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Always Allie
When leaving feels like it’s forever, but home is always right there waiting for you to come back…Cassidy Lewis had always dreamed of following in her mother’s footsteps, opening an award-winning florist. But Cassidy wanted bigger and better. She wanted to be thriving amongst the hustle and bustle of London; something her sleepy town of Plumstoke lacked. Finding the perfect store for her dream to flourish was easy, what was hard was moving to a whole new city and leaving behind the one person she thought she’d never be without. Allie. When her mother passes away suddenly; she’s forced to head back home alone to deal with the hardest goodbye a person ever has to say.Allie Campbell, resident sweetheart, has been pushing through loss after loss. When she watched Cassidy—the woman who should have been her wife—drive away three years ago, Allie never thought she’d see her again. Sadly, the most dreadful of circumstances has brought her back. Can Allie be the friend that’s needed, the shoulder to cry on, the hand to hold? Will Cassidy realise that she doesn’t want to let go this time?If you enjoy small-town, second chance romances filled with bucket loads of hope and love, don't miss Melissa Tereze's brand new release!
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2021
66 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Tereze
41 books766 followersMelissa Tereze is a best-selling author living in Liverpool, UK, with her fiancée and Golden Retriever. She holds a degree in Sports Development, and when she’s not writing, she can be found at a local bar singing one of her favourite tracks.
You can contact Melissa through her social media and her website.
You can contact Melissa through her social media and her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
October 26, 2021
Cassidy left Plumstoke three years ago to pursue her dreams in London, breaking Allie’s heart in the process. When her mother suddenly dies, Cassidy comes back and while nothing seems to have changed in the little town, everything has.
Once again, I have conflicting feelings. There are a lot of things that don’t work for me in this book. The characters’ motivation escapes me. I’m not sure I understand why Allie and Cassidy broke up in the first place nor why Cassidy married another woman (and took her name, no less) so soon after if she’s always been convinced Allie is the one. I’m not sure either why Danielle married Cassidy, for that matter.
Everything is very black and white. Cassidy’s wife Danielle for example has absolutely nothing going for her whereas Allie is perfect. The only grey zone is Cassidy, whose self-centred attitude led to the breakup, but she’s not a bad person. If you like character growth in your romance, you’ll find it with her. It takes a while to happen and she really should stop listening to whatever people tell her, but in the end, she learns valuable lessons. And she’s pretty sweet, really. Not as sweet as Allie, but pretty sweet all the same.
So here I am, reading this book, not bored but not carried away either. And then suddenly there’s a very moving scene, or maybe just a couple of achingly sweet sentences that pull me deep in the story and I forget everything that doesn’t work. By the end of the book, I cared a lot more about the MCs than I did at first. Quite a few reviewers loved this book. Read their reviews. What didn’t work for me obviously did for them.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Once again, I have conflicting feelings. There are a lot of things that don’t work for me in this book. The characters’ motivation escapes me. I’m not sure I understand why Allie and Cassidy broke up in the first place nor why Cassidy married another woman (and took her name, no less) so soon after if she’s always been convinced Allie is the one. I’m not sure either why Danielle married Cassidy, for that matter.
Everything is very black and white. Cassidy’s wife Danielle for example has absolutely nothing going for her whereas Allie is perfect. The only grey zone is Cassidy, whose self-centred attitude led to the breakup, but she’s not a bad person. If you like character growth in your romance, you’ll find it with her. It takes a while to happen and she really should stop listening to whatever people tell her, but in the end, she learns valuable lessons. And she’s pretty sweet, really. Not as sweet as Allie, but pretty sweet all the same.
So here I am, reading this book, not bored but not carried away either. And then suddenly there’s a very moving scene, or maybe just a couple of achingly sweet sentences that pull me deep in the story and I forget everything that doesn’t work. By the end of the book, I cared a lot more about the MCs than I did at first. Quite a few reviewers loved this book. Read their reviews. What didn’t work for me obviously did for them.
I received a copy from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 4, 2021
Regrets.
I noticed a lot of prolonged angst in the couple of Tereze's books I've read. It had been a pattern, so I was expecting to once again have my heart ripped out. But this was kinda beautiful. I mean, there's a bit of angst in it because of the second chance premise, but it turned out to be a beautiful love story that brought me some happy tears.
This cover has a Christmas feel but it's a little heavy to be a vacation read. Our characters, Cassie and Allie, who were very much in love with each other and still are, broke up three years ago and never got back together because of a series of bad decisions. Cassie left the small town of Plumstoke to pursue her dreams and Allie had to stay behind, but neither thought to make long distance work. Cassie is now in a marriage doomed for failure and Allie is at a point where she just wants to settle down with (settle for) someone. With Cassie back in town for her mother's funeral, Cassie and Allie still find themselves in love with each other but are in a position where they cannot act on those feelings, not if they want to do it right.
I hate regrets but sometimes I think we just need to have them to appreciate the most important things in life and we can hopefully still have another chance to make amends. It's what this story is about and I think it's so well told. I just love how Tereze makes their years living apart worth it, in a way that lets Cassie and Allie come to realise what's important. And I so love their chemistry! They were meant to be together and Tereze shows it throughout the book in so many different ways.
I think it's probably one of the better second-chance romances I've read in a while. Love it!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I noticed a lot of prolonged angst in the couple of Tereze's books I've read. It had been a pattern, so I was expecting to once again have my heart ripped out. But this was kinda beautiful. I mean, there's a bit of angst in it because of the second chance premise, but it turned out to be a beautiful love story that brought me some happy tears.
This cover has a Christmas feel but it's a little heavy to be a vacation read. Our characters, Cassie and Allie, who were very much in love with each other and still are, broke up three years ago and never got back together because of a series of bad decisions. Cassie left the small town of Plumstoke to pursue her dreams and Allie had to stay behind, but neither thought to make long distance work. Cassie is now in a marriage doomed for failure and Allie is at a point where she just wants to settle down with (settle for) someone. With Cassie back in town for her mother's funeral, Cassie and Allie still find themselves in love with each other but are in a position where they cannot act on those feelings, not if they want to do it right.
I hate regrets but sometimes I think we just need to have them to appreciate the most important things in life and we can hopefully still have another chance to make amends. It's what this story is about and I think it's so well told. I just love how Tereze makes their years living apart worth it, in a way that lets Cassie and Allie come to realise what's important. And I so love their chemistry! They were meant to be together and Tereze shows it throughout the book in so many different ways.
I think it's probably one of the better second-chance romances I've read in a while. Love it!
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 22, 2021
First of all this book doesn’t follow the usual romance rules. It’s not about two people meeting, getting together, split up and then getting together again to live their happily ever after. Allie and Cassidy were happy a few years ago until Cassidy decided she wants to follow her dream in London. They didn’t fall out of love, their dreams were just different. But of course this also meant that two hearts were broken on the day Cassidy left.
While Cassidy found her happiness (at least what she thought it is) including a new wife, Allie was never able to really move on. Besides losing Cassidy she also had to deal with losing her beloved aunt. No matter what she was still able to build her own business after her aunts death including moving into her home.
When Cassidy comes home because her mother died she is devastated. All the missed moments at home hit her hard and omg I cried so many times. All this regret because when death hits there is no turning back time. And what makes things worse she doesn’t have the support of her wife. A wife I actually didn’t get what she ever saw in her.
Allie being the sweet and always supportive person is the one that stands by her. Even if this is almost tearing her apart inside. And again I cried because you can see how hard this is for her. Allie definitely is the one every person should have in their life.
What happens afterwards has to be experienced by every reader for themselves. I don’t think it will be a huge surprise what happens. But what I experienced were so many emotions. I felt that in this story are so many personal feelings from Melissa Tereze and I suspect writing it was also a part of her personal grieving process. I definitely cried a lot. For the characters but also for Melissa. Thinking back I’m asking myself if there was even one chapter I didn’t cry. And let me tell you there were also many happy tears. Because the emotions included also many happy feelings.
After finishing this book I am still overwhelmed in the most positive way. This book includes so much love. And I am so very happy that I was able to read it. Thinking back for me this was the most emotional book by Melissa and it will always have a special place in my heart. So if you can please read this book. But when you do have enough tissues with you. You will need them.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
While Cassidy found her happiness (at least what she thought it is) including a new wife, Allie was never able to really move on. Besides losing Cassidy she also had to deal with losing her beloved aunt. No matter what she was still able to build her own business after her aunts death including moving into her home.
When Cassidy comes home because her mother died she is devastated. All the missed moments at home hit her hard and omg I cried so many times. All this regret because when death hits there is no turning back time. And what makes things worse she doesn’t have the support of her wife. A wife I actually didn’t get what she ever saw in her.
Allie being the sweet and always supportive person is the one that stands by her. Even if this is almost tearing her apart inside. And again I cried because you can see how hard this is for her. Allie definitely is the one every person should have in their life.
What happens afterwards has to be experienced by every reader for themselves. I don’t think it will be a huge surprise what happens. But what I experienced were so many emotions. I felt that in this story are so many personal feelings from Melissa Tereze and I suspect writing it was also a part of her personal grieving process. I definitely cried a lot. For the characters but also for Melissa. Thinking back I’m asking myself if there was even one chapter I didn’t cry. And let me tell you there were also many happy tears. Because the emotions included also many happy feelings.
After finishing this book I am still overwhelmed in the most positive way. This book includes so much love. And I am so very happy that I was able to read it. Thinking back for me this was the most emotional book by Melissa and it will always have a special place in my heart. So if you can please read this book. But when you do have enough tissues with you. You will need them.
I received an advance reader copy from the author and voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
May 1, 2022
Been kinda going back to my fan fiction roots but took a break when I saw someone give this five stars- a well deserved five stars!
May 1, 2022
2nd book in a row which started with one married - thought, oh No! But this one sailed through the issues - tears of course - and highly recommended.
January 7, 2025
Always Allie by Melissa Tereze, narrated by KA Walsh, is an emotional second-chance romance that will tug at your heartstrings. Set in the cozy small-town of Plumstoke, this story captures themes of love, loss, and redemption in a way that feels both relatable and authentic.
Cassidy Lewis’s return to Plumstoke after her mother’s sudden passing sets the stage for a bittersweet reunion with Allie Campbell, the woman she left behind three years ago. From the start, their unresolved history and undeniable connection make for a compelling narrative. I’ve always loved the second-chance romance trope, and this book delivers on those emotional moments that come with rekindling a love thought lost.
Cassidy’s journey home feels raw, and I appreciated her self-reflection and eventual accountability. A little more backstory on her decision to marry Danielle would have added layers to her character and made her actions more understandable. WHO WOULD CHOOSE DANIELLE OVER ALLIE?!?! Allie is a purely angelic creature with a heart of gold. I absolutely love her character.
Some parts of the novel moved slowly without much happening, while other moments could have delved deeper into key events. But despite these pacing issues, the resolution was satisfying, and the epilogue tied everything together beautifully. That said, this book was a refreshing change of pace. There’s no miscommunication trope here—just two adults working through their past mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.
KA Walsh’s narration is, once again, fantastic. Her performance brings Cassidy and Allie’s emotions to life, capturing both the heartbreak and hope of their story. Tereze and Walsh are such a dynamic duo, and this audiobook is another great example of their collaboration.
Always Allie is a lovely small-town romance with a hopeful message about forgiveness and second chances. If you’re a fan of heartfelt, love stories, this one is definitely worth a read (or listen). It’s emotional, relatable, and ultimately leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy—just what a good romance should do!
Cassidy Lewis’s return to Plumstoke after her mother’s sudden passing sets the stage for a bittersweet reunion with Allie Campbell, the woman she left behind three years ago. From the start, their unresolved history and undeniable connection make for a compelling narrative. I’ve always loved the second-chance romance trope, and this book delivers on those emotional moments that come with rekindling a love thought lost.
Cassidy’s journey home feels raw, and I appreciated her self-reflection and eventual accountability. A little more backstory on her decision to marry Danielle would have added layers to her character and made her actions more understandable. WHO WOULD CHOOSE DANIELLE OVER ALLIE?!?! Allie is a purely angelic creature with a heart of gold. I absolutely love her character.
Some parts of the novel moved slowly without much happening, while other moments could have delved deeper into key events. But despite these pacing issues, the resolution was satisfying, and the epilogue tied everything together beautifully. That said, this book was a refreshing change of pace. There’s no miscommunication trope here—just two adults working through their past mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.
KA Walsh’s narration is, once again, fantastic. Her performance brings Cassidy and Allie’s emotions to life, capturing both the heartbreak and hope of their story. Tereze and Walsh are such a dynamic duo, and this audiobook is another great example of their collaboration.
Always Allie is a lovely small-town romance with a hopeful message about forgiveness and second chances. If you’re a fan of heartfelt, love stories, this one is definitely worth a read (or listen). It’s emotional, relatable, and ultimately leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy—just what a good romance should do!
October 19, 2021
A different take on the Holiday Theme Romances. There is romance with a fair amount of real life.
After leaving the small town life for London, Cassidy returns upon the sudden death of her mother. How she deals with the passing of her mother, analyzing where her life was pre/post London is how the story unfolds. Allie is still trying to get over Cassidy leaving all those years ago. Their breakup wasn't one shared with the public. It was between Allie and Cassidy.
Get a warm cup of your choice of beverage and get really to cuddle up to a warm-loving romance. (I opt for hot chocolate. I'm pretty sure Melissa Tereze would go for coffee or tea.)
Melissa Tereze somehow shares and builds a story of realistic characters. Ones your root for. Ones you want to yell out "do this!" "No, she didn't!" The way Always Allie unfolded, I felt like it was real life. It completely made sense to me and was very relatable too.
After leaving the small town life for London, Cassidy returns upon the sudden death of her mother. How she deals with the passing of her mother, analyzing where her life was pre/post London is how the story unfolds. Allie is still trying to get over Cassidy leaving all those years ago. Their breakup wasn't one shared with the public. It was between Allie and Cassidy.
Get a warm cup of your choice of beverage and get really to cuddle up to a warm-loving romance. (I opt for hot chocolate. I'm pretty sure Melissa Tereze would go for coffee or tea.)
Melissa Tereze somehow shares and builds a story of realistic characters. Ones your root for. Ones you want to yell out "do this!" "No, she didn't!" The way Always Allie unfolded, I felt like it was real life. It completely made sense to me and was very relatable too.
Read
December 27, 2021DNF. This was my first book from the author but I can surely say that her writing style does not sit well with me.
It is a second chance romance, the story follows Allie, small-town sweetheart, and Cassidy, her lost love who is back in town due to the loss of her mother. The story is rather predictable, and even if I did not finish it, I dare to say that I am fairly sure that they will live happily ever after together blah blah.
It is tricky to connect grieving and romance, but my issue was not with the story itself, but its execution.
It is a second chance romance, the story follows Allie, small-town sweetheart, and Cassidy, her lost love who is back in town due to the loss of her mother. The story is rather predictable, and even if I did not finish it, I dare to say that I am fairly sure that they will live happily ever after together blah blah.
It is tricky to connect grieving and romance, but my issue was not with the story itself, but its execution.
Read
April 10, 2022Stopped at 51% - Chapter 15
Not feeling it.... Maybe someday I’ll continue where I stopped
Not feeling it.... Maybe someday I’ll continue where I stopped
October 25, 2021
ARC REVIEW.
Melissa Tereze never disappoints!
The story of Allie and Cassie is just so beautiful. In all honesty I expected it to follow the usual pattern of lesbian romance, a build up to some kind of explosion around 70% of the way through and then a happy ending, but it was a breath of fresh air.
Losing her mum brings Cassie back to her home town, which she had avoided as much as possible when she left it 3 years previously. We very quickly find out that her marriage isn’t great at all, her wife is very self-centred and she never got over the one she left behind. Allie never got over Cassie either, and has really spent the last 3 years waiting for her to come home.
The story had just enough angst, the flashbacks adding so much to the story at just the right time and I honest to god have never been so happy for a wife to be caught cheating as I was when Cassie caught Danielle!
It really is a sweet, heart warming love story with the perfect epilogue to have you smiling that they got the life they always dreamed about together.
Melissa Tereze never disappoints!
The story of Allie and Cassie is just so beautiful. In all honesty I expected it to follow the usual pattern of lesbian romance, a build up to some kind of explosion around 70% of the way through and then a happy ending, but it was a breath of fresh air.
Losing her mum brings Cassie back to her home town, which she had avoided as much as possible when she left it 3 years previously. We very quickly find out that her marriage isn’t great at all, her wife is very self-centred and she never got over the one she left behind. Allie never got over Cassie either, and has really spent the last 3 years waiting for her to come home.
The story had just enough angst, the flashbacks adding so much to the story at just the right time and I honest to god have never been so happy for a wife to be caught cheating as I was when Cassie caught Danielle!
It really is a sweet, heart warming love story with the perfect epilogue to have you smiling that they got the life they always dreamed about together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2021
An emotional filled second chance romance (that I read with teary eyes) with stops and starts, grief and hope and years elapsed with leads Allie and Cassidy. Meant for each other if only one takes a chance on the other. From a private love story to one everyone else thinks is destined - I read slowly, enjoying another roller coaster ride from the author. Clear descriptions of the town and side characters of Pat and Helen among others (and dastardly Dani) pulled me into the storyline - Allie existing from day to day not truly with life fulfilled though surrounded by friends and family and Cassidy striving for success in cold London only returning to her childhood home for her mother's funeral. I hoped Cassidy would find peace and love and Allie the happiness she surely deserved. Another hit from Ms. Tereze that I highly recommend with 5 stars.
I rec'd a copy from the author however, this is a totally unbiased and voluntary review.
I rec'd a copy from the author however, this is a totally unbiased and voluntary review.
October 22, 2021
Again and again. Melissa's books always touch my heart. Sometimes with laughter. Others with tears and heartache. And with just how good they make feel. Always Allie has it all. Cassidy and Allie were sweethearts. But the big city called Cassidy away. Allie with her heart of gold kissed her bye and let her go. But tragedy calls Cassidy back. This is what Melissa's excels at. Pulls you right in with all the feels. The village she creates is a place I would love to visit. All the best of Christmas. I highly recommend you go visit Always Allie. I did receive
October 23, 2021
Melissa does it again! Gives us a compelling love story. Cassidy and Allie were together and so in love, when Cassidy leaves for London to open up her own boutique flower store leaving Allie at home. Cassidy meets Danielle and they fall in love and marry. Three years later Cassidy's mother passes away and she comes home. And discovers she's still in love with Allie. But what about Danielle and her marriage? I'm not going to give out any spoilers here. I want you to buy and read the book.
It is so good and flows, where you can't put it down. You'll love the main characters and will be rooting for them. Do yourself a favor, get the book and read it! I was given an ARC copy for an honest review.
It is so good and flows, where you can't put it down. You'll love the main characters and will be rooting for them. Do yourself a favor, get the book and read it! I was given an ARC copy for an honest review.
October 5, 2021
This review is for an ARC copy of Always, Allie.
First off, if you think this is a Christmas book. You’re wrong. The cover may be all festive cheer, but Christmas just happens to be when it’s set. However, if the fairy lights and festive cheer on the cover make you feel all warm and fuzzy, just wait until you start reading.
Oddly, I’m not going to start off with the titular character, but instead, the other woman in the story, Cassidy. To begin with, I didn’t understand why she would leave Allie. But then as the story unfolded, you begin to understand. Her younger self was driven by ambition and the need to break out and make a name for herself,. She believed that the only way she could achieve this is to head to the big city. But the way that this was told, more so through the supporting characters, such as Cassidy’s parents, rather than Cassidy and Allie themselves. led to a subtle explanation, rather than an outright cause outlined at the beginning. Allie is such a sweetheart, that a few chapters in I was honestly screaming “why the hell would you leave her?!” But a chapter later, and all was forgiven. The way that the mix of emotions which Cassidy was feeling was portrayed was gut wrenching; guilt at leaving Allie and her mother, disappointment at how her life had turned out, the constant belief that she didn’t deserve Allie’s kindness and forgiveness. Behind an exterior of faux happiness and achievement lays a broken, confused and lonely woman. The way she is written makes my heart clench.
And Allie. Oh Allie. This is a bold statement but she might have quickly bumped herself up my favourite MT character list. Loving, selfless, devoted and protective, she’s an absolute sweetheart (there’s one particular scene involving Cassidy, her ex wife and Allie and I’m fairly sure I swooned a little). Her firecracker of a personality makes my heart roar, and I instantly find myself falling for her. From the first moment she laid eyes on Cassidy again, the conflict between her heart and her head is gut-wrenching and real. When Cassidy turns up on her doorstep, drunk and tries to kiss her (I won’t say anymore!) I practically screamed, and while I’m sure it would have been easy to take the story in another direction at this point, the angst here was worth it, and true to both Allie and Cassidy.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, but with each book I can feel the development and maturity in MT’s writing. This isn’t her usual age gap genre, but it is a genre she has visited before (home-town return, second chance romance), and as such can seem familiar or routine. However, the key thing is the progression in the story telling. There’s not heaps of angst like her more recent releases (for example, Mrs Middleton), and if you’re wanting Teach Me levels of steaming hot sex, you’ll be disappointed (that’s not to say there’s none. There is, and it’s hot!). But at the heart of it, it’s a story about two women who love each other. The characters are well-rounded and real; Cassidy’s guilt, her self-doubt, her self-induced punishment for hurting Allie; Allie’s heartbreak, her conflict, the inner struggle she argues every time she sees Cassidy.
It’s not feel good all the way through, and it’s not riddled with challenges for the main couple, but what it is, is hopeful and heartwarming. In a world of heartache and negativity, you sometimes just need a tale of love and devotion with a happy ending. And these two absolute sweethearts provide that. So now the nights are drawing in, the weathers getting colder and winters just round the corner, settle down with a hot chocolate and lose yourself in the story of Allie and Cassidy.
First off, if you think this is a Christmas book. You’re wrong. The cover may be all festive cheer, but Christmas just happens to be when it’s set. However, if the fairy lights and festive cheer on the cover make you feel all warm and fuzzy, just wait until you start reading.
Oddly, I’m not going to start off with the titular character, but instead, the other woman in the story, Cassidy. To begin with, I didn’t understand why she would leave Allie. But then as the story unfolded, you begin to understand. Her younger self was driven by ambition and the need to break out and make a name for herself,. She believed that the only way she could achieve this is to head to the big city. But the way that this was told, more so through the supporting characters, such as Cassidy’s parents, rather than Cassidy and Allie themselves. led to a subtle explanation, rather than an outright cause outlined at the beginning. Allie is such a sweetheart, that a few chapters in I was honestly screaming “why the hell would you leave her?!” But a chapter later, and all was forgiven. The way that the mix of emotions which Cassidy was feeling was portrayed was gut wrenching; guilt at leaving Allie and her mother, disappointment at how her life had turned out, the constant belief that she didn’t deserve Allie’s kindness and forgiveness. Behind an exterior of faux happiness and achievement lays a broken, confused and lonely woman. The way she is written makes my heart clench.
And Allie. Oh Allie. This is a bold statement but she might have quickly bumped herself up my favourite MT character list. Loving, selfless, devoted and protective, she’s an absolute sweetheart (there’s one particular scene involving Cassidy, her ex wife and Allie and I’m fairly sure I swooned a little). Her firecracker of a personality makes my heart roar, and I instantly find myself falling for her. From the first moment she laid eyes on Cassidy again, the conflict between her heart and her head is gut-wrenching and real. When Cassidy turns up on her doorstep, drunk and tries to kiss her (I won’t say anymore!) I practically screamed, and while I’m sure it would have been easy to take the story in another direction at this point, the angst here was worth it, and true to both Allie and Cassidy.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, but with each book I can feel the development and maturity in MT’s writing. This isn’t her usual age gap genre, but it is a genre she has visited before (home-town return, second chance romance), and as such can seem familiar or routine. However, the key thing is the progression in the story telling. There’s not heaps of angst like her more recent releases (for example, Mrs Middleton), and if you’re wanting Teach Me levels of steaming hot sex, you’ll be disappointed (that’s not to say there’s none. There is, and it’s hot!). But at the heart of it, it’s a story about two women who love each other. The characters are well-rounded and real; Cassidy’s guilt, her self-doubt, her self-induced punishment for hurting Allie; Allie’s heartbreak, her conflict, the inner struggle she argues every time she sees Cassidy.
It’s not feel good all the way through, and it’s not riddled with challenges for the main couple, but what it is, is hopeful and heartwarming. In a world of heartache and negativity, you sometimes just need a tale of love and devotion with a happy ending. And these two absolute sweethearts provide that. So now the nights are drawing in, the weathers getting colder and winters just round the corner, settle down with a hot chocolate and lose yourself in the story of Allie and Cassidy.
November 24, 2021
So cute!
Cassidy goes home following the sudden death of her mother to find she keeps running into a love she left behind. Allie, unable to help herself after Cassidy broke her heart when she left to peruse her dreams in London, is there to support Cassidy through everything when she realises the absence of Cassidy’s wife. Old wounds surface but neither Cassidy or Allie can deny the connection they share and the pull to be home, with those that truly love her is too much for Cassidy.
What an amazingly, heart-warming but drama filled, emotional romance. Melissa has a real talent for writing these deeply sentimental and lovely stories between characters that epitomise normal people who just want to achieve their dreams and find happiness and love. I liked the sense of consequence that came with Cassidy’s story. It really did take going back to realise all she had lost by going away.
My heart broke for Cassidy based on her circumstances, a lot of realisation hit her all at once and despite how overwhelming that must have been she handled it all really well. When it came to Allie, I was desperately hoping she wasn’t going to get hurt again. There was a second chance at happiness for them both but the risks were high. That feeling of wanting them to be happy had me cheering them on and keeping my fingers crossed but it wasn’t without uncertainty because there were unknowns in Cassidy’s life that had every chance to disrupt or win her round and make her leave again.
I enjoyed every minute of the story. It was quite cosy at some moments, which added to how wonderful a story it really was. Being reunited and hopeful romance could be rekindled was a spark of magic in a truly sentimental and beautiful story. Allie and Cassidy were so cute and stole my heart, so I hope we see them again in a future story and can’t recommend Always Allie enough!
Cassidy goes home following the sudden death of her mother to find she keeps running into a love she left behind. Allie, unable to help herself after Cassidy broke her heart when she left to peruse her dreams in London, is there to support Cassidy through everything when she realises the absence of Cassidy’s wife. Old wounds surface but neither Cassidy or Allie can deny the connection they share and the pull to be home, with those that truly love her is too much for Cassidy.
What an amazingly, heart-warming but drama filled, emotional romance. Melissa has a real talent for writing these deeply sentimental and lovely stories between characters that epitomise normal people who just want to achieve their dreams and find happiness and love. I liked the sense of consequence that came with Cassidy’s story. It really did take going back to realise all she had lost by going away.
My heart broke for Cassidy based on her circumstances, a lot of realisation hit her all at once and despite how overwhelming that must have been she handled it all really well. When it came to Allie, I was desperately hoping she wasn’t going to get hurt again. There was a second chance at happiness for them both but the risks were high. That feeling of wanting them to be happy had me cheering them on and keeping my fingers crossed but it wasn’t without uncertainty because there were unknowns in Cassidy’s life that had every chance to disrupt or win her round and make her leave again.
I enjoyed every minute of the story. It was quite cosy at some moments, which added to how wonderful a story it really was. Being reunited and hopeful romance could be rekindled was a spark of magic in a truly sentimental and beautiful story. Allie and Cassidy were so cute and stole my heart, so I hope we see them again in a future story and can’t recommend Always Allie enough!
October 23, 2021
Too much, too adorable!!
Melissa Melissa, she did it again!
This story is just too much, so adorable, so full of love and passion, and lots and lots of angst! I am not big on second chances stories, but because it is Melissa I gave it a try because she never disappoints me, and guess what? She didn’t.
Don’t let the cover fool you lol. Yes, the story feels cozy like the cover, but you are going in for a ride of emotions for me Melissa’s books are labeled as "Emotional Rollercoaster” at a certain point, I was gripping my blanket and holding my breath and waiting for something to happen and be like "I knew it".
So if you like:
Second Chances
Stories based in cozy towns
True love stories
Angst, the one that makes you keep reading and reading
Sexy, passionate, and full of love scenes
This is definitely your book!
Warning: You will need tissues for this one!
Melissa Melissa, she did it again!
This story is just too much, so adorable, so full of love and passion, and lots and lots of angst! I am not big on second chances stories, but because it is Melissa I gave it a try because she never disappoints me, and guess what? She didn’t.
Don’t let the cover fool you lol. Yes, the story feels cozy like the cover, but you are going in for a ride of emotions for me Melissa’s books are labeled as "Emotional Rollercoaster” at a certain point, I was gripping my blanket and holding my breath and waiting for something to happen and be like "I knew it".
So if you like:
Second Chances
Stories based in cozy towns
True love stories
Angst, the one that makes you keep reading and reading
Sexy, passionate, and full of love scenes
This is definitely your book!
Warning: You will need tissues for this one!
December 9, 2021
3.5 Stars
November 7, 2021
A shot of feelings straight to your heart
It's a second chance story on a christmas setting. Allie and Cassie were together when they were young, but Cassie left for London to pursue her dreams and Allie stayed behind. With Cassie's mom passing, she had to come back to the small town so grew up and where Allie still is.
It was an amazing story with great characters, it was cozy and warm, so many feelings. You were able to feel everything the characters were going through.
It amazes me how versatile the author can be and that is what I love about her and her books.
It's a second chance story on a christmas setting. Allie and Cassie were together when they were young, but Cassie left for London to pursue her dreams and Allie stayed behind. With Cassie's mom passing, she had to come back to the small town so grew up and where Allie still is.
It was an amazing story with great characters, it was cozy and warm, so many feelings. You were able to feel everything the characters were going through.
It amazes me how versatile the author can be and that is what I love about her and her books.
October 27, 2021
Emotional, Heartwrenching but Simply Beautiful
Allie and Cassie are sweethearts from years back. Their love was as deep as its possible to be. However, circumstances conspired with regrettable decisions to frustrate that love. Will unfortunate events provide this romance a second chance?
I've never read a book that made me cry as much as Tereze's latest masterpiece here. Whether first or second reading, I'm bawling my eyes out alternatively with happy then sad tears. How Melissa crams so much love and loss into this story, from the early year flashbacks, the intervening years and the later second chance, is beyond me. However, that's what this story is, through and through - a celebration of love, destiny and maybe just a little dose of Christmas magic.
So have your tissues at the ready from the start to the end and strap yourself in for a romantic, emotional rollercoaster of sheer love.
Allie and Cassie are sweethearts from years back. Their love was as deep as its possible to be. However, circumstances conspired with regrettable decisions to frustrate that love. Will unfortunate events provide this romance a second chance?
I've never read a book that made me cry as much as Tereze's latest masterpiece here. Whether first or second reading, I'm bawling my eyes out alternatively with happy then sad tears. How Melissa crams so much love and loss into this story, from the early year flashbacks, the intervening years and the later second chance, is beyond me. However, that's what this story is, through and through - a celebration of love, destiny and maybe just a little dose of Christmas magic.
So have your tissues at the ready from the start to the end and strap yourself in for a romantic, emotional rollercoaster of sheer love.
October 10, 2021
Christmas is not my favorite time of the year, because I always have to split myself in two because of the family...
But this book left a warm feeling in me, with the intention to enjoy it this year especially with my wife and to make Christmas extra beautiful, just for the two of us.
No matter what everyone one else thinks!
Just like Allie and Cassidy ... I have to say, however, before it came to this warm feeling that I'm bathing in right now, I also shed a lot of tears and felt a lot of anger.
The losses of the two MC‘s were heartbreaking and especially Cassidy's deep grief for her mother!
Melissa Tereze always writes wonderful books, but I have to say that this story gripped my poor empathetic heart.
It's sad that you first have to lose to notice what special you already had.
This is exactly how Cassidy feels after seeing Allie again. The woman she still secretly feels as the love of her life. However, she lives her life in London with someone else who she also married. However, it quickly becomes clear, that it was the biggest mistake to leave Allie and Plumstoke.
For a woman who lets her go to her mother's funeral alone without support, without the arms of a loving wife.
I love Second-Chance Romance"!
I love the agonizing moments when both characters meet again and you don't know what reaction to expect from them.
I fevered and suffered with both and my God, this story is full of warm Feelings, Hope, Sadness, Loss, Anger and yet also full of lovely momets!
“Always Allie” is like a beautiful, romantic Christmas Fairy Tale.
But this book left a warm feeling in me, with the intention to enjoy it this year especially with my wife and to make Christmas extra beautiful, just for the two of us.
No matter what everyone one else thinks!
Just like Allie and Cassidy ... I have to say, however, before it came to this warm feeling that I'm bathing in right now, I also shed a lot of tears and felt a lot of anger.
The losses of the two MC‘s were heartbreaking and especially Cassidy's deep grief for her mother!
Melissa Tereze always writes wonderful books, but I have to say that this story gripped my poor empathetic heart.
It's sad that you first have to lose to notice what special you already had.
This is exactly how Cassidy feels after seeing Allie again. The woman she still secretly feels as the love of her life. However, she lives her life in London with someone else who she also married. However, it quickly becomes clear, that it was the biggest mistake to leave Allie and Plumstoke.
For a woman who lets her go to her mother's funeral alone without support, without the arms of a loving wife.
I love Second-Chance Romance"!
I love the agonizing moments when both characters meet again and you don't know what reaction to expect from them.
I fevered and suffered with both and my God, this story is full of warm Feelings, Hope, Sadness, Loss, Anger and yet also full of lovely momets!
“Always Allie” is like a beautiful, romantic Christmas Fairy Tale.
October 23, 2021
After the first few chapters of this book, I thought bells were ringing that I had read something similar. It turns out I was right by the same author, except I was wrong. The two stories have similar starting points but this one is an emotional rollercoaster. Talk about wet tissues. True to life sometimes you have to experience your dreams to find out they were the wrong ones. That was the case with Cassidy and Allie. The loss of a loved one brought them back together but they each had their own demons to conquer.
Tereze is always going to come up with a good story with real-life characters undergoing real-life problems. This one didn't fail to grab me by the heart and drag me through the rough and tumble of daily life. Do I recommend it? You bet I do.
Tereze is always going to come up with a good story with real-life characters undergoing real-life problems. This one didn't fail to grab me by the heart and drag me through the rough and tumble of daily life. Do I recommend it? You bet I do.
December 8, 2025
Omg. Melissa Tereze has done it again. She’s captured my heart with this touching novel. My heart shattered while reading everything these beautiful women went through and glowed while reading how they found their way back to one another. If a book could give you a hug and just hold you in a cuddle, this would be it. Wonderful read for the season. ❤️
October 7, 2021
Another lovely, well written book from Ms Tereze. Cassidy and Allie were in love and living in a small town. Cassidy decided she wanted to move to London and she left Allie behind in order to achieve her own ambitions. When her Mum dies, Cassidy comes back to the small town and realises what she gave up by leaving for London. This is a feel good story, with an engaging plot and a HEA. Would highly recommend.
October 4, 2021
Always, Allie
Going into this book, I really disliked one of the main characters. But I knew I would love her towards the end. That's the art of Melissa Tereze for you.
Sad and grieving, these characters meet again. Not quite picking up where they left off but finding each other again anyway.
Those close to them with their well-meaning warnings, and the whole town cheering them on, when everyone can see that they belong together.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fabulous second chance romance. I will definitely have to read this again.
Going into this book, I really disliked one of the main characters. But I knew I would love her towards the end. That's the art of Melissa Tereze for you.
Sad and grieving, these characters meet again. Not quite picking up where they left off but finding each other again anyway.
Those close to them with their well-meaning warnings, and the whole town cheering them on, when everyone can see that they belong together.
Highly recommend for anyone looking for a fabulous second chance romance. I will definitely have to read this again.
March 4, 2022
It's like I keep saying if I don't like one of the protagonists the book can not work for me but in this case (which is rare) I couldn't stand both protagonists.
On one hand, you have Allie who mistook being naive, pathetic people pleaser for awesomeness. And then you have Cassidy a self-centred, manipulative, and also naive.
So Cassidy's dream was to set a lorist in London and move there because she doesn't like living in their small town yet she started a serious relationship with the one woman she knew, love the town and will never leave it behind (Allie) Allie who's naive enough to allow her self to play second-best since she knew she won't matter enough for Cassidy, she also knew Cassidy will wake up one day and leave her which is exactly what Cassidy did, for weeks she worked and found a place in London despite being in relationships with the pathetic Allie, she didn't include her in her decision, never even mention it to her until she was ready to leave, at the time Allies dearest aunt was diagnosed with cancer she had only six months to live so there is no way Allie could follow Cassidy and Cassidy knew that she just didn't care enough to be there for her lover ( now I have a headache) 😓 Cassidy moved to London broke all contact with Allie, blocked her on all social media. Got married! She had moved on started a whole new life
It should have ended there! Sometimes people just don't work! But No
Cassidy's mum died and she was forced to come back to the little town for a funeral one encounter with Allie she suddenly realised she is still in love with Allie and suddenly Allie is her soulmate and she also loves the little town hahhh and Allie who was stuck and in love with Cassidy all this time is there to welcome her with an open arm. Since she doesn't have the slightest bit of an idea of self-worth lol now this isn't even remotely believable cringy it's what it is
To say I'm disappointed would be putting it mildly Melissa Perez is usually such a good writer I love most of her books but this one is just crap I'm sorry!
On one hand, you have Allie who mistook being naive, pathetic people pleaser for awesomeness. And then you have Cassidy a self-centred, manipulative, and also naive.
So Cassidy's dream was to set a lorist in London and move there because she doesn't like living in their small town yet she started a serious relationship with the one woman she knew, love the town and will never leave it behind (Allie) Allie who's naive enough to allow her self to play second-best since she knew she won't matter enough for Cassidy, she also knew Cassidy will wake up one day and leave her which is exactly what Cassidy did, for weeks she worked and found a place in London despite being in relationships with the pathetic Allie, she didn't include her in her decision, never even mention it to her until she was ready to leave, at the time Allies dearest aunt was diagnosed with cancer she had only six months to live so there is no way Allie could follow Cassidy and Cassidy knew that she just didn't care enough to be there for her lover ( now I have a headache) 😓 Cassidy moved to London broke all contact with Allie, blocked her on all social media. Got married! She had moved on started a whole new life
It should have ended there! Sometimes people just don't work! But No
Cassidy's mum died and she was forced to come back to the little town for a funeral one encounter with Allie she suddenly realised she is still in love with Allie and suddenly Allie is her soulmate and she also loves the little town hahhh and Allie who was stuck and in love with Cassidy all this time is there to welcome her with an open arm. Since she doesn't have the slightest bit of an idea of self-worth lol now this isn't even remotely believable cringy it's what it is
To say I'm disappointed would be putting it mildly Melissa Perez is usually such a good writer I love most of her books but this one is just crap I'm sorry!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2022
Ugh, the lump in my throat was there the entire time! But, this was one of my favorites by Tereze. I finished it in one day! So beautifully written and you really had the opportunity to fall in love with the characters. I thought it was a bit silly that Cassidy married Danielle so quickly after moving to London, but us lesbians do move very quickly (Uhaul!), so I get it. There is only 1 steamy scene, but the romance and emotion was full-on the entire time. I cried, I laughed, and I got mad a few times, but that's just what a good book will do to you. Tereze is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2021
Always Allie by Melissa Tereze is simply a beautiful story. It is one that shouldn't be missed. If you like a second chance romance that will warm your heart this is a perfect story for you.
Cassidy Lewis returns to Plumstoke after three years when her mother passes away suddenly. She had fled the small town life to make her dreams come true of running her own floral shop in London. She not only left her hometown behind but the town sweetheart Allie Campbell. Cassidy is now married to Danielle, who is way too busy at work to accompany her home for her mother's funeral. Cassidy isn't only dealing with her mother's loss but with the guilt that she didn't come home enough to see her.
Allie Campbell never stopped loving Cassidy despite how heartbroken she was when Cassidy left town. Now that Cassidy is back, Allie is the person she turns to for comfort and Allie is determined to be the friend she needs to help her get through her loss, even to her own detriment. Can Cassidy's marriage survive or will the love that her and Allie once shared be reignited?
Allie is simply the sweetest. She loved Cassidy's mother and thought she would one day be her mother in law. Her sudden death shakes the entire town. The moment she sees Cassidy walk in to the local bar she knows that love is as strong for her as it always was and she will do anything for Cassidy. It's completely easy to fall in love with Allie. Cassidy is a little harder. But as someone who couldn't wait to get out of my small town when I was younger, I can understand her desire to escape small town life and make it in the big city. The way she did it left a hole not only in Allie's heart but Cassidy's as well. Making amends for the past can help open up possibilities for the future.
The supporting characters are there to listen to Allie and Cassidy as they experience the pain of loss and the confusion over their unresolved feelings. Helen and Ash are wonderfully supportive friends and Cassidy's dad, while dealing with the loss of his wife, holds onto Cassidy and hopes to never have to let her go again. Danielle, Cassidy's wife is just plain awful. She has no redeeming qualities and I wish very bad things for her. In some ways, I think Cassidy believes that she deserves someone as awful as Danielle because of how she left Allie. But no one should have to suffer time with Danielle. I have so many bad feelings about this woman!
Melissa Tereze brings us flashbacks that give us insight into Allie and Cassidy's past relationship and how absolutely perfect they were for each other. I enjoy flashbacks when they benefit a story and these fit perfectly. When I finish a book I want to feel like it was time well spent and I want to keep a little bit of the characters in my heart. Allie and Cassidy made it into my heart maybe more than any of Melissa's other characters. That is saying something because I have a lot of love for Vanessa and Emma from Mrs. Middleton and Dom and Blair from Playing for her Heart. But there is just something irresistible about second chance love, especially when one has to work hard to redeem themselves.
Melissa Tereze is one of those authors who can bring the steam but is equally adept at bringing the sweetness of love and the sorrow of loss. Always Allie will always be one of my favorite of her books and I highly recommend it.
ARC received from the author for an honest review.
https://sapphicbookreview.com/review/...
Cassidy Lewis returns to Plumstoke after three years when her mother passes away suddenly. She had fled the small town life to make her dreams come true of running her own floral shop in London. She not only left her hometown behind but the town sweetheart Allie Campbell. Cassidy is now married to Danielle, who is way too busy at work to accompany her home for her mother's funeral. Cassidy isn't only dealing with her mother's loss but with the guilt that she didn't come home enough to see her.
Allie Campbell never stopped loving Cassidy despite how heartbroken she was when Cassidy left town. Now that Cassidy is back, Allie is the person she turns to for comfort and Allie is determined to be the friend she needs to help her get through her loss, even to her own detriment. Can Cassidy's marriage survive or will the love that her and Allie once shared be reignited?
Allie is simply the sweetest. She loved Cassidy's mother and thought she would one day be her mother in law. Her sudden death shakes the entire town. The moment she sees Cassidy walk in to the local bar she knows that love is as strong for her as it always was and she will do anything for Cassidy. It's completely easy to fall in love with Allie. Cassidy is a little harder. But as someone who couldn't wait to get out of my small town when I was younger, I can understand her desire to escape small town life and make it in the big city. The way she did it left a hole not only in Allie's heart but Cassidy's as well. Making amends for the past can help open up possibilities for the future.
The supporting characters are there to listen to Allie and Cassidy as they experience the pain of loss and the confusion over their unresolved feelings. Helen and Ash are wonderfully supportive friends and Cassidy's dad, while dealing with the loss of his wife, holds onto Cassidy and hopes to never have to let her go again. Danielle, Cassidy's wife is just plain awful. She has no redeeming qualities and I wish very bad things for her. In some ways, I think Cassidy believes that she deserves someone as awful as Danielle because of how she left Allie. But no one should have to suffer time with Danielle. I have so many bad feelings about this woman!
Melissa Tereze brings us flashbacks that give us insight into Allie and Cassidy's past relationship and how absolutely perfect they were for each other. I enjoy flashbacks when they benefit a story and these fit perfectly. When I finish a book I want to feel like it was time well spent and I want to keep a little bit of the characters in my heart. Allie and Cassidy made it into my heart maybe more than any of Melissa's other characters. That is saying something because I have a lot of love for Vanessa and Emma from Mrs. Middleton and Dom and Blair from Playing for her Heart. But there is just something irresistible about second chance love, especially when one has to work hard to redeem themselves.
Melissa Tereze is one of those authors who can bring the steam but is equally adept at bringing the sweetness of love and the sorrow of loss. Always Allie will always be one of my favorite of her books and I highly recommend it.
ARC received from the author for an honest review.
https://sapphicbookreview.com/review/...
March 17, 2022
I wasn't sure what to expect from this one: the death of a parent seems an unlikely time setting for a romance, but… it worked. I think Melissa Tereze managed a lot of wonderful work here: she's taken some ingredients that I wasn't sure I would really like (along with others I did, of course), and by focusing on two wonderful women and their love for each other, made a book that I definitely enjoyed. There are significant obstacles to be worked through, but… they never felt contrived to me (with a single exception that felt a little to cliché to me, that exception being ). But it's a short moment, and an important one on the way to removing one of the obstacles to the relationship we as readers really care about, so it's easily forgiven.
If you have somewhat recently lost a parent, I would suggest taking a moment to consider whether or not it is the right time for you to read this book: while the parental death takes place before the book, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to read it when the feelings around my mother's death were still fresh. That is not to take away from the author's work, just a recognition that sometimes as readers we aren't in the correct headspace to receive what an author is giving us. My mother's death is long enough in the past that it didn't intrude much on my reading of this book, which I'm glad of because I did enjoy Always Allie
If you have somewhat recently lost a parent, I would suggest taking a moment to consider whether or not it is the right time for you to read this book: while the parental death takes place before the book, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to read it when the feelings around my mother's death were still fresh. That is not to take away from the author's work, just a recognition that sometimes as readers we aren't in the correct headspace to receive what an author is giving us. My mother's death is long enough in the past that it didn't intrude much on my reading of this book, which I'm glad of because I did enjoy Always Allie
December 18, 2022
This story was a complex tale of a broken relationship between two people, who were clearly soulmates and best friends. Allie and Cassidy have loved each other since high school, and while their love is deep and real, Cassidy has a yearning to go to the big city to find her dreams. Allie loves Cassidy with all her heart, but the thought of going to London, leaving all that has been her life and home, and her dying aunt, feels like a choice she cannot make. She loves Cassie so much that she does not want to hold her back, so she lets her go even though she is dying inside.
That was three years ago. Then Cassie's mom dies and Cassie comes home for the funeral and to help her father with the arrangements and post-death needs. She finds herself face to face with Allie, who has avoided her while she was gone, especially after Cassie marries another woman while in London. The story takes the reader on a journey through conflicted feelings on both sides as Cassie and Allie meet again. What can become of two souls who were destined for each other, then were fractured by a rupture that has left them brokenhearted, torn, and hurting?
Tereze weaves a beautiful story that touches on themes of death, grief, human frailty, imperfection, undying love, hope, and forgiveness, with many great lessons learned along the way. While slow at times, the pace matches the ongoing struggles faced by the main characters, with a satisfactory resolution in the end.
That was three years ago. Then Cassie's mom dies and Cassie comes home for the funeral and to help her father with the arrangements and post-death needs. She finds herself face to face with Allie, who has avoided her while she was gone, especially after Cassie marries another woman while in London. The story takes the reader on a journey through conflicted feelings on both sides as Cassie and Allie meet again. What can become of two souls who were destined for each other, then were fractured by a rupture that has left them brokenhearted, torn, and hurting?
Tereze weaves a beautiful story that touches on themes of death, grief, human frailty, imperfection, undying love, hope, and forgiveness, with many great lessons learned along the way. While slow at times, the pace matches the ongoing struggles faced by the main characters, with a satisfactory resolution in the end.
November 27, 2023
This is the third (and probably last for now) of my soulmates streak.
It’s an excellent slow-burn between two wonderful characters who are clearly meant to be together but start out in a very different place. I mean, when even the people cursing one for breaking the other’s heart ages ago also admit they’re obviously meant to be together… it has to tell you something. And it does. :)
While the characters are wonderful, both the leads and the rest of the cast in town, it’s really the story that does it for me. Both the present and the past, and how it truly seems like things might not have worked back then, but the time apart gives them the perspective they need to find their way forward. Plus, the ending really got to me.
About the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was Danielle. I mean, clearly she was there to be not-sympathetic, but the depths she sank to — without granting the reader any explanation — just made her seem more like a one-dimensional prop than a character. I get the way her part of the story has to go, but I think she could have been a bit more human and still gotten to the same end, and the story would have been better for it.
Still, this was a book I just could not put down until Allie and Cassidy acknowledged the feelings between them, and then again could not put down until the situation was resolved. It was wonderful.
It’s an excellent slow-burn between two wonderful characters who are clearly meant to be together but start out in a very different place. I mean, when even the people cursing one for breaking the other’s heart ages ago also admit they’re obviously meant to be together… it has to tell you something. And it does. :)
While the characters are wonderful, both the leads and the rest of the cast in town, it’s really the story that does it for me. Both the present and the past, and how it truly seems like things might not have worked back then, but the time apart gives them the perspective they need to find their way forward. Plus, the ending really got to me.
About the only thing that rubbed me the wrong way was Danielle. I mean, clearly she was there to be not-sympathetic, but the depths she sank to — without granting the reader any explanation — just made her seem more like a one-dimensional prop than a character. I get the way her part of the story has to go, but I think she could have been a bit more human and still gotten to the same end, and the story would have been better for it.
Still, this was a book I just could not put down until Allie and Cassidy acknowledged the feelings between them, and then again could not put down until the situation was resolved. It was wonderful.
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