Forty Candles

by Virginia Nelson

Chloe Walker did everything right. She went to college, got a good job, dated the right men—everything. Peering at forty from a bit too close, she realizes she can be miserable that she didn’t end up happily married to the handsome prince…or she can count her lucky stars. She tries to go with stars, but the universe seems to have other plans. Jack Leonard has loved Chloe since they were kids. He’s stood by her through all life’s little messes, been her shoulder to cry on, and figured one day they’d wind up together. He figures he’s just waiting her out. When her life goes swirly, he’s got to convince her that some men are worth risking it all for. Can Jack make Chloe rethink her birthday wish or will she get just what she asked for when she blows out Forty Candles?

90 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Virginia Nelson believed them when they said, “Write what you know.” Small town girl writing small town romance, her characters are as full of flaws, misunderstandings, and flat out mistakes as Virginia herself. When she’s not writing or plotting to take over the world, she likes to hang out with the greatest kids in history, play in the mud, drive far too fast, and scream at inanimate objects. Virginia likes knights in rusted and dinged up armor, heroes that snarl instead of croon, and heroines who can’t remember to say the right thing even with an author writing their dialogue. Her books are full of snark, sex, and random acts of ineptitude—not always in that order.

Reviews

[aikaterine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Book-o-Craze, on a tour hosted by Bewitching Book Tours.

Forty Candles is a short but rather amazing story centering around Chloe and Jack.

Chloe is a tortured woman that has endured two painful divorces, one between her parents when she was a young girl, and one when she was 25 years of age, with her own husband!

Jack is her childhood friend and her first boyfriend, who stayed beside her through all the hardships of her life even after they split up. He has loved her since the first time they had been together but Chloe is afraid to let go of her insecurities. She thinks she is incapable of feeling love and committing to a faithful relationship.

I loved the chemistry between the two heroes and the way the events unfolded.
It was a passionate story that I had expected to revolve around sex, but I am glad to admit that it did not. It was so much more, with quite realistic protagonists that dealt with real life problems.

I greatly enjoyed both the storyline and the way the author writes. I will definitely try more of her books, soon!

All in all, 5 stars for a great read that I deeply enjoyed!

[Khenta · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. People playing games as if they were teenagers (the male MC makes a bet with his friend! which is then never mentioned again). The timing is all wrong too: there are supposedly 12 months between the first and the last chapter, but there's not enough story. It feels more like just a few weeks have passed. And story-wise, we are supposed to believe that the male MC waited 15 years for the female MC, and that she started an internship at age 39 - what did she do for a living before that, and how does she make living from an internship with a small-town vet? There's not much that makes sense in this story.

[Pet · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great light read, though the whole thing didn't make much sense to me. Why did it take him that long to make his move, her husband was and ass why hide that just because he died? A lot of drama with very little logic behind any of it.

[Sapphyria · Rating 4 out of 5]

As she ends her 39th birthday, Chloe Walker can't help but project her future turning forty as she also reflects on where is she is now. She came from a broken home as a child. After she decided to commit to a man, Chloe's former and late husband was in the process of leaving her for another, younger woman. She's certain that there is something wrong with her, making her undesirable; therefore, she's unwilling to commit to anyone else. Men just keep leaving her.

That is, except her best male friend, Jack Leonard. He's been Chloe's rock ever since she moved to town. He's also another one of her ex's. They were young and he made some mistakes that also cemented her lot in life to be a single woman. What she doesn't realize is that Jack has loved her - been in love with her - since they were kids, and has been waiting for her to notice. Now, he's done waiting and has devised a plan to show her how much he loves her while simultaneously making her recognize her feelings for him. Unfortunately, plans don't always work out the way you want them to and Jack may learn this the hard way.

Will Chloe wake up and realize that the person she wants has been right in front of her the whole time?

Forty Candles is a fun and easy read with depth, emotion, and basic character development. The author provides the reader with enough back story to understand who Chloe and Jack are, how they met, and some of the drama that has plagued their lives. Chloe has a lot of issues that she refuses to deal with, causing her self-esteem to almost nil. This kind of baggage prevents her from truly opening up to anyone and going all-in. She's a nice character but has a skewed view of life, love, relationships, and commitment.

Jack, on the other hand, might be a big, bald, tattooed police officer but he has a heart of gold. My heart melted when he brought the stray dog into the veterinarian. I love protectors of animals, children, and elderly so I found his character wonderful. His rescue of Stark just exposed one part of his compassionate nature. His heart-wrenching confrontation with Chloe brought tears to my eyes.

There were a few things that seemed out of place but the biggest one happened between Chloe and one of Jack's sibling . Jack's sister confronting Chloe was awkwardly inserted, discussed, and never mentioned again. Protective family members are an excellent edition to any story but this one was just sort of out in left field. I didn't find it necessary to the story - but that's just me.

I did enjoy the chemistry and banter between Chloe and Jack. The ease in which they interacted made the book a wonderful read. Another great thing about the book is, while it has sexy moments, that wasn't the focus of the story. All-in-all this is a nice and quick read for a lazy Sunday afternoon (I can attest to this since I read it on a lazy Sunday afternoon).

[Romantic Reads and Such · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book on Tuesday and finished it on Thursday – and it only took me that long because the rest of my life got a little busy. It’s a quick, enjoyable read and I really liked both Jack and Chloe. He is a strong, dependable country boy, who has been waiting patiently on the sidelines for Chloe to see him as more than a friend. She has a few hangups about commitment because of her past and values him too much to chance losing him due to a breakup. But Jack’s tired of waiting and he’s got a plan to get Chloe on the same page. Of course, it wouldn’t be a romance if things went smoothly!

I really enjoyed the back and forth between the two but I will say that I was a little confused by the time frame for the story. We started it with Chloe’s 39th birthday and ended on her 40th but it didn’t seem like a year passed. Maybe a few months but it definitely didn’t feel like a whole year. It’s just a minor complaint and I wouldn’t even have mentioned it if it wasn’t so blatantly stated. So in fairness I thought I should point it out :)

Forty Candles is a short, earthy read - with tons of heat and heart, friendship and romance. It’s got a hero who has the patience of a saint, knows exactly what to say and do, but is about to reach his breaking point. He’s ready to take on a heroine who’s too busy running that she’s not seeing that there is a man in the world that knows all her warts but loves her anyway. Jack’s just going to have to trick her into seeing the truth that’s been in front of her all along.

(complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Approaching 40 is a tough time in a woman’s life. You officially enter middle age and you look back and try to figure out how you ended up where you are and you look forward to see if it gets any brighter. That is where Chloe Walker is. Chloe is the child of divorce and lost her husband as he was leaving her for another woman. There has only been one steady male in her life, Jack Leonard. Jack has loved Chloe since they were kids. He has been there for her through thick and thin. Enough is enough he loves her and knows she loves him if only she will allow herself to. Can he convince Chloe or will he have to walk away from the only woman he has ever loved?
I love that this is about a more mature couple than most books I read. They still make stupid mistakes but don’t we all. Forty Candles is a sweet, fun, read that will get you thinking and sighing and reaching for the tissue box.