What We Could Have Been by Jess Sinclair ⭐⭐⭐⭐

My first book by Jess and it won't be the last.

She knows how to draw the read in right from the beginning and keeps your attention right to the end.

Very emotional story of young love, heartbreak due to family feud, and second chance for happy ending. Now I'm excited to read book 2 when it comes out.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I’m always hesitant to say I binged a book in a day. I worry that it’s rude to the author who surely spent months (sometimes years!) creating their book. However, I say it to convey how invested I was in a book, how much I was caught up in the story I didn’t even realize I had read the entire thing in a day! That was exactly the case with 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗻 by Jess Sinclair. This is another example of a not typical book for me - I’m generally drawn to weird, dark, literary work, and this is a sweet, small town love story with family drama and a bit of a mystery mixed in - yet somehow it totally worked for me!

I love how this book examines the idea of coming home, the good and bad of living in a small town, betrayal and loyalty, and the determination to find the truth and a happy ending. I was rooting for the love story the entire time.

4.5 stars

If you’re looking for a book to pull at your heart strings this is it.

It’s an amazing debut about love and loss and a little bit of mystery. When Blue was a teenager she was in love with her childhood friend, Enzo. They thought they were going to spend forever together but then her mother tragically dies, her father is accused of her death and the town turned against her family. Blue runs away and years later she has finally returned home with a secret of her own and now’s she’s running away from an abusive husband. She’s back home trying to mend her relationship with her father, finding out what really happened to her mother, and falling in back in love with Enzo.

I loved this book with the all the drama, feuding families, secrets and a second chance love. I was rooting for Blue and Enzo every step of the way. It was such a compelling story and I was so invested in the characters I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend!

Young love reunited after grief and life has changed them...

Blue and Enzo have known each other almost their entire lives, but a tragic incident when they're on the cusp of adulthood tears them apart. Ten years later, Blue is back in their small coastal town, ready but also not ready to face her past. Enzo tried to move on with his life -- finding his place in his family and soon to be wed to a successful and loving woman -- but one chance meeting with Blue brings back all of the memories, both good and bad. Blue and Enzo can't help the pull that draws them to one another, and the past was never meant to stay there...

Thoughts: I'm not usually a fan of the secret child trope, but author Jess Sinclair pulls it off rather well in What We Could Have Been. Blue is the FMC readers will want to root for and they'll want to hug her son Murphy and her dad Mitchell, and Enzo is #guygoals in every single chapter. There's a lot of baggage for Blue and Enzo to carry, but Sinclair keeps the weight surprisingly light despite how heavy their pasts become. Love does outweigh all in this friends-to-lovers second-chance romance. Good for fans of deeper-themed romance that doesn't actually punch you in the stomach or make you cry your eyes out.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.**

Bluebelle (Blue) has decided to return home with her son, Murphy,after nearly 10 years when her marriage falls apart. She is hopeful to reconnect with her father after her mother’s tragic death and her father’s prison sentence. What she didn’t count on was running into her first love, Enzo, and she definitely didn’t anticipate the unresolved feelings left unspoken between them. But when a crisis hits Blue, Enzo is the first to help her and they realize that the rift that tore them apart was based on buried secrets and hidden truths that neither Blue nor Enzo knew anything about.

I’m not much for a hometown romance story but this one definitely tugged at my heart strings. There is loss, love and forgiveness at the core of this novel but also a mystery, small town politics and a predictable romance to tie it all together. It is just the type of redemptive novel I need to read this month.

Many thanks to @jesssinclair.writes @alcovepress and @netgalley for this early review copy. This lovely novel will be available on 10/10/23.

What We Could Have Been is an impressive debut in women's fiction.

Ten years after fleeing her small hometown, Bluebelle, returns with her 9 year old son in tow. At the age of 26,
she is forced to confront her past and everything she ran from after her mom died.

In this small fishing town, there are lies, corruption and heartbreak. There is also the love of Blue's life, a boy she loved since she was just a little girl. The boy she ran from 10 years ago and hasn't spoken to since.

Jess Sinclair is a fantastic writer. She expertly crafted a story that weaved mystery, family drama and romance into one heartfelt story. She even got me choked up in the acknowledgements. I look forward to whatever she writes next.

Absolutely loved this book. Books about returning home just always hit different for me, and this was a winner. Well written and I couldn’t put it down. The perfect amount of drama, and I love a good small town setting.

You can't go home again! That's what the great Thomas Wolfe wrote. But, maybe you can.

This is Bluebell Shea's story. She left town suddenly just as she was finishing high school without a word to anyone. Ten years later she's back again.

Present story and back story. The back story is a bit of a mystery unravelling. The present story speaks for itself.

There are a lot of things happening in this story. There is love, forgiveness, reconciliation, family drama, feuding, and a Fairy Garden. It all comes together nicely.

The characters are believable. There are even two characters that I loved to dislike. Our girl, Blue has some issues but underneath it all, she is a strong woman. I had some problems with her name….who names their child Bluebell? It sounds like it’s left over from the hippie days. But, it did go along with the Fairy Garden.

I like the setting, a small fishing town on the Gulf Coast of Florida. In, fact, the fishing industry is also part of the story. The setting gives a great book cover. Sunset and pier.

Favourite quote from the the book: You are the entire ocean in a drop. (I know, it's a little bit corny but I like it!)

Quick, easy and entertaining read. Enough drama to keep the reader turning pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Loved this book. I'm a huge fan of protagonists returning home after years and discovering the truth. I also love second chance romances. This was a heartwarming read. Can't wait to see what the author writes next!

Blue's back home at her father's house with her young son Murphy- it's not easy because her father hasn't been the same since her mother drowned 10 years ago. It's also hard because Enzo is in town as well Enzo, her first love and a man more important than she wants to admit. Unfortunately, their families have never gotten along What happened the night her mom died? It's key to the story but no spoilers from me. This is all about second chances- not just in romance but in life- and about family. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

What We Could Have Been has a little bit of everything including love, loss, friendship and mystery. Rather than bog down the story with too much going on it all flowed seamlessly and that's a credit to the writing. Given the setup it was easy to feel invested in the main character from the get go and maintain that interest as she deals with her past, present and future.

Bluebelle Shea left her hometown ten years ago, soon after her mother died. With her marriage in shambles, Bluebelle takes her young son, Murphy, and flees to the small fishing community where she grew up. Even though she's been estranged from her father for many years, he allows his daughter and grandson to move in with him. One person surprised to find out Bluebelle is in town is her childhood friend, Enzo. He hasn't been in contact with her since she left and let's just say they have plenty of history together.

Even though the story deals with some serious subjects, it's not darkness all the time. There's a nice balance of light moments so it didn't feel like such an overwhelming heavy read. (However, that's just my perspective so check out trigger warnings ahead of time if there are topics you prefer to avoid.) The drama doesn't feel manufactured and as a reader even if you haven't gone thru what some of these characters have faced, you can still relate to them on some level.

Simply put, it was a good read.

I picked this up from Netgalley a little while ago and haven’t only just had the chance to get to it. And wasn’t I a little bit surprised about how much I enjoyed this. Jess Sinclair has created a novel that basically has everything; daughter returning to her hometown, long lost loves, family disputes, asshole husbands, ride or die friendships, bit of smut - the works.

The story follows Blue (Bluebell) as she returns to her hometown, escaping her own life battles and reuniting with her father. From here we meet many characters who are both very loveable and very hateable. In some parts I was angry reading because the characters got under my skin so bad, which I think is a sign of good character development. I also appreciated the additional story line around Blue’s mother and her passing years before. Double story line - double love stories, I’m here for it.

I really enjoying this novel and look forward to more of Jess Sinclair. Thank you to NetGalley for the copy.

Jess Sinclair reached out to me with the opportunity to read an ARC of her book in exchange for a review. I couldn't resist the chance to read the book once she described a bit of the backstory.

I absolutely adored this book and had a hard time putting it down on the nights I read it before going to sleep. Just last night, I was up until 3:00 a.m. because I just needed to know what happened next.

Bluebell (Blue) has recently left her husband, taking her son with her, and decided to return to the home she grew up in. She is unsure of how her father will react to seeing her and her son, but her limited finances leave her with no other option. From the onset of the book, her father is quite the curmudgeon, yet he allows her to stay. Since Blue's mom passed away, her father has not been the same and has become nearly impossible to be around.

There is an interesting backstory involving mysterious events from the past that caused a rift between her family and the Castellaris. The families were very close for a long time until something happened that drove a wedge between them. The situation is further complicated because Enzo Castellari was Blue’s first love. I don't want to give away too much of the storyline — you REALLY need to read this book!

This book made me laugh, cry, and even get frustrated at times, but it kept me hooked until the very end. I highly recommend it — you'll love it. It is a fantastic piece of contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery. If you are a pet lover, you’ll adore the dog and cat featured in the story.

After Blue runs away from home at 17, pregnant and alone she doesn’t know if she will ever go back. Her father has been blamed for her mother’s death and the town has turned on him. Years later when her husband leaves her she returns home to her father - the last place she thought she would go. There she runs into her childhood love and the father of her child. Can she start over? Or will she have to relive the mistakes of her past?

A second chance romance done right! I don’t always love these because to be honest sometimes characters don’t deserve them 😂 BUT Blue was the sweetest and although I didn’t always agree with her choices they made sense for the story. There is romance and family reunions and forgiveness and maybe some much deserved punishment for a few people too. For anyone who likes romance mixed with some trauma healing I highly recommend this one.

Wow! What We Could Have Been was like reading a screenplay for a soap opera. I could easily see the book being turned into a made-for-tv movie with the love story of Blue and Enzo.

What We Could Have Been is a story of romance, mixed with suspense, feuding families, deep secrets, and the mysterious death of Blue's mom. Bluebelle (Blue) and Enzo were in love with each other since they were kids. A series of events happened causing Blue to run away from home, yet almost ten years later, she returns home. She must face many challenges while searching for the true surrounding her mom's death.

You'll be cheering for Blue and Enzo that they find love again, together.

What We Could Have Been is a well-paced novel that you can easily read in a day.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Jess Sinclair for the opportunity to review this ARC.

#WhatWeCouldHaveBeen #NetGalley

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Bluebelle Shea's mother drowns, her father is charged with her murder, and Blue leaves the small town and her childhood love, Enzo. Ten years later, fleeing a disastrous marriage, Blue returns home with her young son Murphy. Blue finds she still has feelings for Enzo, and the two attempt to uncover what happened the night Blue's mother died and the cause of the long-running feud between Blue and Enzo's families.

This book covers second-chance romance, starting over, family drama, secrets, long-held feuds and rivalries, and a mysterious death, all in a compelling way. The characters are memorable, the story is both emotional and mildly suspenseful, and the romance is heartfelt. I rooted for Blue and Enzo as they fought for the truth, redemption, love, and a future. Without giving anything away, I will say that I really enjoyed Blue's character growth across the story. Although the subject matter has dark and serious moments and is balanced by lighter moments, be prepared for an affecting and emotional story. The small Florida fishing community setting is vividly depicted and detailed. The story is well-paced and a quick read, perfect for a cozy afternoon. This is the author's Women's Fiction debut, but cozy mystery fans may know her from her cozies written under the pen name Tracy Gardner!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Jess Sinclair for the opportunity to review this ARC. I enjoyed it!

This book is all about relationships. I connected with the characters and couldnt get enough of them. Very much a character driven book . I highly recommend.

Title: What We Could Have Been
Author: Jess Sinclair
Pub Date: August 10, 2023

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What We Could Have Been by Jess Sinclair was pure perfection! I am a sucker for a good second chance romance, and I think this one may be one of my all time favorites! What We Could Have Been is so much more than a second chance romance, book, and I just adored the storyline and the author’s writing style.

Bluebelle (Blue) Shea and Enzo Castellari grew up together and fell in love along the way, despite objections from both of their families. When Blue’s mother dies in a tragic accident, she runs away at the age of 17 to Florida. It’s not until she has moved away from home that she realizes she’s pregnant. Years pass and Blue is ready to get out of an abusive relationship, so she decides to head back home to her father, who she has not seen in 10 years. With her son Murphy, Blue works to start over and build back a relationship with her father. After a chance encounter, Blue and Enzo are reunited but both of their situations are much different than what they were 10 years ago. On top of that, Blue is determined to uncover the truth about what happened the night her mom died and to figure out why her family and Enzo’s family have been feuding for over a decade.

This is a book you will not be able to put down once you start! It’s is beautifully written and about family, love, betrayal, secrets, and so much more.

Read If You Like Books About:
💙Second Chance Romance
💙Family Drama/Secrets
💙Forgiveness
💙Starting Over
💙Small Towns/Small Town Romance
💙Personal Growth

Please add this one to your TBR. It will certainly be one of my top books of the year!

Posted on Instagram on August 12, 2023 (Currently Reading): http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
Posted on Goodreads on August 20, 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
Posted on Instagram - Mini Review - Late August 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- Early/Mid-September, 2023: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on October 10, 2023
**-will post on designated date

Wow! Where do I possibly begin? First, this review is an honor of mine to write. This author is not only a fabulous, down-to-earth writer, she is an amazing RN Case Manager co-worker of mine.

To engage readers to this Romance Suspense novel is simple. In the novel, WHAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN, the setting takes place in sunny Florida, where a strong- willed nurse heroin fights for a better life vs. the current battered victim wife she has become.

The author sets the scene with incredible detail such as the line, "Eye's were so dark, they were nearly black, a stark contrast to his sandy blonde hair" or " Tiny flecks of green against brown bright in the waning light". This captivates the characters and allows them to come alive, while the reader is submerged with insight and reflection.

Although ficticious, it is relevant that the author poured real emotion and connection into this story. This is exemplified from the personal timeline provided in the acknowledgement including; meeting of her own husband when they were at a young age at the movie booth to nights spent with dad, whom was a sailor, on his boat out on Michigan/ Florida waters.

This book is rated 5/5 for its emotionally gratifying read and is most definately a hard one to put down. A love story that proves that second chances are not always impossible. Aside from family feuding, Bluebelle Shea and Enzo Castellari are an example of the fight for true love in a depraved storyline.

For many years, I have faithfully been a fan favorite of Nicholas Sparks. In my opinion, Ms. Sinclair's writing is quite comparible. This book has not only reinvented my passion for reading, I plan to take it to the next level by binge reading additional works by Jess Sinclair.