Absolutely love the story of Gloria and Aldo as much as I did in the first book. I’m so glad Lucy decided to write a follow up to their love story and really give them the detail they deserved. I know it’s some other comments people made note of the abuse. Gloria suffered before getting with Aldo but I think they’re discounting how people are in perfect and it takes time to grow into love.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I absolved this book and to see how Lucy Scores writing has evolved since this series is amazing. This is Gloria and Aldo’s story and is the second book in the benevolence series. I highly recommend it

Tw: domestic violence

Sadly, I did have to DNF this book because it was very triggering for me.

I was very intrigued by the story and where it could and couldn’t have gone. But the premise of her back story was making it very hard for me to read.
I love Lucy Score and was swooned by the way Aldo was with her. I haven’t read a military book before! So I was super excited to see what happened!

I would love to come back to this series to see the other characters and how I can be intertwined with their stories.

I never thought there would come a day when I did not like a Lucy Score book, but alas that day is here.
Everything about this book missed the mark for me. If you read Pretend your mine you do not need to read this book. At the end of the book Lucy states that this book was meant to be a novella and I think that is all this book needed to be. It was soooooo repetitive of Pretend your mine. Also the way the side characters treat Gloria after suffering years of abuse and domestic violence is embarrassing. I feel like Lucy could have done such a better job at bringing light to domestic abuse victims.

TW: Domestic Abuse

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you read Lucy Score books then you know you have to read this book. I absolutely love Lucy Score. This was such a quick read for me. There was so much emotion and you couldn't help but cheer for Gloria. You will fall in love with her and Aldo. I would highly recommend this book.


Thanks NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I attempted to read this one after Pretend You're Mine was a miss. I just don't think this duet/series is for me. But I will continue reading Lucy's newer books!

I’m already a fan of Lucy Score. I actually discovered her here on NetGalley. So when I got the chance to read some of her older titles on here, I jumped at the chance. I definitely liked this one and loved seeing where Lucy’s style was almost 5 years ago compared to now. Her writing has grown so much in such a short time, I’m definitely more obsessed with her current titles and am waiting with bated breath for her next release.

We got to know Gloria and Aldo in Pretend Your Mine, now we get their full story. Great read, super enjoyable! I liked it a bit better than the first book, but that may be because they were already such wonderful “friends” it was like getting to hear their story from them. Learning to live after abuse and with PTSD brings its own challenges and seeing how these two make it happen makes you feel all warm inside.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Lucy Score and Source Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

I absolutely loved this book!!! Gloria and Aldo are Adriane together and hope their relationship bloomed was great! The character growth and development for both of them was wonderful to read.

Listen, I enjoyed Harper and Luke's story but I ADORED Gloria and Aldo. I was so so happy to see that these two got their happy ever after after everything that they'd been through.

Told while everything with Harper and look is developing is the story of Gloria, Gloria starts off by making the hardest choice she's ever made and leaving Glenn Diller, her long time abuser and finding freedom. In her freedom she doesn't expect her long time crush Aldo to immediately step in or for him to tell her that he has ALWAYS had feelings for her.

Aldo is finally ready to take his shot with Gloria when his life is turned upside down during a tragic accident on deployment that leaves him without a leg. Coming home he knows that he can't have the one thing that he has always wanted and it definitely puts him in a dark place. He doesn't expect Gloria to be so persistent though or for the two of them to work through this together.

I loved these two honestly, again, im so so happy they got their happily ever after.

This read was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster as I would always expect from Lucy Score! She doesn’t shy away from the horrors of the world and in this instance Gloria is a victim of domestic abuse and Aldo a member of the National Guard. There’s so much heart and emotion in this story and it isn’t always an easy read but it is a story of hope and healing, love in its many forms and community. I loved the found family in this story and the fierce women.
Watching Gloria learn to lean on other people whilst also learning to stand up for herself and build her own life was so heartwarming. Aldo is definitely a swoon worthy man with a big heart and a lot of respect for Gloria but he also has his own struggles that he has to wade through.
My only critique, though a big one, is that it seems as though everybody in town knew Gloria was in an abusive relationship and did nothing. Even when it was happening right in front of them.
But all in all I did enjoy this novel and the gritty side of life, the baggage and emotions that come with it. It showed that we are all a work in progress and have the ability to change.

I’m torn between loving and hating this book. I loved the story line but hated how Gloria had no one help her during her abuse. Lucy’s writing is out of this world. This story missed the mark for me though

Finally Mine is the second book in the benevolence series. This book follows Aldo Moretta and Gloria Parker as they come to make their 10 year long crush a reality. The problem is Gloria has been involved in an abusive relationship for 10 years and she has a hard time overcoming the trauma she has and seeing herself as more than a victim. As she finds her way out of the abusive relationship, she finds herself overcoming a difficult inner dialogue viewing herself as "broken." Aldo comes back from war after suffering an injury that will change his life. He finds himself insecure with his new self and has to build up the courage to win Gloria's heart now that she is newly single and available.

I didn't care for this book because it was a retelling of the first book, Pretend You're Mine, but from the perspective of Aldo and Gloria. Essentially, the exact same story line happens in both books making it feel very repetitive to read, especially since I just finished reading the first book in the series. This book felt long and dragged out because of the repetition and I didn't feel like this perspective was necessary since the reader was able to tell how Aldo and Gloria end up together in the first book, I wish this book expanded on their life together after and challenges they may face rather than a retelling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Thank you Net Galley for the copy of this book. I am a huge Lucy Score fan and read the first book in this series that told Luke and Harper's story. Reading that book made me interested in Aldo and Gloria's story. I really liked this book. I liked the relationship progression between the two main characters. There was conflict but not a whole lot. They got over their issues quickly. I tend to like more conflict in my books so I do wish there had been more. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading the third book in this series!

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of Finally Mine by Lucy Score. This book is the second book in the Benevolence series and while Net Galley says it is being released in May of 2023, I also see it has been previously released in 2018. There are things I really liked about this book and some things I didn’t. I read this book right after Pretend Your Mine so many of the scenes I had already read and I was now reading them a second time. I know the author did this in case someone was reading this as a standalone but as the reader, I found it a little frustrating. That being said, I did enjoy watching the story of Gloria and Aldo and how they finally overcame their obstacles and got together. Can’t wait to read the third book in this series.

This book focuses on the side characters Aldo and Gloria from ‘Pretend Your Mine’ and their off-screen romance. The events overlap with Harper and Luke’s story from the previous book in the series while introducing a fuller narrative and background for Gloria and Aldo. ‘Finally Mine’ both feel sweeter and darker. Both characters grapple with very real trauma but offer their love to each other gently. I would say this whole book is extra Benevolence content and a warm hug. Plus Aldo is sexy beyond belief.

I'm happy that I got to read Pretend You're Mine fake relationship became a real relationship in that storyline and in this one we got to know more about what Aldo and Gloria went through to get to the point where they are now. I couldn't put this book down and didn't even know my airplane landed until it announced because that's how intrigued I was in this book. It had me in tears because Gloria is a survivor and so is Aldo. It showed me that although you may experience something tragic that you are not broken and don't need to be fixed. You are not damaged goods. I love that Aldo always had an eye for Gloria and her only despite her being with someone else, he never gave up he was constant. I loved the long epilogue at the end it made me happy knowing they had a good life.

Thank you NetGalley for book two of the Benevolence series!

Ugh, I wanted to like this book but for me I had a hard time getting past the fact everyone looked over Gloria’s abuse for years. I was a fan of the characters growth and loved Gloria and Aldo’s chemistry!

I love Lucy Scores writing and her ability for complex characters and the tough situations she does.

This was an overall good read. I didn't read the first book in the series, but from what I gathered, they all take place at the same time. I love how Lucy adds a bit of suspense to her romance. I've read so many first person narratives, it always takes me a while to get used to third person. I see the appeal though, you get an outside perspective to everyone's story. Aldo and Gloria's story is very heartwarming. Having been in a situation like Gloria, I can understand why she stayed. Aldo is a fucking saint for waiting for her, but the fact he thought she couldn't love him made me.wanna smack him. They both had their demons and overcame them together - beautiful.

The sequel to “Pretend You’re Mine”, “Finally Mine” follows the story of Gloria and Aldo and can be read as a standalone. While I enjoyed this book more than the prequel, I still felt that the overall story lacked

Gloria has been dating Glenn since she was sixteen, and although the relationship became abusive a long time ago, she stayed with him until now. After a difficult separation that leaves Glenn in jail, Gloria is left trying to figure out who she is now in a town that only sees her as poor little Gloria. Meanwhile, Aldo is smart, successful, fit, and he’s had a crush on Gloria for the last ten years. After tragedy occurs, both Gloria and Aldo are forced to face their demons if they have any hope of giving their relationship a chance.

Personally, I thought this book had more of the depth that I thought its prequel lacked. Serious topics of abuse and depression are addressed in the most sensitive of ways, and it gave the main characters Gloria and Aldo some dimension. Their struggles felt real, and their characters seemed more relatable.

However, the overall timeline felt rushed, especially when trying to reconcile such serious topics and the healing that needs to come with it. While each of the main character’s storylines had depth, I don’t think them as a couple had that same level of depth. At one point, Gloria seems more moved by what is happening with her friend Harper than what’s occurring in her own relationship. While I did want these two together at the end, I wasn’t as invested in their story as much as I wish I was.

Fans of Lucy Score may still want to give this book a try. It is a fast read and if you’re looking for some steamy scenes, this book will not disappoint.

**Thank you so much to Bloom Books and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!**