Until You

by Jeannie Moon

All Kate Adams wants to do is look at the Pacific Ocean, drink her wine and forget. She wants to forget about her divorce, forget about the fractured relationship with her teenage daughter, and forget that it’s her birthday and she’s 3000 miles from home. When one of the professional hockey players who’s staying at her hotel asks her out to dinner, it’s too much…she knows she has to say no. The man is drop dead gorgeous and way too young for her. But there’s something charming about David Burke, something that tempts Kate to throw caution to the wind and accept his invitation.

It is, after all, her 40th birthday. Why not?

However, despite off the charts chemistry, and a mind-blowing one-night stand, a real romance with thirty-year-old David is out of the question. His high-octane social life is almost as newsworthy as his hockey career. It’s just too risky. No matter how much she wants him, Kate has had enough heartbreak for a lifetime.

That’s not going to work for David. Meeting Kate has been his lightning strike. After years of meaningless hook-ups, she’s the one for him, and he has no intention of giving up on her.

So, while Kate guards her fragile heart, David sets out to win her over with the same determination that drives him on the ice.

And he’ll break every rule in the book if he has to.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Sports, Contemporary, Sports Romance, Hockey, Chick Lit

390 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2015

About the author

Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author Jeannie Moon has always loved stories. The author of nineteen contemporary romances, Jeannie is married to her high school sweetheart, has three grown kids and two grandchildren, and has lived on Long Island, NY, her whole life. A retired teacher and librarian, Jeannie is also an editor and author coach with a growing freelance practice.

If she's more than ten miles away from salt water for any longer than a week, she gets twitchy.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until You is by Jeannie Moon. I won this book in a prize package in a give a way.

It is Kate Nicholls fortieth birthday and she is sitting alone at a bar at a hotel on the beach in California drinking wine, and crying. She’s not crying because she is forty, although that is part of it. Her divorce from her now ex-husband, Richard, has just become final. Richard left her ten months ago for his mistress. Even though she has had plenty of time to mourn the loss of her marriage, having these final papers in her hand brought everything to the surface again. Just as she drained the last drop of the wine from the bottle, one of the most beautiful men she has ever seen approaches her, wanting to talk. Kate has never done anything spontaneous like this. But it is her birthday, and he is gorgeous. So when he asks her to dinner, she accepts.

“This was too good. She was depressed and alone on her fortieth birthday, a landmark in any woman’s life, and out of nowhere came a gorgeous man to whisk her away for dinner on the beach.”



David Burke is twenty nine and is on the road with his hockey team. He is team captain and plays forward for the Flyers. He accepted a bet to try to get the beautiful woman sitting alone in the bar to go to bed with him. David isn’t going to turn down a chance to make some easy money. But when he approached Kate and saw she had been crying, everything changed. He wanted to make her smile and take away what ever made her cry. The minute he sat down in the chair across from Kate Nicholls, his life was forever altered.

“What had started out as a bet, and was supposed to be a simple one-night stand, had become much more. This woman could matter to him.”



David, as are most hockey players, was hounded by paparazzi. Beautiful women threw themselves at him and he took advantage of it, finding his picture in the paper countless times with different women on his arm. After he met Kate, though, he lost interest in anyone but her. He saw a glimpse of something he yearned for, a woman he could easily spend the rest of his life loving.



Kate is an English teacher at a prestigious private school. But that is only part time. Kate is a romance novelist, a famous author that has had four books on the best seller list. One of her books has been optioned for a movie deal. But, the most important thing in Kate’s life is her seventeen year old daughter, Laura.

“Talking with him was like being with an old friend; making love with him was like finding her other half.”

Kate’s ex-husband, Richard, is about the lowest form of scum I have ever read about. This man is abusive, manipulative, and I think just plain crazy. Especially towards the end, it seemed to me this man was a few marbles short of a full jar. During their entire marriage, Richard controlled everything to do with their lives. He drove a wedge so deep between Kate and her daughter that Kate didn’t know how they could ever come back from it. Laura believed everything her father told her about her mother. She was used as a pawn in a sadistic man’s quest for money and power.

Is there any way Kate wouldn’t have trust issues after the type of man her ex was? She wants to hope that David is different. When he finds out her age, though, he got scared. That is only the first of many mistakes that he made that had Kate pushing him away. She couldn’t let herself be hurt again.

“The years between them didn’t matter, their pasts didn’t matter - all that mattered was on that day in California, the fates intervened, the stars aligned, and the split soul had found its other half.”



I just want to say that I loved this book. Kate and David were awesome together. But, this wasn’t just Kate and David’s story. This was her daughter, Laura’s story as well, These are two women who had been abused and manipulated by the one man that was supposed to love and protect them. Both these women finally found the strength to stand up to him. And in doing so, they found something they had lost in themselves. Laura got her childhood back and her mother back. And, Kate found love.

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::::


I picked this book up randomly the other night because I was drawn to the premise and I started reading the first few pages out of curiosity and never stopped until the very end! It’s safe to say that I enjoyed it and was quite invested in these characters’ story which was a sweet, heart-warming romance about a forty year old heroine who just got out of an ugly marriage, and a famous, sexy (younger) professional hockey player who fell head over heels for her and made it his mission to prove to her that she was the only one for him…

Before anything, here’s the official blurb:

When newly divorced Kate Adams is approached on the sunny deck of a California hotel by hockey star David Burke, and he invites her to dinner, she almost says no. He’s obviously younger than her. And charming. And drop dead gorgeous. But there’s also something sweet about David, so Kate—who hasn’t done anything spontaneous in a very long time—accepts his invitation.
It is, after all, her fortieth birthday.

However, a real romance with thirty-year-old David, whose picture is in the gossip pages as often as it’s in the sports pages, is out of the question. No matter how much she wants him, it’s just too risky.
But meeting Kate has been David’s lightning strike. She’s the one for him, and he has no intention of giving up on her.

So while Kate guards her fragile heart, David sets out to win her over with the same determination that drives him on the ice.

And he’ll break every rule in the book if he has to.

David is one of those special book heroes whose pure devotion to the heroine is downright heart melting. I really loved his character and admired how far he was willing to go to prove to her that she was the only one he wanted… forever. I really liked that he was perfectly willing to admit when he made a mistake and had no problems going to any lengths to make up for it. I also appreciated that despite his playboy past, his devotion to Kate was never once brought into question. It was plain to see that she was it for him. All he had to do was convince her of that too.

What had started as a bet, and was supposed to be a simple one-night stand, had become much more. This woman mattered to him. At some point, David had stopped thinking about himself and started thinking about her. Her vulnerability, her openness, her intelligence were at the heart of what he felt, but there was more. It was the way they connected.
They understood each other.

Having spent the last ten years married to a manipulative, cunning, controlling and at times abusive husband, Kate naturally was extraordinarily wary about trusting anyone — let alone a famous hockey star who was known for leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. While there were times when I got frustrated with the way she kept pushing David away, the more you read, the more you saw why her trust was so broken. I did sometimes get frustrated with the way she wouldn’t trust him, but at the same time, I could see where she was coming from. And I really liked that she was very successful career-wise and stable on her own. Even though he was this famous sports star, it was almost a situation of him being out of his league with her instead of the other way around which made for a really interesting dynamic.

David was falling for her, and his biggest fear [was] that he wouldn’t measure up. He had to make sure he did everything right. He had no room for error with a woman who’d been through so much.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book. Admittedly, I found it a little cheesy in places but at the same time, I feel like it was so heart-warming that I just kind of made a decision that I just would accept it for what it was without judgement. It’s fairly predictable too, but I dunno… sometimes you just need this kind of book, y’know? It was a romance that made my tummy flutter and I swooned and cared for the characters so all in all, I was happy.

“I’m trying to figure out why you’re upset.”
Oh, my God! David, I’m ten years older than you. I have a seventeen-year-old daughter!”
He casually sat on the edge of a desk and put his jacket on the desk next to him.
“You don’t want to date a younger man?”
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“No. Not seeing you again bothers me a lot more.”

The only thing that I definitely feel would have improved the book was the inclusion of sex scenes. Given that this was a legit Adult romance, I felt like it was a little out of place to have fade-to-black bedroom scenes. However, I still bought David and Kate’s relationship and connection. I believed in them. It was clear how much they both cared for each other and I really enjoyed watching them slowly build trust.

Up until now, he’d kept the women in his life at arm’s length, but not her. Kate, he wanted to draw in, keep close. He couldn’t explain it, but as she held onto him, it was like she grabbed onto a piece of his heart and he knew he was never getting it back.

The story is told in third person but also in a way that gave both David and Kate’s perspectives so you really did get both sides of the complete story. While most of the book is focused on David and Kate’s growing relationship, there is also considerable attention to Kate’s home life. She has a seventeen-year-old daughter with whom she had a strained relationship thanks to her ex-husband’s manipulative nature. So that’s another big part of the story. This wasn’t just about romance, it was also about finding self-worth, the strength to stand up for yourself, and the value of family.

It reads as a complete full length standalone so you get the whole story in one fell swoop with no waiting. It’s a fairly long novel of 400+ pages, but I read it in one evening and really enjoyed it!

Rating: 4 stars. Standalone contemporary romance.
_______________________________________

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[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 - "The bad days always manage to get worse." Stars.

DNF @ 30%

I hate not finishing a book, and this one held such promise in it's synopsis.

I was expecting a romance between a forty year old divorcee and a twenty-nine year old Pro Ice Hockey player when I started Until You, who due to their age differences (amongst other things) have to deal with a few bumps in the road along the way. Sadly that isn't the only thing going on in the book, and it became secondary for most of the part I read.

The problems start for me with the addition of POV's from Kate's abhorrent ex-husband who at one point enters her house, without permission and pins her to a wall, that didn't sit well with me at all as well as her seventeen year old daughter, who is essentially a spoiled, selfish, brat added into the mix, personally I don't think they actually added anything to the story, and in all honesty I wasn't interested in their thoughts or opinions which in relation to Kate and David's story, didn't really seem to have anything to do with it.

There were just too many characters fighting for page space, and at approaching a third of the way through the book there wasn't a lot of development too the story as a whole. Because of the limited time they are actually together, I struggled to find a romantic connection between Kate and David, and in all honesty her conversations with him at points felt more mother/son than woman/man.

"You make me feel like a... like I don't know... an adult."

I am not a stickler for sex in my books, but if you are going to leave the sexy at the door, you really do need to have a story to back it up. That sadly isn't the case for me with Until You it needs to have the erroneous POVs removed and more time with the actual couple included.

This is of course only my opinion. I have read this authors work before and I really liked it, and I would happily read more from her in the future. On this occasion I don't think the synopsis really gives an accurate enough picture of what the book is truly about, and I wanted the story from that synopsis and not the one actually in the book.

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, I am sorry that I cannot provide a more positive review on this occasion.

[NinaReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked but didn't love.

I thought this had a lot of potential...there were aspects to it that personally interested me...a 40 year old divorcee with a 17 year old daughter (parallels a bit of my own life) and a younger hot athlete (unfortunately that part doesn't parallel my life...hehe).

The beginning was great. How they met and the night they spent together. It wasn't just the sex either...it was actually really sweet as well, just learning and talking to each other. There was a genuine connections and ease to them both. I really felt their potential.

It's after that night that the story takes a lot of different directions. Kate has problems with her ex husband, his mistress/fiance, and her daughter which takes up a lot of the story. Then on the David (the hot hockey player who's 10 years younger than her) storyline, it was starts and stops for a while. There's some realism about the start and stops but after a while, I was just ready for their story to finally pick up some speed.

An interesting thing the author does in this story is writing in multiple POVs. We of course get Kate and David's POV but there's also the ex-husband's, the daughter's, and even the mistress' POVs.

Oh and also this was a book that faded to black when all the good stuff you've been waiting for was finally going to happen. Not cool.

This was hard to rate because some aspects of the story I really really liked and some just felt too long and fell short on the totally capturing me meter. I felt it had a lot of potential but didn't quite make it there. Still a like though.

[Marea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Nicholls was picture perfect world as a wife, mother, well known author and teacher has come to a crashing end, very unexpectedly. After years of verbal abuse her husband has final left her but for another woman, now their daughter hates her and she just found out that on her 40th birthday she slept with a 29 year old. And it isn't just any 29 year old, a well known hockey player that her 17 year old daughter has a serious crush on.

David Burke was a player both on an off the ice, not wanting to commit to a serious relationship just yet. So when his NHL team had an away game in California, while at their hotel, his teammates issued him a challenge - get the woman at the table in bed by the end of the night. He accepts and makes his move, but what he doesn’t expect was the move he make to be one that he will never forget.

You know the magically connection you hear or read about, that some couples have? Well there is definitely one between Kate and David. But can that magic actually overcome all the odds and every roadblock placed before them as they try and figure out exactly what they want.

This book is incredible when it first came out and is still incredible years later when she touched up a few things in it. This it is an original, realistic, breath taking, heart stopping, don’t want to put it down until I get to the last page again book. Back then when it first came out I jokingly said I will do whatever is necessary including food at the kids and lock my door just so I can get to the end book! Well one has left the house & the other was working so this time I just had to make sure I had my snacks, my drink and my phone was turned off!! It’s a book I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it and I swear I find something I missed in it each time. It has the twists and turns, ups and downs, hate and romance that we can only dream about happening in our lives. This is by far the best book I have read in a very long time and will definitely be recommending it to everyone I know or don’t know. Jeannie Moon hit this one not just out of the park but out of the country! Now if only the story was really finished......maybe she will give us an update sometime soon on them and her daughter.

[Three Chicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
Review by Natasha Gentile

So for those of you who don’t know I’m going to be 40 this year. Not really looking forward to it, but it’s happening if I want it to or not. I also love hockey, so this book was a no brainer for me.

Kate spent her 40th birthday in a hotel bar overlooking the Pacific Ocean, celebrating the milestone with a bottle of red wine and her divorce papers.

Nothing says happy fortieth like your ex saying he wants a divorce and he’s leaving you for a newer younger model. That my friend is like a kick in the crotch. Even thought her ex was a conniving, abusive, controlling dick wad, it’s still hard.

Kate Swirled the last of the wine in her glass and took a deep breath. Cliché or not, the “other woman” forced Kate to see what a mess she’d allowed her life to become.

Enter hockey star David Burke. In California for a hockey game, he looks over and is suddenly drawn to her.

The woman didn’t look drunk, but he proceeded cautiously, just in case. Still moving slowly, David took her in. Damn, she was pretty. For the first time he could see her eyes they were hazel-not quite green, not quite brown, large and surrounded by dark spiky lashes. When she looked up and caught his gaze, David felt a whole new kind of kick in his chest. Something about this woman, about the way she looked at him, stopped him cold. When she finally broke eye contact, David regained his senses.

What does playboy David have to lose? He asks her and no one is more shocked than Kate when she says yes. Kate she is just looking for a good time tonight. She is not thinking about tomorrow she is not thinking that this guy is 10 years her junior, she is not thinking that he probably has girls in every single city he visit. She is thinking of forgetting that she is forty and divorced.

What she isn’t ready for is David and his fight to get to know her. She isn’t getting why he wants her. Why is he fighting this hard, when he can have anyone he wants? I mean his picture is all over the gossip pages. Just one little hiccup, Kate is feeling things for David that she doesn’t want to feel.

She was wonderful- proud, stubborn and completely vulnerable. David pressed her body into his. Heat shot through him. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “I love how you feel in my arms.”

So now she is fighting her feelings, she is fighting with her ex, she is fighting to make sure her daughter is ok and she is fighting to make sure that after her fling with David she can stand up and be whole again.

Can she find happiness again and open up her heart to love?

[Tanya (Girl Plus Books)]

DNF @ 38%

It's very rare that I DNF a book. Like maybe once a year, if that. I know what I like and I'm good at choosing what I read. Which makes this one all the more disappointing because this sounded so right up my alley. But instead I got ridiculous drama and misunderstandings and a main character that was totally annoying.

The two main characters met in CA, spent the night together, and totally connected (naturally). That's okay, though - I can get on board with that. But when they realize they both live in Philadelphia and decide to continue the relationship... it all went downhill for me. Kate was 10 years older than David a such a big deal was made of that. I got tired of it fast. It's not like he was 19 and she was 40. Come on, we're talking about two adults.

Next, Kate ran so hot and cold with David that I felt sorry for the poor guy. She seemed to take offense to every other thing that came out of his mouth. Several times I had to reread conversations to try and figure out what set her off that time - and I usually came up empty. The woman jumped on everything he said, found fault, and used that as a reason to act like a witch and tell him that's why things couldn't work between them. OMG, the poor guy was in a constant state of trying to "make it up" to her (even when I didn't feel like he'd done/said anything wrong) and chasing after her. It became so repetitive. She got offended, he chased after her. Rinse and repeat. David just couldn't win with her and I started to wonder why he wanted to.

Add the fact that the perspectives of Kate's spoiled brat 17 year old daughter and vile ex-husband were included (for what reason I couldn't figure out), and I was just done.

[Sandy Bartles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeannie Moon has outdone herself with this fantastic book. I couldn't put it down until I finished. Kate is a high school teacher and a successful novelist who has just been divorced by her lying, cheating husband. She is picked up in a bar by 29-year-old hockey player, David, on her 40th birthday. I love the way Ms. Moon let us see the relationships between each of the characters in the story and the heartache and rebuilding between Kate and her daughter, Laura. Such intensity!

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is my second review of Until You by Jeannie Moon which was just released. If you are interested, you can read my original review below.

For a long time there weren’t a lot of books about an older heroine with a younger man and while that tide has turned somewhat, this was one of the few books at the time with that theme and it was needed. During my second read of this book, I realized I’d forgotten about a huge part of this story which surprised me, and while it affected the couple in this book, it wasn’t about them directly so maybe that was the reason. Even after several years and reading Until You before, I still found myself immersed in this story.

Kate has just turned 40, she had a 17 year old daughter and an ex-husband who had a 10 year affair with a horrible woman he is now living with and they have managed to turn her daughter against her over the years. He ex is a piece of work; manipulative, abusive, cheater, and all around awful person and it has skewed the way Kate sees men and relationships. Sitting on a restaurant patio while in California for a conference, she is approached by a younger man. One that gives her a bit of a rush and while David approached her on a bet by his teammates, once he’s in her presence he feels he’ll never be the same. They have what was supposed to be a one night stand, but when they realize they live in the same city they agree to giving it some more time until 29 year old David realizes that Kate is not only older, she is at a very different place in her life and he makes an error in judgment one he pays for when Kate shuts him out.

First off I want to talk about the chemistry and immediate connection between these two characters. While they did have a physical relationship right off the bat, they also spent some time talking and it was easy to see they had quite a bit in common. While they did work to build a relationship throughout this book, there were so many, many layers to this story. Kate fighting her ex-husband and his fiancée for custody of her daughter, her teenage daughter dealing with her feuding parents and feeling cast aside by both, David’s ex being a vindictive shrew and causing problems for Kate at the private school she works at, a health crisis of sorts, family and friends weighing in on their relationship, and both Kate and David putting a lot of weight on their age difference; it was busy, there were so many struggles, but when you get to a certain age in life and you have past relationships that’s what life looks like. It is messy, and often hard, and so this book had realism to it that some people might not like. It wasn’t pretty, but the point is they cared enough about each other, they built trust, they respected one another and in the end they made it through. I knew when I finished this book that this couple would stay together because the storm they weathered throughout the pages of this book would have had most couples tapping out.

Iloved Kate for being strong, for building herself back up after being pushed down and broken and yes at times David paid for her insecurities, but he fought to be by her side and despite his missteps at the start he proved that he was capable of being not only who Kate wanted but the type of man who would be there when she needed him no matter what. I gained a lot of respect for David throughout this book with the way he handled so many situations with grace and when he supported both Kate and her daughter Laura by having their backs without trying to take over and control the situation.

That piece of the story I forgot about had to do with Laura and a boy/man she got involved with. It was wonderful and heartbreaking and I hope that at some point Ms. Moon will give them a chance to find one another.

Reading Only You again, especially since I’ve read quite a few Women’s Fiction stories over the last two years, I think this book fits that category but with a heavy romance vibe. Only You was a story of life, love, heartbreak, healing, moving forward, and finally… realizing that it is never too late to find happiness in your life.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.




Org Review posted 3/17/2015

Slick's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

4.5 Stars

Why is it when a 40 year old man dates a woman 10 years his junior he’s congratulated and when a woman does the same thing she’s slut shamed? It really kind of ticks me off to be honest, but I loved the way it was handled in Until You by Jeannie Moon. A 40 year old recently divorced mother of a 17 year old is picked up by a 29 (almost 30) star hockey player based on a bet he made with his team mates. They were somewhat off balance after what was supposed to be a one night stand because they both were feeling things neither one wanted to admit. Complicated, poignant, and sexy Until You is author Jeannie Moon at her finest.

This book was so much more than a romance; it was a testament to how complicated life can be. Kate is newly divorced and embroiled in a fight for custody of her 17 year old daughter. Her ex-husband and his crazy fiancée have done everything in their power to break her bond with her daughter and that doesn’t include the damage that had been done during the marriage. Kate is a successful writer and a professor at a prestigious school but on her 40th birthday while sitting on the deck at the hotel’s bar where she has attended a conference she meets David.

David is charming, he’s younger, and while he wants to win the bet he made with his teammates he won’t deny there is something about Kate that draws him to her. On top of that her daughter Laura besides dealing with her parent’s divorce and her father’s manipulative behavior she’s met a guy one she’s lied to and she’s not quite sure how to handle it. While this book was busy because there was a lot going on and while at times I did feel the romance between Kate and David got a little lost, I also reminded myself that honestly…that’s life. Just because you are starting a new relationship doesn’t mean the rest of your life gets put on hold. It goes on and you either ignore it or deal with it.

I admired Kate a lot in this book. She’s smart, funny, a little bit vulnerable, talented, and willing to take chances. She’s also an excellent parent in that she doesn’t give in to her daughter’s every whim even when the harsh words start flying AND she is really good at showing her the consequences of her actions; there were a couple of times I wanted to stand up and cheer. I also liked that she called David out on his bad behavior, that she stood her ground with him, and she made his understand she wasn’t some big boobed Barbie doll replica that he could play.

David was one conflicted man; he knew there was something special about Kate but their age difference and different places in life scared him. He made some serious missteps mainly because he had no idea what it was like to be in a serious relationship. What I loved was that he had no issues telling his friends and teammates that Kate made him feel differently and that she liked him for him not because he was a hockey player with the means to buy her whatever she wanted. David impressed me when he stepped up to the plate during a very difficult time for Kate with her daughter. He was a rock, he was objective, and he listened and offered help and support when she needed it the most.

There was just so much that was good about this book and I loved it from beginning to end. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think, and it made me one satisfied reader. Ms. Moon you outdid yourself on this one and I’m really excited to see what you do next!

Review copy provided for an honest review.

[Patty Blount · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to have read an early version of this book and it blew me away. Kate and David are very real and honestly portrayed characters and I adored the older-woman fling becoming a real romance, with real issues, and all too real mistakes. My favorite parts of this book are Kate's struggles with her teenage daughter, who seems to prefer her ex-husband's wife over Kate. GAH! Pass me the tissues....In fact, the teenage daughter's sub-plot injects a bit of a YA romance into this big book and for me, that's a bonus!

The book is full of tender moments and some hot love scenes. I think I fell in love with David myself by the second or third chapter. It was a joy for me to experience all these outside influences tugging at David and Kate, trying to show them how they can never work, but both characters mvoing beyond those limits and growing closer despite -- or maybe because -- of them.

This book was the perfect blend of romantic fairy tale and real life and has me going to hockey games to find my own David!

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Until You was a great story to read! I really enjoyed Kate and David, but also the secondary characters like Laura and Julie.
Kate is one of those characters I just couldn't help but love - she had been through a lot of bad shit with her ex-husband, and she had very little self confidence. And when she met David, she still didn't really believe she deserved happiness or love. Good thing he was so stubborn!

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely read a book where the heroine is the older one in the relationship, so this was a nice change of pace. Kate is drowning her sorrows on her 40th birthday when a young good looking man invites her to dinner. She almost says no, but changes her mind and goes. What happens after is a wonderful love story.

I could SOOOO easily identify with Kate. She's just turned 40, recently divorced from a TOTAL jackwagon, insecure because of her ex-husband's horrible treatment of her, and lost in her failing relationship with her 17 year old daughter. Along comes this handsome younger man, and they click immediately, but David has a reputation as a player and Kate is wary because of that and his age. After David pulled his head out of his rear and realized he really cared for Kate, he had to work to get her back. But oh! How wonderful his wooing was! He was sweet, romantic, and protective.

There were a couple of things that kept me from giving this 5 stars...we got the point of view of the ex-husband, jerk-face Richard, and even the point of view of Kate's daughter, Laura. I didn't need any of that. Laura was a typical snot-nosed 17 year old brat at first. Thankfully she wisened up and realized what her dipwad dad was doing and starting rebuilding a relationship with her mom. The ex-husband? A slow painful death would be too good for him - enough said.

This was my first read by Jeannie Moon, but won't be my last :)

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

[Bette Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved! Loved! Loved! This is an exquisitely told story of a woman dealing with all the issues faced when trying to rebuild a life. Freshly divorced and facing forty, being alone isn't exactly appealing. When a chance encounter with a much younger man turns into so much more Kate Adam's world is rocked off it's axis. Throw in a controlling abusive ex and a rocky at best relationship with her teenage daughter and it may be more than Kate can handle.

I loved the characters in this book and with all that was going on, never once did I feel lost. Great writing kept everything together and moving forward. I highly recommend this one for everyone.

[Wendy Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I LOVED this book. Usually I like my sex scenes hotter, but honestly, I didn't miss the hot sex. This story was THAT GOOD. My only complaint is I made the mistake of starting this story on the way home from vacation...then I sat and finished it after I got home...instead of unpacking or going food shopping or doing laundry or catching up on everything I'd missed on social media while I was away.

Very highly recommended!!! (But make sure you have time to read it in one sitting!)

[Jenny Crumpler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an unedited digital ARC.

I absolutely LOVE this book!! It takes you through a lot of real emotions, presents the after effects of abuse and has a fairytale romance!

Ms. Moon does leave us wanting more in this one. Not a cliffhanger in the traditional sense, there is resolution, however it leaves you questioning. What happens with...? What about...?

Overall, excellent read!!

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the blurb and just had to read this one. A pro hockey player approaches a woman at a bar on the beach on a bet from his teammates and discovers a whole lot more than he bargained for while she has recently divorced her cheating husband and is dealing with the fall-out while looking at her fortieth birthday as a curse though the younger attractive hockey player who wants to be with her for the night sure does compensate for turning the dreaded 4-0.

Having read this author once before, I remembered how deep and emotional her writing was and that was not lacking in this story, either. The romance is only one of the elements and this read more like women's fiction at times. David and others share the narration, but this really is Kate's story. It was hard to read the first half of this book because she's not in good shape and neither is her life, but then she finds strength and grows. David is a part of that, but its really all on her to complete the process of healing and finding happiness. It was a beautiful story in the end and left me sitting there processing Kate's journey and the lovely life she made in the end.

As I noted, this story starts with best-selling author and teacher, recent divorcee to a controlling cheater, and mother to a hating, angry teenager, Kate Adams sitting at a bar and staring out at the ocean taking stock of her life. She assumes she will now be on the shelf and living a lonely, cold life. Then the unexpected happens when a big, rugged, athletic younger man comes to her table and talks her into a night of fun to celebrate her birthday. She is guarded, but she does have fun. David takes her out to eat and then to the boardwalk carousel and back to the hotel. They talk, they laugh, and they make love. She assumes its over, but is wistful when they go their separate ways knowing that he plays hockey for Philly and she lives near Philadelphia.

David Burke took a bet that he could seduce the woman sitting alone at the bar, but it doesn't take him long at all to forget about the bet and just enjoy the special lady he has found. Kate is like no woman he has been with and she's a far cry from those who hang around hoping to hook up with a hockey player. He barely knows what to do with the sophisticated woman who talks of interesting things, who has obviously been hurt by her douche of an ex and turns out to be more famous than him as a NY Times bestselling author of books that he's read and loved. For the first time, he wants more. Then he screws things up not taking her age well and not making a clean break from his womanizing past. Kate makes it clear that he screwed up bad and wants nothing to do with him, but David is a fighter and loves a challenge and in his heart he knows Kate is worth it.

Kate knew that being older than David would be a problem and knew that a guy who could have any woman and did was a bad bet and he didn't prove her wrong. But now, David is the least of her worries when her ex-husband and his fiancee are going for full custody and her daughter takes every opportunity to jab in her own knife and make it clear that she believes every lie her father told her. Kate has never stood up for herself and has no feeling of self-worth, but she used to and away from her repressive ex she slowly starts to find herself again. It doesn't hurt that a handsome hockey player is working hard to convince her that she's something special- particularly to him.

Alright, I got a whole lot more than I bargained for in this one. There was the age difference romance and the situation with the ex. There is so much going on in this one. Not in a frenzied fast paced way, but in a slow build long coming crisis sort of thing. There are multiple narrators and even a few side storylines. Kate and David are the main narrators, but Kate's daughter and even her ex get significant page time. I enjoyed getting the various perspectives. The story felt more rounded and authentic this way. I also needed a break that the flipping of the scenes gave to me.

I enjoyed that the progress of this story was over months of time because that was the only way this was going to feel right. So many things needed teasing out and so many people including the main characters needed time to grow.

I judged Kate pretty hard when I started reading, but then discovering the abuse she took for 20 years from her ex made me see things in a much different light. It still wasn't easy to see her so beaten down and fearful, but it totally made sense. His abuse was the controlling, degrading emotional sort sprinkled with a little of the physical so that by the time she is forty, she is far from seeing herself, situations, and others clearly. Things got pretty bleak and bad before getting better. Fortunately, I wasn't worried about getting so much depth and emotion and expected it somewhat. I even tolerated more angst than is my norm because I was so vested in seeing Kate really make a comeback.

David had his own issues and crisis. He wanted Kate, but he totally screwed things up a few times because he had to figure out how to shift from being a player and a guy who didn't do relationships to being a real man that hung in there and put in the time with a relationship. Even though he is already famous and the captain of his team, he felt inferior and uncertain which was also why he messed up. But the thing is, this guy knew what an apology was and he knew the quality of Kate. He was uncertain at first, but once he went all in, he was her hero even before she realized it.

Now, Kate's daughter, Laura, was an angry, confused, hormonal teenager who chose manipulation and guilt as her weapons to make her mother emotionally bleed. Kate had previously never defended herself so all Laura got was a steady dose of her father's lying venom. I wanted to smack her so hard, but then this was her story, too, and she did grow and go through some tough truth moments.

And that leads me to the Ex, grrrrrr. This needed to be a murder mystery so someone could kill him off preferably in a really horrific manner. Oh, he was a true villain. When David made him almost wet his pants, I was jumping up and down pumping my fist like he'd scored a hat trick all by himself. But that was nothing to the cheering I did when Kate stood her ground with him.

Incidentally, it was quite obvious that the author put the time into the background of the characters and the backdrop. Hockey is David's world, writing and teaching are Kate's just as music is Laura's. And I loved learning Kate's surprise background just as David did and to see how he treasured this and made it come alive again for Kate. I think having these things and others help make the emotional side and the romance feel so much more authentic.

Anyway, this was a fantastic read and actually makes a nice holiday read since a large portion at the end was over the winter holiday season. I can easily recommend this one to those who want a passionate, deeply-emotional contemporary romance with a sport hero and a literary heroine in an age-difference romance.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

[E-Reader Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

Edit June 5, 2022, reread of rerelease

This is STILL my favorite Jeannie Moon book. I love it so much I was willing to buy it...AGAIN...because it was rereleased with some updates (FYI those updates were minimal - instead of the heroine discovering disappointing news in a newspaper, she finds it on Instagram instead) and I always want to support my favorite authors.

However...I almost wish I hadn't wasted my money. If you're going to rerelease a book, you really should make sure you get rid of any errors that may have been there before, and NOT add any new ones. My favorite typo? When the word ho was used instead of he. And it wasn't in the "updated" part of the book. Just a random sentence that was changed. (And yes, I went back and checked my original copy.)

I've read this book countless times and this story will always be a favorite, but this time I could't help be a little disappointed. I spent my hard-earned money on this book - a second time! - and got a book with more typos and mistakes.


GAH! I LOVED this book. If I was making a case for why Jeannie Moon is so great, Until You would be Exhibit D or E. Or maybe B...it’s hard to rank her books off the top of my head, I've loved so many of them!

Sadly, I’m in a bit of a review funk. Words just aren’t coming to me (can reviewers get writer’s block???), making writing my reviews more frustrating/stressful than enjoyable. But I want to at least TRY because, again, I LOVED this book!

Kate is celebrating her 40th birthday alone, at a California beach bar, when she’s approached by extremely good-looking - and much younger - David Burke. It takes some convincing, but Kate agrees to have dinner with David. And after their lovely evening, she also spends the night with him, thinking she’ll never see him again. When they discover they both live in Philadelphia, David asks for her phone number so he can continue to see her. It’s at their first dinner at home when David finds out exactly how old Kate is.

He’s a little wigged out by her age. But just as he’s deciding he doesn’t care about the 10 year age difference, Kate decides she can’t really afford to be involved with him.

There’s a bit of back and forth between them trying to decide if they’re going to be together or not, which would normally bug the crap out of me. But in this story, it absolutely makes sense. Kate has some very real, very legitimate reasons for keeping David at a distance, and David has his own issues to work through. Ultimately, I loved Kate and David together and I loved how their conflicts worked out.

But the best thing about this book is that it isn’t just about Kate and David. There’s a whole side-story dealing with Kate’s horrible, manipulative ex-husband, and her strained relationship with 17 year old daughter Laura. Really, Laura’s storyline was almost as compelling as her mother’s, and it was wonderful to see them work through their issues as well.

This was simply an excellently written story with several compelling plotlines. Ms. Moon frequently gives the reader more than what they may be expecting, and it’s one of the reasons why I love her writing SO much! The thing I wasn’t so in love with was the ending. I feel like there’s so much left of Kate and David’s story - and certainly more for Kate’s daughter and David’s teammate. I like to see my beloved heroes and heroines solidly into a happily ever after, and feel we were left with a happy for now. But I suppose leaving a reader wanting more is never a bad thing.

PS Jeannie Moon, I’m REALLY, REALLY hoping your next book is about Laura and Jack! There's nothing so sweet and so strong as a first love, and their breakup was so heartbreaking, and I really, really hope they get to be together in the future.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

First reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf


Love doesn’t care about age. It matters not whether two people are on the same timeline or a decade apart. Love does not care. Love knows only that it exists and it will find a way.

Until You is about love. How it can take us over, spit us out and change us from who we thought we were to who we can become. It’s about learning the most important kind of love of all – learning to love ourselves, and if we can’t do that, then working on making ourselves loveable to us first and the rest later. It’s about the bad not being so terrible that we cannot get through it. It’s about choices that all the people in our lives make and how their choices make a difference in our own lives.

It’s not about the age difference between David and Kate. Sure, it’s a wonderful hook, it is true for so many couples these days as we begin to understand that age is a number, not the person we (or they) truly are. When I first started reading Until You, I admit, it was the age difference that caught my eye and opened the pages of the book. But it wasn’t what kept me reading. It was two people who were falling in love, slowly with great care and misunderstandings and mistakes – but falling no matter what.

I believe you should read this book. It will touch you on a level beyond the challenge of two people of differing ages – it will show you that no two people fall in love alone, that family and friends, and even strangers make differences in how we see each other. And,yes, that some people will be arses no matter what and they have to live with that fact, too.

Until You will give you insights into your own relationships. Oh, it’s not the purpose of the novel, but by reading it you might begin to question how your love for one special person makes a difference in the lives of all the people in your life.

I recommend this book to anyone who is of an age to fall in love. And who is brave enough to take on all that loving someone will require. It’s an excellent read, one you should pick up soon. It launches March 17, 2015 start looking for it then.

*I received an e-ARC of Until You from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

[Alima Livzletlivz · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Until You” by Jeannie Moon is one of the most impressive books I’ve read in recent history. Loaded in emotions and insecurities, this is the story of 40-year old divorced woman, betrayed and hurt, having gone through a messy divorce, and spending a lonely birthday.

Kate Adams thought she had a great life, until her husband cheats and leaves her for another woman. Katherine Adams as the famous author is confident and successful. But Kate Adams, the mother, the woman and a divorcee is hurting in the aftermath of a messy divorce and sustaining a fragile relationship with her teenage daughter, Laura

A chance meeting with the elite hockey player David Burke ends in a bedroom for both them as instant attraction flares between them. A bet with his teammates pulls David into a relationship that he cannot seem to forget or forgo. Age becomes a thorn in his side, before he realizes that he’s fallen in love with Kate. And David has an uphill battle to convince Kate that he truly loves her and is in it for the long haul.

Jeannie Moon does a stupendous job with David and Kate. I don’t think words would do justice to these two amazing characters with layers of emotions and insecurities. The relationship between Kate and Laura is so vividly portrayed, wrought with pain, hurt and lies, and the relationship between Laura and David deserves accolades. The entire narration is perfectly played out with articulate dialogues, intense emotions of pain and passion as two individuals poles apart try to make a future with each other. The secondary characters, and the page space given to Kate’s ex-husband and his wife, and their role weaved into Kate and David’s life, makes “Until You” an exceptional read.

Another definite winner from Jeannie Moon’s kitty!

Received an ARC from Tule Publishing via NetGalley for an honest review

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story (mostly) of Kate and David. Kate just turned 40, is divorced, fighting for custody of her 17 year old daughter and a one night stand with a 29yr old handsome man while in the Caribbean sounds just about perfect. The only problem - it turns out he lives in the same city she does back in the US and is a famous hockey player to boot. Not wanting to let things end so quickly, they see each other back at home and thus starts the push and pull of their relationship. The age difference between them is the problem on both ends - will they be able to overcome their insecurities and make a real relationship and future together?

While this story is ostensibly billed as a contemporary romance, I found there was a lot more going on than just the romance between Kate and David, making it more of a women's fiction story. The story is told in six points of view - Kate, David, Kate's ex Richard, Richard's girlfriend Marie, Kate's daughter Laura and the young man Laura starts dating, Jack. Right there to me is the indication that this is not strictly a romance genre book, though the relationship between Kate and David is the backbone of the story - there are too many voices trying to be heard. In truth I enjoyed the story quite a bit, and I didn't mind all the other voices though they did pull away from the romance. I thought it was a much more realistic take on the older woman/younger man romance - there are complications that can't be glossed over. The ex, the daughter, the reaction of the workplace to the relationship etc.

A large part of the story was actually Laura's, the confused 17 year old looking for love, caught between her parents and the lies and truths of their previous relationship. I enjoyed David's character quite a bit - he's a well known playboy in the hockey world, used to the puck bunnies that jump into bed with him eagerly and Kate is the opposite of that. She's sophisticated, smart, successful in her own right as a writer and not at his beck and call. He has to work at maintaining any kind of relationship with her and it doesn't take long for him to realize that it's what he wants for his future. There is definite chemistry between them and the love scenes are sexy and emotional - there just aren't that many of them as once they are stateside the reality of life bogs them down.

Kudos to David though for sticking the course and being with Kate through all that ensues - he really made a good hero. Their happy ending was definitely worth it. If the story were just about Kate and David it could have been half the length. But for me, all the extra subplots were interesting too. 4 stars.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.

[Missolka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The romance Until you is fascinating. It was the first time for long I enjoyed reading and didn't want to go to bed.

Kate Adams is forty, she is divorced, her ex-husband cheated her and hit, her daughter doesn't take her as a mother and is completely and totally on her father's side.

And at this particular time Kate meets hockey star David Burke. He is younger than her and is famous for being goer. Kate is his bet, that has turned into love, her pregnancy and miscarriage. After so many years of living with the man who put her down Kate is afraid of new relationship. But despite everything David earns her confidence. Everything changes - she loves and being loved, her daughter stays with her.

It's very interesting that we learn about feelings from both sides - Kate's and David's. Waiting for the book about Laura and Jack.
I can say that this romance is very sincere and touching.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: This ARC was provided by Tule Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate Nicholls is officially forty, but instead of spending her birthday with a party surrounded by family and friends, she's wallowing in a bottle of wine that she appears to have polished off all by herself. She has a family and close friends that love and support her and she's a bestselling and well-respected author. On the other hand, she's divorced and her ex-husband and his mistress turned fiancée have brainwashed her seventeen-year-old daughter. Thinking about her ex is no way to celebrate her birthday, so when a good looking man approaches her, checks to see if she's okay, and then asks her out to dinner, she decides to throw caution to the wind and agrees to go out with this younger man, thinking it'll be a one-time thing.

David Burke isn't even thirty yet and he's already known for his professional and personal lives. He's a highly successful hockey player and is the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. He also happens to be one of the most eligible bachelors around, dating often but never getting involved with any woman seriously. When he takes on a bet to try and get the beautiful woman sitting by herself at a bar, he soon realizes there's something much more to her and that she's going to be more than a one-night stand. But with his paparazzi-fueled playboy reputation making him tabloid fodder and the ten-year age difference, David finds himself hopelessly and constantly taking one step forward and two steps back in his pursuit of Kate.

Kate and David want and can't stop thinking about one another but Kate's insecurities about her age and having to deal with her troubled relationship with her daughter Laura and the meddling of her greedy ex-husband Richard have her avoiding getting into anything serious with David. On the other hand, David's past non-relationships with women and a jealous girl he was with for a period of time appear to have solidified his public persona as a player. Will these two be able to overcome unbalanced exes, their respective pasts, and all doubts and realize that what may have started as just one night together could end up being the forever after that they both want but don't think they're meant to share with one another?

Bestselling author Jeannie Moon has weaved together a beautiful and touching contemporary romance novel with a well-blended mix of several themes. We have two celebrities in their own right; one is a bestselling author, the other a professional hockey player. They've got more than a decade between them in terms of age. She's divorced and has a teenage daughter while he's never been in a committed relationship. You would think they would have nothing much in common but there's something intangible that simply connects them. Even as they try to walk away or keep their distance, their thoughts never stray far from the idea of being together, and each time time they are together, their feelings simply intensify.

This is a second chance romance, but when I say "second chance", it isn't about two people who were together once, broke up, and then got back together again years later. The second chance here is for Kate who was married to a man she loved and whom she believed loved her just as much, only to find out what kind of person he truly was. David's never really been in love before, so this is his chance to finally experience it and to learn that he needs to not just reactive but proactive if he wants to be with Kate. I loved how these two were on a journey of sorts, trying to process and work through everything and everyone, including themselves, on their way to being together and learning to take necessary chances.

Until You is one of those novels that will have you going through various emotions--frustration at the main characters who you know want to be with the other person but keep finding excuses not to or simply taking way too much time to do something about it; happiness during those moments that they're able to set aside their hang-ups and just let things be what they're meant to be; anger at the treatment Kate was receiving from her ex-husband, his fiancée, and her own daughter; and satisfaction with how Kate and Laura finally stood up for themselves. This was not a quick read but one that I finished in one sitting (at nearly five in the morning!) but one that will stay with me for a good, long while. I loved it! 4.5 stars, rounded off to five stars for Goodreads! ♥

Release Date: 17 March 2015

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read everything Jeannie Moon has written to date and I've loved all of it.

Kate's plate is full, she is a mother to a 17-year old girl and her ex-husband is a giant turd who manipulates everyone.  Kate is all too aware of her ex's manipulations because she was a victim of it for years.  David is a 29-year old hockey player when he meets Kate  and they hook up.  Their chemistry and connection is immediate and neither one anticipates how their lives will intertwine.

I came into this book thinking that it would be solely about the love story between Kate and David, it's not.  There is a lot going on in this book. A lot.  There are so many layers.  Relationships between friends, family members and lovers.  Kate has to deal with her feelings for David, her teenage daughter and her piece of crap ex- husband.  This book is chock full of real -life complications.

Kate wonders about David and his age and whether or not her age would be an issue. Would he tire of her like her ex did and want a woman his own age at some point?  Her ex- husband did a number on her self-esteem and understandably, she has some insecurities.  I'll admit that I had a very hard time with Kate's decisions regarding David at times.  But, then I began to understand how her ex's treatment of her deeply impacted her feelings about herself and the decisions she makes. Kate's ex-husband also manipulates their daughter in an attempt to turn her against Kate.  I'm telling you, the ex is a piece of work.  Laura, Kate's daughter engages in a romance of her own that I was equally interested in.  Laura and Jack were so sweet together.

I'm REALLY, REALLY  (hint, hint, Jeannie Moon and Tule Publishing ) hoping we get another book with more from these characters. I think there is still so much to explore between Kate and David and her daughter and the guy she fell in love with.   Complications abound for Kate's daughter and the man/boy she fell so hard for and I'd love to read more about all four of them.

Until You is about more than just David and Kate's romance, it's a story about a family, it's ups and downs and how it changes and recreates itself.

 
Purchase:
This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!
Review by Natasha Gentile

So for those of you who don’t know I’m going to be 40 this year. Not really looking forward to it, but it’s happening if I want it to or not. I also love hockey, so this book was a no brainer for me.

Kate spent her 40th birthday in a hotel bar overlooking the Pacific Ocean, celebrating the milestone with a bottle of red wine and her divorce papers.

Nothing says happy fortieth like your ex saying he wants a divorce and he’s leaving you for a newer younger model. That my friend is like a kick in the crotch. Even thought her ex was a conniving, abusive, controlling dick wad, it’s still hard.

Kate Swirled the last of the wine in her glass and took a deep breath. Cliché or not, the “other woman” forced Kate to see what a mess she’d allowed her life to become.

Enter hockey star David Burke. In California for a hockey game, he looks over and is suddenly drawn to her.

The woman didn’t look drunk, but he proceeded cautiously, just in case. Still moving slowly, David took her in. Damn, she was pretty. For the first time he could see her eyes they were hazel-not quite green, not quite brown, large and surrounded by dark spiky lashes. When she looked up and caught his gaze, David felt a whole new kind of kick in his chest. Something about this woman, about the way she looked at him, stopped him cold. When she finally broke eye contact, David regained his senses.

What does playboy David have to lose? He asks her and no one is more shocked than Kate when she says yes. Kate she is just looking for a good time tonight. She is not thinking about tomorrow she is not thinking that this guy is 10 years her junior, she is not thinking that he probably has girls in every single city he visit. She is thinking of forgetting that she is forty and divorced.

What she isn’t ready for is David and his fight to get to know her. She isn’t getting why he wants her. Why is he fighting this hard, when he can have anyone he wants? I mean his picture is all over the gossip pages. Just one little hiccup, Kate is feeling things for David that she doesn’t want to feel.

She was wonderful- proud, stubborn and completely vulnerable. David pressed her body into his. Heat shot through him. He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “I love how you feel in my arms.”

So now she is fighting her feelings, she is fighting with her ex, she is fighting to make sure her daughter is ok and she is fighting to make sure that after her fling with David she can stand up and be whole again.

Can she find happiness again and open up her heart to love?

[Slick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review coming 5/30/22 www.simplylovebooks.com
4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads

Only You was a story of life, love, heartbreak, healing, moving forward, and finally… realizing that it is never too late to find happiness in your life. I enjoyed this one very much!

[*P · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "Loved this Story" Stars

Kate is spending her 40th birthday alone at a hotel bar in California. Recently divorced and also dealing with a strained relationship with her daughter, Kate isn't having the best day. Things change when a handsome younger guy asks her to dinner. Kate knew David looked familiar but she couldn't figure out why. They have an incredible night and it ends with them in her bed. She is totally shocked to find out that they live in the same town and that David wants to see her when they get back.

Sure enough, there was something about Kate, and even though he won the bet with the guys on the team, he wouldn't cash in because what they had seemed different. He didn't delay in calling her to go out again, but the wonderful evening ends somewhat uncertain when it comes to light that not only is Kate ten years older but she has a seventeen year old daughter.

It takes awhile for this couple to find their way back to each other after that night. Feelings are hurt, things are misinterpreted, but eventually true feelings come to light. A shocking surprise brings the couple back together, but knowing the feelings of both, it would have only been a matter of time.

This story was wonderful. Well written, it allows you to go along the journey Kate makes from being a woman destroyed from a horrible and abusive marriage, to the strong resilient woman she always within. David helps her with the self discovery. Beyond the love story is also a story about a mother seeking to restore a relationship with her daughter and the challenges her daughter is facing as a result of the manipulation she has endured. There is a wonderful side story with Kate's daughter Laura that will have you torn, knowing it is wrong but hoping things could work out.

Supportive best friends, sexy moments and parts that will make your heart ache, all come together as Moon tells us this beautiful story. Definitely a great read that I highly recommend. I cannot wait to read more from Moon.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Book Gannet · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This book was a pure tonic - I loved it from start to finish.

Kate is a wonderful character. She’s had a rough time, not just because of her recent acrimonious divorce, but because of the cruel twenty years she went through before it. Her ex-husband is a nasty piece of work, and even though he might have left her he’s still interfering in her life, trying to steal their daughter away. But Kate is more than just an abused wife finding her feet again, she’s smart, she’s gutsy, she’s caring and she’s just lovely. I really liked her. True, her doubts and low self-esteem when it came to David sometimes verged on annoying, but she does have her reasons.

Ah, David. So young, so stupid, yet so sweet and determined. He does some stupid stuff throughout this book, but I loved how he tried to atone. Kate might feel out of her depth with him because of his experience, but he’s plagued with doubts too. He tries to give Kate what she wants, even though it seems like he’s giving up too easily. He’s a mess, really, but a cute one. Their romance is lovely. The moment where he meets Kate’s mother is just perfect.

Of course this story is about more than divorcée meets hockey player and ensuing shenanigans. For one thing, the heat level is fairly mild, for another this tale is also about Kate’s relationship with her daughter, Laura, and how much damage has been done by her ex-husband over the years and is still being done despite the divorce. It’s also about Laura growing up a little. There are moments when Laura is such an awful brat, but also one’s that made me want to cheer. This story also has moments of heartbreak and sadness, but through it all I just wanted Kate to be happy – especially if that happiness lay with David.

A lovely read that dips high and low on the emotional rollercoaster, with a thoroughly good heroine and a sweet, sporting hero, I really enjoyed this. I definitely want to read more from this author.

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until You isn’t like any contemporary romance I usually read. From the moment I got into Kate Nicholls thoughts, it was like I stepped into an episode of the daytime drama, Days of Our Lives. Kate was a strong woman, a teacher and a bestselling writer. Despite this, she struggled with her relationship with her daughter 17-year old Laura, who was being brainwashed by her father, Richard. Divorced from Kate, Richard was adamant in taking custody of their child, and even demanded for financial support from Kate. It was absurd, he was relentless, he’s willing to do everything just to get money and gain control from his ex-wife and spend her money with his mistress.

Then there’s famous hockey-player and ten years younger, David Burke. He’s got the world under his icy feet, he could have any girls by his side anytime he wanted. But he changed ever since he met Kate at the bar. He was challenged. Especially after knowing that she was 10 years older than him. (Honestly, I don’t have any issues with women having relationship with younger men, I am so open to that. So I was glad to read a setting like this in this book). It didn’t take long for him to realize that Kate wasn’t like any other woman he dated. He didn’t care if she’s older or a best-seller. He began to care for her and her alone. They saw each other, on and off, until that fateful day when they lost something precious.

I was quite emotional while reading this book. I didn’t know how to feel. The relationship, the consequences, the battle, the whole shenanigans have taken it’s toll on me. Yeah, me. I felt every emotion carried by the characters, I was perplexed. In the end, I have hang on to my wits and gained control of my own emotions. Yes, that’s how powerful this story is. With that, I can assure you that this won’t be the last Jennie Moon novel that I’d read.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this delightful tale of author, teacher and newly divorced Kate Adams journey to new love. She’s celebrating her fortieth birthday alone having attended a conference in California when she’s approached by a hunk who is charming, gorgeous and instantly attractive to her. She’s always been “good”, doing as expected of her and doing nothing to rock the boat. It hasn’t got her anywhere romantically, other than married to a cheating, abusive and manipulative husband who was always determined to make her out as an uncaring and worthless mother and wife. The ‘hunk’ is David Burke, a hockey star who has approached her initially as a bet from his team mates but, despite their ten year age difference, their attraction to each other is mutual and not just sexual. It is only after she’s slept with him and gone home that she finds out why he’s so familiar - her daughter has a poster of him on her bedroom wall! However, she’s the mother to a seventeen year old and her ex-husband and new partner are determined to undermine the mother/daughter bond in anyway they can. Her ex-husband is also a leech, after her money and trying to take their daughter away from her completely. Can she risk her heart? Can love find a way for these two? Will she take a risk on their love?

This is a great story, stretch marks and all, with well defined characters, experiences and events that are easy to relate to. I particularly appreciated how the author made ALL the characters involved relate to each other and the side events were intrinsic to the whole story, complete with enough twists and turns to make it a real roller coaster ride. A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend - I’ll certainly be looking for more books by this author.

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too, for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Judyrudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until You by Jeannie Moon is a heartwarming story about Kate Adams and David Burke. Kate is celebrating her fortieth birthday when she’s approached by David Burke. He is a famous hockey player and is a decade younger than Kate. Not only is she drowning her birthday in a bottle of wine, she is also fretting over her recent divorce. They spend the evening together and when she returns home is surprised when she realizes who David is. Not only does he play for her hometown team but is also a fan favorite of her daughter’s.

Kate and David’s connection is magical. It’s one that everyone hopes to encounter. Not only is Kate dealing with her daughter and ex-husband, she is also dealing with deep trust issues that stem from her marriage. Kate was abused but she also discovers that her husband cheated on her most of their marriage. David wants to make their relationship work but he realizes that Kate’s issues run deep. As he helps her overcome the past, they are faced with a traumatic event that changes all of their lives. Until You also focuses on Kate’s daughter Laura and the lifelong issues that have kept them apart. Laura also makes some decisions that affect her relationship with her parents. I loved how David stepped in and not only stood by Kate’s side but also Laura’s during their various crises.

Until You was one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I hope that Ms. Moon continues to tell Kate and David’s story along with that of her daughter Laura. I’d like to disclose that I received an advance copy of Until You in exchange for a fair and honest review.