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!**

okay so – what i didn't realize when i requested this on netgalley was that this is the same story as the first book set in benevolence, but told from the perspective of two other characters. you often see the same scenes and dialogue, but from the viewpoint of the other character in the scene. i love a good second story set around characters we already know, but i didn't love seeing the same story ~again~ from their perspective. i would've loved to see their story continue, and to learn more about everybody in town. in just didn't really seem necessary, especially since these are being reprinted, so i was reading them back to back.

Finally Mine by Lucy Score is the 2nd book in the Benevolence series but it can be read as a standalone. This book follows Aldo and Gloria and I was really excited to read about them because they seemed so sweet in the first book. I was not disappointed by their romance! Aldo has had feelings for Gloria since high school but she was with someone else. Gloria's ex was abusive and when Gloria attempted to leave him he almost killed her. When the ex is sent to jail, Gloria gets her chance at a new start. Aldo also sees this as a chance to tell Gloria how he feels. However, he is leaving for deployment soon so he tells her how he feels and that he wants her to live her life while he is gone. I really appreciated that their relationship got a chance to work out this way. Gloria has been controlled by a man for 10 years and she deserves this chance to make her own choices. I loved getting to see Gloria grow as her own person with and without Aldo. I loved Aldo and Gloria together and their relationship was really beautiful. The main issue I had with this book is that it felt like I was reading book one again. It was the Luke and Harper show all over again. This book follows the same timeline as the first book (both books start at the same place in time). I was excited about this because I wanted to see the events from Aldo and Gloria's POVs. The first 50% was essentially the same story with the same conversations and events. Seeing things from the new POVs did not add anything new. The second half had way too much of Luke and Harper's relationship which was unnecessary because: 1. we already saw this in the first book and 2. this book is not about them. Luke and Harper's drama ended up causing issues with Aldo and Gloria's relationship which was frustrating because it was not necessary. If you are interested in these books I would recommend skipping the first book and just reading this because everything from Pretend You're Mine gets rehashed in Finally Mine. I enjoyed Aldo and Gloria's relationship but I there was too much from book 1 for me to enjoy the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for a review!

After reading the first book in this series and loathing it I really didn’t want to read this one but I was already approved for it. I hate DNF’ing but I don’t see any other choices here. I’m about 20 percent in and I am not finishing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

Lucy Score returns to Benevolence, Maryland in Finally Mine. The novel focuses on the relationship between Gloria Parker and Aldo Moretta. They grew up in Benevolence, where Gloria began dating Glenn Diller when she was sixteen, and spent ten years in a toxic relationship with him. When Harper attacks Glenn as he is choking Gloria, he is arrested and placed in jail.

Gloria finally has the chance to change her life. Aldo is very interested in her, but only has a month before he deploys to Afghanistan with the National Guard.

The novel explores how an abused woman grows when freed, and begins to learn who she is. There are multiple scenes that are taken verbatim from Pretend You're Mine when the protagonists interact, though from Gloria's perspective.

Overall,this book is more realistic regarding the struggles of establishing a relationship between two damaged people. It can be read as a stand alone novel, but the characters and plot are better when both are read.

From the start this book felt very similar to the first in the series, in my opinion. Of course you expect the town to be the same, some of the characters. But the main character leaving her longtime boyfriend in the first chapter in both books immediately just made me feel like I was reading the first book again. A lot of the banter/storyline is also the same since the men in both books are leaving for Afghanistan. You also have a lot of Harper & Luke (the couple from the first book) basically reliving their story from the perspective of their friends, Aldo and Gloria (who are the couple in book two). It was too repetitive for me. Overall I just wasn’t engrossed with the story since it wasn’t anything different. I gave it three stars because Lucy Score is a great writer and this story is still good, it’s just too much repetition from book one in this series.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy.

I WANTED TO LOVE IT SO BAD! IT just wasn’t for me though. Compared to Score’s other books, the pacing just felt way off and even though the characters had very deep and tragic trauma, I had a really hard time FEELING IT. Aside from the first chapter, I just didn’t feel captivated by the story.

The strength Gloria and Aldo possess. both as individuals and as a couple, is nothing short of admirable.

Gloria is coming out of a 10 yr abusive and toxic relationship but getting back out there so quickly wasn't exactly part of her plan. Hometown hero Aldo has other plans as he's been pining for the girl since high school but not until she's ready. The way he expressed his interest without making her feel uncomfortable was one of my favorite things. He promised a date in 6 months if she'll have him after he's back from deployment. Although an injury cuts his time short on deployment and getting back to the "old" Aldo is harder than it seems. This time it's Gloria who ends up being the hero.

While one of the main things I enjoyed about this book is how easily the plot/storyline interviewed with Pretending You're Mine, I wasn't the biggest fan of how many scenes were repeated. For a good chunk of the book, I thought I was just re-reading the previous book and I would've loved more scenes that weren't in the previous book. As well as lengthening it beyond where the first book ended to get a better look at how things ended after the first book ended. Harper felt like she was given more credit than Gloria with his health and getting him back to being Aldo but it was hard not to love and enjoy these two and their relationship.


Leaning more towards 3.5/5 stars for me
3/5 Twice Level
TWs: Mentions of domestic abuse, physical abuse, war, medical trauma, medical content, injury/injury details, blood, toxic relationship, and sexual assault/rape
While I have received an arc of this book, my thoughts are all my own.