The Book:
Never Look Back (Coming Home #2)
By Amy Stephens
193 Pages
Pub Sept 1, 2014
The Genre:
NA Contemporary Romance
The Rating:
*** (3.5 stars)
The Blurb:
A relationship gone bad…….
Decisions to be made…….
Jennifer Davis entered into a relationship with Brian Collins never knowing what she was really getting into. What may have been happy and surreal in the beginning, didn’t take long to fall apart, and quickly turned out to be one of the worst decisions she has ever made. When an evening with Brian goes terribly wrong, she leaves during the night hoping to put it all, including him, behind her.
Todd Williams knows exactly what he wants in life. He’s about to finish school and has plans to take over the family business. He never thought he would be called upon to help a friend in a time of need especially when things are about to take off with his career.
Just weeks ago, Todd met Jennifer and assisted her when she and Brian were involved in a dispute. He immediately intervened and offered her support while making her promise she would call on him if she were ever in trouble. While he never thought he would hear from her again, especially in another crisis situation, Jennifer calls upon Todd for his help.
Through sleepless nights, threatening phone calls, and living in fear of being discovered, Jennifer leans upon Todd and his family for their support to never look back and dwell on previous mistakes, but to become stronger, and, most of all, to be happy again. After all, it’s not just her she’s trying to protect anymore.
But, will Jennifer be able to heal and move forward despite her past? Is she ready for all of the new feelings that are suddenly happening every time she’s near Todd? And she’s not the only one struggling with new emotions. Is Todd ready to offer her his heart, to love and trust a man again, all while balancing his career and accepting the one thing that will always connect her to Brian?
Never Look Back.
Never Look Back is the conclusion in the two-part Coming Home Series. Find out how it all started in book one, Don’t Turn Back.
**Book does contain a semi-cliffhanger ending as there is a novella introduced at the end. Book one and Book two are currently free with Kindle Unlimited. Heart of the Matter (Coming Home 2.5) has not been released yet, but will be out later this month (November).
The Review:
So if you read my review of the first book, you will know that I was on the fence about that book; however, I enjoyed the second book so much more.
In book two of the Coming Home series, we are reintroduced to Jennifer, Brian, and Todd. Book one left me with a terrible opinion of Brian, and that didn’t really change much with this book. If anything, my opinion of him was worse. He was definitely a character that I hated. The way he treated Jennifer, and completely abandoned all sense of humanity and responsibility for his child made me incredibly angry with him. He definitely lives up to his bad reputation. For awhile in the first book, it seemed as if he was heading down the right path. He had a woman who loved and supported him, but he took it all for granted. When things continued to unravel for him, he took out his fears, anger and frustration on his pregnant wife.
Jennifer, having experienced enough pain, lies, and heartbreak at the hands of her husband, managed to escape to safety with the help of her friend Todd, who came to her rescue before in Don’t Turn Back. Trying to provide a better life for herself and her unborn daughter, Jennifer settles down in the care of Todd and his family. Having finally come clean to her parents about her marriage and pregnancy, she finds herself forced to reevaluate what she wants out of life, and to make some hard decisions. When she realizes that Brian will never change, and he continues to terrorize her from afar, she decides it is time to make a clean break and seeks out a divorce. Only Brian doesn’t want to let her go.
Todd is the complete opposite of Brian. He is a hardworking man who knows what he wants out of life. He is close to his family, and does whatever he possibly can to care for and support his new friend Jennifer. Taking things slowly, over time, he comes to realize just how important Jennifer has become to him.
What I liked about this story was how the author showed the gradual changes in the heroine. She took responsibility for her own actions, and decided to make positive changes in her life. Including ending her marriage to Brian, and taking things slower. While she cares for Todd, it is a relationship that develops over time. It is not something that happens in a week’s time, much like her relationship with Brian. She takes the time to think through her decisions. To weigh what is going to be in the best interest of her safety and that of her child.
I didn’t really respect Jennifer in the first book, nor particularly like her. I felt that she was a pushover who forgave too easily and didn’t think with her head. She made rash decisions even when she knew better. Granted, we all find ourselves in that situation from time to time, I just couldn’t fathom the life she was choosing. This is just one example of how we often let other people’s actions and opinions determine our self-worth. That is something we can all appreciate and understand. My opinion of her changed immensely in the second book. I saw her take control of her life, and decide to never accept less than what she deserves. She grew a backbone.
I really liked Todd’s character. He was a genuinely nice guy, and although he had feelings for Jennifer, he never let that sidetrack him from his goals and his education. He also respected the fact that she was still married, and never tried to pursue her until she was free from her past life. I loved that he stepped up and took care of a child that was not biologically his, yet he loved her as if she was his own. He was so supportive and understanding of what Jennifer was going through physically and emotionally.
I definitely appreciated this book much more than the first one, and I think that the author did progress in her writing. I liked the fact that she added Todd’s point of view to the story. It added a nice touch. I do recommend this book with a caveat. The first book does provide a much more detailed background of the relationship between Brian and Jennifer, but the second book does cover a brief overview of the story. I would recommend reading this book as a stand-alone, rather than reading both. I think that you will find the story to be more enjoyable this way; however, I know many of you will be curious as to what really happened, and I certainly can’t blame you for wanting to read the whole story.