When You Were Mine

The Moreno Brothers #1.6

by Elizabeth Reyes

When You Were Mine is a prequel NOVELLA of Always Been Mine. Approximately 49k words long. Giving you a more in depth look into the beginning of Alex and Valerie's tumultuous relationship before their full length novel. Also enjoy a very early excerpt of Felix (5th Street #5) coming November 13th 2014.

When her head was screaming “enough,” her hopeful heart continued to whisper “wait.”

It's the only way Valerie Zuniga can justify her ongoing addiction to the amazing but ever, elusive Alex Moreno. Mesmerized by the profound connection neither has ever quite understood, Valerie accepts their crazy relationship for what it is—non-exclusive.

That is until the incredible highs no longer numb the sting of the intense lows.

As tasteless and slippery as pride can be, for Alex it's always been the hardest pill to swallow.

Faced with a final ultimatum, the choice is a no-brainer for Alex. Despite his insanely busy life he's determined to prove to Valerie, that not only is he ready to commit, it's what he's always wanted—to claim Valerie as his exclusively.

But just as it kept him from admitting his real feelings all those years, will his obstinate pride once again step in and ruin things just when they're finally getting it right?

New Adult

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult, Novella, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2014

About the author

Elizabeth Reyes is a USA Today Best Selling Author of The Moreno Brothers, 5th Street, Fate, Looking Glass, De Luca Boys series' and two stand alone novels Desert Heat, & Defining Love.

Join the fun and become a royal member of TeamReyes and enjoy the perks of early announcements,cover reveals teasers, including exclusive teasers shared only the group. Along with exclusive team,giveaways,discussions, trivia, Secret Santa and much much more!

Note to readers, I don't do dark, tragic or kill off main characters no matter what it might seem like. Just keep reading and trust me you'll ALWAYS get an HEA from me!

Moreno Brothers:

Forever Mine - New Adult / Mature YA

Sweet Sofie - New Adult/ Mature YA

Forever Yours - New Adult (Angel and Sarah's follow up (college story!)

When You Were Mine - (A prequel novella to Always Been Mine)- New Adult

Always Been Mine - Adult contemporary

Romero - New Adult- Adult contemporary

Making You Mine - New Adult
(with bonus Angel and Sarah short "Only 8 days") *Tearjerker

Tangled - (A Moreno Brothers holiday novella) Featuring Romero and Izzy

Tall, Dark & Obnoxious - Adult Romantic Comedy- short featuring Izzy's uptight sister and Romero's obnoxious uncle.


5th Street:

Noah - Adult Contemporary

Gio - New Adult

Hector - New Adult

Abel - Adult Contemporary *Tear Jerker

Felix - New Adult *Tear jerker

Blindside - Adult contemporary short featuring Noah and Roni

Fate series:

Fate - New Adult

Breaking Brandon - New Adult *Tear jerker

Suspicious Minds - Adult contemporary

Again - New Adult/Adult Contemporary *MAJOR tear jerker

Rage - Adult contemporary

His To Guard - Adult contemporary

Uninvited - Adult contemporary

Boyle Heights series

Lila - Adult Contemporary

Beast - Adult Contemporary

Nine - Adult Contemporary/RomCom

Orlando - Adult Contemporary

Looking Glass

Girl In The Mirror - Adult Contemporary/psychological thriller

We Were One - Adult Contemporary *MAJOR tear jerker but TRUST ME! ;)

De Luca Boys

Remi's Choice - Adult Contemporary - Love triangle MAJOR angst - cheating but hailed one of the BEST love triangles written.




For more up to date info visit her website at www.ElizabethReyes.com

Reviews

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Download this book and finished it in one sitting. I went to bed at 4:30am glad I'd already read Always been mine. Alex & Val what can I say.... I love them! This book is everything I never knew I needed. If you haven't read any books in the series stop reading this right now! Go out and start at the beginning with Forever mine. Because to fully understand the story you need the background. Not only is forever mine a beautiful story but it will introduce these wonderful characters Alex and Val. So stop reading cause I won't be held responsible for what I give away. If you've only read Forever Mine heres what I have to say. Alex & Val are explosive as you can imagine. Both hot headed and headstrong individuals. They continue their dysfunctional relationship in college. But honestly with Alex's ego and Val's spunk you can only dream of how it might end up. I love getting into their heads and understanding how their arrangement came to be. Beautiful mess is the best description I can come up with. Now stop reading this review I'm done with you. If you have already read Always Been Mine you have to read this book. It explains everything. It puts you in Alex's head and describes why he's acting the way he does as well as everything else tugging at him in a million directions. Although I loved Alex I still never got why he didn't just tell Val what was going on. Hearing it now makes more sense although I believe he was still being a stupid man, it makes it more understandable. Val is strong but here we get to see her vulnerability, and how innocent she really was. There's a scene when Val literally has to fling herself at Alex to stop him from ragging out. Hilarious. This book is funny as well as heart breaking. Even with knowing how it all works out it still had my chest hurting and tears trying to force their way out. As always Elizabeth Reyes knocked another one out of the park. Just mad that I didn't savor it a little longer instead I devoured this book like Val does with every meal. :) read this book it will not let you down as if you had any doubts.

[Mikki D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eeeeep!!! Holy cliffhanger Mamma! Thank God I already knew how their story was going to end or else I would have no nails left!! If I could describe Alex and Valerie's relationship in one world it would be ... INTENSE!!!!! These two had my heart beating fast from beginning to end! I would suggest reading this series in order so you get to know all these amazing characters. Book hangovers guaranteed!

When You Were Mine is a prequel to Always Been Mine. We learn more about Alex and Valerie's relationship, which is like 4th of July fireworks! Sweet Baby Jesus! The chemistry between these two is addictive. One minute you are fanning yourself, and the next minute you just want to scream at them! These two can sure be stubborn at times! They are so much alike! No wonder that they struggled with their feelings for each other. They had many obstacles to overcome to make their relationship work. They had to live and learn from their mistakes, but there is no question that the love that they share is powerful. This was a great addition to this series, and it made me understand many things about Alex and Valerie's torrid relationship. I Loved it!!!!!!

I discovered Elizabeth Reyes thanks to her Moreno Brothers Series. Her covers are GORGEOUS!!!! That's what caught my attention in the first place when I saw the first installment, which is Forever Mine. After reading it, I knew that I had found something special. And, like they say ... the rest is history! She is one of my top favorite authors and I don't even need to read the blurb of her books anymore ...
She writes it ---> I read it!!!!

Her writing style is PERFECTION, her characters are ADDICTIVE, and her stories are UNFORGETTABLE! Every new reading journey is a roller coaster of emotions. I often say that it's not enough to just read a book. You need to FEEL it! I cry and laugh with her characters. I wish I could jump into the story at any time and give them a hug to comfort them, a hi-five to celebrate with them or to be able to twist some ears when these alpha males won't listen to what their girls are saying! Right, Alex?! LOL!!! My heart beats for all these characters that Elizabeth Reyes has created and I love them all to pieces! I was happy dancing when we got a little peekaboo scene with a 5th street member. Don't you dare blink!!! You are going to miss it!

If you are looking for a reading escape packed with emotions, I highly recommend any series from Elizabeth Reyes!

I give, When You Were Mine, by Elizabeth Reyes 4.5 page-turning, passionate, exciting stars!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This review contains spoilers if you've never read Always Been Mine**

What a great read!! I was skeptical because I kept thinking what else could we possibly learn? We know Alex and Val had a non-exclusive, volatile relationship. We knew Val fell hard and wanted more and we assumed Alex only just realized what he had after Val was finally done for the last time. We also know everything worked out and the couple got their HEA.

When You Were Mine takes place a few months before Alex messed up for the last time. What we don't know is that he was ready to give Val more. He wanted to tell and show everyone she was his. But it wasn't easy. They were both still mistrustful. Alex messed up big time and I don't blame Val for her decision. But I still felt bad for him. He had so much on his plate and so many let downs. I even shed a tear at the end.

I just love this series! Reyes is still going strong. I loved the flashbacks. I also loved the Felix teaser at the end of the book and the few scenes in the book. You have to pay attention or you'll miss it. ;) I can't wait for his story plus Romero's novella at the end of the year. Well done!

[Ivette · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOOOOVED it! Of course reading anything from Elizabeth Reyes always gets me super excited. Alex and Valerie story's is no different. It's a definite MUST read to get the inside of the story. Their roller coaster of relationship and emotions in this book is more detailed than their 1st book. The struggles of jealousy, stubbornness, GREAT sex and of course LOVE is what keeps them in a fantastic relationship. It's great book to a wonderful ending. MUST read Always Been Mine after this book.

[Flavs is Mrs David Gandy♥~♥’ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always Always read an Elizabeth Reyes book when it's the Moreno's never disappointed...

[Marianchu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solo puedo decir: ¡Oh, My God!
When you were mine es la precuela de Always been mine y nos introduce de lleno en la historia de Alex y Valerie. Ese final es... ¡Oh, My God!
¡Esto promete!
Mi puntuación un 9,5

[Lindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lindy's Thoughts:

Ms. Reyes brings the "Sexy Factor" to her stories every time!!! Wow, I wonder if there could possibly be any man out there that is sexier than Alex Moreno?!!! As you know, if you follow my blog, I am a HUGE Elizabeth Reyes fan! Why am I such a huge fan?!!! Well, for one, her books are sinfully addictive, give me butterflies in the pit of my stomach every time, are authentic, real, and relatable, and make me an emotional ball of nerves! The Moreno's are my number one favorite fictional family of all time!

Every time I get to open up another book by Ms. Reyes', I can't help but smile from ear to ear, because I feel like I am unwrapping a very precious and valuable gift! When I read Alex and Val's first story, Always Been Mine, I fell in love with this passionate, and crazy-in-love couple, who had such a torrid on again and off again relationship with one another. When I heard about their novella, I was excited to revisit these two amazing characters. Let's face it; Alex and Val together are steaming hot! They bring the passion, the fire, and sparks whenever they are in the same room together. Now whether they can't keep their hands off of each other or are fighting like cats and dogs, can differ from day to day. However, one thing remains the same, and that is their deep love and need for one another.

In When You Were Mine, we get to learn about Alex and Val's relationship during their college years. Unfortunately, it was filled with massive miscommunication, insecurity, and bad decision making on both of their parts. It was painful seeing these two fight so much, when as the reader, we got to see how deep their love for one another was, and how the mistakes that they were making repeatedly, could have easily been remedied. I was frustrated with Val and Alex, and wanted to jump in the story, and shake the both of them! The ending was a cliffhanger, yet if you've already read, Always Been Mine, then you know how their story ends.

My Rating:

I highly recommend, When You Were Mine, by Elizabeth Reyes!!! I give it 4.5 Fiery, Passion So Hot It Could Burn Your House Down, Hottie Alpha Moreno Filled Stars! If you are a romance addict, I am pleading, no begging you, to pick up a book by Elizabeth Reyes! You will be guaranteed a wild ride like no other; with unforgettable characters, and a breathtaking and passionate all consuming love story!


*To Read More Book Reviews, Visit A Bookish Escape at http://www.abookishescape.com

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something about Elizabeth Reyes' writing, her characters and her ability to draw you in to the story. I absolutely love it. Even knowing Alex and Valerie's story and how it ends, I was on pins and needles wondering what was going to happen in When You Were Mine. We finally get to see what was going on between them, during all that time. And let me tell you, it was craziness. I knew they had a rocky relationship, but I was not prepared for the rollercoaster of emotions that I went through. I wanted to give them a good shake and then a hard kick in the ass. Don't expect a HEA at the end of this book, you will need to read on to get that. But, this prequel gives us so much of what we missed before. Which is a deeply, emotional look into what Valerie and Alex went through. What they lived and learned, due to their mistakes and heartbreak. It was brilliantly written, as usual, by Elizabeth Reyes. I was hooked from the first line, and I couldn't put it down until the last word.

[Marie Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew those Moreno brothers are just FABULOUS! I love Alex and Val their fire is the perfect mix for a great couple. I Love Elizabeth Reyes and how she makes you feel like you're in the stories and apart of the family. After finishing this Novella, I had to go back and read their story again just because, they are that addicting!

[Wonderland Book Sleeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this little insight into Val and Alex's college years! It drove me nuts the constant back and fourth between these two, but knowing how it ends makes it better!

[Debbie "Buried in Her TBR Pile" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I should have read book 2 before this one (1.6)? Hopefully it is just background - I hope book 2 has more depth - this seemed like telling not showing. 2 stars.

[Coco.V]

🎁 The complete Moreno Brothers Series (7 book series) is FREE on Amazon today (3/25/2020)! 🎁

[FMR Book Grind · Rating 4 out of 5]

LEEANN'S REVIEW -

This is an enjoyable story about Alex and Valerie. Although they are young they have been in what you would call a long term no strings attached relationship.. or so they thought!! They are finding that they are in fact quite attached to each other!!!




Alex is your typical young man who is always up for a good time, we'll this is the image he puts across anyway. He quite literally has the weight of the world on his shoulders and is in fact spending the majority of his time fulfilling all of his obligations and responsibilities which doesn't leave a lot of time for him to go out and party or to spend with Valerie.




Valerie is your typical young woman finding her way in the world and struggling to come to terms with the fact she has fallen in love with her no strings attached Alex. She struggles finding a balance between Alex's reputation and his reality.You can forgive her for her moments of madness because she seriously does not realize just how much Alex has going on.... because he doesn't tell her!!




This is one of those books where you want to jump into the book and shake the characters to make them see sense. Everyone's hearts are in the right place but they just can't get it right!!




This book is a novella with a cliff hanger but don't worry the next book is already available!!

If you want to read a good book and go back in time and remember what is was like when things were simple, you had no one to worry about besides yourself, no kids, no mortgage and you were able to just do what you want when you wanted, then this is a great book to get stuck into.




It is refreshing to read about 2 young adults that aren't completely selfish, they truly do love each other, they are not nasty people, they really are just victims of their own miscommunication! !

I really enjoyed this one and may need to go and get 'Always Been Mine' to see how their story ends! !!!

[Gayatri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short teaser to what would be Alex and Valerie's epic love story in Always Been Mine. If you have read Always Been Mine, it gives you a look into Alex's escapades and more into his side of the story during the time missing between the last book and the next book. Alex was dealing with a lot during this book but, I think his pride came in the way and it was annoying because we all know Valerie wouldn't care if he was failing. I think it was a lot of bad timing as well.
Valerie was dealing with a lot of stuff as well but, things were working for her and she was becoming successful. The only problem was her feelings for Alex were holding her back. Her fear that Alex wouldn't change took precedence in her mind. Which made her not to listen to reason.
I think they needed this experience to grow on their own and find themselves without the other and make themselves stronger. Therefore making it easier for them to develop their relationship farther.

[LisaLo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg..once again I couldn't get enough! i
It was really awesome to see how Alex and Val's relationship was in college. My heart broke for Val but it was so touching that Alex hurt too. Thank God I read Always been Mine cause I would have went crazy not knowing what happens to them. Always been Mine was actually the first book I read then realized oops wrong order but no worries I started from the beginning and read every book Elizabeth Reyes has written. It feels good to be able to find an author who writes with so much love, anticipation, heartache, headache :), friendship, family and passion. Thank you Elizabeth for your books it gives me a chance to daydream about all my book boyfriends lol. Then I'm back to reality and have to cook dinner for my hubby ;) You are truly an Awesome Author ♡♡♡

[Mrs Darcy reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This hurt my heart in very happy way. Although I loved revisiting Alex and Valerie and seeing what their relationship was like in collage .... I cringed because I knew what was waiting at the end.
As always their relationship was intense and crazy but filled with the love neither wanted to fully admit. To see the downfall was heartbreaking but I was fully content knowing what lay for them in the future! I just kept on reading to get to their HEA! Great read for a die hard Moreno fan like me!!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Reyes does it again! If you love the Moreno Bothers series then add this to your list. This is a prequel to Always Been Mine Alexa and Valerie story. We all know that Alex Moreno has always loved Valerie. With this book you get a better understanding of how deep Alex's
love is for Valerie. I read this book in about 3 hours could not put it down!! Another great read by Elizabeth Reyes!

[Shelley Chastagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection as always with Elizabeth's books. I loved having the gap filled in between Alex and Valerie's beginning and their featured book. I always thought there had to be more to Alex than just his "play boy" reputation. Getting an inside look at what was really going on just made their story Always Been Mine even better.
Highly recommended author and series
Adult read

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg crazy excited!!! Alex is my favorite character and I absolutely love the way Valerie and him are with one another! I'm so happy and I can't wait to read this!! Elizabeth Reyes you are the best!! I cannot stop bragging about your books! Love them all!!! One word... AMAZING!!!❤️

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing prequel to Always Been Mine! It was so good to read where Val and Alex started from. The novella was short and sweet. I read it in one sitting. Now I want to go back and re-read Always Been Mine! I can't wait for the next Moreno Brothers novella and Fate novel.

[Copper78 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved it! Loved the angst, the highs, the lows, the jealousy, the insecurity, the realistic portrayal of 2 young people who felt emotions stronger than they could handle for one another. Well done Mrs. Reyes! The prequel is better than the original story!

[Melinda Kammerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book for Elizabeth Reyes. So glad to get a little more details into the complicated relationship of Valerie and Alex. Love Alex and Valerie's story even more now.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely gonna have to read Always Been Mine again after that!! It was awesome anyway!

[Rose Frawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author more and more.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Alex and Vals prequel. Makes me want to re read their story all over again. Can never get enough of the Moreno brothers.

[Luce Tobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutly loved this book! I love Alex and I loved reading more of his story....ok and Val too lol. Elizabeth Reyes is an amazing writer!

[Margarita · Rating 5 out of 5]

*wails in pain*
Why? Oh Why do Elizabeth Reyes books have to end?!?!?
I had so much fun with Alex & Val! But you know me Elizabeth...I NEED MORE!!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh Alex I could scoop you up with a biscuit

[Ricci · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great glimpse into the college days of Alex & Valerie. Loved their sexual tension and bickering that they go through. Makes me want to read their story again!

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much, I immediately re-read Always Been Mine. Love Alex and Valerie...