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Second Best Again
For twenty years, she built her life around Ronin - the man she met in university, the father of her son, the partner she thought she knew. But one winter afternoon, a chance glimpse through a café window shatters everything she's clung to.
Reeling from betrayal and years of quietly diminishing herself, she walks away from the home they shared, from the son who doesn't understand, and from the woman she's become. As she tries to rebuild a life on her own terms, she must face the hardest she has always been second best in Ronin's heart and maybe in her son's, too.
Tender, raw, and unflinching, Second Best again is the story of a woman learning to choose herself, even if it means starting over with nothing but her own name.
Reeling from betrayal and years of quietly diminishing herself, she walks away from the home they shared, from the son who doesn't understand, and from the woman she's become. As she tries to rebuild a life on her own terms, she must face the hardest she has always been second best in Ronin's heart and maybe in her son's, too.
Tender, raw, and unflinching, Second Best again is the story of a woman learning to choose herself, even if it means starting over with nothing but her own name.
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 13, 2025
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November 16, 2025
NEVER love a man MORE than he loves you.
3.25⭐️ for the drama and the ending
Spoilers ahead‼️
•
•
•
— FMC - Sage:
I was kinda suspicious about her, esp since she knew she was Ronin’s second choice and she always ended up giving in to him and letting him get away with his actions. Look, she had all the signs that this man never really made an effort for her and she knew she could never compete with his first love (Mia). She could’ve saved herself from this relationship way earlier but what happened happened. I liked her growth though, how she stood her ground and never let Ronin’s cheating slide.
— MMC - Ronin (the cheater and Sage’s partner for over 20 years):
First of all, I hated this jerk with passion.
He’s the idiot who didn’t know what he had until he lost it. Sage was way too good for him and he never deserved her. I hated how he treated her for most of their twenty-year relationship… he wasn’t abusive, just distant and uninterested. When Sage left him, he freaked out and felt guilty but it was too late. He also ruined his relationship with his son and lost his respect (at some point, their relationship got better).
He didn’t really fight for Sage. When she told him she didn’t want to be with him anymore, he just let her go… he tried talking to her but she ignored him and when that happened, he gave up pretty quickly. 😒
— The new MMC - Euan:
He didn’t show up much (we barely saw him in the first 50%). He was around a bit at the beginning, then appeared back again after 70%. (This story’s all about Sage moving on and Ronin regretting his bad choices).
Euan was a jerk when he met Sage for the first time, but their friendship and relationship developed into something more. He was the one pursuing the relationship and almost desperate just to spend time with her 🫠. Usually, I’m not into insta-love but since Sage had spent her whole life being the second choice and being with a man who didn’t really love her, I had no problem with Euan falling for her so quickly and deeply 🤭 (I’m glad Sage ended up with a man who adores her, just like she deserves).
Anyway, I really wish he had more page time 😔.
— The Fmc’s son - David (14 yo):
He found out about his dad’s affair a few months ago. His dad told him he’d find the right time to tell his mom (which he never did, ofc. Sage actually discovered the affair by accident when she saw him on the street kissing OW and they were intimate together). David wasn’t a bad son but I didn’t like the part where he told his mom that his dad seemed happier with OW, which just broke her heart even more. That wasn’t his intention but the damage was done anyway. He felt guilty for not telling her about the affair and was crushed when she left him with his dad for a few days. Sage didn’t really do anything except give him the silent treatment and told him it would take her some time to trust him again (she forgave him at some point).
— OW1 - Amanda:
The woman Ronin had an affair with for two years, and she caused drama.
Amanda is also Mia’s sister (Ronin’s first love) and he had no idea. She had been obsessed with him for a very long time and she lied about her husband abusing her. He was actually a loving, loyal husband and she just did all that so she could get closer to Ronin. (Note: I really felt so bad for Amanda’s husband)
— OW2 - Mia (Ronin’s first love/ex):
Ronin was still hung up on his ex and had never gotten over her. He even kept a box with all their memories and pictures together, and every now and then, he would go back and look at them, just to escape into the past when life got rough. Sage knew she was second best and knew about the box and that he checked the photos to escape into the past, yet she never said anything and stayed silent all those years because she was scared of losing him 😕. It was painful to read about how much Ronin felt for Mia compared to how he felt for Sage, who he obviously never loved her as much as he loved Mia.
He even said that Mia came back and wanted them to get back together but he rejected her to satisfy his ego, since she had left him for another man, but later, he found himself missing her again 😒 (David was one year old at the time).
At the 67% mark, Mia showed up and met Ronin again, and you can see he’s still affected by her 🤬…… She talked to him about her sister and found out that he had a relationship with the sister because she looks like her. She told him she’s divorced now and that he’s free from Sage, so she thought about getting back together but he felt sick and sent her away (why are these women so desperate for this terrible man?).
— My favorite part:
When Ronin (accidentally) saw Sage and Euan having sex… he totally deserved it 😏.
— The ending:
Near the end, Sage and Euan found out they were expecting a baby. That hit Ronin so hard, since he and Sage had been trying to have another child for years.
Sage and Ronin decided to keep things friendly between them for their son. You can see Ronin’s regret over losing Sage and seeing her happy with her husband and their new baby. We didn’t know what happened to Ronin years later, but Sage finally found the love of her life and she was happier than ever. 👏❤️
______
Book info:
— Cheating (but the h ends up with a new H)
— Dual pov/3rd person POV (Sage & Ronin, we didn’t get Euan’s POV)
— MCs are in their mid-forties
Safety:
➥ Sage and Euan:
— Separation for months (both of them have been celibate since they met)
— No owd from Euan’s side, only his niece caused a bit of trouble
— There are no details about his past. It’s only briefly mentioned that he had a long-ago relationship and a series of casual flings
— HEA (with a son) 🫶
➥ Ronin:
— No sex scenes of him with OW
— No HEA!! (he wasn’t mentioned in the epilogue after five years). He didn’t get any bad karma or anything. He just regrets losing Sage and it hurts him to see her happy with another man — a man who gave her everything Ronin couldn’t.
3.25⭐️ for the drama and the ending
Spoilers ahead‼️
•
•
•
— FMC - Sage:
I was kinda suspicious about her, esp since she knew she was Ronin’s second choice and she always ended up giving in to him and letting him get away with his actions. Look, she had all the signs that this man never really made an effort for her and she knew she could never compete with his first love (Mia). She could’ve saved herself from this relationship way earlier but what happened happened. I liked her growth though, how she stood her ground and never let Ronin’s cheating slide.
“My whole life has been a lie. You've used me. You should have let me go a long time ago. Anything would've been better than this. I am not even second best...I am not even on the fucking list.”
— MMC - Ronin (the cheater and Sage’s partner for over 20 years):
First of all, I hated this jerk with passion.
He’s the idiot who didn’t know what he had until he lost it. Sage was way too good for him and he never deserved her. I hated how he treated her for most of their twenty-year relationship… he wasn’t abusive, just distant and uninterested. When Sage left him, he freaked out and felt guilty but it was too late. He also ruined his relationship with his son and lost his respect (at some point, their relationship got better).
He didn’t really fight for Sage. When she told him she didn’t want to be with him anymore, he just let her go… he tried talking to her but she ignored him and when that happened, he gave up pretty quickly. 😒
“Pain like no other closed around Ronin's throat like a vice. He'd told himself she would never leave; that their fights, her silences, were temporary storms. She had always loved him more than he did her, didn’t she? He had been aware of her infatuation even when he was with Mia (his first love). He had taken her work, her devotion as his due while withholding a little bit of himself. He had hoped they could talk, at least for David's sake, and rebuild what he had broken, but he hadn't believed she'd walk.”
— The new MMC - Euan:
He didn’t show up much (we barely saw him in the first 50%). He was around a bit at the beginning, then appeared back again after 70%. (This story’s all about Sage moving on and Ronin regretting his bad choices).
Euan was a jerk when he met Sage for the first time, but their friendship and relationship developed into something more. He was the one pursuing the relationship and almost desperate just to spend time with her 🫠. Usually, I’m not into insta-love but since Sage had spent her whole life being the second choice and being with a man who didn’t really love her, I had no problem with Euan falling for her so quickly and deeply 🤭 (I’m glad Sage ended up with a man who adores her, just like she deserves).
Anyway, I really wish he had more page time 😔.
“I would choose you in a thousand lifetimes, but I will spend this one waiting for you to choose me back.
Forever yours, because I am, and always will be, in love with you.”
— The Fmc’s son - David (14 yo):
He found out about his dad’s affair a few months ago. His dad told him he’d find the right time to tell his mom (which he never did, ofc. Sage actually discovered the affair by accident when she saw him on the street kissing OW and they were intimate together). David wasn’t a bad son but I didn’t like the part where he told his mom that his dad seemed happier with OW, which just broke her heart even more. That wasn’t his intention but the damage was done anyway. He felt guilty for not telling her about the affair and was crushed when she left him with his dad for a few days. Sage didn’t really do anything except give him the silent treatment and told him it would take her some time to trust him again (she forgave him at some point).
“I thought it would be best for Mum not for you. Better than being with a liar like you. Instead, she thinks I chose your side. I wanted her to take me with her, not leave me with you. And now she hates me when it's all your fault.”
— OW1 - Amanda:
The woman Ronin had an affair with for two years, and she caused drama.
“I couldn't resist.
It happened nine times over a year ago. Each time, I felt good when I was with her, but afterwards, it was hell. I tried to end it. Once I almost told you, but I realised I didn't want to lose you. The next day, I talked to her, told her we had to stop, and she agreed. But a month later she told me...she told me she was pregnant, that it was mine. That it couldn't be James' (OW’s husband). She said she'd leave him, and I tried to support her through it.”
“He tried to summon Amanda's face in his mind, the way she had looked in those early months. The cheap thrill of it came back first—the shock of excitement when she had unzipped him that very first time and had taken him in her mouth, the rush of forbidden novelty that had clouded his judgment. Or the night she'd pushed him back onto his office couch, stripping off her clothes in a frenzy, like she couldn't bear not having him inside her for a second longer.
At the time, it had made him feel wanted, powerful, and young again. But the thrill never lasted. Seconds, that was all—seconds before it curdled into a hollow nothingness, twisted through with shame.
And worse, he knew what Sage's father had done, how his betrayals had broken her childhood, made her believe love was conditional and fragile. She had trusted Ronin not to be that man, but he was no better. He had become the exact thing she had feared the most.”
He remembered thinking during the early days that he might be in love with Amanda. He had told himself he was, because otherwise, he would have had to admit the truth—that he had thrown away his relationship and everything Sage had given him for moments of distraction.
Even a few days ago, he had clung to the lie that there had been something real in it, some meaning. But when he stripped it bare in the silence of their bedroom with the whisky burning his throat like acid, he couldn't deny it any longer. It had never been love ; it was just empty pleasure, and he had sacrificed the one person who mattered most for an adrenaline rush.”
Amanda is also Mia’s sister (Ronin’s first love) and he had no idea. She had been obsessed with him for a very long time and she lied about her husband abusing her. He was actually a loving, loyal husband and she just did all that so she could get closer to Ronin. (Note: I really felt so bad for Amanda’s husband)
“Amanda. No wonder she'd reminded him of Mia when he had first seen her. The same fair hair, the same quick, searching eyes. He hadn't wanted to look too closely at why, but he had been a fool. He had been reliving his past in more ways than one.”
— OW2 - Mia (Ronin’s first love/ex):
Ronin was still hung up on his ex and had never gotten over her. He even kept a box with all their memories and pictures together, and every now and then, he would go back and look at them, just to escape into the past when life got rough. Sage knew she was second best and knew about the box and that he checked the photos to escape into the past, yet she never said anything and stayed silent all those years because she was scared of losing him 😕. It was painful to read about how much Ronin felt for Mia compared to how he felt for Sage, who he obviously never loved her as much as he loved Mia.
He even said that Mia came back and wanted them to get back together but he rejected her to satisfy his ego, since she had left him for another man, but later, he found himself missing her again 😒 (David was one year old at the time).
“Inside were old letters, neatly folded and tied with a ribbon gone pale with time. They were addressed to him from Mia—his high school sweetheart, who had followed him into university. In their second year, Mia had broken his heart, leaving him for a rugby star on campus.
Back then, she had read every page, the ink a mix of teasing banter, shared memories and declarations so raw they had made her chest ache. There had been photographs too—one of Mia perched on Ronin's lap, both of them mid-laughter, the sort of forever joy captured forever in a moment. There had been other pictures in the box—friends, photos of student parties, fragments of a life before her.
She had asked him about it at the time, and he'd said he'd forgotten the box was even there. He'd offered awkwardly to throw it away, but she'd tried to act cool”
“I was never Ronin's first choice, you know. It was Amanda's sister. He grieved her. I was just the stupid placeholder who stayed for a couple of decades. If you feel foolish, just think of how I feel.”
“I knew you were looking at those old photos, being sad. Don't tell me it was just reminiscing about college days. Let's be honest; you wanted to escape into the past.”
“I told myself it was fate. I'd always thought I'd marry Mia, and I wasn't ready to let go of that dream, despite what she put me through. God, what a fool I was.”
(He said this after he and Sage’s wedding was called off for the first time 😒)
“When Amanda came along—when she pursued me—it was like being twenty again. Like Mia all over again. The irony that she is Mia's sister isn't lost on me. It stroked my ego; I let myself drown in it.”
At the 67% mark, Mia showed up and met Ronin again, and you can see he’s still affected by her 🤬…… She talked to him about her sister and found out that he had a relationship with the sister because she looks like her. She told him she’s divorced now and that he’s free from Sage, so she thought about getting back together but he felt sick and sent her away (why are these women so desperate for this terrible man?).
— My favorite part:
When Ronin (accidentally) saw Sage and Euan having sex… he totally deserved it 😏.
“He turned, numb, and stumbled back through the door. Hands trembling, the flowers went into the first bin he passed.
He walked. And walked. Hours blurred together until his legs ached, the noise of the city dimming to a fog around him.
This was his new reality. A brutal awakening of what he had brought upon himself with his careless cruelty.
It was all he deserved.”
— The ending:
Near the end, Sage and Euan found out they were expecting a baby. That hit Ronin so hard, since he and Sage had been trying to have another child for years.
Sage and Ronin decided to keep things friendly between them for their son. You can see Ronin’s regret over losing Sage and seeing her happy with her husband and their new baby. We didn’t know what happened to Ronin years later, but Sage finally found the love of her life and she was happier than ever. 👏❤️
______
Book info:
— Cheating (but the h ends up with a new H)
— Dual pov/3rd person POV (Sage & Ronin, we didn’t get Euan’s POV)
— MCs are in their mid-forties
Safety:
➥ Sage and Euan:
— Separation for months (both of them have been celibate since they met)
— No owd from Euan’s side, only his niece caused a bit of trouble
— There are no details about his past. It’s only briefly mentioned that he had a long-ago relationship and a series of casual flings
— HEA (with a son) 🫶
➥ Ronin:
— No sex scenes of him with OW
— No HEA!! (he wasn’t mentioned in the epilogue after five years). He didn’t get any bad karma or anything. He just regrets losing Sage and it hurts him to see her happy with another man — a man who gave her everything Ronin couldn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2025
No relationship is perfect. In a relationship you may weigh the pro’s and con’s. There are non negotiables, or dealbreakers when pursuing a romance and then there are the allowances, those things that aren’t you favorite but the good you get in return outweighs it.
For example, he never puts down the toilet seat, but he always takes out the trash. He hates romance movies, but will watch them because he loves me. He has poker night with the boys, but doesn’t let it take over family life. He never marries me, but he is my life partner who provides a good home, stability, and is the father of my son. It works for us. Well, it did, but then I saw him, with her and realized that I actually settled a long time ago…but not anymore.
🛑The following is an overview of the story with slight spoilers, but major spoilers were left out.🛑
Sage and Ronin have been in a relationship for 20 years. They were going to marry once upon a time and it got postponed. Ronin being quite content with the relationship, never bothered to make it happen. They have a 15 year old son David. Sage is stay at home mom, as Ronin is wealthy and provides a good home. Now in her 40’s, Sage is starting to go through the changes women all do at a certain age. Mood swings, unreliable periods, lethargy, hot flashes…etc. Peri has come and taken a hold of Sage. Her relationship is suffering, but since they are committed to each other they can weather this storm. Then one day, Sage sees him with a younger woman, and it is obvious that they are an item. She confronts him right away. In addition to this, the woman, Amanda, has a child that looks like Ronin, and she claims it is Ronin’s who has accepted that claim. When Sage finds out her Son knew his Dad was seeing another woman…she leaves for an impromptu trip to Scotland to get her thoughts together. On the train she meets Euan, who is grumpy and attractive. His interactions with Sage are borderline rude yet he ends up being her hero. Let’s just say this man wasn’t scared away by pesky female issues. She doesn’t stay in Scotland long but they grow close. Euan vows to keep in touch. Sage goes back home to deal with the effects of a broken relationship. More comes out (not spoiling it here) Ronin would like Sage back, but honestly he has done too much(like pining away for his first love and keeping a box of mementos he looks at regularly). He also has a nasty mom. Things move forward….Euan writes letters and comes for a visit. Then he buys a house near her, so he can woo her. Euan and Sage are endgame! Her son likes Euan. And Ronin has to deal with losing what is probably his greatest love. There is a phenomenal epilogue! I have left out lots of great spoilers, but this is the gist of the story. There are surprises and I highly recommend it. Raegan gives us the full range of emotions in the story starting with the angst and sadness we have for Sage, to the absolutely beautiful, funny, sexy, and happy ending!
This latest offering by Raegan Salander will put you through the full range of emotions. The beginning of the story will have you raging at Ronin and even some will be directed to the son David. As you are raging, your heart will be breaking for Sage, who finds herself playing second best once again. As the story continues, your attitude will change from anger to hope, from crying to laughing, from sexless to sexy, and finally sad to Happy.
Words of wisdom by Alexander Graham Bell
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones that open for us,”
Quote as it pertains to Sage: She was devastated by the closed door. However, after anger and grief, she chose to open some new doors and was rewarded.
Quote as it pertains to Ronin: Ronin kept looking back at the door that was closed. Even though he went through an open door, he couldn’t stop thinking about the closed door, never truly embracing what was being offered through the open door.
Quote as it pertains to Euan: Euan said the hell with doors took them off their hinges and lit them on fire! He not only embraced his insta strong feelings for Sage, but he went through all the doors to get to her. Proving to her that she was no longer second best!
For example, he never puts down the toilet seat, but he always takes out the trash. He hates romance movies, but will watch them because he loves me. He has poker night with the boys, but doesn’t let it take over family life. He never marries me, but he is my life partner who provides a good home, stability, and is the father of my son. It works for us. Well, it did, but then I saw him, with her and realized that I actually settled a long time ago…but not anymore.
🛑The following is an overview of the story with slight spoilers, but major spoilers were left out.🛑
Sage and Ronin have been in a relationship for 20 years. They were going to marry once upon a time and it got postponed. Ronin being quite content with the relationship, never bothered to make it happen. They have a 15 year old son David. Sage is stay at home mom, as Ronin is wealthy and provides a good home. Now in her 40’s, Sage is starting to go through the changes women all do at a certain age. Mood swings, unreliable periods, lethargy, hot flashes…etc. Peri has come and taken a hold of Sage. Her relationship is suffering, but since they are committed to each other they can weather this storm. Then one day, Sage sees him with a younger woman, and it is obvious that they are an item. She confronts him right away. In addition to this, the woman, Amanda, has a child that looks like Ronin, and she claims it is Ronin’s who has accepted that claim. When Sage finds out her Son knew his Dad was seeing another woman…she leaves for an impromptu trip to Scotland to get her thoughts together. On the train she meets Euan, who is grumpy and attractive. His interactions with Sage are borderline rude yet he ends up being her hero. Let’s just say this man wasn’t scared away by pesky female issues. She doesn’t stay in Scotland long but they grow close. Euan vows to keep in touch. Sage goes back home to deal with the effects of a broken relationship. More comes out (not spoiling it here) Ronin would like Sage back, but honestly he has done too much(like pining away for his first love and keeping a box of mementos he looks at regularly). He also has a nasty mom. Things move forward….Euan writes letters and comes for a visit. Then he buys a house near her, so he can woo her. Euan and Sage are endgame! Her son likes Euan. And Ronin has to deal with losing what is probably his greatest love. There is a phenomenal epilogue! I have left out lots of great spoilers, but this is the gist of the story. There are surprises and I highly recommend it. Raegan gives us the full range of emotions in the story starting with the angst and sadness we have for Sage, to the absolutely beautiful, funny, sexy, and happy ending!
This latest offering by Raegan Salander will put you through the full range of emotions. The beginning of the story will have you raging at Ronin and even some will be directed to the son David. As you are raging, your heart will be breaking for Sage, who finds herself playing second best once again. As the story continues, your attitude will change from anger to hope, from crying to laughing, from sexless to sexy, and finally sad to Happy.
Words of wisdom by Alexander Graham Bell
“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones that open for us,”
Quote as it pertains to Sage: She was devastated by the closed door. However, after anger and grief, she chose to open some new doors and was rewarded.
Quote as it pertains to Ronin: Ronin kept looking back at the door that was closed. Even though he went through an open door, he couldn’t stop thinking about the closed door, never truly embracing what was being offered through the open door.
Quote as it pertains to Euan: Euan said the hell with doors took them off their hinges and lit them on fire! He not only embraced his insta strong feelings for Sage, but he went through all the doors to get to her. Proving to her that she was no longer second best!
January 4, 2026
The blurb sets this up; Sage and Ronin have been together for 20 years when she sees him with another woman. The book opens with the confrontation, so it wasn’t a huge gut punch just because I wasn’t invested in them yet, but I thought the author did a great job of showing Sage’s devastation.
The only part I found off-putting was how they treated their son. Ronin for asking the kid to keep a secret, and Sage for blaming him for not telling her. He was a child, and they should’ve NEVER put him in the middle of their very adult relationship issue. And her writing a letter telling him she was basically ashamed of him for the way he reacted to a situation he should’ve been shielded from and that he wasn’t the boy she thought he was… was HORRIBLE. It made me dislike her for chapters. I got over it, but it definitely affected my ability to relate to Sage.
These cheating A-hole books come in two flavors… they either work it out or she gets an upgrade. If either of these is a hard limit, you might want to peek at some spoilers. I will try to be vague but will tag just in case.
The only part I found off-putting was how they treated their son. Ronin for asking the kid to keep a secret, and Sage for blaming him for not telling her. He was a child, and they should’ve NEVER put him in the middle of their very adult relationship issue. And her writing a letter telling him she was basically ashamed of him for the way he reacted to a situation he should’ve been shielded from and that he wasn’t the boy she thought he was… was HORRIBLE. It made me dislike her for chapters. I got over it, but it definitely affected my ability to relate to Sage.
These cheating A-hole books come in two flavors… they either work it out or she gets an upgrade. If either of these is a hard limit, you might want to peek at some spoilers. I will try to be vague but will tag just in case.
November 15, 2025
I loved it!
4,5 but I will turn into a 5 because of the way it ended
It was a palate cleanser after a cheating binge because most heroines accepted what I consider unacceptable.
I will spoil the main plots
safety:
h and cheater
- he cheated physically nine times during a year, then the ow got pregnant and he continued the betrayal albeit no more physical cheating for one more year until the heroine caught them
- he also was still thinking about his ex from college years after being with the h (the reason for the title)
h and hero
- a new hero shows up
- completely faithful
- love at first sigh for him
- devoted to her
So I was very worried because her son knew about the cheating has been two months and he didn't tell her. However, I was able to forgive him, because he didn't side with him father, he was 14 so to me still a confused teen, he believed his mother would be happier divorced like her bff's parents that started to get along better after their separation.
He was wrong in keeping his mouth shut, he couldn't look his mom on the eye during that period and distanced himself from his father.
To me what his father did was awful, he not only cheated, he damaged h and her son's relationship and how cruel it was to make him son keep this lie, even if he never forced the son or anything like that, by not talking with him 14 year old son and not telling the truth to the heroine he put his son in an awful position.
David (the son) was confused, desperate and didn't know what to do. He made the wrong choice, the heroine felt betrayed and told him that, I think she should spelled it like you betrayed me too, but I have to be realistic here, she loves her son, is a good mom and her own mother was awful to her, so she was very mature dealing with this. She made it clear it would time for her to trust him again and that he felt alone in the world because of the betrayal. Still, I needed a little bit more (edit: I re read that parts and reading her letter again I felt more satisfied this time)
When David tells her he knew about the affair, he said that: "She's nice," he said finally. "If Dad's happy with her...maybe"
I was stunned and so was the h. David explains that he thought if the h believe he was fine with it she was going to deal with things in a better way and be happy too once they parted ways.
I was able o like David later, he apologized, I also realized how young 14 is, but I still need her to be a little more clear to him in how she felt backstabbed twice. I liked that she traveled without talking to him, she left a letter, but she didn't told him before. I liked that.
I loved Euan, the true hero, the other think that made me not give 5 stars straight away is because while they were together in his home I missed his pov, I wanted to see him falling in love more clearly.
He was very fast declaring his feelings, it almost gave me a shock, but I was able to overcome how fast it happened because he sent beautiful letters explaining his feelings. I think this part was a bit of fairytale romance, but I am in the mood for a bit of that. I missed this in romance novels, the love that burns instantly
Now the cheater, the ow was actually his ex sister who was crazy and plot for them to be together. He didn't know he was his ex's sister.
I LOVED the h reaction to his affair and to their past issued who lingered until the present and tainted her love for him. I also loved how she blamed him, rightfully, for bringing the crazy ow into their lives. I wish more heroines would do that.
I liked that he wasn't a monster, he was a cheater and he ended up alone like he deserved, but I didn't think he was those unrealistic monster we saw. I was able to see why she stayed, although I did hope like her, that she left sooner. He didn't fight for the money or the house, he was fair in how he split their assets, which I know is the minimum, yet many man don't even do that.
She and the cheater never got married, this pained me so much because hits close to home, many women accept living together, creating a life and they want to get married but they don't because the man doesn't want it.
So the new hero was perfect when he arrived loving her out loud. I loved that we got a good part of the book showing them together. It made me really love the couple. I loved how her child wanted her happy and didn't cause any problems for them.
Three things made me very happy, the cheater got a front row for a sex session between the h and the new hero.
Cheater had a low sperm count and they were not able to have a second baby. But she did got pregnant at the end and I loved it.
The third is how pre menopause was written, this is realistic!!! many woman suffer like that or even worse and there are women getting pregnant during that period just like the h
4,5 but I will turn into a 5 because of the way it ended
It was a palate cleanser after a cheating binge because most heroines accepted what I consider unacceptable.
I will spoil the main plots
safety:
h and cheater
- he cheated physically nine times during a year, then the ow got pregnant and he continued the betrayal albeit no more physical cheating for one more year until the heroine caught them
- he also was still thinking about his ex from college years after being with the h (the reason for the title)
h and hero
- a new hero shows up
- completely faithful
- love at first sigh for him
- devoted to her
So I was very worried because her son knew about the cheating has been two months and he didn't tell her. However, I was able to forgive him, because he didn't side with him father, he was 14 so to me still a confused teen, he believed his mother would be happier divorced like her bff's parents that started to get along better after their separation.
He was wrong in keeping his mouth shut, he couldn't look his mom on the eye during that period and distanced himself from his father.
To me what his father did was awful, he not only cheated, he damaged h and her son's relationship and how cruel it was to make him son keep this lie, even if he never forced the son or anything like that, by not talking with him 14 year old son and not telling the truth to the heroine he put his son in an awful position.
David (the son) was confused, desperate and didn't know what to do. He made the wrong choice, the heroine felt betrayed and told him that, I think she should spelled it like you betrayed me too, but I have to be realistic here, she loves her son, is a good mom and her own mother was awful to her, so she was very mature dealing with this. She made it clear it would time for her to trust him again and that he felt alone in the world because of the betrayal. Still, I needed a little bit more (edit: I re read that parts and reading her letter again I felt more satisfied this time)
When David tells her he knew about the affair, he said that: "She's nice," he said finally. "If Dad's happy with her...maybe"
I was stunned and so was the h. David explains that he thought if the h believe he was fine with it she was going to deal with things in a better way and be happy too once they parted ways.
I was able o like David later, he apologized, I also realized how young 14 is, but I still need her to be a little more clear to him in how she felt backstabbed twice. I liked that she traveled without talking to him, she left a letter, but she didn't told him before. I liked that.
I loved Euan, the true hero, the other think that made me not give 5 stars straight away is because while they were together in his home I missed his pov, I wanted to see him falling in love more clearly.
He was very fast declaring his feelings, it almost gave me a shock, but I was able to overcome how fast it happened because he sent beautiful letters explaining his feelings. I think this part was a bit of fairytale romance, but I am in the mood for a bit of that. I missed this in romance novels, the love that burns instantly
Now the cheater, the ow was actually his ex sister who was crazy and plot for them to be together. He didn't know he was his ex's sister.
I LOVED the h reaction to his affair and to their past issued who lingered until the present and tainted her love for him. I also loved how she blamed him, rightfully, for bringing the crazy ow into their lives. I wish more heroines would do that.
I liked that he wasn't a monster, he was a cheater and he ended up alone like he deserved, but I didn't think he was those unrealistic monster we saw. I was able to see why she stayed, although I did hope like her, that she left sooner. He didn't fight for the money or the house, he was fair in how he split their assets, which I know is the minimum, yet many man don't even do that.
She and the cheater never got married, this pained me so much because hits close to home, many women accept living together, creating a life and they want to get married but they don't because the man doesn't want it.
So the new hero was perfect when he arrived loving her out loud. I loved that we got a good part of the book showing them together. It made me really love the couple. I loved how her child wanted her happy and didn't cause any problems for them.
Three things made me very happy, the cheater got a front row for a sex session between the h and the new hero.
Cheater had a low sperm count and they were not able to have a second baby. But she did got pregnant at the end and I loved it.
The third is how pre menopause was written, this is realistic!!! many woman suffer like that or even worse and there are women getting pregnant during that period just like the h
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2026
It was gut punching reading the heroine's devastation upon the betrayal she faced. The first half of the book was truly heartbreaking. The author did a really good job projecting those feelings so much so that my heart ached for the heroine and sometimes for the first hero even though he was totally at fault and nothing he could have done would have changed the fact that he betrayed her.
November 27, 2025
It is so satisfying reading about a cheater who loses everything
. Who realizes what he had and has to watch her move on with someone else!!
This was painful to read at times,but for a girl in her 40s, this book was one I could really relate to…..the dreaded perimenopause symptoms😢
The way she found herself and someone who truly put her first❤️❤️
There is a lot of messy details I’m leaving out about the mistress and his ex but don’t worry because she ends up with a new H! The betrayal happens in the first chapter which I LOVE, it doesn’t drag out…
. Who realizes what he had and has to watch her move on with someone else!!
This was painful to read at times,but for a girl in her 40s, this book was one I could really relate to…..the dreaded perimenopause symptoms😢
The way she found herself and someone who truly put her first❤️❤️
There is a lot of messy details I’m leaving out about the mistress and his ex but don’t worry because she ends up with a new H! The betrayal happens in the first chapter which I LOVE, it doesn’t drag out…
January 14, 2026
This book is labeled as a second chance romance but I wouldn't label it that way nor would I label it as a marriage in trouble book. Second chance at finding genuine love, sure.
This is because the main female character, Sage is not married to the cheating scumbag Ronin although they have been together for 20 years so it doesnt fit into marriage in trouble and the Scottish Knight in shining armor that comes to rescue her heart is a stranger to her until she runs away to Scotland, so theres not a second chance with anyone.
I would see this as mire of a new lease on life and potential to find herself after a bitter betrayal book. Dort of a love triangle 🔺️ as well because there are two male characters. The thing is Im not sure which one was the hero because 80 percent of the book focused on one relationship and 20 percent in another.
This book hit all of my angst and betrayal buttons even if I wish there was more pages devoted to one man who seems at times too good to be true. I definitely recommend reading it if you like sngsty books ( grab the tissues to be prepared).
This is because the main female character, Sage is not married to the cheating scumbag Ronin although they have been together for 20 years so it doesnt fit into marriage in trouble and the Scottish Knight in shining armor that comes to rescue her heart is a stranger to her until she runs away to Scotland, so theres not a second chance with anyone.
I would see this as mire of a new lease on life and potential to find herself after a bitter betrayal book. Dort of a love triangle 🔺️ as well because there are two male characters. The thing is Im not sure which one was the hero because 80 percent of the book focused on one relationship and 20 percent in another.
This book hit all of my angst and betrayal buttons even if I wish there was more pages devoted to one man who seems at times too good to be true. I definitely recommend reading it if you like sngsty books ( grab the tissues to be prepared).
December 28, 2025
The first half kept me In it then this book fell flat for me. It became wordy and boring page filler and I skimmed alot. So the fmc catches her husband of 20 years strolling down the street kissing ow. When they stop at a cafe she confronts them. Turns out he’s been having Ga an affair for 2 years. So the fmc’s done and she takes off to Scotland and meets H2. Also I know it’s just a me thing but I hate when authors write accents phonetically in dialogue and it was weird that one minute the new Scottish H had a burr and the next he didn’t. Just let me use my imagination—i.e.Sean Connery in the Highlander.
November 15, 2025
5 stars. This was so dang good, a total emotional gut punch. The writing in this book really took me for a ride. The story really explored just how devastating cheating can be - how much the betrayal can ravage everything built over a lifetime together. I cried with the heroine, I felt her sorrow and pain, and I loved how she managed to rebuild after her life was turned upside down. The hero here is not the heroine’s cheating ex (thank god) but the cheater got several chapters from his POV. Surprisingly, I felt bad for him, a totally unexpected reaction because I usually only want cheaters to suffer. He realized just how big of an idiot he had been, took accountability for his actions, but at that point it was simply too late. The hero was a little one dimensional, and I wish there had been chapters from his POV. Instead, he was basically just the perfect man who wanted to step in and take over in the heroine’s life, where her ex had failed her before. He’s great, exactly what the heroine deserved, but maybe a little too convenient and perfect to be at all realistic.
Anyways, this was surprisingly safe after getting past all the cheating stuff. The hero and heroine are only with one another in this book, no cheating between them at all.
Anyways, this was surprisingly safe after getting past all the cheating stuff. The hero and heroine are only with one another in this book, no cheating between them at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2025
Raegan Salander has a way with writing- especially angst and heartbreak. Sage, our h, reaches her final level of disillusionment with her partner of two decades. She finds out he’s been committing a major betrayal and worse, that their son knew something about it. It’s brutal and she feels the need to get away for a while to try to reconcile this awful truth about a man she thought she could trust with how she’s let herself be made smaller by him. And all her years of swallowing her concerns, her wants for nothing bc Ronin couldn’t even give her his loyalty.
Sage is such a brilliant heroine. She goes away to reset and I respected every moment of her putting herself first for once. She meets a man, Euan, and she starts to put her broken pieces back together again. But Euan isn’t the focus of this story, Sage is and her growth is awesome to watch. Sage returns home and is tired, exhausted by what the last 20 years plus this latest betrayal have taken out of her, but she’s determined to move on now. And she’s steadfast in her renewal of her sense of self and self worth. Euan is absolutely lovely as well & he courts her, slowly, but steadily. Honestly that man is the definition of steady and trustworthy and eventually their paths come together to form a new future. One that looked different than Sage expected, but fuller and with the love and support of the best of men.
Such a good betrayal story, that is ultimately about a woman finding herself and her limits and being strong enough to change her life to enforce them.
Sage is such a brilliant heroine. She goes away to reset and I respected every moment of her putting herself first for once. She meets a man, Euan, and she starts to put her broken pieces back together again. But Euan isn’t the focus of this story, Sage is and her growth is awesome to watch. Sage returns home and is tired, exhausted by what the last 20 years plus this latest betrayal have taken out of her, but she’s determined to move on now. And she’s steadfast in her renewal of her sense of self and self worth. Euan is absolutely lovely as well & he courts her, slowly, but steadily. Honestly that man is the definition of steady and trustworthy and eventually their paths come together to form a new future. One that looked different than Sage expected, but fuller and with the love and support of the best of men.
Such a good betrayal story, that is ultimately about a woman finding herself and her limits and being strong enough to change her life to enforce them.
November 19, 2025
This was a solid marriage in trouble novel with a liberal splash of MMC’s cheating. I like this author’s writing and enjoyed the pace of the book. I am not a fan of insta-love, which I felt describes the new H and FMC’s lightening-fast connection. I just wasn’t feeling it, which dampened my outlook for the remainder of the book.
There’s some anemic groveling and some just desserts, which is one of my fave tropes!
All in all, this is a solid 3 ⭐️ read. I will keep reading this author’s work because I enjoy her writing, her story telling skills, and her brave embrace of my fave tropes that tend to set the trigger chicks’ hair on fire.
There’s some anemic groveling and some just desserts, which is one of my fave tropes!
All in all, this is a solid 3 ⭐️ read. I will keep reading this author’s work because I enjoy her writing, her story telling skills, and her brave embrace of my fave tropes that tend to set the trigger chicks’ hair on fire.
November 14, 2025
Really worth a read.
Not married but together 20 years with a child.
Heroine ends up with someone else after her not husband cheats.
Not married but together 20 years with a child.
Heroine ends up with someone else after her not husband cheats.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2025
I may reread and revise my rating, but for now, I'm very happy with this book.
Betrayal, angst, happy ending.
Betrayal, angst, happy ending.
December 30, 2025
Do you ever read a book and wish you could read it for the first time again because it was just so good? That’s how I felt after reading this book. I normally hate stories that involve cheating but I was in the mood for a good grovel and boy do you get that in this book. This story heartbreakingly illustrates that there are truly no winners when people cheat. There were five hearts broken and lives forever altered in this story, and surprisingly, the cheaters themselves come out with the most tragic outcome.
This author “wrote the emotion” in such a poignant and realistic way that it feels like you are experiencing the pain and the joy right along with the characters. And the characters are so well drawn and multi-dimensional, from the main characters to the teenage son and all the side characters.
As another plus, there are lovely bits of funny banter between Sage and Euan in the latter part of the book.
The only things I didn’t like about this book are 1) the title, which I feel like focuses on the negative part of the story and I would prefer a title that focuses on the positive because that part of the story ultimately outweighed the negative, and 2) I felt like the love story with Euan was a bit rushed at first. But these things are definitely minor for me.
What more can I say other than I loved this book, I found a new author I want to explore further, and I feel very satisfied with the HEA ending and epilogues. It’s a tragic story and a beautiful one. And it’s short enough that I was able to finish it in one evening, which I was happy about because I honestly couldn’t put it down.
*******
(Spoiler) As I reconsidered my review for this, I forgot one thing that really did bother me in the story and that was that she left her 14-year-old son for a week without first speaking to him to tell him why she was going. A note was not good enough. He had been deeply hurt too. She was pretty harsh with him about how he hurt her without really investigating to see how the affair had affected him. It turned out to be a misunderstanding on her part and it was really unkind and immature, in my opinion, even in spite of how devastated she was, for her to do that to her child. So I took a star away for that.
This author “wrote the emotion” in such a poignant and realistic way that it feels like you are experiencing the pain and the joy right along with the characters. And the characters are so well drawn and multi-dimensional, from the main characters to the teenage son and all the side characters.
As another plus, there are lovely bits of funny banter between Sage and Euan in the latter part of the book.
The only things I didn’t like about this book are 1) the title, which I feel like focuses on the negative part of the story and I would prefer a title that focuses on the positive because that part of the story ultimately outweighed the negative, and 2) I felt like the love story with Euan was a bit rushed at first. But these things are definitely minor for me.
What more can I say other than I loved this book, I found a new author I want to explore further, and I feel very satisfied with the HEA ending and epilogues. It’s a tragic story and a beautiful one. And it’s short enough that I was able to finish it in one evening, which I was happy about because I honestly couldn’t put it down.
*******
(Spoiler) As I reconsidered my review for this, I forgot one thing that really did bother me in the story and that was that she left her 14-year-old son for a week without first speaking to him to tell him why she was going. A note was not good enough. He had been deeply hurt too. She was pretty harsh with him about how he hurt her without really investigating to see how the affair had affected him. It turned out to be a misunderstanding on her part and it was really unkind and immature, in my opinion, even in spite of how devastated she was, for her to do that to her child. So I took a star away for that.
December 20, 2025
This was so good. It jumps right into the betrayal from page one. The FMC had to not only deal with her husband’s infidelity, his neglect and disregard for her, but also for her son’s betrayal. That was the most heartbreaking part of the story for me. She was able to work things out with her son but the damage done to his relationship with his parents aged him to the realities around him. I felt it was really well done of the author writing his character as his age and his dynamics with his parents. I enjoyed all aspects where the son was written into the story.
The FMC meets a new MMC and that first meeting was funny but weird. I did like the evolution of their relationship on page. But mostly I liked the FMC’s growth. She showed how she felt stupid for wasting her life on the cheater and how invisible he made her feel. I liked that this book also touched on perimenopause in women and how it can affect their relationships as well as their mental and physical health. It was very brief but it was enough for me.
Lastly, I liked how everyone got what they deserved. The OW was crazy and lost her poor used husband, her baby and the cheater she was obsessed with. I liked how the cheater ended up alone and as a part time dad to their son. I liked how the FMC ended up with a better man and a new baby and an actual marriage to someone who put her first as she deserved. I liked that the original son grew to be more aware of his words and he was more dedicated to the FMC his mother moving forward.
I only have three gripes. I wish the author had written the confrontation between the cheater and the OW’s husband on page. When the cheater goes to speak to him it’s only shown their initial meeting with each other but not what was discussed between them. That irked me so much! I want all the drama so why wasn’t this on page??
The next issue I had was that the new MMC never got a POV. It would have been nice if he had at least one chapter in this story. Maybe to explain their retarded first meeting between them on the train. Smh.
Lastly I would have loved if the epilogue had one final glimpse into the future’s of all the characters of this book and not just this lovey dovey HEA for the main couple that we got. I loved it as is but I would have liked one final rundown for everyone else. Like did the OW’s husband James find his HEA? I was rooting for that poor man. I hope the author gives him a book one day. I mean he has an amazing betrayal story already. And what happened to the cheating ex husband and their son? How was their lives playing out all these years later.
Anyway, I would love to read more by this author but I can’t decide which book to read next. Good luck.
The FMC meets a new MMC and that first meeting was funny but weird. I did like the evolution of their relationship on page. But mostly I liked the FMC’s growth. She showed how she felt stupid for wasting her life on the cheater and how invisible he made her feel. I liked that this book also touched on perimenopause in women and how it can affect their relationships as well as their mental and physical health. It was very brief but it was enough for me.
Lastly, I liked how everyone got what they deserved. The OW was crazy and lost her poor used husband, her baby and the cheater she was obsessed with. I liked how the cheater ended up alone and as a part time dad to their son. I liked how the FMC ended up with a better man and a new baby and an actual marriage to someone who put her first as she deserved. I liked that the original son grew to be more aware of his words and he was more dedicated to the FMC his mother moving forward.
I only have three gripes. I wish the author had written the confrontation between the cheater and the OW’s husband on page. When the cheater goes to speak to him it’s only shown their initial meeting with each other but not what was discussed between them. That irked me so much! I want all the drama so why wasn’t this on page??
The next issue I had was that the new MMC never got a POV. It would have been nice if he had at least one chapter in this story. Maybe to explain their retarded first meeting between them on the train. Smh.
Lastly I would have loved if the epilogue had one final glimpse into the future’s of all the characters of this book and not just this lovey dovey HEA for the main couple that we got. I loved it as is but I would have liked one final rundown for everyone else. Like did the OW’s husband James find his HEA? I was rooting for that poor man. I hope the author gives him a book one day. I mean he has an amazing betrayal story already. And what happened to the cheating ex husband and their son? How was their lives playing out all these years later.
Anyway, I would love to read more by this author but I can’t decide which book to read next. Good luck.
January 7, 2026
I highlighted the hell out of this, so many good lines. Anyone who has been in a relationship where they feel like they’re runner up will be able to relate to the hurt FMC, Sage, was gripped with once she confirms her partners affair. Now this OW was just on the left side of bonkers, and as the story unfolds you find out just how crazy she is. MMC, Ronin, was a tool. Though he may have earned Sage’s forgiveness, getting another chance with her, especially as more comes out, seems like a hard no. There’s a hunky Scotsman thrown in for good measure, I do love them, so there are options for Sage. I won’t spoil but she is given a choice and I was behind her 100%.
November 21, 2025
I’ve read several books by this author, so I went into this one with high expectations — especially because it promised one of my favourite tropes: long-term relationship breakdown, cheating, and the raw emotional fallout that follows. What I didn’t expect was how deeply heartbreaking Sage’s story would be, or how brilliantly the author handled mature characters in their mid-40s navigating betrayal, menopause, grief, and rediscovery.
This story follows Sage, 45, who has spent twenty years with her partner Ronan. Their relationship began back in uni, when he was still with his ex, Mia, and Sage was part of the same friend group. When Ronan and Mia eventually ended, Sage and Ronan slowly became a couple. They nearly married twice — once seventeen years ago before Sage’s mother suddenly died, and again when she became pregnant with their son, David. Both times, life got in the way. And Sage, being someone who always avoided rocking the boat, never pushed the issue again.
From the start, the book makes it painfully clear how much Sage has shrunk herself over the years. She gave up her job, managed the home, carried the emotional labour, shouldered Ronan’s demanding career, endured his mother’s passive-aggressive criticisms, and moulded herself into a peacekeeper. Meanwhile, for the last few years, her perimenopausal symptoms had spiralled — mood swings, depression, exhaustion — and Ronan had emotionally checked out. The imbalance in their relationship was already heartbreaking before the cheating was revealed.
The actual confrontation scene is brutal, and the author shows it from Ronan’s POV as Sage sits down at the café table where Ronan and the other woman, Amanda, are meeting. His panic, shame, and guilt are visceral. Sage doesn’t shout — she quietly breaks. And what makes it worse is Amanda’s smug, possessive touch, the wedding ring on her finger, and the expression on Sage’s face turning hollow in real time.
Once Sage leaves the café, Ronan confesses everything. Not just that he cheated — but that he’s been doing so for two years. He slept with Amanda nine times in the first year, and then became entangled in her life because she told him she was being abused by her husband and needed emotional support. He let the lines blur, convinced himself he loved her, and then Amanda got pregnant. The baby looks exactly like him. Sage’s world collapses.
And then the worst betrayal of all happens: their 14-year-old son, David, admits he has known about the affair for two months. He says he didn’t tell Sage because Ronan “looked happy.” That moment destroyed me. You feel Sage’s soul leave her body.
From that point, Sage is gone emotionally. She moves into the guest room, barely speaks, spirals into depression, and eventually escapes to the Scottish Highlands. On the train, she meets Ewan, a grumpy, rugged, wealthy, gentle man who slowly softens toward her. He gives her a place to stay, helps her when her heavy period bleeds through her clothes, and even though his niece Blair pops in occasionally with attitude, Sage stands her ground. Over the next ten days, she and Ewan form this tentative, healing connection — kisses, tenderness, understanding — but Sage is clear: she needs to go back home, close the door on her old life, and think clearly.
Back home, the truth unravels further. We learn Amanda was not abused. She lied. Her husband wasn’t cruel — he just happened to resemble Ronan, and Amanda was obsessed with Ronan because he once dated her sister Mia. She manipulated him, played victim, and trapped him emotionally with the pregnancy. And eventually, the DNA test confirms the baby is not Ronan’s, but James’s.
At the same time, Sage finally confronts Ronan about the thing that cut the deepest: the biscuit tin of old photos and letters from Mia. Sage had always known about it — not only known, but she used to move it slightly to see if Ronan was still opening it. And he was. Constantly. In every rough period of their relationship, he retreated into nostalgia for his ex instead of leaning into his life with Sage. Hearing Sage describe this — how she spent years feeling like she was never Ronan’s first choice — was absolutely gut-wrenching.
What makes this book powerful is that Ronan’s remorse doesn’t erase the damage. He is shattered, ashamed, gutted by what he’s done, and after the confrontation he never sees Amanda again. He cuts it off completely and instantly. But none of that fixes the fact that Sage gave him half her life, loved him more than she was loved, and still ended up second best.
She ends it. He moves out. And Sage slowly rebuilds her life and her relationship with her son.
Months later, Ewan reaches out — patient, steady, and willing to wait as long as she needs. Eventually, he moves to her town, right across from her flat, and their relationship blossoms into something loving and balanced. He chooses her every single day. He makes her a priority — something Ronan never did. They fall in love in a slow, healing way. Sage becomes pregnant, they get married, and the epilogue shows them settled, happy, and whole.
Ronan attends her wedding. He apologises deeply and genuinely. And Sage lets go — not in bitterness, but in peace. We don’t hear from him again, which I think was the perfect choice.
The final chapters hint at a future book about Ewan’s friend Fergus, and honestly, I’d read it in a heartbeat.
This book broke me, It’s messy, mature, painfully real, and beautifully emotional. Sage’s journey from being invisible in her own life to being someone’s first choice was incredibly satisfying. Ronan’s POV adds so much depth to the heartbreak — he wasn’t a cartoon villain, he was a flawed, weak man who made awful choices. And Sage’s healing, her empowerment, and her new love with Ewan made the ending feel earned.
I’ve read a couple of books by this author before, so I went into this one genuinely excited — especially because it promised cheating, heartbreak, messy emotions, and all those relationship-drama punches I love in a story. And honestly, the book delivered exactly that. Even though the writing style still isn’t perfect for me, and it definitely reads like a Wattpad novel at times, the emotional payoff was strong enough that I was hooked from start to finish. And I can already see the author improving with every release — I truly think their writing is only going to get better and better.
Even though I really enjoyed the story I didn’t love how how it was structured and at times I felt like there was unnecessary words there that were just filling in space.
This story follows Sage, 45, who has spent twenty years with her partner Ronan. Their relationship began back in uni, when he was still with his ex, Mia, and Sage was part of the same friend group. When Ronan and Mia eventually ended, Sage and Ronan slowly became a couple. They nearly married twice — once seventeen years ago before Sage’s mother suddenly died, and again when she became pregnant with their son, David. Both times, life got in the way. And Sage, being someone who always avoided rocking the boat, never pushed the issue again.
From the start, the book makes it painfully clear how much Sage has shrunk herself over the years. She gave up her job, managed the home, carried the emotional labour, shouldered Ronan’s demanding career, endured his mother’s passive-aggressive criticisms, and moulded herself into a peacekeeper. Meanwhile, for the last few years, her perimenopausal symptoms had spiralled — mood swings, depression, exhaustion — and Ronan had emotionally checked out. The imbalance in their relationship was already heartbreaking before the cheating was revealed.
The actual confrontation scene is brutal, and the author shows it from Ronan’s POV as Sage sits down at the café table where Ronan and the other woman, Amanda, are meeting. His panic, shame, and guilt are visceral. Sage doesn’t shout — she quietly breaks. And what makes it worse is Amanda’s smug, possessive touch, the wedding ring on her finger, and the expression on Sage’s face turning hollow in real time.
Once Sage leaves the café, Ronan confesses everything. Not just that he cheated — but that he’s been doing so for two years. He slept with Amanda nine times in the first year, and then became entangled in her life because she told him she was being abused by her husband and needed emotional support. He let the lines blur, convinced himself he loved her, and then Amanda got pregnant. The baby looks exactly like him. Sage’s world collapses.
And then the worst betrayal of all happens: their 14-year-old son, David, admits he has known about the affair for two months. He says he didn’t tell Sage because Ronan “looked happy.” That moment destroyed me. You feel Sage’s soul leave her body.
From that point, Sage is gone emotionally. She moves into the guest room, barely speaks, spirals into depression, and eventually escapes to the Scottish Highlands. On the train, she meets Ewan, a grumpy, rugged, wealthy, gentle man who slowly softens toward her. He gives her a place to stay, helps her when her heavy period bleeds through her clothes, and even though his niece Blair pops in occasionally with attitude, Sage stands her ground. Over the next ten days, she and Ewan form this tentative, healing connection — kisses, tenderness, understanding — but Sage is clear: she needs to go back home, close the door on her old life, and think clearly.
Back home, the truth unravels further. We learn Amanda was not abused. She lied. Her husband wasn’t cruel — he just happened to resemble Ronan, and Amanda was obsessed with Ronan because he once dated her sister Mia. She manipulated him, played victim, and trapped him emotionally with the pregnancy. And eventually, the DNA test confirms the baby is not Ronan’s, but James’s.
At the same time, Sage finally confronts Ronan about the thing that cut the deepest: the biscuit tin of old photos and letters from Mia. Sage had always known about it — not only known, but she used to move it slightly to see if Ronan was still opening it. And he was. Constantly. In every rough period of their relationship, he retreated into nostalgia for his ex instead of leaning into his life with Sage. Hearing Sage describe this — how she spent years feeling like she was never Ronan’s first choice — was absolutely gut-wrenching.
What makes this book powerful is that Ronan’s remorse doesn’t erase the damage. He is shattered, ashamed, gutted by what he’s done, and after the confrontation he never sees Amanda again. He cuts it off completely and instantly. But none of that fixes the fact that Sage gave him half her life, loved him more than she was loved, and still ended up second best.
She ends it. He moves out. And Sage slowly rebuilds her life and her relationship with her son.
Months later, Ewan reaches out — patient, steady, and willing to wait as long as she needs. Eventually, he moves to her town, right across from her flat, and their relationship blossoms into something loving and balanced. He chooses her every single day. He makes her a priority — something Ronan never did. They fall in love in a slow, healing way. Sage becomes pregnant, they get married, and the epilogue shows them settled, happy, and whole.
Ronan attends her wedding. He apologises deeply and genuinely. And Sage lets go — not in bitterness, but in peace. We don’t hear from him again, which I think was the perfect choice.
The final chapters hint at a future book about Ewan’s friend Fergus, and honestly, I’d read it in a heartbeat.
This book broke me, It’s messy, mature, painfully real, and beautifully emotional. Sage’s journey from being invisible in her own life to being someone’s first choice was incredibly satisfying. Ronan’s POV adds so much depth to the heartbreak — he wasn’t a cartoon villain, he was a flawed, weak man who made awful choices. And Sage’s healing, her empowerment, and her new love with Ewan made the ending feel earned.
I’ve read a couple of books by this author before, so I went into this one genuinely excited — especially because it promised cheating, heartbreak, messy emotions, and all those relationship-drama punches I love in a story. And honestly, the book delivered exactly that. Even though the writing style still isn’t perfect for me, and it definitely reads like a Wattpad novel at times, the emotional payoff was strong enough that I was hooked from start to finish. And I can already see the author improving with every release — I truly think their writing is only going to get better and better.
Even though I really enjoyed the story I didn’t love how how it was structured and at times I felt like there was unnecessary words there that were just filling in space.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
I didn't read this book so much as devour it. Sage has been with Ronin for twenty years, they never married but they do have a son together. She finds out that for the last two years he has been having an affair and now there is a baby. Add into that her son knew about the affair and didn't tell her.
Once she hits rock bottom Sage leaves in order to start to heal and move forward. I am not going to give away more of the plot here, I truly believe you are best off going into this one blind. What I will tell you is that Sage's leaving completely changes her life in a way she never thought possible.
If you are anything like me you are going to love this one.
Once she hits rock bottom Sage leaves in order to start to heal and move forward. I am not going to give away more of the plot here, I truly believe you are best off going into this one blind. What I will tell you is that Sage's leaving completely changes her life in a way she never thought possible.
If you are anything like me you are going to love this one.
November 17, 2025
Second best…
They’ve been together twenty years, had a son, and almost got married a couple of times. He started with someone else two years ago, and now there’s a three month old baby that the OW says is his. I can’t even imagine how this would make a person feel. To have devoted your adult life to a man who can’t even be bothered to marry you. And he’s been living with the FMC all along, while still sleeping with the OW at the same time. And the OW says her husband abuses her and cheats, which turns out to be a huge lie, along with the baby issue.
The FMC finds love again and things work out for her. That was really enjoyable, and it wrapped up her story very nicely.
Bought with a book credit fortunately. It was a good book, better than average but not spectacular. I can recommend it for those of us who like when the FMC thrives after betrayal. It takes her a while, but she gets there.
They’ve been together twenty years, had a son, and almost got married a couple of times. He started with someone else two years ago, and now there’s a three month old baby that the OW says is his. I can’t even imagine how this would make a person feel. To have devoted your adult life to a man who can’t even be bothered to marry you. And he’s been living with the FMC all along, while still sleeping with the OW at the same time. And the OW says her husband abuses her and cheats, which turns out to be a huge lie, along with the baby issue.
The FMC finds love again and things work out for her. That was really enjoyable, and it wrapped up her story very nicely.
Bought with a book credit fortunately. It was a good book, better than average but not spectacular. I can recommend it for those of us who like when the FMC thrives after betrayal. It takes her a while, but she gets there.
November 16, 2025
Healing
Sage and Euan were so good together. She was definitely not 2nd best where he was concerned. At some parts I wanted more, such as the feeling between Euan and Sage.
I was just happy the Sage found her HEA.
Sage and Euan were so good together. She was definitely not 2nd best where he was concerned. At some parts I wanted more, such as the feeling between Euan and Sage.
I was just happy the Sage found her HEA.
January 5, 2026
How long women have to suffer because of men? She gave you her entire life and how do you reciprocate that ?? By sleeping with the sister of the love of your life? And for two years? And forcing your son to keep your dirty secret?
I kept on praying that she doesn’t reconcile with him and thank god she didn’t. She stood on her feet. She didn’t budge. There was no momentary lapse of lust or anything. I love that for her. It was painful for her to realize that she was not living the life she was meant to live and that she had to do better and I’m glad she moved forward with her life.
I don’t like her husband. I especially despise such men. How do you bolt at the first sign of sickness ? I also hate women like Amanda. How do you wreck someone else’s house ? I think of myself as mysandrist - i think women are superior than men - but I hate it when women like Amanda wreck other women’s house.
I liked Euan but I also think Sage needed to move forward on her own for some time. And at times it felt like Euan was love bombing her. I totally liked their first meet, the dialogues, the moments, but those letters were love bombing in my opinion. But still i’m glad Euan turned out to be the good guy. I liked his bond with Sage’s son. I also liked how he was more ready for pregnancy and babies than Sage.
Overall this book was pretty good. It has betrayal, drama, love, family dynamics, bla bla.
I kept on praying that she doesn’t reconcile with him and thank god she didn’t. She stood on her feet. She didn’t budge. There was no momentary lapse of lust or anything. I love that for her. It was painful for her to realize that she was not living the life she was meant to live and that she had to do better and I’m glad she moved forward with her life.
I don’t like her husband. I especially despise such men. How do you bolt at the first sign of sickness ? I also hate women like Amanda. How do you wreck someone else’s house ? I think of myself as mysandrist - i think women are superior than men - but I hate it when women like Amanda wreck other women’s house.
I liked Euan but I also think Sage needed to move forward on her own for some time. And at times it felt like Euan was love bombing her. I totally liked their first meet, the dialogues, the moments, but those letters were love bombing in my opinion. But still i’m glad Euan turned out to be the good guy. I liked his bond with Sage’s son. I also liked how he was more ready for pregnancy and babies than Sage.
Overall this book was pretty good. It has betrayal, drama, love, family dynamics, bla bla.
January 27, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.
While I found the overall story enjoyable, it felt underdeveloped in a lot of places.
The story starts with the FMC Sage discovering that her partner of 20 years and the father of her child has been cheating on her for the past 2 years and he has a baby with the mistress
Without spoiling much, she decides to go to Scotland to rediscover herself, on the train ride there, she meets the second MMC Euan.
Although handsome, he was unnecessarily rude to her during their first meeting, which made it weird when he was confessing to her that from he moment he saw her, he had no intention of letting her go?? You refused to borrow her a phone charger??? Where’s the connection in that??
Another problem I had with the book was that she was in Scotland for 10 days, in that 10 days all she did was kiss him once, and after she went back to England he was sending her love letters about how he’ll never let her go?? How she’s the love of his life? You were with her for 10 days and the first 2 days you were being rude to her?? But go off I guess.
The story would have been better if it was actually longer, because this will give us the opportunity to actually see a relationship develop between sage and euan, because we were being told that he loved her and wanted to spend his whole life with her when we didn’t even witness them have a proper deep conversation.
It was still an enjoyable read, and if this type of books are your thing I’ll definitely recommend it.
While I found the overall story enjoyable, it felt underdeveloped in a lot of places.
The story starts with the FMC Sage discovering that her partner of 20 years and the father of her child has been cheating on her for the past 2 years and he has a baby with the mistress
Without spoiling much, she decides to go to Scotland to rediscover herself, on the train ride there, she meets the second MMC Euan.
Although handsome, he was unnecessarily rude to her during their first meeting, which made it weird when he was confessing to her that from he moment he saw her, he had no intention of letting her go?? You refused to borrow her a phone charger??? Where’s the connection in that??
Another problem I had with the book was that she was in Scotland for 10 days, in that 10 days all she did was kiss him once, and after she went back to England he was sending her love letters about how he’ll never let her go?? How she’s the love of his life? You were with her for 10 days and the first 2 days you were being rude to her?? But go off I guess.
The story would have been better if it was actually longer, because this will give us the opportunity to actually see a relationship develop between sage and euan, because we were being told that he loved her and wanted to spend his whole life with her when we didn’t even witness them have a proper deep conversation.
It was still an enjoyable read, and if this type of books are your thing I’ll definitely recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2025
the shit i been waiting for
editing my review;
i really did love this book but minus 1.25 stars just because after like 70? ish percent i feel like her story with euan flew by. like we get the whole 10 letters and him being supportive and encouraging from afar so she knows there’s someone on her team yada yada. but once he shows up on her doorstep it’s like im falling for you, 4 pages later we’re having raw sex and don’t care about the repercussions, and then boom i’m proposing.
i know of course that in the book we’re getting time skips and whatnot but i would’ve loved for their in person relationship to have developed more beyond the constant sex and oop i’m pregnant. like how is euan gonna be like you haven’t had your period for 4 weeks! but i feel like only 10 pages have passed since he got there.
anywho, i loved that she did NOT end up with ronin. every book ive read where groveling is involved might not have cheating but itll be something equally as atrocious and they take the man back… run me my money cause you wasting my time!
editing my review;
i really did love this book but minus 1.25 stars just because after like 70? ish percent i feel like her story with euan flew by. like we get the whole 10 letters and him being supportive and encouraging from afar so she knows there’s someone on her team yada yada. but once he shows up on her doorstep it’s like im falling for you, 4 pages later we’re having raw sex and don’t care about the repercussions, and then boom i’m proposing.
i know of course that in the book we’re getting time skips and whatnot but i would’ve loved for their in person relationship to have developed more beyond the constant sex and oop i’m pregnant. like how is euan gonna be like you haven’t had your period for 4 weeks! but i feel like only 10 pages have passed since he got there.
anywho, i loved that she did NOT end up with ronin. every book ive read where groveling is involved might not have cheating but itll be something equally as atrocious and they take the man back… run me my money cause you wasting my time!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2025
What a read! Loved Sage's quiet strength in spite of her heartbreak from Ronin's cheating. This author has such a fabulous way of portraying her characters, and Sage has become one of my favourites.
November 20, 2025
Different
A different betrayal and second chance romance without cheating angst, drama, steam and new beginnings.
I don’t believe I have read a Raegan Salander before but I’m glad I tried this one.
I enjoyed very much, loved that not everything fits into a box. Life is messy and this book shows that.
It was engaging and different to these tropes.
A great read!!
A different betrayal and second chance romance without cheating angst, drama, steam and new beginnings.
I don’t believe I have read a Raegan Salander before but I’m glad I tried this one.
I enjoyed very much, loved that not everything fits into a box. Life is messy and this book shows that.
It was engaging and different to these tropes.
A great read!!
November 13, 2025
Raegan does it again with characters that draw you in and keep you turning page after page to dive deeper into their relationships. I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished. Sage is the heroine we all cheer for. You could feel her vulnerability and her sweet heart that gives so much-too much sometimes- to the people she loves. When she discovers the truth of Ronin’s affair she makes the difficult decision to stand up for herself and walk away, choosing to put herself first. Now enter Euan. Wouldn’t we all love to have a Euan in our lives. They come into each other’s lives at the perfect moment in time and their relationship evolves over time. They are truly amazing together. I highly recommend reading this book. You’ll get all the feels.
November 13, 2025
Hands down... beautiful 🦋
Sages journey was powerful and beautiful to read about. To us "older ladies," we will understand the pain she's going thru with her body, and it sucks! It sucks on a good day and can kick you when ur down on a bad one. Ronin is NOT the man you want in your corner when this change happens and as heart breaking as it is for Sage to realize this in the moment she finds her true self and she finds her worth in Euan. Euan is her 1st chance at being the 1st choice, and man, does he deliver. I can't express enough how awesome he is; they r a slow blazing fire, and you will feel the warmth rolling off the pages. Raegan, you're an amazing writer. Thank you for this ❤️
Sages journey was powerful and beautiful to read about. To us "older ladies," we will understand the pain she's going thru with her body, and it sucks! It sucks on a good day and can kick you when ur down on a bad one. Ronin is NOT the man you want in your corner when this change happens and as heart breaking as it is for Sage to realize this in the moment she finds her true self and she finds her worth in Euan. Euan is her 1st chance at being the 1st choice, and man, does he deliver. I can't express enough how awesome he is; they r a slow blazing fire, and you will feel the warmth rolling off the pages. Raegan, you're an amazing writer. Thank you for this ❤️
November 21, 2025
From second best to first.
I'm really glad I took a chance and read this book, I honestly couldn't put it down. You really feel for sage finding out her partner of 20 years has been cheating for two years, then finding out he possibly has a 6 month old daughter with this other woman, you feel angry on her behalf. Then you read about her finding herself after years of being a partner and mother and all the while you're rooting for her. All the feelings in one book.
I'm really glad I took a chance and read this book, I honestly couldn't put it down. You really feel for sage finding out her partner of 20 years has been cheating for two years, then finding out he possibly has a 6 month old daughter with this other woman, you feel angry on her behalf. Then you read about her finding herself after years of being a partner and mother and all the while you're rooting for her. All the feelings in one book.
November 13, 2025
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I dove in and just finished it in one sitting. I laughed and cried. Cried some more. I love the path Sage chose. And I need a Euan in my life. This book is beautiful!
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