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Still Mine
Jared It’s been three years since I drove Maddie away, since I let the greatest thing in my life slip through my fingers. Since then, I’ve had to watch at a distance as her life collapsed around her. Now she’s broke, struggling, and alone—and I’m finally in a position to work my way back into her life. She’s still mine. She always has been. All I need is a second chance to prove it to her. Maddie My life has been circling the drain ever since my dad died and his company collapsed with him. Now I’m working for wages, learning how to live a normal life—since socialite isn’t a viable career option—and trying to claw my way out from beneath a mountain of debt. I never expected to see Jared again. He broke my heart three years ago, and I still haven’t recovered. And now he’s acquiring the company I work for, and I can only assume he’s back to torture me all over again, as if I haven’t already suffered enough. But I’m not the same woman he knew. And this time, I’m not going to let him mess with my head…or worse, my heart.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 5, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 7, 2025
This is a second chance, boss / assistant, betrayal grovel story. People who like a grovel would probably like it. This isn’t an “it was bad” 3 stars, it was decent, it was just missing emotional heft.
Jared (31) and Maddie (27) were together 3 years ago. She saw photos of him appearing to cheat on her and left without letting him explain. Eventually, she came back, because it turned out the photos were old, from before he met her. He made it seem like he forgave her for leaving without talking to him, but actually, for 6 months after that, he held her at an emotional distance and dangled his love and affection like a carrot stick in front of a horse, out of reach. So, the angst wasn’t one big betrayal incident, but “death by a thousand cuts” as he emotionally punished her, until she left for good.
3 years later, he’s never stopped thinking about her, never dated anyone else, and gotten therapy for his issues that made him treat her that way. He’s ready to get her back. Meanwhile, she’s down on her luck (and also hasn't dated). She was wealthy before, now she lost all her money. He buys her company and gives her a job as his assistant. His grovel isn’t really 1 grand gesture, but just quietly taking care of her and showing her that he’s changed (there’s a “he takes care of her when she’s sick” sequence).
I like that the betrayal and grovel were both mature. I like drama and big betrayals, but occasionally, it’s nice to shake it up with something different. The way that he emotionally punished her was brutal but realistic. And, it is something that could be overcome, if he put in the work to change. So, I liked that as a unique but plausible betrayal that wasn't OTT drama.
So, why 3 stars? This was decent, but the first part of their relationship – and the betrayal – is told to us, not shown. It’s just breezed over in prologue. The rest of the book is 3 years later, when he's trying to make it up to her. I hate how so many recent “betrayal / grovel” books rush through the betrayal, and spend so much more time on the grovel. That betrayal angst needs to hit. Otherwise, the grovel is boring and lacks impact. I wouldn’t say this book was boring, but it lacked the emotional weight it could have had, if only it showed us the “death by a thousand cuts” death of their relationship the first time around, rather than just told us about it.
They were also both Just Okay as characters. They weren’t bad, I wasn’t annoyed by them, but they didn’t leap off the page. Jared was a little bland. He didn’t have a lot of personality outside of being a Rich Boss Man who felt bad about how he treated her and wanted to make it up to her. Maddie had a likeable grit, as she was determined to deal with her "riches to rags" situation without help. But she was also a little bland and nothing special, aside from being mildly likable. I didn’t quite get why he was so fixated on her, and unable to move on from her for 3 years. That issue could have been fixed if we saw their relationship the first time around, instead of just being told about it. I felt like this book told me "they were in love" rather than showed it.
This looks like a debut, but it's the contemporary pen name for a historical romance author Aydra Richards. So you may also like it if you like her (I'm not much of a historical romance reader, I've never read her before). I would try another read from her if she puts out more contemporaries, but I’m not in a huge rush to. But, if you want a betrayal / grovel story that's more mature rather than OTT drama, and you don't mind it rushing through the "betrayal" part, you'd probably like this better than I did.
Jared (31) and Maddie (27) were together 3 years ago. She saw photos of him appearing to cheat on her and left without letting him explain. Eventually, she came back, because it turned out the photos were old, from before he met her. He made it seem like he forgave her for leaving without talking to him, but actually, for 6 months after that, he held her at an emotional distance and dangled his love and affection like a carrot stick in front of a horse, out of reach. So, the angst wasn’t one big betrayal incident, but “death by a thousand cuts” as he emotionally punished her, until she left for good.
3 years later, he’s never stopped thinking about her, never dated anyone else, and gotten therapy for his issues that made him treat her that way. He’s ready to get her back. Meanwhile, she’s down on her luck (and also hasn't dated). She was wealthy before, now she lost all her money. He buys her company and gives her a job as his assistant. His grovel isn’t really 1 grand gesture, but just quietly taking care of her and showing her that he’s changed (there’s a “he takes care of her when she’s sick” sequence).
I like that the betrayal and grovel were both mature. I like drama and big betrayals, but occasionally, it’s nice to shake it up with something different. The way that he emotionally punished her was brutal but realistic. And, it is something that could be overcome, if he put in the work to change. So, I liked that as a unique but plausible betrayal that wasn't OTT drama.
So, why 3 stars? This was decent, but the first part of their relationship – and the betrayal – is told to us, not shown. It’s just breezed over in prologue. The rest of the book is 3 years later, when he's trying to make it up to her. I hate how so many recent “betrayal / grovel” books rush through the betrayal, and spend so much more time on the grovel. That betrayal angst needs to hit. Otherwise, the grovel is boring and lacks impact. I wouldn’t say this book was boring, but it lacked the emotional weight it could have had, if only it showed us the “death by a thousand cuts” death of their relationship the first time around, rather than just told us about it.
They were also both Just Okay as characters. They weren’t bad, I wasn’t annoyed by them, but they didn’t leap off the page. Jared was a little bland. He didn’t have a lot of personality outside of being a Rich Boss Man who felt bad about how he treated her and wanted to make it up to her. Maddie had a likeable grit, as she was determined to deal with her "riches to rags" situation without help. But she was also a little bland and nothing special, aside from being mildly likable. I didn’t quite get why he was so fixated on her, and unable to move on from her for 3 years. That issue could have been fixed if we saw their relationship the first time around, instead of just being told about it. I felt like this book told me "they were in love" rather than showed it.
This looks like a debut, but it's the contemporary pen name for a historical romance author Aydra Richards. So you may also like it if you like her (I'm not much of a historical romance reader, I've never read her before). I would try another read from her if she puts out more contemporaries, but I’m not in a huge rush to. But, if you want a betrayal / grovel story that's more mature rather than OTT drama, and you don't mind it rushing through the "betrayal" part, you'd probably like this better than I did.
January 7, 2026
MMC: Jared
FMC: Maddie
I gave this a 3 star rating but 2.5 feels more accurate. This took a week for me to read which in my usual book reading world, is equivalent to a month. I can usually read a book in a day, maybe 2 if it’s a little longer and I have stuff to do. I just kept walking away from it and reading other things before going back.
I really don’t know what my problem was. I can’t even say it’s a bad book. It wasn’t boring. The writing was pretty good. It just felt kind of drawn out for no reason. Things were happening, I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of filler or unnecessary details, it flowed pretty well. But these two don’t have any type of significant conversations until the last 3 chapters. When they finally talked about the things that needed to be addressed from their breakup, I was left wholly unsatisfied. I guess at the end of the day I just did not connect with the characters and wasn’t invested in their relationship. By the end they both really just annoyed me and I couldn’t figure out what they saw in each other.
This review is a damn mess but I’m finding it hard to put my thoughts into words about why this book bothered me so much. Hopefully I can come back and clean it up after I think on it for a bit.
Safety: Totally safe. There are no details about their history before each other. They are both celibate for the 3 years they’re separated. No OW drama that I can remember. Even if there was, Jared would not have tolerated it. He was all about Maddie and only Maddie. There was just a touch of OM drama where Jared is jealous of a co-worker but Maddie is not interested at all. Several spicy scenes that were meh, I kind of skipped over them.
FMC: Maddie
I gave this a 3 star rating but 2.5 feels more accurate. This took a week for me to read which in my usual book reading world, is equivalent to a month. I can usually read a book in a day, maybe 2 if it’s a little longer and I have stuff to do. I just kept walking away from it and reading other things before going back.
I really don’t know what my problem was. I can’t even say it’s a bad book. It wasn’t boring. The writing was pretty good. It just felt kind of drawn out for no reason. Things were happening, I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of filler or unnecessary details, it flowed pretty well. But these two don’t have any type of significant conversations until the last 3 chapters. When they finally talked about the things that needed to be addressed from their breakup, I was left wholly unsatisfied. I guess at the end of the day I just did not connect with the characters and wasn’t invested in their relationship. By the end they both really just annoyed me and I couldn’t figure out what they saw in each other.
This review is a damn mess but I’m finding it hard to put my thoughts into words about why this book bothered me so much. Hopefully I can come back and clean it up after I think on it for a bit.
Safety: Totally safe. There are no details about their history before each other. They are both celibate for the 3 years they’re separated. No OW drama that I can remember. Even if there was, Jared would not have tolerated it. He was all about Maddie and only Maddie. There was just a touch of OM drama where Jared is jealous of a co-worker but Maddie is not interested at all. Several spicy scenes that were meh, I kind of skipped over them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2025
4.5 stars
I didn't know what to expect about this book going in except that it was a contemporary romance written on the go by Aydra Richards. Now having finished it, I want to say that I think this book can be read in various shades. Some might just see it as a decent second-chance romance, others would appreciate it for the push-pull drama between the leads, to yet others it might read as a mild contemporary rom-com and etc, etc.
For me, it became an experience. Not because the romance was an epic one, but because somehow the characters rang so true in their behaviours, their words, their thoughts, their fears, their doubts and their journeys to better. This book might sometimes have aspects of a frivolous project but I invited myself to dig deeper. It might be all in my head, but I felt it that way. Beneath the surface, so many things that AR inked on the pages had deep meanings and resonances - it spoke of real life experiences, how when trying to navigate through everyday and its happenstances, one can get lost, hurt, draw barriers, forget about loving oneself, invent scenarios.
The drama between Maddie and Jared had so many layers. I think another title for their romance could have been 'Anatomy of a relationship' because reading felt a bit like watching one of those well done poetic French films where the characters' emotions is the red thread. It chronicled so well the ups and downs between two persons who love each other but are yet separated by seemingly abysses.
The Prologue set the scene in a very painful, silent way. I could feel the despair, how pride, fear and passive-aggressiveness would slowly extinguish Maddie's soul. I thus understood where Maddie stood three years later, wary and empty. When Jared came back on the scene, I thought he was going to be a run-of-the-mill stalkerish billionaire, but AR soon convinced me that he was much more than that. With each layer revealed (e.g. why he waited three years, how he was humble to know he fucked up, what he did to work on himself, how he was so thoughtful of Maddie, how he was open to learn the new Maddie, etc), I could just fall in love with his brand of redemption, healing, devotion and loving. I would not qualify all the chapters past the Prologue as grovelling, because to my mind, it was more than that. It had that tangible, realistic feel to it, of a person endeavouring to fix what he broke, and putting all his hope into maybe, just maybe proving to his one love that he has changed and will always stand by her side because there's no place he'd rather be. 😍
Now, not everything was perfect. Maddie obviously had many issues due to what happened with Jared but also with what life threw at her. I didn't find her to be whiny. She was resilient and trying hard to be always lift her head up. I applauded her for this. But towards the end, she confused me a bit in the way that her main issue seemed to be I would like to think, that just like a hypothetical French film I mentioned earlier, not everything needs a thorough explanation and AR has enough trust in me as a reader, to bridge the gaps because I was guided to understand where the character came from, what her struggles were and hence, where her emotional growth leads her to in the now.
In a way, this book reminded me a lot of the deep feels that I felt brimming from my favourite Aydra Richards, Exit, Pursued by a Baron - but on an even more realistic level. Like I said, this is my very personal take on this book, and as such it deserves a 5 GR stars rating.
--‐---
My favourite quotes:
Sometimes you have to lose what you love the most to understand exactly how precious it is.
And if you’re ever lucky enough to recapture it…you never let it go.
♡♡♡♡♡
It wrenches something in my heart, but part of growing into something better than you’ve been is acknowledging mistakes and rectifying them. It’s not enough to apologize, because words are cheap. You have to actually make amends. You have to confront the wreckage you’ve caused and fix it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
I didn’t realize this was Aydra Richards’ pseudonym until the acknowledgements at the end. I really loved this book. It was super angsty and I couldn’t put it down.
It was really a slow burn. Very interesting premise. He waits 3 years to make his move, so it’s a very long separation. Maddie is extremely stubborn, like maddeningly so. I would’ve caved after someone spent a week nursing me to health while I had the flu, but that’s just me. 🤷🏻♀️
Also the proposal part, after all that wait, I expected a grand gesture, but it really wasn’t. Though it was still sweet.
Maddie’s determination to masquerade as poor when he’s a billionaire was sort of laughable. I get the standing on your own two feet but, come on!
It was really a slow burn. Very interesting premise. He waits 3 years to make his move, so it’s a very long separation. Maddie is extremely stubborn, like maddeningly so. I would’ve caved after someone spent a week nursing me to health while I had the flu, but that’s just me. 🤷🏻♀️
Also the proposal part, after all that wait, I expected a grand gesture, but it really wasn’t. Though it was still sweet.
Maddie’s determination to masquerade as poor when he’s a billionaire was sort of laughable. I get the standing on your own two feet but, come on!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2023
Resentful
I enjoyed this for the most part, but the heroine's obsessive focus on money was obnoxious. She was broke, living in poverty, but I felt like she resented the hero because he had money. When she forced him to be "normal" like she couldn't love him as himself. She was a snob, believing that she knew better because she was poor. Being a snob isn't just for the rich, and neither is ignorance and self-righteousness.
I enjoyed this for the most part, but the heroine's obsessive focus on money was obnoxious. She was broke, living in poverty, but I felt like she resented the hero because he had money. When she forced him to be "normal" like she couldn't love him as himself. She was a snob, believing that she knew better because she was poor. Being a snob isn't just for the rich, and neither is ignorance and self-righteousness.
September 17, 2020
⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️
“Still mine” is deep and beautiful. Romantic even. It’s a second-chance romance. I like how the author paid attention to the characters and their personalities. All the descriptions, character building, emotions, the therapy thing also is very important. I was just thinking about the heroine needing therapy and after a little bit it was there. Like the author put everything in this and I like it.
I am definitely expecting more books from Anthea Reiling.
“Still mine” is deep and beautiful. Romantic even. It’s a second-chance romance. I like how the author paid attention to the characters and their personalities. All the descriptions, character building, emotions, the therapy thing also is very important. I was just thinking about the heroine needing therapy and after a little bit it was there. Like the author put everything in this and I like it.
I am definitely expecting more books from Anthea Reiling.
December 11, 2022
Their conversation were great. Neither of them were perfect both made mistakes and I love how uts not possible to side with with ine of them completely.3 yrs ago she walked away cos she thought he cheated he didn't and she went back to him but for 6 months she tried really hard to restore trust and it didn't work. They get back together again and she walks away again cos she thinks she's becoming financially dependent on him and he get rightfully angry
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2025
This was a solid second-chance contemporary romance. It had an intriguing premise which resulted in a compelling start.
The tale sucked me in pretty quickly with the story of why Maddie and Jared originally split and how they had reignited the connection between them. Both characters are well crafted and likeable which made it easy to root for them as they navigated their past and present. The initial setup, which saw Jared re-enter Maddie's life after a period of struggle for her, was particularly effective in establishing the stakes and their emotional history. The fact he forced his way back into her life created some melodrama which was also fun!
While the story started really strong, there was a slight lull in the middle. Fortunately, this picked back up to deliver a solid and satisfying conclusion. Reiling had a moderately engaging writing style and she successfully tied up the emotional threads, bringing Maddie and Jared's journey to a satisfying end.
One thing I particularly liked about this one was how patient Jared was with Maddie. She had some issues, for sure, (both mentally and situationally) but he seemed to understand that and genuinely seemed to want to help her.
All in all this was a solid tale.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: No audio meant I had to use the Elever Reader text-to-speech app. It is by far the best text-to-speech app in the market even if it does still fall a good bit short of matching the quality of a professionally narrated audiobook. It is functional though and that is better than most TTS. Used the Jessica voice. It might be my favourite of the ones I’ve listened to.
The tale sucked me in pretty quickly with the story of why Maddie and Jared originally split and how they had reignited the connection between them. Both characters are well crafted and likeable which made it easy to root for them as they navigated their past and present. The initial setup, which saw Jared re-enter Maddie's life after a period of struggle for her, was particularly effective in establishing the stakes and their emotional history. The fact he forced his way back into her life created some melodrama which was also fun!
While the story started really strong, there was a slight lull in the middle. Fortunately, this picked back up to deliver a solid and satisfying conclusion. Reiling had a moderately engaging writing style and she successfully tied up the emotional threads, bringing Maddie and Jared's journey to a satisfying end.
One thing I particularly liked about this one was how patient Jared was with Maddie. She had some issues, for sure, (both mentally and situationally) but he seemed to understand that and genuinely seemed to want to help her.
All in all this was a solid tale.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
Audio Note: No audio meant I had to use the Elever Reader text-to-speech app. It is by far the best text-to-speech app in the market even if it does still fall a good bit short of matching the quality of a professionally narrated audiobook. It is functional though and that is better than most TTS. Used the Jessica voice. It might be my favourite of the ones I’ve listened to.
December 27, 2025
Still mine indeed
One of the loveliest billionaire romances I’ve ever read. This is a hidden gem of a book and will be a keeper.
Maddie is complicated and traumatised and there’s no easy solutions. Jared was a dick to her and this shows how emotional abuse works in the long term. As these two navigate a reconciliation, Jared’s behaviour is more redemption than grovel and it’s terrific.
This romance also comments on class and wealth divides in contemporary America. Maddie and Jared are of the very moneyed. After they break up, Maddie's life changes when her father dies and she quickly drowns in debt to become one of the invisible working poor. Jared hasn't a clue how this works in real life and real time. This isn't completely resolved (obviously Jared isn't going to walk away from being a billionaire) but it was handled thoughtfully - something that doesn't always happen in romancelandia. A great read!
One of the loveliest billionaire romances I’ve ever read. This is a hidden gem of a book and will be a keeper.
Maddie is complicated and traumatised and there’s no easy solutions. Jared was a dick to her and this shows how emotional abuse works in the long term. As these two navigate a reconciliation, Jared’s behaviour is more redemption than grovel and it’s terrific.
This romance also comments on class and wealth divides in contemporary America. Maddie and Jared are of the very moneyed. After they break up, Maddie's life changes when her father dies and she quickly drowns in debt to become one of the invisible working poor. Jared hasn't a clue how this works in real life and real time. This isn't completely resolved (obviously Jared isn't going to walk away from being a billionaire) but it was handled thoughtfully - something that doesn't always happen in romancelandia. A great read!
January 9, 2023
I liked this a lot! Good-great romance, except for maybe the last bit of therapy/analyzing that dragged a bit.
June 2, 2025
Grovel? Yes please
July 29, 2025
Oh the grovel!!! Great let him suffer... But a bit tedious towards the end.
September 13, 2020
Beautiful and deep, emotional romance. Very well written, which just shows that you don't need to insert sex scenes in every other chapter to get all the feels. Loved it. My only disappointmemt is that Anthea Reiling hasn't written any other books yet.
May 28, 2025
Story has potential but missed the mark for me. It does need another good edit, but is readable. She seems spiteful and resentful at times, he’s prostrating himself to be with her. They don’t get back together until the last chapter before the epilogue and before then it was just a lot of back and forth and Maddie always running and acting like she’s a martyr. It got quite frustrating after a while.
January 2, 2023
This is the most frustrating book I've read in probably 5 years. It was very well written, it stated out so well, but by the middle it I was not only bored, but verbally cussing at the heroine. She drove me NUTS! I'm the type of person who's ALWAYS on the heroine's side, but she just didn't work for me. Her hang ups with money were insanity. It wasn't explained in a way that I understood. At first it came across like she was too good for money, as if her history of being a "rich socialite" was shameful and she hated herself for having money. But in the end it was that she felt like her "greed" destroyed her father. Maybe if he would have committed suicide because of his debts that might make sense. But it just seems irrational. She put so much value on money that it made her extremely unlikable. In the end, the author did rationalize it a bit, but for it being such a HUGE portion of her character, I needed more earlier on.
"I blame myself for destroying my father" is interesting. "I refuse to be on the same continent as a guy who buys me a cup of coffee" is not. This wasn't handed well. Maybe in 3rd person the reader could have seen her problems more accurately, but in 1st person it didn't work. Maybe other people wouldn't have an issue with this but this was a big miss for me.
I think the major problems I have with this book could have been fixed with just more editing to cut out the ad nauseum navel gazing. It KILLED the pacing. Over and over again we heard about how much he fucked up and how he's in the wrong, and how he doesn't deserve her etc. And over and over again, we hear about her hurt and her obsession with money. The book was just too long, maybe 30-40% too long. Maybe more. It just dragged in the middle. So little happened. If this book was shorter it would have easily been a 4 star book because it was very refreshing to see such a healthy hero and to see love that seemed real and stable.
I really hope this author writes more because her proses are beautiful to read. She does tell a good story, even if it was far too long. The last 30-40 pages were great and that's why I rated this so highly. The scenes that worked were utterly delightful, and her prose was always well written, but it was a slog to get through a book that was so much longer than it needed to be.
2 1/2 stars.
"I blame myself for destroying my father" is interesting. "I refuse to be on the same continent as a guy who buys me a cup of coffee" is not. This wasn't handed well. Maybe in 3rd person the reader could have seen her problems more accurately, but in 1st person it didn't work. Maybe other people wouldn't have an issue with this but this was a big miss for me.
I think the major problems I have with this book could have been fixed with just more editing to cut out the ad nauseum navel gazing. It KILLED the pacing. Over and over again we heard about how much he fucked up and how he's in the wrong, and how he doesn't deserve her etc. And over and over again, we hear about her hurt and her obsession with money. The book was just too long, maybe 30-40% too long. Maybe more. It just dragged in the middle. So little happened. If this book was shorter it would have easily been a 4 star book because it was very refreshing to see such a healthy hero and to see love that seemed real and stable.
I really hope this author writes more because her proses are beautiful to read. She does tell a good story, even if it was far too long. The last 30-40 pages were great and that's why I rated this so highly. The scenes that worked were utterly delightful, and her prose was always well written, but it was a slog to get through a book that was so much longer than it needed to be.
2 1/2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 19, 2025DNR.
May 23, 2024
Heartbreakingly good
I cry everytime I read this story. This is second chance at its BEST. There is always a reason why a relationship ends. For Maddie and Jared it was their distrust and freezing eachother out. They needed to both grow up in their own ways before they realise that they still fulfill each other's missing pieces. The author conveyed this beautiful, through poignant molologues, self reflection and heartbreaking emotion dialogs. This story will always be one of my top reads of all time and I'll come back to it again and again to believe in second chance in love.
I cry everytime I read this story. This is second chance at its BEST. There is always a reason why a relationship ends. For Maddie and Jared it was their distrust and freezing eachother out. They needed to both grow up in their own ways before they realise that they still fulfill each other's missing pieces. The author conveyed this beautiful, through poignant molologues, self reflection and heartbreaking emotion dialogs. This story will always be one of my top reads of all time and I'll come back to it again and again to believe in second chance in love.
October 17, 2020
[1.5 star] i don't particularly hate the book but i don't like it much either. i know the hero wants to protect the heroine and help her but it does feels a little stalker-ish with the things he had done. as for the heroine, she just feels a little all over the place. she is a doormat to a lot of things but extremely firm when it comes to money. her character doesn't feel here not there. also, the last 15% of the book felt a little rush.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf-2023
March 1, 2023DNF
August 1, 2023
One of the best Second Chance books I have read till now.
This book has everything from a flawed but amazing hero who is possessive and fights for the love he lost but also not being overly pushy or cocky to a insecure fragile heroine who doesn't forgive simply because of lust and an amazing bestie who tells the c when she is wrong and doesn't push her towards the MC thinking that's it's for her best(like what happens in majority of second chance book which literally angers and irritates me)
This book made me cry,smile,cry a bit more ,made me angry towards the FMC during the last few chapters but then sympathizing with the poor heroine who went through a lot.
What Jared did during the last 6 months of their relationship was Cruelty, it's what we call gaslighting and mental abuse . He did it unknowingly since he was wrapped in his own insecurities and baggage and I thought that whelp here goes another book where the hero does something really really bad but then he gets a epiphany and now he will be all cocky and pushy and the heroine Maddie will just let him roll over her life. But damn did this book surprise me, with Jared doing everything possible to make Maddie see he is changed and that he is better,more open and all and Maddie overcoming her insecurities,her flaws ,her mistakes to give Jared another chance.
Maddie did make the first mistake of breaking Jared's trust ,no doubt but I guess her take of solving the issue was to simply return back to Jared's penthouse when in reality she should have being doing a self analysis of why she ran at the first chance of problem and certainly they should have taken a back step by staying separately and trying the counseling way(since they are comfortable with therapists and all) but then again Maddie was sheltered initially and then those 3 years really matured her which made me really proud of her. It was really amazing and heart touching to see that even Jared was proud of the new Maddie even though he knew that it made it harder for him to win back Maddie's trust.
All in all this was a masterpiece of a book❤️❤️
This book has everything from a flawed but amazing hero who is possessive and fights for the love he lost but also not being overly pushy or cocky to a insecure fragile heroine who doesn't forgive simply because of lust and an amazing bestie who tells the c when she is wrong and doesn't push her towards the MC thinking that's it's for her best(like what happens in majority of second chance book which literally angers and irritates me)
This book made me cry,smile,cry a bit more ,made me angry towards the FMC during the last few chapters but then sympathizing with the poor heroine who went through a lot.
What Jared did during the last 6 months of their relationship was Cruelty, it's what we call gaslighting and mental abuse . He did it unknowingly since he was wrapped in his own insecurities and baggage and I thought that whelp here goes another book where the hero does something really really bad but then he gets a epiphany and now he will be all cocky and pushy and the heroine Maddie will just let him roll over her life. But damn did this book surprise me, with Jared doing everything possible to make Maddie see he is changed and that he is better,more open and all and Maddie overcoming her insecurities,her flaws ,her mistakes to give Jared another chance.
Maddie did make the first mistake of breaking Jared's trust ,no doubt but I guess her take of solving the issue was to simply return back to Jared's penthouse when in reality she should have being doing a self analysis of why she ran at the first chance of problem and certainly they should have taken a back step by staying separately and trying the counseling way(since they are comfortable with therapists and all) but then again Maddie was sheltered initially and then those 3 years really matured her which made me really proud of her. It was really amazing and heart touching to see that even Jared was proud of the new Maddie even though he knew that it made it harder for him to win back Maddie's trust.
All in all this was a masterpiece of a book❤️❤️
May 29, 2025
if my ex, who’s pathetically in love with me, and who i’m seriously still in love with and never getting over, invested half a billion dollars JUST to be near me? i’m jumping right back into bed with him and let him take me raw all night.
i loved it. i loved them together. god, i swear, jared was literally yearning for madeline. it was so miserably pathetic and i loved it. i honestly loved jared as a character, with how he cared for madeline and how he decided to go to therapy and worked through to be a better man for madeline before he tried to win her back. he was constantly patient with her and was willing to do anything. literally obsessed.
the amount of times he kept referring her as “my maddie” “my golden girl” is SO???? ugh
and oh maddie, it was torture for me to read her povs especially what she went through after their breakup and the events that followed after it. i loved that she had fire and she was funny as hell. i’m glad that jared helped crack her and let her heal as they worked through things together. the fact that she was literally in love with jared, and he ruined her for every other man. ugh.
i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about the private jet scene though. that was hot. really, really hot.
i loved it. i loved them together. god, i swear, jared was literally yearning for madeline. it was so miserably pathetic and i loved it. i honestly loved jared as a character, with how he cared for madeline and how he decided to go to therapy and worked through to be a better man for madeline before he tried to win her back. he was constantly patient with her and was willing to do anything. literally obsessed.
the amount of times he kept referring her as “my maddie” “my golden girl” is SO???? ugh
and oh maddie, it was torture for me to read her povs especially what she went through after their breakup and the events that followed after it. i loved that she had fire and she was funny as hell. i’m glad that jared helped crack her and let her heal as they worked through things together. the fact that she was literally in love with jared, and he ruined her for every other man. ugh.
i don’t think i’ll ever stop thinking about the private jet scene though. that was hot. really, really hot.
June 11, 2025
This was okay. I was super intrigued to read because Aydra Richards wrote this. And she wrote it in 26 days (so I wasn't surprised when I found some typos).
What made it just okay: I love a MMC who falls hard for FMC, but Jared fell hard in 3 months, treated Maddie like shit for 6 months, and then regretted it for 3 years. While I don't mind insta-love/lust, this was just a little weak for me. I think the story would have been better if they had a longer history or their backstory was more fleshed out? How FMC was hung up on money and even returning the money that she actually worked (a pet peeve of mine is when a FMC don't take the money because they have "backbone". F-that. Get that financial security.)
What I liked: Groveling starts early (like, almost as soon as the book starts). Jared actually respecting boundaries (for the most part). EVERYONE GETS THERAPY. My gosh, Maddie really needed a therapist. I'm glad Jared and Maddie had a fight at the end. They freaking needed it.
Yea, so I like the groveling. But I feel like the overall plot is weak. But I'll pretty much read any groveling books that Aydra Richards writes.
What made it just okay: I love a MMC who falls hard for FMC, but Jared fell hard in 3 months, treated Maddie like shit for 6 months, and then regretted it for 3 years. While I don't mind insta-love/lust, this was just a little weak for me. I think the story would have been better if they had a longer history or their backstory was more fleshed out? How FMC was hung up on money and even returning the money that she actually worked (a pet peeve of mine is when a FMC don't take the money because they have "backbone". F-that. Get that financial security.)
What I liked: Groveling starts early (like, almost as soon as the book starts). Jared actually respecting boundaries (for the most part). EVERYONE GETS THERAPY. My gosh, Maddie really needed a therapist. I'm glad Jared and Maddie had a fight at the end. They freaking needed it.
Yea, so I like the groveling. But I feel like the overall plot is weak. But I'll pretty much read any groveling books that Aydra Richards writes.
June 28, 2025
Oh, I liked this. A second-chance billionaire romance between two less-than-perfect people in which the hero's wealth and well-meaning but oblivious spending, coupled with the heroine's guilt and obsession over owing anyone anything, are stumbling blocks in the relationship.
Jared and Maddie had a magical whirlwind verging on soulmates romance until she mistakenly believed he stepped out on her and left him for a week. When she came back, he gave her the cold shoulder for six months until she couldn't take it anymore, and she left for good. Three years later, after mountains of therapy for his abandonment issues, he buys the company where she works to try for a second chance. Only she's no longer the carefree rich socialite she was. Now she's broke and under piles of debt and guilt for recklessly spending her father's money before he died and his company went under.
Some delicious gut punches and groveling, and it does the thing where the characters who most desperately need therapy, actually GET THERAPY. And it's clear it will be an ongoing process into their HEA. Love that!
Jared and Maddie had a magical whirlwind verging on soulmates romance until she mistakenly believed he stepped out on her and left him for a week. When she came back, he gave her the cold shoulder for six months until she couldn't take it anymore, and she left for good. Three years later, after mountains of therapy for his abandonment issues, he buys the company where she works to try for a second chance. Only she's no longer the carefree rich socialite she was. Now she's broke and under piles of debt and guilt for recklessly spending her father's money before he died and his company went under.
Some delicious gut punches and groveling, and it does the thing where the characters who most desperately need therapy, actually GET THERAPY. And it's clear it will be an ongoing process into their HEA. Love that!
May 15, 2026
I think I saw a post that this author is another name for Aydra Richards whose historical romance novels I enjoy. This book felt like it was missing something important that I needed to connect to it. The h left the H (can't remember why) and when she apologizes and comes back, he takes out his anger on her for six months before she gives up and makes a clean break. For three years the h struggles going from a socialite with frivolous concerns to an office worker being bullied by her boss and living in a cramped efficiency apartment. Her late father's company failed and his debt was transferred to her. The story begins when the H buys the company that employs the h and he begins the restructuring by demoting the h's boss. Because the story doesn't include enough information about their previous relationship, it's difficult for the reader to understand the thinking and actions of both the h and H as they reconnect. It's also challenging to identify change since there's no starting point. The h feels like a financial burden and the H struggles with abandonment. It was a struggle to finish.
March 21, 2026
Nice second chance romance
Maddie & Jared had a whirlwind courtship that blows up when an incident happens, Maddie doesn't handle it well and Jared can't forgive her for not having faith in him. No cheating, both celibate during the three year separation, Jared used the time to work on himself so that he could deserve Maddie if she gave him a second chance. Maddie has spiraled into poverty after her father mismanaged his companies/monies and she incurred his debt upon his death (she had been a socialite and lived off of daddy's largesse) Jared buys the company she's working for now and he proceeds to finagle his way back into Maddie's life. He's learned a lot in his therapy so he doesn't bulldoze like he wants to. I loved that Jared was all about Maddie and was never interested in screwing around to get over her. Maddie started out good but she kind of devolved into a basket case with a martyr complex but that was the catalyst for the breakthrough & getting back together. I enjoyed it overall and would recommend
Maddie & Jared had a whirlwind courtship that blows up when an incident happens, Maddie doesn't handle it well and Jared can't forgive her for not having faith in him. No cheating, both celibate during the three year separation, Jared used the time to work on himself so that he could deserve Maddie if she gave him a second chance. Maddie has spiraled into poverty after her father mismanaged his companies/monies and she incurred his debt upon his death (she had been a socialite and lived off of daddy's largesse) Jared buys the company she's working for now and he proceeds to finagle his way back into Maddie's life. He's learned a lot in his therapy so he doesn't bulldoze like he wants to. I loved that Jared was all about Maddie and was never interested in screwing around to get over her. Maddie started out good but she kind of devolved into a basket case with a martyr complex but that was the catalyst for the breakthrough & getting back together. I enjoyed it overall and would recommend
April 18, 2023
Get those kids some therapy
Three years ago, Jared and Maddie ended their whirlwind romance on a sour note. Now, Jared is emotionally ready to win her back, but Maddie's life fell apart after her father's death and isn't as open to reconciliation. So Jared's obvious answer is to buy the company she works for and worm his way back into her life.
I'm a pro therapy bitch and it's nice to see people who realize they don't work because their past traumas make them toxic together. Then work on themselves and readdress the relationship when they're in a more stable place individually. It was a fascinating combination of instalove and second chance romance that made me feel for and care about the characters' personal growth as well as their love story. Very character driven rather than plot driven, and well written enough to work.
Three years ago, Jared and Maddie ended their whirlwind romance on a sour note. Now, Jared is emotionally ready to win her back, but Maddie's life fell apart after her father's death and isn't as open to reconciliation. So Jared's obvious answer is to buy the company she works for and worm his way back into her life.
I'm a pro therapy bitch and it's nice to see people who realize they don't work because their past traumas make them toxic together. Then work on themselves and readdress the relationship when they're in a more stable place individually. It was a fascinating combination of instalove and second chance romance that made me feel for and care about the characters' personal growth as well as their love story. Very character driven rather than plot driven, and well written enough to work.
April 22, 2026
took a lil break like a week after start reading this book bcus at first i felt like there's too much of monologue and tmi but after a while when there's no book that I'm interested in i get back to this book and from there it just get better. there's a bit of angst which i liked and the caretaking scene when the heroine fell sick is one of the best caretaking scene that I've read in romance book (after when beauty tamed the beast which is my ult gav book). both of the mcs are stubborn and have issues and they both managed to handled it well although i think in between they still loves to throws plate to each other hahaa just kidding. for a debut, this was not bad at all.
March 6, 2023
Enjoyed Maddie and Jared
This was a 2nd chance story about Maddie and Jared. Both had a lot of baggage in their 1st chance that never got resolved.
Jared worked on himself so he could be there but Maddie still harbored a lot of mistrust.
The author did a fantastic job bringing you through their issues. Both had a lot of pride and missteps when dealing with each other.
At times Both acted like teenagers, their angst and anger getting the best of them. I enjoyed reading as Maddie and Jared learned and grew individually and with each other.
This was a 2nd chance story about Maddie and Jared. Both had a lot of baggage in their 1st chance that never got resolved.
Jared worked on himself so he could be there but Maddie still harbored a lot of mistrust.
The author did a fantastic job bringing you through their issues. Both had a lot of pride and missteps when dealing with each other.
At times Both acted like teenagers, their angst and anger getting the best of them. I enjoyed reading as Maddie and Jared learned and grew individually and with each other.
July 26, 2023
This goes beyond angst. After a few chapters h/Maddie is so far gone on her self flagellation...and it just goes on and on and on, it's exhausting. We get it your so poor and look awful and are a shadow. Jared is wonderful. Storyline was great. It just needed some tampering down on Maddie. By the end even the happy ending she annoyed me. Your husband has money u don't have to act like such a virtuous martyr for the poor. 2.5 actually. Jared is a 4/5 in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2025
My notes
Maddie and Jared
Prologue is heartbreaking
He has abandonment issues. She left him 3 months in to relationship then came back for 6 months. He was cruel to her. He loves her but can’t trust her. She leaves since they can’t get their relationship back.
Three years later he buys her company to get close to her.
Dragged a little too long. She was too obsessed over money and it got boring.
Maddie and Jared
Prologue is heartbreaking
He has abandonment issues. She left him 3 months in to relationship then came back for 6 months. He was cruel to her. He loves her but can’t trust her. She leaves since they can’t get their relationship back.
Three years later he buys her company to get close to her.
Dragged a little too long. She was too obsessed over money and it got boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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