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Again

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From recess buddies to high school sweethearts, Eli Stone and Bonnie Jinks were constants in each other's lives. Although young, their relationship had withstood the test of many teenage tribulations.

Marriage and a happy ever after were in their future plans. One alcohol-fueled mistake rips them apart. Bonnie ends up on the road with her new boyfriend, while Eli joins the military.

It seems as if their lives would never intersect again. A near-fatal accident brings them together, and their chemistry is undeniable. But will the pain of the past keep them apart? Can they make their love work again?

3 pages, Audiobook

First published May 15, 2013

9 people are currently reading
1053 people want to read

About the author

Brandy Jeffus Corona

9 books144 followers
Brandy Jeffus Corona has always been a writer, even before she could wield a pen. She would dictate her stories to her mom who would type them on a typewriter. Thus began Brandy's love affair with the written word.

She is a wife and a mother to two awesome kids. Her best friend in the world is her mother. She's a true Texan, loving the Cowboys even when they suck and uses the words 'y'all' and 'fixin too'.

She reads more than she writes, volunteers at church, her children's school and with Girl Scouts and sometimes she spends too much time on Facebook.


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5 stars
66 (15%)
4 stars
98 (22%)
3 stars
145 (33%)
2 stars
87 (20%)
1 star
32 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
Profile Image for Chu.
1,459 reviews72 followers
August 2, 2013
Review Originally Posted at: Book Freak

I like it primarily because it's short and a reprieve from all those totally emotional new adults I have been reading so far. No broken souls or scarred people - just two high school sweethearts who have drifted apart and found a way back into each other again.

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They were on their 5th year, and they were in high school - I thought they were a pretty tough couple knowing how high school couples just make and break. They have made it through all the trials in their relationship. They were serious with the relationship and already made plans about their future. The both of them were each other's first - and both of them are pretty sure they were each other's forever. Now, how could something so perfect, so special, so solid suddenly is lost?

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Temptation looms everywhere - especially places which are alcohol-infested. One drunken night, Eli made a mistake. He couldn't face her anymore knowing what he had done. So, he did WHAT HE thought was right and what they needed at that moment - he broke up with her. He broke her heart.

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They were practically with each other forever, I can't imagine how would they handle being apart. Imagine all the routines you have been doing for half-a-decade, all the places you have been through, all the friends you have made together - where are you going to start picking up the pieces?

Both went separate ways, Bonnie surprised herself and her family when she decides to go on the road with her new boyfriend who's in the band and Eli went into the military. But one fatal accident brought them back together.

I have always love second chances, Again is no exception to it. We experienced love and heartbreak together with Bonnie and Eli, saw how the both of them grew up, fallen in love with each other, delt with their problems, how they fell apart and finally, how they made it back together. It wasn't an easy journey - there were a lot of road blocks in between. But I guess...

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Despite the fact that this type of plot has been used and abused in the literary world for a long time - this book can still break your heart, make you sigh, fall in love and hopeful - that love, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many people comes in between, no matter how far the distance, when you're meant to be together, fate will find a way.
Profile Image for Farrah.
1,248 reviews210 followers
July 30, 2013
A sweet, lovely book that will have you smiling. Again was a wonderful story about seconds chances and true love. It was utterly adorable. I light, sweet read that's a sure winner.

Bonnie and Eli were great characters. Both were likable and easy to relate to.
Bonnie was a lovely heroine. Though I didn't understand why she up and left everyone to tour with her new boyfriend when she and Eli broke up, for the most part, I thought she was wonderful.

Eli was a total sweetie. The adorable things he said just made me smile. He was amazing and easy to adore.

The romance was sweet, borderline fluffy. There wasn't really spice in this book. It was a sweet, clean read. And the romance was enough to make your heart melt.

I liked the story and the ending was cute.

So, why didn't I rate this 5 stars? Well, it wasn't a particularly deep book. I couldn't, in good conscience, give it a top rating. I felt like it was all written on the surface, never getting a deeper look into motives and into the the characters' minds. It was shallow, fluffy. A nice read, but not earth shattering, so if earth-shattering is what you're looking for, then this isn't for you. If you want a light, cute read, then this is your book. I definitely liked it and thought it was a lovely read.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for Megpie.
453 reviews85 followers
June 1, 2013
-Contains Spoilers-

I got this one for free on Amazon and I'm glad that I didn't pay money for it because I didn't really like it. Everything about it was just too easy... too mushy... too perfect... too annoying... and too short.

I mean the male lead cheats on his girl after just proposing to her weeks before. They had this perfect high school sweetheart romance and "supposedly" meant everything to each other (he even has them a house after they graduate and get married) and yet he so EASILY cheats on her.

Don't get me wrong I know this stuff happens in real life especailly with kids so young, but the author didn't make me believe it.

He really loves and cares for her right? Yet, he was completely aware of what he was doing and even thinks of her why he is doing it. When he tells his girl what happened she says, "Okay, we can work through this, it's okay." Ummm, what? Are you insane?! Did you not just hear him say that he screwed another girl at a graduation party?!! I wanted to punch her in the face more than I wanted to punch him! She was annoying. I know it's good to forgive and all that... but hell, give it time. Yell at him, scream at him, kick some ass! Do something besides BEG for him not to leave you! Quit being pathetic! Ahhh, I was so annoyed. And of course he leaves her because he says if he cheated on her then their relationship obviously wasn't as secure as he thought. Ya think?

Years later....

She comes home because her mom was in an accident and they are reconnected in a blink of an eye with no build up or drama at all. It was like, "hey I missed you and I've always loved you, lets get back together." And they do. The end.

One word... boring.

I think the author has potential and this story had the right idea but it was poorly executed and felt very amateurish. The dialougue and story as a whole just felt very choppy and.... cheesy.
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Want to read
June 18, 2019
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/18/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Joy.
605 reviews9 followers
May 23, 2013

For five years Bonnie and Elijah were high school sweethearts when a drunken night destroyed everything. Fast forward five years. Bonnie must return home but she hadn't counted on Eli walking back into her life and making himself indispensable.

Profile Image for Bèbè ✦ RANT  ✦.
415 reviews133 followers
July 23, 2013
”I think it’s okay to have a perfect day once in awhile. I think that’s in God’s plan to have us happy most days. I’d rather spend the day being happy then waste time fighting or being mad”


Bonnie and Eli were always in each other lives. From being kids to growing into lovers, they wanted to spend their whole life with each other. And that would have happened if Eli wouldn’t have messed up. When he went to the party, he ended up cheating on Bonnie and regretted it every day. After getting her heart broken, she leaves with her jackass boyfriend to follow him on tours while Eli joins the military.

Bonnie decides that it’s time to come home when her mother gets into a car accident but she did not expect to see Eli so soon. Between taking care of her mother and her undecided emotions, she needs to figure out what she needs to do and if she’s ready to lose Eli all over again.

Wow. Honestly, I read couple of reviews before I started reading this book and was nervous. A lot of people seemed to have some sort of problem with it but I actually enjoyed it. Bonnie and Eli seemed to have a special connection and author was able to capture that. I was a little confused at first about flashbacks that they had but after you figure out what is going on, it’s easier to understand the special bond that they have. You could not only see that they loved each other but that they are best friends and can rely on each person. So thumbs up!!
Profile Image for Heather andrews.
9,520 reviews162 followers
May 12, 2013

Bonnie doesn't take Eli's crap I liked that, "well, I'll leave if you want. I don't have a problem doing that if it means I won't be unjustly attacked just because you're suffering from PMS." Didn't know men could get that as well, good to know. You can tell that Eli really does care about Bonnie before they spent years apart and after, "well, excuse me. I didn't have time to take a shower; I had to save a damsel in distress after all." I mean he's really caring, "I picked up tissues, Theraflu, more ibuprofen, sore throat spray, some Vicks chest rub stuff, and cough drops. Oh and I bought some chicken noodle soup and Sprite. Sprite is the only thing I'll drink if I'm real sick. Don't know why, but it's what my mom uses," he smiles at me as he lays everything on my dresser." Mick I expected more from him, but turns out he's a total a**, "you know why. I'm here to bring you home. I know your mom's fine now. You can leave this place and quit playing babysitter." I was happy with the ending I love my Happily Ever Afters.
Profile Image for Tiffany Readz.
2,020 reviews52 followers
May 16, 2013
After thinking about this book, I will compare it to a Life Time special, everything it good, then bad, then good again and we all live happily ever after-The End. Granted I do like a HEA every once in a while, but it just didn't seem like these two really had to work for it.

Eli and Bonnie were the picture perfect high school sweethearts, dating for five years, plan to get married and start a family in the near future. There is a huge drunken mistake made by one of them in the relationship and it is all over in a flash.

Six years go by, these two have lived separate lives, but still pretty much knew what the other was up to. I did like the long lost love aspect (one of my favs) and their love for each other at a young age was commendable,things felt rushed through out the entire book. I don't what to spoil it and say exactly what happens, but the cards fell in place way to easily for my liking.

I see this as a good story, but lacks a lot of development.
Profile Image for Dana.
Author 6 books23 followers
September 14, 2013
This is a fairly straight forward story of love lost and then reignited. Eli and Bonnie were high school sweethearts and best friends since childhood. Engaged as seniors they planned to marry and live happily ever after. One night, drunk at a graduation party, Eli betrays Bonnie and then breaks up with her. She is ready to forgive him, but Eli doubts the strength of his love and feels unworthy of Bonnie. They separate and live different lives far away from each other. Back home after her mom has a near-fatal accident, Bonnie meets up with Eli, who was on site for the accident and stood by her mother's side. Both of them are free from romantic entanglements, and find themselves falling for each other all over again. They discover that they never really stopped loving each other really. After a shoot out and Eli is wounded, they realize life is too short and they wasted too much time already. It is a good story without tragic backstories and a happily ever after.
351 reviews13 followers
May 12, 2013
This book had potential, good use of flashbacks I will say.
But seriously choppy writing, and unrealistic handling of situations, that make you want to hit yourself in the head with a baseball bat, does not make the book feel genuine to me.

But that is just my opinion. Try for yourself!
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,897 reviews4 followers
September 19, 2013
Eli and Bonnie have been dating since middle school, so it's no suprise that he proposes during their senior year. One big mistake and they are pulled away. Years later an accident brings them together. Sweet story that has drama, action, romance and of course a happily ever after. WaAR
Profile Image for Ker ᥫ᭡.
977 reviews
January 4, 2014
Muy lindo
Cortito, dulce y esperanzador.
Todos (o al menos si en mi caso) desearíamos una segunda oportunidad.
Profile Image for Francielle De Oliveira.
72 reviews80 followers
August 29, 2013
Bonnie e Elijah. Duas pessoas, juntas desde a infância, se apaixonam e tem um relacionamento dos sonhos: são amigos, suas famílias são próximas, estão sempre presentes na vida um do outro, eles tem sonhos de construir uma vida juntos. Não foi surpresa para ninguém quando cresceram e começaram a namorar. Por anos foram considerados um par feito no céu. Até que, um erro, muda radicalmente a vida de ambos. Bonnie vai embora, Eli vai para o exército, e tudo indicaria que eles jamais se cruzariam novamente, mas um acidente gravíssimo faz com que eles se encontrem novamente. Um erro pôs um "fim" à essa história, mas será que é possível esquecer uma pessoa que foi tão importante e tão presente em nossas vidas?

"Through the bar cutout, Eli saw Bonnie freeze as the music started. She threw her head back and laughed. Eli smiled like he always did when she laughed; it was such a comforting, adorable, real laugh. It was infectious, loud and girly all in one."

Li esse livro para o primeiro Read a thon BR. Pesquisei na Amazon, e ele apareceu como New Adult. Sinceramente acho que não o classificaria como New Adult, mas como romance contemporâneo. Esse livro me lembrou muito um dos meus filmes favoritos "Sweet Home Alabama" (aquele com a Reese Witherspoon!). O romance, aquele romance de infância, sonho de muitas garotas românticas, é muito bonito, eles são amigos acima de tudo, são companheiros, cresceram juntos, não há memórias de um onde o outro não esteja. Gostei do modo como a autora retratou esse "passado", os flashbacks, as memórias. Quando eles se reencontram, depois de anos afastados, é óbvio que um não esqueceu o outro, mas também não esqueceram a mágoa causada por um erro no passado. Essa luta entre o que há de bom e o que há de ruim em um relacionamento, entre perdoar e não perdoar, é basicamente o ponto central do livro.

"Don't get me wrong, it'd probably be fun to do it like that, but I just wouldn't feel right treating it like some animalistic act or something. You know you deserve all the romance, rose petals, lit candles, et cetera, et cetera. I know I don't do that all the time, but I do try to make every time a little special."

Gostei bastante da história, como já disse, me lembra um dos meus filmes favoritos, e isso foi um ponto positivo, porém senti que alguns acontecimentos foram um pouco forçados, algumas coisas aconteceram "fáceis" demais. Os personagens são interessantes, mas acho que eles poderiam ser mais aprofundados em alguns aspectos. O romance foi uma das coisas que mais gostei no livro, mas essa falta de aprofundamento me decepcionou um pouco, assim como algumas passagens, que para mim foram narradas com pressa, quanto mais me aproximava do final do livro. Se o ritmo de narrativa e o modo como conhecemos os personagens se mantivesse até o final, eu daria 4/5, mas com esse decaimento, para mim a nota foi um pouco menor. Mas gostei da escrita da autora, e pretendo ler mais livros dela, principalmente porque gostei do modo como ela trabalhou o romance e como distribuiu a história ao longo do livro.

"Anytime someone mentioned you, my heart broke a little more. I would pass magazines in the grocery store from time to time, and they had y'all on the cover and I would almost cry right there. Seeing you with some other guy, smiling, holding on to him... it drove me crazy. (...) by that time you were already gone. I was too late."

3/5

Love always,
Francielle

http://www.theserialreader.com/2013/0...
Profile Image for Maija.
255 reviews57 followers
July 29, 2013
Source: Received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. No compensations were given to alter the rating.
This is solely my opinion.



You can't imagine how hard it is to write a review for a book that you loved (or maybe you can, if you're anything like me). It's hard not to go all fan-girl and say everything and too much. I find it very hard to say just enough so you would be interested and not spoil it. It's my duty to make you love this book as much as I did.


I might have said it a million times before, but almost every book I read is extraordinary, something in the story makes them stand out. In Again, the palpable love and caring feelings between the characters is the feature that makes it stand out in the crowded population of NA books.

Not only does the story show the love between Bonnie and Eli, but also reveals the warm atmosphere the characters that surround them have. Both of their families care about Bonnie and Eli, none of them had hard feelings after the couple broke up.


Maybe they just weren't ready or mature enough to be serious about what they had, maybe the five years they were seperate made them understand that they can't live without the other. (Or maybe I'm reading between the lines, but oh well!)

I don't want to dish out on the characters, cause that would be a long list of how awesome they were. I'll just say that they, Bonnie, Eli and their families, are exquisite, loving and REAL.



Here, a little bit of my notes while I was reading Again:



This book has me right from the start. The progolue is enough for me to tell this book is going to be a great read.


The little snippets from Bonnie and Eli's loving relatioship before they broke up are so sweet and heartwarming, their feelings seem genuine and palpable.



Spoiler:

It's obvious they're still very much in love with each other, no matter how hard Bonnie tries to fight it. They are meant to be together, even after 6 years of seperation they feel at ease when they're together. So much that they forget and become passionate again.





Profile Image for Nina.
199 reviews11 followers
July 31, 2013
Again is such a light New Adult contemporary romance read. Imagine that I finished it in a day in between going to school, waiting for classes and going home. See? That light and short. It is fast-paced too. It is basically about Eli and Bonnie breaking up when they just graduated from high school and getting back together after a few years.

What Eli did was such a high-school-boy move. It's really hormonal and stuff. And I do get why he decided to break up with Bonnie. Although I actually wished they talked before ignoring each other because really? They were together for years already. Isn't communication will be more accessible to think that they're more comfortable with each other in a deeper way? Then I guess that's the risk of falling in love and trusting someone so much. You actually give that person the benefit of the doubt that he/she will never hurt you. Ever. I guess Bonnie didn't know that risk yet when they were in high school.

So fast forward, an accident happened that made Bonnie go back to her hometown and be close with Eli again. It's all surreal okay? I mean, yes, I do believe that some people have to be apart just for them to realize that they really are for each other. Or that, some people will always be in love with someone else they can't be with. You know, such tragic love. Anyway, Bonnie tried to fight it off. But it only took some of her energy before she had an epiphany.

It's so swoony that Eli really believed that they'd be together again. I mean, come on! Will some guys be really like that? Maybe those with such heart.

I really liked Again. It's light and I can read it over and over and over again. I just wished that I knew some of Eli and Bonnie's hardships when they were apart. Those will be the interesting parts because they'll be in struggle on their own thinking if they'll actually end up together or not.

Again is such a great light read. It will make you believe in that forever kind of love, friends. Although I already believe in that, it feels nice to read about something like it. It's a feel-good novel about love and second chances.

Originally posted at The Bookish Confections
10 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2013
I received a free e-copy for an honest review of Again by Brandy Jeffus.

I would recommend this book for an enjoyable quick read with likable characters and a great story line. Bonnie and Eli were high school sweethearts and best friends, destined to be together forever. Unfortunately Eli made a drunken, one-night stand mistake and broke off things with Bonnie feeling unworthy of her and that his life was forever altered due to this mistake. Not being able to deal with the situation, Bonnie leaves town for college and meets and starts dating a ‘rock’ star. Knowing this isn’t her forever an unforeseen car accident her mom has brings her home to help with care giving and back to Eli. Six years later, some things change but the one constant is a forever love that hasn’t stopped for either Bonnie or Eli. This is a teenage romance with some romance scenes but nothing too steamy. I would definitely recommend and keep Brandy on my indie author look out list for new books!!
Profile Image for Shay Ray Stevens.
Author 4 books25 followers
May 24, 2013
When I have a chance to sit down and read, I want a book I can finish in one sitting. AGAIN fit the bill perfectly! AGAIN is a short and very sweet love story about a couple trying to find their way back to each other after poor choices were made. It was tastefully written, with just enough detail. I loved the change in point of view as we switched from the past to the present and back. I know some reviews have mentioned there are aspects of the hero/heroine that made the story unenjoyable for them, but I think those aspects are real life for some people and I think it's well worth the read. It's a nice feel-good story about forgiveness. :) I would love to see another story about Eli and Bonnie to find out where they end up.
Profile Image for Angela Graham.
Author 20 books1,810 followers
May 27, 2013
First I have to say this author is amazingly kind. Her cover is gorgeous and I was excited to read this. I am not a fan of cheaters, I have to admit, and I was not prepared for how quickly Eli cheats as far it was chapter 2. I was just falling in love with the couple and then Bam, they were faced with the heartbreak. I wanted to see Bonnie go through the motions not try to work it out right away. But either way things just didn't go in her favor. In the end I enjoyed the story. I am giving it four stars not because I did not enjoy it but because I wanted to see Bonnie stand up for herself a little more and have the story developed a little further. Overall great book!
Profile Image for Vanessa.
246 reviews
July 4, 2019
I was given a copy of this book by the author for a honest review.

Wow, this book was great! Glad that I was given the opportunity to read it. Loved the connection between Eli and Bonnie throughout this whole book. The story line is kind of fast past, but I liked it that way. This was a great read that I finished in just a few hours. (I stayed up until 3am, I couldn't put it down). There are a few small grammatical errors but they weren't so huge that I couldn't just get past them. I really liked how the author organized the chapters and that everything flowed well. Everyone will definitely enjoy read this book.
Profile Image for Andrea.
132 reviews6 followers
May 29, 2013

The writing just felt really choppy and disorienting for me. The dialogue also felt a bit amateur and way too cheesy. It was a nice concept, but I didn't feel much of a connection to the characters. This was a short read, and I think a lot could have been explored and added to make it better. There needed to be more development. It just all felt really rushed and unrealistic for me. It didn't feel genuine. There was little angst or drama, everything happened way too easily. I kept wondering if Brooke has forgotten what he did. They just moved on from it and got together to quickly.
Profile Image for Yekaterina.
282 reviews8 followers
January 2, 2014
Eli and Bonnie are in love, together forever kind of love. That is until Eli makes a wrong move and hurts himself and Bonnie. They both attempt to move on with their lives with little success. However, the are suddenly jolted to reality when Bonnie's mom gets into a near fatal.
Though this story was slightly rushed and the author jumped around a bit- I loved it. It was very cute and positive. It kept the readers attention and spiked curiosity. Overall, it's a decently written book that I enjoyed.
Profile Image for nadaannuha.
43 reviews
Read
March 11, 2015
I'll be posting an excerpt at my tour stop so be sure to visit my blog on July 29. But let me tell you this, I'm not a fan of New Adult (I didn't notice the genre back then, my mistake. Sorry.) and Again is just not for me. It's okay, actually. You should still go read it and be the one to know whether or not you enjoy the book. And why don't you check out the rest of the tour stops and read the review? :-)
Profile Image for Stacy.
209 reviews9 followers
July 23, 2013
From recess buddies to high school sweethearts, Eli Stone and Bonnie Jinks were constants in each other’s lives. Although young, their relationship had withstood the test of many teenage tribulations. Marriage and a happy ever after were in their future plans.

One alcohol fueled mistake rips them apart. Bonnie ends up on the road with her new boyfriend while Eli joins the military. It seems as if their lives would never intersect again.
Profile Image for Andrea Britton.
2,100 reviews43 followers
March 23, 2014
I really enjoyed this HEA! Bonnie and Eli are in love with each other when they are young and dumb. they want forever but Eli jeopardizes their future. Can they find their way back to each other? Hell Yes they can. Eli makes up for his bad acts of his youth and proves to Bonnie that their love will conquer all. I wish that this story was a bit longer but all in all a enjoyable read!
I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Erica.
459 reviews25 followers
July 21, 2013
This was such a cute little read. I loved the love Bonnie and Eli shared. It was so obvious how much they stayed in love.
When they broke up, i was heart broken. I cried. But, one look at each other and all right was in the world and i was sooo glad! I wish there was just a little more in the story tho, like some kids... but it was a great short read!
Profile Image for Juli Hall.
1,314 reviews43 followers
September 21, 2013
Again is a sweet love story. I got a free copy for my honest review. Honestly I could tell this was her first book, but Ms Jeffus has potential. It had a few editing problems but has a good storyline and believable characters. I would recommend this to my friends. I would read another book from her.
Profile Image for Sara.
733 reviews349 followers
August 10, 2013
This was ok for the most part. I really liked the beginning then it sort of fizzled out for me. Predictable story and so so characters. Eli was cute tho, seemed southern sweet. After so much time together and apart I just expected....more.
Profile Image for Rosie.
4 reviews
May 24, 2013
I have to admit, I bought this book only because of the cover. Another author I like commented on it and it drew me in. That said, I really enjoyed this book. It was simple, sweet, and just what I needed right now.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
40 reviews
February 18, 2014
Short read and good story. :)

Second chance love stories are always my favorite cause you see how the people have grown and how much they have realized they've made mistakes. The characters are likable and my favorite is Eli because I am biased towards any military guy. LoL. :)
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