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Meant To Be #1
Meant to be Kept
One night. One too many drinks. One mistake. That’s all it took to derail my marriage.
Now, all I can do is beg for a second chance. To try and redeem myself in a bid not to lose the love of my life.
I’m determined to use every second, every moment I have to show my wife how much she means to me—to rebuild the trust I shattered.
But the harder I try, the more I start to realize our marriage had fallen into a routine of complacency and misplaced priorities long before my indiscretion.
Isabelle is a strong, passionate, beautiful woman—a wife who has sacrificed so much for me. I just hope it’s not too late for us, and that I’ll be able to convince her that our love is meant to be kept.
Now, all I can do is beg for a second chance. To try and redeem myself in a bid not to lose the love of my life.
I’m determined to use every second, every moment I have to show my wife how much she means to me—to rebuild the trust I shattered.
But the harder I try, the more I start to realize our marriage had fallen into a routine of complacency and misplaced priorities long before my indiscretion.
Isabelle is a strong, passionate, beautiful woman—a wife who has sacrificed so much for me. I just hope it’s not too late for us, and that I’ll be able to convince her that our love is meant to be kept.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2019
673 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
January 23, 2019
Updated Review
So Tanner and Isabelle are a happily married couple with two kids. One day while partying with his brother he kisses some random woman after too much drinking. He doesn’t remember any of this as he was too dazed. He just know what his brother said about that. Obviously Tanner was very ashamed of that and he immediately tells his wife about it.
His wife is obviously very disappointed due to this.
I could totally relate to her. I don’t even know what I will do if my husband cheats me by kissing someone. It’s easy to judge a book and say that she should leave that scumbag or she should divorce him. But believe me it’s not that easy. You have kids to think about. Then there’s the love you have for your husband inspite of him ruining it. Its very hard. And I think I might behave just like her if it happened to me.
Tanner sure was guilty as hell for what he did. Other than the kiss thing, Tanner was nearly perfect. He was too good to be true. Poor guy was constantly reminded of what he did by everyone including his family. His family especially are too harsh with him. Poor boy. He does grovel a lot. I mean the whole book he is grovelling and grovelling.
Updated Spoiler
The later half dragged a bit. Honestly I was bored then. But it’s bearable.
This is the debut novel of Amelia Foster and I think she did a wonderful job. I will surely be reading more from her. And also I want Wyatt, Dean and Connors book. Awaiting.
So Tanner and Isabelle are a happily married couple with two kids. One day while partying with his brother he kisses some random woman after too much drinking. He doesn’t remember any of this as he was too dazed. He just know what his brother said about that. Obviously Tanner was very ashamed of that and he immediately tells his wife about it.
His wife is obviously very disappointed due to this.
I could totally relate to her. I don’t even know what I will do if my husband cheats me by kissing someone. It’s easy to judge a book and say that she should leave that scumbag or she should divorce him. But believe me it’s not that easy. You have kids to think about. Then there’s the love you have for your husband inspite of him ruining it. Its very hard. And I think I might behave just like her if it happened to me.
Tanner sure was guilty as hell for what he did. Other than the kiss thing, Tanner was nearly perfect. He was too good to be true. Poor guy was constantly reminded of what he did by everyone including his family. His family especially are too harsh with him. Poor boy. He does grovel a lot. I mean the whole book he is grovelling and grovelling.
Updated Spoiler
The later half dragged a bit. Honestly I was bored then. But it’s bearable.
This is the debut novel of Amelia Foster and I think she did a wonderful job. I will surely be reading more from her. And also I want Wyatt, Dean and Connors book. Awaiting.
avoid
January 23, 2019Apparently he remembers nothing. His brother/friend “told” him he kissed some woman. Later he said some woman tried to kiss HIM (HOW convenient 🙄), she may or may not have succeeded before he pushed her off. *cue eye rolling and gagging*
Umm...IF THIS WAS ME: I won’t have a problem with my husband getting carried away while he was drunk.
Because I’ll have HUGE problem with the fact that my husband can and will in future get SO drunk that he’s unable to be held accountable for something like cheating which he’s capable of committing and not have ANY memory to even defend himself. What’s to stop him next time from kissing someone back? Or actually doing the deed? He surely won’t have any control over himself and he sure as hell won’t remember that! Am I supposed to chaperone him on his guy’s nights? Or every time he goes out? Or do I need to babysit him? Sorry...this one seems as distasteful as cheating.
Umm...IF THIS WAS ME: I won’t have a problem with my husband getting carried away while he was drunk.
Because I’ll have HUGE problem with the fact that my husband can and will in future get SO drunk that he’s unable to be held accountable for something like cheating which he’s capable of committing and not have ANY memory to even defend himself. What’s to stop him next time from kissing someone back? Or actually doing the deed? He surely won’t have any control over himself and he sure as hell won’t remember that! Am I supposed to chaperone him on his guy’s nights? Or every time he goes out? Or do I need to babysit him? Sorry...this one seems as distasteful as cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2019
Lots of groveling here
They had been a couple since college and married right years and he went off for a weekend with his brother to a rodeo. Afterwards he drank too much and made out with some groupie and he was freaked out. The book opens with him returning home and telling her what happened. I'm between all the current drama, there is the story of how they met and fell in love and their life prior to that. Since I knew before I read it that he had cheated with an anonymous ho and at least it was only kissing I felt I could read this and I am not spoiling anything because this was all in the book details. But the whole book was basically him trying to win her back. Groveling, crying, seducing, begging, crying, on his hands and knees trying to get her back. He really did love her and I even forgave him a little and I don't do that. The book was a little slow moving for me but it got there in the end. I loved loved loved his symbolic gesture in the end. For that scene alone, I gave it an extra star.
They had been a couple since college and married right years and he went off for a weekend with his brother to a rodeo. Afterwards he drank too much and made out with some groupie and he was freaked out. The book opens with him returning home and telling her what happened. I'm between all the current drama, there is the story of how they met and fell in love and their life prior to that. Since I knew before I read it that he had cheated with an anonymous ho and at least it was only kissing I felt I could read this and I am not spoiling anything because this was all in the book details. But the whole book was basically him trying to win her back. Groveling, crying, seducing, begging, crying, on his hands and knees trying to get her back. He really did love her and I even forgave him a little and I don't do that. The book was a little slow moving for me but it got there in the end. I loved loved loved his symbolic gesture in the end. For that scene alone, I gave it an extra star.
January 22, 2019
Okay, my lovelies, I’m extra super-duper excited to do this review, as the author happens to not only be one of my writing group besties, she’s also my in-real-life bestie. I’m so ridiculously proud of Amelia Foster for landing a publishing contract for her debut novel, Meant to be Kept, as well as TWO OTHER CONTRACTS for two separate books set to be released in the next few months! That doesn’t even include the other three books in her Meant To Be series that’ll be forthcoming from Limitless Publishing in the not-too-distant future.
So, all that being said, you’re probably asking yourself why you should listen to anything I have to say on the Amelia Foster subject. After all, I’m biased, right? Well, clearly, yes. However… I would like it to be noted that I beta read this story for Amelia within a couple of weeks of our first meeting several years ago. At the time, I had no connection to her nor did I hold any bestie-love favoritism. I also fell deeply and madly in love with her characters. Truly, she writes such lovable, relatable characters, I can’t imagine anyone not falling head over proverbial heels for each and every one she writes. And then begging her for more.
Meant to be Kept is an established romance between Tanner Carlisle and his wife, Isabelle. During a night of drunken revelry with his younger brother, Wyatt, Tanner makes a mistake. A big, marriage-threatening mistake. Throughout the book, we see Tanner own his screw up and do everything in his power to win back the love of his wife and best friend, whom he lovingly calls Belle despite the rest of the world using the shortened moniker of Izzy.
While we watch Tanner fight for his wife in the present, we also see the sweet evolution of their love from their college-aged POVs. The building of their relationship in the past is a welcome balm to assuage the pain of witnessing the crumbling heartache of their present lives. But, as any good romance assures, and something little Miss Amelia lives and breathes for, there is of course a happily ever after. Both for the Tanner and Izzy of the past, as well as those of the present. The journey to get there, however? It’s one helluva ride, and one I highly recommend you take for yourself. 😉😘
So, all that being said, you’re probably asking yourself why you should listen to anything I have to say on the Amelia Foster subject. After all, I’m biased, right? Well, clearly, yes. However… I would like it to be noted that I beta read this story for Amelia within a couple of weeks of our first meeting several years ago. At the time, I had no connection to her nor did I hold any bestie-love favoritism. I also fell deeply and madly in love with her characters. Truly, she writes such lovable, relatable characters, I can’t imagine anyone not falling head over proverbial heels for each and every one she writes. And then begging her for more.
Meant to be Kept is an established romance between Tanner Carlisle and his wife, Isabelle. During a night of drunken revelry with his younger brother, Wyatt, Tanner makes a mistake. A big, marriage-threatening mistake. Throughout the book, we see Tanner own his screw up and do everything in his power to win back the love of his wife and best friend, whom he lovingly calls Belle despite the rest of the world using the shortened moniker of Izzy.
While we watch Tanner fight for his wife in the present, we also see the sweet evolution of their love from their college-aged POVs. The building of their relationship in the past is a welcome balm to assuage the pain of witnessing the crumbling heartache of their present lives. But, as any good romance assures, and something little Miss Amelia lives and breathes for, there is of course a happily ever after. Both for the Tanner and Izzy of the past, as well as those of the present. The journey to get there, however? It’s one helluva ride, and one I highly recommend you take for yourself. 😉😘
June 8, 2019
2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
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“Before I say anything else, you need to know I didn’t sleep with her…”
“What do you mean you didn’t sleep with her?” she bit out between clenched teeth. “With who? And if you didn’t sleep with her, what did you do with her?”
He swallowed again. “Kissing her. Touching her.”
“You don’t get to touch me after you touched her.”
Tanner Carlisle was important with a capital “I.” He was a key player on not only the football team, but the baseball team. He was the shining hope for the fledgling athletic department. Easily the most well-known guy on campus.
He screwed everything up because he wanted to go shot for shot with his brother.
“So I can keep calling you Belle?” A spark lit up her eyes, and she tugged his head back down. “As long as you keep kissing me like that, you can call me Belle forever,” she murmured before their lips met again.
“I thought you were all in just like I was. I had no clue that less than forty-eight hours away from me, from us, would be enough to make you willing to throw it all away. Tanner, you didn’t just screw up our marriage. You ruined my entire life.”
“You were my everything and I was…what? Easy enough to replace in two days? Pretty forgettable when some girl in a tight skirt—
Oh yeah, he thought it would be fun. He thought for one night he could stop being the responsible, reliable Tanner Carlisle and be as stupid and reckless as his brother. Yeah, that worked out so well for both of them.
“You don’t deserve easy, son.”
January 20, 2019
I have to start with a huge and sincere congratulations to Amelia Foster and her debut novel, Meant to be Kept. Really, just, wow! This novel is about the amazing love story between Tanner and Isabelle, the huge hurdle that they face, and the lengths Tanner goes to in order to keep them together as husband and wife. Told in dual points of view and flashing back and forth between the past and present, author Amelia Foster provides an in-depth look into where Tanner and Isabelle started, how their relationship changed, what went wrong, and how they tried to make it right again.
Without giving spoilers, I have to mention that this is an interesting story because I absolutely adored Tanner from beginning to end. There were times I felt I shouldn’t like his character because of things that had happened but I just couldn’t help myself! I truly loved Isabelle also, except for one little thing that annoyed me from time to time. Tanner and all of his family had apparently put Isabelle up on a pedestal many years ago and several characters mention her “perfection” throughout the novel. Yes, I thought she was fantastic, but no one is perfect. The more her perfection was implied, the more everyone shot Tanner down (including himself). I get that we should all be thankful for those we have in our lives, however, I don’t really agree with feeling undeserving or making others feel undeserving of someone’s love.
Anyhow, this is Amelia Foster’s debut novel and I want to warn you that you will not believe this is her first novel as you read it. The flow of the writing and the development of the plot moves along beautifully and flawlessly, even with dual POV and changing time periods. Her characters are well-developed, honest, and relatable. The events within the story are certainly believable, as well as, the roller-coaster of emotions that Tanner, Isabelle, and their family experience throughout the novel. Besides being a romantic and outstanding read (that you will immediately get sucked into), Meant to be Kept will probably make you give your spouse/significant other an extra kiss before work tomorrow morning, pick their dirty clothes up off of the floor without comment, or even let them take charge of the remote for the evening. It just leaves you with the feeling that it never hurts to take the time to do random, little things to show someone you care.
I absolutely loved this novel and it certainly has earned a 5-star rating from me 🙂
*Many thanks to the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Without giving spoilers, I have to mention that this is an interesting story because I absolutely adored Tanner from beginning to end. There were times I felt I shouldn’t like his character because of things that had happened but I just couldn’t help myself! I truly loved Isabelle also, except for one little thing that annoyed me from time to time. Tanner and all of his family had apparently put Isabelle up on a pedestal many years ago and several characters mention her “perfection” throughout the novel. Yes, I thought she was fantastic, but no one is perfect. The more her perfection was implied, the more everyone shot Tanner down (including himself). I get that we should all be thankful for those we have in our lives, however, I don’t really agree with feeling undeserving or making others feel undeserving of someone’s love.
Anyhow, this is Amelia Foster’s debut novel and I want to warn you that you will not believe this is her first novel as you read it. The flow of the writing and the development of the plot moves along beautifully and flawlessly, even with dual POV and changing time periods. Her characters are well-developed, honest, and relatable. The events within the story are certainly believable, as well as, the roller-coaster of emotions that Tanner, Isabelle, and their family experience throughout the novel. Besides being a romantic and outstanding read (that you will immediately get sucked into), Meant to be Kept will probably make you give your spouse/significant other an extra kiss before work tomorrow morning, pick their dirty clothes up off of the floor without comment, or even let them take charge of the remote for the evening. It just leaves you with the feeling that it never hurts to take the time to do random, little things to show someone you care.
I absolutely loved this novel and it certainly has earned a 5-star rating from me 🙂
*Many thanks to the author for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 13, 2019
This is a wonderful debut romance. It starts with a marriage in trouble. The story, however, is told through brilliantly crafted dual timelines, showing the parallels of the couple's young love story of the past with their present story--one in which they work to find their way back to each other after one of them (Tanner, the guy) massively screws-up.
Now, one might think in a story like this it'd be hard to love the hero, but the author draws him so well that you are on his side pretty quickly, even if he doesn't always have a lot of allies and is often his own worst critic. The way he takes on so much and does so much heavy lifting, you understand him cracking and can't help root for him. You WANT him to have the HEA that he works so hard to deserve.
Izzy, the heroine is also equally nuanced. She's certainly someone whose side you often take but never a victim and she has a clear arc of her own. You adore her and want good things for her but she's still very human.
The author does wonderful work with themes of connection and family building. I also love how the story explored the idea that there can't be all give, that there has to be some take, that you need to demand something for yourself to be a good partner.
And oh, the love between them is also lovely and satisfying. And the side characters! So many awesome ones. One can only hope there will be more books involving some of Tanner's fabulous younger brothers, each who is clearly his own unique person with a story to live. Just a wonderful read! I can't wait to see what's next from this author!
Now, one might think in a story like this it'd be hard to love the hero, but the author draws him so well that you are on his side pretty quickly, even if he doesn't always have a lot of allies and is often his own worst critic. The way he takes on so much and does so much heavy lifting, you understand him cracking and can't help root for him. You WANT him to have the HEA that he works so hard to deserve.
Izzy, the heroine is also equally nuanced. She's certainly someone whose side you often take but never a victim and she has a clear arc of her own. You adore her and want good things for her but she's still very human.
The author does wonderful work with themes of connection and family building. I also love how the story explored the idea that there can't be all give, that there has to be some take, that you need to demand something for yourself to be a good partner.
And oh, the love between them is also lovely and satisfying. And the side characters! So many awesome ones. One can only hope there will be more books involving some of Tanner's fabulous younger brothers, each who is clearly his own unique person with a story to live. Just a wonderful read! I can't wait to see what's next from this author!
January 21, 2019
Meant to be Kept
was a touching and romantic contemporary romance. The story kicked off with Tanner’s admission of an indiscretion that he had while he was out of town. The story seamlessly weaved through the past and the present to showcase Tanner and Izzy’s love story. The plot was profound and meaningful. The story brought out the truth that sometimes in our hectic life, we forgot to show appreciation and cherish the people around us, especially our loved ones. It prompted me to make an effort to show or verbalize my love for my husband and family daily. Overall, I enjoyed this brilliantly written story and congratulations to Amelia for a marvelous debut.
I received an advance reviewer copy of the book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
https://maggiesescape.wordpress.com
I received an advance reviewer copy of the book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
https://maggiesescape.wordpress.com
January 31, 2020
Meant to be Kept is the first book one the Meant to be series. I believe the series will follow the four brothers: Tanner, Wyatt, Connor and Dean.
This is Tanner and Izzy/Belle’s book. T & B are HS sweethearts and have twins. T goes on a trip to see his bull riding brother Wyatt, gets drunk and kisses another woman. He doesn’t remember the kiss, just that Wyatt told him.
Although understandable, I felt like Belle’s reaction was a bit OTT but, they seem to be working through it, until she stumbles upon his bro’s conversation about pics from the night. This is where things got really bizarre for me. She is utterly devastated because the pics show the OW.... touching his hair!!!! dun dun duuun
Madness ensues...
”and she had put her hands in Tanner’s hair. The same way Izzy always had. The one thing that had always been special, just between them.”
“Dammit, he didn’t remember half of the things on the screen. And he sure as hell didn’t remember someone, anyone, other than Belle running her fingers through his hair.”
“There was one thing , Tanner, that was special. One thing that was just ours...just mine. It’s not anymore. You’re not mine anymore.”
“The images on Wyatt’s phone, long red fingernails intertwined through Tanner’s hair, danced in front of her eyes and stole the air from her lungs.”
”Don’t you get it Izzy? That girl, whoever the hell she was, the second she touched his hair; he pushed her away. He grabbed me, and made me leave and spent the rest of the night throwing up, terrified that you couldn’t forgive him”
“I want you to cut off my hair. I can’t undo what happened, but I can try to make it as fresh as a start as possible. It’ll grow back in a few months, and then it will be just ours again.”
That’s some OTT crazy shit right there. The book was ok, but the characters were not realistic and spent way too much time talking about hair. The book is free on KU.
This is Tanner and Izzy/Belle’s book. T & B are HS sweethearts and have twins. T goes on a trip to see his bull riding brother Wyatt, gets drunk and kisses another woman. He doesn’t remember the kiss, just that Wyatt told him.
Although understandable, I felt like Belle’s reaction was a bit OTT but, they seem to be working through it, until she stumbles upon his bro’s conversation about pics from the night. This is where things got really bizarre for me. She is utterly devastated because the pics show the OW.... touching his hair!!!! dun dun duuun
Madness ensues...
”and she had put her hands in Tanner’s hair. The same way Izzy always had. The one thing that had always been special, just between them.”
“Dammit, he didn’t remember half of the things on the screen. And he sure as hell didn’t remember someone, anyone, other than Belle running her fingers through his hair.”
“There was one thing , Tanner, that was special. One thing that was just ours...just mine. It’s not anymore. You’re not mine anymore.”
“The images on Wyatt’s phone, long red fingernails intertwined through Tanner’s hair, danced in front of her eyes and stole the air from her lungs.”
”Don’t you get it Izzy? That girl, whoever the hell she was, the second she touched his hair; he pushed her away. He grabbed me, and made me leave and spent the rest of the night throwing up, terrified that you couldn’t forgive him”
“I want you to cut off my hair. I can’t undo what happened, but I can try to make it as fresh as a start as possible. It’ll grow back in a few months, and then it will be just ours again.”
That’s some OTT crazy shit right there. The book was ok, but the characters were not realistic and spent way too much time talking about hair. The book is free on KU.
January 22, 2019
To be honest, I didn't think I was going to like Tanner at the beginning of this story, but as I got drawn in, I liked him more and more. He made his share of mistakes, but the lengths he goes to in making things right are absolutely swoon worthy. Tanner and Izzy's love story is an emotional one, and the author did a brilliant job of pulling me in and making me feel every one of those emotions. The anger, the fear, the hurt, the determination, the love, and the hope, I was right there with this pair, feeling all of it. It's not all angst and woe, there's plenty of sweet and sexy in there too, and I love the way the story is told. It bounces back and forth between past and present, giving this couple's romance from the beginning and bringing us forward bit by bit, so we get to see where things started getting out of sync for them. The back and forth in the timeline doesn't always work, but for this one, it adds that something extra. We get to be there when they fall in love, when they get married, when they mess up. It puts things in perspective for where they are today. This couple kept me turning pages and I was impressed with both the story and the writing style. I'll certainly be keeping my eye on this debut author.
January 22, 2019
Tanner and Isabelle have a marriage that is in trouble due to Tanner's huge mistake. This story is told from Dual points of view and flashes from past to present. I really enjoyed this heartbreaking, redeeming story of love and second chances.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving a review.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving a review.
January 19, 2019
The book is a good romance read. The story has a good story line, and the story is a well written read. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is a past to present heart wrenching read that has action from the start.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 13, 2019
This past to present heart wrenching, beautifully written story drops us into the action from page one. It took hold of me and had me flipping through the pages to see how Tanner and IF Tanner could rekindle the love that was threaded through.
I loved the idea of this story, that we get into the grind of daily life and need to remember to cherish what’s precious.
Izzy is the perfect lead, flawed, a little broken but wonderfully relatable. Tanner, despite his mistake, is swoon worthy. And their chemistry leaps off the page.
This book has everything: The feels that run the scale of tears to joy. Hot sex between a married couple- THANK YOU Ms. Foster. A believable and deep plot. And two characters who grow and learn on an unstable path. Five Huge stars for this debut.
I loved the idea of this story, that we get into the grind of daily life and need to remember to cherish what’s precious.
Izzy is the perfect lead, flawed, a little broken but wonderfully relatable. Tanner, despite his mistake, is swoon worthy. And their chemistry leaps off the page.
This book has everything: The feels that run the scale of tears to joy. Hot sex between a married couple- THANK YOU Ms. Foster. A believable and deep plot. And two characters who grow and learn on an unstable path. Five Huge stars for this debut.
July 6, 2019
I read this in literally a day and a half, devouring it. It has all the things that are NOT my tropes, NOT my interests, and even had a trigger warning. Yet I loved it. I couldn't put it down.
Cheaters. Hate them. Still, this story brought it all around to making you root for this couple to figure out their mess, reconnect, and make it work because they deserve each other for a HEA.
Married Couples? Rarely read them. Because, let's face it, those of us who have been with the same partner for a decade or more know that it's tough to keep that sizzle. This story directly addresses that and brings the sweet and tender while still being sexy as hell.
Infertility and/or pregnancy issues. Huge trigger warning for me! But this book handled it with sensitivity and from the viewpoint of a character couple who gets that struggle, who has been in that fight, and has come out the other side. Literally, I was so moved, I had to stop and just let it roll over me a few times.
Okay, so she calls him baby too many times, and he's a bit smoother than I like my heroes. But seriously, that's just tiny picking at this point. It was that good.
Highly recommend. Brings both the sweet and the heat.
Cheaters. Hate them. Still, this story brought it all around to making you root for this couple to figure out their mess, reconnect, and make it work because they deserve each other for a HEA.
Married Couples? Rarely read them. Because, let's face it, those of us who have been with the same partner for a decade or more know that it's tough to keep that sizzle. This story directly addresses that and brings the sweet and tender while still being sexy as hell.
Infertility and/or pregnancy issues. Huge trigger warning for me! But this book handled it with sensitivity and from the viewpoint of a character couple who gets that struggle, who has been in that fight, and has come out the other side. Literally, I was so moved, I had to stop and just let it roll over me a few times.
Okay, so she calls him baby too many times, and he's a bit smoother than I like my heroes. But seriously, that's just tiny picking at this point. It was that good.
Highly recommend. Brings both the sweet and the heat.
January 23, 2019
Meant To Be Kept is a beautiful romance centred around the relationship between Isabelle and Tanner, college sweethearts, best friends, and husband and wife. When Tanner admits an indiscretion Isabelle’s world falls apart and she wonders if she will ever be able to trust her husband again.
The story slips seamlessly between past and present. Past shows how the couple met and fell in love and then the story flips to present day just after Tanner tells Izzy what happened on a drunken night out. Events from Izzy’s past mean that Tanner’s actions were more than a matrimonial betrayal.
Tanner has Isabelle on a pedestal and will do anything to repair their relationship. He sets out to win her back, going to extreme lengths to do so. The strange thing is, that although it was completely Tanner’s fault that the problems arose, I couldn’t help but like him. He showed his complete appreciation of his wife with such thoughtfulness, not showering her in inexpensive gifts, but with true heartfelt declarations of his love.
A must read for all true romantics.
The story slips seamlessly between past and present. Past shows how the couple met and fell in love and then the story flips to present day just after Tanner tells Izzy what happened on a drunken night out. Events from Izzy’s past mean that Tanner’s actions were more than a matrimonial betrayal.
Tanner has Isabelle on a pedestal and will do anything to repair their relationship. He sets out to win her back, going to extreme lengths to do so. The strange thing is, that although it was completely Tanner’s fault that the problems arose, I couldn’t help but like him. He showed his complete appreciation of his wife with such thoughtfulness, not showering her in inexpensive gifts, but with true heartfelt declarations of his love.
A must read for all true romantics.
August 19, 2024
I honestly did not like this and regret the time I spent reading it. Him kissing ow made absolutely no sense. Their marriage wasn't even in trouble. Just him working long hours and staying home less. He was very much obsessed with his wife, so I couldn't understand his reasoning. He didn't even know himself which made for a weak ass plot. The whole book the author has us believing the H's brother pulled him off ow when in fact it was the H who stopped it after the ow ran her finger's through his hair. Apparently that's more important than the act of kissing another woman. Eye's rolling so hard. And when the wife saw the said picture with ow she lost it. More of a betrayal because that was their thing. Again eye's rolling. But hey he bought her lot's of presents and shaved his head. Where's the eye roll emoji! I can't find it 😂. Anyways, the plot was so weak. It had the dreadful time flopping in every single chapter til the end. My goodness, thought I'd lose my shit, but I try not to be a quitter. Especially since I paid for this. I will not be purchasing this author's books in the future me thinks. Sorry for the low rating
Want to read
February 7, 2023❗❗❗❗❗❗PLAGIARISM ALERT!❗❗❗❗❗❗❗
😐C'mon SERIOUSLY?!
🟥Look at this book-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
✅This is 8 weeks by Bethany Lopez.
🟥And THIS is my review of 8 weeks book(with spoiler)-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
🟥Do you think it's plagiarized? Let me know because I have a STRONG feelings that Meant to be is C-O-P-I-E-D.
✅I WILL read Meant to be.
✖But I'm not reviewing this book. Nope. 🙄
😐C'mon SERIOUSLY?!
🟥Look at this book-
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
✅This is 8 weeks by Bethany Lopez.
🟥And THIS is my review of 8 weeks book(with spoiler)-
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
🟥Do you think it's plagiarized? Let me know because I have a STRONG feelings that Meant to be is C-O-P-I-E-D.
✅I WILL read Meant to be.
✖But I'm not reviewing this book. Nope. 🙄
Read
March 14, 2019Dnf
Too sugary for me. Don't want to have diabetes
Too sugary for me. Don't want to have diabetes
July 10, 2019
This totally did not work for me. It's not badly written at all and I am sure different readers will enjoy it but I sure did not. Part of why I am reading such a variety of romance novels right now is to figure out what I enjoy and apparently books that are mostly about one partner grovelling because they have been horrible is not my jam. I found Tanner unbearable - I just cannot deal with men who think they need to solve every problem for their wives.
Read
March 30, 2019DNF at 24%
The problem with many cheating spouse romances is an inadequate grovel. This book has the opposite problem: excessive grovel for inadequate cheating.
Our couple were college sweethearts who have been together for 12 years, married for almost 8, and have two kids. He goes away for a rodeo weekend with his younger brother (little bro rides bulls) and the next thing he remembers, little bro is hauling his drunken lips away from a blonde in a bar where they had been celebrating li'l bro's big win. He comes home and confesses all to his wife, who reacts like her husband just revealed he's a bigamist with a second family stashed away in the big city. He begs to be allowed to use the 40+ days until their eighth wedding anniversary to grovel before she makes any decisions about their marriage.
And this is where I stopped. Based upon the information I have at this point, his entire grovel should have been "I'm sorry. I'll never drink again. Can you forgive me?" There's no sense that he was uniquely attracted to the other woman, feeling stifled by his marriage, or bored with/punishing his wife. There was no emotional cheating and the physical cheating appears to be limited to a fully clothed make-out session in a public bar while intoxicated to the point of memory loss.
The author makes it really hard for me to care that this indiscretion even happened, and when I found myself rolling my eyes over the severity of the husband's self-condemnation, I decided it was best just to walk away.
(To be clear: I don't think a kiss -- or, in this case, snogging -- is no big deal. An excellent example of a book where a kiss alone is enough to predicate a break up is Emma Darcy's A World Apart. Nor is drunkenness an automatic excuse for ugly and undesirable behavior, though I'm coming up empty on examples of unforgivable drunken protagonist behavior in romance. I mostly don't read the kinds of books where characters' actions are based on drinking to excess...and, hey, look at me not reading this one, either!)
The problem with many cheating spouse romances is an inadequate grovel. This book has the opposite problem: excessive grovel for inadequate cheating.
Our couple were college sweethearts who have been together for 12 years, married for almost 8, and have two kids. He goes away for a rodeo weekend with his younger brother (little bro rides bulls) and the next thing he remembers, little bro is hauling his drunken lips away from a blonde in a bar where they had been celebrating li'l bro's big win. He comes home and confesses all to his wife, who reacts like her husband just revealed he's a bigamist with a second family stashed away in the big city. He begs to be allowed to use the 40+ days until their eighth wedding anniversary to grovel before she makes any decisions about their marriage.
And this is where I stopped. Based upon the information I have at this point, his entire grovel should have been "I'm sorry. I'll never drink again. Can you forgive me?" There's no sense that he was uniquely attracted to the other woman, feeling stifled by his marriage, or bored with/punishing his wife. There was no emotional cheating and the physical cheating appears to be limited to a fully clothed make-out session in a public bar while intoxicated to the point of memory loss.
The author makes it really hard for me to care that this indiscretion even happened, and when I found myself rolling my eyes over the severity of the husband's self-condemnation, I decided it was best just to walk away.
(To be clear: I don't think a kiss -- or, in this case, snogging -- is no big deal. An excellent example of a book where a kiss alone is enough to predicate a break up is Emma Darcy's A World Apart. Nor is drunkenness an automatic excuse for ugly and undesirable behavior, though I'm coming up empty on examples of unforgivable drunken protagonist behavior in romance. I mostly don't read the kinds of books where characters' actions are based on drinking to excess...and, hey, look at me not reading this one, either!)
February 10, 2019
Cheating is a hard pass for some readers, no matter what the circumstances, so be warned at the outset, the issue is the starting point of this entire story. But the cheating isn't what the book is about--this is about what happens to a marriage after it's fractured and how the couple got to this place to begin with.
Meant to Be Kept is really two stories told in tandem: present day, where Isabelle learns her husband kissed another woman, and in the past where we follow the evolution of their relationships through a series of flashbacks that chronicle touchstone moments.
Here's the thing. We get a peek inside the POVs of both characters. Izzy is, of course, devastated. But so is Tanner. He hates himself for his drunken decision and he is dedicated to making amends and winning his wife back. Now, I get that some readers may not be able to sympathize with Tanner out of principle, and I can respect that. But the entire point of the book is watching him come to realize, his greatest sin wasn't in a single indiscretion, but in several years of growing distant from his wife and losing the man he was when they first met.
That's where the flashbacks are so important. Through them, you can really see how and why Izzy fell in love with her husband, and what an amazing man he was while building the foundation of their relationship. His mission is to become that man all over again.
It's easy to sympathize with Izzy. She is, after all, the wounded party. But for those asking why she doesn't just leave, well, that question strikes at the heart of it all. These two have a dozen years of love, memories, and family. She has to weigh whether it's worth it for her to fight, despite her heartbreak.
If you're worried that this is a book about a guy who just gets a pass on cheating, it's not. But if you're looking for a story about an established relationship with a couple fighting for their HEA, check it out.
Meant to Be Kept is really two stories told in tandem: present day, where Isabelle learns her husband kissed another woman, and in the past where we follow the evolution of their relationships through a series of flashbacks that chronicle touchstone moments.
Here's the thing. We get a peek inside the POVs of both characters. Izzy is, of course, devastated. But so is Tanner. He hates himself for his drunken decision and he is dedicated to making amends and winning his wife back. Now, I get that some readers may not be able to sympathize with Tanner out of principle, and I can respect that. But the entire point of the book is watching him come to realize, his greatest sin wasn't in a single indiscretion, but in several years of growing distant from his wife and losing the man he was when they first met.
That's where the flashbacks are so important. Through them, you can really see how and why Izzy fell in love with her husband, and what an amazing man he was while building the foundation of their relationship. His mission is to become that man all over again.
It's easy to sympathize with Izzy. She is, after all, the wounded party. But for those asking why she doesn't just leave, well, that question strikes at the heart of it all. These two have a dozen years of love, memories, and family. She has to weigh whether it's worth it for her to fight, despite her heartbreak.
If you're worried that this is a book about a guy who just gets a pass on cheating, it's not. But if you're looking for a story about an established relationship with a couple fighting for their HEA, check it out.
January 23, 2019
I really enjoyed this book it showed me that love isn't everything and you shouldn't take each other for granted
January 16, 2022
2stars
«cute. too much for my taste
«second chance
« the "cheating aspect" was stupid. unnecessary
« excessive groveling. almost cringey
«cute. too much for my taste
«second chance
« the "cheating aspect" was stupid. unnecessary
« excessive groveling. almost cringey
June 23, 2024
I just wished that the FMC wasn’t so quick to forgive at the start when she found out that the MMC drunkenly kisssed and cheated OW.
I know that it was revealed in the end that the husband was the one who stopped the OW from touching his hair even when drunk..what it’s not clear for me was that, did the kissing really happened? Or did Tanner stopped it before it happened? It was not really clear.
Rated this 4 stars because I can really feel the love Tanner has for Belle, even in their past chapters where he was wooing her and they were living together.
I know that it was revealed in the end that the husband was the one who stopped the OW from touching his hair even when drunk..what it’s not clear for me was that, did the kissing really happened? Or did Tanner stopped it before it happened? It was not really clear.
Rated this 4 stars because I can really feel the love Tanner has for Belle, even in their past chapters where he was wooing her and they were living together.
January 24, 2019
What an utterly sweet story! I enjoyed the alternating timelines leading up to simultaneous climaxes, and Tanner and Izzy definitely deserved their HEA and each other.
January 23, 2019
*I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*
3.25 Stars
MINOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
This book had a concept that fascinated me because when you traditionally read a book, a character that cheats is public enemy number one. Think about all the times when you have read a book where the main female character's husband would be a cheating dog, would leave him, and how you would cheer her on. You would probably say something like "you go girl!". Well... what do you do when the cheater is the main male character that is beyond sorry and wants her back? Do you still cheer when she leaves him? Do you accept his apology and pray that they work things out? Well that's where this book starts off.
Tanner- I didn't know how to feel about Tanner. On one hand, I could clearly see the pain he had caused his wife by his cheating and I wanted her to hold her ground and leave. But on the other, I saw how broken Tanner was and how much he hated himself over what he had done. I decided to watch him for a while and wait to form my opinion of him completely. Turns out, that was the right thing to do because I loved him! He owned up to what he did, didn't make excuses for his actions, and tried SO hard to make things right. He made a mistake and I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that he did everything he could do to make it right and that he won't make that mistake again.
Belle- I must say, I didn't really see any progression of her character which is one of the main problems I had with the book. Belle was the same person at the beginning that she was at the end, at least in my mind. I liked that she was strong and stuck to her guns though.
What I Liked- I liked the central message behind the story. That everyone screws up and deserves a second chance. To let someone prove their worth to you before you completely cut them out of your life over a stupid mistake.
What I Didn't Like- My main problem with this book was the pacing. Even though the scenes from the past helped with character development, they slowed down the story immensely. It took forever for the plot to go anywhere and I almost DNF'd the book multiple times. After a while, the past scenes stopped helping development and just became plain boring and useless. It felt like I was reading the same chapters in the past as the ones in the future. Belle and Tanner would fight about the same things and kept going around in circles. For a while it felt like the plot wasn't moving which annoyed the hell out of me. I felt like a lot of this book could have been cut out which would have sped the pacing up and kept my interest longer.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would consider reading more books by the author in the future if she ever wrote anything that sounded interesting to me.
3.25 Stars
MINOR SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
This book had a concept that fascinated me because when you traditionally read a book, a character that cheats is public enemy number one. Think about all the times when you have read a book where the main female character's husband would be a cheating dog, would leave him, and how you would cheer her on. You would probably say something like "you go girl!". Well... what do you do when the cheater is the main male character that is beyond sorry and wants her back? Do you still cheer when she leaves him? Do you accept his apology and pray that they work things out? Well that's where this book starts off.
"Good enough? He rolled her beneath him and held her chin firmly with one hand. “I’ve never, and I mean never, known anything in this world that could compare to you, Belle. I meant what I said, sweetheart. I want you with me every day for the rest of my life. Hell no, you’re not good enough; you’re too damn good for me. But since I’m one lucky guy, I get to keep you anyway. Forever."
Tanner- I didn't know how to feel about Tanner. On one hand, I could clearly see the pain he had caused his wife by his cheating and I wanted her to hold her ground and leave. But on the other, I saw how broken Tanner was and how much he hated himself over what he had done. I decided to watch him for a while and wait to form my opinion of him completely. Turns out, that was the right thing to do because I loved him! He owned up to what he did, didn't make excuses for his actions, and tried SO hard to make things right. He made a mistake and I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that he did everything he could do to make it right and that he won't make that mistake again.
"He was Tanner Carlisle; he took care of the people he loved. And he loved her beyond all sense and reason."
Belle- I must say, I didn't really see any progression of her character which is one of the main problems I had with the book. Belle was the same person at the beginning that she was at the end, at least in my mind. I liked that she was strong and stuck to her guns though.
"You don’t get to walk into my life and make me the happiest man in the world for more than a decade and then throw it away because I screwed up one time. No, Belle. It isn’t going down like that.”
What I Liked- I liked the central message behind the story. That everyone screws up and deserves a second chance. To let someone prove their worth to you before you completely cut them out of your life over a stupid mistake.
“I know I don’t deserve it, sweetheart,” he repeated, “but I will never again take for granted one second with you if you can possibly find a way to forgive me.”
What I Didn't Like- My main problem with this book was the pacing. Even though the scenes from the past helped with character development, they slowed down the story immensely. It took forever for the plot to go anywhere and I almost DNF'd the book multiple times. After a while, the past scenes stopped helping development and just became plain boring and useless. It felt like I was reading the same chapters in the past as the ones in the future. Belle and Tanner would fight about the same things and kept going around in circles. For a while it felt like the plot wasn't moving which annoyed the hell out of me. I felt like a lot of this book could have been cut out which would have sped the pacing up and kept my interest longer.
“Some secrets are meant to be kept.”
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would consider reading more books by the author in the future if she ever wrote anything that sounded interesting to me.
June 6, 2019
Good second-chance~ish romance with a married couple desperate to reconnect. I appreciated the past and present view of the couple to help give a more rounded understanding to their relationship, but it felt like the story could have ended much sooner since Izzy was so quick to forgive Tanner at every turn.
January 27, 2019
What a beautiful, heartbreaking story! It was truly emotional and well-written. I loved the chemistry between Tanner and Isabelle. I'd never wanted a cheating character to fix things so badly before. I cried a bunch.
January 29, 2019
WOW
I feel like every married couple should read this book. Every romance reader should read this book. Every hopeless romantic should read this book. Every lover of second chance romances should read this book. Frankly, everyone should read this book! Wow, just wow.
Emotional, heartbreaking, and full of real life lessons, Amelia Foster's debut novel is an absolute must-read!! I was completely hooked to this book from the moment I started reading it.
My heart broke and healed right along Belle's. That is how well this book was written. That is how smoothly Amelia Foster's words flowed. And regardless of what Tanner did, man, I sure did love him!! He made me swoon time and time again.
Getting glimpses of Tanner and Belle's relationship during their college years made their story feel whole, complete. Loved the "past scenes" so, so, SO much. It made me feel even more invested in their story.
Get this book. Seriously. But it and devour it. Beautifully written!!
FIVE STARS and a TOP RECOMMENDATION!
I feel like every married couple should read this book. Every romance reader should read this book. Every hopeless romantic should read this book. Every lover of second chance romances should read this book. Frankly, everyone should read this book! Wow, just wow.
Emotional, heartbreaking, and full of real life lessons, Amelia Foster's debut novel is an absolute must-read!! I was completely hooked to this book from the moment I started reading it.
My heart broke and healed right along Belle's. That is how well this book was written. That is how smoothly Amelia Foster's words flowed. And regardless of what Tanner did, man, I sure did love him!! He made me swoon time and time again.
Getting glimpses of Tanner and Belle's relationship during their college years made their story feel whole, complete. Loved the "past scenes" so, so, SO much. It made me feel even more invested in their story.
Get this book. Seriously. But it and devour it. Beautifully written!!
FIVE STARS and a TOP RECOMMENDATION!
January 27, 2019
Spoilers:
So there is the whole thing of Tanner not actually kissing the OW back, but was pushing her away.
But that's not what bothers me. Tanner thought he did. Tanner told his wife that he did. So the wife cried a little and went out on dates with him and had sex with him. Seriously? Have some self-respect. I can understand wanting to keep your family together and figure out how to keep the family together but the fact that she had sex with him? Just no. No, no. No. NO. I might barf up my breakfast.
So there is the whole thing of Tanner not actually kissing the OW back, but was pushing her away.
But that's not what bothers me. Tanner thought he did. Tanner told his wife that he did. So the wife cried a little and went out on dates with him and had sex with him. Seriously? Have some self-respect. I can understand wanting to keep your family together and figure out how to keep the family together but the fact that she had sex with him? Just no. No, no. No. NO. I might barf up my breakfast.
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