What do you think?
Rate this book
Phoenix Fals #1
Where We Left Off
River Linton is finishing her Senior year of high school when she runs into Tate Coleson. He has sparkling eyes, dark tousled hair... and he was the worst thing that ever happened to her.
Tate is a blast from the past that River is determined to avoid, but keeping her distance is easier said than done. The more time that River and Tate spend together, the more that the truth of her past seems to unravel.
As River prepares to graduate and begin a life at college, she must decide whether to believe in her memories or to trust her gut. When the time comes to put her heart on the line, only one thing is for not everything is as it seems.
Where We Left Off is a coming of age, small town romance, containing some mature content. For more information visit www.sapphireauthor.com
Tate is a blast from the past that River is determined to avoid, but keeping her distance is easier said than done. The more time that River and Tate spend together, the more that the truth of her past seems to unravel.
As River prepares to graduate and begin a life at college, she must decide whether to believe in her memories or to trust her gut. When the time comes to put her heart on the line, only one thing is for not everything is as it seems.
Where We Left Off is a coming of age, small town romance, containing some mature content. For more information visit www.sapphireauthor.com
279 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 18, 2022
1452 people are currently reading
24995 people want to read
About the author
Sapphire Hale
7 books600 followersSapphire is a debut author, writing contemporary and new adult romance books. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Durham University and a Master of Philosophy degree from Cambridge University. You can find her on TikTok and Instagram at @sapphiresbookshelf or on her website at www.sapphireauthor.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 865 reviews
April 9, 2023
this book would have been better if all the characters died
February 26, 2023
only stayed cause mitch was a total dilf
July 31, 2023
this was cute, but it was giving ✨wattpad✨
April 27, 2023
Take a shot every time it says pheromones challenge
April 13, 2023
dnf’d cause of the step-sibling trope why did no one warn me😭😭😭😭😭😭
June 7, 2023
she described kissing as a “wet hot muscle” so i got nauseous
May 24, 2023
the fanfiction i wrote at age 12 is better than this
September 3, 2023
give me back my time
April 16, 2023
don’t even ask me
April 15, 2023
IT WAS SO BORING HELLO?
-
Only read it cause I saw a small clip from tiktok, IT WASNT EVEN ACTUALLY IN THE BOOK? This book was bull poo.
One too many fade to blacks.
-
Only read it cause I saw a small clip from tiktok, IT WASNT EVEN ACTUALLY IN THE BOOK? This book was bull poo.
One too many fade to blacks.
April 19, 2023
i’m genuinely ashamed about the fact that i read this book
April 20, 2023
This book taught me to never trust TikTok recommendations.
December 15, 2022
I’m obsessed with the pink 😍 also, great title!
So I loved that it was a quick easy read. And for a debut it’s written relatively well. The book started off strong, but then it started to meander somewhat… then tailspin the fuck out 😂
I love a high school setting but I dnno this felt young to me?
BUT the major things that annoyed me, I found hilarious 😆🤣 I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.
It’s constantly raining 😂😂 I’m not kidding. It rained throughout the whole book. The rain references were REAL. So the characters are always wet 😭🤣 and when it’s not from rain it’s from just stepping out the shower 🤣🤣🤣
River and Tate started off strong, enemies. The objective is clear, River wants to stay away from Tate due to their history and his dad dating her mum is her worst nightmare.
But I stopped understanding her behaviour. She wants to stay away from Tate, yet agrees to go to his motorcross game with his Dad and wears a slutty top to get his attention 🤣 a fight breaks out and Tate just stands there lmfao. What she wanted became unclear and the story just… yeah like I said meandered lol. There was no purpose.
Some lines really cringed me out, when Tate said to River “it’s about time you had a real man in your house” referring to himself when he’s not even 16 at the time🤣🤣🤣 manz balls probably haven’t dropped yet lmfao.
Also when River calls Mitch stepdad/calls Tate her stepbrother when he’s only just started dating her mum??? And when Mitch grounds her?!?! WTF 🤣 you have no authority here!! Her Mum also literally disappeared throughout the book 😭 Speaking of which where is Rivers real father, can he stand up? Did I miss that?
Giving a character hobbies and music tastes isn’t enough. I didn’t connect to either River or Tate, because their goals/objectives/wants weren’t clearly established. Their interactions lost meaning for me.
Rivers internal monologue did have me ROARING tho, but I think it was unintentional?? 🤣 the shit she came out with.
Also, the reason they stopped speaking = the worst trope in history. Basically miscommunication, I can’t stand it!
Overall, for a debut, it’s not bad but there’s a lot I would change! ❤️
So I loved that it was a quick easy read. And for a debut it’s written relatively well. The book started off strong, but then it started to meander somewhat… then tailspin the fuck out 😂
I love a high school setting but I dnno this felt young to me?
BUT the major things that annoyed me, I found hilarious 😆🤣 I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.
It’s constantly raining 😂😂 I’m not kidding. It rained throughout the whole book. The rain references were REAL. So the characters are always wet 😭🤣 and when it’s not from rain it’s from just stepping out the shower 🤣🤣🤣
River and Tate started off strong, enemies. The objective is clear, River wants to stay away from Tate due to their history and his dad dating her mum is her worst nightmare.
But I stopped understanding her behaviour. She wants to stay away from Tate, yet agrees to go to his motorcross game with his Dad and wears a slutty top to get his attention 🤣 a fight breaks out and Tate just stands there lmfao. What she wanted became unclear and the story just… yeah like I said meandered lol. There was no purpose.
Some lines really cringed me out, when Tate said to River “it’s about time you had a real man in your house” referring to himself when he’s not even 16 at the time🤣🤣🤣 manz balls probably haven’t dropped yet lmfao.
Also when River calls Mitch stepdad/calls Tate her stepbrother when he’s only just started dating her mum??? And when Mitch grounds her?!?! WTF 🤣 you have no authority here!! Her Mum also literally disappeared throughout the book 😭 Speaking of which where is Rivers real father, can he stand up? Did I miss that?
Giving a character hobbies and music tastes isn’t enough. I didn’t connect to either River or Tate, because their goals/objectives/wants weren’t clearly established. Their interactions lost meaning for me.
Rivers internal monologue did have me ROARING tho, but I think it was unintentional?? 🤣 the shit she came out with.
Also, the reason they stopped speaking = the worst trope in history. Basically miscommunication, I can’t stand it!
Overall, for a debut, it’s not bad but there’s a lot I would change! ❤️
March 20, 2023
This book was actually the worst book I’ve read in a whileeee. Like writing was actually ass and made me cringe all the fucking timeeee. Love interest was serving Jesus freak (bible verse on bicep included yuckkkk) and also possibly had a slight breeding kink which I’m still confused as to why it was included bc wtf they were in highschool. The plot was like ok but the writing took away from anything salvageable about it. Two stars is fucking generous honestly yikes.
Alrighty on to the next 😅
Alrighty on to the next 😅
April 20, 2023
there was something so off about this book..
it was just really fucking weird
i also couldn’t figure out where the fuck it was located
america? england? australia?????
drove me absolutely insane
also
river has no backbone. could not stand that pick me bitch
it was just really fucking weird
i also couldn’t figure out where the fuck it was located
america? england? australia?????
drove me absolutely insane
also
river has no backbone. could not stand that pick me bitch
March 19, 2023
atrocious plot, what the fuck was that whole stepsibljngs scandal for?
good smut though!
good smut though!
May 25, 2023
I was in the midst of writing this review when Goodreads crashed, so here’s just a quick rundown of what I didn’t like:
- Our female main character consistently lusts after her quasi step father, who is NOT the love interest. He is the love interest’s father. She fantasizes about this guy seeing her and her boyfriend (his SON) getting it on.
- There’s a way to write teen sex scenes (or near sex scenes). YA romance does this so well (Jenn Bennett, Talia Hibbert, etc), but this is not a teen romance! This is a new adult romance meant to be hot and spicy for adult readers. In flashbacks, these characters are 14 and 15, and the male lead (15 yo) is consistently written as sexy for an adult audience. Really skeeved me out. Same with the “present day” - they are only 17 and 18 years old, which was such a jolt while reading explicit sex scenes. Why not just age up the characters a couple of years so adult readers aren’t reading about explicit sex between minors?
- There is a very drawn out sexual assault scene. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Not every detail needs to be written for a scene to come across as scary, horrifying, or reprehensible. Less is more.
- Setting - where are we? What country? And why is it raining almost every single time the characters go outside?
- Repetitive gestures - the main characters do not move naturally. At first, some straddling, sucking in the neck, pressing abdomen into back, is standard in a new adult romance. But every single time the characters are interacting, even if the scene should not be sexual?
- Continuity Errors - happens throughout the book, but the most glaring was when the male lead has taken off his pants and belt buckle, only for him to take them off again in the same exact scene a couple pages later. Characters actions should be kept track!
- Thin Relationships - every single one of them. We don’t see the main couple have too many big conversations. What do they have in common, aside from lots of sexual attraction? No proof within the text that this couple would actually make it. Same with the mother/daughter relationship, Tate’s one friendship, and her interactions with her quasi step dad. We’re told about their dynamics, but they’re never shown. And, any tension or conflict is wrapped up much too quickly with no payoff.
- Our female main character consistently lusts after her quasi step father, who is NOT the love interest. He is the love interest’s father. She fantasizes about this guy seeing her and her boyfriend (his SON) getting it on.
- There’s a way to write teen sex scenes (or near sex scenes). YA romance does this so well (Jenn Bennett, Talia Hibbert, etc), but this is not a teen romance! This is a new adult romance meant to be hot and spicy for adult readers. In flashbacks, these characters are 14 and 15, and the male lead (15 yo) is consistently written as sexy for an adult audience. Really skeeved me out. Same with the “present day” - they are only 17 and 18 years old, which was such a jolt while reading explicit sex scenes. Why not just age up the characters a couple of years so adult readers aren’t reading about explicit sex between minors?
- There is a very drawn out sexual assault scene. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Not every detail needs to be written for a scene to come across as scary, horrifying, or reprehensible. Less is more.
- Setting - where are we? What country? And why is it raining almost every single time the characters go outside?
- Repetitive gestures - the main characters do not move naturally. At first, some straddling, sucking in the neck, pressing abdomen into back, is standard in a new adult romance. But every single time the characters are interacting, even if the scene should not be sexual?
- Continuity Errors - happens throughout the book, but the most glaring was when the male lead has taken off his pants and belt buckle, only for him to take them off again in the same exact scene a couple pages later. Characters actions should be kept track!
- Thin Relationships - every single one of them. We don’t see the main couple have too many big conversations. What do they have in common, aside from lots of sexual attraction? No proof within the text that this couple would actually make it. Same with the mother/daughter relationship, Tate’s one friendship, and her interactions with her quasi step dad. We’re told about their dynamics, but they’re never shown. And, any tension or conflict is wrapped up much too quickly with no payoff.
![Profile Image for Saskia [University era].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1767090508i%2F149946010._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
July 20, 2023
what the hell did i just put myself through??
sadly i cannot DNF a book so this was horrendous
sadly i cannot DNF a book so this was horrendous
April 29, 2023
just no, uncomfortable, cringe, annoying and horrifying
April 19, 2023
awful.
February 7, 2023
Princess treatment 🛐
July 9, 2023
It was okay...
September 11, 2023
This felt like I was reading a wattpad book.
(TW: Sa)
I loved a few things and hated a few but overall for a debut it's a good read because it finally got me out of my reader's block.
So our main leads, River and Tate, have a history together and they meet again 3 years later when River's mom and Tate's dad (Mitch) date.
What I loved is that it's a quick read. The plot moved steadily and quickly. The timeline switches frequently between the past and present but surprisingly it didn't bother me. And not gonna lie, Tate made my heart flutter a few times. ( I wanna be treated like a spoiled princess too 🙄)
What I didn't like was the plot and conflict. It wasn't interesting and my least favorite trope was used to create the conflict, miscommunication. Also, River's mom, was so irrelevant that I can't even remember her name, or if it was even mentioned 😭.
And OMG, it was always raining. ALWAYS. I don't think I've read more about the leads being wet all the time, and not the fun kind 😉. They really need to discover umbrellas.
Kit and Madden better have there own book.
(And I don't know if while reading I made it weird but Mitch and River's relationship was so???? He grounded her when they've literally known each other for less than 2 weeks. Tate and River also dry hump in the back of Mitch's car WHILE HE WAS THERE. I don't how your relationship with your mom's boyfriend is supposed to be but it's definitely not like that. I like Mitch, he was there for her when her mom wasn't but damn it felt weird when they interacted.)
(TW: Sa)
I loved a few things and hated a few but overall for a debut it's a good read because it finally got me out of my reader's block.
So our main leads, River and Tate, have a history together and they meet again 3 years later when River's mom and Tate's dad (Mitch) date.
What I loved is that it's a quick read. The plot moved steadily and quickly. The timeline switches frequently between the past and present but surprisingly it didn't bother me. And not gonna lie, Tate made my heart flutter a few times. ( I wanna be treated like a spoiled princess too 🙄)
What I didn't like was the plot and conflict. It wasn't interesting and my least favorite trope was used to create the conflict, miscommunication. Also, River's mom, was so irrelevant that I can't even remember her name, or if it was even mentioned 😭.
And OMG, it was always raining. ALWAYS. I don't think I've read more about the leads being wet all the time, and not the fun kind 😉. They really need to discover umbrellas.
Kit and Madden better have there own book.
(And I don't know if while reading I made it weird but Mitch and River's relationship was so???? He grounded her when they've literally known each other for less than 2 weeks. Tate and River also dry hump in the back of Mitch's car WHILE HE WAS THERE. I don't how your relationship with your mom's boyfriend is supposed to be but it's definitely not like that. I like Mitch, he was there for her when her mom wasn't but damn it felt weird when they interacted.)
December 27, 2025
I can’t even believe I just read this .
May 8, 2023
1/5 ✰ — one star because he made her a book shelf. that’s it.
July 14, 2025
I skim read the last 50 % of this book … it wasn’t for me.
June 10, 2023
WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME THIS WAS STEP-SIBLINGS TO LOVERS????
August 15, 2023
2⭐️/5⭐️
Never trust TikTok Recommendations. Tf did I just read?
Never trust TikTok Recommendations. Tf did I just read?
July 8, 2023
3⭐️ This is a romance that is a friends to lovers to dislike back to lovers that is second chance. This book has two timelines one is the present and the other is from three years ago. River and Tate were friends that turned into lovers and then something happens where Tate moves away and something happens where they didn’t talk anymore. We don’t know what happened to them and that is what unfolds as the book goes on. In the present timeline the forced proximity trope occurs where the two characters have to interact again. Overall there was something about this book that I didn’t connect with so I wasn’t fully invested in this book. Some of the wording also didn’t make sense and I think that is just due to the writing style.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 865 reviews