Unforgotten - Garrett Leigh

 

Billy Daley hasn’t been home in years, and he likes it that way. He’s just fine on his own—he has a
cash-in-hand job at a scrapyard, a half-feral cat to keep him company, and many miles between him, his hometown and all the baggage that comes with it.

Until the job goes sideways. Suddenly he’s back in Rushmere, working for none other than his brother’s best friend—a man whose kiss Billy can’t seem to forget.

Gus Amour’s memories of Billy Daley are all spiky edges, lips crushed against lips and a reckless streak that always ended in trouble. But when Billy needs a place to stay, Gus steps in. He’d do anything for the Daley family, including living, and working, side by side with a man who makes his heart beat too fast and his blood run too hot—two things he’s been running from for years.

It doesn’t take long before their easy banter, lingering touches and heated glances become a temptation too hard to resist. But falling into bed and falling in love are two different things, and love has never come easy to either Billy or Gus. Only when fate threatens to steal away their opportunity for a second chance will they realize they don’t need easy.

They just need each other.

My Review

When I read the first book in the Forgiven Series by Garrett Leigh, Forgiven, I couldn't wait to get stuck into the second book in the series. We had met Gus and in a much smaller way, Billy, in that first book and I had a feeling that I was going to enjoy reading about them. I was not wrong.
Billy has had a difficult time, drifting from place to place and getting himself into all kinds of trouble. He's a damaged young man after the death of his father and feeling that his older brother Luke abandoned him. In many was Gus seems to have everything sorted, but he's experienced much of the same pain and difficulties that Gus has been faced with. Together they begin to heal and put old demons to bed.
I loved the interactions between Gus and Billy. I think that they worked particularly well as it wasn't the case that one had to fix the other, just that together they were able to deal with their own problems.
This was a great read and I really enjoyed joining this family again as they sort themselves out and fall in love. I don't know if there will be further instalments in this series or it will remain as a duet of books. Either way, it's a satisfying and enjoyable read and I'd highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Buy Unforgotten by Garrett Leigh

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369700117_unforgotten.html 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Unforgotten-Forgiven-Book-Garrett-Leigh-ebook/dp/B08GSMXDDZ/ 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unforgotten-garrett-leigh/1002224728 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/unforgotten/id1529436811 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Garrett_Leigh_Unforgotten?id=Tq_5DwAAQBAJ 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/unforgotten-19 

About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess. 

Connect with Garrett Leigh

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5893561.Garrett_Leigh 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrett_leigh/ 

Forgiven - Garrett Leigh

 High school sweethearts Mia and Luke get a second chance at love in this brand-new contemporary
romance from award-winning author Garrett Leigh. 

When Mia Amour returns to England to open a florist shop, all she wants to do is put her lousy ex behind her and never look back. But getting a fresh start is easier said than done when her first love, the boy who once broke her teenage heart, strolls back into her life. He’s every bit as sexy as she remembers, and the urge to melt back into his arms almost makes her forget how devastated she was when he took off without a word. Almost. 

Left with no choice, Luke Daley did what he had to do, leaving town to earn enough money to save his broken family, though it just about broke him, too. But now he’s back, running his uncle’s business and trying desperately to forget about Mia, the girl he left behind all those years ago. When he runs into her in town, the shock of seeing her again brings an intense rush of emotions: love, guilt…and an overwhelming urge to find out if it’s still as amazing between them as it used to be.

It doesn’t take either of them long to give in to desire and discover the fiery passion they once shared burns hotter than ever. With each new touch, each moment of forgiveness, old hurts heal and the future they’d hoped for ten years ago becomes possible again. But their fragile connection is tested by a threat neither of them saw coming—a threat that could end their second chance before it even gets started.

My Review

When they are done well, second chance romances can be really good. They are difficult to get right, as you need to have a good reason for the couple to have broken up in the first place, without it being anything that stops them from getting together now. In the case of Forgiven, I think that both of those were covered well and the story worked really well.
Although Mia and Luke have a history and have never got over one another, their reasons for breaking up in the first place make sense. Even though Mia was incredibly hurt by Luke leaving they were both very young and he had good reasons for wanting and needing to leave the area.
I enjoyed seeing the push and pull between Mia and Luke as they tried to stay apart, but can't resist being together. This book isn't just about their relationship though. With an ex-husband hanging around in the background and someone causing problems for Mia's new business, it's clear that sorting out her feelings for Luke isn't going to be the only thing that Mia has to deal with.
I really enjoyed this second chance romance. I loved reading about Mia and Luke as they came to terms with what they mean to each other. I'm also interested to see what might be in store for Mia's brother Gus in the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Buy Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9780369700100_forgiven.html 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Forgiven-Second-Romance-Garrett-Leigh-ebook/dp/B08B4SQ1JP/ 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forgiven-garrett-leigh/1137525022 

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/forgiven/id1518391601 

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Garrett_Leigh_Forgiven?id=fFHrDwAAQBAJ 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/forgiven-57 

About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award-winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with photographer Dan Burgess. 

Connect with Garrett Leigh

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5893561.Garrett_Leigh 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrett_leigh/ 

The Last Rule of Makeups - Nina Crespo

The Last Rule of Makeups by Nina Crespo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second chance romances can either be really good, or really bad. Fortunately, this was a good one. For them to work for me, there needs to be a good reason why the couple split up in the first place and a good reason why they might try again. For the couple in The Last Rule of Makeups, Grey and Cori, they split up mostly because he was moving on to a new job and she had a sick father that she was unwilling to leave behind. They probably could have made things work if she had talked to him about it, but perhaps more than anything they weren't ready to be together forever yet.
Cori and Grey make a good couple and it's clear from the moment that they meet again that there's still a huge amount of chemistry between them. Where second chance romances do work really well, is that because they have been a couple before, they already know so much about one another and when things move along quickly, it's a bit more believable than the instant love that happens in so many romance stories.
I think that this is the third book in a series. I haven't read the other two, although based on this one, I'd quite like to. This works fine as a standalone read though.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Love Around the Corner - Amanda Weaver

Love Around the Corner by Amanda Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I do enjoy a second chance romance when it is done right. Fortunately, with love around the corner, this one was done right.
Brendan and Gemma were boyfriend and girlfriend in high school, but he suddenly left, destroying all of their hopes and plans. Now, 14 years later he's back and trying to rebuild their relationship.
For me, one of the key things when it comes to a second chance romance is the reason that they broke up in the first place. Not only has Brendan got a good reason for having left, but in many ways, it's better that they did have time apart, being so young when they first fell in love.
This is a story of two people giving each other another chance, but also having a second chance themselves. Finding out what it really is they want from life and that change doesn't have to be a bad thing.
I really enjoyed this book and the story of Gemma and Brendan finding their way back to one another.
I haven't read the other books in the Romano Sisters series, but I think that they would be worth checking out. Both sisters make small appearances in this book. Overall, a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Accidental Secrets - Dana Mason

Accidental Secrets: A totally gripping, steamy, sexy contemporary romance by Dana Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was exactly what I was in the mood for. A great second chance romance, lots of chemistry between the hero and heroine and a real reason for them being kept apart for so long.
I'm always a little wary of books where there's a child involved, but in this case, it was handled really well. Although I struggle with the idea of keeping a father away from their child and not telling them that there was even a baby on the scene. In this case, Rachel and Mike's daughter is 13 by the time that he finds out about her. There are lots of reason why he was kept in the dark and of course, there are lots of questions to answer once they do finally meet.
I really enjoyed this read, there was a lot for the characters to deal with and I have to admit that I was gripped from the start. I read this in more or less one sitting, but it wasn't a quick read, I just couldn't put it down.
This being a romance, there is, of course, a happily ever after. It took them a while to get there, but the journey (for the reader) was totally worth it. This is book three in the series but worked fine as a stand-alone (I'm not even sure if the books are linked as such). I'd been keen to go back and read the others.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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