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What Will Be
If By Chance
We have three rules:
One night.
No kissing.
No falling in love.
Memories can do different things to alter our perception of reality. Attached to those memories are strings, and each string holds the emotions we felt.
They can make us laugh and cry. They can anchor us. They can drag us back when all we want to do is run to the future.
Memories dance in the shadows. They cast doubts over everything we know is true. Memories can break down walls and build impenetrable barriers.
These memories I speak of; they’re not mine.
They’re his.
And I see his memories flicker beneath warms eyes.
He fights with it.
For me, he battles with a presence no longer here.
But I can’t compete with a memory.
Because his memory is her.
One night.
No kissing.
No falling in love.
Memories can do different things to alter our perception of reality. Attached to those memories are strings, and each string holds the emotions we felt.
They can make us laugh and cry. They can anchor us. They can drag us back when all we want to do is run to the future.
Memories dance in the shadows. They cast doubts over everything we know is true. Memories can break down walls and build impenetrable barriers.
These memories I speak of; they’re not mine.
They’re his.
And I see his memories flicker beneath warms eyes.
He fights with it.
For me, he battles with a presence no longer here.
But I can’t compete with a memory.
Because his memory is her.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2022
About the author
Laura Ashley Gallagher
12 books281 followersLaura Ashley was born and raised in Ireland, where she spent a large part of her childhood and teenage years studying music. Drawn to people’s stories and a lifelong storyteller, she went on to study journalism. Laura Ashley specializes in crafting stories with heaps of romance and maybe even a few tears. When she is not writing, she is spending time and having fun with her husband and young son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 13, 2022
“Claire, you make me want to live just to watch you breathe. You brought me back to life.”
OUT TODAY!! You all need to read this book. It’s one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read.
May 15, 2022
4.5 🌟
I was in some weird reading slump for a week now and i couldn't seem to even start a book but thank god i stumbled onto this one bc i couldn't put it down.
I'm not familiar with this author but i loved her writing style.
Tropes:
◇the infamous dead ex.
◇Single dad with the cutest child
◇Boss/employee
◇Kinda sunshine/grumpy
◇Age gap(10 years, she's 28, he's 38)
Ugh what can i say about this book?
The main plot is actually pretty heavy.
TW: domestic violence with some explicit scenes.
The h(Claire) just found out her fiance is cheating on her. She's drowning her sorrows with donuts on the beach when she meets this handsome stranger who gives her the perfect push to not give up on her dreams.
She's the kind of h who has the biggest heart, is beyond selfless and caring, always putting others first. She works with domestic abuse victims and also she's very familiar with that herself as she and her mom suffered hell by the hands of her own father.
If i could say one thing that annoyed me about her was her almost always crying😂😂 but i get it the girl had so much trauma and went through so much shit.
When she accepts the new job, managing a newly opened facility for domestic abuse victims she meets her new boss Jake, the man she met that day at the beach.
Jake is a successful businessman, a single dad to Jay Jay who was the sweetest kid.
His wife died 8 years ago and like every other book with the dead ex he thinks he is somehow broken and not worthy of love. 🙄 yeah i know i usually hate this trope too but in this case the dead wife was not overly present in the plot so i was okay with it. He also has connection with domestic abuse as his dead wife was also a victim.
When there's a threat on Claire's life Jake goes immediately into alpha-possessive protective caveman mode 😍😍😍 He was the perfect bland between possessive jerk and gooey marshmallow.
This was also on the slowburn side so Jake had time to finally make peace with his wife's death bc the man was gone for Claire the second she appeared in his office. THE TENSION OMG THE TENSION. i was combusting over here. Their chemistry was fireeee.🥵
◇The way he ordered her food bc she was always busy with work and forgot to eat.
◇The way he moved her to his house bc he was so scared she could get hurt.
◇The way he bid an insanely large amount of money just to dance with her.
◇The way he was always glued to her side and did everything just to see her smile was pure perfection.
I swear he was perfect, i loved him.
There's 1 year separation in the end since Claire had severe trauma and she needed to work on herself first but they were both celibate that period.
and the epilogue was so freaking cute, i can't!🥺🥺
“Ah, there she is. Always smile. Your smile makes everything better.”
I was in some weird reading slump for a week now and i couldn't seem to even start a book but thank god i stumbled onto this one bc i couldn't put it down.
I'm not familiar with this author but i loved her writing style.
Tropes:
◇the infamous dead ex.
◇Single dad with the cutest child
◇Boss/employee
◇Kinda sunshine/grumpy
◇Age gap(10 years, she's 28, he's 38)
Ugh what can i say about this book?
The main plot is actually pretty heavy.
TW: domestic violence with some explicit scenes.
The h(Claire) just found out her fiance is cheating on her. She's drowning her sorrows with donuts on the beach when she meets this handsome stranger who gives her the perfect push to not give up on her dreams.
“Don’t waste any more sunsets on him. Don’t sit here and look at something beautiful and make it ugly. When you look hard enough, you’ll always find the good.”
She's the kind of h who has the biggest heart, is beyond selfless and caring, always putting others first. She works with domestic abuse victims and also she's very familiar with that herself as she and her mom suffered hell by the hands of her own father.
If i could say one thing that annoyed me about her was her almost always crying😂😂 but i get it the girl had so much trauma and went through so much shit.
When she accepts the new job, managing a newly opened facility for domestic abuse victims she meets her new boss Jake, the man she met that day at the beach.
Jake is a successful businessman, a single dad to Jay Jay who was the sweetest kid.
His wife died 8 years ago and like every other book with the dead ex he thinks he is somehow broken and not worthy of love. 🙄 yeah i know i usually hate this trope too but in this case the dead wife was not overly present in the plot so i was okay with it. He also has connection with domestic abuse as his dead wife was also a victim.
When there's a threat on Claire's life Jake goes immediately into alpha-possessive protective caveman mode 😍😍😍 He was the perfect bland between possessive jerk and gooey marshmallow.
“I appreciate the thought and you wanting to open your home to me, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“Claire, I’m serious. I will carry you out of here.” “I snore".
“My walls are soundproof. ”Of course, they are.This ruins the argument about playing my music too loud.
“I’m a terrible cook." I’m amazing, but again, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
“I’m not asking you to stay with me so you can feed me and my son.”
“I’m messy and annoying and—”
“Jesus Christ, Claire, I don’t care about any of that. I don’t care what you are once you’re safe.”
“Please,” he murmurs in a desperate whisper. “I need you to be safe, sweetheart.”
This was also on the slowburn side so Jake had time to finally make peace with his wife's death bc the man was gone for Claire the second she appeared in his office. THE TENSION OMG THE TENSION. i was combusting over here. Their chemistry was fireeee.🥵
◇The way he ordered her food bc she was always busy with work and forgot to eat.
◇The way he moved her to his house bc he was so scared she could get hurt.
◇The way he bid an insanely large amount of money just to dance with her.
◇The way he was always glued to her side and did everything just to see her smile was pure perfection.
I swear he was perfect, i loved him.
There's 1 year separation in the end since Claire had severe trauma and she needed to work on herself first but they were both celibate that period.
and the epilogue was so freaking cute, i can't!🥺🥺
“Tell me something good.”
“I got to see you smile today. That’s my something good. It always is.”
May 20, 2023
3.9⭐️
I did not expect that I would enjoy this book this much. This is the third book in the What Will Be series. I, unfortunately, just realized that when I was about 30% in.
The first few chapters were a bit boring, nothing’s really happening. And I didn’t really like Claire. However, with time, I see the strength in her that I quite admire. While she was stubborn and prideful, she was also resilient and kind.
Her relationship with Jake was complicated to say the least. They had their own demons. While Claire had to deal with trauma, Jake had to deal with grief.
The romance between them was a bit meh for me. But I don’t mind that much since I think the author did a good job writing about grief and trauma. The revelation about things that happened in the past also written in a really good setting. I also like the understanding between Claire and Jake. It makes a lot of sense for them to behave the way they did in the book. I just wished we got more chapters from Jake’s POV.
If By Chance is the third book in the series that could be read as a stand alone. It tells us about grief, resilience, and love. The main focus in this book is how to survive your trauma, forgive yourself, and allow yourself to be happy again.
I like this book a lot more than I expected. However, knowing what would happened in this book, I will not read the first book.
“Don’t sit here and look at something beautiful and make it ugly. When you look hard enough, you’ll always find the good.”
I did not expect that I would enjoy this book this much. This is the third book in the What Will Be series. I, unfortunately, just realized that when I was about 30% in.
The first few chapters were a bit boring, nothing’s really happening. And I didn’t really like Claire. However, with time, I see the strength in her that I quite admire. While she was stubborn and prideful, she was also resilient and kind.
We’re both spending our lives helping women because we couldn’t help the ones we loved the most.
Her relationship with Jake was complicated to say the least. They had their own demons. While Claire had to deal with trauma, Jake had to deal with grief.
“I just needed you to know. I always feel the closest thing to whole when I’m in your arms”
The romance between them was a bit meh for me. But I don’t mind that much since I think the author did a good job writing about grief and trauma. The revelation about things that happened in the past also written in a really good setting. I also like the understanding between Claire and Jake. It makes a lot of sense for them to behave the way they did in the book. I just wished we got more chapters from Jake’s POV.
”Claire even heals the wounds you don’t know you have, all without showing she has so many of her own.
I should know. She healed me.”
If By Chance is the third book in the series that could be read as a stand alone. It tells us about grief, resilience, and love. The main focus in this book is how to survive your trauma, forgive yourself, and allow yourself to be happy again.
I like this book a lot more than I expected. However, knowing what would happened in this book, I will not read the first book.
March 7, 2025
4.25⭐️ j’ai versé des petites larmes🥲
April 24, 2022
•ARC Review•
It's a shame that we can't give more than 5⭐️ to a book here on Goodread because there are books that deserve more than that. And yes "If By Chance" is definitely one of them.
I've been waiting so long for this book and I've had so many scenarios for Claire and Jake, but not a single time it I would predict just what I've read.
I'm gonna be honest and I'll tell you that I cried so much on this book.
The chemistry between Jake and Claire was so so good. I was a sucker for them since their first encounter and I swear, that was definitely love at first sight🥺.
They both had their own demons to fight with. They both had found true love in each other and after a long way down, they found their way back and heald each other's wounds with their love.
Claire and Jake are the truly definition of soulmates and they literally showed me that if the person is right, the time will never be wrong even if there will be a lot of hops.
This was a wonderful and emotional love story. A second chance for both –Jake and Claire– for happiness . Past trauma, healing and pure love.
5/5⭐️ but in my heart it's always gonna be ♾️ stars for this book.
It's a shame that we can't give more than 5⭐️ to a book here on Goodread because there are books that deserve more than that. And yes "If By Chance" is definitely one of them.
I've been waiting so long for this book and I've had so many scenarios for Claire and Jake, but not a single time it I would predict just what I've read.
I'm gonna be honest and I'll tell you that I cried so much on this book.
The chemistry between Jake and Claire was so so good. I was a sucker for them since their first encounter and I swear, that was definitely love at first sight🥺.
They both had their own demons to fight with. They both had found true love in each other and after a long way down, they found their way back and heald each other's wounds with their love.
Claire and Jake are the truly definition of soulmates and they literally showed me that if the person is right, the time will never be wrong even if there will be a lot of hops.
This was a wonderful and emotional love story. A second chance for both –Jake and Claire– for happiness . Past trauma, healing and pure love.
5/5⭐️ but in my heart it's always gonna be ♾️ stars for this book.
April 23, 2022
⭐️ARC review⭐️
SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨🚨
*
*
So, where do I start...This book was FIRE🔥🔥🔥
HONESTLY,I cried.A lot.I loved the chemistry between Jake and Claire.So so good.They had me at the first chapter, at the first conversation.
They start with one night...of course, and they set rules....RULES.And we all love to break them,right?!
“I thought having you would stop me from wanting you. But now I know the sounds you make when you come undone, and you’ve made me an addict.”
Baby, this was something else.
"Not kissing you is torture, but I’m afraid if I start, I’ll never be able to stop.”
There goes my heart.I fell for them again after this phrase.
Let's talk about Claire...strong, a very strong female character ,with a huge heart.
Jake, OH MY GOD,a beautiful male right here...strong and just wow.
"I want this one. I want all the dates after. I wanted you yesterday. I want you today. I want your every tomorrow"
A beautiful love story, a book full of "trauma" if I can say so.LOVED IT
5/5⭐️
4/5🌶
SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨🚨
*
*
So, where do I start...This book was FIRE🔥🔥🔥
HONESTLY,I cried.A lot.I loved the chemistry between Jake and Claire.So so good.They had me at the first chapter, at the first conversation.
They start with one night...of course, and they set rules....RULES.And we all love to break them,right?!
“I thought having you would stop me from wanting you. But now I know the sounds you make when you come undone, and you’ve made me an addict.”
Baby, this was something else.
"Not kissing you is torture, but I’m afraid if I start, I’ll never be able to stop.”
There goes my heart.I fell for them again after this phrase.
Let's talk about Claire...strong, a very strong female character ,with a huge heart.
Jake, OH MY GOD,a beautiful male right here...strong and just wow.
"I want this one. I want all the dates after. I wanted you yesterday. I want you today. I want your every tomorrow"
A beautiful love story, a book full of "trauma" if I can say so.LOVED IT
5/5⭐️
4/5🌶
May 16, 2022
What a book! After reading it in one afternoon without stopping (I just couldn't put it down) I'm left speechless and overwhelmed with feelings. I loved this book so so much. I realised too late that this one was the 3rd book in this series but I don't think I'm mentally ready to read the first one, especially knowing how it's going to end. But I'll probably read the 2nd one.
And I don't know why but each time she plaid the pain and put her long hair into a bun in my head I was imagining the music video of 'when i look at you' by miley cyrus
And I don't know why but each time she plaid the pain and put her long hair into a bun in my head I was imagining the music video of 'when i look at you' by miley cyrus
May 18, 2022
“I got to see you smile today. That’s my something good. It always is.”
IM??? OKAY FIRST OF ALL. BLESS YOU, MS AUTHOR, FOR WRITING THIS MASTERPIECE.
I love Jake so much. I also love Claire, and Jay-Jay, and literally everything. GOD I have no idea how to even express how I feel about this book. Sometimes the story jumped too fast and I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but that’s probably because I haven’t read the previous books. But anyway… I love this book NFNSNFNSNF
IM??? OKAY FIRST OF ALL. BLESS YOU, MS AUTHOR, FOR WRITING THIS MASTERPIECE.
I love Jake so much. I also love Claire, and Jay-Jay, and literally everything. GOD I have no idea how to even express how I feel about this book. Sometimes the story jumped too fast and I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but that’s probably because I haven’t read the previous books. But anyway… I love this book NFNSNFNSNF
September 8, 2022
Loved this one! I really enjoyed the plot, the character developments, all the little symbols that made this story precious… I believe this is the best book from the whole series; I’m happy that I sticked through and was able to witness the author’s growth throughout them.
April 27, 2022
Once again Laura has done it again what a amazing book. A brilliant story about life written in such a beautiful way. It has everything a good book needs Romance, Drama and a HEA.
Looking forward to reading more from this amazing woman.
Looking forward to reading more from this amazing woman.
November 5, 2022
This was such a good book. I loved there chemistry. It was also super emotional. And the last few chapters I was getting choked up. Definitely a good read.
April 27, 2022
**ARC review***
What a fantastic story. I love how every book the author gets me so invested. Tears and joy. I absolutely loved this! Beautiful story.
What a fantastic story. I love how every book the author gets me so invested. Tears and joy. I absolutely loved this! Beautiful story.
February 3, 2023
5 stars definitely
This book is completely amazing and I loved it. I had been waiting for it for months. It is definitely my favorite book of the trilogy.
There are very sensitive issues that are dealt with throughout the story that are really shocking and very emotional. However, it is very nice to see the messages they leave and how the characters try to cope with them and get ahead.
I loved the relationship between Claire and Jake. It seems to me that they complement each other a lot and do each other very well. Not gonna lie, it was very difficult to read how he was falling in love with Claire and how they were developing a relationship.Especially at the beginning since in the first book I grew fond of the relationship between him and Jess. She was so pure and they made a beautiful couple. So it was hard to see him falling in love again.
Having a new vision of how he suffered after Jess's death and how he remembered it broke my heart. But knowing that he let himself start feeling again and allowing himself to fall in love again made me very happy, especially being with Claire who is a loving person and deserves the best in this world.
I'm empty after finishing this. I need a couple of days to process everything I've read and that there won't be any more books.
This book is completely amazing and I loved it. I had been waiting for it for months. It is definitely my favorite book of the trilogy.
There are very sensitive issues that are dealt with throughout the story that are really shocking and very emotional. However, it is very nice to see the messages they leave and how the characters try to cope with them and get ahead.
I loved the relationship between Claire and Jake. It seems to me that they complement each other a lot and do each other very well. Not gonna lie, it was very difficult to read how he was falling in love with Claire and how they were developing a relationship.Especially at the beginning since in the first book I grew fond of the relationship between him and Jess. She was so pure and they made a beautiful couple. So it was hard to see him falling in love again.
Having a new vision of how he suffered after Jess's death and how he remembered it broke my heart. But knowing that he let himself start feeling again and allowing himself to fall in love again made me very happy, especially being with Claire who is a loving person and deserves the best in this world.
I'm empty after finishing this. I need a couple of days to process everything I've read and that there won't be any more books.
May 12, 2022
After reading the first two books in the series I was waiting so bad for Jake and Claire’s story and let me tell you I am not disappointed at all.
I would recommend to look at the trigger warnings in order to be aware of the subjects that might trigger you in this book.
In my opnion, it deserves even more than 5 stars, it is rare for me but this book made me go through all the emotions possible, I cried, laughed, smiled, also yelled and loved.
Jake and Claire needed each other to be able to move in a life they were kind of stuck in and they complemented in each other like no one else could.
in this regard, their similiar demons were able to ease with each other’s presence and even their friends knew they were meant to be together.
Again, if you are looking for a moving, beautiful, heartbreaking but exceptional love story, this book is for you.
I would recommend to look at the trigger warnings in order to be aware of the subjects that might trigger you in this book.
In my opnion, it deserves even more than 5 stars, it is rare for me but this book made me go through all the emotions possible, I cried, laughed, smiled, also yelled and loved.
Jake and Claire needed each other to be able to move in a life they were kind of stuck in and they complemented in each other like no one else could.
in this regard, their similiar demons were able to ease with each other’s presence and even their friends knew they were meant to be together.
Again, if you are looking for a moving, beautiful, heartbreaking but exceptional love story, this book is for you.
May 15, 2022
Laura Ashley did it again. I loved all of her books. As a new author, she really did a good job!! Book 3 is so beautiful! The story focuses on domestic abuse survivors. I cried a few times, learning about their traumas.
Book 1 and book 2 are standalone. While book 3, connecting all stories in this series. And it's so worth it to read all 3 books.
Book 1 and book 2 are standalone. While book 3, connecting all stories in this series. And it's so worth it to read all 3 books.
June 12, 2023
4⭐️/5⭐️
I thought this book was great, it deals with a lot of traumatic things but at the same time there’s a sense of wholesomeness. I feel like it was insta love between Jake and Claire but I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. This was a hard hitting book but very enjoyable, I did tear up a few times!
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Things I liked:
* Lol they got drunk together after they met for the second time
* He calls her Trouble
* She already met his family lol
* Claire teaching a new mom who came to the shelter how she does her makeup
* He attached a heart emoji after she accidentally sent kisses in an email
* LMFAO CLAIRE CALLED JAKE HER SUGAR DADDY WHILE INTRODUCING HIM TO HER SISTER
* “He knows you take sugar in your coffee when you’re stressed? Girl, you are so fucked.”
* “I can’t move. “You’re beautiful when you play. I swoon”
* HE HAD FOOD DELIVERED TO HER HOUSE BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T EAT ANYTHING THAT DAY
* “No is such a small word, but it’s our most powerful. It’s a choice. But when someone ignores it, it becomes our weakest.”
* Jake being overprotective of Claire after a woman’s husband knows where she lives
* “I need her safe. I need her with me.”
* “Please,” he murmurs in a desperate whisper. “I need you to be safe, sweetheart.” His voice is so low that I’m unsure if he meant for me to hear it. ”
* “Woman, you drive me crazy. Why do you always have to argue with me?”“Because it’s so much fun.”
* Jake joining in on their dance party
* “He built a damn house because his son couldn’t see the stars.”
* “His arms don’t let my feet hit the ground, and my ankles lock around his waist.“You’re safe, baby. I’ve got you.” I hear his hushed words in my ear as cars fly by us on the road. “God, Claire, I’ve got you.”
* “I hear Pete’s voice. “She’s home. Are you going to stop watching the fucking clock now and play?”I can’t help but smile.”
* “Where are the guys?” I whisper.“I told them to go home.”“Why?”“Because you’re scared of thunder,” he repeats.”
* Claire’s going to cut her hair for cancer because a little girl is too nervous to do it herself
* Claire teaching Jay how to play the piano
* Jake donating 30 thousand bucks at an auction to dance with Claire
* “We’re in a room full of stunning people, yet his eyes have followed every step you made tonight”
* “Because right here, in the middle of an open field, I fall in love with Jake Williams.This place may be vast, but his heart is bigger.”
* “This cold heart has started beating again for you.”
* “He breathed life into my body. Sometimes, he breathes for me. He brought me back to life.”
* Their little emails while she’s away
* HER AND HER SISTER HAVE A MUSIC ACADEMY
* Jake helped Claire’s mother get better
* They have a daughter!!! (Ella)
* “Jay-Jay sways back and forth, staring at his little sister as he hushes her.”
* “Daddy!” Little legs come running toward me from the piano room and my goddamn heart constricts in my chest.”
* “It’s been almost eight years since she walked into my office for the first time, and I’m still addicted to her.”
I thought this book was great, it deals with a lot of traumatic things but at the same time there’s a sense of wholesomeness. I feel like it was insta love between Jake and Claire but I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow. This was a hard hitting book but very enjoyable, I did tear up a few times!
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Things I liked:
* Lol they got drunk together after they met for the second time
* He calls her Trouble
* She already met his family lol
* Claire teaching a new mom who came to the shelter how she does her makeup
* He attached a heart emoji after she accidentally sent kisses in an email
* LMFAO CLAIRE CALLED JAKE HER SUGAR DADDY WHILE INTRODUCING HIM TO HER SISTER
* “He knows you take sugar in your coffee when you’re stressed? Girl, you are so fucked.”
* “I can’t move. “You’re beautiful when you play. I swoon”
* HE HAD FOOD DELIVERED TO HER HOUSE BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T EAT ANYTHING THAT DAY
* “No is such a small word, but it’s our most powerful. It’s a choice. But when someone ignores it, it becomes our weakest.”
* Jake being overprotective of Claire after a woman’s husband knows where she lives
* “I need her safe. I need her with me.”
* “Please,” he murmurs in a desperate whisper. “I need you to be safe, sweetheart.” His voice is so low that I’m unsure if he meant for me to hear it. ”
* “Woman, you drive me crazy. Why do you always have to argue with me?”“Because it’s so much fun.”
* Jake joining in on their dance party
* “He built a damn house because his son couldn’t see the stars.”
* “His arms don’t let my feet hit the ground, and my ankles lock around his waist.“You’re safe, baby. I’ve got you.” I hear his hushed words in my ear as cars fly by us on the road. “God, Claire, I’ve got you.”
* “I hear Pete’s voice. “She’s home. Are you going to stop watching the fucking clock now and play?”I can’t help but smile.”
* “Where are the guys?” I whisper.“I told them to go home.”“Why?”“Because you’re scared of thunder,” he repeats.”
* Claire’s going to cut her hair for cancer because a little girl is too nervous to do it herself
* Claire teaching Jay how to play the piano
* Jake donating 30 thousand bucks at an auction to dance with Claire
* “We’re in a room full of stunning people, yet his eyes have followed every step you made tonight”
* “Because right here, in the middle of an open field, I fall in love with Jake Williams.This place may be vast, but his heart is bigger.”
* “This cold heart has started beating again for you.”
* “He breathed life into my body. Sometimes, he breathes for me. He brought me back to life.”
* Their little emails while she’s away
* HER AND HER SISTER HAVE A MUSIC ACADEMY
* Jake helped Claire’s mother get better
* They have a daughter!!! (Ella)
* “Jay-Jay sways back and forth, staring at his little sister as he hushes her.”
* “Daddy!” Little legs come running toward me from the piano room and my goddamn heart constricts in my chest.”
* “It’s been almost eight years since she walked into my office for the first time, and I’m still addicted to her.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2023
This book is definitely one of my favorites that I will recommend to anyone.
Total Rating : 4.5/5
Plot : 5/5
Chemistry : 5/5
Angst : 4.5/5
Writing : 4.5/5
Character development : 4/5
Tropes : Close Proximity, Second Chance, Work Colleagues, Not good enough for him/her, Age Gap, Lovers in denial, Dark Past, Kidnapping.
This book definitely brought tears to my eyes in the best way possible. It's not often I find a book that makes me think about it afterwards but this book did its job and stuck with me.
The relationship between Jake and Claire is so natural and beautiful. The angst and longing really got me hooked.
There are a couple things I would've liked to read more about though such as:
- POV from Jake's perspective. I think that would've driven his character home even more. I think if there were chapters solely dedicated to his thoughts, I would've loved him more and understood him more instead of being told what he's been feeling.
Another thing is Jay-Jay's inclusion in the book. I think Jay-Jay should've had more included and talked about. Sometimes I didn't feel the father and son connection because we weren't really given much considering Jay-Jay was mostly with his grandparents. This also goes into having Jake's POV because I think it would've allowed us to see their relationship better and understand the struggle both have gone through.
Besides these two things I really don't have any negative things to say about this book.
The characters are flawed and struggle to maintain a normal day to day routine because of the past that follows them so they need to find ways to get close without losing their hearts to each other but that's exactly what happens. The slow burn and constant desire they have for each other is very well written and portrayed along with the trauma Claire has been through and struggling with.
Ms. Gallagher I would LOVE to read a book about Ava and Jay-Jay. Just them in their teens and getting close and all. A Heartstopper level of cuteness. PLEASE make it happen.
Total Rating : 4.5/5
Plot : 5/5
Chemistry : 5/5
Angst : 4.5/5
Writing : 4.5/5
Character development : 4/5
Tropes : Close Proximity, Second Chance, Work Colleagues, Not good enough for him/her, Age Gap, Lovers in denial, Dark Past, Kidnapping.
This book definitely brought tears to my eyes in the best way possible. It's not often I find a book that makes me think about it afterwards but this book did its job and stuck with me.
The relationship between Jake and Claire is so natural and beautiful. The angst and longing really got me hooked.
There are a couple things I would've liked to read more about though such as:
- POV from Jake's perspective. I think that would've driven his character home even more. I think if there were chapters solely dedicated to his thoughts, I would've loved him more and understood him more instead of being told what he's been feeling.
Another thing is Jay-Jay's inclusion in the book. I think Jay-Jay should've had more included and talked about. Sometimes I didn't feel the father and son connection because we weren't really given much considering Jay-Jay was mostly with his grandparents. This also goes into having Jake's POV because I think it would've allowed us to see their relationship better and understand the struggle both have gone through.
Besides these two things I really don't have any negative things to say about this book.
The characters are flawed and struggle to maintain a normal day to day routine because of the past that follows them so they need to find ways to get close without losing their hearts to each other but that's exactly what happens. The slow burn and constant desire they have for each other is very well written and portrayed along with the trauma Claire has been through and struggling with.
Ms. Gallagher I would LOVE to read a book about Ava and Jay-Jay. Just them in their teens and getting close and all. A Heartstopper level of cuteness. PLEASE make it happen.
May 21, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
“I’m not supposed to get an after, Claire. It was always only her.”
Ok, so then die. Literally die. Why are we being tortured with your story if you feel like this? 🧍🏾♀️
I’ve realized something about my reading tastes. I hate second chance/ dead spouse books .. with a caveat. If the protagonists are not absolutely obsessed with each other in my romance then I don’t want it, the current romance canNOT be eclipsed by the dead spouse. Do you guys think that’s asking for too much?!!
If your dead spouse was your “soulmate” then it stands to reason the H/h of this book can’t also be your soulmate cause I do believe in one true pairing. But this author made it a point to mention H has space in his heart for “both equally” … whatever the fuck that means
“I never loved one more than the other because when you love like that, it’s everything, it’s all-consuming, it fills every gap, and every injured crack in our interior.”
Like at least let our delusional minds infer that he does love the protagonist more than dead spouse. But we couldn’t even get that. Le sigh, I’m opting out ✌🏽
It would’ve been a solid 3 star read in spite of the aforementioned if we didn’t have the scene at the 84% mark. What the hell was that?!!! The way h’s mental health was handled was very jarring and almost caricature-esque.
Very unbelievable and worse we had a separation of a year after that “for healing” purposes. So close to the end?! Nay nay.
Anyways, I’m sorry if you really loved this book but I couldn’t get over everything I mentioned and so it just wasn’t for me ✋🏽❤️
“I’m not supposed to get an after, Claire. It was always only her.”
Ok, so then die. Literally die. Why are we being tortured with your story if you feel like this? 🧍🏾♀️
I’ve realized something about my reading tastes. I hate second chance/ dead spouse books .. with a caveat. If the protagonists are not absolutely obsessed with each other in my romance then I don’t want it, the current romance canNOT be eclipsed by the dead spouse. Do you guys think that’s asking for too much?!!
If your dead spouse was your “soulmate” then it stands to reason the H/h of this book can’t also be your soulmate cause I do believe in one true pairing. But this author made it a point to mention H has space in his heart for “both equally” … whatever the fuck that means
“I never loved one more than the other because when you love like that, it’s everything, it’s all-consuming, it fills every gap, and every injured crack in our interior.”
Like at least let our delusional minds infer that he does love the protagonist more than dead spouse. But we couldn’t even get that. Le sigh, I’m opting out ✌🏽
It would’ve been a solid 3 star read in spite of the aforementioned if we didn’t have the scene at the 84% mark. What the hell was that?!!! The way h’s mental health was handled was very jarring and almost caricature-esque.
Very unbelievable and worse we had a separation of a year after that “for healing” purposes. So close to the end?! Nay nay.
Anyways, I’m sorry if you really loved this book but I couldn’t get over everything I mentioned and so it just wasn’t for me ✋🏽❤️
May 17, 2023
I haven't read the other books in this but I loved this one. I absolutely love the banter not just between Claire and Jake but with her friends and sister too. They have such a sweet meet cute and I love that he just pretends he doesn't recognize her. I loved these characters; Claire is a selfless person with a lot of trauma and Jake is a selfless widower. The dead ex trope is hit or miss but I didn't hate it, his late wife plays an important part in the things he does. There is never a part in the book that I think he loves his late wife more than Claire. He reassures her a couple times that he wants her and he loves her and that he doesn't look at her in search of his late wife. By the time they meet again he seems to have fully grieved. Near the end of the book when we learn that he did remember their first encounter, he tells Claire that he started to fall for her that day and wanted to keep his distance. It's mentioned that he lost his wedding band but considering he told her he was going to finally take it off that day, I think meeting her pushed him to remove it.
This book does deal with domestic abuse pretty heavily; there is on page abuse. Jake funds a foundation/shelter for women and children of abuse that Claire ends up running. Claire had an abusive dad so she's very passionate about what she does and we see her make steps to heal herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
Words can’t describe how highly disappointed I am by this book :/ I am really sorry for saying this but the writing style was AWFUL, especially the choice of words and constant repetition of them (EVERY kissing scene had the same phrases. I am not kidding)
But also, it was sometimes very childish. Not in a good sense.
I quote a passage when they meet her shitty ex and are introducing themselves to each other:
„Jake crouches, knees wide with his elbows on his thighs, somehow looking bigger than he did standing, and doesn’t miss a beat when he says, “I’m her sugar daddy.”
Karma is a bitch.“
And no, this is not YA. She is in her late twenties. He’s 10 years older than her (not going to talk about the age gap).
I also was very disappointed by the lack of chemistry of the couple. Until 70-80%, personally for me, it DIDNT EXIST. They were just flirty and very much on the shallow, their first time sex was trauma bonding… I could go on and on.
Also, too many plot lines. The shelter, Hannah&Beth and the abuser, Claire&her dad+mom, her friends, Nick and the „romance“… it all just felt mixed up.
It just didn’t catch me 🙆🏻♀️
But also, it was sometimes very childish. Not in a good sense.
I quote a passage when they meet her shitty ex and are introducing themselves to each other:
„Jake crouches, knees wide with his elbows on his thighs, somehow looking bigger than he did standing, and doesn’t miss a beat when he says, “I’m her sugar daddy.”
Karma is a bitch.“
And no, this is not YA. She is in her late twenties. He’s 10 years older than her (not going to talk about the age gap).
I also was very disappointed by the lack of chemistry of the couple. Until 70-80%, personally for me, it DIDNT EXIST. They were just flirty and very much on the shallow, their first time sex was trauma bonding… I could go on and on.
Also, too many plot lines. The shelter, Hannah&Beth and the abuser, Claire&her dad+mom, her friends, Nick and the „romance“… it all just felt mixed up.
It just didn’t catch me 🙆🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2022
I really liked this book until 48%. ***SPOILER ALERT*** they have sex for the first time around 48%, but it’s trauma sex, my least favorite type. Their relationship felt genuine and grew steadily, but everything after that first time felt forced. 1. I just don’t appreciate trauma bonding sex, it’s very unhealthy and I don’t feel that anything is genuine. Afterward, I found it ridiculous that Claire didn’t think their relationship was “real”. WHAT DO YOU MEAN OTS NOT REAL!? You’re staying at his house, bonding with his son, and sleeping in his bed! That is the definition of a relationship. And why did you have to go to Europe for a year!? YOU COULD’VE SAID NO. Claire is an adult and could have done whatever she wanted to do, she didn’t have to go to Europe because Nora said she should. Lawd. A lot of heartache that could’ve been avoided.
May 16, 2022
Jake and Claire's coming together was a surprise but it was as if it was written in the stars. They met unexpectedly but there was a connection from the start. At times the words brought me laughter, at times it had me in tears but most of all it again made me realize how much hurt there is in the world and how often we become pro's in hiding it until the day you can't anymore. I could not put the book down, on the other hand wishing it won't come to an end. Again, the author surprised me with her talent, bringing characters and emotions alive. I loved the story, maybe my favorite of the series. I received an ARC copy and am leaving a voluntary review.
February 28, 2023
I am astonished by how much I loved this book, honestly.
I would have rated it higher if not for 1) the use of sage, cultural appropriation, no thank you. 2) the lack of communication and how fucking IRRITATING they got at times. 3) the content issues (so many typos and mistakes).
This wasn't the best book, but it was good. It was sweet, it was heartfelt, it was emotional, if a bit predictable. I can understand why people cried reading it.
I won't be reading the other two books in the series, especially book two, because I feel like it would discount the impact of this one for me, but I genuinely really enjoyed Claire and Jake's story.
I would have rated it higher if not for 1) the use of sage, cultural appropriation, no thank you. 2) the lack of communication and how fucking IRRITATING they got at times. 3) the content issues (so many typos and mistakes).
This wasn't the best book, but it was good. It was sweet, it was heartfelt, it was emotional, if a bit predictable. I can understand why people cried reading it.
I won't be reading the other two books in the series, especially book two, because I feel like it would discount the impact of this one for me, but I genuinely really enjoyed Claire and Jake's story.
September 14, 2024
Loved the unique plot. Loved how the emotional challenges were portraited amd describes in a way that you would feel it in your heart. Loved the emotional Rollercoaster i experienced while reading. Amd honestly thats what you expect in a book. To feel. And this book delivered it well. Althought the writing style could get a bit more evaporative on describing positions and their changes cause it got confusing sometimes with lack of propor explaining. But other than that its beautiful, well writing and absolutely loved the unique plot.
Finished reading this after a 14 hour casualty + 2 hours additional end appointment sandwich party after drinking leftover coffee at 12am. Currently 3am.
Finished reading this after a 14 hour casualty + 2 hours additional end appointment sandwich party after drinking leftover coffee at 12am. Currently 3am.
May 1, 2026
This will forever live rent free in my head. What a beautiful heart wrenching story of grief, trauma, acceptance and love after loss. LAG is becoming one of my favourite authors. Her writing is beautiful and her characters are organic. This book had me smiling, crying, swooning and belly laughing. Claire and Jake are end game. I was obsessed with this book - the plot, the character development and the delicious spice all while having extreme sensitives and awareness regarding trauma and grief. 5 incredible stars.
May 10, 2022
Jake and Claire's story was an emotional roller coaster from their first encounter. The ups and downs, the spice, the absolute angst between them, the tiptoeing around their attraction, the tension...my god the tension.
There are strong themes in this book that some will find triggering so please check triggers before reading.
This book had me smiling, laughing, and crying while I read it. Enter at your own risk.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There are strong themes in this book that some will find triggering so please check triggers before reading.
This book had me smiling, laughing, and crying while I read it. Enter at your own risk.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 12, 2022
I have read each book in the What Will Be series by Laura and this one was by far my favorite. The chemistry between Jake and Claire was perfect. You could really feel the intensity of their feelings for each other leaping off the pages. I really loved Jake in this. I felt like he was more possessive and protective in this book than in Watch Over My Life. There is also more spice in this one than in the other two in the series which I was happy about. Definitely some super hot scenes!! Good plot with like able characters and a happy ending! HEA for the win!!!
May 14, 2022
Wow!
I was gifted an ARC and I'll be completely honest I didn't know if I'd make it through this book. At like 20 or 30% I stopped. I'm use to fast pace and this is slower. That's perfectly fine.
I started back up within a week and fell in love with Claire and Jake. The chemistry these 2 have is amazing. They had to heal themselves and fight for each other and through it all they found love.
This book with have your emotions everywhere but it was so so good!
I was gifted an ARC and I'll be completely honest I didn't know if I'd make it through this book. At like 20 or 30% I stopped. I'm use to fast pace and this is slower. That's perfectly fine.
I started back up within a week and fell in love with Claire and Jake. The chemistry these 2 have is amazing. They had to heal themselves and fight for each other and through it all they found love.
This book with have your emotions everywhere but it was so so good!
October 10, 2025
I did not like this book and I think it’s mostly that I did not like the FMC. She was just too “perfect” like everyone loved her there wasn’t any faults in her and I’m sick of reading that. And I feel like she was compared to Jess. Don’t get me wrong the writing was great but I didn’t like the story. Too many similarities to Jess and Jake’s story especially with the abuser and it just seemed forced. I don’t think Jess got her justice and neither story turned well.
April 29, 2022
Excellent romance story that captured my heart with the main characters, their personalities, and the things that impacted their life. I love every moment and connection between everyone that left me feeling like I was apart of them.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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