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Southern Boys #1
Forgiving Reed
Kori suffered a great loss, one that left her feeling so desolate and alone, that she believed nothing would ever fill the void...
The only thing that kept her going was the one little piece of joy she still had in her life, her baby boy, Rhett.
She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home. Except there was one problem.
Home was where Reed would be...
The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces.
Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.
But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?
The only thing that kept her going was the one little piece of joy she still had in her life, her baby boy, Rhett.
She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home. Except there was one problem.
Home was where Reed would be...
The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces.
Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.
But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?
221 pages, Unknown Binding
First published October 13, 2014
534 people are currently reading
2271 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Harms
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❤ One Sizzling Romance at a Time ❤
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCAHarms/
WEBSITE: https://www.authorcaharms.com/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Charms0814
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/authorcaharms/
NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/1xsgHCS
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/C.A.-Harms/e/B0...
❤ One Sizzling Romance at a Time ❤
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 514 reviews
November 16, 2014
2.5 stars
Yes, I will admit it, I am cover whore. I read Forgiving Reed mostly because of the sexy cover model.
Yes, I will admit it, I am cover whore. I read Forgiving Reed mostly because of the sexy cover model.
October 30, 2020
Small town southern heroine finds her high school boyfriend in a very compromising position and leaves for college and the big city of Boston. In just a few short paragraphs the author creates a charming, loving and supportive boyfriend that steps up to the plate when the heroine gets pregnant. His reward is death and a heroine that moves on within six months of his death back to the boy that cheated on her. You couldn’t have waited a year? Ah well, I guess the cover explains it all.
I just didn’t buy the ex-now-current hero’s epiphany especially since the heroine catches him shirtless at his bar surrounded by college age chickadees.
However, karma is a witch because she still holds her baby daddy in the top spot until the bitter end.
And now I have Don’t Stop Believin’ stuck in my head.
Glee version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JseWh...
'81 Journey version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQIP...
I just didn’t buy the ex-now-current hero’s epiphany especially since the heroine catches him shirtless at his bar surrounded by college age chickadees.
However, karma is a witch because she still holds her baby daddy in the top spot until the bitter end.
And now I have Don’t Stop Believin’ stuck in my head.
Glee version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JseWh...
'81 Journey version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQIP...
October 26, 2014
3.5 easy stars!
I liked this one and enjoyed it for the most part. My only complaint is that it's too overly sweet sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love sweet. Sweet is a wonderful thing to have in romance but even I have to admit that the sweetness in this book exceeded normal levels.
The word love was used 211 times. Every time a character says or thinks something, it's always punctuated by a declaration or realization that they love someone, they are loved or how much they loved love. It was too much. But other than that, this was a cute story of redemption and second chances.
I liked this one and enjoyed it for the most part. My only complaint is that it's too overly sweet sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love sweet. Sweet is a wonderful thing to have in romance but even I have to admit that the sweetness in this book exceeded normal levels.
The word love was used 211 times. Every time a character says or thinks something, it's always punctuated by a declaration or realization that they love someone, they are loved or how much they loved love. It was too much. But other than that, this was a cute story of redemption and second chances.
August 17, 2021
Cheater gets a 2nd chance book, although majority of the book is about her grief of losing her baby daddy boyfriend whom she met after the cheater.
I didn’t find this emotional, actually I was bored out of my mind! The Cheater(H) and the h had no chemistry as a couple, and the love scenes were a snooze fest. I think my grandparents have a better sex life.
-The cheating scene is off page, and is described in 1 sentence, he said he was a horny teenager who got drunk and made a mistake. She said he started hanging out with the boys more, and when she went to his house one day, she walked in on him with the ow bobbing her head near his groin. Not sure if it happened once or more. 😐 He is 1 year older than her, and she was a senior in high school, when he cheated.
-I felt like she forgave him and gave him another chance because he was good to her son.
- I LOVED that the h moved on from the cheater, met a nice guy, fell in love, had a normal sex life, and even made a baby with him!! If you’re looking for a cheating book, that wouldn’t piss you off, this ones ok, because the h is not a doormat.
- he tried to get over her, which means he slept around after.
- I did feel that he was sorry that he cheated, and he regretted losing her because of it. However, he was still flirting with other girls at the bar he owned, and he didn’t seem to realize that it was wrong when the h confronted him when they were back together. Why did she have to even tell him that? Why didn’t he already know its not ok to take his shirt off, and allow 4 girls to touch him…
Do I think he would cheat again? I don’t really care, but he owns a bar, has a history of cheating, MCs were having boring sex as a couple, and he doesn’t think letting girls touch his naked abs wrong until the h complained. Ultimately, the book lacked character development. He didn’t come across like a real person to me.
DNF 70%
Free on Amazon unlimited.
I didn’t find this emotional, actually I was bored out of my mind! The Cheater(H) and the h had no chemistry as a couple, and the love scenes were a snooze fest. I think my grandparents have a better sex life.
-The cheating scene is off page, and is described in 1 sentence, he said he was a horny teenager who got drunk and made a mistake. She said he started hanging out with the boys more, and when she went to his house one day, she walked in on him with the ow bobbing her head near his groin. Not sure if it happened once or more. 😐 He is 1 year older than her, and she was a senior in high school, when he cheated.
-I felt like she forgave him and gave him another chance because he was good to her son.
- I LOVED that the h moved on from the cheater, met a nice guy, fell in love, had a normal sex life, and even made a baby with him!! If you’re looking for a cheating book, that wouldn’t piss you off, this ones ok, because the h is not a doormat.
- he tried to get over her, which means he slept around after.
- I did feel that he was sorry that he cheated, and he regretted losing her because of it. However, he was still flirting with other girls at the bar he owned, and he didn’t seem to realize that it was wrong when the h confronted him when they were back together. Why did she have to even tell him that? Why didn’t he already know its not ok to take his shirt off, and allow 4 girls to touch him…
Do I think he would cheat again? I don’t really care, but he owns a bar, has a history of cheating, MCs were having boring sex as a couple, and he doesn’t think letting girls touch his naked abs wrong until the h complained. Ultimately, the book lacked character development. He didn’t come across like a real person to me.
DNF 70%
Free on Amazon unlimited.
April 8, 2022
Lawwwwwwwwwwwd why tf didn't I Dnf this book 🙈🤔 sigh. The drama with losing her boyfriend/baby daddy was good but damn.....she goes back to her small town where she grew up and meets her ex that she still thinks is hot. He cheated on her back in the day by getting a bl0wie from another girl and the author keeps making sure to tell.us repeatedly ad nauseam that he's changed and wants another chance.
She cries. Like a LOT.
At 70%, she's still not over her real baby daddy's death.
Hey reed!!!? Hows it feel to know that youll always be second best?
Ugh. Fudge on a cracker. This book was annoying. Another book where the kid is never around and the couple can eff all they want. And those smeexy scenes were snoozers too. He lined it up with her hole and tells her shes beautiful. Okur.
She cries. Like a LOT.
At 70%, she's still not over her real baby daddy's death.
Hey reed!!!? Hows it feel to know that youll always be second best?
Ugh. Fudge on a cracker. This book was annoying. Another book where the kid is never around and the couple can eff all they want. And those smeexy scenes were snoozers too. He lined it up with her hole and tells her shes beautiful. Okur.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2014
I wanted to love this one, I thought I would. this just wasn't for me. Kori grated on my nerves and I felt no connection with the characters or the story. I was annoyed with Kori's constant crying and how everything was so darn perfect! I felt like I kept reading the same thing over and over again..... how much she loved Reed and what a good man he was. like i said this one just wasn't for me.
September 4, 2023
I am so glad I picked this one up!
One of my all time favorite second chance romance books.. Just loved and devoured it.
Kori's first love, first boyfriend and best friend betrayed her in the worst possible way, she walked in on him getting some oral from the town whore.. she and her broken heart left the small town she grew up in, left her first love Reed, and went off to college.
After a year of mourning her relationship she meets the lovely Blake, it took her a while to warm up but once she did, it was beautiful..now she is pregnant with Blake's baby expecting their first child, a boy. On the way to one of her surprises from our lovely Blake they get into a car accident, one life is born, one taken.
Now she is back in her small town, mourning the love of her life, the father of her son Rhett.
However every where she goes she sees the ex that broke her heart, still gorgeous he too is dealing with a loss.. Reed has changed a lot in those past few years he is no longer the horny teenager, he wants keeps.. but how do you give someone another chance when your heart belongs to someone else?
One of my all time favorite second chance romance books.. Just loved and devoured it.
Kori's first love, first boyfriend and best friend betrayed her in the worst possible way, she walked in on him getting some oral from the town whore.. she and her broken heart left the small town she grew up in, left her first love Reed, and went off to college.
After a year of mourning her relationship she meets the lovely Blake, it took her a while to warm up but once she did, it was beautiful..now she is pregnant with Blake's baby expecting their first child, a boy. On the way to one of her surprises from our lovely Blake they get into a car accident, one life is born, one taken.
Now she is back in her small town, mourning the love of her life, the father of her son Rhett.
However every where she goes she sees the ex that broke her heart, still gorgeous he too is dealing with a loss.. Reed has changed a lot in those past few years he is no longer the horny teenager, he wants keeps.. but how do you give someone another chance when your heart belongs to someone else?
June 4, 2022
3 Stars
I was curious about this one for a while, and I finally read it. Did I love it? No, not even close, but I’m glad I don’t have to wonder about this book anymore. I’ll take that as a win.
What I didn’t like:
✖️It felt slow-moving. Repetitive. Same conversations over and over again. Couldn’t help thinking: blah, blah, blah.
✖️ I didn’t think much of Kori—the heroine. She came off flat and boring. And annoying sometimes, to be honest. It didn’t help that her dialogue and inner thoughts were repetitive.
✖️ As a reader, we never get to know anything about Kori and Reed’s past relationship, except for the cheating incident. This is probably why I felt there was a disconnect between them. I couldn’t see why he loved her so much. But I could certainly see why she loved him.
What I liked:
✔️ I enjoy second chance romance. I was 100% convinced Reed deserved forgiveness.
✔️ Reed 🥰 He was absolutely perfect. He made one mistake when he was young, but he learned from it and grew into a wonderfully caring human being.
✔️ Reed 😂 All six foot three, two hundred and fifty pounds of cowboy 🤠
✔️ The emotional aspect of the story. It did pull at my heartstrings…a bit.
✔️ The single mom trope. Reed and Kori’s baby boy were adorable together.
✔️ Kori wasn’t a doormat.
✔️ Good groveling from Reed.
✔️ Sweet HEA
I was curious about this one for a while, and I finally read it. Did I love it? No, not even close, but I’m glad I don’t have to wonder about this book anymore. I’ll take that as a win.
What I didn’t like:
✖️It felt slow-moving. Repetitive. Same conversations over and over again. Couldn’t help thinking: blah, blah, blah.
✖️ I didn’t think much of Kori—the heroine. She came off flat and boring. And annoying sometimes, to be honest. It didn’t help that her dialogue and inner thoughts were repetitive.
✖️ As a reader, we never get to know anything about Kori and Reed’s past relationship, except for the cheating incident. This is probably why I felt there was a disconnect between them. I couldn’t see why he loved her so much. But I could certainly see why she loved him.
What I liked:
✔️ I enjoy second chance romance. I was 100% convinced Reed deserved forgiveness.
✔️ Reed 🥰 He was absolutely perfect. He made one mistake when he was young, but he learned from it and grew into a wonderfully caring human being.
✔️ Reed 😂 All six foot three, two hundred and fifty pounds of cowboy 🤠
✔️ The emotional aspect of the story. It did pull at my heartstrings…a bit.
✔️ The single mom trope. Reed and Kori’s baby boy were adorable together.
✔️ Kori wasn’t a doormat.
✔️ Good groveling from Reed.
✔️ Sweet HEA
September 24, 2017
I dove right into this story and couldn't put it down until it was finished. This story's sad moments really pulled at the heart strings. I loved the forgiveness in this story. Reed becoming a real man and making up for his mistake in the past, as well as Blake's parents finally coming around and trying to be real grandparents.
October 24, 2014
I'm a bit torn between 3 and 4 stars...I guess I see it more as 3.5 and have averaged it up because at its core, it was a beautiful story, and it definitely grabbed my emotions...meaning, yes, I cried!
What was beautiful:
1) I found this on a cheating thread, but I usually find it very hard to forgive cheaters. A pretty speech the next day doesn't work for me. This was one of the few where I did forgive..it tends to be easier for me if it's a momentary temptation leading to a one-time mistake, rather than a premeditated plan accompanied by hero's sense of entitlement. It was especially made easy to forgive here by hero's youth...he was not a bad person or a jerk, heroine was not just his girlfriend but his best friend and he wasn't maliciously trying to hurt her--he was just someone who was weak, made a terrible, drunken mistake, paid for It dearly and regretted it ever since.
I did not like his first two comments to heroine before the apology, along the lines of "aren't you going to get over this already?" But then he does provide an abject apology. He also seriously grew up in the years since and while he tried to "forget" heroine (meaning he was with other women), he didn't become the town manwhore. He was one of the higher quality heroes around...he changed and grew, making him worthy of forgiveness. He proved himself to be a changed man and a trustworthy friend, and his devotion to the baby was a great clue that this was a steadfast guy. Believable HEA...very rarely do I believe this in a story about a cheater, but can say unequivocally that you end the story knowing this man will never betray her again.
2) finally, a heroine with loving parents and self-esteem who values herself as a person...this comes through in her expectations of her friend Maria in regard's to Maria's hookup (Kori is NOT in favor of her girl being used for sex). Kori moved on and found a new guy, not an asexual, milquetoast type, but a sexy, great guy who loved her. So few authors treat their heroines well in this way. There was suffering, but no masochism. Heroine is a genuinely forgiving person...note the way she forgave Blake's parents. Honestly, this is the specific thing that averages this story up.
3) incredible moving descriptions of her pain and healing. Death is usually a downer but the author found the beauty in healing and remembrance. The Lion King theme song kept playing in my head :). There were inspirational elements to this story (this has it's downsides as I mention below).
4) nice, clear voice, critical for a first person story,,,change to hero's POV actually felt to me like a change of voice. The writing was not complex or sophisticated, but was very accessible...it had an Abbi Glines feel to it.
What didn't work as well for me:
1) first person, past tense...makes it hard to forget you are reading a book...I was always conscious of it, so never fully absorbed in the story.
2) Although it was well-written and touching, it was not exciting...there was a bit of conflict but resolved quickly. It started to get repetitive...the same core themes got repeated many times in the heroine's thoughts. Because the story had so little conflict there were fewer action scenes with dialogue...this got a bit dull, but only a bit. The POV switch was critical to maintaining interest.
3) at it's core an inspirational story about loss and forgiveness...but the speechifying was overdone. Just didn't need to hear the same speech so many times. People don't really talk uninterrupted in such long-winded speeches...this contributed to my always staying outside the story, never forgetting what I was reading by becoming fully absorbed. Inspirational usually doesn't appeal to me if it gets preachy...the saving grace here was that it didn't feel overly preachy.
4) making the other woman a one-dimensional town whore, having hero speak so harshly and insultingly to her, was jarring and really not in keeping with the rest of the story. I felt like I was reading a biblical story where hero is tempted by Jezebel. I'm just tired of authors thinking cheating heroes are more forgivable because the OW is "bad". Hard to have a complex story when there are such caricatures.
Overall, a simple (with beauty in its simplicity) and worthwhile read.
What was beautiful:
1) I found this on a cheating thread, but I usually find it very hard to forgive cheaters. A pretty speech the next day doesn't work for me. This was one of the few where I did forgive..it tends to be easier for me if it's a momentary temptation leading to a one-time mistake, rather than a premeditated plan accompanied by hero's sense of entitlement. It was especially made easy to forgive here by hero's youth...he was not a bad person or a jerk, heroine was not just his girlfriend but his best friend and he wasn't maliciously trying to hurt her--he was just someone who was weak, made a terrible, drunken mistake, paid for It dearly and regretted it ever since.
I did not like his first two comments to heroine before the apology, along the lines of "aren't you going to get over this already?" But then he does provide an abject apology. He also seriously grew up in the years since and while he tried to "forget" heroine (meaning he was with other women), he didn't become the town manwhore. He was one of the higher quality heroes around...he changed and grew, making him worthy of forgiveness. He proved himself to be a changed man and a trustworthy friend, and his devotion to the baby was a great clue that this was a steadfast guy. Believable HEA...very rarely do I believe this in a story about a cheater, but can say unequivocally that you end the story knowing this man will never betray her again.
2) finally, a heroine with loving parents and self-esteem who values herself as a person...this comes through in her expectations of her friend Maria in regard's to Maria's hookup (Kori is NOT in favor of her girl being used for sex). Kori moved on and found a new guy, not an asexual, milquetoast type, but a sexy, great guy who loved her. So few authors treat their heroines well in this way. There was suffering, but no masochism. Heroine is a genuinely forgiving person...note the way she forgave Blake's parents. Honestly, this is the specific thing that averages this story up.
3) incredible moving descriptions of her pain and healing. Death is usually a downer but the author found the beauty in healing and remembrance. The Lion King theme song kept playing in my head :). There were inspirational elements to this story (this has it's downsides as I mention below).
4) nice, clear voice, critical for a first person story,,,change to hero's POV actually felt to me like a change of voice. The writing was not complex or sophisticated, but was very accessible...it had an Abbi Glines feel to it.
What didn't work as well for me:
1) first person, past tense...makes it hard to forget you are reading a book...I was always conscious of it, so never fully absorbed in the story.
2) Although it was well-written and touching, it was not exciting...there was a bit of conflict but resolved quickly. It started to get repetitive...the same core themes got repeated many times in the heroine's thoughts. Because the story had so little conflict there were fewer action scenes with dialogue...this got a bit dull, but only a bit. The POV switch was critical to maintaining interest.
3) at it's core an inspirational story about loss and forgiveness...but the speechifying was overdone. Just didn't need to hear the same speech so many times. People don't really talk uninterrupted in such long-winded speeches...this contributed to my always staying outside the story, never forgetting what I was reading by becoming fully absorbed. Inspirational usually doesn't appeal to me if it gets preachy...the saving grace here was that it didn't feel overly preachy.
4) making the other woman a one-dimensional town whore, having hero speak so harshly and insultingly to her, was jarring and really not in keeping with the rest of the story. I felt like I was reading a biblical story where hero is tempted by Jezebel. I'm just tired of authors thinking cheating heroes are more forgivable because the OW is "bad". Hard to have a complex story when there are such caricatures.
Overall, a simple (with beauty in its simplicity) and worthwhile read.
October 29, 2014
“I will never hurt you again.”
Let me start right off by saying that I absolutely LOVED this book! CA Harms is the type of author whose books get better and better. She evoked tons of emotions from me from the very beginning all the way through the very end. I was hooked and did not want to stop reading this wonderful book. Reed and Kori’s story was real, it was heartbreaking, and hands down a must read. It showed what it means to forgive, heal, and to learn to love again. This is a second chance novel in more ways than one. Not only did Reed and Kori get a second chance at being together, but it was also about getting a second chance at a happy life in general…about learning how to let go of all the pain in the past and move forward onto a bright future.
You see, Kori had gone through a type heartbreak that I don’t ever want to experience. She was in a happy relationship with a guy she thought she’d spend the rest of her life with, the father of their expected child. Everything was going great until tragedy struck. Kori lost the man she called the love of her life the same day she gave birth to their son, Rhett. Unable to handle such devastation, Kori went back home. Back to the one place that years prior had made her flee. The place where her ex-boyfriend, Reed, lived.
Kori had been madly in love with Reed once upon a time, but they were young and Reed was flat out stupid and immature. So he did what most scared guys do. He cheated on Kori which made her leave town and never look back. Until now.
“Maybe one day you can forgive me.”
Some people never really forget their first love and when it’s TRUE, deep, riveting love…. they simply never get over it. Despite Kori’s efforts, THAT was Reed for her. Yes, she was madly in love with Blake (Rhett’s dad) but life had a funny way of working out. To me, it seemed like Blake had come into Kori’s life to show her that she could love again despite being crushed in the past. He even left behind for her a wonderful gift that made her life complete in way. He gave her a son.
So now, back in town, seeing Reed sparked up all these different feelings for Kori. She was passionately angry all over again. But funny thing….hatred is not the opposite of love, it’s indifference, so the fact that he still affected her so much said A LOT. Kori tried avoiding Reed, but in a small town, there’s only so much she could do. And then…. The inevitable finally happened. They decided to give things a try.
“Baby, I have waited for a second chance with you. I won’t lie and say I didn’t try to get over you, but it was impossible. There’s only one Kori, one girl who stole my heart.”
Restarting their relationship wasn’t as easy as 1, 2, 3. They had their fair share of obstacles, but man! Reed sure made it worth it. I swooned…a lot. Seeing how much he loved Kori and Rhett made my heart melt. He was such an amazing father to Rhett. He loved him like his own but at the same time helped Kori keep the memory of Blake very much alive for Rhett.
All in all this was a fantastic and profound read. Kori and Reed’s journey was not easy. It was emotional, full of ups and down, but oh, so worth every minute. I am seriously in dire need of the next book, Finding Gavin. It’s Maria and Gavin’s story and so far, I just know it will be just as good as Forgiving Reed, if not better. FIVE STARS!
“You’re it for me, everything I want. This is real for me, Kori, everything. I want it more than my next breath. You make me happy, both of you.”
Amazon: http://bit.ly/ForgivingReed
May 31, 2017
DNF at 50%. It was shaping up to be a fairly good southern boy romance until they actually got together. For me it was just too much, over the top sweetness. I'm a Georgia girl through and through, but I've never met anyone that acted or talked like Reed. I get where the author was going with this but the execution completely took me out of the story.
October 15, 2024
Second chance story where the hero cheated on the heroine when they were in high school, he was drunk and he made out with the town bike, because he was afraid that the heroine would leave him when she went to college.
Sadly no details are given of how things actually went, beside the fact that she left, met another man in college and fell in love with him.
Sadly this man who was absolutely perfect, got her pregnant but before he could marry her, he died in a car accident.
The heroine went back to her hometown and met the hero again who worked hard to win her back.
The heroine in the beginning was absolutely bitchy, but to me it’s ok. I am so tired of doormat heroines who take a cheater back without even an apology.
She made him work hard.
The hero apparently never moved on, it’s hinted that he was with ow but never forgot the heroine and was always in love with her, regretting his kiss with ow.
Well, this is one of the few cases where the heroine really moved on from the cheater and imo she loved om more than she ever loved the hero, and I think the hero knew it deep down. The whole book the heroine mourns her late boyfriend, the father of her child, and we all know that had he lived, the hero would have never been even an afterthought.
I liked it. I liked that she loved om so much, and not just as a substitute of the hero.
I liked that she had a child with him and mourned him.
I liked that in the end she says she will always love him even if now he loves the hero.
Here the hero is really second best, and that was his retribution for cheating on her.
The book was ok, I would have liked more explanation of the aftermath of the event, we don’t know if the hero tried to win her back, if she even talked to him, what he said to her and if they had a fight. We dont know if he suffered, it’s only said he is a changed man, but he was only a kid when he and the heroine broke up, so I can’t even be that angry.
The book is all in the here and now, which is ok but it lacks the story of them, which was apparently wry significant.
There are other characters that will have their own story, I don’t know if I like the author style though. The sex scene are very tame, but it’s fine for me.
Sadly no details are given of how things actually went, beside the fact that she left, met another man in college and fell in love with him.
Sadly this man who was absolutely perfect, got her pregnant but before he could marry her, he died in a car accident.
The heroine went back to her hometown and met the hero again who worked hard to win her back.
The heroine in the beginning was absolutely bitchy, but to me it’s ok. I am so tired of doormat heroines who take a cheater back without even an apology.
She made him work hard.
The hero apparently never moved on, it’s hinted that he was with ow but never forgot the heroine and was always in love with her, regretting his kiss with ow.
Well, this is one of the few cases where the heroine really moved on from the cheater and imo she loved om more than she ever loved the hero, and I think the hero knew it deep down. The whole book the heroine mourns her late boyfriend, the father of her child, and we all know that had he lived, the hero would have never been even an afterthought.
I liked it. I liked that she loved om so much, and not just as a substitute of the hero.
I liked that she had a child with him and mourned him.
I liked that in the end she says she will always love him even if now he loves the hero.
Here the hero is really second best, and that was his retribution for cheating on her.
The book was ok, I would have liked more explanation of the aftermath of the event, we don’t know if the hero tried to win her back, if she even talked to him, what he said to her and if they had a fight. We dont know if he suffered, it’s only said he is a changed man, but he was only a kid when he and the heroine broke up, so I can’t even be that angry.
The book is all in the here and now, which is ok but it lacks the story of them, which was apparently wry significant.
There are other characters that will have their own story, I don’t know if I like the author style though. The sex scene are very tame, but it’s fine for me.
July 9, 2015
4.5 stars
This was a really sweet story that was a bit of a tear-jerker. Reed and Kori were high school sweethearts until Reed broke Kori's heart by cheating on her one drunken night. Kori left and went away to college, never looking back. A few years later, she met Blake and fell in love. Things happened fast between them and before she knew it, she was expecting a baby. Kori and Blake were happy until an awful tragedy that left Kori a single mother raising her baby alone. Kori moves home to be with her family but it's the town Reed still lives in and their bound to run into each other.
I wanted to read this book because it was a little out of my comfort zone - I usually avoid books where the hero has cheated on the heroine in the past but I am so glad I read this. Reed was a young and immature 17 year old when he made the biggest mistake of his life and he regretted it everyday. He was flawed but he also had a lot of redeeming qualities. I really liked this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
This was a really sweet story that was a bit of a tear-jerker. Reed and Kori were high school sweethearts until Reed broke Kori's heart by cheating on her one drunken night. Kori left and went away to college, never looking back. A few years later, she met Blake and fell in love. Things happened fast between them and before she knew it, she was expecting a baby. Kori and Blake were happy until an awful tragedy that left Kori a single mother raising her baby alone. Kori moves home to be with her family but it's the town Reed still lives in and their bound to run into each other.
I wanted to read this book because it was a little out of my comfort zone - I usually avoid books where the hero has cheated on the heroine in the past but I am so glad I read this. Reed was a young and immature 17 year old when he made the biggest mistake of his life and he regretted it everyday. He was flawed but he also had a lot of redeeming qualities. I really liked this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
December 13, 2017
3.5 stars. Lovely story
Want to read
November 26, 2023🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/25/2019)! 🎁
Blurb:
Kori suffered a great loss, one that left her feeling so desolate and alone, that she believed nothing would ever fill the void...
The only thing that kept her going was the one little piece of joy she still had in her life, her baby boy, Rhett.
She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home.
Except there was one problem.
Home was where Reed would be...
The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces.
Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.
But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?
Blurb:
Kori suffered a great loss, one that left her feeling so desolate and alone, that she believed nothing would ever fill the void...
The only thing that kept her going was the one little piece of joy she still had in her life, her baby boy, Rhett.
She had no choice but to move forward and give her son the best life she could. Which meant moving back home.
Except there was one problem.
Home was where Reed would be...
The man who once held her heart, then shattered it into a million pieces.
Grieving the loss of Rhetts dad, and learning to forgive those who have betrayed her, Kori was battling it all.
But will she ever have the strength to forgive Reed?
May 13, 2023
Eu achei interessante na história que a heroína apesar de ter o coração partido ela seguiu com a vida e se apaixonou novamente. E esta paixão foi linda! Gostei disso.
E quando a vida dela virou de cabeça para baixo ela voltou para a cidade natal dela e reencontrou o primeiro amor novamente.
Gostei da história.
-------------------
I found interesting in the story that the heroine despite having a broken heart she followed with life and fell in love again. And this passion was beautiful! I like that.
And when her life turned upside down, she returned to her hometown and found his first love again.
I liked the story.
E quando a vida dela virou de cabeça para baixo ela voltou para a cidade natal dela e reencontrou o primeiro amor novamente.
Gostei da história.
-------------------
I found interesting in the story that the heroine despite having a broken heart she followed with life and fell in love again. And this passion was beautiful! I like that.
And when her life turned upside down, she returned to her hometown and found his first love again.
I liked the story.
March 24, 2023
I’m @ 75% into this book and while I like it there are things that I want other readers to understand before going into it. This book is mildly heartfelt because it has surface angst but it is not as deeply emotional as I thought it would be. It’s still good and worth a read but it feels lighter than I think the author was going for.
Okay, so point one, the main couple don’t even start until after the 41% mark in this book. The first half of the book is all about the dead baby daddy/OM and her grief and loss and how she will raise her son without him. Again I like this story and I was honestly pissed the baby daddy died because I liked him so much in this part of the book.
My second point, the MMC, the cheating high school sweetheart ex boyfriend, is just there. He has no POV until the 75% mark. And while he is sweet he is also unreal. I don’t like how they just are together with very little issues and IMO no real showdown about their history together. He states he was young and about to lose the FMC to college anyway and he got drunk and made a mistake. While that is a truly valid perspective it just wasn’t enough emotional display of his regret and the FMC was very blah about it. I really only feel the MMC as a desperate simp and not as a dedicated MMC determined to get the FMC back. The MMC also has a limited mental capacity because at his bar he more than once let’s random women feel him up like it’s okay when supposedly all he wants is the FMC. The FMC had to TELL him it was wrong for him to realize this. Smh.
What I’m trying to say is I don’t feel the passion between these two. It feels like the FMC is settling. It feels like the MMC is just trying to get back what he lost. It feels like the FMC is the dominant character and not the cherished character. The MMC is lame and cow-tows to everything the FMC wants or needs. He isn’t real.
Also, the author in the beginning of the book stated that the MMC’s cheating was a BJ from the town skank but other than that first description, every other subsequent mention of the cheating was stated nothing more than as a sloppy kiss. I hate continuity issues like this. Either stick to a harder storyline or correct this disparity from the beginning.
I’m going to finish this because I do like the mild depth of feelings I’m getting from it so far, and I am liking the author’s lite style. I would like to try some more by this author too.
FINAL UPDATE
This story was mostly about the dead baby daddy. I felt more love, desire and dedication to the dead OM than I did between the main characters. This story is slow and mildly interesting but also mildly boring. Everything major is glossed over and/or time jumped ahead to whatever the recovery and move on period is for any of the characters. It is a nice easy story and style of writing that I could get used to so I did like it. It had good pacing and a decent HEA. If you like simp’ing MMC’s who come off as second best than this is probably for you. Even when the author finally gives you the MMC’s own POV’s at the 75% he still comes off as desperate. Likable, but desperate. Still I enjoyed this boring story enough to give the author more of my attention by reading the next book in this series even though I don’t like either of those characters. They were annoying in this book. Good luck.
Okay, so point one, the main couple don’t even start until after the 41% mark in this book. The first half of the book is all about the dead baby daddy/OM and her grief and loss and how she will raise her son without him. Again I like this story and I was honestly pissed the baby daddy died because I liked him so much in this part of the book.
My second point, the MMC, the cheating high school sweetheart ex boyfriend, is just there. He has no POV until the 75% mark. And while he is sweet he is also unreal. I don’t like how they just are together with very little issues and IMO no real showdown about their history together. He states he was young and about to lose the FMC to college anyway and he got drunk and made a mistake. While that is a truly valid perspective it just wasn’t enough emotional display of his regret and the FMC was very blah about it. I really only feel the MMC as a desperate simp and not as a dedicated MMC determined to get the FMC back. The MMC also has a limited mental capacity because at his bar he more than once let’s random women feel him up like it’s okay when supposedly all he wants is the FMC. The FMC had to TELL him it was wrong for him to realize this. Smh.
What I’m trying to say is I don’t feel the passion between these two. It feels like the FMC is settling. It feels like the MMC is just trying to get back what he lost. It feels like the FMC is the dominant character and not the cherished character. The MMC is lame and cow-tows to everything the FMC wants or needs. He isn’t real.
Also, the author in the beginning of the book stated that the MMC’s cheating was a BJ from the town skank but other than that first description, every other subsequent mention of the cheating was stated nothing more than as a sloppy kiss. I hate continuity issues like this. Either stick to a harder storyline or correct this disparity from the beginning.
I’m going to finish this because I do like the mild depth of feelings I’m getting from it so far, and I am liking the author’s lite style. I would like to try some more by this author too.
FINAL UPDATE
This story was mostly about the dead baby daddy. I felt more love, desire and dedication to the dead OM than I did between the main characters. This story is slow and mildly interesting but also mildly boring. Everything major is glossed over and/or time jumped ahead to whatever the recovery and move on period is for any of the characters. It is a nice easy story and style of writing that I could get used to so I did like it. It had good pacing and a decent HEA. If you like simp’ing MMC’s who come off as second best than this is probably for you. Even when the author finally gives you the MMC’s own POV’s at the 75% he still comes off as desperate. Likable, but desperate. Still I enjoyed this boring story enough to give the author more of my attention by reading the next book in this series even though I don’t like either of those characters. They were annoying in this book. Good luck.
October 22, 2014
4.5 Fantastic Stars!
This is the first book I've read from CA Harms and believe me when I say it won't be the last!
I LOVED this book!
Kori grew up in Georgia. Her high school sweetheart was Reed, but in their senior year she felt him pulling away a bit and spending way too much time with his friends and less with her. Of course, when she walked in on him in a compromising position, that sealed the deal and they were no longer a couple.
After I left home and walked away from Reed, I never thought I would feel the same about another man. Reed was my first love...well, my first everything, and he broke my heart. He was older by a year. When he decided spending time out with the guys was more important than me, it helped sway my decision to leave for college. The night I walked into his house and found Kimberly Tucker kneeling down before him with her head bobbin in his crotch, it just sealed the deal.
It took a year and a half of nursing her broken heart, but when she met Blake she was ready to love again. Blake came from money and his parents felt his relationship with Kori was beneath his social status. When she became pregnant, they wanted her to get an abortion. After that, Blake kept any contact with them to a minimum. Kori and Blake are thrilled with the coming baby and decide to take a mini vacation before the baby arrives. Tragedy strikes when the car they are in skids toward an oncoming truck. Blake is killed and on the same day, their son Rhett is born.
She had one encounter with Blake parents when they offered her money to get rid of her and to stay far away. She refused it and could not believe the depth of their cruelty towards their only son's child. Kori is devastated and moves home to be with her parents and best friend Maria. She focuses on her baby and finishes her course work to get her teaching certification. She dreads the day she will run into Reed again, she knows he still lives in the town.
Her first run in with Reed is by accident, and she finds out he is the owner of the town's local watering hole. Not only that, but he seems to be the town's handyman, in demand for jobs and something of the town's golden boy. His mom died tragically in a house fire, his dad is still in the same house and Reed built himself a beautiful home on the same land.
Kori can't let her defenses down, years ago, he hurt her with his betrayal. She won't let herself be hurt again. Reed looks for opportunities to see her, and he has a natural connection with her son. His face lights up when he sees him and that touches Kori more than she wants to admit.
Reed has matured since they were together. He owns up to his mistakes and make no bones about wanting Kori back. He may have had his share of women in the years they were apart, but no one has touched his heart but her.
"I got drunk and f*#ked up. I will always regret that mistake, Kori. Damn, I gave up not only my best friend that night, but also my girl." I'm sorry, Kori, I am so sorry I hurt you back then. I'm not the same horny teenager. I know now that every action I make has consequences and the ability to hurt the people I care about." "Maybe one day you can forgive me."
Can Kori take a chance on him again? When Kimberly Tucker tries to make trouble again, will their fragile relationship be able to survive?
Kimberly walked around the edge of the bar and placed her hand on Reed's arm. "Hey, baby," she cooed, and I rolled my eyes. I watched as she slid her hand down into the pocket of his jeans and felt around.
I think one of the reasons I loved this book so much was Kori's undying love for Blake. She truly loved him, and his death left her reeling with grief. Despite what is slowly building with Reed, her love for him remains. Sometimes in second chance at love stories, once the author reunites the separated couple, the heroine compares her other relationship and it pales in comparison to her first love. This wasn't the case, and that made the story line more believable. You can have more than one great love in real life and in fiction. This book was wonderful and there will be a follow up for two of the secondary characters. My 1-click finger will be ready!
This is the first book I've read from CA Harms and believe me when I say it won't be the last!
I LOVED this book!
Kori grew up in Georgia. Her high school sweetheart was Reed, but in their senior year she felt him pulling away a bit and spending way too much time with his friends and less with her. Of course, when she walked in on him in a compromising position, that sealed the deal and they were no longer a couple.
After I left home and walked away from Reed, I never thought I would feel the same about another man. Reed was my first love...well, my first everything, and he broke my heart. He was older by a year. When he decided spending time out with the guys was more important than me, it helped sway my decision to leave for college. The night I walked into his house and found Kimberly Tucker kneeling down before him with her head bobbin in his crotch, it just sealed the deal.
It took a year and a half of nursing her broken heart, but when she met Blake she was ready to love again. Blake came from money and his parents felt his relationship with Kori was beneath his social status. When she became pregnant, they wanted her to get an abortion. After that, Blake kept any contact with them to a minimum. Kori and Blake are thrilled with the coming baby and decide to take a mini vacation before the baby arrives. Tragedy strikes when the car they are in skids toward an oncoming truck. Blake is killed and on the same day, their son Rhett is born.
She had one encounter with Blake parents when they offered her money to get rid of her and to stay far away. She refused it and could not believe the depth of their cruelty towards their only son's child. Kori is devastated and moves home to be with her parents and best friend Maria. She focuses on her baby and finishes her course work to get her teaching certification. She dreads the day she will run into Reed again, she knows he still lives in the town.
Her first run in with Reed is by accident, and she finds out he is the owner of the town's local watering hole. Not only that, but he seems to be the town's handyman, in demand for jobs and something of the town's golden boy. His mom died tragically in a house fire, his dad is still in the same house and Reed built himself a beautiful home on the same land.
Kori can't let her defenses down, years ago, he hurt her with his betrayal. She won't let herself be hurt again. Reed looks for opportunities to see her, and he has a natural connection with her son. His face lights up when he sees him and that touches Kori more than she wants to admit.
Reed has matured since they were together. He owns up to his mistakes and make no bones about wanting Kori back. He may have had his share of women in the years they were apart, but no one has touched his heart but her.
"I got drunk and f*#ked up. I will always regret that mistake, Kori. Damn, I gave up not only my best friend that night, but also my girl." I'm sorry, Kori, I am so sorry I hurt you back then. I'm not the same horny teenager. I know now that every action I make has consequences and the ability to hurt the people I care about." "Maybe one day you can forgive me."
Can Kori take a chance on him again? When Kimberly Tucker tries to make trouble again, will their fragile relationship be able to survive?
Kimberly walked around the edge of the bar and placed her hand on Reed's arm. "Hey, baby," she cooed, and I rolled my eyes. I watched as she slid her hand down into the pocket of his jeans and felt around.
I think one of the reasons I loved this book so much was Kori's undying love for Blake. She truly loved him, and his death left her reeling with grief. Despite what is slowly building with Reed, her love for him remains. Sometimes in second chance at love stories, once the author reunites the separated couple, the heroine compares her other relationship and it pales in comparison to her first love. This wasn't the case, and that made the story line more believable. You can have more than one great love in real life and in fiction. This book was wonderful and there will be a follow up for two of the secondary characters. My 1-click finger will be ready!
October 17, 2014
Point of View: Dual (Kori [first half], Reed [second half])
Writing: First Person | Past Tense
Setting: Brooklet, Georgia
Genre: Adult | Contemporary Romance (second chance)
A nice and heartfelt romance about redemption and forgiveness. The story behind why Kori had to move back was a nice touch with just enough detail to attract my attention. Though, at time it was just too perfect to believe.
I'm one of those who just can't resist a second-chance romance (the beefcake on the cover was a bonus!) and I did enjoy reading this book. The problem I had with it was that it seemed to me like the author tried to drag the story which made it quite boring as times. I like the jealous and misunderstanding scenes, but I have read too many of those already; therefore, when I found them again in this book (which I wasn't that shocked!) I just wasn't impressed. Nothing bad, but nothing spectacular either.
Writing: First Person | Past Tense
Setting: Brooklet, Georgia
Genre: Adult | Contemporary Romance (second chance)
A nice and heartfelt romance about redemption and forgiveness. The story behind why Kori had to move back was a nice touch with just enough detail to attract my attention. Though, at time it was just too perfect to believe.
I'm one of those who just can't resist a second-chance romance (the beefcake on the cover was a bonus!) and I did enjoy reading this book. The problem I had with it was that it seemed to me like the author tried to drag the story which made it quite boring as times. I like the jealous and misunderstanding scenes, but I have read too many of those already; therefore, when I found them again in this book (which I wasn't that shocked!) I just wasn't impressed. Nothing bad, but nothing spectacular either.
August 23, 2016
Blake was my favorite and he's the ghost lover.
I actually stopped the moment she met Reed again because the scene was too juvenile for me.
Her boyfriend died 6 months ago, she's got a baby and her friend's best idea was to get her drunk at a bar where her ex would be. She sees him, turn around and just go dance.
Maybe I'm dramatic but if my lover was to die in front of me in a brutal car crash I wouldnt feel like dancing.
“Reed was an afterthought, and now he was here in plain sight, bringing up old feelings, and I hated it. He had no right to have this effect on me.”
Your feelings sure come back easily. You're mourning the death of your boyfriend and just seeing an ex makes you feel all weird inside. Hum no.
BONUS: reading how another girl was bobbing her head near Reed's groin in the prologue made me not eager at all to see him come around.
I actually stopped the moment she met Reed again because the scene was too juvenile for me.
Her boyfriend died 6 months ago, she's got a baby and her friend's best idea was to get her drunk at a bar where her ex would be. She sees him, turn around and just go dance.
Maybe I'm dramatic but if my lover was to die in front of me in a brutal car crash I wouldnt feel like dancing.
“Reed was an afterthought, and now he was here in plain sight, bringing up old feelings, and I hated it. He had no right to have this effect on me.”
Your feelings sure come back easily. You're mourning the death of your boyfriend and just seeing an ex makes you feel all weird inside. Hum no.
BONUS: reading how another girl was bobbing her head near Reed's groin in the prologue made me not eager at all to see him come around.
March 15, 2021
This was a short and light read with a lot of sweetness in it.
Unfortunately, I did not like it. Not the story, but the writing and the fact that I felt nothing for the characters.
The h finds a new chance at happiness after the man she loves dies in the same day their child is born. She reconnects with her ex boyfriend who cheated on her years ago when they were teenagers because he is now a changed man. The H is overly sweet and supportive and I think I have now diabetes because of his behaviour.
I will not read the next one in series, also a stand alone.
Unfortunately, I did not like it. Not the story, but the writing and the fact that I felt nothing for the characters.
The h finds a new chance at happiness after the man she loves dies in the same day their child is born. She reconnects with her ex boyfriend who cheated on her years ago when they were teenagers because he is now a changed man. The H is overly sweet and supportive and I think I have now diabetes because of his behaviour.
I will not read the next one in series, also a stand alone.
May 5, 2023
I was crying like a baby during the prologue. We get to watch Kori go through grief and heal. Eventually she let's Reed back in her life. He is determined to make thing right between them. He holds so much love for her and Brett.
Only downfall was for awhile I felt she had a much bigger connection with Blake than she did Reed. The memories of their time, etc...
At least she got a happily ever after. We will have to see if her best friend will get one.
Only downfall was for awhile I felt she had a much bigger connection with Blake than she did Reed. The memories of their time, etc...
At least she got a happily ever after. We will have to see if her best friend will get one.
March 12, 2015
** JOSIE'S 4.5 STAR REVIEW **
After reading the blurb for Forgiving Reed by C.A. Harms, my interest was piqued, I love a story about second chance love. I had the pleasure of reading two other books by C.A. Harms in the Scarred by Love series. I really enjoyed her writing and of course I was anxious to get my hands on this one and once again she does not disappoint. She has a way of writing her novels in such an intriguing and in depth way that I find myself connecting with her characters. Once again the author starts off with a prologue that is emotional, raw and gripping that just keeps things going right up to the end. I am a sucker for a cowboy. I don’t know what it is, but this City girl here is going to start moving south.
After Kori walked in and saw her boyfriend Reed cheating with the town slut Kimberly, she was left heartbroken, betrayed and devastated. She leaves her town behind, goes to college and puts distance between her first love and best friend. While in college, she is trying to get over the betrayal and in the process she meets Blake. Blake manages to help Kori heal and in the process the two fall in love and are expecting their first child together. Kori’s life is shattered once more when she loses Blake in an accident. Left to raise their child Rhett alone, she is forced to move back home, back to where the boy that broke her hurt still lives. I will tell you Kori goes through such an emotional journey, you will cry, laugh and get angry with her and for her. Mt heart broke for her over and over. Kori struggles with moving on and trying to hold onto the memories of Blake and deal with forgiving the one person that betrayed her trust.
Reed made one bad decision years ago, he was young, stupid, drunk and thinking with his raging hormones. He regretted cheating on Kori with Kimberly and has never gotten over his true love. Kori was everything to him but by the time he realized it, Kori was gone and in love with Blake. Loosing Kori and his mother has changed him over the years. He is mature, stable and no longer the town bad boy. He is settled. When he sees Kori is back in town, he wants nothing more than to see her smile and be happy. He is willing to do anything to see her not broken even if it just means being her friend. He knows he made the worst decision that night that cost him everything and Kori is not willing to forgive easily.
“You gonna act like you hate me forever, Kori?”
“I think I’ll just stick to hating you forever.”
“You don’t hate me, Kori, not like you say you do. I got drunk and f***** up, I will always regret that mistake.”
“You Reed, took what we had and threw it away, for a quick roll in the hay with the town slut. That was the moment I started hating you.”
“Whenever you decide you need a friend, when you feel like you just need to get it you lean on me, Mori. Let me here for you. Let me be a shoulder to cry on. Let me be your friend.”
I hate cheating like majorly, so I really wanted to hate Reed’s character but the author wrote his character in such a loving, selfless and giving way that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. With his persistence, Kori eventually forgave Reed and over time they became friends. He became the rock for Kori and Rhett, but trusting Reed completely is hard for Kori especially when the town slut is constantly trying to intervene.
“I want to do this with you; I want to go all in. I’m ready to move forward, with you. I just need to make sure you want the same thing.”
“You’re joking right? You know I want you and Rhett. I’ve wanted you my whole life, and Rhett is the best kind of bonus. I want in, baby, completely in without hesitation.”
Things are not easy for Reed and Kori. She will not be second best and Kimberly is a hard line for her. She will not tolerate her being around Reed. The author gives us just enough drama and angst in the story to keep it exciting, but the real story is about forgiveness and moving on. My heart broke for Kori because she was confused with her feelings for Blake and Reed. She thought being with Reed was betraying what she had with Blake. Overall I really loved this novel and can’t wait for the second book in this series. Oh and the sex, was crazy amazing also.
“Home, right here. This is where I belong.”
After reading the blurb for Forgiving Reed by C.A. Harms, my interest was piqued, I love a story about second chance love. I had the pleasure of reading two other books by C.A. Harms in the Scarred by Love series. I really enjoyed her writing and of course I was anxious to get my hands on this one and once again she does not disappoint. She has a way of writing her novels in such an intriguing and in depth way that I find myself connecting with her characters. Once again the author starts off with a prologue that is emotional, raw and gripping that just keeps things going right up to the end. I am a sucker for a cowboy. I don’t know what it is, but this City girl here is going to start moving south.
After Kori walked in and saw her boyfriend Reed cheating with the town slut Kimberly, she was left heartbroken, betrayed and devastated. She leaves her town behind, goes to college and puts distance between her first love and best friend. While in college, she is trying to get over the betrayal and in the process she meets Blake. Blake manages to help Kori heal and in the process the two fall in love and are expecting their first child together. Kori’s life is shattered once more when she loses Blake in an accident. Left to raise their child Rhett alone, she is forced to move back home, back to where the boy that broke her hurt still lives. I will tell you Kori goes through such an emotional journey, you will cry, laugh and get angry with her and for her. Mt heart broke for her over and over. Kori struggles with moving on and trying to hold onto the memories of Blake and deal with forgiving the one person that betrayed her trust.
Reed made one bad decision years ago, he was young, stupid, drunk and thinking with his raging hormones. He regretted cheating on Kori with Kimberly and has never gotten over his true love. Kori was everything to him but by the time he realized it, Kori was gone and in love with Blake. Loosing Kori and his mother has changed him over the years. He is mature, stable and no longer the town bad boy. He is settled. When he sees Kori is back in town, he wants nothing more than to see her smile and be happy. He is willing to do anything to see her not broken even if it just means being her friend. He knows he made the worst decision that night that cost him everything and Kori is not willing to forgive easily.
“You gonna act like you hate me forever, Kori?”
“I think I’ll just stick to hating you forever.”
“You don’t hate me, Kori, not like you say you do. I got drunk and f***** up, I will always regret that mistake.”
“You Reed, took what we had and threw it away, for a quick roll in the hay with the town slut. That was the moment I started hating you.”
“Whenever you decide you need a friend, when you feel like you just need to get it you lean on me, Mori. Let me here for you. Let me be a shoulder to cry on. Let me be your friend.”
I hate cheating like majorly, so I really wanted to hate Reed’s character but the author wrote his character in such a loving, selfless and giving way that I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. With his persistence, Kori eventually forgave Reed and over time they became friends. He became the rock for Kori and Rhett, but trusting Reed completely is hard for Kori especially when the town slut is constantly trying to intervene.
“I want to do this with you; I want to go all in. I’m ready to move forward, with you. I just need to make sure you want the same thing.”
“You’re joking right? You know I want you and Rhett. I’ve wanted you my whole life, and Rhett is the best kind of bonus. I want in, baby, completely in without hesitation.”
Things are not easy for Reed and Kori. She will not be second best and Kimberly is a hard line for her. She will not tolerate her being around Reed. The author gives us just enough drama and angst in the story to keep it exciting, but the real story is about forgiveness and moving on. My heart broke for Kori because she was confused with her feelings for Blake and Reed. She thought being with Reed was betraying what she had with Blake. Overall I really loved this novel and can’t wait for the second book in this series. Oh and the sex, was crazy amazing also.
“Home, right here. This is where I belong.”
November 7, 2014
5 Stars!
This was a beautiful, emotionally charged love story about two people who get a second chance at love. This book flowed well, never felt rushed, and I was able to connect with the characters right off the bat. I loved the connection these characters had. This book made me go on an emotional roller coaster. I laugh with them. I cried. I smiled. I rooted for them. I got angry. But through all of that, it was totally worth it by the end because the most beautiful love stories take you through the dark before you can get to the light.
This is Reed and Kori's story. When tragedy strikes in Kori's life, she moves back to her hometown trying to piece back together her life & move on. What she doesn't expect is to run into the man that broke her heart all those years ago or the feelings that arise when she sees him, showing she never fully got over him. Kori has a wall around her heat because it has been shattered too many times. Will she get a second chance at love? Will Reed be able to tear down her walls? Will Kori and Reed get their happy ending?
Ah I loved Reed. I admired his patience and persistence. I loved how he was her rock and helped her heal. I loved Reed and Kori together. I loved how their relationship didn't feel rushed and naturally progressed. And Rhett and Reed together... I think my heart turned into a puddle.
I highly recommend this book!
Blog Tour---> http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/2014...
This was a beautiful, emotionally charged love story about two people who get a second chance at love. This book flowed well, never felt rushed, and I was able to connect with the characters right off the bat. I loved the connection these characters had. This book made me go on an emotional roller coaster. I laugh with them. I cried. I smiled. I rooted for them. I got angry. But through all of that, it was totally worth it by the end because the most beautiful love stories take you through the dark before you can get to the light.
This is Reed and Kori's story. When tragedy strikes in Kori's life, she moves back to her hometown trying to piece back together her life & move on. What she doesn't expect is to run into the man that broke her heart all those years ago or the feelings that arise when she sees him, showing she never fully got over him. Kori has a wall around her heat because it has been shattered too many times. Will she get a second chance at love? Will Reed be able to tear down her walls? Will Kori and Reed get their happy ending?
Ah I loved Reed. I admired his patience and persistence. I loved how he was her rock and helped her heal. I loved Reed and Kori together. I loved how their relationship didn't feel rushed and naturally progressed. And Rhett and Reed together... I think my heart turned into a puddle.
I highly recommend this book!
Blog Tour---> http://reneeentress.blogspot.com/2014...
April 13, 2025
The first part of this book had me in tears so much I wasn't to sure there was ever going to be a happy ending. But as the time progressed Kori grew and learned to let go of her guilt over everything. She basically was dealt a harsh reality in the end, plus she was basically cut off from anything and everything to do with Blake. When Reed came into her life her emotions towards him scared her more then anything. She didn't think she deserved to have a happy ending or to find love.
Reed, what's there to say other then he screwed up when he was a teenager! He let his emotions and fears drive him to do the a dumb thing and because of that he lost the love of his life. So when he was offered a second chance he knew from the get go he was going to have to take it slow. But he proves he's a different man then what he was when he was a teen!
Overall its a great story and I loved all the characters although I'm still unsure of Gavin's choices and how that is going to turn out in the end.
Till next time - Sweets Books
Reed, what's there to say other then he screwed up when he was a teenager! He let his emotions and fears drive him to do the a dumb thing and because of that he lost the love of his life. So when he was offered a second chance he knew from the get go he was going to have to take it slow. But he proves he's a different man then what he was when he was a teen!
Overall its a great story and I loved all the characters although I'm still unsure of Gavin's choices and how that is going to turn out in the end.
Till next time - Sweets Books
January 22, 2018
Second chance romance.
Heroine is quite emotional through this book, it didn't bother me as Blake missed more and more milestones of his son's life I think you'd miss him more.
I did wish he hadn't died, she seemed really happy with him and Reed I wasn't too sure about.
I got a bit annoyed with Reed. There were times he needed to put his foot down with other women flirting esp as it had been an issue that led to their breakup. For example Kim, all this time later and she's still trying and the girls at the bar with the photo's NO WAY.
Heroine is quite emotional through this book, it didn't bother me as Blake missed more and more milestones of his son's life I think you'd miss him more.
I did wish he hadn't died, she seemed really happy with him and Reed I wasn't too sure about.
I got a bit annoyed with Reed. There were times he needed to put his foot down with other women flirting esp as it had been an issue that led to their breakup. For example Kim, all this time later and she's still trying and the girls at the bar with the photo's NO WAY.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2015
4 Stars
I liked reading this second chance story! It was full of heartbreak, forgiveness and most of all love!!!!!!
I liked reading this second chance story! It was full of heartbreak, forgiveness and most of all love!!!!!!
February 1, 2015
Awful.
The writing was so juvenile, I got 40 pages in before I couldn't take it and decided finishing the book wasn't worth the drop in my IQ.
The writing was so juvenile, I got 40 pages in before I couldn't take it and decided finishing the book wasn't worth the drop in my IQ.
March 2, 2021
A sweet second chance read
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