestselling Author.
Lynne lives in the quiet country with a bossy mister and two little divas. If you don’t catch her with her nose in a book or her fingers scribbling on paper, she’s usually right in front of the television with her family. She loves anything that glitters and has a weird habit of collecting pens. She thinks seafood is disgusting, beach sand is the devil, and Tom Hardy is life.
Lynne lives in the quiet country with a bossy mister and two little divas. If you don’t catch her with her nose in a book or her fingers scribbling on paper, she’s usually right in front of the television with her family. She loves anything that glitters and has a weird habit of collecting pens. She thinks seafood is disgusting, beach sand is the devil, and Tom Hardy is life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 15, 2026
This started strong with the opening gut punch betrayal scene that's become popular. But then it started to fall off for me because the characters just felt young and a smidge immature how they navigated things, and the tone started to feel melodramatic.
🕳️ Charlie is so OTT super special perfect. EVERYONE loves her.
🕳️ Rianna is so OTT skanky crazy clingy evil.
🕳️ Keaton is so OTT emotional.
🕳️ Their peers were so OTT extra. Random people shoulder checking the skanky OW, My bad. I was just trying to move the trash out of the way…Spunk-chariots belong on the ground where they're most useful.
Then we just got STUCK with the characters doing the same stuff for chapters and chapters and chapters and it dragged for me and I was skimming a lot. There was so much time spent on healing and triggers and crying… and this is a total Jac thing but it was so boring because it went on for so long with nothing else going on.
I had two big grumps…
❌ Why did Keaton do what he did? He wasn’t drunk. It’s never really answered; he was afraid; he was insecure; it was limerence. Why did he need to be hypnotized to remember it? We weren't shown the emotional affair, so it was confusing that he went from having sex to getting sick, sobbing, screaming, being heartbroken. It felt manufactured.
❌ I HATED her sleeping with Alek. Either have her sleep with a throw away character or don’t make Alek her best friend, because the way it was written it felt like he was taking advantage of her. (and it’s messy AF) I’m writing this after reading his book and I kept thinking how would you feel, Alek, if Titan (his gf’s best friend that loved her) was pressuring your heartbroken girl into his bed while you were trying to get her back? Not very much I’d bet. It also felt weird that Charlie was licking her lips getting tingles while checking Alek out like TWO days after screaming and DYING of heartbreak over her BF cheating.
Bottom Line- I wanted to like this, but I couldn’t connect with the characters. I personally would rather have more build up to ensure I’m invested in the characters when the betrayal hits. Like if we’d experienced some of the emotional cheating and prioritizing of the OW burn before the physical cheating… but that’s a Jac thing. The tone was juvenile, even forcing him to call both sets of parents like he was a child felt silly. I didn’t understand why golden retriever Keaton cheated on the love of his life. The whipping boy/crying/groveling went on so long it became tedious and boring. Charlie crying about triggers became monotonous, droning on and on. It got to the point that I looked forward to the psycho showing up just to spice things up.
I really liked the epilogues. It was great to see them pushed so many years into the future.
🕳️ Charlie is so OTT super special perfect. EVERYONE loves her.
🕳️ Rianna is so OTT skanky crazy clingy evil.
🕳️ Keaton is so OTT emotional.
🕳️ Their peers were so OTT extra. Random people shoulder checking the skanky OW, My bad. I was just trying to move the trash out of the way…Spunk-chariots belong on the ground where they're most useful.
Then we just got STUCK with the characters doing the same stuff for chapters and chapters and chapters and it dragged for me and I was skimming a lot. There was so much time spent on healing and triggers and crying… and this is a total Jac thing but it was so boring because it went on for so long with nothing else going on.
I had two big grumps…
❌ Why did Keaton do what he did? He wasn’t drunk. It’s never really answered; he was afraid; he was insecure; it was limerence. Why did he need to be hypnotized to remember it? We weren't shown the emotional affair, so it was confusing that he went from having sex to getting sick, sobbing, screaming, being heartbroken. It felt manufactured.
❌ I HATED her sleeping with Alek. Either have her sleep with a throw away character or don’t make Alek her best friend, because the way it was written it felt like he was taking advantage of her. (and it’s messy AF) I’m writing this after reading his book and I kept thinking how would you feel, Alek, if Titan (his gf’s best friend that loved her) was pressuring your heartbroken girl into his bed while you were trying to get her back? Not very much I’d bet. It also felt weird that Charlie was licking her lips getting tingles while checking Alek out like TWO days after screaming and DYING of heartbreak over her BF cheating.
Bottom Line- I wanted to like this, but I couldn’t connect with the characters. I personally would rather have more build up to ensure I’m invested in the characters when the betrayal hits. Like if we’d experienced some of the emotional cheating and prioritizing of the OW burn before the physical cheating… but that’s a Jac thing. The tone was juvenile, even forcing him to call both sets of parents like he was a child felt silly. I didn’t understand why golden retriever Keaton cheated on the love of his life. The whipping boy/crying/groveling went on so long it became tedious and boring. Charlie crying about triggers became monotonous, droning on and on. It got to the point that I looked forward to the psycho showing up just to spice things up.
I really liked the epilogues. It was great to see them pushed so many years into the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2026
This book was not for me. Charlie was the ultimate “Mary Sue”, absolutely perfect in every way; she was so sweet and kind that she couldn’t bring herself to hate the man that cheated on her. She still worried about him and how he was handling things after they were apart; it was terribly unrealistic and completely unbelievable.
DNF
DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
Not a fan
Not a fan of having inner circle friends who sleep together. Found the second book first and saw the previous "friend" relationship and it turned me off. Why do authors always lower women down to using their body to get over someone or payback. Why can't authors have women who want to be true to themselves and deal with their pain, know that their heart and body can't be passed around until they heal? And I hate when series connect people who all sleep together.
Not a fan of having inner circle friends who sleep together. Found the second book first and saw the previous "friend" relationship and it turned me off. Why do authors always lower women down to using their body to get over someone or payback. Why can't authors have women who want to be true to themselves and deal with their pain, know that their heart and body can't be passed around until they heal? And I hate when series connect people who all sleep together.
January 23, 2026
I waited MONTHS for this book to come out and now I'm not sure how I feel about it. There was a lot of blah blah blah about healing and triggers and needing space. It seemed that very little actually happened in the book.
The first and last quarters had action and the rest was filler about crying and therapy and unfulfilled dreams.
I'm glad Alek is getting his own book.
The first and last quarters had action and the rest was filler about crying and therapy and unfulfilled dreams.
I'm glad Alek is getting his own book.
December 12, 2025
Lost interest pretty quickly. MMC couldn’t explain why he cheated. DNF @ 18%.
Read
January 7, 2026🚨Author’s content warning:
I don’t like loose ends.
He can’t figure out WHY he cheated.
Maybe he just can’t face the truth and doesn’t want to tell the h.
He’s willing to communicate with her but he contradicts himself and waffles between:
1.
I’ve figured the biggest underlying reason is complacency.”
2.
I began to doubt us whenever I was around Rianna because she was good at picking apart my insecurities
3.
“The ow’s” attention felt good when I was with her.
I don’t like loose ends.
He can’t figure out WHY he cheated.
Maybe he just can’t face the truth and doesn’t want to tell the h.
He’s willing to communicate with her but he contradicts himself and waffles between:
1.
I’ve figured the biggest underlying reason is complacency.”
2.
I began to doubt us whenever I was around Rianna because she was good at picking apart my insecurities
3.
“The ow’s” attention felt good when I was with her.
December 14, 2025
I had been so excited for this book for months, been wanting to read a childhood friends to lovers cheating romance based in college forever, but unfortunately I just didn’t like this book very much.
The author is a good writer and but the storytelling wasn’t great. 400+ pages but the betrayal happens in the first 2 chapters? That’s too much plot wasted on nothing. I would have loved if it started with the past, showing us their friendship/relationship from the start. Then showing us college years and how Keaton met Rianna, it would have built up so much angst for the betrayal. But you’re just told in a few paragraphs what happen in the past and that’s just not enough to get readers emotionally invested, we need to see it, experience it along with the h to really get engrossed in the book. Skimming over really important plots of the story and wasting so much on other parts was not a good choice.
I felt nothing during the betrayal because I didn’t know the characters or their story to be invested at all. Such a missed opportunity here for a really great cheating book but it’s just not well executed.
The problem with having the betrayal right off from the start is you lose interest in the book, it just got a bit boring after that because who wants to read hundreds of pages worth of grovelling? The angst and lead up to the betrayal are the interesting part.
I also felt the characters were very OTT in some aspects. I hate when the OW is portrayed at this evil caricature it takes away from the H betrayal and puts too much focus on “oh she’s so evil so let’s focus on that” I’d rather the focus just be on the H and what he done and not the part the OW played.
I’d love if authors could actually sit and picture how some scenes would play out in real life, cos that would save a lot of second hand embarrassment I got from this book. There is no way that a whole class of senior college students would give two fucks about one boy cheating on his girlfriend. The chapters from the party and how everyone shunned the H and OW, that just would not happen outside of the friend group they have and it didn’t even seem the h had more than one friend, so why is everyone on her side? I get that she’s suppose to be well liked but come on, college kids would not care that much to be throwing coffee in the OW face months after the betrayal happened.
The scene where the H is being, again, shunned by friends of the h and she decides to stand up ON A TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DINING HALL in the college campus and asks everyone to stay out of it? Again wtf 😂 that would never happen. It felt very immature, like high school kids might be this involved in each others life’s cos school is smaller and everyone is nosy asf but seniors in college will not care. Everything was going too smoothly for the h after the cheating scandal, everyone on her side, everyone hating the H and OW and openly mocking OW, throwing beverages at her face, shunning them. Like, is this a small town or something? It’s nice in theory to think you’d have all this support after a major betrayal but when I was reading these scenes it just felt silly and so unlikely to happen I couldn’t get into the story.
The author is a good writer and but the storytelling wasn’t great. 400+ pages but the betrayal happens in the first 2 chapters? That’s too much plot wasted on nothing. I would have loved if it started with the past, showing us their friendship/relationship from the start. Then showing us college years and how Keaton met Rianna, it would have built up so much angst for the betrayal. But you’re just told in a few paragraphs what happen in the past and that’s just not enough to get readers emotionally invested, we need to see it, experience it along with the h to really get engrossed in the book. Skimming over really important plots of the story and wasting so much on other parts was not a good choice.
I felt nothing during the betrayal because I didn’t know the characters or their story to be invested at all. Such a missed opportunity here for a really great cheating book but it’s just not well executed.
The problem with having the betrayal right off from the start is you lose interest in the book, it just got a bit boring after that because who wants to read hundreds of pages worth of grovelling? The angst and lead up to the betrayal are the interesting part.
I also felt the characters were very OTT in some aspects. I hate when the OW is portrayed at this evil caricature it takes away from the H betrayal and puts too much focus on “oh she’s so evil so let’s focus on that” I’d rather the focus just be on the H and what he done and not the part the OW played.
I’d love if authors could actually sit and picture how some scenes would play out in real life, cos that would save a lot of second hand embarrassment I got from this book. There is no way that a whole class of senior college students would give two fucks about one boy cheating on his girlfriend. The chapters from the party and how everyone shunned the H and OW, that just would not happen outside of the friend group they have and it didn’t even seem the h had more than one friend, so why is everyone on her side? I get that she’s suppose to be well liked but come on, college kids would not care that much to be throwing coffee in the OW face months after the betrayal happened.
The scene where the H is being, again, shunned by friends of the h and she decides to stand up ON A TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A DINING HALL in the college campus and asks everyone to stay out of it? Again wtf 😂 that would never happen. It felt very immature, like high school kids might be this involved in each others life’s cos school is smaller and everyone is nosy asf but seniors in college will not care. Everything was going too smoothly for the h after the cheating scandal, everyone on her side, everyone hating the H and OW and openly mocking OW, throwing beverages at her face, shunning them. Like, is this a small town or something? It’s nice in theory to think you’d have all this support after a major betrayal but when I was reading these scenes it just felt silly and so unlikely to happen I couldn’t get into the story.
December 18, 2025
Well written but…
Keaton is the MMC and Charlie is the FMC. They are still in college, but they have been together forever. And then she goes to a party where she’s supposed to meet up with him, and she finds him balls deep, no protection, in the girl that he swore was just a friend.
I usually enjoy cheating stories, but this one really ticked me off. The wannabe is a psycho and is stalking her. Keaton doesn’t want the wannabe, and isn’t really sure why he banged her. I found that whole thing ridiculous.
It’s a me thing. I was hoping she’d find a better guy. If it was me, I’d never have taken him back. The second he stuck himself into that diseased wh0re, that would have been it for me.
In spite of my viewpoint, this was written really well. But I’ve never run into a guy that would talk like this guy. So I found that to be unrealistic. Anyway, this was good.
Keaton is the MMC and Charlie is the FMC. They are still in college, but they have been together forever. And then she goes to a party where she’s supposed to meet up with him, and she finds him balls deep, no protection, in the girl that he swore was just a friend.
I usually enjoy cheating stories, but this one really ticked me off. The wannabe is a psycho and is stalking her. Keaton doesn’t want the wannabe, and isn’t really sure why he banged her. I found that whole thing ridiculous.
It’s a me thing. I was hoping she’d find a better guy. If it was me, I’d never have taken him back. The second he stuck himself into that diseased wh0re, that would have been it for me.
In spite of my viewpoint, this was written really well. But I’ve never run into a guy that would talk like this guy. So I found that to be unrealistic. Anyway, this was good.
January 16, 2026
Really liked this book.
A very real and raw look at infidelity, how it can creep in to a relationship as an emotional affair long before physical lines are crossed and the pain and insecurities it can cause. The rebuild was slow and genuine. The FMC was strong and fierce without being cruel or spiteful. She was not a pushover or a doormat. She was a genuine character who felt like she could be your best friend. The mmc was genuinely remorseful and worked to better himself and own his bad decisions. He owned his awful. The hea was earned and not rushed into with an “all is forgiven” vibe. This book perfectly shows the work that goes in to reconciliation and the long term repercussions that stem from cheating. With OW drama, good humour, great character dialogue and strong friendships. I recommend this one for sure.
A very real and raw look at infidelity, how it can creep in to a relationship as an emotional affair long before physical lines are crossed and the pain and insecurities it can cause. The rebuild was slow and genuine. The FMC was strong and fierce without being cruel or spiteful. She was not a pushover or a doormat. She was a genuine character who felt like she could be your best friend. The mmc was genuinely remorseful and worked to better himself and own his bad decisions. He owned his awful. The hea was earned and not rushed into with an “all is forgiven” vibe. This book perfectly shows the work that goes in to reconciliation and the long term repercussions that stem from cheating. With OW drama, good humour, great character dialogue and strong friendships. I recommend this one for sure.
April 6, 2026
I heard the premise and thought it sounded interesting. I was definitely hooked at the dramatic trainwreck of the early betrayal, but, I didn't vibe with a lot of the book.
All of the characters, and I mean all of them, were pretty melodramatic, always having some grandiose monologue prepared about how no one can trust Keaton again, he ruined Charlie's life, etc. It felt a little much.
Other things that felt weird:
The seniors at a college all acted like characters in a high school movie. Like, a "royalty table" in the mess hall? wtf.
Charlie was super perfect. Everyone in the entire world loves Charlie.
Rianna is literally the worst person to ever walk the planet. So terrible I don't know how Keaton never heard any rumors or anything about her that pulled him out of his denial.
70% of the book was written in "the past". But like, the cheating happened, a few months passed, a few more, and the "present" was only like 6 months after that. Why even bother?
Most of this book felt like some sort of wish fulfillment for a cheater getting absolutely everything they could ever deserve. The beginning was good, stressful drama, and the ending was cute, but the entire middle was just the same over and over. Charlie and Keaton crying separately, both thinking he ruined their entire lives (they are 22), therapy, and people telling Keaton he's a piece of shit.
Also, I read so long to get Keaton's point of view of that day, and he just... had his brain offline and moved on autopilot while already hating that Rianna was touching him? That felt pretty unsatisfying to me... Like damn, no thrill, no thinking they were gonna get caught, no passion from him. It almost made it feel like she was practically SAing him... felt bad, man.
Oh well, the beginning was still fun!
All of the characters, and I mean all of them, were pretty melodramatic, always having some grandiose monologue prepared about how no one can trust Keaton again, he ruined Charlie's life, etc. It felt a little much.
Other things that felt weird:
The seniors at a college all acted like characters in a high school movie. Like, a "royalty table" in the mess hall? wtf.
Charlie was super perfect. Everyone in the entire world loves Charlie.
Rianna is literally the worst person to ever walk the planet. So terrible I don't know how Keaton never heard any rumors or anything about her that pulled him out of his denial.
70% of the book was written in "the past". But like, the cheating happened, a few months passed, a few more, and the "present" was only like 6 months after that. Why even bother?
Most of this book felt like some sort of wish fulfillment for a cheater getting absolutely everything they could ever deserve. The beginning was good, stressful drama, and the ending was cute, but the entire middle was just the same over and over. Charlie and Keaton crying separately, both thinking he ruined their entire lives (they are 22), therapy, and people telling Keaton he's a piece of shit.
Also, I read so long to get Keaton's point of view of that day, and he just... had his brain offline and moved on autopilot while already hating that Rianna was touching him? That felt pretty unsatisfying to me... Like damn, no thrill, no thinking they were gonna get caught, no passion from him. It almost made it feel like she was practically SAing him... felt bad, man.
Oh well, the beginning was still fun!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2026
Pretty Broken Butterfly by Lynn Leslie
Stitched Hearts Series – Book 1
5/5 ⭐️
This was one of the very first cheating romance books I read and loved and it’s the reason I became completely obsessed with this trope.
I cried through all the pain my girl Charlie endured. She’s strong, beautiful, and resilient, but she also bleeds when her heart is shattered. Her capacity to love, her loyalty, and the way she cares so deeply for her friends, family, and everyone she meets is one of my favorite things about her. She’s not just a pretty face … she has depth, heart, and strength.
And Keaton… whew. That pool house scene where she walks away from him? Absolutely brutal. But he needed to own his mistakes. Lynn Leslie did an incredible job redeeming him in a way that felt genuine and earned. I truly believed his growth and his love for Charlie by the end.
They were so young, together since grade school, and somewhere along the way Keaton lost himself , but he fought hard to find his way back. And he earned his place in Charlie’s life again.
This is an absolute must-read for all my betrayal-and-groveling girlies. 💔✨
Stitched Hearts Series – Book 1
5/5 ⭐️
This was one of the very first cheating romance books I read and loved and it’s the reason I became completely obsessed with this trope.
I cried through all the pain my girl Charlie endured. She’s strong, beautiful, and resilient, but she also bleeds when her heart is shattered. Her capacity to love, her loyalty, and the way she cares so deeply for her friends, family, and everyone she meets is one of my favorite things about her. She’s not just a pretty face … she has depth, heart, and strength.
And Keaton… whew. That pool house scene where she walks away from him? Absolutely brutal. But he needed to own his mistakes. Lynn Leslie did an incredible job redeeming him in a way that felt genuine and earned. I truly believed his growth and his love for Charlie by the end.
They were so young, together since grade school, and somewhere along the way Keaton lost himself , but he fought hard to find his way back. And he earned his place in Charlie’s life again.
This is an absolute must-read for all my betrayal-and-groveling girlies. 💔✨
Did Not Finish
January 15, 2026I think I need to call the time of death on this one and accept that I'm never going to pick it back up. Started out really fun, but now we're halfway through, he's still giving her space, she's still moving on but super hung up on him, and I am so painfully bored. The only way I'm ever going to get to the end of this book is if I skip past the next few chapters to end up in the X Years Later part -- whenever that will happen. Will update the review if that ever happens.
Grovels are great and all, but dear Lord, I still need the characters to have page time together rather than reading about his therapy and mopiness, and her FWB situationship with the sequel bait for the next book. When I last put this down, I not only needed the characters to move on, I also needed the plot to move on and that absolutely wasn't happening.
See also Jac K's review for additional information. Spot-on from someone who finished it.
Grovels are great and all, but dear Lord, I still need the characters to have page time together rather than reading about his therapy and mopiness, and her FWB situationship with the sequel bait for the next book. When I last put this down, I not only needed the characters to move on, I also needed the plot to move on and that absolutely wasn't happening.
See also Jac K's review for additional information. Spot-on from someone who finished it.
January 30, 2026
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Couple: Keaton & Charlie
❋❋❋❋❋❋
Yes to this gut punch and yes to the way she handled herself. I was pulled right in and was eating this story up. Overall I really enjoyed this one the storyline, the main MCs, and their friends made it entertaining. The only thing that kind of got to me was she became a bit too much with everything, the triggers and the healing on both ends was overwhelming the story a bit. If you like betrayal reads I would definitely give this a go.
Couple: Keaton & Charlie
❋❋❋❋❋❋
Yes to this gut punch and yes to the way she handled herself. I was pulled right in and was eating this story up. Overall I really enjoyed this one the storyline, the main MCs, and their friends made it entertaining. The only thing that kind of got to me was she became a bit too much with everything, the triggers and the healing on both ends was overwhelming the story a bit. If you like betrayal reads I would definitely give this a go.
December 16, 2025
This book started off strongly enough but it was a struggle to finish. I skimmed the last quarter of the book. The H is a tattoo artist and the h manages a coffee shop. They are childhood sweethearts but when they were in college together the OW transferred in and set her sights on the H. She intentionally inserted herself and her "friendship" as a wedge between the H and h until the h and her bf walk in on the OW and H having sex in the pool house at a party. It turns out that the OW is like a serial OW intentionally sharing her venereal disease with men she has pursued. Heartbreaking fallout from the betrayal. The H gets therapy and treatment for the chlamydia he gets from the OW. Since he has loving parents it's hard to convincingly justify his choices (there's some drinking involved). The redemption is long and drawn out.
March 30, 2026
To be honest, based on past experiences that I had with books containing infidelity, I wasn't expecting to not hold hate for the cheater, let alone even remotely be okay reading a story about the couple coming back together. With this book, I found myself wrong on those assumptions, as despite everything, I did enjoy seeing Keaton right his wrongs in a way and try to be better. Of course, you can never right the mistake of cheating, as it's not a mistake but rather a choice you made.
To me, Keaton did a lot of therapy to the point I believed this book wasn't even a romance or remotely close to one, but rather a study on an individual who cheated and is in the works of repairing his relationship and himself. I was really not rooting for this man at all in the beginning, especially with how we see him cheat with his new girl best friend Rianna, which by the way I do think you can have girl best friends SO LONG AS YOU RESPECT your partner's boundaries and feelings. Keaton did neither, since Charlie and EVERYONE ELSE in his life told him Rianna was trouble, but did he listen? NO.
It's one thing to blame the woman, seeing as Rianna was portrayed as this homewrecking psycho who has a tendency to target taken men, purposely preying on their insecurities to make them vulnerable, then swooping in and having sex with them (knowingly giving them chlamydia), but I still hold Keaton accountable for this. I also was a bit baffled to see how her mind worked, with believing giving Keaton chlamydia would keep him hers and that Charlie wouldn't want him back, to then stalking Keaton then Charlie. To me, she was a caricature of a villain, and I found myself hating her appearances in the book.
Regardless, Keaton was still in the wrong for having cheated on Charlie, and I do genuinely believe it was as he said, due to complacency in their relationship and his desire for a spark or excitement (selfishness). I also did enjoy seeing him become an outcast and essentially having hit rock bottom, having to rebuild all his relationships from scratch. This was well deserved, along with catching chlamydia for cheating (though he managed to treat his chlamydia with medication).
I just couldn't believe they dated for 8 years since they were 14, they met at 5 as neighbours, had so much history, and he did all this. It's not like I'm not used to seeing this in the media or online, but I was just dumbfounded for a while on why Keaton really didn't stop contact with Rianna. Ugh. Reading his hypnotherapy-induced chapter didn't help either, as it made complete sense why this even happened. This man was FLIRTACIOUS on a disrespectful level, and paired with how he dismissed Charlie's concerns and often dropped things to go to Rianna... yeah I was concerned if Charlie took him back, which she did :/.
I loved how everyone took Charlie's side, including both sets of parents, all of them showing their disdain or disappointment towards Keaton, which was so deserved. Keaton truly underappreciated Charlie and the role she had in his life, and I'm happy he quickly realized that and regretted everything, even till the end of the book we still see him forever holding remorse and guilt. This man was hit with so much pain and regret, even when Charlie forgave him, he still was hard on himself and blamed himself for so much, minimizing his feelings and being grateful for a scrap of attention or affection.
Amelia for me was such a great friend and such a supporter for Charlie. I'm glad she was always there for Amelia for everything, even sleeping at Charlie's place to make sure she was alive and healthy. I also loved how much she loathed and hated Keaton, even encouraging Charlie to burn all their memorabilia and checking in on Charlie constantly. This to me was a best friend, and I loved that regardless of the point in time they were at, whether it was fresh off the incident or years later, Amelia was still in Charlie's corner and made it a priority to check on Charlie and ensure she was fine, even when Amelia went through her own shit with David cheating on her.
The book was predominantly the past, making up 70% of the book till we finally reach the "present," being two years after the pool party night where Keaton cheated (they're both 24 now). I really enjoyed seeing Keaton do the work to go to therapy, especially when he shifted from being fuelled by selfish desires to actually considering Charlie's feelings actively. Even if subconcious, we saw Keaton being selfish in wanting to reconnect and reunite with Charlie, which to me rubbed me the wrong way as Charlie herself hadn't remotely healed.
I'm glad she knew she had to cut ties with Keaton and gave herself time away from him to heal (6 months). Of course I wished it was longer, but hey, at least she did her time in living for herself, and I'm happy she found the strength to love herself again. I'm also glad she had her FWB relationship with Alek, kind of evening the score with Keaton in having slept with Alek, kissing him multiple times (which Keaton never kissed Rianna, seeing kissing as "sacred"), and that pregnancy scare.
I know it was scary for her, but I found delight in seeing Keaton face the possibility that Charlie could have a baby with a man who wasn't him. I was initially mad because they both acknowledged they wanted their kisses, sex, and intimacy to be scared between them (they lost their virginities to each other and were each other's one and only), only for Keaton to break the sacred sex thing by having sex with Rianna while somewhat drunk (which doesn't excuse anything), but I was immediately happy to see Charlie do so much more with Alek (I'm petty).
This book was just one massive pity and therapy book for Keaton, him either destroyed and devastated after the breakup, or in therapy in the hopes of bettering himself enough to be "worthy" of Charlie again. I also loved how he was her "dragon" and she was his "butterfly." I feel like sometimes nicknames are cringey or odd, but with the meanings of their nicknames, it made sense and it impacted me as it was a great sign of the recovery when Charlie felt comfortable enough to reintroduce the nicknames into their repairing relationship.
From the written letters for Charlie, to going to therapy twice a week for years, to tattooing butterflies all over his body and a dragon with a broken wing, tear, and split heart, and his implementation of complete access to his phone and transparency on his life, I found myself fully acknowledging and seeing Keaton's shift and change for the better, becoming a partner who was vulnerable and honest in all areas of his life, willing to respect and abide by Charlie's wishes and boundaries. Of course this should've been a given, but Keaton being able to drop his pride and essentially his selfishness for the chance to be with Charlie was noted.
I would've rated this book higher, but I'm biased against cheating and have a huge disdain for it, and though it ended with them being married at 27 (5 years after the incident) then with 3 kids at 32 (10 years after incident), I was still wanting Charlie to have even more time for herself, see her with more men, but I'm still thankful she wasn't one of those FMCs who just waits around for a man. At the very least, Keaton remained celibate after the Rianna incident, rightfully so, but I'm at least happy he stuck to his words about Charlie being his "one and only" despite everything... Well, I probably wouldn't read it again, but it was definitely insightful in some way.
To me, Keaton did a lot of therapy to the point I believed this book wasn't even a romance or remotely close to one, but rather a study on an individual who cheated and is in the works of repairing his relationship and himself. I was really not rooting for this man at all in the beginning, especially with how we see him cheat with his new girl best friend Rianna, which by the way I do think you can have girl best friends SO LONG AS YOU RESPECT your partner's boundaries and feelings. Keaton did neither, since Charlie and EVERYONE ELSE in his life told him Rianna was trouble, but did he listen? NO.
It's one thing to blame the woman, seeing as Rianna was portrayed as this homewrecking psycho who has a tendency to target taken men, purposely preying on their insecurities to make them vulnerable, then swooping in and having sex with them (knowingly giving them chlamydia), but I still hold Keaton accountable for this. I also was a bit baffled to see how her mind worked, with believing giving Keaton chlamydia would keep him hers and that Charlie wouldn't want him back, to then stalking Keaton then Charlie. To me, she was a caricature of a villain, and I found myself hating her appearances in the book.
Regardless, Keaton was still in the wrong for having cheated on Charlie, and I do genuinely believe it was as he said, due to complacency in their relationship and his desire for a spark or excitement (selfishness). I also did enjoy seeing him become an outcast and essentially having hit rock bottom, having to rebuild all his relationships from scratch. This was well deserved, along with catching chlamydia for cheating (though he managed to treat his chlamydia with medication).
I just couldn't believe they dated for 8 years since they were 14, they met at 5 as neighbours, had so much history, and he did all this. It's not like I'm not used to seeing this in the media or online, but I was just dumbfounded for a while on why Keaton really didn't stop contact with Rianna. Ugh. Reading his hypnotherapy-induced chapter didn't help either, as it made complete sense why this even happened. This man was FLIRTACIOUS on a disrespectful level, and paired with how he dismissed Charlie's concerns and often dropped things to go to Rianna... yeah I was concerned if Charlie took him back, which she did :/.
I loved how everyone took Charlie's side, including both sets of parents, all of them showing their disdain or disappointment towards Keaton, which was so deserved. Keaton truly underappreciated Charlie and the role she had in his life, and I'm happy he quickly realized that and regretted everything, even till the end of the book we still see him forever holding remorse and guilt. This man was hit with so much pain and regret, even when Charlie forgave him, he still was hard on himself and blamed himself for so much, minimizing his feelings and being grateful for a scrap of attention or affection.
Amelia for me was such a great friend and such a supporter for Charlie. I'm glad she was always there for Amelia for everything, even sleeping at Charlie's place to make sure she was alive and healthy. I also loved how much she loathed and hated Keaton, even encouraging Charlie to burn all their memorabilia and checking in on Charlie constantly. This to me was a best friend, and I loved that regardless of the point in time they were at, whether it was fresh off the incident or years later, Amelia was still in Charlie's corner and made it a priority to check on Charlie and ensure she was fine, even when Amelia went through her own shit with David cheating on her.
The book was predominantly the past, making up 70% of the book till we finally reach the "present," being two years after the pool party night where Keaton cheated (they're both 24 now). I really enjoyed seeing Keaton do the work to go to therapy, especially when he shifted from being fuelled by selfish desires to actually considering Charlie's feelings actively. Even if subconcious, we saw Keaton being selfish in wanting to reconnect and reunite with Charlie, which to me rubbed me the wrong way as Charlie herself hadn't remotely healed.
I'm glad she knew she had to cut ties with Keaton and gave herself time away from him to heal (6 months). Of course I wished it was longer, but hey, at least she did her time in living for herself, and I'm happy she found the strength to love herself again. I'm also glad she had her FWB relationship with Alek, kind of evening the score with Keaton in having slept with Alek, kissing him multiple times (which Keaton never kissed Rianna, seeing kissing as "sacred"), and that pregnancy scare.
I know it was scary for her, but I found delight in seeing Keaton face the possibility that Charlie could have a baby with a man who wasn't him. I was initially mad because they both acknowledged they wanted their kisses, sex, and intimacy to be scared between them (they lost their virginities to each other and were each other's one and only), only for Keaton to break the sacred sex thing by having sex with Rianna while somewhat drunk (which doesn't excuse anything), but I was immediately happy to see Charlie do so much more with Alek (I'm petty).
This book was just one massive pity and therapy book for Keaton, him either destroyed and devastated after the breakup, or in therapy in the hopes of bettering himself enough to be "worthy" of Charlie again. I also loved how he was her "dragon" and she was his "butterfly." I feel like sometimes nicknames are cringey or odd, but with the meanings of their nicknames, it made sense and it impacted me as it was a great sign of the recovery when Charlie felt comfortable enough to reintroduce the nicknames into their repairing relationship.
From the written letters for Charlie, to going to therapy twice a week for years, to tattooing butterflies all over his body and a dragon with a broken wing, tear, and split heart, and his implementation of complete access to his phone and transparency on his life, I found myself fully acknowledging and seeing Keaton's shift and change for the better, becoming a partner who was vulnerable and honest in all areas of his life, willing to respect and abide by Charlie's wishes and boundaries. Of course this should've been a given, but Keaton being able to drop his pride and essentially his selfishness for the chance to be with Charlie was noted.
I would've rated this book higher, but I'm biased against cheating and have a huge disdain for it, and though it ended with them being married at 27 (5 years after the incident) then with 3 kids at 32 (10 years after incident), I was still wanting Charlie to have even more time for herself, see her with more men, but I'm still thankful she wasn't one of those FMCs who just waits around for a man. At the very least, Keaton remained celibate after the Rianna incident, rightfully so, but I'm at least happy he stuck to his words about Charlie being his "one and only" despite everything... Well, I probably wouldn't read it again, but it was definitely insightful in some way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
The h left me a bad taste and the H grovel was too long and he came across as a dummy, it ANNOYED ME
A rant:
His type of groveling would have made more sense if he sneaked around or tried to keep the cheating hidden - or if he was arrogant or entitled in the beginning, but he was portrayed as a golden retriever who LOVED the h SOOOOOO MUCH. It was said that he ignored everyone’s warning about the OW - but in the H internal dialogue he is all-in with the h and deeply in love.
When the cheating occurred, the H had been drinking and the way it read, sounded like he was drugged. It was described as if he was in a dream like state. While reading I thought that it would later be revealed that the deranged OW drugged him because he could not remember much.
Months after the break-up, the h sleeps with her male bff, Alex, which is a recent relationship status for them. They were not freinds beforehand and he was always attracted to her, and the H knew. So not sure how the “bff” status came to be. Their relationship gave me the ick 🤢. She was vulnerable and still in love with the H and the “bff”, Alex, came across as a gigolo and an opportunist😠 … all while there were indications that he too loved someone else. Disgusting!!!!!
The OW video tapes the h at the bff ‘s house through a window and sends it to the H to prove to him that the h has moved on. The h, not knowing about the video , CALLS THE H AFTERWARDS TO TELL HIM THAT SHE SLEPT WITH
ALEX (bff) AND MAY END UP PREGNANT because of a condom malfunction, and the H, although hurt - he saw the video - *tries to comfort* her telling her “it’s ok” and “she would make a great mom and Alex would help her” because she is feeling some type of way about it (WHAT????)
The bff Alex knows she called the H after their encounter, that she is shaken up, and he heard her telling the H “I love you” before hanging up on the H and he takes her back to bed and she is fine with that ???? Again, why is she calling him and why is she with Alex ?
The whole time the H groveling and going to therapy (which she knows) and showing so much remorse and pain. The guy is a lapping golden retriever begging and crying - so I wanted to slap him and say get a backbone, she done with you, get!
At this point, I was hoping that the H found someone else and the h stayed with her new bff (she said they had chemistry 🙂↕️)
Her triggers where annoying after she slept with her bff. You both slept with other people, and you both saw the act, so why is she acting like she is this fragile china doll ?
The H groveling sounds more like resignation because he tells her to be happy, even if not with him … does not sound like a guy who wants her for himself. After seeing the video, I would think he understands why the h does not want him to touch her. I would think he would be more inclined to let her go after that. He called the guy (instead of the h so not to hurt her more) to notify him about the video so they can take it to the police. The conversation was weird.
When they get back together the H is ok with Alex staying on as her bff, because he “helped” her during that difficult time … WHATTTTT??? This whole fiasco happened because of “best freinds” … but your ok being around the guy your girl slept with ???? Say it with me: DOORMAT. She even feels it would be disrespectful to stay close and he is like Nooo Waayyy - he cool! EWWWWWWW😳🤯 Hero is TSTL
A rant:
His type of groveling would have made more sense if he sneaked around or tried to keep the cheating hidden - or if he was arrogant or entitled in the beginning, but he was portrayed as a golden retriever who LOVED the h SOOOOOO MUCH. It was said that he ignored everyone’s warning about the OW - but in the H internal dialogue he is all-in with the h and deeply in love.
When the cheating occurred, the H had been drinking and the way it read, sounded like he was drugged. It was described as if he was in a dream like state. While reading I thought that it would later be revealed that the deranged OW drugged him because he could not remember much.
Months after the break-up, the h sleeps with her male bff, Alex, which is a recent relationship status for them. They were not freinds beforehand and he was always attracted to her, and the H knew. So not sure how the “bff” status came to be. Their relationship gave me the ick 🤢. She was vulnerable and still in love with the H and the “bff”, Alex, came across as a gigolo and an opportunist😠 … all while there were indications that he too loved someone else. Disgusting!!!!!
The OW video tapes the h at the bff ‘s house through a window and sends it to the H to prove to him that the h has moved on. The h, not knowing about the video , CALLS THE H AFTERWARDS TO TELL HIM THAT SHE SLEPT WITH
ALEX (bff) AND MAY END UP PREGNANT because of a condom malfunction, and the H, although hurt - he saw the video - *tries to comfort* her telling her “it’s ok” and “she would make a great mom and Alex would help her” because she is feeling some type of way about it (WHAT????)
The bff Alex knows she called the H after their encounter, that she is shaken up, and he heard her telling the H “I love you” before hanging up on the H and he takes her back to bed and she is fine with that ???? Again, why is she calling him and why is she with Alex ?
The whole time the H groveling and going to therapy (which she knows) and showing so much remorse and pain. The guy is a lapping golden retriever begging and crying - so I wanted to slap him and say get a backbone, she done with you, get!
At this point, I was hoping that the H found someone else and the h stayed with her new bff (she said they had chemistry 🙂↕️)
Her triggers where annoying after she slept with her bff. You both slept with other people, and you both saw the act, so why is she acting like she is this fragile china doll ?
The H groveling sounds more like resignation because he tells her to be happy, even if not with him … does not sound like a guy who wants her for himself. After seeing the video, I would think he understands why the h does not want him to touch her. I would think he would be more inclined to let her go after that. He called the guy (instead of the h so not to hurt her more) to notify him about the video so they can take it to the police. The conversation was weird.
When they get back together the H is ok with Alex staying on as her bff, because he “helped” her during that difficult time … WHATTTTT??? This whole fiasco happened because of “best freinds” … but your ok being around the guy your girl slept with ???? Say it with me: DOORMAT. She even feels it would be disrespectful to stay close and he is like Nooo Waayyy - he cool! EWWWWWWW😳🤯 Hero is TSTL
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2025
Keaton doesn't remember anything, which indicates that he may have been drugged, but nothing comes of that. Irrespective of the rape, he knew what he was doing with another woman hurt Charlie, yet he didn't stop. He didn't even bother to keep inviting Charlie when he hung out with the other woman, which definitely looks bad. Keaton himself created the circumstances of his infidelity. Like his mother said, exposing yourself to constant temptation is dangerous.
Charlie is a strong character. She leaves Keaton when she discovers his infidelity; she tries to move on; she even starts dating again. But I hate that it took her months to tell Keaton he needs to stop contacting her and allow her to heal. Exposure to your ex during the process of healing and moving on slows it down, so you're supposed to end exposure altogether until you've healed.
I also thought the plot would have benefitted from some other situation that was influenced by the infidelity - Charlie beginning to be romantically interested in someone else or her becoming pregnant and having a good relationship with the father of the child, so Keaton realized that she is capable of loving and being loved by someone else and that he has permanent evidence of how completely things could have taken a turn.
I also don't understand why there are so many cheaters in this book. Not everyone cheats.
Charlie is a strong character. She leaves Keaton when she discovers his infidelity; she tries to move on; she even starts dating again. But I hate that it took her months to tell Keaton he needs to stop contacting her and allow her to heal. Exposure to your ex during the process of healing and moving on slows it down, so you're supposed to end exposure altogether until you've healed.
I also thought the plot would have benefitted from some other situation that was influenced by the infidelity - Charlie beginning to be romantically interested in someone else or her becoming pregnant and having a good relationship with the father of the child, so Keaton realized that she is capable of loving and being loved by someone else and that he has permanent evidence of how completely things could have taken a turn.
I also don't understand why there are so many cheaters in this book. Not everyone cheats.
November 19, 2025
I loved this story of heartbreak and redemption. Charlie and Keaton are amazing characters you want to get to know. They have been each other's forever until a new girl turns up at college and Keaton doesn't see her for who she really is. What he thinks of as friends is her way of inserting herself into their lives and relationship, not seeing the traps and games she is playing. Don't get me wrong the betrayal is all his fault and he knows it. The break up is over a sex scene so you need to know this is a cheater redemption story. One time is enough to break Charlie's heart and tears will come to your eyes as she shreds the pieces of memories in her pain.
But, the story is so much more than that. It is Charlie finding her way back to normal including a friends with benefits relationship we don't normally get to see while she is healing. We see Keaton realizing the depth of pain and harm he has caused and slowing building the connection and trust again to find his way home with Charlie. I love how we see this couple in her other books and are reminded that this kind of damage doesn't just go away but has to be lived with when reminders and life reminds us of a betrayal. It feels real and a joy to read.
But, the story is so much more than that. It is Charlie finding her way back to normal including a friends with benefits relationship we don't normally get to see while she is healing. We see Keaton realizing the depth of pain and harm he has caused and slowing building the connection and trust again to find his way home with Charlie. I love how we see this couple in her other books and are reminded that this kind of damage doesn't just go away but has to be lived with when reminders and life reminds us of a betrayal. It feels real and a joy to read.
February 9, 2026
DNF
I didnt make it far. I got to the 25% mark and decided to check reviews and that ultimately validated my decision to DNF.
The cheating and the aftermath reactions are bizarre. FMC catches MMC and OW mid stroke. The OW cackles like a witch. The MMC instantly breaks down crying and groveling, literally with his peen still hanging out. The FMC goes on this overdone rant about how she trusted him, how she wasn’t going to breakdown then in front of him and the OW but later, and how he broke/killed/annihilated her worst than fine china. Thennnnn there is this random dude David that stops the FMC mid get-away run to let her know “hey, sorry instead of pulling you to the side, I’m the one that set you up to catch your bf mid stroke cause your a good person and then lets the MMC know that he set him up to get caught. Dude the OW is a horrible person and then goes into this speech about how good the FMC.
It was all to weird and unrealistic to me. I read some reviews and the majority felt the same way as I do and also go on to say that there is more foolishness and a whole lot of repetition. I hate repetition of actions or conversation in a book unless it’s apart of the plot or something.
With that being said. I’m DNF’ing this one and returning book two.
I didnt make it far. I got to the 25% mark and decided to check reviews and that ultimately validated my decision to DNF.
The cheating and the aftermath reactions are bizarre. FMC catches MMC and OW mid stroke. The OW cackles like a witch. The MMC instantly breaks down crying and groveling, literally with his peen still hanging out. The FMC goes on this overdone rant about how she trusted him, how she wasn’t going to breakdown then in front of him and the OW but later, and how he broke/killed/annihilated her worst than fine china. Thennnnn there is this random dude David that stops the FMC mid get-away run to let her know “hey, sorry instead of pulling you to the side, I’m the one that set you up to catch your bf mid stroke cause your a good person and then lets the MMC know that he set him up to get caught. Dude the OW is a horrible person and then goes into this speech about how good the FMC.
It was all to weird and unrealistic to me. I read some reviews and the majority felt the same way as I do and also go on to say that there is more foolishness and a whole lot of repetition. I hate repetition of actions or conversation in a book unless it’s apart of the plot or something.
With that being said. I’m DNF’ing this one and returning book two.
December 15, 2025
💔 Heartbreak
❤️🩹 Second chance
⭐️ 3,8 star for me
Oh what a ride this book was. It’s such a heartbreaking story that shows the long road to healing and forgiveness.
At the first half of the book I didn’t really connect with anyone, except Charlie’s best friend Amelia she was ride or d!e. And I can understand why some might DNF this book. When I hit that feeling of wanting to DNF I try to push through and usually it pays off. 🌟
I felt that the thoughts and scenery felt a bit immature and too much inner dialogue for my liking. However, at the end of the book I felt that the inner dialogue and their young age validated the whole story. They were young when it happens, they were in the beginning of their twenties and thinking back on my own early twenties.. well it made more sense that the characters were a bit immature and not really made so much sense.
I found the book to be very enjoyable and at the end I felt like they really worked on their relationship. The HEA was believable and I really liked Keaton and all the work he put in, not only for Charlie but for himself. ❤️🩹
❤️🩹 Second chance
⭐️ 3,8 star for me
Oh what a ride this book was. It’s such a heartbreaking story that shows the long road to healing and forgiveness.
At the first half of the book I didn’t really connect with anyone, except Charlie’s best friend Amelia she was ride or d!e. And I can understand why some might DNF this book. When I hit that feeling of wanting to DNF I try to push through and usually it pays off. 🌟
I felt that the thoughts and scenery felt a bit immature and too much inner dialogue for my liking. However, at the end of the book I felt that the inner dialogue and their young age validated the whole story. They were young when it happens, they were in the beginning of their twenties and thinking back on my own early twenties.. well it made more sense that the characters were a bit immature and not really made so much sense.
I found the book to be very enjoyable and at the end I felt like they really worked on their relationship. The HEA was believable and I really liked Keaton and all the work he put in, not only for Charlie but for himself. ❤️🩹
January 16, 2026
NOT a review of author, only the book
This IS an INCREDIBLY talented author but this is NOT a good story. She asked us to trust the process, but all it did is encourage forgiveness where there should be none. Women have fought for centuries to be free of imbalances in power whether professionally or romantically and every time we read a story like this, it reminds us that maybe we haven’t made any progress at all.
Keaton DID NOT deserve Charlie. At all. Period. End of. Then, you read book two and you know that she still suffers every day and the author is just lying and telling you how hard it is to believe he betrayed her. Uhhh, nope it’s not because she clearly was weak so he loves that she let him get away with it. You know what would diminish her pain? Moving on with a BETTER man.
Bad story BUT a good author. Don’t write her off from this story. Hopefully this one will be her only one like this
This IS an INCREDIBLY talented author but this is NOT a good story. She asked us to trust the process, but all it did is encourage forgiveness where there should be none. Women have fought for centuries to be free of imbalances in power whether professionally or romantically and every time we read a story like this, it reminds us that maybe we haven’t made any progress at all.
Keaton DID NOT deserve Charlie. At all. Period. End of. Then, you read book two and you know that she still suffers every day and the author is just lying and telling you how hard it is to believe he betrayed her. Uhhh, nope it’s not because she clearly was weak so he loves that she let him get away with it. You know what would diminish her pain? Moving on with a BETTER man.
Bad story BUT a good author. Don’t write her off from this story. Hopefully this one will be her only one like this
December 15, 2025
I appreciate a cheating story, but this was just unbearably juvenile.
The depiction of college was kind of bizarre - it felt more like an 80s High School movie than a university.
She forces him to call both of their parents on speaker phone to tell them what happened?
"85% of the campus loves h" - at what kind of campus does 85% of the student body know someone let alone have an opinion about them.
The OW was way OTT.
h calls H post revenge sex with another person to tell him about it? Because "he is still her person" WHAT?
H & h had been together since they were 14 so like honestly maybe they should see other people. They don't seem that healthy together anway.
All that said, I will try the next one because I love the 'female best friend' issue.
March 30, 2026
Buffff… por donde empiezo!
Bueno, no he podido pasar de la alguna 170, me ha sido imposible! Hasta esa página todo el libro ha sido sobre el pasado, ósea, no se en que momento pasan al presente pero se la ha hecho súper súper pesado…
He ido a los comentarios tanto de Kindle (aunque de estos me fío poco) y solo tenía un comentario bueno, vengo aquí, y prácticamente son todos malos!
Charlie es agotadora y realmente el único que busca terapia afectiva es Keaton, quiero decir, en los capítulos suyos habla de cómo arreglarse a él mismo, que si, que él la cago y no se merece otra oportunidad, pero aún se esfuerza. Charlie es una SANTA a los ojos de todos, tan tan perfecta y genial, que nadie la cuestiona nunca!
No se, no he podido acabarlo!
Bueno, no he podido pasar de la alguna 170, me ha sido imposible! Hasta esa página todo el libro ha sido sobre el pasado, ósea, no se en que momento pasan al presente pero se la ha hecho súper súper pesado…
He ido a los comentarios tanto de Kindle (aunque de estos me fío poco) y solo tenía un comentario bueno, vengo aquí, y prácticamente son todos malos!
Charlie es agotadora y realmente el único que busca terapia afectiva es Keaton, quiero decir, en los capítulos suyos habla de cómo arreglarse a él mismo, que si, que él la cago y no se merece otra oportunidad, pero aún se esfuerza. Charlie es una SANTA a los ojos de todos, tan tan perfecta y genial, que nadie la cuestiona nunca!
No se, no he podido acabarlo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2025
Brilliant book that pulls on your heart and brings out the tears!!
Cheating = h comes to party to find H mid-thrust with OW
h sees H with OW = see above
OW drama = OW is "just a friend"of H's that h has had issues with, but gets gas-lit by H. OW instantly inserts herself with the H, makes comments and such to the h that H downplays/ignores/etc. OW was so very kind to gift the H with a STD (what a peach).
Grovel = the h cut the H out of her life. H hit rock bottom and had to watch the h move on. H had to do some very deep introspection and therapy to change his behavior and to recognize why he did what he did. Long term direct and indirect grovel which was well written.
Cheating = h comes to party to find H mid-thrust with OW
h sees H with OW = see above
OW drama = OW is "just a friend"of H's that h has had issues with, but gets gas-lit by H. OW instantly inserts herself with the H, makes comments and such to the h that H downplays/ignores/etc. OW was so very kind to gift the H with a STD (what a peach).
Grovel = the h cut the H out of her life. H hit rock bottom and had to watch the h move on. H had to do some very deep introspection and therapy to change his behavior and to recognize why he did what he did. Long term direct and indirect grovel which was well written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2026
NA Romance w/ Cheating
I found this a bit hard to follow. There are a lot of characters and friend groups, so it made the dialogue and some of the character movements hard to follow. I wasn’t sure who was whose friend and/or enemy tbh.
However, the author does a decent job of showing the MMC’s growth through therapy after his betrayal. Unfortunately, these were also some of the drier moments in the book.
There was never even question of rather they would get back together, so ultimately this story is about them finding their way back after the MMC’s betrayal.
Overall, not a bad NA read for a lazy day.
2.5 stars no rounding
I found this a bit hard to follow. There are a lot of characters and friend groups, so it made the dialogue and some of the character movements hard to follow. I wasn’t sure who was whose friend and/or enemy tbh.
However, the author does a decent job of showing the MMC’s growth through therapy after his betrayal. Unfortunately, these were also some of the drier moments in the book.
There was never even question of rather they would get back together, so ultimately this story is about them finding their way back after the MMC’s betrayal.
Overall, not a bad NA read for a lazy day.
2.5 stars no rounding
February 11, 2026
Ok
I really felt sorry for Keaton. He was tormented over and over when seduced by a crazy person. One thing I noticed is he had no guy friends. So he was off on his own or tagging along with her and her girlfriend. Also it sounds like they fell in a rut in their relationship. Taking each other for granted. I didn't care for what went down but why wasn't she with him instead of her girlfriend? Where does she take responsibility for the relationship as well. I also had my ex husband have adultery committed. I forgave the first one. I think circumstances make your decision sometimes. I just felt this situation was over done and not realistic.
I really felt sorry for Keaton. He was tormented over and over when seduced by a crazy person. One thing I noticed is he had no guy friends. So he was off on his own or tagging along with her and her girlfriend. Also it sounds like they fell in a rut in their relationship. Taking each other for granted. I didn't care for what went down but why wasn't she with him instead of her girlfriend? Where does she take responsibility for the relationship as well. I also had my ex husband have adultery committed. I forgave the first one. I think circumstances make your decision sometimes. I just felt this situation was over done and not realistic.
August 19, 2025
4.5⭐️
One of the best cheating/redemption storylines I’ve ever read. I’m picky with my cheating books and have read A LOT of them. It’s one of my favorite tropes. This one? Ugh was so beautiful. Beautifully written.
Perfect caught in the act scene. Great reaction from both MMC and FMC. And all their friends. Great grovel and redemption.
Only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I felt the grovel/redemption was just a tiny bit too long. But that’s just my opinion!
One of the best cheating/redemption storylines I’ve ever read. I’m picky with my cheating books and have read A LOT of them. It’s one of my favorite tropes. This one? Ugh was so beautiful. Beautifully written.
Perfect caught in the act scene. Great reaction from both MMC and FMC. And all their friends. Great grovel and redemption.
Only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I felt the grovel/redemption was just a tiny bit too long. But that’s just my opinion!
December 12, 2025
This is a story of heartbreak and redemption. When she walks in on her forever with the girl that he swore was just a friend both hearts break and the world is turned upside down. Can he find his way back through the clouds in his mind and the girl throwing salt in the wound at every turn? Can she heal herself enough to hear and see his growth and love? The past has to meet the present in order to get to the future and this story lays it all out in the best ways possible
December 15, 2025
Way too long
The book started with promise, however it is then a really long and drawn out story. It just goes on and on and truthfully you start to wonder is it ever going to end. I skim read the last few chapters. Realistically the book could have been finished a whole lot sooner.
It really isn’t as dramatic as described sadly I found it quite boring.
So sorry I dislike leaving negative reviews but in all good conscience I have it 3 stars.
The book started with promise, however it is then a really long and drawn out story. It just goes on and on and truthfully you start to wonder is it ever going to end. I skim read the last few chapters. Realistically the book could have been finished a whole lot sooner.
It really isn’t as dramatic as described sadly I found it quite boring.
So sorry I dislike leaving negative reviews but in all good conscience I have it 3 stars.
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