What do you think?
The Song We Lost
They were supposed to take on the world together.
Bailey Brooks and Luke Carter grew up chasing the same dream; guitars in their hands, music in their bones, and a love that once felt impossible to break.
From a trailer park in rural Canada to the bright lights of Nashville, they built a life side by side. A marriage. A career. A future that always belonged to both of them.
Until it didn’t.
Success came fast, and somewhere along the way, the boy Bailey trusted most became someone she barely recognized. Fame, addiction, betrayal, and the pressure of living under a spotlight slowly fractured the life they built together, leaving Bailey carrying the weight of a love she no longer knew how to save.
Then tragedy changes everything.
As grief pulls Bailey out of the public eye, rumours explode across the internet, and the country music industry begins feeding on the silence she leaves behind. But while the world speculates about what destroyed them, Luke is finally forced to face the truth about himself, the choices he made, and the woman he still loves more than music, fame, or the life he thought he wanted.
Because some songs aren’t just about love.
They’re about survival.
About finding yourself after the world takes pieces of you.
Learning that healing doesn’t erase the damage, it teaches you how to carry it.
And sometimes the people who break your heart are also the ones willing to help you rebuild it.
The Song We Lost is an emotionally layered second-chance romance about grief, forgiveness, addiction, family, fame, and finding your way back to the people who feel most like home.
Content NoteThis story explores emotionally heavy themes
• grief and the loss of a loved one
• terminal illness and cancer
• addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse
• marriage struggles, betrayal, and emotional infidelity
• anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma
• public scrutiny and media exploitation
• emotionally difficult family and life events
Reader discretion is advised.
Bailey Brooks and Luke Carter grew up chasing the same dream; guitars in their hands, music in their bones, and a love that once felt impossible to break.
From a trailer park in rural Canada to the bright lights of Nashville, they built a life side by side. A marriage. A career. A future that always belonged to both of them.
Until it didn’t.
Success came fast, and somewhere along the way, the boy Bailey trusted most became someone she barely recognized. Fame, addiction, betrayal, and the pressure of living under a spotlight slowly fractured the life they built together, leaving Bailey carrying the weight of a love she no longer knew how to save.
Then tragedy changes everything.
As grief pulls Bailey out of the public eye, rumours explode across the internet, and the country music industry begins feeding on the silence she leaves behind. But while the world speculates about what destroyed them, Luke is finally forced to face the truth about himself, the choices he made, and the woman he still loves more than music, fame, or the life he thought he wanted.
Because some songs aren’t just about love.
They’re about survival.
About finding yourself after the world takes pieces of you.
Learning that healing doesn’t erase the damage, it teaches you how to carry it.
And sometimes the people who break your heart are also the ones willing to help you rebuild it.
The Song We Lost is an emotionally layered second-chance romance about grief, forgiveness, addiction, family, fame, and finding your way back to the people who feel most like home.
Content NoteThis story explores emotionally heavy themes
• grief and the loss of a loved one
• terminal illness and cancer
• addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse
• marriage struggles, betrayal, and emotional infidelity
• anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma
• public scrutiny and media exploitation
• emotionally difficult family and life events
Reader discretion is advised.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 18, 2026
grief. sadness. be prepared you will CRY - more focused on grief than the marriage in crisis, barely any spice
OK, so the story is VERY well written (kudos to the author) and it’s quite long and I don’t feel like the plot drags out too much… except with the weak MMC and his terrible behavior. (I swear his chapters contributed nothing to the story)
SO If you like stories with a lot of angst and feeling, and you’re in the mood for heavy crying… this book is for you
If you’re here because you’re interested in a marriage in trouble book and how that couple breaks apart and then how they come back together and the grovel involved… this is not really that book. No matter what booktok says.
I love marriage in trouble books … so where this fails for me is that for a large portion of the book the main male character is not really there and is off spiraling into drugs. He really doesn’t come back into the story until 67%.. and he really doesn’t have an actual talk with the main female character until about 80%??? . A lot of it is telling and not showing.
Most of this book is about the main female character dealing with a really horrible situation with her husband, impending divorce, finding herself again and learning to be happy and free, introducing new male characters
that I think could’ve been love interests, and then for the last 50% of the book she is dealing with a very intensely personal loss…..That is absolutely heartbreaking and it basically kind of becomes the main story. And it involves lots of crying (by you, the reader)
SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
OK what most aggravated me about this book is that the MMC is really just addicted to fame and getting an amazing album record deal and getting signed like his wife does. He’s incredibly jealous of her and doesn’t want her to tour with him or sing with him because the lime light would be on her and not him . That’s how he pushes his wife away and blows up their marriage. his excuses for his behavior are just really weak in my opinion. Like no bro you wanted that fame.
Then he spends a majority of the book lamenting that she’s leaving him and then he’s in denial about it, and then he turns to drugs. So a lot of the chapters are just about his descent into drug addiction until he has no idea what day it is or what is going on or what he is even doing or who’s in his room with him. Yeah.
Why is this important? Well, it’s used as the catalyst to re-introduce him to the MFCs life again while she’s dealing with her pregnant sister who is dying from stage four cancer. Reread that again.
So he really doesn’t even grovel - he gets to capitalize on the MFCs grief of her sister dying. And finally being there for her when he hasn’t been there for her the entire time they’ve been married. Tell me that’s just not grifting. I know the author needed a reason to bring them together and reconnect them, but this just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Because they literally get back together because she’s like oh I still love him and I guess he’s showing up for me and he needed help from the drug addiction and had to go to rehab and I wasn’t there for him … Like girl the bar is so low. Of course you’re gonna cling to something that’s familiar while you’re dealing with massive heartbreaking grief.
I don’t care if her sister was like you need to be there for her because you’re the only one that can — riiiiiight the man that broke your sister after seven years of marriage is the only one that can help her heal. Um Jackson!? Jackson was a perfectly good candidate that spent more time on screen than the MMC.
And another thing is that I feel like this was less of a romance book and more like dealing with sudden and severe loss book. Like family coming together to deal with loss and addiction. Like losing someone you love and figuring out how do you go on.
If you have ever dealt with any sort of loss in your life, beware. Because this will absolutely dredge it up.
OK, so the story is VERY well written (kudos to the author) and it’s quite long and I don’t feel like the plot drags out too much… except with the weak MMC and his terrible behavior. (I swear his chapters contributed nothing to the story)
SO If you like stories with a lot of angst and feeling, and you’re in the mood for heavy crying… this book is for you
If you’re here because you’re interested in a marriage in trouble book and how that couple breaks apart and then how they come back together and the grovel involved… this is not really that book. No matter what booktok says.
I love marriage in trouble books … so where this fails for me is that for a large portion of the book the main male character is not really there and is off spiraling into drugs. He really doesn’t come back into the story until 67%.. and he really doesn’t have an actual talk with the main female character until about 80%??? . A lot of it is telling and not showing.
Most of this book is about the main female character dealing with a really horrible situation with her husband, impending divorce, finding herself again and learning to be happy and free, introducing new male characters
that I think could’ve been love interests, and then for the last 50% of the book she is dealing with a very intensely personal loss…..That is absolutely heartbreaking and it basically kind of becomes the main story. And it involves lots of crying (by you, the reader)
SPOILERS YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
OK what most aggravated me about this book is that the MMC is really just addicted to fame and getting an amazing album record deal and getting signed like his wife does. He’s incredibly jealous of her and doesn’t want her to tour with him or sing with him because the lime light would be on her and not him . That’s how he pushes his wife away and blows up their marriage. his excuses for his behavior are just really weak in my opinion. Like no bro you wanted that fame.
Then he spends a majority of the book lamenting that she’s leaving him and then he’s in denial about it, and then he turns to drugs. So a lot of the chapters are just about his descent into drug addiction until he has no idea what day it is or what is going on or what he is even doing or who’s in his room with him. Yeah.
Why is this important? Well, it’s used as the catalyst to re-introduce him to the MFCs life again while she’s dealing with her pregnant sister who is dying from stage four cancer. Reread that again.
So he really doesn’t even grovel - he gets to capitalize on the MFCs grief of her sister dying. And finally being there for her when he hasn’t been there for her the entire time they’ve been married. Tell me that’s just not grifting. I know the author needed a reason to bring them together and reconnect them, but this just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Because they literally get back together because she’s like oh I still love him and I guess he’s showing up for me and he needed help from the drug addiction and had to go to rehab and I wasn’t there for him … Like girl the bar is so low. Of course you’re gonna cling to something that’s familiar while you’re dealing with massive heartbreaking grief.
I don’t care if her sister was like you need to be there for her because you’re the only one that can — riiiiiight the man that broke your sister after seven years of marriage is the only one that can help her heal. Um Jackson!? Jackson was a perfectly good candidate that spent more time on screen than the MMC.
And another thing is that I feel like this was less of a romance book and more like dealing with sudden and severe loss book. Like family coming together to deal with loss and addiction. Like losing someone you love and figuring out how do you go on.
If you have ever dealt with any sort of loss in your life, beware. Because this will absolutely dredge it up.
September 9, 2026
Ugh.. this book destroyed me in the best way. I’m now suffering from a book hangover, which is rare for me. I’d been avoiding this one. I have very few triggers, but I tend to avoid addiction in books. I’m so glad I finally decided to pick it up. It’s a special one and I’ll definitely be trawling this author’s backlog.
Spoilery thoughts…
FMC and MMC are married country musicians. They’ve been essentially together since childhood, got married on her 18th birthday, and headed straight to Nashville.
FMC hit it big quickly, MMC not so much. MMC is obsessed with hitting the big time on his own merit and this is where things start to fall apart for our couple. MMC makes bad choice after bad choice until FMC finally files for divorce.
MMC spirals into addiction while FMC deals with fires on the home front. FMC’s sister, who is pregnant, is sick. Very sick.
This is an angsty read, but I wouldn’t say it’s gut punchy like in a lot of betrayal/grovel novels. There’s just so much going on that the marriage destruction almost feels secondary.
The award show towards the end had me crying buckets of tears and was so well written.
Thankfully MMC received the help he so desperately needed and steps up for the FMC in a way I really believed. I believe in their HEA and I manifest that only good things and rainbows will exist for their future.
Great read. I highly recommend. 🌈
Spoilery thoughts…
FMC and MMC are married country musicians. They’ve been essentially together since childhood, got married on her 18th birthday, and headed straight to Nashville.
FMC hit it big quickly, MMC not so much. MMC is obsessed with hitting the big time on his own merit and this is where things start to fall apart for our couple. MMC makes bad choice after bad choice until FMC finally files for divorce.
MMC spirals into addiction while FMC deals with fires on the home front. FMC’s sister, who is pregnant, is sick. Very sick.
This is an angsty read, but I wouldn’t say it’s gut punchy like in a lot of betrayal/grovel novels. There’s just so much going on that the marriage destruction almost feels secondary.
The award show towards the end had me crying buckets of tears and was so well written.
Thankfully MMC received the help he so desperately needed and steps up for the FMC in a way I really believed. I believe in their HEA and I manifest that only good things and rainbows will exist for their future.
Great read. I highly recommend. 🌈
July 27, 2026
I don’t have words for this…
Sometimes I believe I read too many books to even truly appreciate them. Every time someone in a reading group says something about a book hangover I very rarely can relate, but this might be one of the only books that has ever given me that feeling. You know that feeling when you watch a TV show and it has so many seasons, and you can barely even remember where the show began? This book felt that way like it covered so many steps of a life and so short of a span of time, and there were so many errors that this character went through. I have to say that I really didn’t think I would be at peace with her reconciling with her husband because he made just so many poor decisions. But the grief in the pain and the hope that she experienced made me so at peace with the ending of the book I couldn’t even believe that the author had accomplished it. She’s always been one of my favorites, even though she doesn’t have a lot of work out yet, but this book definitely cemented itself in my top five ever read and when I say, I’ve read thousands of books I do mean thousands. The author should be incredibly proud of this story.
Sometimes I believe I read too many books to even truly appreciate them. Every time someone in a reading group says something about a book hangover I very rarely can relate, but this might be one of the only books that has ever given me that feeling. You know that feeling when you watch a TV show and it has so many seasons, and you can barely even remember where the show began? This book felt that way like it covered so many steps of a life and so short of a span of time, and there were so many errors that this character went through. I have to say that I really didn’t think I would be at peace with her reconciling with her husband because he made just so many poor decisions. But the grief in the pain and the hope that she experienced made me so at peace with the ending of the book I couldn’t even believe that the author had accomplished it. She’s always been one of my favorites, even though she doesn’t have a lot of work out yet, but this book definitely cemented itself in my top five ever read and when I say, I’ve read thousands of books I do mean thousands. The author should be incredibly proud of this story.
Read
July 17, 2026Story good.
Well written.
No cheating though it's rumoured.
Please read trigger warnings for this one on author's website.
But huge spoiler
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Heroine's sister is pregnant with pancreatic cancer.
Hero deals with addiction.
Well written.
No cheating though it's rumoured.
Please read trigger warnings for this one on author's website.
But huge spoiler
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Heroine's sister is pregnant with pancreatic cancer.
Hero deals with addiction.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2026
Bailey and Luke 💜
Natasha Derouchie is one of my favorite authors. She continually knows how to pull at my heart strings and make me feel. Every Version of You was one of my favorite books ever and I could not wait for the follow up. This was such a beautiful follow up. I loved the love story between Luke and Bailey. I never doubted the love between them for a moment. Yes there was some OW/OM drama, but it was never real for either of them and largely only outside people that believed it. Luke and Bailey only ever saw each other.
Luke and Bailey were so sweet together and I hated to see them grow apart. Bailey had been through so much and was hurting so badly. I loved Sadie and the way she and Bailey looked out for each other. One of the best things about Natasha’s books are the side characters and the way she develops them and really makes you feel for them as well.
I was angry and also felt bad for Luke for much of the book. You could see him self destructing and it was painful to watch. It was hard seeing Bailey have to put herself first, but I also had to applaud her for it. It took a lot of strength, because she couldn’t keep trying to be everything to everyone and she had enough with her career and Sadie. I loved the way her family and friends rallied around her. She needed that.
This is possibly my favorite series ever! I love it so much and I cannot wait for the next book! I highly recommend it as I would recommend any of Natasha Derouchie’s books. You really can’t go wrong with them! This particular series really resonates with me for some reason and I really love it, though.
Natasha Derouchie is one of my favorite authors. She continually knows how to pull at my heart strings and make me feel. Every Version of You was one of my favorite books ever and I could not wait for the follow up. This was such a beautiful follow up. I loved the love story between Luke and Bailey. I never doubted the love between them for a moment. Yes there was some OW/OM drama, but it was never real for either of them and largely only outside people that believed it. Luke and Bailey only ever saw each other.
Luke and Bailey were so sweet together and I hated to see them grow apart. Bailey had been through so much and was hurting so badly. I loved Sadie and the way she and Bailey looked out for each other. One of the best things about Natasha’s books are the side characters and the way she develops them and really makes you feel for them as well.
I was angry and also felt bad for Luke for much of the book. You could see him self destructing and it was painful to watch. It was hard seeing Bailey have to put herself first, but I also had to applaud her for it. It took a lot of strength, because she couldn’t keep trying to be everything to everyone and she had enough with her career and Sadie. I loved the way her family and friends rallied around her. She needed that.
This is possibly my favorite series ever! I love it so much and I cannot wait for the next book! I highly recommend it as I would recommend any of Natasha Derouchie’s books. You really can’t go wrong with them! This particular series really resonates with me for some reason and I really love it, though.
Read
July 19, 2026I’m only half way through this book and… okay - so, Luke is insecure. There’s not a hell of a lot else to say about him that except insecurity his entire personality. Everything he does is driven by insecurity and it’s what makes him such a feckless husband. He’s a pretty cut and dry dickhead, so it’s hard to say much more about him.
Bailey, bless her country barbie heart, is… flawed in her own way.
I realise the troubles in their marriage are mostly on him, but at one point she laments the fact he only toured with her for only two weeks instead of a full month. She was upset he didn’t hang around for an entire month of just… hanging out with her while she performs. Which is cool and romantic and lovey and all. But I don’t begrudge the man for wanting to have something of his own - he’s just extremely toxic and selfish about it. She didn’t even seem to empathise why he was upset when she turned up to one of his shows - Luke was right to be bothered about that because she literally did steal his show. Just because she didn’t intend to and it wasn’t in her control, doesnt mean she can’t see things from his perspective just a smidge.
What really started to get me is the fact his family literally *does* side with Bailey. He’s a dumbass but why does his family talk about him like he’s ex communicado? I’m up to thanksgiving where his absence is just… peripheral to everyone, as Bailey puts it. Even his parents show almost no concern for a son who is absent but seems to be publicly spiralling into addiction. And Noah knows Dave intimately from his time in the band, so does Bailey. So I’m not buying the whole ‘Dave said he didn’t want to talk to us!’.
So yes he’s a dumbass for not accepting a hand up and every other reason (again, he’s not a complex character). But Luke’s own family don’t seem to care too much about him.
Bailey, bless her country barbie heart, is… flawed in her own way.
I realise the troubles in their marriage are mostly on him, but at one point she laments the fact he only toured with her for only two weeks instead of a full month. She was upset he didn’t hang around for an entire month of just… hanging out with her while she performs. Which is cool and romantic and lovey and all. But I don’t begrudge the man for wanting to have something of his own - he’s just extremely toxic and selfish about it. She didn’t even seem to empathise why he was upset when she turned up to one of his shows - Luke was right to be bothered about that because she literally did steal his show. Just because she didn’t intend to and it wasn’t in her control, doesnt mean she can’t see things from his perspective just a smidge.
What really started to get me is the fact his family literally *does* side with Bailey. He’s a dumbass but why does his family talk about him like he’s ex communicado? I’m up to thanksgiving where his absence is just… peripheral to everyone, as Bailey puts it. Even his parents show almost no concern for a son who is absent but seems to be publicly spiralling into addiction. And Noah knows Dave intimately from his time in the band, so does Bailey. So I’m not buying the whole ‘Dave said he didn’t want to talk to us!’.
So yes he’s a dumbass for not accepting a hand up and every other reason (again, he’s not a complex character). But Luke’s own family don’t seem to care too much about him.
July 20, 2026
Started this on wattpad, and really enjoyed the mmc betrayal - not cheating, per se - and was disappointed but not surprised to find it had been stolen so much the author stopped and saved the rest for kindle. People suck, come up with your own shit.
And then there is the second half, the kindle half.... This didn't end up being a betrayal romance but more found family that really comes together. A heartbreaking loss, with so much happiness, hope, and support, this was so well written. I'm a bit of a sucker for sob-stories to begin with, so the amount of tissues I went through... you're welcome tissue-factory-employees, your jobs are safe for a while.
Does the mmc redeem himself? I'd say he does something better, and asks for help, cause he sure does need it.
The awards ceremony performance at the end was absolutely beautiful. Damnit I need more tissues even thinking about it.
And then there is the second half, the kindle half.... This didn't end up being a betrayal romance but more found family that really comes together. A heartbreaking loss, with so much happiness, hope, and support, this was so well written. I'm a bit of a sucker for sob-stories to begin with, so the amount of tissues I went through... you're welcome tissue-factory-employees, your jobs are safe for a while.
Does the mmc redeem himself? I'd say he does something better, and asks for help, cause he sure does need it.
The awards ceremony performance at the end was absolutely beautiful. Damnit I need more tissues even thinking about it.
August 7, 2026
1. The author really needs to learn how to use punctuation properly, especially commas.
2. Luke was a weak, jealous, selfish, self-absorbed manbaby and I wish Bailey had ended up with Reed instead.
3. In the end, this book was not a romance touching on addiction and cancer; it was a book about addiction and cancer that was supposed to be romantic but wasn’t.
DNF
2. Luke was a weak, jealous, selfish, self-absorbed manbaby and I wish Bailey had ended up with Reed instead.
3. In the end, this book was not a romance touching on addiction and cancer; it was a book about addiction and cancer that was supposed to be romantic but wasn’t.
DNF
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2026
Beautifully written and I couldn’t put it down. 4.5/5
Luke was a hard character to digest. I did feel at times the writing was an overview of what was happening, rather than enough dialogue. But I think because of the timeline it had to move the book along without feeling stale and repetitive.
I do wish we saw some more dialogue between Luke and Bailey once they got back together. They did hash it out, but for me it wasn’t enough on the page. I needed the nitty gritty and Bailey talking through exactly what he got up to when they were separated. As a reader I don’t want to feel like I know more than the fmc.
Please read the trigger warnings. I had tears rolling down my face. I’m a reader that believes we shouldn’t shy away from the harder storylines. Real life happens and it’s just as heart breaking. Stories should reflect real life, not everything is roses and butterflies. The author handled the storyline with such balance and although I cried, I didn’t feel so lost in the pages that I couldn’t function…..my husband had cancer and survived and now his sister has a more agressive form of cancer and is having treatment, so it hit me hard in some places.
Luke was a hard character to digest. I did feel at times the writing was an overview of what was happening, rather than enough dialogue. But I think because of the timeline it had to move the book along without feeling stale and repetitive.
I do wish we saw some more dialogue between Luke and Bailey once they got back together. They did hash it out, but for me it wasn’t enough on the page. I needed the nitty gritty and Bailey talking through exactly what he got up to when they were separated. As a reader I don’t want to feel like I know more than the fmc.
Please read the trigger warnings. I had tears rolling down my face. I’m a reader that believes we shouldn’t shy away from the harder storylines. Real life happens and it’s just as heart breaking. Stories should reflect real life, not everything is roses and butterflies. The author handled the storyline with such balance and although I cried, I didn’t feel so lost in the pages that I couldn’t function…..my husband had cancer and survived and now his sister has a more agressive form of cancer and is having treatment, so it hit me hard in some places.
September 14, 2026
Not the marriage in trouble fix I was looking for, unfortunately.
I came from BookTok (my favourite frenemy), with high hopes for some real angst and grovel…alas, I was thrust into a deeply sad story of grief instead. Not quite what I signed up for—and to be clear I did read the triggers, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how much of the story would focus on the illness and loss.
Potential spoilers ahead 🚨
Diving in at the deep end and putting my disillusionment on hold for a sec, I want to start by saying that the writing wasn’t my jam. I don’t have a vendetta against flashbacks, but in this instalment I really think the author should’ve dedicated the first part of the story to showing us the love between the two MC’s, as opposed to: ‘Suddenly, a memory came to me.’ Or ‘A memory washed over me before I could stop it.’ Or ‘My mind remembered before I could focus on anything else.’
Not verbatim, but honestly it was every chapter at one point and drove me mad. 🙄
Next up, I want to address the lack of actual ‘trouble’ from the marriage in trouble trope; namely, aside from a missed award ceremony and leaving a tour early, I didn’t get to feel the fall out, because most of the other times MMC had flaked were before the story began, and we never got to see it.
Now onto the ‘grovel.’ There wasn’t much, if any, and that was because the MMC was basically cut off completely by FMC, so aside from voicemails and texts (which she doesn’t listen to), he doesn’t get to tell her anything heartfelt. Instead, his awful manager gets him hooked on pills and drink, manipulating him until he sinks into an addiction shaped hole. That’s where most of the story (aside from the death) stuck around—MMC spiralling into misery and ruin whilst FMC hit the headlines for all the right reasons. It got boring, if I’m honest.
Ok, now the grief. Awful. So, so bloody sad. Her sister’s illness, the pregnancy, and the clear soul deep love her husband had for her (which fyi was my favourite ‘love’ part of the story) was gorgeous. The whole thing was devastating, and if that had been the focus of the story I’d be raging very differently. Unfortunately, for me the focus here took away from the love of the MC’s, and their turmoil, as we hardly see them together.
Finally, the reunion. So, the MMC finally begs his brother for help, and his family (which is also FMC’s family unit) rally around him. FMC devastated he is in such bad shape, and also has to manager her sister’s death, a new baby niece and her BIL’s sadness. Like I said, it’s SAD 😔…but not really for the reasons I wanted it to be, y’know?
Ok, enough waffling from me. If you like lengthy stories that focus on grief and turmoil, this could be for you. There’s a lot of country music star stuff too, non of which made much sense to me, but I’m sure lots of people adore that sitch. It’s worth a mention that cheating is implied too, although I think it’s confirmed that MMC doesn’t actually do anything at one point, the writing clearly wants you to think that. Again, not my preferred way to read about infidelity.
Not for me—onto the next.
I came from BookTok (my favourite frenemy), with high hopes for some real angst and grovel…alas, I was thrust into a deeply sad story of grief instead. Not quite what I signed up for—and to be clear I did read the triggers, but I wasn’t quite prepared for how much of the story would focus on the illness and loss.
Potential spoilers ahead 🚨
Diving in at the deep end and putting my disillusionment on hold for a sec, I want to start by saying that the writing wasn’t my jam. I don’t have a vendetta against flashbacks, but in this instalment I really think the author should’ve dedicated the first part of the story to showing us the love between the two MC’s, as opposed to: ‘Suddenly, a memory came to me.’ Or ‘A memory washed over me before I could stop it.’ Or ‘My mind remembered before I could focus on anything else.’
Not verbatim, but honestly it was every chapter at one point and drove me mad. 🙄
Next up, I want to address the lack of actual ‘trouble’ from the marriage in trouble trope; namely, aside from a missed award ceremony and leaving a tour early, I didn’t get to feel the fall out, because most of the other times MMC had flaked were before the story began, and we never got to see it.
Now onto the ‘grovel.’ There wasn’t much, if any, and that was because the MMC was basically cut off completely by FMC, so aside from voicemails and texts (which she doesn’t listen to), he doesn’t get to tell her anything heartfelt. Instead, his awful manager gets him hooked on pills and drink, manipulating him until he sinks into an addiction shaped hole. That’s where most of the story (aside from the death) stuck around—MMC spiralling into misery and ruin whilst FMC hit the headlines for all the right reasons. It got boring, if I’m honest.
Ok, now the grief. Awful. So, so bloody sad. Her sister’s illness, the pregnancy, and the clear soul deep love her husband had for her (which fyi was my favourite ‘love’ part of the story) was gorgeous. The whole thing was devastating, and if that had been the focus of the story I’d be raging very differently. Unfortunately, for me the focus here took away from the love of the MC’s, and their turmoil, as we hardly see them together.
Finally, the reunion. So, the MMC finally begs his brother for help, and his family (which is also FMC’s family unit) rally around him. FMC devastated he is in such bad shape, and also has to manager her sister’s death, a new baby niece and her BIL’s sadness. Like I said, it’s SAD 😔…but not really for the reasons I wanted it to be, y’know?
Ok, enough waffling from me. If you like lengthy stories that focus on grief and turmoil, this could be for you. There’s a lot of country music star stuff too, non of which made much sense to me, but I’m sure lots of people adore that sitch. It’s worth a mention that cheating is implied too, although I think it’s confirmed that MMC doesn’t actually do anything at one point, the writing clearly wants you to think that. Again, not my preferred way to read about infidelity.
Not for me—onto the next.
August 22, 2026
3.5 out o 5
I really struggled with what grade to give this book. At times for sure it was 5 stars but at other times it would be closer to 2 stars. I had a lot of issues in some areas but at other times I couldn’t put it down.
This is a seance between two people, very much in love who married too young. Luke and Charlie both love music and the plan was to make it big in the musical world and get themselves and families out of their very impoverished lives. Charlie hit it big first and made it big right away while Luke struggled. The bigger Charlie became the more their marriage suffered as Luke spent more and more time pursuing his own dreams and ignoring Charlie.
As the book opens, she is at a very prestigious country awards show, nominated in a few categories and although Luke promised to be there for her, he was a no show. This was the beginning of the end until finally Charlie couldn’t live married to Like any longer, left him and sued him for divorce.
Now for the many visit had. Because of the way the story goes, the two of them spend very little time together. This just doesn’t work for me as a rest. The book is told from both POV, but very little from Luke’s. Because I already found it very difficult to feel anything for Luke other than intense dislike for Luke because of the way he treated Charlie, this small amount of time with him only bothered me more.
I don’t really care for country music and forgive me all Swifties, but all I could picture as the heroine was her and I do not care for her - at all. So there’s that.
There are a few rather important side characters who are important to the story but didn’t go anywhere. They just popped in when needed and returned to the closet of Ruby when not needed. I wanted to learn more about them.
So none of this is good but then I enjoyed it when I stopped thinking of it as a romance and just as a regular book. I wasn’t looking at it as a failure of my favourite genre and more like a book on its own. I liked it much better and hard to put down.
There was a storyline that had me feeling very emotional and had me in actual, honest to goodness tears. Any book that can bring that out in me is a definite success.
So while I can’t recommend it as a romance, if you want more of a woman’s fiction book, like Taylor Swift and love a strong heroine who overcomes, then, yes, this is a book I recommend you read.
I really struggled with what grade to give this book. At times for sure it was 5 stars but at other times it would be closer to 2 stars. I had a lot of issues in some areas but at other times I couldn’t put it down.
This is a seance between two people, very much in love who married too young. Luke and Charlie both love music and the plan was to make it big in the musical world and get themselves and families out of their very impoverished lives. Charlie hit it big first and made it big right away while Luke struggled. The bigger Charlie became the more their marriage suffered as Luke spent more and more time pursuing his own dreams and ignoring Charlie.
As the book opens, she is at a very prestigious country awards show, nominated in a few categories and although Luke promised to be there for her, he was a no show. This was the beginning of the end until finally Charlie couldn’t live married to Like any longer, left him and sued him for divorce.
Now for the many visit had. Because of the way the story goes, the two of them spend very little time together. This just doesn’t work for me as a rest. The book is told from both POV, but very little from Luke’s. Because I already found it very difficult to feel anything for Luke other than intense dislike for Luke because of the way he treated Charlie, this small amount of time with him only bothered me more.
I don’t really care for country music and forgive me all Swifties, but all I could picture as the heroine was her and I do not care for her - at all. So there’s that.
There are a few rather important side characters who are important to the story but didn’t go anywhere. They just popped in when needed and returned to the closet of Ruby when not needed. I wanted to learn more about them.
So none of this is good but then I enjoyed it when I stopped thinking of it as a romance and just as a regular book. I wasn’t looking at it as a failure of my favourite genre and more like a book on its own. I liked it much better and hard to put down.
There was a storyline that had me feeling very emotional and had me in actual, honest to goodness tears. Any book that can bring that out in me is a definite success.
So while I can’t recommend it as a romance, if you want more of a woman’s fiction book, like Taylor Swift and love a strong heroine who overcomes, then, yes, this is a book I recommend you read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2026
No cheating. Book is more about grief of MFC sister. From 35%-80% is her spending time with her dying pregnant sister. First 35% is MMC messing up because he wants to be famous so he can match MFC as she’s a star country singer. MFC could give 2 shits about being a singer, she only went to Nashville and signed a contract because of MMC pushing her. Honestly was super annoyed with the entirety of the book. There was no grovel or anything. All of it was chalked up to him having a manipulative manager and his “addiction”. He did therapy and it was talking about how he was there for her but it felt disjointed at the end because mind you we just had around 300 pages of her without him so for him to just pop back in felt very abrupt and was handled quickly because they lived on a family compound so the mom said “it’s my son” which I get but still odd to not at least notify her that “he’s struggling with addiction and will be around our home FYI” like I said, just felt so different from the 300 pages without him and nobody doing a lick and then he abruptly is in the picture and they kinda just forget the last 300 pages of minimal communicative boundaries. IMO this book should have been 200 pages and only about the grief. Since I went into this thinking it was a romance novel I kept having a different expectation. First 50 pages are him trying to get famous then her on tour then going to family compound for sisters wedding, next 300 is the grief of sister dying, last 50 was him back in the picture and her just letting him since she has grief and he’s the “only one she can break around.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2026
omg I loved it
This was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. (SOME SPOILER BUT NOT SPECIFIC DETAIL)
I will say for a little bit there the FL did irritate me I felt like she didn’t even try to understand where the ML was coming from I felt like she was wrapped up in her hurt over her marriage she didn’t even try. I was also irritated with some of the other characters when she was going through a hard time and he needed help his own brother knew but just left him to self district because at first it was that but after a while they didn’t even try. They kinda did take her side in the whole situation with their marriage falling apart (in laws) but I understood what she was going through they didn’t want him around just didn’t think they handled that situation good. But the raw emotion of her and her career and on top of that trying to work on her marriage really hits you, the family dynamic through this all is really good. The grovel really isn’t too a grovel arc but he does do the work on himself and their marriage. Just keep tissues because you will cry more than once but definitely recommend
This was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. (SOME SPOILER BUT NOT SPECIFIC DETAIL)
I will say for a little bit there the FL did irritate me I felt like she didn’t even try to understand where the ML was coming from I felt like she was wrapped up in her hurt over her marriage she didn’t even try. I was also irritated with some of the other characters when she was going through a hard time and he needed help his own brother knew but just left him to self district because at first it was that but after a while they didn’t even try. They kinda did take her side in the whole situation with their marriage falling apart (in laws) but I understood what she was going through they didn’t want him around just didn’t think they handled that situation good. But the raw emotion of her and her career and on top of that trying to work on her marriage really hits you, the family dynamic through this all is really good. The grovel really isn’t too a grovel arc but he does do the work on himself and their marriage. Just keep tissues because you will cry more than once but definitely recommend
August 5, 2026
I genuinely cried reading this book. However, it was due to the sisters’ story rather than the main couple. I mean, full on ugly sobbing like I was watching Voicemails for Isabelle kind of crying.
To be honest, before the plot line with the sister’s illness I didn’t really feel much angst from the couple. I felt like the breakdown of the marriage happened to them from a distance so it didn’t hurt as much. They were both literally living their own separate lives as their marriage crumbled. Whilst I was happy to not have a doormat heroine, she was also surrounded by so many supportive friends and her career trajectory took off that it helped lessen the angst factor more.
I only concentrated more on the couples troubles after the sister’s death. Whilst I understood that the hero was battling addiction and the ego/ jealousy of his wife’s success was very believable, I do feel as though his redemption came too easily. Sadie’s death helped him play a bigger/ faster role in Bailey’s life and their eventual reconciliation.
Loved the social commentary portions as it felt very realistic. Could use with another round of edits as there were several typos.
To be honest, before the plot line with the sister’s illness I didn’t really feel much angst from the couple. I felt like the breakdown of the marriage happened to them from a distance so it didn’t hurt as much. They were both literally living their own separate lives as their marriage crumbled. Whilst I was happy to not have a doormat heroine, she was also surrounded by so many supportive friends and her career trajectory took off that it helped lessen the angst factor more.
I only concentrated more on the couples troubles after the sister’s death. Whilst I understood that the hero was battling addiction and the ego/ jealousy of his wife’s success was very believable, I do feel as though his redemption came too easily. Sadie’s death helped him play a bigger/ faster role in Bailey’s life and their eventual reconciliation.
Loved the social commentary portions as it felt very realistic. Could use with another round of edits as there were several typos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2026
A fantastic Story By A Fantastic Storyteller.
Natasha Derouchie has easily become one of my favorite authors in one of my favorite genres, Grovel to Happily Ever After (HEA). I’ve read all her works and have loved them all. This one, the characters are so heartbreakingly real, that you can feel the emotions that they’re feeling…the heartbreak, the betrayal, the grief, the sadness and their happiness. She’s one of the few authors that can actually make me cry. I will say, when I started reading this book I was positive there was no way that the Main Male Character (MMC) could redeem himself. I so so was wrong. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, so you’re just going to have to read the book to find out the redemption arc. I highly recommend this book and if you haven’t read her other works, then you’re missing out. Go read them. I’m positive, if you do, Natasha Derouchie will also become one of your favorite authors. I loved all the characters in this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
Natasha Derouchie has easily become one of my favorite authors in one of my favorite genres, Grovel to Happily Ever After (HEA). I’ve read all her works and have loved them all. This one, the characters are so heartbreakingly real, that you can feel the emotions that they’re feeling…the heartbreak, the betrayal, the grief, the sadness and their happiness. She’s one of the few authors that can actually make me cry. I will say, when I started reading this book I was positive there was no way that the Main Male Character (MMC) could redeem himself. I so so was wrong. I’m not going to give away any spoilers, so you’re just going to have to read the book to find out the redemption arc. I highly recommend this book and if you haven’t read her other works, then you’re missing out. Go read them. I’m positive, if you do, Natasha Derouchie will also become one of your favorite authors. I loved all the characters in this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series.
August 5, 2026
Best book I’ve read in two years!
This was a surprise! I went in to this thinking it was going to be another sweet but frustrating Grovel to Hea novel , and found it to be the most well written, emotional inspiring novel I’ve read in years. Although the love story is that of Luke and his more successful country singer wife Bailey , there isn’t such thing as a side character in this. Everyone has their place and as the story unfolds, following their families and friends and partnerships, you celebrate everyone’s highs, and then sob for hours on the lows. This made me care for each person and was so well written that at some points I couldn’t breathe through the emotion. There’s a scene on stage that will break your heart and hug you all in the same moment , and though I’d love to see this in a movie, I don’t think it could do the writing justice.
You’ll love, laugh, cry l, grieve and rage with the characters, truly beautiful story .
This was a surprise! I went in to this thinking it was going to be another sweet but frustrating Grovel to Hea novel , and found it to be the most well written, emotional inspiring novel I’ve read in years. Although the love story is that of Luke and his more successful country singer wife Bailey , there isn’t such thing as a side character in this. Everyone has their place and as the story unfolds, following their families and friends and partnerships, you celebrate everyone’s highs, and then sob for hours on the lows. This made me care for each person and was so well written that at some points I couldn’t breathe through the emotion. There’s a scene on stage that will break your heart and hug you all in the same moment , and though I’d love to see this in a movie, I don’t think it could do the writing justice.
You’ll love, laugh, cry l, grieve and rage with the characters, truly beautiful story .
July 20, 2026
Beautifully written, full of drama, heartbreak, love, family, friendship…
It is not only a love story but it is also a story about all the glitter and glamour of being a celebrity but also the pressure and expectations that comes with it. The scrutiny, the loss of privacy and the backlash when the expectations are not met.
The betrayal wasn’t really one it was more about his insecurities and the loss of communication in their couple.
There’s a quote that resumes their relationship really well:
“Maybe the real story was never cheating. @reply Maybe it was two people drowning publicly while everyone watched and the people responsible made money.”
I really enjoyed this story and I cried like a baby a few times.
It is not only a love story but it is also a story about all the glitter and glamour of being a celebrity but also the pressure and expectations that comes with it. The scrutiny, the loss of privacy and the backlash when the expectations are not met.
The betrayal wasn’t really one it was more about his insecurities and the loss of communication in their couple.
There’s a quote that resumes their relationship really well:
“Maybe the real story was never cheating. @reply Maybe it was two people drowning publicly while everyone watched and the people responsible made money.”
I really enjoyed this story and I cried like a baby a few times.
September 19, 2026
This book is so beautifully written. The story is not just about the heartbreak of a marriage in trouble, but also grief, addiction and having to carry on through all of that.
Going into this I wasn't sure how there would be a hea, and through the book I wondered if the hea would look different for these characters than the usual we see. The hea we got felt right, and the redemption is not one of grand gestures, but of healing, understanding and consistently choosing to work on themselves and be there for the other person.
I am so happy I got to read this book, and for anyone considering, I would say definitely give it a read. You will need tissues at the ready though, as this is such an emotional read.
Going into this I wasn't sure how there would be a hea, and through the book I wondered if the hea would look different for these characters than the usual we see. The hea we got felt right, and the redemption is not one of grand gestures, but of healing, understanding and consistently choosing to work on themselves and be there for the other person.
I am so happy I got to read this book, and for anyone considering, I would say definitely give it a read. You will need tissues at the ready though, as this is such an emotional read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2026
Cheating = not clear but it was implied that there was emotional cheating and possibly physical cheating. H intentionally pulled away from h due to feeling inferior because of h's success. Also, the H had substance problems and things may have occurred because of that.
Grovel = H needs rehab and intense therapy to finally have the strength to feel he is enough for the h. H quietly shows up for the h and remains steady. H takes accountability and never pressures the h. They eventually reconcile.
Wattpad-Patreon = originally read on the this platform
Grovel = H needs rehab and intense therapy to finally have the strength to feel he is enough for the h. H quietly shows up for the h and remains steady. H takes accountability and never pressures the h. They eventually reconcile.
Wattpad-Patreon = originally read on the this platform
August 29, 2026
a bit uneven
70% of the story was basically Luke spiraling while Bailey flourished. What’s uneven is how quickly Luke’s addiction was fixed and the speed in which Bailey forgave him after his rehab stint. He spent a like two weeks in rehab and all of sudden everything is good again. The resolution was so rushed that it didn’t really make up for the pain that was done so the HEA didn’t feel earned.
I did love the supporting characters. Bailey has a really solid support system even with the impending tragedy.
70% of the story was basically Luke spiraling while Bailey flourished. What’s uneven is how quickly Luke’s addiction was fixed and the speed in which Bailey forgave him after his rehab stint. He spent a like two weeks in rehab and all of sudden everything is good again. The resolution was so rushed that it didn’t really make up for the pain that was done so the HEA didn’t feel earned.
I did love the supporting characters. Bailey has a really solid support system even with the impending tragedy.
July 16, 2026
This novel was a joy to read, the third in an amazing series.
It covered some difficult topics, done ever so respectfully.
The character development was such that you really felt you knew these people, were part of their lives.
Another fantastic piece of work by Ms Derouchie. If you are not familiar with her work, this is one series that is a must read, if you have already read her works, you will not be disappointed with this one.
It covered some difficult topics, done ever so respectfully.
The character development was such that you really felt you knew these people, were part of their lives.
Another fantastic piece of work by Ms Derouchie. If you are not familiar with her work, this is one series that is a must read, if you have already read her works, you will not be disappointed with this one.
August 8, 2026
Keep your tissues near
Once I stated this book I could not put it down. Most of the book my eyes were leaking. So good, so emotional. Bailey goes through incredibly trying times. With the love and support of friends and family she emerges on the other side. The author takes us on Bailey's journey. You feel every ounce of her pain, sorrow, love and eventual happiness. So, so good!
Once I stated this book I could not put it down. Most of the book my eyes were leaking. So good, so emotional. Bailey goes through incredibly trying times. With the love and support of friends and family she emerges on the other side. The author takes us on Bailey's journey. You feel every ounce of her pain, sorrow, love and eventual happiness. So, so good!
August 16, 2026
This book was one of the best books. I’ve read this year. Talks about tragedy, love surviving grief you will cry you will laugh. It is what you pictured real life to be. Life is not simple. It’s hard work. It has ups and downs and it teaches you how to survive them and learn to love them. The book that social media that I saved in my goodies as I want to read, and I’m so glad I read it. I actually wanna reread it again, but with more Kleenex.
July 20, 2026
OMG!!
I can’t remember the last time I read a book with this much emotion. I laughed, cried and felt the anger of the characters. Very well written (and proofread, those little things are so distracting) with well developed characters. This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Highly, highly recommend this book!
I can’t remember the last time I read a book with this much emotion. I laughed, cried and felt the anger of the characters. Very well written (and proofread, those little things are so distracting) with well developed characters. This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more of her work. Highly, highly recommend this book!
August 1, 2026
This was not what I was expecting. It is not a marriage in trouble story, though it is. This is a story of love (friends, family, romantic). About dealing, or not, with feelings. It is SAD (so many tears while reading). So this was not what I was expecting from the blurb, from reviews, or especially from "booktok", it is a beautiful book about family and love and community.
August 4, 2026
I literally sobbed through the whole thing
I can count on one hand the amount of books that had me sobbing throughout the book. Sadie, Cole, Luke, and Bailey. They were all so well written characters that they felt real. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way. Natasha you did beautiful work here.
And oh yeah, fuck you Dave.
I can count on one hand the amount of books that had me sobbing throughout the book. Sadie, Cole, Luke, and Bailey. They were all so well written characters that they felt real. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way. Natasha you did beautiful work here.
And oh yeah, fuck you Dave.
September 1, 2026
So emotionally impactful, brilliant!
This book completely wrecked me. So beautiful, so moving, an incredible read. The story is about love on so many different levels and learning to survive and live with grief. Well written, just absolutely perfect. I haven’t cried like this from reading a book. Couldn’t put it down.
This book completely wrecked me. So beautiful, so moving, an incredible read. The story is about love on so many different levels and learning to survive and live with grief. Well written, just absolutely perfect. I haven’t cried like this from reading a book. Couldn’t put it down.
September 7, 2026
Really loved this book. It pulled at the old icebox for sure. Would recommend
I will say, if author sees this, please, it is "than" not "then". Reading e.g., "rather then the alternative" or "loved more then anyone else" really takes me out of the story and has me thinking how are the two kicking everyone's asses? Even reputable authors?
I will say, if author sees this, please, it is "than" not "then". Reading e.g., "rather then the alternative" or "loved more then anyone else" really takes me out of the story and has me thinking how are the two kicking everyone's asses? Even reputable authors?
July 20, 2026
I’m an emotional wreck
This book wrecked me but in the best ways. I love love love Bailey and Luke’s story! The heart ache, the angst, the pain. But also the growth and the hea. Spice is minimal but honestly I loved it regardless. Such a fantastic story!
This book wrecked me but in the best ways. I love love love Bailey and Luke’s story! The heart ache, the angst, the pain. But also the growth and the hea. Spice is minimal but honestly I loved it regardless. Such a fantastic story!
July 27, 2026
So many emotions.
Wow. This is one of those books where you think it can’t get any harder to read and then— BAM! What a roller coaster of emotions. I hope we get another book for Cole.
Wow. This is one of those books where you think it can’t get any harder to read and then— BAM! What a roller coaster of emotions. I hope we get another book for Cole.
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