***ARC Provided by the Author***
Laurelin Paige is a favorite of mine for the stories she tells, the way she writes them, and for how much I enjoy reading her words. And, the hot sex. The really hot sex. That’s another reason. Maybe the first reason? There’s a scene on the wall of a trailer that I am still recovering from.
Second chance romance is a favorite of mine. I love the intensity of the connection when there is a history, but also the intensity of the fear of losing the person (or the chance at something more) again.
As this is a second chance romance by Laurelin Paige, it's no surprise I loved this book. It is important to mention here that if she ever writes a book I don’t love, I will be honest…but this definitely isn’t that book.
Micah and Maddie get their second chance, and it's one neither of them expected or particularly pursued, which I really liked. Each of them moved on, pursued their dreams, handled disappointment, and became the people they are now, at their second meeting.
It’s a slightly different second chance, as it was more a hot interlude that could have gone somewhere, but as you do when you are young, you put the wrong things as a priority. Micah did this, allowing his career to be more important than the connection he found in a secluded corner of a garden with Maddie.
Micah followed advice he was given to stay single, and this is a hard habit to change because it worked.
He has all that he wanted, and he got where he wanted to be, by following advice that led him to think the secret was being single. Add in a few times where people have wanted to be with Micah the celebrity instead of Micah the man, and you get Micah as he is now, the sex symbol who uses one night stands to meet his needs for companionship because he is afraid of wanting more.
His journey in the book, in my opinion, is a little deeper than Maddie’s, as in order to be with Maddie, Micah needs to unlearn some behaviors that he believes not only protect him, but that allowed him to get where he is with his career. His mother, in a misguided attempt to be supportive, helps reinforce this belief. But, she is not being harsh, rather she is supporting what her son believes to be the reason for his success.
At the beginning of this book, they are the couple who meet again after years, after circumstances stopped them right at the start of something with real potential. Or did it? Would they have worked? Would they have been that couple who stayed together forever if things had been different years ago? While each reader can decide this on their own, the answer for me is no, they wouldn't have worked. Micah still had his dream, and the direction he wanted to go with his life, and I think they would have ended up exactly where they are now, only with more baggage.
What's interesting is that seven years ago, neither of them knew anything about the other, and the attraction was explosive. Now, both have reason to doubt the other. Maddie has been treated badly and hurt, and so has Micah. Pretending not to recognize one another seems smart... because if they don't have any idea who the other is, then there's no pressure to not mess up this second chance, no doubt that not getting together years ago was the right decision, and no reason to face their fears of being together.
Sometimes, it's easier when you have someone else to blame for a missed opportunity. Someone who didn't recognize it, or you, is at fault.
However, when you have chemistry like Maddie and Micah, and an author as wonderful and talented as Laurelin Paige, you aren't going to be able to hide what is right in front of you for long.
The second chance, for me to believe in it, has to convince me that the reason it didn't work last time is no longer an issue and will no longer stop them from being together. Well done, as always, Ms. Paige, as I believed in their second chance. I think Micah is stronger now, and has learned what is really important in life, and what he is and is not willing to give up along the way.
Maddie and Micah fail dramatically in staying away from one another, and it’s a hot, sexy, swoony ride watching two people realize that risking your heart is worth it when you trust the other person, and that the compromise to stay together isn't the cost of the relationship, but the reward.
This is a reissue of a book that has been re-edited/updated and given a lovely new cover. I'm not able to say for certain what is different, as I somehow hadn't read it when it was originally released. (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!?!?) But I can tell you what it has; a well written narrative, characters you adore, sexy times that will make you swoon, a hero you fall in love with even more for his flaws, and chapstick.
Bet you want me to explain the chapstick. Nope, for that, you'll have to read the book.
I recommend this title.