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This Time Forever #2
Renewing Forever
A neglected resort, a lost chance at love, and one last chance to renew forever.
Frankie and Tommy once dreamed of traveling the world together. But when seventeen-year-old Frank kissed Tom, their plans ended with a punch to the jaw and Frank leaving town without looking back. Thirty years later, Frank’s successful career as a journalist is interrupted by his uncle’s death and the question of his inheritance—the family resort where his childhood dreams were built. When he returns to the Pocono Mountains, however, he finds a dilapidated lodge and Tommy, the boy he never forgot.
Tom’s been keeping the resort together with spit and glue while caring for Frank’s uncle, Robert—a man he considered father, mentor, and friend—and his aged mother, who he refuses to leave behind. Now Robert is gone, taking Tom’s job with him. And Frank is on the doorstep, wanting to know why Tom is still there and why the old lodge is falling apart.
But before they can rebuild the resort, they’ll have to rebuild their friendship. Only then can they renew the forever they planned all those years ago.
Frankie and Tommy once dreamed of traveling the world together. But when seventeen-year-old Frank kissed Tom, their plans ended with a punch to the jaw and Frank leaving town without looking back. Thirty years later, Frank’s successful career as a journalist is interrupted by his uncle’s death and the question of his inheritance—the family resort where his childhood dreams were built. When he returns to the Pocono Mountains, however, he finds a dilapidated lodge and Tommy, the boy he never forgot.
Tom’s been keeping the resort together with spit and glue while caring for Frank’s uncle, Robert—a man he considered father, mentor, and friend—and his aged mother, who he refuses to leave behind. Now Robert is gone, taking Tom’s job with him. And Frank is on the doorstep, wanting to know why Tom is still there and why the old lodge is falling apart.
But before they can rebuild the resort, they’ll have to rebuild their friendship. Only then can they renew the forever they planned all those years ago.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2018
17 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Jensen
38 books238 followersIf aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.
Kelly is the author of twelve novels–including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke–and several novellas and short stories. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/czGhYz
Kelly is the author of twelve novels–including the Chaos Station series, co-written with Jenn Burke–and several novellas and short stories. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/czGhYz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 26, 2018
Childhood best friends meet three decades later, realizing they both made mistakes, but sheer stubbornness and an unwillingness to reach out has kept them apart. They lived a life, interrupted.
This story carries a sense of nostalgia and regret. Frank arrives during a deluge, soaked to the bone and filled with dread. He is shocked to see the state of his uncle’s lodge and even more startled to run into Tom, still living the same life Frank left behind.
Melancholy permeates the men’s initial interactions. Frank does everything he can to keep Tom at arm’s length.
Ultimately, this isn’t a sad story. It is a second-chance romance after all. Frank and Tom are pushing 50 and have already wasted so much time. The steam is subdued, but the ending is peaceful and fulfilling. Tom and Frank rehabilitate their relationship much like they do the lodge.
The writing is lyrical, poetic almost, but I felt like it served to keep the reader at a distance. I never became fully connected with the MCs or their quiet romance. Parts of the story seemed inordinately long, and I was relieved when it ended.
This story carries a sense of nostalgia and regret. Frank arrives during a deluge, soaked to the bone and filled with dread. He is shocked to see the state of his uncle’s lodge and even more startled to run into Tom, still living the same life Frank left behind.
Melancholy permeates the men’s initial interactions. Frank does everything he can to keep Tom at arm’s length.
Ultimately, this isn’t a sad story. It is a second-chance romance after all. Frank and Tom are pushing 50 and have already wasted so much time. The steam is subdued, but the ending is peaceful and fulfilling. Tom and Frank rehabilitate their relationship much like they do the lodge.
The writing is lyrical, poetic almost, but I felt like it served to keep the reader at a distance. I never became fully connected with the MCs or their quiet romance. Parts of the story seemed inordinately long, and I was relieved when it ended.
December 6, 2018
"...sex with someone you wanted this much could only ever remake the world."
Kelly Jensen scores a hat trick with Renewing Forever, this makes three out of three for books I've read and fallen in love with.
This one is a gorgeous second chance romance, a later in life love restored, just like the old lodge house, and proof that it's never too late to take a step on the road to forgiveness and understanding.
Both Frank and Tom are complex characters and there is no single issue of fault. Both made mistakes when they were just teenagers and both have spent 30 years living with the consequences and the regret.
There's a feeling of not quite melancholy, but almost an element of time stood still and is slowly coming to life again.
We find out more about Frank than his outward appearance of Simon's jovial journalist best friend. We meet Tom, who I alternatively wanted to put away somewhere safe and conversely push out to experience the full scope of the world outside his doorstep.
There's angst in this, but it's the realistic drama of finding yourself back with The One who you never stopped loving but who had cut you to the bone and not knowing quite where to start the moving on process.
It's a wonderful slow burn between two mature characters approaching their half century of life and I adored it. Now, who is going to be giving Brian his Forever in book three?!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Kelly Jensen scores a hat trick with Renewing Forever, this makes three out of three for books I've read and fallen in love with.
This one is a gorgeous second chance romance, a later in life love restored, just like the old lodge house, and proof that it's never too late to take a step on the road to forgiveness and understanding.
Both Frank and Tom are complex characters and there is no single issue of fault. Both made mistakes when they were just teenagers and both have spent 30 years living with the consequences and the regret.
There's a feeling of not quite melancholy, but almost an element of time stood still and is slowly coming to life again.
We find out more about Frank than his outward appearance of Simon's jovial journalist best friend. We meet Tom, who I alternatively wanted to put away somewhere safe and conversely push out to experience the full scope of the world outside his doorstep.
There's angst in this, but it's the realistic drama of finding yourself back with The One who you never stopped loving but who had cut you to the bone and not knowing quite where to start the moving on process.
It's a wonderful slow burn between two mature characters approaching their half century of life and I adored it. Now, who is going to be giving Brian his Forever in book three?!
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.
November 6, 2018
*2.5 stars*
I honestly expected to love this one. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and when I saw that the second book follows two of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers and second chances I got pretty excited. Unfortunately, this story happens to include a lot of my pet peeves and stuff that don’t work for me as a reader. I’m pretty sure that other people won’t find it that bad, but it’s just how I feel.
The good:
The writing. I really like Kelly Jensen’s writing, mostly the dialogue.
There wasn’t too much steam but the existing sex scenes were smoking hot. Good chemistry.
Sense of place. I even googled the locations mentioned. Very interesting.
The flashbacks! I liked them way more than the present days.
The bad:
When it comes to second chance stories, what I’m looking forward to the most is the tension. All these pent up emotions and hard feelings that try to find a way out! We got none of that here.
Frank is supposedly the wronged party. 30+ years ago Tom punched him in the face, disappeared and left Frank's letters unanswered. I kept waiting for bitchy, no nonsense Frank from book one to make an appearance and give Tom hell. Nope. Instead, he followed Tom around like a puppy, hearing half truths and excuses about the past. I don’t like it when the wronged party doesn’t act accordingly. Call it a personal preference.
Speaking of the past…I’m still confused as to why Tom had this major freak out all those years ago that made him hurt Frank so bad, ignore him for the all these years to come without ever reaching out to him. I have no answer other than Tom playing the martyr at a very young age. And the thing is that “the reason” is revealed way too late into the story. I honestly expected something bigger.
Also, I was expecting a totally different Frank than the one I got here. In the first book, Frank was a super interesting character. Here, he was just….flat. His jealousy over Simon’s happiness came across as petty and malicious.
The story was too long and wordy. I found myself spacing out or skimming.
So, despite its redeeming qualities (which are a lot), I ‘ll go with 2.5 stars based on my overall enjoyment. If you ‘re a fan of the author and the series, though, you might still like it more than me.
I honestly expected to love this one. I really enjoyed the first book in the series and when I saw that the second book follows two of my favorite tropes, friends to lovers and second chances I got pretty excited. Unfortunately, this story happens to include a lot of my pet peeves and stuff that don’t work for me as a reader. I’m pretty sure that other people won’t find it that bad, but it’s just how I feel.
The good:
The writing. I really like Kelly Jensen’s writing, mostly the dialogue.
There wasn’t too much steam but the existing sex scenes were smoking hot. Good chemistry.
Sense of place. I even googled the locations mentioned. Very interesting.
The flashbacks! I liked them way more than the present days.
The bad:
When it comes to second chance stories, what I’m looking forward to the most is the tension. All these pent up emotions and hard feelings that try to find a way out! We got none of that here.
Frank is supposedly the wronged party. 30+ years ago Tom punched him in the face, disappeared and left Frank's letters unanswered. I kept waiting for bitchy, no nonsense Frank from book one to make an appearance and give Tom hell. Nope. Instead, he followed Tom around like a puppy, hearing half truths and excuses about the past. I don’t like it when the wronged party doesn’t act accordingly. Call it a personal preference.
Speaking of the past…I’m still confused as to why Tom had this major freak out all those years ago that made him hurt Frank so bad, ignore him for the all these years to come without ever reaching out to him. I have no answer other than Tom playing the martyr at a very young age. And the thing is that “the reason” is revealed way too late into the story. I honestly expected something bigger.
Also, I was expecting a totally different Frank than the one I got here. In the first book, Frank was a super interesting character. Here, he was just….flat. His jealousy over Simon’s happiness came across as petty and malicious.
The story was too long and wordy. I found myself spacing out or skimming.
So, despite its redeeming qualities (which are a lot), I ‘ll go with 2.5 stars based on my overall enjoyment. If you ‘re a fan of the author and the series, though, you might still like it more than me.
November 12, 2018
There is no doubt this is a beautiful book. It is well written and really sweeps you away to the past and effortlessly brings you back to the present and it does make you feel everything in between, but...
There was something missing. Whatever it is that makes me need and want just wasn't there.
Mostly I think this book just wasn't for me.
I am not a fan of long separations and this one was a doozy. It's not that I don't like a second chance romance, I do, I just sometimes feel like I get so caught up in the 'what could have been' I start to lose focus. It just makes me so sad.
But, unfortunately that wasn't all.
These guys are pretty much my age, although I'd never be caught saying "almost fifty", like ever, but I am forty-four and well, I just didn't get them. Tommy's life is so impossible for me to fathom. Up until almost the end I'll admit I was baffled by his homelessness. It is better explained later but by then I was too far invested in what I thought I knew. Let me just state that I'd never be homeless. I would work at every dead end, low paying job I could just to pay the bills and put food on the table. I'd also ask for help especially if I had someone in my life like Tommy did. I didn't connect with him at all. He is a college educated obviously talented man who at times read like he was not completely competent. And he read that way for the majority of the book. He slept in his car for God's sake.
Frankie is just as baffling to me. The past presents us with a picture of a close family. A family that spends their Summers together. That all live close. That all care but it seems that was an illusion. I mean, it seems that the minute Frankie is off to college all that ends. The parents move and no one ever comes back to the Poconos and the Uncle is just left behind. Frankie is successful but so empty. I don't know if it is because we don't learn much about him aside from his work or what but his life also seemed bad and really, it didn't make any sense. Why did the Sister not know that Frankie and Tommy hadn't talked for thirty years? For a family who in the beginning read one way they sure didn't stay that way.
I guess that is the hook though. I guess that is the backbone of this story but man, that is just so depressing to me. A kiss, a punch and all that seemed good in the world just ends and for the next thirty years these two men just go through the motions. Gah! Life is way too short and this just is so sad. Add into that an abandoned Uncle who for some reason leaves everything to a nephew who never came back instead of to the "nephew/son" who never left and well, I didn't believe it.
Alas, this was very well written and it had all the components of a second chance romance it just didn't have the emotional connection I needed to well, connect with these two guys. Mostly it was just very depressing and it made me sad.
On a positive note, I am a huge fan of a house being a character in a book and I am so happy that this house got it's HEA and that the author did right by this "character".
So, to wrap, I loved the first book, Building Forever, am just a bit better than ok with this one and hope the third is about Brian. Watching the "mighty" fall is sometimes fun.
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
There was something missing. Whatever it is that makes me need and want just wasn't there.
Mostly I think this book just wasn't for me.
I am not a fan of long separations and this one was a doozy. It's not that I don't like a second chance romance, I do, I just sometimes feel like I get so caught up in the 'what could have been' I start to lose focus. It just makes me so sad.
But, unfortunately that wasn't all.
These guys are pretty much my age, although I'd never be caught saying "almost fifty", like ever, but I am forty-four and well, I just didn't get them. Tommy's life is so impossible for me to fathom. Up until almost the end I'll admit I was baffled by his homelessness. It is better explained later but by then I was too far invested in what I thought I knew. Let me just state that I'd never be homeless. I would work at every dead end, low paying job I could just to pay the bills and put food on the table. I'd also ask for help especially if I had someone in my life like Tommy did. I didn't connect with him at all. He is a college educated obviously talented man who at times read like he was not completely competent. And he read that way for the majority of the book. He slept in his car for God's sake.
Frankie is just as baffling to me. The past presents us with a picture of a close family. A family that spends their Summers together. That all live close. That all care but it seems that was an illusion. I mean, it seems that the minute Frankie is off to college all that ends. The parents move and no one ever comes back to the Poconos and the Uncle is just left behind. Frankie is successful but so empty. I don't know if it is because we don't learn much about him aside from his work or what but his life also seemed bad and really, it didn't make any sense. Why did the Sister not know that Frankie and Tommy hadn't talked for thirty years? For a family who in the beginning read one way they sure didn't stay that way.
I guess that is the hook though. I guess that is the backbone of this story but man, that is just so depressing to me. A kiss, a punch and all that seemed good in the world just ends and for the next thirty years these two men just go through the motions. Gah! Life is way too short and this just is so sad. Add into that an abandoned Uncle who for some reason leaves everything to a nephew who never came back instead of to the "nephew/son" who never left and well, I didn't believe it.
Alas, this was very well written and it had all the components of a second chance romance it just didn't have the emotional connection I needed to well, connect with these two guys. Mostly it was just very depressing and it made me sad.
On a positive note, I am a huge fan of a house being a character in a book and I am so happy that this house got it's HEA and that the author did right by this "character".
So, to wrap, I loved the first book, Building Forever, am just a bit better than ok with this one and hope the third is about Brian. Watching the "mighty" fall is sometimes fun.
**ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take Promotions in exchange for an honest review.**
November 12, 2018
Thirty years after childhood friends have a misunderstanding that sends them in very different directions in their lives they are reunited following the death of one’s mentor and the other’s uncle in this emotional and touching romance. They say time heals all wounds, and eventually that does happen in Renewing Forever, but it takes quite a while for these two men to forgive and move forward.
Friends since childhood Frankie and Tommy had big dreams of the life they would lead together on grand adventures with Frankie writing about them and Tommy photographing them, but the night before Frankie leaves for college, an incident changes their course keeping them apart for 30 years. With the passing of Frankie’s uncle he returns to his uncle’s Poconos inn where he finds Tom has spent a good number of years as manager and caretaker.
There was a lot of depth to this story and the author does a good job of showing how these two became friends, how the friendship changed, and the different ways their lives have turned out. While Frankie has been the life of the party and enjoyed becoming an acclaimed journalist, Tommy has played caretaker to his mother, Frankie’s uncle, and trying to keep his head above water. I loved the contrast of these two characters and how they were in very different places in life yet they couldn’t deny that the friendship they once had was still very much on their minds. This wasn’t an easy romance, they had to get past a lot of baggage from the past and Tom was not the most open person leaving Frankie in the dark about his life. I actually hurt for everything Tom was going through and the fact he didn’t feel he could burden anyone with his problems, not even his friends. I was surprised that as intuitive as Frankie was as a journalist he was clueless as to what was going on in Tom’s life.
While I did like this story quite a bit, it lacked the same spark as the first book in this series. A story of healing, hope, passion, friendship, and a love of a lifetime, Renewing Forever was entertaining and an excellent addition to this series.
September 19, 2022
Sorry but this was a miss. I never quite managed tp warm up to Tom (he was a drama queen) and this pathetic Frank wasn’t the Frank we met in the first book. Disappointing.
November 13, 2018
For me personally, Renewing Forever, the second installment in Kelly Jensen “This Time Forever” series is better than the first book.
First, it features both men approaching fifty years old – both Frank and Tom are 49 years old. Second, it has second-chance romance theme, since Frank and Tom hasn’t seen each other for three decades, after Frank left the town having his heart broken and rejected. Third, it is more quiet, more melancholy, which definitely right up my alley.
Also, the steam is low, it’s more about emotion and reconnecting for these two men, and gosh, I must admit that I read several chapters with glassy eyed, especially towards the end.
I don’t know if it’s because both men are almost half-of-a-century old, but I feel like their reunion is not very harsh. I mean, I love reading second-chance romance, and usually when someone is hurt in the past, the story will have the character filled with anger or resentment. Here, it feels like even if Frank wants to know the reason, he hasn’t stubbornly demand the answer from Tom.
I really enjoy reading the progress on how Frank and Tom becomes Frankie and Tommy again. Yes, the reason on why Tom pushes Frank away thirty years ago – and all the years after -- sounds misguided, probably because he’s young and very prideful. I would love for someone to knock his sense out earlier.
I also feel rather sad knowing that they could have their happiness earlier. However, I still savor this second-chance between them. Maybe it does take thirty years for both men to be a little bit wiser; for Frank to acknowledge Tom’s fear more than his hurt, and for Tom to admit he needs help.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
First, it features both men approaching fifty years old – both Frank and Tom are 49 years old. Second, it has second-chance romance theme, since Frank and Tom hasn’t seen each other for three decades, after Frank left the town having his heart broken and rejected. Third, it is more quiet, more melancholy, which definitely right up my alley.
Also, the steam is low, it’s more about emotion and reconnecting for these two men, and gosh, I must admit that I read several chapters with glassy eyed, especially towards the end.
I don’t know if it’s because both men are almost half-of-a-century old, but I feel like their reunion is not very harsh. I mean, I love reading second-chance romance, and usually when someone is hurt in the past, the story will have the character filled with anger or resentment. Here, it feels like even if Frank wants to know the reason, he hasn’t stubbornly demand the answer from Tom.
I really enjoy reading the progress on how Frank and Tom becomes Frankie and Tommy again. Yes, the reason on why Tom pushes Frank away thirty years ago – and all the years after -- sounds misguided, probably because he’s young and very prideful. I would love for someone to knock his sense out earlier.
I also feel rather sad knowing that they could have their happiness earlier. However, I still savor this second-chance between them. Maybe it does take thirty years for both men to be a little bit wiser; for Frank to acknowledge Tom’s fear more than his hurt, and for Tom to admit he needs help.
A Guest Review for The Blogger Girls
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
November 1, 2018
They couldn't undo the last thirty years. Time had marched on, folding over the hurt and turning it into scars. They couldn't change it. Best thing to do would be to let it go.
But letting go of thirty years of pent-up anger, fears, and frustration is really not that easy, as Frank and Tom discover. They used to be best friends, determined never to give in to the simmering sexual tension between them, and when Frank finally does kiss him, he gets a broken nose in return, and loses the most important person in his life. Thirty years later, they meet again after Frank's uncle dies and leaves him a dilapidated resort that Tom has managed for the last couple of years. The spark is still there between them, but both are reluctant to trust again after everything.
Second-chance romances are my absolute favorite kind when well done (as this was), and I could really relate to Frank! I teared up when he finally let go of all his pent-up frustration and lets it all out. It felt like a truly cleansing moment, and I loved how their relationship developed after that. It didn't feel forced or unnatural, and I loved it. And I liked these two idiots together. Sure, thirty years is a long separation (at least they had good, believable reasons), but I still felt like they actually worked through their problems, and I was convinced they'd make it in the end. I also really liked that they are both in their late forties and more settled and mature by the time they finally reconnect.
One tiny little complaint though. Yes, I realize that re-inventing their resort is symbolic and a huge endeavor, but honestly? Towards the end, I just wanted things to move on already so they could get to their happily ever after. It felt a bit dragging towards the end for me.
I really liked this author's writing, and I will definitely check out the other books in this series.
3.5 stars! Recommended for everyone who likes a character-driven second-chance romance :)
*I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
But letting go of thirty years of pent-up anger, fears, and frustration is really not that easy, as Frank and Tom discover. They used to be best friends, determined never to give in to the simmering sexual tension between them, and when Frank finally does kiss him, he gets a broken nose in return, and loses the most important person in his life. Thirty years later, they meet again after Frank's uncle dies and leaves him a dilapidated resort that Tom has managed for the last couple of years. The spark is still there between them, but both are reluctant to trust again after everything.
Second-chance romances are my absolute favorite kind when well done (as this was), and I could really relate to Frank! I teared up when he finally let go of all his pent-up frustration and lets it all out. It felt like a truly cleansing moment, and I loved how their relationship developed after that. It didn't feel forced or unnatural, and I loved it. And I liked these two idiots together. Sure, thirty years is a long separation (at least they had good, believable reasons), but I still felt like they actually worked through their problems, and I was convinced they'd make it in the end. I also really liked that they are both in their late forties and more settled and mature by the time they finally reconnect.
One tiny little complaint though. Yes, I realize that re-inventing their resort is symbolic and a huge endeavor, but honestly? Towards the end, I just wanted things to move on already so they could get to their happily ever after. It felt a bit dragging towards the end for me.
I really liked this author's writing, and I will definitely check out the other books in this series.
3.5 stars! Recommended for everyone who likes a character-driven second-chance romance :)
*I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
November 20, 2018
3.5 This is a quite lovely, if rather sad, second-chance romance for Frankie, best friend of Simon from book one. It uses some themes that I have a personal dislike of but they were utilized very well in the story. Frank was best friends with Tommy when they met as boys, in the woods surrounding his uncle Robert’s family resort in the Poconos. They’d shared hopes and dreams while growing up but Tommy’s life was in the trailer park with his alcoholic mother and Frankie’s was far more fortunate. Stubborn pride from both men ended their blossoming relationship and kept them apart for 30 years. Both had a lot of fault in the extended separation.
My personal peeves are believing in teen love/first love somehow lasting 30 years, also non-communication and assumptions affecting their life choices, people and family around them, almost everything they do, and should have gotten over, for the aforementioned 30 years. But it was logical for the characters as they were presented. I’m also not too fond of flashbacks but as a friendship formed while so young, it did serve to support the 30 year lingering attachment. (Tom was still stupid and Frankie was too stubborn!) There weren’t too many though and didn’t overwhelm the story. Again, that’s all personal preference and nothing actually negative about the writing. It was paced right, with a slow burn and buildup that kept the eventual coming-together believable. I did like the epilogue and HEA a great deal and I’m looking forward to Brian’s story and how he’ll be redeemed.
My personal peeves are believing in teen love/first love somehow lasting 30 years, also non-communication and assumptions affecting their life choices, people and family around them, almost everything they do, and should have gotten over, for the aforementioned 30 years. But it was logical for the characters as they were presented. I’m also not too fond of flashbacks but as a friendship formed while so young, it did serve to support the 30 year lingering attachment. (Tom was still stupid and Frankie was too stubborn!) There weren’t too many though and didn’t overwhelm the story. Again, that’s all personal preference and nothing actually negative about the writing. It was paced right, with a slow burn and buildup that kept the eventual coming-together believable. I did like the epilogue and HEA a great deal and I’m looking forward to Brian’s story and how he’ll be redeemed.
February 24, 2019
I've given this a B at AAR.
Kelly Jensen continues her This Time Forever series about couples in their forties finding love and happiness with Renewing Forever, a beautifully written, reflective and somewhat wistful story about childhood friends whose lives went in very different directions, and who must work out if the forever they’d envisaged three decades earlier might now be possible.
We first met Franklin – Frank – Tarn in Building Forever, book one in the series, as the best friend of Simon Lynley, one of the principals in that story. Frank, a lifestyle journalist, came across as garrulous and flirtatious, a bit of a party animal who’s always up for a good time and is happy with his busy life and frequently itinerant lifestyle. In Renewing Forever, we see other sides to him as he starts to come to terms with the fact that he’s ready for his life to take a new direction and to finally put down some roots.
When Frank was a boy, he and his best friend, Tommy Benjamin (Benjamin and Franklin – heh) planned to travel the world together. Although they came from very different backgrounds – Frank’s family was well-off, and he grew up in a secure environment, with both parents, a doting uncle and siblings while Tommy’s mother was a single parent who struggled with addiction and often neglected him – the boys forged a strong bond of friendship which seems, as they approach manhood, to be turning into more. Tommy, however, can’t bear the idea of losing Frank as a friend, and tells him that’s what how he wants them to stay; no matter that there’s a definite attraction between them, neither of them is to do anything to change what they have. And that’s fine until one night, when they’re both seventeen, Frank kisses Tommy, and gets a punch in the face as a result. Frank leaves town after that, and doesn’t look back, returning as infrequently as possible.
He wouldn’t be going back there now were it not for the fact that his uncle Robert has recently died and left his business – The Bossen Hill Family Resort – in the Pocono Mountains to him and his sister in his will. Frank doesn’t want or need it, but has agreed to meet Annabelle there to decide what they’re going to do with the place.
Frank arrives – after a crappy journey – to find that the lodge is terribly run down. The smell of dampness lingers in the air, the furnishings are worn, the grounds are a mess… once a thriving business, it’s dilapidated and unkempt – and Frank is appalled to see the place in such a state. In another surprise, Frank also finds his old friend and first love Tommy Benjamin there; he hadn’t known that Tom had been helping Robert manage the resort for years… and wasn’t prepared for all the old feelings that seeing Tom again churns up inside him.
It’s clear from the start that both men still care for each other a great deal, but they’re at such different places in their lives that it’s sometimes difficult to see how they will ever be able to work things out and find a way to be together on terms that work for both of them. The social gulf that existed between them when they were younger is even more pronounced now; Frank is successful and comfortably-off, while Tom has never left his home town and his financial situation is now more precarious than ever. He’s a loving, caring man whose life has never been easy and who is doing the best he can for his sick mother, in spite of the way she treated him when he was younger. But she’s his mother – what else can he do but look after her? And Tom is also – naturally and realistically – very prickly about his situation, not wanting Frank to feel obligated or to see just how dispirited and simply dragged down by life he has become, and goes to some lengths in the attempt to conceal the truth – which, of course, is a recipe for disaster, especially when it causes Frank to doubt Tom’s reasons for getting close to him again.
Ms. Jensen develops the friendship between young Frankie and Tommy extremely well through a series of short flashbacks to various points in their lives, culminating in the kiss that sent Frank running. Readers get a strong sense of what these two meant to each other back then, and she does an equally good job of showing them working through the things that divide them; of Frank’s growing self-awareness that he’s not been as wise to Tom’s difficulties as he should have been, and Tom’s realisation that it’s not weakness to accept help from the man he loves. Their renewed relationship is well-developed and easy to buy into although I wasn’t completely convinced by the reasons given for their parting or by the fact that their teenaged love lasted for thirty years. Still, those are niggles rather than full-blown flaws in the storytelling.
Renewing Forever is a quiet story which is pervaded by an almost palpable sense of melancholy. Frank’s dissatisfaction with the direction his career and life is taking him, Tom’s struggles financially and personally, his mother’s decline into old age and infirmity – all are paralleled by the disrepair into which the lodge has fallen, and the struggles faced by Frank and Tom both personally and in terms of how they can possibly turn things around – if they even want to – feel real and are incredibly well written. This is a sad book in many ways, but it’s not all doom and gloom; the author builds this story of renewal – of place, home, lives and love – beautifully, giving readers small glimpses of victory like shafts of sunlight in a dark room as Frank and Tommy gradually realise that their visions of the future coalesce and that they want to make it a reality together.
Kelly Jensen continues her This Time Forever series about couples in their forties finding love and happiness with Renewing Forever, a beautifully written, reflective and somewhat wistful story about childhood friends whose lives went in very different directions, and who must work out if the forever they’d envisaged three decades earlier might now be possible.
We first met Franklin – Frank – Tarn in Building Forever, book one in the series, as the best friend of Simon Lynley, one of the principals in that story. Frank, a lifestyle journalist, came across as garrulous and flirtatious, a bit of a party animal who’s always up for a good time and is happy with his busy life and frequently itinerant lifestyle. In Renewing Forever, we see other sides to him as he starts to come to terms with the fact that he’s ready for his life to take a new direction and to finally put down some roots.
When Frank was a boy, he and his best friend, Tommy Benjamin (Benjamin and Franklin – heh) planned to travel the world together. Although they came from very different backgrounds – Frank’s family was well-off, and he grew up in a secure environment, with both parents, a doting uncle and siblings while Tommy’s mother was a single parent who struggled with addiction and often neglected him – the boys forged a strong bond of friendship which seems, as they approach manhood, to be turning into more. Tommy, however, can’t bear the idea of losing Frank as a friend, and tells him that’s what how he wants them to stay; no matter that there’s a definite attraction between them, neither of them is to do anything to change what they have. And that’s fine until one night, when they’re both seventeen, Frank kisses Tommy, and gets a punch in the face as a result. Frank leaves town after that, and doesn’t look back, returning as infrequently as possible.
He wouldn’t be going back there now were it not for the fact that his uncle Robert has recently died and left his business – The Bossen Hill Family Resort – in the Pocono Mountains to him and his sister in his will. Frank doesn’t want or need it, but has agreed to meet Annabelle there to decide what they’re going to do with the place.
Frank arrives – after a crappy journey – to find that the lodge is terribly run down. The smell of dampness lingers in the air, the furnishings are worn, the grounds are a mess… once a thriving business, it’s dilapidated and unkempt – and Frank is appalled to see the place in such a state. In another surprise, Frank also finds his old friend and first love Tommy Benjamin there; he hadn’t known that Tom had been helping Robert manage the resort for years… and wasn’t prepared for all the old feelings that seeing Tom again churns up inside him.
It’s clear from the start that both men still care for each other a great deal, but they’re at such different places in their lives that it’s sometimes difficult to see how they will ever be able to work things out and find a way to be together on terms that work for both of them. The social gulf that existed between them when they were younger is even more pronounced now; Frank is successful and comfortably-off, while Tom has never left his home town and his financial situation is now more precarious than ever. He’s a loving, caring man whose life has never been easy and who is doing the best he can for his sick mother, in spite of the way she treated him when he was younger. But she’s his mother – what else can he do but look after her? And Tom is also – naturally and realistically – very prickly about his situation, not wanting Frank to feel obligated or to see just how dispirited and simply dragged down by life he has become, and goes to some lengths in the attempt to conceal the truth – which, of course, is a recipe for disaster, especially when it causes Frank to doubt Tom’s reasons for getting close to him again.
Ms. Jensen develops the friendship between young Frankie and Tommy extremely well through a series of short flashbacks to various points in their lives, culminating in the kiss that sent Frank running. Readers get a strong sense of what these two meant to each other back then, and she does an equally good job of showing them working through the things that divide them; of Frank’s growing self-awareness that he’s not been as wise to Tom’s difficulties as he should have been, and Tom’s realisation that it’s not weakness to accept help from the man he loves. Their renewed relationship is well-developed and easy to buy into although I wasn’t completely convinced by the reasons given for their parting or by the fact that their teenaged love lasted for thirty years. Still, those are niggles rather than full-blown flaws in the storytelling.
Renewing Forever is a quiet story which is pervaded by an almost palpable sense of melancholy. Frank’s dissatisfaction with the direction his career and life is taking him, Tom’s struggles financially and personally, his mother’s decline into old age and infirmity – all are paralleled by the disrepair into which the lodge has fallen, and the struggles faced by Frank and Tom both personally and in terms of how they can possibly turn things around – if they even want to – feel real and are incredibly well written. This is a sad book in many ways, but it’s not all doom and gloom; the author builds this story of renewal – of place, home, lives and love – beautifully, giving readers small glimpses of victory like shafts of sunlight in a dark room as Frank and Tommy gradually realise that their visions of the future coalesce and that they want to make it a reality together.
November 29, 2018
This is a poignant reunion romance for a pair of childhood friends who, as teenagers, moved a step closer to becoming more - an event that caused a rift and then separated them for decades. Frank and Tommy may have secretly been lusting after each other but couldn't translate that into a teenaged love affair. Now Frank is back to deal with his deceased uncle's falling down resort property, and discovers that Tommy had been taking care of his uncle in his dying days, and the property too. Neither has forgotten the other, nor have they had serious relationships with others in the interim. Dealing with what happened to split them apart is a tricky topic to bring up, and it takes a while before they trust each other enough to hash things out. Plus Tommy is keeping some other secrets from Frank that must be shared before they can get to a happy ending. There are some sexy scenes, emotional moments and complicated family dynamics to get through. Cameos from characters in book one, Building Forever, (another book I thoroughly enjoyed) were lovely and the happy ending is very satisfying. I look forward to every Kelly Jensen book because I know it will be worth my time. Can't wait to read the next in this series!
A copy of this story was provided by the author via A Novel Take PR for review.
A copy of this story was provided by the author via A Novel Take PR for review.
November 13, 2018
Renewing Forever is a bunch of my favorite tropes rolled in heartbreak with a dash of a home renovation show and served up on a platter. That's probably not the best summary of this book but it's what first comes to mind. Two things I will eat up any day of the week - friends to lovers and second chances - plus slow burn, hurt/comfort, angst and healing, beautiful old homes that need care, and beautiful souls who need love.
Frank and Tom were best friends growing up, inseparable and as close as could be. Their names were always mentioned together - Frankie and Tommy, Benjamin and Franklin. They had very different childhoods - Frankie, with a well-off family, two older siblings, a loving uncle and the fabulous Bossen Hill resort as a playground; Tommy with a single mother who worked multiple jobs to pay the bills while also struggling with addiction, growing up in the low-income part of town, afraid of romantic love because from what he'd seen, it never stuck around. We see snippets of their childhood in flashback chapters, and the friendship the author builds is heartful and lovely. We could really feel what they mean to each other and, as they get older, the struggles they have for very different reasons when they start to feel more for each other.
It's a joy brimming with heartbreak to read the story of their reunion. Seeing how much they still so clearly and deeply care for each other, while thinking the obstacles of their past are insurmountable. Tom especially broke my heart. He's such a loving man, kind and gentle, though not perfect. He loves his mother and knows that, despite the struggles her addiction wrought, she loves him, too. And the lengths that he goes to in order to provide for her, no matter the detriment to any other part of his life, broke my heart.
This story had a very real possibility of falling into White Knight syndrome, with Frank riding in and saving Tom and everyone lives happily-ever-after. But that's not what happens. Even though Tom stole my heart, both men have very real - if different - things to overcome. And it's clear that they belong together. They are just more when they're together. And it's heartbreaking to think of everything they missed in the thirty years of their falling out. Add in the melancholy that hangs over this book - from Frank, disenchanted with the route his life and career is taking him; to Tom struggling personally and financially, in a rut that he can't see out of; to the aging and poor health of Frank's uncle and Tom's mother; to the disrepair the resort has fallen into, the smell of mold and age written so descriptively that it came alive - the melancholy hangs over nearly every page like a fog. This book had the very real possibility of being, just, sad. And it is. It's not a happy, cheery book. But it's a very beautiful telling of renewal - renewal of lives, of love, of a beautiful resort in the Poconos.
This is the first book I've read in this series (Building Forever is loaded on my Kindle, I'm just a sucker for friends-to-lovers so I jumped on this one first!) and, even though there are cameos from characters in the first book, Renewing Forever stands alone just fine. I'm excited to go back now and read Simon and Charlie's story. I'm hooked on these characters.
An advance copy of this book was received through NetGalley for review on OMGReads.
Frank and Tom were best friends growing up, inseparable and as close as could be. Their names were always mentioned together - Frankie and Tommy, Benjamin and Franklin. They had very different childhoods - Frankie, with a well-off family, two older siblings, a loving uncle and the fabulous Bossen Hill resort as a playground; Tommy with a single mother who worked multiple jobs to pay the bills while also struggling with addiction, growing up in the low-income part of town, afraid of romantic love because from what he'd seen, it never stuck around. We see snippets of their childhood in flashback chapters, and the friendship the author builds is heartful and lovely. We could really feel what they mean to each other and, as they get older, the struggles they have for very different reasons when they start to feel more for each other.
It's a joy brimming with heartbreak to read the story of their reunion. Seeing how much they still so clearly and deeply care for each other, while thinking the obstacles of their past are insurmountable. Tom especially broke my heart. He's such a loving man, kind and gentle, though not perfect. He loves his mother and knows that, despite the struggles her addiction wrought, she loves him, too. And the lengths that he goes to in order to provide for her, no matter the detriment to any other part of his life, broke my heart.
This story had a very real possibility of falling into White Knight syndrome, with Frank riding in and saving Tom and everyone lives happily-ever-after. But that's not what happens. Even though Tom stole my heart, both men have very real - if different - things to overcome. And it's clear that they belong together. They are just more when they're together. And it's heartbreaking to think of everything they missed in the thirty years of their falling out. Add in the melancholy that hangs over this book - from Frank, disenchanted with the route his life and career is taking him; to Tom struggling personally and financially, in a rut that he can't see out of; to the aging and poor health of Frank's uncle and Tom's mother; to the disrepair the resort has fallen into, the smell of mold and age written so descriptively that it came alive - the melancholy hangs over nearly every page like a fog. This book had the very real possibility of being, just, sad. And it is. It's not a happy, cheery book. But it's a very beautiful telling of renewal - renewal of lives, of love, of a beautiful resort in the Poconos.
This is the first book I've read in this series (Building Forever is loaded on my Kindle, I'm just a sucker for friends-to-lovers so I jumped on this one first!) and, even though there are cameos from characters in the first book, Renewing Forever stands alone just fine. I'm excited to go back now and read Simon and Charlie's story. I'm hooked on these characters.
An advance copy of this book was received through NetGalley for review on OMGReads.
November 12, 2018
My Review:
First thing I have to state just because it's bugging the heck out of me...this cover...NO! OMG, it does NOT fit (my internal image of) the book at all, BUT no worries...I didn't take that into account for my review because I loved this book so much... (just not the cover).
Okay, so this book...it takes place between two men in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. In high school, they were best friends...inseparable. But then something happened when they kissed (the details about what exactly that was are a bit murky throughout most of the book to keep the reader guessing) at the age of 18, and then they haven't seen one another in the last 30 years. They had plans for the future...together ...and that single moment blew it all to pieces...their friendship and anything else that might have been brewing under the surface.
So, when Frank comes home to figure out what to do with his inheritance from his uncle, he's shocked to find his childhood friend running the front office. And what a front office it is...moldy, cold, damp, falling down around their heads. And I have to say that I loved it.
But I also loved the two guys although I had the hardest time with Tommy at times, just because he NEEDS to talk to Frank...about so much in his life now, but also about what happened then. But they're both just trying to survive and keep the property alive, so they ignore the elephant in the room between them for forever before they finally have to talk it through.
I do love second chance at love stories and I liked that this one was a bit "later in life" than you normally see in romance. Yippee!
These guys are the same age as me, so when they're talking about vacation spots like this one, I can perfectly picture it. In fact, I had to go online and see if the place we went every year was still around (note...it is, but wow, it's expensive now). Also, I remember when I got married, the Poconos were THE place to go for honeymoons...those clear stem glass hot tubs...OH MY...LOL!
Overall, the book was a great read. It was fun to go back in time and see a second chance couple work through it all together. I loved the location of the story and the idea of rehabbing one of those old resorts. It was just a fun, entertaining read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest and voluntary review.
First thing I have to state just because it's bugging the heck out of me...this cover...NO! OMG, it does NOT fit (my internal image of) the book at all, BUT no worries...I didn't take that into account for my review because I loved this book so much... (just not the cover).
Okay, so this book...it takes place between two men in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania. In high school, they were best friends...inseparable. But then something happened when they kissed (the details about what exactly that was are a bit murky throughout most of the book to keep the reader guessing) at the age of 18, and then they haven't seen one another in the last 30 years. They had plans for the future...together ...and that single moment blew it all to pieces...their friendship and anything else that might have been brewing under the surface.
So, when Frank comes home to figure out what to do with his inheritance from his uncle, he's shocked to find his childhood friend running the front office. And what a front office it is...moldy, cold, damp, falling down around their heads. And I have to say that I loved it.
But I also loved the two guys although I had the hardest time with Tommy at times, just because he NEEDS to talk to Frank...about so much in his life now, but also about what happened then. But they're both just trying to survive and keep the property alive, so they ignore the elephant in the room between them for forever before they finally have to talk it through.
I do love second chance at love stories and I liked that this one was a bit "later in life" than you normally see in romance. Yippee!
These guys are the same age as me, so when they're talking about vacation spots like this one, I can perfectly picture it. In fact, I had to go online and see if the place we went every year was still around (note...it is, but wow, it's expensive now). Also, I remember when I got married, the Poconos were THE place to go for honeymoons...those clear stem glass hot tubs...OH MY...LOL!
Overall, the book was a great read. It was fun to go back in time and see a second chance couple work through it all together. I loved the location of the story and the idea of rehabbing one of those old resorts. It was just a fun, entertaining read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest and voluntary review.
November 11, 2018
3.75 stars
This is the second in Kelly Jensen's Older MCs trilogy, and it's a very enjoyable read. Some of my favourite tropes crop up - second chance love, a poor but proud MC, a business in trouble - and they are wound together really very credibly.
KJ alternates chapters with the 40-something MCs (successful Frankie, and "loser" Tommy) with snapshots of their teenage friendship, then links the fate of their current relationship to the success or failure of the run-down resort Frankie has inherited. She's really good on the difficulties of Tom's life, grieving for the loss of his one friend (Frank's uncle), struggling with his relationship with his mother, desperate to for Frank not to see how beaten down he's become, and yet still with an inner core of dignity that makes him Frank's equal. Frank's a slightly more difficult character to warm to: there's a sense of entitlement every now and again, and he's curiously blind to any evidence of Tom's difficulties. But his self-awareness is attractive, as is his slow realisation that he's actually capable of change. I loved the development of ideas for the rundown resort: for once, I could actually get behind a fictional business plan!
There are a few weaknesses: the reason for the original split between the MCs (30 years ago) is It's also hard to believe that the MCs can more or less pick up where they left off 30 years later; KJ trades quite hard on the sweetness of the teenage scenes as a substitute for developing an adult relationship. And while the focus is mainly on the MCs, a couple of characters from the first book are shoe-horned in--in part, I think, to set up book three.
But on the whole this is a good solid read, and I'm looking forward to Book 3.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is the second in Kelly Jensen's Older MCs trilogy, and it's a very enjoyable read. Some of my favourite tropes crop up - second chance love, a poor but proud MC, a business in trouble - and they are wound together really very credibly.
KJ alternates chapters with the 40-something MCs (successful Frankie, and "loser" Tommy) with snapshots of their teenage friendship, then links the fate of their current relationship to the success or failure of the run-down resort Frankie has inherited. She's really good on the difficulties of Tom's life, grieving for the loss of his one friend (Frank's uncle), struggling with his relationship with his mother, desperate to for Frank not to see how beaten down he's become, and yet still with an inner core of dignity that makes him Frank's equal. Frank's a slightly more difficult character to warm to: there's a sense of entitlement every now and again, and he's curiously blind to any evidence of Tom's difficulties. But his self-awareness is attractive, as is his slow realisation that he's actually capable of change. I loved the development of ideas for the rundown resort: for once, I could actually get behind a fictional business plan!
There are a few weaknesses: the reason for the original split between the MCs (30 years ago) is It's also hard to believe that the MCs can more or less pick up where they left off 30 years later; KJ trades quite hard on the sweetness of the teenage scenes as a substitute for developing an adult relationship. And while the focus is mainly on the MCs, a couple of characters from the first book are shoe-horned in--in part, I think, to set up book three.
But on the whole this is a good solid read, and I'm looking forward to Book 3.
I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for my unbiased review.
October 18, 2018
I received an ARC from Kelly and I am so glad I did.
This is a beautifully written romance with two main characters you can't help but fall in love with. There is a vast range of secondary characters, some a carry over from the first book in the series, 'Building Forever.' The plot takes you back to the men when they first met at age 9, the activities that brought them close and the misunderstanding that tore them apart at age 18. Now Frank and Tom are in their 40's and they reunite when Frank comes back to the lodge his uncle owned and that Tom was managing. Only when they finally open up and discuss the past, reveal the state of their lives now, and share their desires, do they have the ability to forge a bond that stood the test of time.
Kelly is such a wonderful author. She embeds phrases and ideas that stay with you long after you close the book;
'He'd come home only to find home wasn't here anymore.'
'...checked in with the twisted thing in his chest, the organ that was supposed to beat happily when he met The One, the place where he was to store all his most cherished memories. And it was beating.'
'...he existed in a place he hadn't visited in forever. A space without conscious thought.'
(Tom spoke about his mom...) '...she managed the rent most of the time, and she let me dream.'
'...a wedding is what you make of it.'
'You're already in here.' Frank pressed his palm to his chest 'You always were.'
'But if the rest of it did work, then this could be it for them. A place to rest their forevers.'
What Tom had described was exactly what Frank had been missing...Home. He'd been missing home.'
'I didn't know I was supposed to be the knight.'
'...sex with someone you wanted this much could only ever remake the world.
Pick up this book, settle in, and enjoy a love that shows it's never too late to win!
This is a beautifully written romance with two main characters you can't help but fall in love with. There is a vast range of secondary characters, some a carry over from the first book in the series, 'Building Forever.' The plot takes you back to the men when they first met at age 9, the activities that brought them close and the misunderstanding that tore them apart at age 18. Now Frank and Tom are in their 40's and they reunite when Frank comes back to the lodge his uncle owned and that Tom was managing. Only when they finally open up and discuss the past, reveal the state of their lives now, and share their desires, do they have the ability to forge a bond that stood the test of time.
Kelly is such a wonderful author. She embeds phrases and ideas that stay with you long after you close the book;
'He'd come home only to find home wasn't here anymore.'
'...checked in with the twisted thing in his chest, the organ that was supposed to beat happily when he met The One, the place where he was to store all his most cherished memories. And it was beating.'
'...he existed in a place he hadn't visited in forever. A space without conscious thought.'
(Tom spoke about his mom...) '...she managed the rent most of the time, and she let me dream.'
'...a wedding is what you make of it.'
'You're already in here.' Frank pressed his palm to his chest 'You always were.'
'But if the rest of it did work, then this could be it for them. A place to rest their forevers.'
What Tom had described was exactly what Frank had been missing...Home. He'd been missing home.'
'I didn't know I was supposed to be the knight.'
'...sex with someone you wanted this much could only ever remake the world.
Pick up this book, settle in, and enjoy a love that shows it's never too late to win!
December 10, 2018
actual rating 2,75*
agak-agak geli gimana gitu yah, om-om mendekati 50-an pacarannya pangku2an, terus galo-galoan, ngambek, gengsi... mannnnnn capek gak sih
agak-agak geli gimana gitu yah, om-om mendekati 50-an pacarannya pangku2an, terus galo-galoan, ngambek, gengsi... mannnnnn capek gak sih
November 12, 2018
That was lovely.
November 19, 2018
This book was provided for free by the publisher and Love Bytes in exchange for an honest review.
This review was first posted to Love Bytes: LGBTQ Book Reviews. It has been slightly edited here for content.
When you know your true love is the first boy you kissed at age 16, and if that boy punched you in the face and never spoke to you again, you may be in deep trouble when you finally meet him again 30 years later. This is Frank’s life now, and even though it can be heartbreaking, it makes for a great story set-up.
So far, the books in Jensen’s “This Time Forever” series center around the home—the physical, the emotional, the ones we build ourselves, and the ones that form around us. While Charlie and Simon worked to blend homes in Building Forever, Frank is returning to his childhood home after 30 years to find his first love is right where he left him. But was it ever really home if that’s where his heart was broken? Both men are displaced in their own ways. Frank is a jet-setter, hopping across continents for the next juicy interview. And former resort manager Tom doesn’t know what to do with himself now that his home away from home is vacant. They’re both surrounded by crumbling, sagging walls, and they are, of course, the only two people who can rebuild.
I often enjoy when characters have easy, effortless chemistry, but that isn’t so with Frank and Tom. They have to work for it. They sidestep the event that tore them apart years ago even as they fall back in love, and the discussion sits quietly in the corner until they’re ready. There’s tension and snapping and fighting, but there’s always, always love, and that’s what makes them a really great couple. Jensen obviously put a lot of love into crafting each character. I do think her star character of this series so far is Charlie from the first book—no character, Frank and Tom included, are as complex or layered as him. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t well-written and enjoyable.
Though the two books are different enough that I’d hesitate to even call them a part of a series, I definitely think this is the stronger story so far. It’s more mature and it has more complex stakes. It doesn’t rely on cheap plot twists or tropes, something that annoyed me in the first book. After the explosive, affirming love scene in which Frank and Tom come together after so many years apart, the book doesn’t fade to black—it delves back into the hard stuff. It doesn’t shy away from money, illness, or the ghosts of the past. This is a dramatic book, but it never strays from being wonderfully romantic.
Sometimes, two characters just belong together, and their journey makes for an excellent story.
This review was first posted to Love Bytes: LGBTQ Book Reviews. It has been slightly edited here for content.
When you know your true love is the first boy you kissed at age 16, and if that boy punched you in the face and never spoke to you again, you may be in deep trouble when you finally meet him again 30 years later. This is Frank’s life now, and even though it can be heartbreaking, it makes for a great story set-up.
So far, the books in Jensen’s “This Time Forever” series center around the home—the physical, the emotional, the ones we build ourselves, and the ones that form around us. While Charlie and Simon worked to blend homes in Building Forever, Frank is returning to his childhood home after 30 years to find his first love is right where he left him. But was it ever really home if that’s where his heart was broken? Both men are displaced in their own ways. Frank is a jet-setter, hopping across continents for the next juicy interview. And former resort manager Tom doesn’t know what to do with himself now that his home away from home is vacant. They’re both surrounded by crumbling, sagging walls, and they are, of course, the only two people who can rebuild.
I often enjoy when characters have easy, effortless chemistry, but that isn’t so with Frank and Tom. They have to work for it. They sidestep the event that tore them apart years ago even as they fall back in love, and the discussion sits quietly in the corner until they’re ready. There’s tension and snapping and fighting, but there’s always, always love, and that’s what makes them a really great couple. Jensen obviously put a lot of love into crafting each character. I do think her star character of this series so far is Charlie from the first book—no character, Frank and Tom included, are as complex or layered as him. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t well-written and enjoyable.
Though the two books are different enough that I’d hesitate to even call them a part of a series, I definitely think this is the stronger story so far. It’s more mature and it has more complex stakes. It doesn’t rely on cheap plot twists or tropes, something that annoyed me in the first book. After the explosive, affirming love scene in which Frank and Tom come together after so many years apart, the book doesn’t fade to black—it delves back into the hard stuff. It doesn’t shy away from money, illness, or the ghosts of the past. This is a dramatic book, but it never strays from being wonderfully romantic.
Sometimes, two characters just belong together, and their journey makes for an excellent story.
December 2, 2018
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This second book in the The Time Forever series is just as good as the first, featuring Frank (best friend of Simon from the first book) and his boyhood best friend Tom. Once again, we have a recurring theme of second chances and protagonists not being what we initially thought - and the ability to look on things differently later in life than when young. I especially liked Tom's very conflicted character here and how complicated we can make things that are already problematic.Story: 30 years after he left, it is the death of his beloved Uncle that brings him back to the resort built by his family and run by his uncle. It is there that he reunites with Tom - the childhood friend who drove him away when he tried to deepen their relationship. He thought he had left it all behind - living a cosmopolitan life of movie stars and travel as a famous journalist. But Tom brings it all back: that and the need to find a 'home' amidst all his wanderings.
Frank appeared to be a happy-go-lucky character in the first book - someone with a fond relationship with Simon but who enjoys the parties and travel. What we find with Frank in this book, however, is that he is hiding a broken heart from Tom when they were teens. Tom, meanwhile, is struggling to stay above water: the only child of a capricious and often drug/drink addled single mother, he has always known that the wealthy Frank was meant for better things than him. The heart of the book is Frank coming to understand why Tom chased him away - and Tom being honest with Frank about his true situation.
Because we have complicated characters with a lot of nuance, this made for a great read. As with all of Jensen's books, we have a characters with a good heart who are dealing with the complications of life. Because both protagonists are older, they are given a different perspective and the chance to fix what they could not when they were younger.
In all, a very enjoyable read and I am looking forward to book three. I always have such a warm and happy feeling after having finished Jenson's books. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
November 21, 2018
I received this ARC in exchange of an honest review from Novel Take.
OMG! I have been screaming to my friends about this book since I started it 3 days ago and I stayed last night reading until I fell asleep on it.
Renewing Forever tell us the story of two childhood friends, Frank and Tom (or Frankie and Tommy), who were separated by life (and choices) when they were both 18. Long story short: Frankie kissed Tommy and earned a broken nose and heart.
Fast forward 30 years (I KNOW) and Frankie is back in town again, and who he happens to meet but Tommy.
The characters:
First we have Frankie, a very experienced and successful journalist who has this image of flirt and a twitter that makes him appear quite the playboy. But on the inside, Frankie is very lonely and while he’s not pining, he has always thought about Tommy. Stalking him online and buying his prints.
Then we have Tommy, an excellent photographer whose life has not let him really shine as he deserved. All his life has been a battle and Tommy is now VERY tired. His mother is in a care house and he’s been living, in secret, in the couch of his ex employer because he has no money. Same as Frankie, he has been stalking him online and has maybe the wrong idea about him... that doesn’t stop him from collecting every magazine where Frankie has written an article.
Seriously, this book had me smiling so freaking hard the entire time, and it also got me worrying for the future of these lovely and adorable men until the last page and their HEA.
The story is very cute. You get angst, comedy and above all, love.
This book talks about commitment and hope. I found it to be very real too, in that if you really want a relationship to last and work, both people need to communicate. After all, we can’t read minds, even if Frankie and Tommy made it appear so.
I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something light and that makes you feel fuzzy and warm inside.
OMG! I have been screaming to my friends about this book since I started it 3 days ago and I stayed last night reading until I fell asleep on it.
Renewing Forever tell us the story of two childhood friends, Frank and Tom (or Frankie and Tommy), who were separated by life (and choices) when they were both 18. Long story short: Frankie kissed Tommy and earned a broken nose and heart.
Fast forward 30 years (I KNOW) and Frankie is back in town again, and who he happens to meet but Tommy.
The characters:
First we have Frankie, a very experienced and successful journalist who has this image of flirt and a twitter that makes him appear quite the playboy. But on the inside, Frankie is very lonely and while he’s not pining, he has always thought about Tommy. Stalking him online and buying his prints.
Then we have Tommy, an excellent photographer whose life has not let him really shine as he deserved. All his life has been a battle and Tommy is now VERY tired. His mother is in a care house and he’s been living, in secret, in the couch of his ex employer because he has no money. Same as Frankie, he has been stalking him online and has maybe the wrong idea about him... that doesn’t stop him from collecting every magazine where Frankie has written an article.
Seriously, this book had me smiling so freaking hard the entire time, and it also got me worrying for the future of these lovely and adorable men until the last page and their HEA.
The story is very cute. You get angst, comedy and above all, love.
This book talks about commitment and hope. I found it to be very real too, in that if you really want a relationship to last and work, both people need to communicate. After all, we can’t read minds, even if Frankie and Tommy made it appear so.
I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something light and that makes you feel fuzzy and warm inside.
December 2, 2018
Frank and Tom were childhood friends until one kissed the other, the other punched one in the face and they never met again for thirty years. When Frank needs to go back home because he's inherited his uncle's property, he finds out Tom is still there.
2.5.
I liked the idea of best friends in love with each other needing to figure how to work things out instead of the unrealistic love is enough. Both characters were nice and made me cheer for them. I also loved Tom's backstory and how he cares for his mother.
Still, this fell far from perfect.
I'm not so into sex scenes so I had even felt more interested when the reviews said there wasn't much. But the truth is not that it lacks sex scenes, it does have a good number actually, though it takes many attempts for them to go to the end. What happens is that there's too much angst, it was hard to believe they were over forty and not fifteen. I know there's a public for that, and I am all for taking time for the characters to get together, but I need better excuses. What really happened here was not the characters taking time but the rhythm going too slow.
I haven't read the other books in the series, but we get to meet some returning characters from those books (if you've ever started a series from halfway, you learn to recognize the cameos). They were all interesting enough and got me curious. I also loved Brian and hope he'll get his chance at a happy ending as well.
As you can see, the story is pleasing enough and the characters are lovely, if only the rhythm could have picked up... This was my first book by this author as far as I can remember, but I want to read more from her.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
2.5.
I liked the idea of best friends in love with each other needing to figure how to work things out instead of the unrealistic love is enough. Both characters were nice and made me cheer for them. I also loved Tom's backstory and how he cares for his mother.
Still, this fell far from perfect.
I'm not so into sex scenes so I had even felt more interested when the reviews said there wasn't much. But the truth is not that it lacks sex scenes, it does have a good number actually, though it takes many attempts for them to go to the end. What happens is that there's too much angst, it was hard to believe they were over forty and not fifteen. I know there's a public for that, and I am all for taking time for the characters to get together, but I need better excuses. What really happened here was not the characters taking time but the rhythm going too slow.
I haven't read the other books in the series, but we get to meet some returning characters from those books (if you've ever started a series from halfway, you learn to recognize the cameos). They were all interesting enough and got me curious. I also loved Brian and hope he'll get his chance at a happy ending as well.
As you can see, the story is pleasing enough and the characters are lovely, if only the rhythm could have picked up... This was my first book by this author as far as I can remember, but I want to read more from her.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
October 29, 2018
Building Forever, Book 1 was fantastic--one of my favorites of 2018. I adored Simon and Charlie. They make very brief appearances in Renewing Forever and I craved more of them.
I had trouble getting into Frank and Tom's story. Frank is introduced in Building Forever, and I wanted to get to know him after reading the first of the series. Unfortunately, the build up was a bit of a let down for me. He just wasn't that interesting. He seemed to have lived a fascinating life as a journalist traveling all over the world and publishing articles in magazine. I wanted to know more about his travels and his career...the people he met, the topics he covered. Jensen barely touches on his last assignment, reporting from the devastation in Puerto Rico, and how that experience made him want more from life. But I just didn't feel it.
As for Tom, I had much difficulty liking and sympathizing with him. He was weird and awkward, and not in a cute, sweet way. His reason for pushing Frank away so long ago didn't resonate with me. His actions and reactions rubbed me the wrong way.
Even their relationship as kids/teens didn't feel right to me, and not because they were from two different social classes.
I really wanted to like this book. Here's hoping Brian in Book 3 can win me over.
I had trouble getting into Frank and Tom's story. Frank is introduced in Building Forever, and I wanted to get to know him after reading the first of the series. Unfortunately, the build up was a bit of a let down for me. He just wasn't that interesting. He seemed to have lived a fascinating life as a journalist traveling all over the world and publishing articles in magazine. I wanted to know more about his travels and his career...the people he met, the topics he covered. Jensen barely touches on his last assignment, reporting from the devastation in Puerto Rico, and how that experience made him want more from life. But I just didn't feel it.
As for Tom, I had much difficulty liking and sympathizing with him. He was weird and awkward, and not in a cute, sweet way. His reason for pushing Frank away so long ago didn't resonate with me. His actions and reactions rubbed me the wrong way.
Even their relationship as kids/teens didn't feel right to me, and not because they were from two different social classes.
I really wanted to like this book. Here's hoping Brian in Book 3 can win me over.
November 10, 2018
RENEWING FOREVER (This Time Forever, #2)
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• ⭐️:4,5/5
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💬: Renewing Forever it's an amazing story of a misunderstanding between teenagers that left both of them with broken hearts and that thirty years later they met again under sad circumstances and rekindle their friendship and maybe more? I simply adored this book with all my heart, loved seeing how much personality all the characters Kelly writes have. And how much she makes me feel with her dialogues and the character's thoughts while the story goes along. I became a real fan of this author after the first book of this series and now with the story of Frank and Tom...I’m speechless and amazed.
I felt a little frustrated because Tom and Frank waisted so much time that they could have spent together...but well, they have their forever to make up for the time apart so that gives my heart some peace. (Also, I’m starting to like Brian and that’s something I never thought I would say after what he did to Simon on the Rebuilding Forever lol). I’m glad that these two dorks in love had a conversation that should have happened so many years before, I’m glad they finally put everything outside their chests. That made their feelings even less complicated to follow, because they now trust completely each other and don’t have secrets anymore.
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• ⭐️:4,5/5
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•
💬: Renewing Forever it's an amazing story of a misunderstanding between teenagers that left both of them with broken hearts and that thirty years later they met again under sad circumstances and rekindle their friendship and maybe more? I simply adored this book with all my heart, loved seeing how much personality all the characters Kelly writes have. And how much she makes me feel with her dialogues and the character's thoughts while the story goes along. I became a real fan of this author after the first book of this series and now with the story of Frank and Tom...I’m speechless and amazed.
I felt a little frustrated because Tom and Frank waisted so much time that they could have spent together...but well, they have their forever to make up for the time apart so that gives my heart some peace. (Also, I’m starting to like Brian and that’s something I never thought I would say after what he did to Simon on the Rebuilding Forever lol). I’m glad that these two dorks in love had a conversation that should have happened so many years before, I’m glad they finally put everything outside their chests. That made their feelings even less complicated to follow, because they now trust completely each other and don’t have secrets anymore.
November 12, 2018
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
Oh boy, what a roller coaster Renewing Forever was — so many feels! Renewing Forever is the second in the This Time Forever series and while characters from the first book pop up, Renewing Forever can be read as a standalone.
Franklin is nearly 50 and while he has a successful career as a journalist, he can’t help wondering if there’s something more. Frankie likes to pretend he’s full of fluff and a bit shallow, but there’s serious depth to him and when he’s with Tom, we see he truth of him. He does, at times, tend to jump to conclusions where Tommy is concerned, which is annoying. But on the whole, he’s easy to like, even if we can’t always understand some of his motives. Tom is the real heart and soul of this book though. He’s so broken and beaten by life that it’s impossible not to care about him. He’s got such heart and devotion to others and basically leaves none for himself. So there were times I just wanted to shake Frank and demand that he start taking care of Tom properly. Which is absurd of course, but it shows how well written these characters are. It’s so easy to be consumed by them and that’s something author Kelly Jensen really excels at.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
Oh boy, what a roller coaster Renewing Forever was — so many feels! Renewing Forever is the second in the This Time Forever series and while characters from the first book pop up, Renewing Forever can be read as a standalone.
Franklin is nearly 50 and while he has a successful career as a journalist, he can’t help wondering if there’s something more. Frankie likes to pretend he’s full of fluff and a bit shallow, but there’s serious depth to him and when he’s with Tom, we see he truth of him. He does, at times, tend to jump to conclusions where Tommy is concerned, which is annoying. But on the whole, he’s easy to like, even if we can’t always understand some of his motives. Tom is the real heart and soul of this book though. He’s so broken and beaten by life that it’s impossible not to care about him. He’s got such heart and devotion to others and basically leaves none for himself. So there were times I just wanted to shake Frank and demand that he start taking care of Tom properly. Which is absurd of course, but it shows how well written these characters are. It’s so easy to be consumed by them and that’s something author Kelly Jensen really excels at.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
January 28, 2020
I'm not a fan of second chance tropes.
I'm not a fan of flashbacks, so obviously the fact that there are entire chapters of flashbacks wasn't something I was thrilled about.
On top of that, I found Tom annoying. His helpless, whoa-is-me thing irritated me. His reasoning for pushing Frank away 30 years ago was as pointless and stupid as I thought it would be. Playing it up as it huge self-sacrifice just had me rolling my eyes.
And as far as Frank went, pining after someone to the point of never giving anyone else a chance was a but much... especially when the person you were pining after not only rejected you, but broke your nose and ignored any attempts at communication.
And in general, I just found that the story dragged on and on.
In the end, I did a lot of skimming while reading this and with the amount of skimming I did, I really can't justify giving this higher than 1 star. I'm on the fence as to whether I'll be reading the third book.
I'm not a fan of flashbacks, so obviously the fact that there are entire chapters of flashbacks wasn't something I was thrilled about.
On top of that, I found Tom annoying. His helpless, whoa-is-me thing irritated me. His reasoning for pushing Frank away 30 years ago was as pointless and stupid as I thought it would be. Playing it up as it huge self-sacrifice just had me rolling my eyes.
And as far as Frank went, pining after someone to the point of never giving anyone else a chance was a but much... especially when the person you were pining after not only rejected you, but broke your nose and ignored any attempts at communication.
And in general, I just found that the story dragged on and on.
In the end, I did a lot of skimming while reading this and with the amount of skimming I did, I really can't justify giving this higher than 1 star. I'm on the fence as to whether I'll be reading the third book.
November 26, 2018
I had problems to get into this story. For me the voices of both MCs were so similar I had problems to keep them apart. I finished, but I have to say these guys were like 20somethings and not the 40somethings they were said to be.
Read
July 25, 2019DNF at 26%
I cannot keep going with this book, I cannot connect with any character or aspect, and moreover, it's slower than I can tolerate.
I cannot keep going with this book, I cannot connect with any character or aspect, and moreover, it's slower than I can tolerate.
November 30, 2018
Renewing Forever (This Time Forever #2) by Kelly Jensen
3.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Addiction, dementia in a parent
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Frankie and Tommy...I really wanted to love their story. I liked how we were given their story from the past and present. I think that it helped to understand their perspectives.
Frankie has lived a good life. He is successful, but feels that something is missing. When he has to return home because of a death in his family, the last person he expects to see is Tommy. Frank has always wondered what happened all of those years ago. While he is known for being a playboy and living the good life, he never forgot Tommy.
Tommy, for all of his faults, has never forgotten Frankie. He knew when he was younger that he might never escape his family, but he didn't want to be the one who dragged Frank with him. Even with his belief that he was doing the right thing, he knew that Frank might never forgive him.
When these two find each other again, it isn't all hearts and love. They have to work through their history and what is stressing them now too. It's a real relationship that has real issues. I liked that it wasn't a fall back in to love right away. They took the time to relearn each other. So, while it wasn't my favorite story, it was well developed and delivered both angst and love.
3.5 stars
M/M Romance
Triggers: Addiction, dementia in a parent
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
Frankie and Tommy...I really wanted to love their story. I liked how we were given their story from the past and present. I think that it helped to understand their perspectives.
Frankie has lived a good life. He is successful, but feels that something is missing. When he has to return home because of a death in his family, the last person he expects to see is Tommy. Frank has always wondered what happened all of those years ago. While he is known for being a playboy and living the good life, he never forgot Tommy.
Tommy, for all of his faults, has never forgotten Frankie. He knew when he was younger that he might never escape his family, but he didn't want to be the one who dragged Frank with him. Even with his belief that he was doing the right thing, he knew that Frank might never forgive him.
When these two find each other again, it isn't all hearts and love. They have to work through their history and what is stressing them now too. It's a real relationship that has real issues. I liked that it wasn't a fall back in to love right away. They took the time to relearn each other. So, while it wasn't my favorite story, it was well developed and delivered both angst and love.
December 13, 2018
Frank was Simon's steadfast, loyal, witty friend in Building Forever, the first book in Kelly Jensen's This Time Forever series. He was also a pro at playing the field, but for all the "fun" he seemed to be having, it was obvious that something was missing... or someone. Once he arrived in the Poconos, it wasn't hard to figure out what or who that something was.
I have to admit, I got a little agitated with both Frank and Tom at times throughout Renewing Forever. A lot of heartache could have been avoided if these two would have just talked, but as I told my girls when they were younger, teenage boys aren't known for their insight. It was obvious that these two were still crazy about each other, but even as adults, they had no idea how to "fix" things. Tom made a huge mistake when they were younger, but Frank wasn't blameless.
In the mean time, they had a property that they both loved that was falling to pieces around them. It kept them busy and was the perfect diversion from facing the feelings and memories they were trying to avoid. Sorting things out was inevitable though and I loved spending time with these two and watching them find each other again.
There was a lot more to love about Renewing Forever. I loved the trips into the past that the author shared that help readers get to know Frank and Tom even better. The supporting characters also added a lot to the story. Simon and Charlie made quite a few appearances - and then there was Brian. I knew from the beginning that he would eventually have his own story, but after he was introduced in Building Forever, I couldn't see how Simon's cheating ex could be redeemed. Well, stay tuned because I just finished reading Chasing Forever and even though I started warming up to Brian in Renewing Forever, I was totally unprepared for may feelings for him changing so drastically less than halfway through is story. <3
I received Renewing Forever in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I have to admit, I got a little agitated with both Frank and Tom at times throughout Renewing Forever. A lot of heartache could have been avoided if these two would have just talked, but as I told my girls when they were younger, teenage boys aren't known for their insight. It was obvious that these two were still crazy about each other, but even as adults, they had no idea how to "fix" things. Tom made a huge mistake when they were younger, but Frank wasn't blameless.
In the mean time, they had a property that they both loved that was falling to pieces around them. It kept them busy and was the perfect diversion from facing the feelings and memories they were trying to avoid. Sorting things out was inevitable though and I loved spending time with these two and watching them find each other again.
There was a lot more to love about Renewing Forever. I loved the trips into the past that the author shared that help readers get to know Frank and Tom even better. The supporting characters also added a lot to the story. Simon and Charlie made quite a few appearances - and then there was Brian. I knew from the beginning that he would eventually have his own story, but after he was introduced in Building Forever, I couldn't see how Simon's cheating ex could be redeemed. Well, stay tuned because I just finished reading Chasing Forever and even though I started warming up to Brian in Renewing Forever, I was totally unprepared for may feelings for him changing so drastically less than halfway through is story. <3
I received Renewing Forever in exchange for a fair and honest review.
October 23, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it.
I was in this weird reading mood where I couldn't quite figure out what to read next and decided to pick up this one as I loved book 1 and had hoped it would bring me out of my weird reading mood, instead it felt like it became another victim of my weird reading mood instead.
Renewing Forever is a good book, but for some reason it just didn't quite work for me. I really enjoy this author's writing style, I liked the set-up and I liked Frank. But on the other hand I felt this book was a bit too sad at times, I didn't like Tom and couldn't fully feel the romance.
Renewing Forever follows the story of Frank and Tom. They used to be best friends growing up, until the day before Frank left for college and he kissed Tom, after which Tom hit him and broke his nose. Frank didn't return for more than short visits for the next 30 year. Until his uncle Robert who owned the lodge dies. When Frank returns Tom is still there and they reconnect and start building their plans for the future.
Renewing Forever is a sweet second chance romance, with a bit of heat later on in the book. It's a story about two friends who didn't see other for years and now reconnect again. I liked how they both have changed, but also are still the same in parts as their younger selves. The story is told from dual point of views of both Frank and Tom. There are also some flashbacks to their younger years, which I really enjoyed as I felt like it make me understand better how they became friends and how they acted when they were younger.
This book felt sad somehow. Not the kind of sad where you cry your eyes out, but the kind of nostalgic melancholic sadness about things that have changed. Things that are broken and not as they used to be anywhere. Of loss and broken possibilities. Of a lodge that is so neglected no one stays there anymore, of friends who were so close and then didn't see each other for 30 years, of two guys forever waiting for the love they once had and lost and of a boy who dreamed big and then stayed in the small town he grew up to. It just felt sad. That's not to say it's a sad book, it actually isn't. There were moments of laughter and happiness, of reconnecting, of recapturing a friendship and new beginnings. But there is this feeling of sadness in the background, a vibe throughout the book that just was sad to me, especially the first half, the later half had a more optimistic tone and the epilogue is very happy.
I really liked Frank. Strangely enough he was the one I liked best from the two men in this book. In book 1 I wasn't sure whether I liked Frank at first and eventually grew to like him as the book progressed. In this book I started out liking him from the start. I liked how he had chased his dreams, but also was missing something. How he made good money, but actually found himself going in a direction with his career he wasn't sure he wanted to go. I liked how he re-evaluated what he wanted in live. I also liked his personality and how he handled things.
Sadly I never fully warmed up to Tom. I liked how he was into photography and I thought it was admirable how he cared for his old and sick mother, but I just couldn't fully like him. I kept wondering why he hit Frank as a kid as it was obvious he still had feelings for Frank. And when we finally find out the reason toward the end of the book it almost felt anticlimactic. I also didn't like how he avoided his problems instead of dealing with them. I get that he had a hard life and had struggles, but I still would've liked he handled things differently.
As a result from me not liking Tom as much I found it hard to full feel the romance. Nevertheless I did like parts of it. There was a great scene when they visited the fair that I really enjoyed and at that point I really felt their connection and friendship. And it was clear these two really cared for each other and I liked how it was obvious they were great friends. But something about the romance made me not fully feel it. I also didn't like how Tom hid the truth about where he was staying and what he was dealing with from Frank. I get that he didn't want to admit he wasn't doing so well, but it felt like he didn't trust Frank enough to confess. I do think the epilogue was well done and they did seem like a great couple in all ways, I just didn't feel their romance for some reason.
This book can work well as a standalone if you haven't read book 1 yet. Although if you plan to read all the books I do recommend you start with book 1 as there is a spoiler in this one about something that happens later in book 1, which might spoil that reveal. I really enjoyed the scenes with Simon and Charlie and even Brian. I think those scenes are extra fun because I was seeing characters I knew again, but I don't think you'll really feel like you miss something if you haven't read book 1. It was fun to see Simon and Frank's friendship now from Frank's point of view. And Brian is slowly growing on me and I am actually quite curious about his book, which will be next!
I liked how the themes of architecture and houses continues in this book as well. In the first book Simon is the architect and Charlie lives in a beautiful house they end of renovating a bit. In this book it's the lodge that's falling apart and which they might want to renovate. It was fun to see how that theme carries throughout the series. On the topic of the lodge I had actually hoped to see it being renovated and people returning there and it felt realistic how that took longer, but I had hoped to see more of the renovation and the lodge being restored to it's glory.
To summarize: Renewing Forever is a great second chance romance. I really liked the set-up with the lodge that is slowly falling apart and how Frank return to the lodge and reconnect with his childhood friend Tom. I liked the flashbacks and how they gave more insight in Tom and Frank's past. Sadly this book didn't fully worked for me. I think it's partly my weird reading mood. And this book just felt sad somehow, especially the first half, with how bad the state of the lodge was and how these two friends didn't see each other for 30 years. I really liked Frank as a character and how he acted and handled things, but I never fully warmed up to Tom. That also made it hard for me to fully feel the romance, but nevertheless it is a good romance and I liked seeing these two reconnect and grow closer again. The fair scene was great and the epilogue was very sweet too. It was fun to see recurring characters from book 1 make an appearance in this book as well. And the theme or architecture and houses plays a role in both books in this series so far. All in all it was a great read and I liked the writing style, but something didn't fully work for me. I am really looking forward to book 3.
I was in this weird reading mood where I couldn't quite figure out what to read next and decided to pick up this one as I loved book 1 and had hoped it would bring me out of my weird reading mood, instead it felt like it became another victim of my weird reading mood instead.
Renewing Forever is a good book, but for some reason it just didn't quite work for me. I really enjoy this author's writing style, I liked the set-up and I liked Frank. But on the other hand I felt this book was a bit too sad at times, I didn't like Tom and couldn't fully feel the romance.
Renewing Forever follows the story of Frank and Tom. They used to be best friends growing up, until the day before Frank left for college and he kissed Tom, after which Tom hit him and broke his nose. Frank didn't return for more than short visits for the next 30 year. Until his uncle Robert who owned the lodge dies. When Frank returns Tom is still there and they reconnect and start building their plans for the future.
Renewing Forever is a sweet second chance romance, with a bit of heat later on in the book. It's a story about two friends who didn't see other for years and now reconnect again. I liked how they both have changed, but also are still the same in parts as their younger selves. The story is told from dual point of views of both Frank and Tom. There are also some flashbacks to their younger years, which I really enjoyed as I felt like it make me understand better how they became friends and how they acted when they were younger.
This book felt sad somehow. Not the kind of sad where you cry your eyes out, but the kind of nostalgic melancholic sadness about things that have changed. Things that are broken and not as they used to be anywhere. Of loss and broken possibilities. Of a lodge that is so neglected no one stays there anymore, of friends who were so close and then didn't see each other for 30 years, of two guys forever waiting for the love they once had and lost and of a boy who dreamed big and then stayed in the small town he grew up to. It just felt sad. That's not to say it's a sad book, it actually isn't. There were moments of laughter and happiness, of reconnecting, of recapturing a friendship and new beginnings. But there is this feeling of sadness in the background, a vibe throughout the book that just was sad to me, especially the first half, the later half had a more optimistic tone and the epilogue is very happy.
I really liked Frank. Strangely enough he was the one I liked best from the two men in this book. In book 1 I wasn't sure whether I liked Frank at first and eventually grew to like him as the book progressed. In this book I started out liking him from the start. I liked how he had chased his dreams, but also was missing something. How he made good money, but actually found himself going in a direction with his career he wasn't sure he wanted to go. I liked how he re-evaluated what he wanted in live. I also liked his personality and how he handled things.
Sadly I never fully warmed up to Tom. I liked how he was into photography and I thought it was admirable how he cared for his old and sick mother, but I just couldn't fully like him. I kept wondering why he hit Frank as a kid as it was obvious he still had feelings for Frank. And when we finally find out the reason toward the end of the book it almost felt anticlimactic. I also didn't like how he avoided his problems instead of dealing with them. I get that he had a hard life and had struggles, but I still would've liked he handled things differently.
As a result from me not liking Tom as much I found it hard to full feel the romance. Nevertheless I did like parts of it. There was a great scene when they visited the fair that I really enjoyed and at that point I really felt their connection and friendship. And it was clear these two really cared for each other and I liked how it was obvious they were great friends. But something about the romance made me not fully feel it. I also didn't like how Tom hid the truth about where he was staying and what he was dealing with from Frank. I get that he didn't want to admit he wasn't doing so well, but it felt like he didn't trust Frank enough to confess. I do think the epilogue was well done and they did seem like a great couple in all ways, I just didn't feel their romance for some reason.
This book can work well as a standalone if you haven't read book 1 yet. Although if you plan to read all the books I do recommend you start with book 1 as there is a spoiler in this one about something that happens later in book 1, which might spoil that reveal. I really enjoyed the scenes with Simon and Charlie and even Brian. I think those scenes are extra fun because I was seeing characters I knew again, but I don't think you'll really feel like you miss something if you haven't read book 1. It was fun to see Simon and Frank's friendship now from Frank's point of view. And Brian is slowly growing on me and I am actually quite curious about his book, which will be next!
I liked how the themes of architecture and houses continues in this book as well. In the first book Simon is the architect and Charlie lives in a beautiful house they end of renovating a bit. In this book it's the lodge that's falling apart and which they might want to renovate. It was fun to see how that theme carries throughout the series. On the topic of the lodge I had actually hoped to see it being renovated and people returning there and it felt realistic how that took longer, but I had hoped to see more of the renovation and the lodge being restored to it's glory.
To summarize: Renewing Forever is a great second chance romance. I really liked the set-up with the lodge that is slowly falling apart and how Frank return to the lodge and reconnect with his childhood friend Tom. I liked the flashbacks and how they gave more insight in Tom and Frank's past. Sadly this book didn't fully worked for me. I think it's partly my weird reading mood. And this book just felt sad somehow, especially the first half, with how bad the state of the lodge was and how these two friends didn't see each other for 30 years. I really liked Frank as a character and how he acted and handled things, but I never fully warmed up to Tom. That also made it hard for me to fully feel the romance, but nevertheless it is a good romance and I liked seeing these two reconnect and grow closer again. The fair scene was great and the epilogue was very sweet too. It was fun to see recurring characters from book 1 make an appearance in this book as well. And the theme or architecture and houses plays a role in both books in this series so far. All in all it was a great read and I liked the writing style, but something didn't fully work for me. I am really looking forward to book 3.
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