Lucy and Jax have quite the history -- and a kid to prove it. Shortly after getting pregnant, Lucy and Jax began to drift their separate ways, with her focusing on her family and the baby on the way and Jax losing himself in his hockey career. Eight years later, Jax is facing retirement and the hurdle of trying to get his family back together - because he never stopped loving Lucy but he's just not sure how to repair all the damage he's done in their time apart. And Lucy isn't sure how to trust Jax again. He's let her down many times and gave her numerous reasons to believe he would never change. What makes this time any different? Can Jax prove he's changed, and can Lucy set aside the past to build a future with Jax and their daughter?

Thoughts: This was a surprisingly sweet story, to be honest. I tend to lean towards holding grudges and I have no idea how Lucy could forgive the hurt Jax has caused her. But seeing Jax make amends and try to be a part of Lucy and their daughter's lives was so heartwarming. And while the plot seems like it would be relatively free of drama, Lorelei James paces realistic twists that move the story along, surprisingly without leaning towards the realm of a soap opera and sans the typical miscommunication that many romance novels use to cause drama. This is a story of maturity, of family, and of second chances. And I'm off to grab the second in the series because there are two secondary characters who I can't wait to see get together!

**Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for this DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

I love a good grovel in a second-chance romance and this story felt like one continuous grovel. While it was realistic and didn’t seem over the top, I had a hard time connecting with these characters and felt like I was missing a lot of backstory for the first book in a series. I enjoyed the flashbacks to the past, but felt like they needed to be less happy and more of the reason the couple broke up. I am curious about the rest of the series, so I’ll definitely continue reading for more.

WOWZA! It’s been a hot minute since I picked up a book from Lorelei James. I’ve loved every single book I read from her and this one was no different. I loved I WANT YOU BACK. If you are looking for a highly emotional second chance romance that will knock your socks off, This book will check all your boxes and then some!! Jax and Lucy were unbelievably good!!!

The alternating past flashbacks balanced perfectly with the present that you will be absolutely consumed with their story. I love how James was able to paint the most beautiful picture with her words. I cried and laughed and ultimately cheered them on. What a fantastic read!

5 stars!

I have yet to read a Lorelei James book I haven't liked. And this one did not disappoint. It gave me so many feels. And had just the right mix of romance and drama.

About two years ago if anyone asked what I was reading 99% of the time I’d respond with romance. I’d devour them. From contemporary, to angsty, emotionally tough stories, to even sweet YA. I couldn’t get enough of a second change romance or a friends to lovers novel. Then for some reason I got thrust into the thriller genre and couldn’t leave. So for about two years I’ve read nothing except murder and revenge and stuff that would scare me enough to keep me up at night.

A few days ago I read a book that kept me up all night long, but it wasn’t because I was terrified to close my eyes. It’s because I truly couldn’t put this book down. I couldn’t get enough of former hot NFL star Jaxson Lund. Or even Lucy Quade, single mom who will stop at nothing to protect her daughter, and her heart.

I Want You Back by Lorelei James was everything I remember about a romance novel. Love, humor, anger, tears, and moments that made my heart break. I truly couldn’t get enough.

Jaxson Lund comes from a very affluent and known family and is a retired professional hockey hero. He comes back home and is not sure where he belongs. Jaxson has a history of alcohol and bad decisions but after rehab he’s totally turned his life around. Now trying to be more involved in his 8 year old daughters life, he’s desperately trying to do the right thing and figure out how to be a dad, and just a man, without hockey.

Lucy Quade has been a single mother since her daughter was born. Now with Jaxson home back in her daughter’s life, she’s trying to navigate her new life of sharing her daughter, while also trying to keep her own heart safe.

This second chance romance is truly one of the best I’ve read in a long time. There’s a few things I didn’t enjoy, but it did NOT ruin the experience for me at all. This is book 5 in the series and I’ve only read the first two, and I definitely didn’t feel like I was missing anything at all.

Reading I Want You Back made me question my departure from the romance genre. I for sure will be reading more.

4/5 STARS
*Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free review copy! :)

Beautifully written romance. Going with a 4.5 star rating for this. I loved the romance between Lucy and Jaxson. They were amazing together. The Lund family is absolutely amazing. Little Mimi was adorable and bad. The parenting scenes were so warming since I am a mom to a 6 year old, I found that I could relate to Jax and Lucy when parenting. Totally enjoyed.

Ultimately, I found the extensive flashbacks in this book so overwhelming. I think it was to give us that sense that they were so well matched, and therefore we could get over his cheating, but it just felt like too much! Ultimately, and I think the author did a fantastic job of showing they changed and grew, but that happened in the *now* chapters. I didn't really feel I needed all that backstory. well written, just not for me.

I’ve read a lot of second chance romance; it IS my jam after all. But rarely does one stick out in my memory the way this one did. I was thinking about it days after finishing. I Want You Back is a refreshingly different take on the second-chance romance trope. It’s emotional, raw, and unapologetically real. It doesn’t sugar coat or spare feelings. It takes the reader on an emotional ride with all the bumps along the way. It’s a slow burn sort of read with plenty of chemistry and a dash of angst. I seriously enjoyed this one!
Jaxson Lund is one of the best imperfect characters I’ve read in a while. A retired professional hockey player that allowed his sports reputation to get the best of him, Jax is no stranger to failure. What I loved about him the most is that he wasn’t afraid to take accountability for all the things he did wrong. Here’s a man that’s a recovering alcoholic that lost the love of his life because he betrayed her in the worst way possible. He’s a man that’s trying to right all of his wrongs; including becoming a staple in his daughter’s life when he was more of a memory to her as she was growing up due to his hockey career.
I absolutely loved the way that he fought to get back into his ex’s good graces. But what I really loved the most, is the fact that Lucy wasn’t perfect herself. This was a shockingly realistic look at what happens when two people love each other beyond reason but their pasts mold them into an inevitable conclusion. The story is told in alternating flashbacks of past to present, telling the reader how they got together and what led to their inevitable implosion. Lucy is woman with plenty of issues of her own; including trust issues that are formed by her childhood. Issues that only get reinforced when her and Jaxson break.
There’s no unnecessary drama or added issues in this book to convolute what’s already happening. It’s just two broken people that are slowly working on putting their pieces back together. Their journey back to each other is not paved in sunshine and butterflies, but it’s also not unnecessarily angsty either. I really loved the way that the author handled a lot of the issues in this book. James doesn’t try to sugarcoat the repercussions of Jax’s mistakes and addiction. You get an incredibly realistic look at the results of his hard living. This may come as a shock for some people. I’ll admit that I have NEVER read a book where the author went there but boy do I love that she did. And no I won’t tell you what that was, but I will say that I’m still thinking about it.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a perfectly paced and emotional slow burn. I wished that we got flashbacks a little further and truly experience the break between Lucy and Jax, but at the same time I understand why the author chose not to quite go there. If you’re looking for something just a little different, then you definitely need to check this one out. I can’t wait for the rest of the series. There’s a certain Lund sibling whose book I’m already salivating for.

I immediately read this the moment I got hold of the ARC, and I was not disappointed. This was a good one especially considering how Jaxson was in the Need You series. But this was well written, emotionally nuanced second-chance romance that doesn't hold back in showing readers the consequences of infidelity.

Thank you for to the publisher and Netgalley for sending this to me!!
I really really enjoyed it!! I had a read a few other books from Lorelai Jame’s previous series and her writing just continues to be extremely addictive and easy to fly through! Jax and Lucy were two characters that I had been waiting to see get to live happily ever after! I will admit I was a little hesitant going into this one because of Jax and some of the story that we had gotten originally but he completed made up for it in this book!
I really loved watching these two fall in love all over again and I especially enjoyed the flashbacks of their relationship from the first time around. I’m so happy that we didn’t get to see the breakup though because I just wanted them to be happy! I loved all the cute family moments thrown into this book as well! All in all, I’m very excited for the next book in this series and I highly recommend everyone pick this up!

Veena’s review of I Want You Back (Want You Series, Book 1) by Lorelei James
Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 02 Apr 19

Jax and Lucy have been supporting characters in the Need You series, while their daughter Mimi is a family favorite. I really like the fact that Ms. James has kicked off this new series with the most colorful and controversial characters in the family. What truly happened between Jax and Lucy that left her pregnant, alone and destitute, has been a mystery to date. But as their back story is revealed, so is the need for Jax to find redemption and a way to fit in with his family as a son, brother, cousin, and nephew, but most importantly as a father to his daughter. Can he and Lucy find a way to bridge the past and find a loving relationship?Jax is retired from his beloved hockey and back in his hometown, determined to win over Lucy so the three of them can become a family. It’s not going to be easy on many fronts. He has definitely learned from his past life of excesses as a sports idol and is back sadder, wiser, and determined. Being a father is definitely not easy. It’s not fun visits and spoiling his daughter, as he finds out, the first day she sleeps over and he has to get her up in the morning and to school. I suppose what made Jax such a good hockey player was perseverance, and he’s going to have to exercise a lot of patience and perseverance to make inroads with Lucy.

After the one time when Lucy and Jax forget their daughter is present and they get into a fight, Mimi calls her uncle on her new cell phone her mother isn’t happy about, they sober up and realize they need to figure out a way to co-parent. even if there is nothing else between them. For all that I never thought I would even like Jax, I ended up admiring him for realizing what an entitled jerk he had been and what an awesome father and boyfriend he makes.

Ms. James definitely knows how to get to the heart of the emotional center of her readers. There is laughter and tears during the reading and yet, as things start to fall into place, there is contentment that the second-chance charm works and there’s hope after all. While this is a new book in a spinoff series, it’s like a continuation of the old one and no one is happier than I to see these characters back in print. I can’t wait to see the rest of the brothers find their “one.”

Grade: A

This is the story I’ve been waiting for in this series and I’m kind of excited to see this will be a new spin off series. We all love to see a bad boy redeemed and from the little we’ve seen in the Need You series we knew Jackson Lund wasn’t just a hot hockey player and part of a billionaire family. He had also done his baby mama really wrong and it was about time he did some groveling.

Lucy has been raising her daughter Mimi with very little help for the past 9 years or so. She had a whirlwind romance with the man of her dreams and then he quickly proved that all men are cut from the same cloth and all her fears and assumptions came true. Now Jax is retired from his pro NHL career and has to figure out what his new normal will be. Of course, is also the time to try and get his family back.

This book deals with some heavy issues that many people go through. Alcoholism and cheating being at the forefront of that. And it also explores forgiveness. And FYI this is his prior behavior none of that happens in this book. But actions leave lasting impressions and some people can get past them and move on and others can’t. Admittedly, I’m personally more on the camp of not being able to get past something like that especially when it comes to cheating. But it’s nice to see a couple that loves so deeply that they can rebuild trust. So that was really nice to see developed in this book. I think also enough time had passed where everything that happened was believable for me. It was the right time for a second chance that left me with a smile on my face.

And let’s not forget the groveling. Like it’s often the case with a good second chance romance there’s always some groveling if one of them did some awful things. I honestly can’t say he did enough groveling for my taste. Am I being too bitchy? I refer you to my previous statement of not being able to get past the betrayal myself. I found them clicking really well as a unit even when it wasn’t romantic at first and it just had to do with their daughter.

While this book is a great addition to the overall “world” from the original series, you can read this perfectly fine as a standalone. Just know there’s more Lund goodness to look forward to in the backlist. They all have about the same level of heat as well, which is a bit lower I think than some other contemporary romances.

What can I say, this book delivered great chemistry. And add to that the fact that Lorelei James can really write great family dynamics and you’re guaranteed to fall in love with the Lund family as a whole. Now who’s ready for Nolan?

I've been DYING for Jaxson and Lucy's story since they were first introduced in the series. I couldn't wait to see how Lorelei James would redeem Jaxson, as he couldn't be more awful in previous books. As a professional hockey player, he messed up big-time with the love of his life and their child. Now that he's retired, he's determined to win back Lucy's heart and be the father he should have been. I Want You Back is a fantastic redemption story that I highly recommend if you're a fan of the Need You series!

***ARC provided by the Publisher***

3.5 Stars

I enjoyed this title overall. It's my first by this author, and that is always an exciting moment.

This book is about a man who had a focus in his life, being an athlete and a professional one at that, and the things he gave up (and missed) in the focus of being that athlete to the exclusion of everything else. Jaxson is starting to question if he was right in allowing Lucy to raise their child, and if focusing on the wrong things has cost him the important things in life.

These are all valid questions, definitely. But, the weight of them started to make me feel like this was less of a romance than I was expecting. There was also a bit of a swerve at the end of it that I was not expecting, and I am still not sure how I felt about it. And, as this was the reaction of Lucy I guess that means it worked in a way.

I did enjoy this. I wanted, I think, a little more of the romantic story, but at the same time, there was a lot of the relationship that was in need of rebuilding, and the focus on that wasn't necessarily wrong.

I do recommend this title.

One of my favorite reads for this year. I knew this book came a series but it can totally be read as a stand alone. Second chance romances are always a favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint.

This is a spin off from the Need you series which I adored. So, I was pumped to read this one. This time around its Jaxon "Stonewall" Lund's turn to find love. We briefly hear about him in the Need you series as well as Lucy since she started to work for Annika and All You need #3.

Jax retires from hockey and finally shows up to help parent his child, Mimi. Lucy doesn't know what to make with Jax being back in her life and helping with Mimi. One thing she knows is that she can't trust him.

Jax screwed up big time with Lucy. I can't believe he treated her the way he did. But I did understand it even though cheating is usually a hard no for me. I keep hoping that maybe it would be all a big misunderstanding but it was what it was, and Jax had a long way to go to get Lucy to trust him again.

"Uncle Nolan, are they gonna start yelling at each other again?"
"No, short stuff. I'm thinking they've moved on to another more complicated way to communicate."

However, I'm a sucker for sport romances as well as second chances and this had them both and Jax ended up wining me and Lucy over in the end.

Can't wait for more from this author and this series.

A wonderful summer read even if it is set in the fall/winter. A tale told alternately by Lucy [feisty] and Jax [recovering] about coming together again after 8 years. Enjoy as this is a fun read.

4.5 Stars
This is book one in the Want You series and it features Jaxson and Lucy. I’m not usually one who believes in a redeemable partner who cheats. With that said, after reading this book, it’s actually nice to read a story that happened YEARS AFTER all the cheating happened. I think it was easier to get past because I didn’t bear witness to the emotional trauma of infidelity between them. I loved these two! I loved their love! It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. They had some real issues to get past. Some of the issues were totally unexpected. I’m not sure I’ve EVER read a book that confronted this issue the way this author did. BRAVO!

The events in their story felt real and played like a movie in my head. The characters were fabulous and the story line had great flow. I LOVED Jax’s family. They were all amazing and I’d LOVE to hear their stories as well.

In a previous book in this series, Jaxson Lund had described his daughter's mother, Lucy Quade, as someone barely better than Lucifer himself. At the end of the story, we learned that Lucy may not really be as bad as she seemed. And now that Jaxson has retired from hockey and pulled himself out of the grips of alcoholism, he can admit to himself that she is a really good mother. And a really good woman. In fact, he wants her back.
But Lucy isn't so sure. Mimi was an unexpected baby. She and Jaxson had supposedly been in love but he cheated on her and then dragged her name through the mud. She's dating and looking for something better. Even though that park is still there...
I liked that Jaxson had some consequences from his sleeping around. I did not so much like the flashbacks. I'm not sure why it's so popular right now to flip back and forth between the present and the past in romances but I find it very distracting. Not distracting enough not to read the next book in the series though; I'm really hoping it's the romance between ice skater Gabri and Jaxson's brother.

Three stars
This book came out April 2nd
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Jax has spent most of the last ten years being a screwup he was a great hockey player but messed up on everything else. He was a alcoholic, a womanizer , a absent father and broke the heart of the only woman he has ever loved.
Lucy fell in love with Jax even not knowing his last name or what he did for a living but when he wanted her to follow him around while she was pregnant while he played hockey was the beginning of the end.
Jax is back and he is trying to be a better parent to Mimi his daughter and make Lucy understand how bad he wants her back, but Jax still has a lot of learning to do and secrets to tell before Lucy will consider it. Jax and Lucy’s relationship is fiery and it was nice to read this kind of story that had respect for each other.