***ARC Provided by the Author***
2.5 Stars
This is a sweet romance, and I don't have an issue with that. BUT, one of the challenges with a sweet, fade to black romance is that you need to make sure the connection between the characters is strong and developed.
Yes, the hot sex in romance books is fun. But, I think people also forget that sexy times also move the story forward. They bring the connection of characters to the readers through the physical intimacy of the characters. If this isn't in the book to move the story forward, something needs to be in it's place to replace it.
Peyton and Jackson had the history and a connection that goes back 17 years...but, in the now? They didn't really have all that much keeping them together. They had a past that needed to be resolved, but a future that didn't really feel very interconnected. And, for this story to work, I needed to feel more connection with them in the present, in the "now" of the story.
I found the flashbacks to be more interesting to the story than the parts of it that took place in the present. I believed their attraction in the past, and their heartbreak...but, I didn't really connect with it in the present. I needed more emotional connection, more of the belief that neither of them wanted to be with the other.
I also thought the end felt really abrupt...although more, I think, because I didn't really feel their attraction so I wasn't totally willing to believe that they were that invested in ending up together.
I am not able to recommend this title.