The Way Back

by Lilly Mirren

[Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B01M29VLPC]

Nothing’s turned out the way I planned.

I gave up on the idea of winning back my cheating husband, swallowed my pride, and returned to the sleepy beachside town of my childhood, Emerald Bay.

I wanted a chance to forget the pain of divorce, and make a fresh start. A chance to find the person I used to be.

I didn’t expect to run into my high school boyfriend. The one that got away — the first big regret of my adult life. I didn’t expect him to look so good, or to be so lost. He was in pain, and I was in no shape to help him.

I wasn’t looking for love. I couldn’t take another heartbreak. I just wanted to find myself, or at the very least some kind of peace. But a love like ours is hard to shake, even after so many years apart.

I never thought I’d get a second chance at happiness. A second chance with Finn. I just wanted to find the way back to the person I once was.

But maybe… just maybe… he was the way back.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2017

About the author

Lilly Mirren is a USA Today Bestselling women's and contemporary fiction author.

She lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and three children. When she's not writing she's running around after children, bushwalking, or spending time with friends.

"If readers are looking for an author who is the perfect mix of Debbie Macomber and Nora Roberts, Lilly Mirren is it." - InD'tale Magazine

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one, but I didn't love it. First up there is NO sex in this book. Second, the hero/heroine don't even start dating until 90% into the book. Up until 90% we just have this depressing back and forth weirdness. I honestly don't know how to explain it.

This book bummed me out. Finn and Elle are teenagers in love when it's time to go to university Elle expresses her doubts about them having a long distance relationship and Finn overreacts (pretty much what he does in EVERY situation in the book) and ends things between them. They both go their separate ways, get married and have kids. Finn's wife dies in a car accident, leaving him to raise their two girls, and three years on he is STILL not over it and feels guilty. Elle's husband cheats on her and leaves her for the other woman. Now she is a single mom to their three children. On top of the constant reminders about Finn's dead wife, and Elle's hurt over what her husband did, we get to read about Elle's BFF having a stillborn child. By the end of this one I was starting to feel like I needed therapy!



Now I will say that I did enjoy Elle as a character. I thought she was strong in the face of all that happened to her with her husband. I didn't like that she basically shouldered the blame for her and Finn's breakup when in actual fact it was HIM that broke up with HER. Yes, she admits that she would have more than likely broken things off, but Finn acted like a whiny bitch over it for the ENTIRETY of this book. In fact, Finn was a whiny bitch in general. He was ALWAYS jumping to conclusions about Elle and running away (literally, the pussy RAN AWAY from Elle when he thought she was kissing her ex-husband) He just wasn't hero material IMO. Of course, this wasn't helped by the fact that these two are not even a couple for 90% of the book. They just dance around each other whining about life and each other.

This story really needed to be developed more IMO. We basically get no time with them as a couple. They start dating at 90%, then married in the epilogue No information on how they are blending their families or anything like that. The MIA and MACK situations felt thrown in to cause some drama but just felt weird and out of place.

So why the 3 stars? The writing was really good. It DID suck me in and had me turning the pages despite the annoying characters and the no sex. The story was beautifully written in a melancholy way. So for that alone, I felt 3 stars was a fair rating for this one.

[Theresa Alberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Way Back by Lilly Mirren is a story about former high school sweethearts who went their seperate way during college, marrying and having children. Tragedy striking Finn and a blindside uprooting Eleanor's life have brought them both home to Emerald Bay. Finn hasn't really been living due to his grief and Elle is trying to figure out who she is now that she is no longer in her ex-husbands shadow. When Finn and Elle come face to face again, the spark is still evident, but whether or not they will act on it becomes an entirely different story.

While I enjoyed the story, it fell a little short for me because I felt it could have been a little more developed. Having Mack show up in Emerald Bay with the woman he left Elle for could have added some great angst to the story but as it stands it didn't seem to really fit the story line and to me felt like it was placed in the story for fluff as I didn't understand why or what happened with his relationship with his children. The way that Finn who was consumed by grief for 3 years no matter what his family and friends said did a complete 180 when Elle arrived seemed a little fast for me.

Overall as i said this was a good story, had it been developed more it could have been a great story.

3 stars

[B. D. Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This offering is a departure from the other books I have read by Vivi Holt in that the setting is in Australia with the attendant differences in language and customs. She also created characters who, though Christian, did not hold to Christian moral standards. Although the text was squeaky clean, the open admission of much pre-marital sex by both protagonists was disappointing. The fact that both decided to delay further premarital intimacy as they begin their second chance relationship is a step in the right direction.

I was also disappointed with the number of grammatical/editorial errors that made their way into the published work. I was well pleased, however, with the lack of what I call “boilerplate” language and plot movements. Too often I can predict precisely how a character will react in certain situations. Thankfully, Ms. Holt broke the standard mold with refreshing deviations. I found it difficult to determine the ages of Eleanor, Finn, or their children. Consequently, the mental images of these primary characters were a little fuzzy. I also found it odd that Eleanor and Finn would agree to marry without at least consulting the children as their families would be blending - a rather significant event in their lives.

All that said, I thoroughly enjoyed this second chance romance. Though a little slow to begin with, I soon became engrossed in the story, and it became a page-turning experience. I wished that Finn had not restrained himself in his confrontation with Mack, Eleanor’s ex-husband, and sent him packing minus several front teeth. But, then, Ms. Holt is evidently more forgiving than me.

[Lisa Hershaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleanor and Finn find themselves back at their home town after both had terrible heartache.

They were each other's first loves, both have baggage and kids from their previous relationships so they find themselves back where it all began, can they give into temptation and be together again?

Eleanor was lost in trying to be someone her ex husband wanted and not her own person, so maybe his affair was a good thing so she can find herself again after all the heartache.

Whereas Finn, is struggling after his wives death that he blames himself for and can't move on until he makes peace with the fact it was an accident.

So can Finn and Eleanor forget their pasts so they can have a future and maybe find their way back to a second chance at happiness.

I received this book in return for my honest opinion.

This was a new author to me and a relatively shorter read. I love second chance stories so this is what drew me too this, so I would say give it a chance if you love second chances.

[Terri Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed on behalf of A Book Lovers Emporium 3 stars.

This is a story of second chance romance. I thought the book was well written and the story very sweet but I found it slightly too bland and comfortable for me. It didn't feel developed enough. It felt as though the author was stuck as to where to go with the book and just fluffed it up.

Elle has been dealt a devastating blow to her life as she knows it - her confidence has taken a blow and so she decides to move from the hustle and bustle of the city back to where she grew up - Emerald Bay, a quiet sleepy beach town that she once loved. Her parents still live there and she hopes she can find some solace there - some peace of mind. What she didn't expect to find was Finn Matthews her first love that she left behind to go to college, Finn too has had his fair share of heartache recently and seeing as they have both been hurt but in entirely different ways, they are a little skeptical of the chemistry they still feel for each other all these years later. Could Finn be the man to hold her future in the palm of his hands and will Elle find the woman that she once used to be, the woman that she loved before her ex-husband took all her self-confidence away.

This book for me needed a little more passion and excitement which I felt would have improved it even more, also there wasn't enough of a connection between the two main characters, although the secondary characters were good and added quality to the story. The author didn't develop the story she started with Elle's ex-husband turning back up in Emerald Bay, and what his involvement and development with his children entailed, a poor choice, as quick as it started - it was over never to be carried on. It could have been so much better had that storyline been carried on and developed into the book to enhance the story.

All in all not bad, just not dynamic enough for me, and a little too slow and predictable

[Tania's Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to obtain an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I've read from this author and she didn't disappoint. This isn't your typical over sexual love story. It's a love story of second chances of two past lovers that are broken in their own way.

Finn & Eleanor were high school sweethearts and the "it" couple in their small town. They broke up once they graduated high school and each went in their separate ways and started new lives.

Several years later they both return to their small town without knowing that the other had also moved back. They tried to stay away but it was useless; they realized that they never got over the other.

This beautiful story showed the struggles of both and the hardship of losing a love one. I loved that Eleanor wanted Finn and never hid it from him. Finn on the other hand tried to stay away but didn't try hard enough. This story has all the feels and your heart goes out to both the hero and the heroine. Both were amazing with their family.

If you want to read a beautiful love story with little to no drama, grab this book. You'll come close to tears but at the end you'll be smiling.

[Erina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just surprised as to how it just wrapped up quickly. The flow was great at the beginning yet its unfortunate that it ended all so sudden. Nonetheless, it still a good read.

[Denitsa Chaneva · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got to 35% before I gave up. This was painful.

[Nerdy Dirty & Flirty · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆☆☆ 1/2
~Lynzi~
This book has way more hurt, and heartache than I was waiting for, but I'm a sucker for second chance romances so I dealt with it, even thought it hurt my heart.

When her husband told her he had been having an affair, and that he was in love with someone else, Eleanor thought her world was ending. Not only had he been cheating, but he was doing it with someone she considered a friend. Knowing she couldn't stay in the same town and watch their love bloom, she took her 3 kids and moved back home. Her parents where there to help her get her life back together and move on. Living in a small town, there is always gossip. Her mother told her way more in the years she was gone than she needed to know, but her mother kept on big thing from her. Her first love and high school boyfriend, Finn, had also moved back home. She gets a major surprise when she runs into him. She quickly realizes, she never fully got over him and she still wants him as much as she did when she was younger. But Finn broke her heart all those years ago ands that's not something she can get past. She has more than her heart to worry about now, so it makes things a little more complicated.

Finn moved back home after he was left a widow. He and his kids wanted, needed, to start over. So back to his home town and parents is where they went. He never guessed the only other woman to ever hold his heart would appear back in his life. But he isn't the same man, and she isn't the same woman. He has darkness surrounding him and he can't seem to see any light outside of his kids. But when he runs into Elle, he quickly realizes she is the only one who can bring him out of the darkness. Trusting her is the last thing he can do though. They have a rocky past, one that they each see differently, and each have their own baggage, so attempting to making it work again is a long shot.

Even though I liked this one, I had a hard time with the constant back and forth. One minute they were thinking on thing, then the next something completely different. It drove me kinda crazy. But I fell in love with Finn and him as a father. He is the type of man every girl dreams the father of their children will be. He didn't let me down in that aspect, I just wish they would of pulled their heads out of their butts long enough to have more time together. They were more apart in the book that they were together. I hope book 2 has more of their actual relationship and them being together. I would love to see how they build and grow as a family together.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elle moves home to Emerald Bay with her three children after an ugly divorce; her husband was cheating on her with a friend. She meets her old high school boyfriend Finn who lost his wife in a car accident three years earlier. He's home now too with his two girls.
There's a lot of push-me-pull-me going on here with triple doses of angst and trauma. Some of it was a bit too high school (Elle drinking margaritas and then going over to attack Finn) with the requisite best friend who has her own issues being eight months pregnant, yet faithfully comes whenever Elle calls, and the geeky girl who's now gorgeous and mean, and inserts herself between Finn and Elle.
The whole return of the ex-husband was a little weird in my opinion and just added to the drama while not necessarily in a good way. More time could have been spent just on letting Finn and Elle get to know each other again.
The writing is good, but the timeline was off a lot. For example, Elle has one week before her new job and school starts. On her first day, her kids have been in school a while and adjusted even though she says it's the first day she worked. Stuff like this takes me out of the story as I try to figure out when something is happening.
It's a quick read and I found it interesting but not that engaging. I probably would have liked it more if it had been longer.

[Janice Salotti · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem.

From the first page to the final word this was remarkable, especially after trying to read so much dreck. The prose was elegant and the author handled the issue of grief in adults and children with care.

Eleanor and Finn were nicely fleshed out. Good tension involving her exp husband and subsequent misunderstanding.

Elle unpacks her guitar from a box with no mention of a case. Later she has the guitar slung over her shoulder. Later still she has the guitar in a case slung over her shoulder. Of the guitarists I've known, which is many, none have carried their instruments in such a way and the cases are hard to protect the guitar.

An oops occurred when Elle put on an "old pair of running shoes" and later an ant crawled over her toe with red polish. Oops.

Clean with passionate kisses.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and poignant read. It is a story of second chances at first love as Finn and Elle find their way back to each other. They have been experienced heartbreak along the way: Finn is grieving the loss of his wife and is raising his two daughters alone; Elle is coming to terms with the breakdown of her marriage after he cheated on her whilst raising her three children now alone. Both are lost and both return home to find their way back.

I loved the setting of this book. It felt magical as if anything was possible. There was a freeness about the place that enabled them both to breathe and re-discover themselves without judgement. This was well written and I felt instantly connected to Finn and Elle, wanting them to find their HEA together.

***Reviewed for LBM Book Blog***

[Danielle Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising good

When I received this free read, I wasn't sure if I would like it. But the characters developed quickly and your first love never truly dies. Their love probably would not have made it the first time. Both characters had a lot of growing to do before they could become a couple. As it turns out they both looked back at the mistakes they had made as young children and decided to do things right. They both also had children they had to consider. This is book well worth reading.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Way Back

I enjoy reading about second chance love. This was one of those. The story starts with the h leaving her ex husband and her ex best friend whom had cheated on her too many times. She went back to her parents house with her three kids. Now you get to know the H. Her old sweetheart from school. He is a widow with two kids. Theirs is not a smooth story line. There is angst thrown in. But over all love wins.

[Suzanne evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Back

A perfect second chance at love! For any of us who have gone through the heartbreak of a divorce and never forgot the thrill of our first love - this story is for you! Thank you Vivi Holt for another great tale.

[Jessie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd Chance

Two lovers who had gone separate ways come together with their own baggage. Elle had to find her way since she felt she had lost herself. Finn had his own guilt. It’s a HEA.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool

I enjoyed this book I have read many Vivi Holy books now I have the same author with different types. Thank you I look forward to more

[The Sweet & Sinful Book Nerds · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good, emotional read. I loved the storyline and every minute of the story. The characters were incredible, so well developed, and the backstory was incredible.

[Paige Whitecotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

What a beautiful story of love, loss, betrayal, second chances. This book shows how life can come full circle and drop you right where you were always meant to be.

[Angala Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review.
This was a great second chance romance. I loved the well developed characters and their story. I suggest you pick up a copy of this sweet second chance romance.

[Renee Entress · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star

The story has pain, twist & turns, laughs, and heartbreak.

This is Elle and Finn’s story. Both of these two are broken. Both have lost their other half in one way or another. Depressing as their lives are they reconnect when she moves back home. She is ready to move on with her life but he is not. But is he broken beyond repair? Or will she be able to help him heal as they fall for each other again or will he make sure to push her away.

I felt I was able to connect with the characters for the most part. This is in no way a sweet romance this deals with lots of depression and at times Finn is just stiff. I had a very hard time connecting with him for most of the book. At times I struggled with the book but was able to read through.

I recommend this book.

[Reckless Readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eleanor has been through alot. A cheating husband and being asked for a divorce with 3 children to think about she comes back to her home town hoping to discover the person she once was. It's not a easy road for her and Finn coming in her path wasn't part of the plan. His heart is shattered after losing his wife. Eleanor and Finn were first loves who got lost along the way and now have the second chance at love. It's not an easy choice to take that leap of faith. Obstacles keep constantly popping up in their way and a time or two you just want to say okay enough is enough just let these two be together already. It's frustrating to see something keep them apart. It's a good ending though I have to admit it's a happily ever after.

[Smashlybookalicousreviewingchicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn't love to read second chance romances? I do cause it gives others hope and usually comes along when you least expect it as in this case in this story. I am seeing a lot of mixed reviews on how people felt about this book and the only takeaway I can think of is that for those that did not enjoy it or felt it lacked something besides the dirty deeds (hey, that is OK too as a book is just as good with or without it) is that in this story the author is showing us the struggles that both characters experienced so that we get the full affect of the story. I am hoping that there is a book two as there is so much more to this story now that we seen what transpired, how they both struggled with their own demons and how it lead them to start again.
Elle was knocked on her bottom by her now ex-husband, Mack. He divorced her for another women and Elle did they only thing she felt best for her and the kids. She was moving back home. Being with Mack while a blessing for her having children was one thing, but he was actually a downer for her. Things happen for a reason and his cheating, just helped her find herself after losing herself for so many years.
Finn had it so much worse though. You will have tears reading the prologue alone and then learning of his struggles to just be there for his girls is gut wrenching. He never did expect to see Elle again though after high school. Feelings are resurfaced that were actually pretty well hidden between these two as they had a different live before tragic events struck. I always say that these occur in our lives for a reason and while sad, maybe it was meant for him to have his time with his family and cherish the moments he did have. They were obviously meant to have a second chance at a new beginning even after all the heartache.
The secondary characters made this story as well as they truly helped Elle and Finn overcome the pain and help in them starting over. It may have taken almost the whole book for them to wake up, but once the struggles were released from the choke hold, they knew that they had something worth re-starting.
Love that this story not only involves true struggles involving a relationship, children, healing and starting over, but that it finally involves blended families as there are many out here now days and this made it feel so much more real. They were one shy of a Brady bunch family, maybe they can add to their family. haha. I hope to see more on these characters from the Way Back soon.

[A Book Lover's Emporium Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of second chance romance. I thought the book was well written and the story very sweet but I found it slightly too bland and comfortable for me. It didn't feel developed enough. It felt as though the author was stuck as to where to go with the book and just fluffed it up.

Elle has been dealt a devastating blow to her life as she knows it - her confidence has taken a blow and so she decides to move from the hustle and bustle of the city back to where she grew up - Emerald Bay, a quiet sleepy beach town that she once loved. Her parents still live there and she hopes she can find some solace there - some peace of mind. What she didn't expect to find was Finn Matthews her first love that she left behind to go to college, Finn too has had his fair share of heartache recently and seeing as they have both been hurt but in entirely different ways, they are a little skeptical of the chemistry they still feel for each other all these years later. Could Finn be the man to hold her future in the palm of his hands and will Elle find the woman that she once used to be, the woman that she loved before her ex-husband took all her self-confidence away.

This book for me needed a little more passion and excitement which I felt would have improved it even more, also there wasn't enough of a connection between the two main characters, although the secondary characters were good and added quality to the story. The author didn't develop the story she started with Elle's ex-husband turning back up in Emerald Bay, and what his involvement and development with his children entailed, a poor choice, as quick as it started - it was over never to be carried on. It could have been so much better had that storyline been carried on and developed into the book to enhance the story.

All in all not bad, just not dynamic enough for me, and a little too slow and predictable.

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if I read a different book to other reviewers but I REALLY enjoyed this story. I'm somewhere between 4 and 5 stars.

I didn't even notice there was no sex in it! Wow, that's usually a must for me in a romance book! This was an emotional story of two broken people wondering whether they could have, or allow themselves, a second chance at love. The book focuses mostly on Elle and Finn overcoming their heartaches but there is romance in the book and I really felt the connection between the hero and heroine. Even if they struggled with it at times!

The book was incredibly easy to read, I liked the side characters and their stories - it made the book feel more rounded. The hero and heroine were believable, likable and I cared about them both. The author did an excellent job at conveying the depth of emotions and the struggles both main characters worked through in the story.

Finn is an amazing hero, without being the usual arrogant alpha a** that a lot of authors favour. I felt the story dealt with him coming to terms with his grief well, and I kept in mind that he had been deeply in love with Elle before. This made it more believable that, despite his grief, he could be so strongly attracted to Elle and consider having a relationship with her. I loved that he showed emotion - real men do cry.

The story flowed well and the pace was good. I might have liked a little more angst following Mack's visit - a bit longer to make a decision following this. But then most of the book had dealt with their struggles to be ready for a new relationship so this might have seemed tedious if the author had strung things out any more.

This was an engrossing and emotional read that warmed me to my core.

[Eva Mcfarden · Rating 4 out of 5]

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4.75 Stars



What a wonderful story of love, loss, grief, hope, betrayal and second chances for first loves! Both characters experience all the emotions listed above, but for different reasons. Lilly writes each characters feelings with such passion. Each having their own path that starts with them, their own losses and grief, to their growth and strength with moving forward with living.

Elle's world has just imploded leaving her emotions out of control. Her strength is needed by her children and they are her first priority. Elle is emotionally raw, she's on her own with her children, moving back home, facing an unsure, frightening future and trying to find out who she is now. I knew exactly how Elle felt and how much strength she would need to overcome this. Personally experiencing anything a character is enduring, will create an emotional bond with that reader and character.

Finn's world is his daughters. That's all he has left of the life he had. Providing for his girls, being there for them is his life, his existence. When the pain of taking the first step for a new start, is almost to much for Finn. Feeling his emotions through this was an emotional experience that was real. Watching his grief finally release him from his past was strengthening for anyone that is grieving.

I felt a great deal of empathy for the pain both characters endured but also completely captivated by their love for one another, their families and their second chance first love.

Great Read!

[KDRBCK · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Back is a stand-alone contemporary romance novel by Lilly Mirren.

Meet Finn Matthews and Eleanor Farmer, two former highschool sweethearts.


What the blurb says:
Nothing’s turned out the way I planned.
I gave up on the idea of winning back my cheating husband, swallowed my pride, and returned to the sleepy beachside town of my childhood, Emerald Bay.
I wanted a chance to forget the pain of divorce, and make a fresh start. A chance to find the person I used to be.
I didn’t expect to run into my high school boyfriend. The one that got away — the first big regret of my adult life. I didn’t expect him to look so good, or to be so lost. He was in pain, and I was in no shape to help him.
I wasn’t looking for love. I couldn’t take another heartbreak. I just wanted to find myself, or at the very least some kind of peace. But a love like ours is hard to shake, even after so many years apart.
I never thought I’d get a second chance at happiness. A second chance with Finn. I just wanted to find the way back to the person I once was.
But maybe… just maybe… he was the way back.

This sums it up perfectly.
Both move to Emerald Bay, their home town ,after heartbreak and very painful events.
Both are hurt and insecure.
Can they find each other and oneself?
Is there the chance to a HEA ?

Lilly Mirren is new author to me.
I like her words and I greatly enjoyed reading this book.
5 Stars and Thank you Lilly Mirren !!

[Annamaria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Emotional Stars! Elle's husband cheats on her and she ends up getting divorced. She and her children move back to where she grew up, Emerald Bay so she can start over. Finn is trying to make it on his own with his children after his wife died. He is hurting inside but is trying to be strong for the children. Elle never expected to run into Finn, her high school sweetheart and get a second chance at love. Will Finn and Ellie be able to have a second chance at love? The author writes a story about second chance love, loss, hope and grief. I felt all the emotions the characters were going through and the book was well written. I was hooked from the first chapter and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I would have like to seen a little bit more passion in the book. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing where the author goes next! I recommend this book!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. This book was read and reviewed by Annamaria for Alpha Book Club.

Plot: 4
Chemistry: 4
Pacing: 4
Ending: 4
Character Development: 4

[Amy Crull · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one and I feel kinda let down. I felt like things were a bit rushed and the author added unnecessary plot when I don't think it was needed. I felt like Finn and Eleanor 's story could have been made into two books. This book could have been them getting over the heartache and getting to the point of dating each other. Then slide into book 2 and have their relationship blossom over time. I liked Finn and Eleanor but they had some major heartbreak to overcome and to jump as fast as they did into it, I felt was wrong. I know Finn had 3 years to mourn and Eleanor's was recent. The kids were great and like how she portrayed Eleanor's oldest daughter especially towards her dad. That's exactly how a girl her age would act in that situation. I didn't think it was necessary to bring back the ex and his gf,other then to prove she was fully over him. I liked the book but I feel like it could have been spread out more. I don't know what the author will do in the next book by I'm not sure I'll be reading it.

[Jae Mod · Rating 4 out of 5]

***ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***

The Way Back by Lilly Mirren was a second chance love story that had a spunky heroine Elle, and a not so manly hero.  Finn had some issues and I just couldn't like him.  Elle overcame her loss and became a better person for it all but it just seemed like Finn had no testosterone in him. 

Finn and Elle were dating back in high school when Elle broke up with him before leaving for University.  They both went their separate ways, but neither forgot about the other.  When their futures bring them back to their sleepy little town they have a hard time getting over the past.  Finn more than Elle but Elle doesn't let it deter her.  She stays going after Finn and finally Finn realizes Elle is the right person for him.

The friends, kids and family added more to the story and it was nice to read a book with little to no sex in it for a change.

3.5 stars


Reviewed by Jennifer Alexander