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Two Hearts #1
The Way Back
Time heals all wounds…
That’s what they say anyway.
But I believe some wounds never actually heal.
Like the hole left in my heart where Kyle used to be.
The pain a permanent reminder of what I had, and what I lost.
A piece of me died with him that day.
A part of myself I thought I’d never get back.
But then he happened.
Zayne…
Unexpected and exciting, he’s everything I shouldn’t want and yet somehow, exactly what I need.
He challenges me in a way I’ve never been challenged.
He makes me see the person I used to be- the happy carefree girl with her whole life ahead of her.
It doesn’t matter that he’s older than me, or that he’s my brother’s closest friend.
All that matters is how he makes me feel…
Alive.
*The Way Back was originally released in 2014 as the Two Hearts Duet.
That’s what they say anyway.
But I believe some wounds never actually heal.
Like the hole left in my heart where Kyle used to be.
The pain a permanent reminder of what I had, and what I lost.
A piece of me died with him that day.
A part of myself I thought I’d never get back.
But then he happened.
Zayne…
Unexpected and exciting, he’s everything I shouldn’t want and yet somehow, exactly what I need.
He challenges me in a way I’ve never been challenged.
He makes me see the person I used to be- the happy carefree girl with her whole life ahead of her.
It doesn’t matter that he’s older than me, or that he’s my brother’s closest friend.
All that matters is how he makes me feel…
Alive.
*The Way Back was originally released in 2014 as the Two Hearts Duet.
ebook
First published May 3, 2014
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About the author
Melissa Toppen
55 books1,816 followersMelissa Toppen is a USA Today Bestselling Author who specializes in New Adult and Contemporary Romance. She is a lover of books and enjoys nothing more than losing herself in a good novel. She has a soft spot for romance and focuses her writing in that direction; writing what she loves to read.
For more information on Melissa and her books, visit www.melissatoppen.com
For more information on Melissa and her books, visit www.melissatoppen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
April 22, 2021
It was very close to perfection. Various important themes were touched upon–grief, growing up, forgiveness, following your dreams–and it made the story very relatable. Also, the author’s word were quite evocative. They created a bittersweet atmosphere, sometimes heartache. I wanted to hug all the characters at some point.
I loved that each of them had their own agenda. Sure, the story focuses on Grace and Zayne, but the people around them have their own story to tell, and it’s more or less included in the book.
I loved Grace. The whole book is through her point of view. It was amazing to watch her grow and start her life. I had more mixed feelings about Zayne. Though there are many moments where he’s attentive and sweet, there are others where I wanted to slap his face. He’s supposed to be the older one in the relationship, and yeah, I get that he’s guarded and has troubles figuring his own feelings, but some of his mistakes, in my opinion, didn’t deserve Grace’s forgiveness.
I know there are a lot of books for foodies, where recipes and dishes have no small part, but here, it was definitely a book for music lovers. The playlist is considerable, and the meaning of the lyrics is linked to the characters and their situation. What music can bring to people–joy, comfort, energy, pleasure–is also a theme. Art in general–writing and painting too–is present in the book, and not just as an afterthought.
If you haven’t already run out of tissues, you can finish your box by reading this little treasure.
Quickie
- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #new adult romance #age gap #brother’s best friend #music
- Triggers: cheating
- Main couple: Grace Morgan & Zayne Evans
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + music had such an important role in the story!
- – personally, I’d have ditched Zayne…
I loved that each of them had their own agenda. Sure, the story focuses on Grace and Zayne, but the people around them have their own story to tell, and it’s more or less included in the book.
I loved Grace. The whole book is through her point of view. It was amazing to watch her grow and start her life. I had more mixed feelings about Zayne. Though there are many moments where he’s attentive and sweet, there are others where I wanted to slap his face. He’s supposed to be the older one in the relationship, and yeah, I get that he’s guarded and has troubles figuring his own feelings, but some of his mistakes, in my opinion, didn’t deserve Grace’s forgiveness.
I know there are a lot of books for foodies, where recipes and dishes have no small part, but here, it was definitely a book for music lovers. The playlist is considerable, and the meaning of the lyrics is linked to the characters and their situation. What music can bring to people–joy, comfort, energy, pleasure–is also a theme. Art in general–writing and painting too–is present in the book, and not just as an afterthought.
If you haven’t already run out of tissues, you can finish your box by reading this little treasure.
Quickie
- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #new adult romance #age gap #brother’s best friend #music
- Triggers: cheating
- Main couple: Grace Morgan & Zayne Evans
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + music had such an important role in the story!
- – personally, I’d have ditched Zayne…
July 16, 2014
Collide by Melissa Toppen
Series: Two Hearts #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: May 3rd 2014
Length: 306 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: via tour host
Review Date: July 16th 2014
Overall Rating: 4.5 STARS
Review:
Grace just graduated from Miami University with her close friends Emma and Carver. They are all planning on living together in New York to reach their life goals. Grace graduated with a degree in English, she loves to write and one day hopes to become a published Author. But before leaving for the big apple Grace and Emma go to spend a week with Grace’s family at the lake house. It’s tradition after all.
Grace’s older brothers Alec and Ian along with her mother and step-father all go out to the family lake house once a year. Only this year someone else shows up that Grace totally isn’t expecting… Zayne Evans, Alec’s co-worker. He is everything Grace knows she needs to stay away from. He is a womanizer with the looks and a smile that could get panties to drop for miles. Zayne lets his eyes travel over Grace more than once. But he fights what he wants with her because you just don’t screw around with your best friend/ co-workers little sister.
“I can’t do this. It’s not right. I can’t be around you anymore. You drive me out of my fucking mind. You make me say and do things that I would never do. You make me feel things I shouldn’t feel. There’s no way around this Grace. I’m Sorry but I need you to stay away from me.”
Grace struggles everyday with what happened in the past. Her high school sweetheart Kyle passed away in a tragic accident. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t think about him and the what if’s. What if they hadn’t went to that graduation party? What if he was still alive? Would they still be together? There is no doubt that she misses him but she is now twenty-two and the accident happened almost five years ago, she feels it might be time to finally live her life now and not be stuck in the past. Could Zayne be just the guy to help heal her? With both of them fighting their feelings they end the summer trip without any parting words. Leaving Grace determined to move on and forget the insanely hot Zayne.
Moving to the Big Apple, Grace realizes she needs a job and fast. She drops off her book she has written to several publishing houses, but needs some kind of income coming in now. She finds herself auditioning and small dive bar. Music has always played a big role in her life, she feels free while playing her guitar and singing. But singing in front of a crowd is something she thought she would never do, until moving to New York. For Grace moving to the big city is all about taking chances, exploring life, and living.
In a city of millions, I can be anyone I want to be. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn how to be me again.
Everything is working out, Grace found a job doing something she loves, and her roommates are doing fabulous. Life is good until she literally runs into Zayne on the street. The one guy she is doing everything to forget is the one guy she runs into in the huge city. A couple of days later she finds him sitting at the front steps of her apartment building..she is in shock to say the least. Zayne takes Grace out to dinner and that is when the small touches, heated looks, and light conversations turns into something more.
“I see you Grace, even if you don’t see yourself.”
Will Zayne give into what he wants? Will Grace be able to let go of the past and give her heart to someone else? Can she trust Zayne to not break her?
“You realize that life is a lot less lonely when you let people in from time to time?”
I truly enjoyed this book. Grace’s back story is a heartbreaking one that pulled on my ol’ heart strings, making me tear up a time or two. The characters were all relatable. Collide pulled me in an kept me wanting to read to find out what would happen next. Plus add the connection between Grace and Zayne (one that can’t be denied), and the hot bedroom scenes and this novel has all the components that make a great book for me.
When Grace and Zayne’s two worlds collide in New York I knew it was only a matter of time before they both gave into what they wanted…each other.
No one said a relationship built on being a secret would be easy though. Grace and Zayne still have lots of obstacles to overcome if they want to be with one another in the follow up book Embrace. Embrace releases July 22nd so add it to your TBR list as well.
The reason I gave Collide 4.5 Stars instead of 5 Stars is because, at the the beginning it starts off kind of slow. But don’t let that deter you from reading because this truly is a book that you will get wrapped up in. I enjoyed this book tremendously. Melissa Toppen is new Author that I’m so glad I found, and I very much look forward to future books from her.
http://www.booksunhinged.com/collide-...
Series: Two Hearts #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: May 3rd 2014
Length: 306 pages
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: via tour host
Review Date: July 16th 2014
Overall Rating: 4.5 STARS
Review:
Grace just graduated from Miami University with her close friends Emma and Carver. They are all planning on living together in New York to reach their life goals. Grace graduated with a degree in English, she loves to write and one day hopes to become a published Author. But before leaving for the big apple Grace and Emma go to spend a week with Grace’s family at the lake house. It’s tradition after all.
Grace’s older brothers Alec and Ian along with her mother and step-father all go out to the family lake house once a year. Only this year someone else shows up that Grace totally isn’t expecting… Zayne Evans, Alec’s co-worker. He is everything Grace knows she needs to stay away from. He is a womanizer with the looks and a smile that could get panties to drop for miles. Zayne lets his eyes travel over Grace more than once. But he fights what he wants with her because you just don’t screw around with your best friend/ co-workers little sister.
“I can’t do this. It’s not right. I can’t be around you anymore. You drive me out of my fucking mind. You make me say and do things that I would never do. You make me feel things I shouldn’t feel. There’s no way around this Grace. I’m Sorry but I need you to stay away from me.”
Grace struggles everyday with what happened in the past. Her high school sweetheart Kyle passed away in a tragic accident. There isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t think about him and the what if’s. What if they hadn’t went to that graduation party? What if he was still alive? Would they still be together? There is no doubt that she misses him but she is now twenty-two and the accident happened almost five years ago, she feels it might be time to finally live her life now and not be stuck in the past. Could Zayne be just the guy to help heal her? With both of them fighting their feelings they end the summer trip without any parting words. Leaving Grace determined to move on and forget the insanely hot Zayne.
Moving to the Big Apple, Grace realizes she needs a job and fast. She drops off her book she has written to several publishing houses, but needs some kind of income coming in now. She finds herself auditioning and small dive bar. Music has always played a big role in her life, she feels free while playing her guitar and singing. But singing in front of a crowd is something she thought she would never do, until moving to New York. For Grace moving to the big city is all about taking chances, exploring life, and living.
In a city of millions, I can be anyone I want to be. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn how to be me again.
Everything is working out, Grace found a job doing something she loves, and her roommates are doing fabulous. Life is good until she literally runs into Zayne on the street. The one guy she is doing everything to forget is the one guy she runs into in the huge city. A couple of days later she finds him sitting at the front steps of her apartment building..she is in shock to say the least. Zayne takes Grace out to dinner and that is when the small touches, heated looks, and light conversations turns into something more.
“I see you Grace, even if you don’t see yourself.”
Will Zayne give into what he wants? Will Grace be able to let go of the past and give her heart to someone else? Can she trust Zayne to not break her?
“You realize that life is a lot less lonely when you let people in from time to time?”
I truly enjoyed this book. Grace’s back story is a heartbreaking one that pulled on my ol’ heart strings, making me tear up a time or two. The characters were all relatable. Collide pulled me in an kept me wanting to read to find out what would happen next. Plus add the connection between Grace and Zayne (one that can’t be denied), and the hot bedroom scenes and this novel has all the components that make a great book for me.
When Grace and Zayne’s two worlds collide in New York I knew it was only a matter of time before they both gave into what they wanted…each other.
No one said a relationship built on being a secret would be easy though. Grace and Zayne still have lots of obstacles to overcome if they want to be with one another in the follow up book Embrace. Embrace releases July 22nd so add it to your TBR list as well.
The reason I gave Collide 4.5 Stars instead of 5 Stars is because, at the the beginning it starts off kind of slow. But don’t let that deter you from reading because this truly is a book that you will get wrapped up in. I enjoyed this book tremendously. Melissa Toppen is new Author that I’m so glad I found, and I very much look forward to future books from her.
http://www.booksunhinged.com/collide-...
October 12, 2014
Grace Morgan would have you believe she is your average college graduate, but the truth is she has been hiding within herself for about five years now. She hasn’t been the same since her high school boyfriend died in an awful accident. Grace fears falling in love and being normal, she is so afraid it will be taken away from her again.
Zayne Evans is a player, plain and simple. He also happens to be Grace’s brother’s best friend and business partner. Yet knowing this doesn’t change Grace from immediately being attracted to him or second guessing her beliefs in love. There is just something about him....maybe everything is not really as it appears.
Zayne knows the minute he meets Grace she is different from all the rest, he knows she is special and she is hiding herself. He also knows he needs to stay away from her at all costs, it’s the right thing to do, it’s the only thing to do, problem is he just can’t do it….
“He reaches out and puts both hands on either side of my face, leaning down so that he is staring directly into my eyes. I tried everything to get you out of my head Gracie. But I can’t shake you. When I saw you with the singer, the way he was intentionally finding ways to touch you all night, it spurred something in me that I have never felt before”
I really enjoyed reading this story and watching these characters come together. The writing was excellent and the characters were likable and believable. It is a two part story though so you will not get your ending with book one, but I promise you will be one-clicking book two right away because you are going to want to know how this story ends.
This was my first Melissa Toppen book, but I can assure you it will not be my last.
Zayne Evans is a player, plain and simple. He also happens to be Grace’s brother’s best friend and business partner. Yet knowing this doesn’t change Grace from immediately being attracted to him or second guessing her beliefs in love. There is just something about him....maybe everything is not really as it appears.
Zayne knows the minute he meets Grace she is different from all the rest, he knows she is special and she is hiding herself. He also knows he needs to stay away from her at all costs, it’s the right thing to do, it’s the only thing to do, problem is he just can’t do it….
“He reaches out and puts both hands on either side of my face, leaning down so that he is staring directly into my eyes. I tried everything to get you out of my head Gracie. But I can’t shake you. When I saw you with the singer, the way he was intentionally finding ways to touch you all night, it spurred something in me that I have never felt before”
I really enjoyed reading this story and watching these characters come together. The writing was excellent and the characters were likable and believable. It is a two part story though so you will not get your ending with book one, but I promise you will be one-clicking book two right away because you are going to want to know how this story ends.
This was my first Melissa Toppen book, but I can assure you it will not be my last.
October 12, 2014
“If I told you I loved you would it make you want to stay?”
If Zayne Evans asked me I would most definitely say yes…
After reading Collide, book one in this series, I couldn’t one-click Embrace fast enough!!!! I loved Grace and Zayne and I had to know how the story played out. I went into this book routing for Zayne and Grace so hard.
We start the story with them not being together and at first your okay with that because you just know they have to come back together again?!
“I made you feel like you were just another notch to me. You are not just another girl Grace. You are so much more than that. I want a chance to show you that. I want a chance to wine and dine you, to hold your hand and walk you home, to make you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Because that’s what you are to me Grace…..I want to do this right this time. I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.”
I mean how could you not when he says stuff like that right? Well Zayne makes some really stupid mistakes in book one and unfortunately, he doesn’t learn from them and in book two makes an even bigger mistake. Will Grace forgive him? Can he make it right? Does she stay or walk away forever? That’s what I kept asking myself and by now I was so vested in this story and head over heals in love with him that I just wanted to reach into the book and help him out….
Believe me, Melissa Toppen plays you so good and leaves you guessing right up until the end. You are going to want to read this book to find out how it ends, you won’t regret it…
If Zayne Evans asked me I would most definitely say yes…
After reading Collide, book one in this series, I couldn’t one-click Embrace fast enough!!!! I loved Grace and Zayne and I had to know how the story played out. I went into this book routing for Zayne and Grace so hard.
We start the story with them not being together and at first your okay with that because you just know they have to come back together again?!
“I made you feel like you were just another notch to me. You are not just another girl Grace. You are so much more than that. I want a chance to show you that. I want a chance to wine and dine you, to hold your hand and walk you home, to make you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Because that’s what you are to me Grace…..I want to do this right this time. I don’t want anyone else. I just want you.”
I mean how could you not when he says stuff like that right? Well Zayne makes some really stupid mistakes in book one and unfortunately, he doesn’t learn from them and in book two makes an even bigger mistake. Will Grace forgive him? Can he make it right? Does she stay or walk away forever? That’s what I kept asking myself and by now I was so vested in this story and head over heals in love with him that I just wanted to reach into the book and help him out….
Believe me, Melissa Toppen plays you so good and leaves you guessing right up until the end. You are going to want to read this book to find out how it ends, you won’t regret it…
October 4, 2014
Zayne and Grace, can you be together or will Alec's feelings ruin everything for you? That is the question that Melissa Toppen finally answers in Embrace the 2nd book in the Two Hearts series. As soon as I finished Collide I had to load my kindle up with Embrace. I needed to know where Zayne and Grace were headed. Please read book one first, it adds so much to the story line. Zayne and Grace want to be together, but Alec and Zayne's younger years may be destined to destroy the promising relationship. Grace's tragic youth has her running scared as well, can she love and risk loss again? The chemistry between the two almost sets this book on fire! I recommend this book to anyone who loves New Adult, Contemporary Romance, and HEA books (maybe...you will have to read to know for sure). I look forward to reading more by Melissa Toppen.
March 23, 2021
Melissa Toppen just ripped my heart open and then pieced it back together in a way that I’m sure will leave me with the biggest book hangover. Grace and Zayne are both so beautifully broken that reading this story was almost frustrating and amazing all at the same time. This story was perfect.
~Lauren💜
~Lauren💜
October 26, 2014
Great read. Kept me interested. Ready for next book
April 24, 2016
Whew. It was the best of books; it was the worst of books.
The Good Stuff:
1.) The extra characters were wonderful. Just the right amount of funny meets they have your back.
2.)The playlists and the way Melissa incorporated music through out the books added such a great dimension to the reading experience.
3.) The heroine Grace Morgan was written beautifully well. She is poignant with the just right amount of heart ache meets happy times.
4.) The books are tear jerkers but in a good way.
5.) The sex is HAF. If you are a new reader to Melissa she isn't one of those 53% kind of authors. You know that kind of authors who don't do sex before 53%.
6.) There really were some good feels moments through out.
The Not So Good Stuff:
1.) The Hero scored a big fat ZERO in my book. Seriously Zayne (awful name) is an absolute unredeemable asshat. He cheats on Grace at least once and she continually takes him back. WTF?!?! Definitely won't be adding him to the bbf list.
2.) There was just too much angst between the H/h. They were constantly breaking up.
3.) The extra characters had better chemistry than the leads. Seriously I loved Ian and Carver more than Zayne. Honestly I think that the books should have been focused on Alec and Emma as the H/h because their story was more believable.
4.) If it weren't for the HAF sex scenes there would have been no chemistry between Zayne and Grace.
The Good Stuff:
1.) The extra characters were wonderful. Just the right amount of funny meets they have your back.
2.)The playlists and the way Melissa incorporated music through out the books added such a great dimension to the reading experience.
3.) The heroine Grace Morgan was written beautifully well. She is poignant with the just right amount of heart ache meets happy times.
4.) The books are tear jerkers but in a good way.
5.) The sex is HAF. If you are a new reader to Melissa she isn't one of those 53% kind of authors. You know that kind of authors who don't do sex before 53%.
6.) There really were some good feels moments through out.
The Not So Good Stuff:
1.) The Hero scored a big fat ZERO in my book. Seriously Zayne (awful name) is an absolute unredeemable asshat. He cheats on Grace at least once and she continually takes him back. WTF?!?! Definitely won't be adding him to the bbf list.
2.) There was just too much angst between the H/h. They were constantly breaking up.
3.) The extra characters had better chemistry than the leads. Seriously I loved Ian and Carver more than Zayne. Honestly I think that the books should have been focused on Alec and Emma as the H/h because their story was more believable.
4.) If it weren't for the HAF sex scenes there would have been no chemistry between Zayne and Grace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2021
Wow, I don't even know where to start with this one. I wanted to love it. The premise was good, and Melissa Toppen really knows how to put her heart and soul into a book like this one. But for me, this one did not work from the very first few pages. Right away after the first few pages, when Kyle was first mentioned it was almost like I missed something. I went back to the beginning of the book to see, did I miss a story here, a few paragraphs... who the heck was Kyle and why was he so special. When I realized that no, I had not missed anything and the story would eventually unfold, I just kept going. I liked Grace and the fact that she was making a new life for herself, moving to the big city and trying to publish her book. She was a great character... what really dropped the story down a few pegs for me was Zayne. He was old enough to not be "that" guy... you know, the one that sleeps with you, and then goes and sleeps with someone else, and then comes back to you and apologizes, and then keeps making mistakes and pushing you away, and then bringing you back. The behavior was too juvenile for the age of the character so I had trouble connecting the dots. I know I am in the minority for not liking this book as much as others, so, it may just be me. I will be happy to continue reading Melissa's books however, because I am a life-long fan.
October 12, 2014
This book was gifted to me by the author to get my honest review.
I am 100% certain this book is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. Not only is it written so well it makes it the most easy read for anyone but it is practically flawless in terms of any grammatical errors too.
I have read many amazing books which I had to review and they all lacked small things. This book was just outstanding from start to finish!
Grace is a broken girl who is putting on a brave face for the rest of the world while
She struggles internally. She has gone through one of the worst things imaginable, leaving her guarding her heart from any man. Especially her brothers smoking hot business partner and best friend. Unsure how she feels about her new found attraction she try's everything she can to ignore him.
Zayne is gorgeous, successful and powerful. All things women want in a man, and yet he refuses anything more than meaningless flings. Until he sees Grace again after years. The way she has matured has made him look at her in ways not man should look at his best friends little sister. He knows he can't act upon his feelings so he try's everything to push her away.
Be warned this is a cliff hanger and its left me NEEDING the next one!
I am 100% certain this book is one of the most captivating books I have ever read. Not only is it written so well it makes it the most easy read for anyone but it is practically flawless in terms of any grammatical errors too.
I have read many amazing books which I had to review and they all lacked small things. This book was just outstanding from start to finish!
Grace is a broken girl who is putting on a brave face for the rest of the world while
She struggles internally. She has gone through one of the worst things imaginable, leaving her guarding her heart from any man. Especially her brothers smoking hot business partner and best friend. Unsure how she feels about her new found attraction she try's everything she can to ignore him.
Zayne is gorgeous, successful and powerful. All things women want in a man, and yet he refuses anything more than meaningless flings. Until he sees Grace again after years. The way she has matured has made him look at her in ways not man should look at his best friends little sister. He knows he can't act upon his feelings so he try's everything to push her away.
Be warned this is a cliff hanger and its left me NEEDING the next one!
April 27, 2021
Grace and her two best friends, Emma and Carver, are moving to New York together after graduating college. But first Grace and Emma go to Graces family’s lake house for a week of fun. Grace’s oldest brother, Alec, brings his best friend and business partner, Zayne. Grace is attracted to Zayne. And Zayne is drawn to Grace, but tries to keep his distance. They cross paths again in New York where Zayne and Alec also live. Zayne sends Grace all kinds of mixed signals, but they start a relationship. Zayne is ten years older than Grace and wants to keep their relationship a secret from everyone in their lives. Grace falls in love pretty quickly and she loves the way he makes her feel when they’re together. The problem is that he doesn’t always treat her great when they’re apart. I honestly didn’t like Zayne. I didn’t think he deserved all the chances Grace gave him. There were a couple of other things I didn’t like regarding their friends, but I don’t want to give anything away in my review. The story is written well and I did enjoy it, I just didn’t love it.
September 30, 2014
This book was won in a goodreads giveaway! I love the chemistry between Zayne and Grace. I love the tragic past that Grace has to overcome. I love the fact that their relationship must stay secret. I hate the fact that I have to read another book to find out what happens next in their story. :-) This book caught me very early on and kept me reading at a fast pace. I needed to know where the chemistry between them was going to take the two of them...but I must wait until I read Embrace. The only problem I have with this book is that some of the words are not correct (like auto correct went crazy and substituted words). It wasn't enough that it became annoying to read, but it was noticeable. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves contemporary romance, or new adult fiction. However, if you are looking for an HEA I don't know if I can recommend it...yet! I must read Embrace first!
April 25, 2021
This was one of those stories that at time I wished it was switched up. I also wish we had the POV of the hero because he left me scratching my head several times. Zayne was Grace older brother best friend. She was broken because of a heartbreak and Zayne saw right thru her and slowly helped put her back together. But along the way he did some questionable things that I stopped cheering for him and wished that Grace had more of a backbone. For a minute I wished she had given another admirer a chance. When I thought Zayne would get his act together something happened. But when he was all in with her he was the sweetest and I must say very swoony. I just wished at times Grace was a bit stronger. The ending was wrapped quick and I actually wanted more to this story. She had amazing brothers and I wish her muffle brother would get his Ken story because he’s extremely funny. Not bad read just wanted more.
May 6, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021
I'm glad I got the chance to read this book as I didn't read it when it was released as a duet a few years back. I love a good secret crush/forbidden romance story, and while that's what we get with Zayne and Grace, I have to say that by the time I got to the end, I still wasn't a fan of Zayne and how he treated Grace at times throughout the story. There's a good difference in their ages (he's 10 years older), but wants to keep their relationship on the down low and secret from everyone. I could see how Grace became enthralled with Zayne when they were together, but his treatment of her when they weren't all boo'ed up that irritated me to no end, and I honestly wish Grace would have ended up with someone not named Zayne lol. But! My disdain for Zayne aside, this is a classic Melissa Toppen story with enough chemistry and sexiness mixed with the right amount of angst that kept me swiping until I got to the end.
I'm glad I got the chance to read this book as I didn't read it when it was released as a duet a few years back. I love a good secret crush/forbidden romance story, and while that's what we get with Zayne and Grace, I have to say that by the time I got to the end, I still wasn't a fan of Zayne and how he treated Grace at times throughout the story. There's a good difference in their ages (he's 10 years older), but wants to keep their relationship on the down low and secret from everyone. I could see how Grace became enthralled with Zayne when they were together, but his treatment of her when they weren't all boo'ed up that irritated me to no end, and I honestly wish Grace would have ended up with someone not named Zayne lol. But! My disdain for Zayne aside, this is a classic Melissa Toppen story with enough chemistry and sexiness mixed with the right amount of angst that kept me swiping until I got to the end.
April 23, 2021
I'm giving this one 4* rating even though I was not blown away. I mean this book did have its moments and the angst was great but what I missed the most was the feeling that they really couldn't live without each other.
Zayne was an enigma and I still have questions. Grace was a young woman who has suffered a lot and is just trying to get in with her life. The whole hidden relationship and the way for it to implode was the icing in the cake. The ending was a bit rushed in my opinion but it did give us a HEA so I guess that's good.
This is my first read by the author and I'm definitely coming back for more. Hopefully next time I'll be in a better place and will connect more with her MC's.
* * * Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog * * *
Zayne was an enigma and I still have questions. Grace was a young woman who has suffered a lot and is just trying to get in with her life. The whole hidden relationship and the way for it to implode was the icing in the cake. The ending was a bit rushed in my opinion but it did give us a HEA so I guess that's good.
This is my first read by the author and I'm definitely coming back for more. Hopefully next time I'll be in a better place and will connect more with her MC's.
* * * Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog * * *
April 22, 2021
This is one rollercoaster of a ride. Lots of downs with some ups mixed in. Grace learns with the help of Zayne that it’s okay for her to love another as well as to live. Grace felt like she died right along with her childhood friend who became her boyfriend. She built a facade around her to prove to her family and her other childhood friend who happens to be her best friend/sister at heart that she was okay when really she wasn’t. Zayne saw passed her facade though. He made many mistakes like a typical man and almost to the point where Grace didn’t forgive him cause after all there is only so many times a person will forgive someone. The ending however had me thinking that’s it? That’s how their story is ending...
September 15, 2014
What I was impressed by the most was the fact that I never read book #1 but went straight to book #2 and never once felt as if I was missing something. Melissa Toppen did an amazing job at creating characters that the reader truly connected to. The main character Grace is going through the biggest struggle a girl faces in life...love. I hate to give away spoilers so I will refrain. If you enjoy a good romance novel that is easy to read but full of twists and turns, you will enjoy this novel. I read the entire novel in a few days while vacationing at the beach. I can not wait to read the other books in this series.
April 29, 2021
A roller coaster ride of emotions. This story will make you go from crying to smiling and back again. Grace Morgan has lived through a lot in her young life. Everyone treats her like she is fragile, until him. Zayne, her brother’s best friend, business partner and the one everyone warns her away from. His behavior will give you whip lash. Even when he is at his worst, I was still pulling for him to get it together. Admittedly there where times when she should have moved on, but she followed her heart. When it’s almost too late he had the perfect finish.
Angst, Romance, tragic past, love and forgiveness.
Angst, Romance, tragic past, love and forgiveness.
August 19, 2015
Loved the conclusion of Grace ans Zayne.
This shows Grace's strength to let go and move forward, I loved this book omg i cried big fat tears but it was also so heartwarming to watch this story play out.
I love her relationships with her brothers its so touching.
the way Grace faces hers fears and grows stronger each day i was just so moved.
her love for Zayne is beautiful.
I just loved what he did in the end so much that it left me wanting more of them and i really
wish a story for Alec and Em was created (hint)
I just love Melissa's books ty for another fantastic story.
This shows Grace's strength to let go and move forward, I loved this book omg i cried big fat tears but it was also so heartwarming to watch this story play out.
I love her relationships with her brothers its so touching.
the way Grace faces hers fears and grows stronger each day i was just so moved.
her love for Zayne is beautiful.
I just loved what he did in the end so much that it left me wanting more of them and i really
wish a story for Alec and Em was created (hint)
I just love Melissa's books ty for another fantastic story.
September 24, 2014
If I told you I loved you, would it make you wanna stay???
Sweet Baby Jesus...Emma and Zayne's story is just Amazeballs. When Emma and Zayne decide that they want each other and it's time to let Alec know about their relationship,well that's when Alec catches them in a hot compassionate kiss and just as Emma tries to explain to Alec just what Zayne means to her...Zayne breaks her heart all over again. Just so you know the ending to this book makes it all worth it!
Sweet Baby Jesus...Emma and Zayne's story is just Amazeballs. When Emma and Zayne decide that they want each other and it's time to let Alec know about their relationship,well that's when Alec catches them in a hot compassionate kiss and just as Emma tries to explain to Alec just what Zayne means to her...Zayne breaks her heart all over again. Just so you know the ending to this book makes it all worth it!
September 14, 2014
Collide is a perfect title for Grace and Zane's story. Grace is a college graduate who is moving to New York to try to move past losing the one person she had forever with. Zane is what every woman wants and plenty have had. The week at the lake house was all it takes to make Grace question her feelings toward Zane. This is a wonderful read and is one that you won't be able to put down.
October 17, 2014
Another great read by Melissa Toppen
Another great read by Melissa Toppen. The characters are so believable and you just can't help connecting with them. A heartfelt storyline and I can't wait to read the next book. Definitely a must read.
Another great read by Melissa Toppen. The characters are so believable and you just can't help connecting with them. A heartfelt storyline and I can't wait to read the next book. Definitely a must read.
August 17, 2014
Loved the reawakening for grace. The uncertainty from Zane. Leading to well written not over the top sex scenes.. More please
August 17, 2014
Conclusion : Loved these books!!!
Well written with a few typo's but all in all. Look forward to reading more from this author!
Well written with a few typo's but all in all. Look forward to reading more from this author!
April 23, 2021
Loved The Way Back! Great romance and characters. Definitely worth reading.
March 21, 2024
This has got to be one of the most atrocious book I have ever read.
Zayne is the epitome of garbage can. Even garbages have more finesse than whatever this worthless scum was.
Grace takes the word doormat to whole new level. I am side-eyeing the people who enjoyed this because this is not the kind of book where a woman portrayed like how Grace is portrayed should be normalize.
Zayne is the epitome of garbage can. Even garbages have more finesse than whatever this worthless scum was.
Grace takes the word doormat to whole new level. I am side-eyeing the people who enjoyed this because this is not the kind of book where a woman portrayed like how Grace is portrayed should be normalize.
March 17, 2024
Cheating. Just full out MMCis a manchild who cheats and FMC is a doormat who accepts it.
March 21, 2024
A woman writing a weakass, pathetic, spineless woman. All the while glorifying a cheating, worthless, repugnant asshole. What a woman Melissa Toppen is! 🤮
August 6, 2024
3.75 There was a lot I enjoyed and a few things that frustrated me. I felt the end wrapped up quickly and suddenly, but I did enjoy the story overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 7, 2018I tried with this one. It should have been so much better than it was, for me, anyway the story missed the mark. The potential was certainly there for this to be a win, but the problems overwhelmed the potential.
This isn't a new release, and I don't know if this story was a debut or not. Quite frankly I'm not interested enough to know. But both books were riddled with editing issues and that is always off-putting to me. If a person is going to write and expect people to buy their book, they should know proper grammar and spelling. Then, they should secure an editor to clean things up. Repeated mistakes, for instance, using 'bare' for 'bear,' and forgetting the difference in 'to' and 'too' and 'they're,' 'there' and 'their' poor sentence structure and mistakes in tense are annoying and reflect badly on the writer.
But I guess my main problem with this story, both parts of it, was the presence of a weak heroine. I get that she was 22, that she'd suffered a huge loss years before, etc. No matter. She was an immature, selfish little girl obsessed with her own drama. She had everyone marching to her tune, and no matter how often she insisted she was an adult, her actions proved otherwise. She had no self-respect where Zayne was concerned and all her waffling, internal dialogue every time he screwed up was frustrating. All he really had to was crook his little finger and she had all the spine of a wet noodle, never mind the fact that she JUST concluded that he was bad news, that it wouldn't work, and most importantly - *SPOILER* -
He cheated.
He cheated, and didn't even need to grovel to get her to spread her legs again. Because as crass as that sounds, that's really the extent of what they had between them. She never really mused on what she loved about him as a person. It was always about his beautiful face, his hot body, how she wanted him sexually all. The. Time. All passion, no substance, and I never felt the love.
I'm generally not a fan of dual POV narrative or stories written in third person perspective, but this book would have benefitted from either. The writer failed to establish a connection to Zayne through Grace's narrative, because everything she thought and even most of what she said was all about HER. What he did to 'her,' how he made 'her' feel, how 'she' felt or didn't feel and how things affected 'her.' How 'she' felt about the actions of another character. And all her tears and public drunkenness and mental breakdowns made me cringe. At one point another character rips into her about always being the center of attention and I wanted to cheer. Grace was a truly self-centered heroine. As a result, I didn't like her. Since she was such a drama llama I didn't get a decent grasp on who Zayne was, either Fleshing out the other characters in single, first person POV is the job of the narrator. You are supposed to come to care about the other characters through them. Grace was woefully inadequate. That is on the writer.
There was too much telling and little showing. Character development was inconsistent. I already mentioned her inability to stick to her convictions where Zayne was concerned, but the writer couldn't seem to decide if Grace was a writer or a musician. She was introduced as a writer, but did little writing and spent most of the story working as a musician.
Zayne began as a cold, abrupt sort of person and then with no real evolution, morphed into someone else. It wasn't believable. It wasn't even the same character. I just couldn't connect to him.
In the end, the most disappointing thing about this book was that I thought Grace would grow past her issues and become strong. No dice. What she did was fall apart, then credit Zayne with 'saving' her and declare she could not live her life without him. The end. How lame.
Parts 1&2 combined, 2.5 stars. .
This isn't a new release, and I don't know if this story was a debut or not. Quite frankly I'm not interested enough to know. But both books were riddled with editing issues and that is always off-putting to me. If a person is going to write and expect people to buy their book, they should know proper grammar and spelling. Then, they should secure an editor to clean things up. Repeated mistakes, for instance, using 'bare' for 'bear,' and forgetting the difference in 'to' and 'too' and 'they're,' 'there' and 'their' poor sentence structure and mistakes in tense are annoying and reflect badly on the writer.
But I guess my main problem with this story, both parts of it, was the presence of a weak heroine. I get that she was 22, that she'd suffered a huge loss years before, etc. No matter. She was an immature, selfish little girl obsessed with her own drama. She had everyone marching to her tune, and no matter how often she insisted she was an adult, her actions proved otherwise. She had no self-respect where Zayne was concerned and all her waffling, internal dialogue every time he screwed up was frustrating. All he really had to was crook his little finger and she had all the spine of a wet noodle, never mind the fact that she JUST concluded that he was bad news, that it wouldn't work, and most importantly - *SPOILER* -
He cheated.
He cheated, and didn't even need to grovel to get her to spread her legs again. Because as crass as that sounds, that's really the extent of what they had between them. She never really mused on what she loved about him as a person. It was always about his beautiful face, his hot body, how she wanted him sexually all. The. Time. All passion, no substance, and I never felt the love.
I'm generally not a fan of dual POV narrative or stories written in third person perspective, but this book would have benefitted from either. The writer failed to establish a connection to Zayne through Grace's narrative, because everything she thought and even most of what she said was all about HER. What he did to 'her,' how he made 'her' feel, how 'she' felt or didn't feel and how things affected 'her.' How 'she' felt about the actions of another character. And all her tears and public drunkenness and mental breakdowns made me cringe. At one point another character rips into her about always being the center of attention and I wanted to cheer. Grace was a truly self-centered heroine. As a result, I didn't like her. Since she was such a drama llama I didn't get a decent grasp on who Zayne was, either Fleshing out the other characters in single, first person POV is the job of the narrator. You are supposed to come to care about the other characters through them. Grace was woefully inadequate. That is on the writer.
There was too much telling and little showing. Character development was inconsistent. I already mentioned her inability to stick to her convictions where Zayne was concerned, but the writer couldn't seem to decide if Grace was a writer or a musician. She was introduced as a writer, but did little writing and spent most of the story working as a musician.
Zayne began as a cold, abrupt sort of person and then with no real evolution, morphed into someone else. It wasn't believable. It wasn't even the same character. I just couldn't connect to him.
In the end, the most disappointing thing about this book was that I thought Grace would grow past her issues and become strong. No dice. What she did was fall apart, then credit Zayne with 'saving' her and declare she could not live her life without him. The end. How lame.
Parts 1&2 combined, 2.5 stars. .
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