I had a hard time finishing this, and probably should have just stopped as I really wasn't enjoying it busy the end.

This is one of my favorite series from one of my favorite authors. This book had my emotions all over the place but in a good way.

Aldo and Gloria have a complicated history, which is one of my favorite kinds of couples in a book. All characters are very relatable making for an easy read. Loved this small town romance!

Would absolutely recommend this book!!!

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley. This book was a slow build up but had some spicy parts. I didn’t realize it was a book 2, it read well as a stand-alone. I may go back and read book 1 now because I enjoyed this one. TW for domestic violence.

Beautiful read. I'm glad I got to see the before, messy between, and after of these characters. The support system was wonderful and I just really enjoyed meeting Gloria and Aldo. A recommended read...

Finally Mine by Lucy Score is a romance novel that follows Gloria, a woman who has just ended a toxic relationship and is working on rebuilding herself. She meets Aldo Moretta, a hometown hero who is charming and flirts with her in all the right ways. They have a memorable kiss before he deploys for six months. However, when Aldo's deployment is cut short by an injury, Gloria steps up to be his hero. The book offers humor, tears, and a lovable rescue kitten. The story is well-written, and the characters are likable and relatable. The romance between Gloria and Aldo is sweet and heartwarming, and the book offers an uplifting message about healing from past traumas and finding love again. Overall, Finally Mine is an enjoyable read for fans of romance novels.

2⭐️
Finally Mine by Lucy Score was the story of Aldo and Gloria. I didn’t enjoy this book more than the first. It felt very repetitive (because it is). I felt almost like I was reading the same book twice and skipped through the chapters that were literally the exact same as the first book in this series.

I do love Aldo and Gloria as a couple. I feel like they complete each other and after what they both have gone through, they deserve to be happy.

*Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for gifting me this arc in return for a review*

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lucy Score for the opportunity to read this arc.

This is the second book in a series, following ‘Pretend you’re mine.’ If you haven’t read that book yet, go read it first as the second chance romance of Grace and Aldo directly follows the end of the first book and references events that occurred. I enjoyed this read just as much as the first. I loved that Grace and Aldo got the opportunity to have their own story and love story.

Trigger warning- throughout the book, Grace is recovering from an abusive relationship.

Lucy Score never disappoints!!! If you read Pretend Your Mine then this book you will notice follows right after. Following the story of Aldo and Gloria!! The character development and plot execution were beautifully written as always by Lucy Score. I feel like Aldo and Gloria deserved this so much and I'm so happy we got to see what became of them.

Nice to meet you. Where you Been
Book 2 in Lucy Score’s Benevolence Series “Finally Mine” is Gloria and Aldo’s story. Although a small-town second chance romance, readers should know that Gloria is healing from past domestic abuse and all that comes with it. And Aldo is dealing with his on issues. Author Score’s writing pulls the reader in and conveys the trauma through the pages. There are connections with the first book, “Pretend your Mine.” It’s as if it were happening simultaneously.

I did like Aldo and how his character was portrayed - strong yet sweet. As mentioned, there are many emotional moments, so grab your tissue box - yet there are many guaranteed happy ones. I love a great epilogue, and this one had substance!

TW: Abuse

This story picks up almost concurrently with "Pretend Your Mine" but focuses on Aldo and Gloria as they both, in their own ways, reset their lives. Gloria was in a long term relationship with a very abusive fellow, and Aldo was injured while on active duty. They both have to strive to find themselves, and do it in a beautiful manner. Did I cry? Yes. But the writing was so beautiful and there was so much witty repartee.

Recommend to all!

Thanks to Bloom Books and NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Great new cover but same feelings about this second book as I recently had with the first. I'm not giving up on Score but this was just fair for me. Three stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

These were definitely two characters that deserved a happy ending and I enjoyed the overall plot! The transitions between scenes weren’t very smooth (and sometimes didn’t exist at all) so it felt jumpy and hard to follow. I also lost some of the suspense since it was a parallel story to Pretend Tour Mine, so I wasn’t as drawn in. I think I would have liked it much more had it not been so overlapped with the prior book.

I received this ARC and decided to give it a go even though as I mentioned in the first book's review they're older books being re-released. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first- these books have this weird patriotism subplot that I just don't get as a Canadian so it kind of took away from the experience for me. I also didn't like the repetitiveness of dialogue and scenarios from the first book since there was overlap- maybe if there had been some separation from my reading the two books but I hit them back to back so it was still fresh. I found myself skimming through those parts, which made up a fair portion of the book. I'll probably continue and read the third but won't rush to do so!

2.5/5

This is the second book in this series and I felt like there was too much of the same thing that was in the first book. Domestic violence is a good part of the story and you might want to be aware of that.

I was so excited to continue with this series, I love the world and the characters Lucy Score has built! The universe seems to be working against these 2 characters, but I love how we get to see how they fight their way back to each other again and again. They both have trauma to deal with but I love how instead of just depending solely on the other person to fix their problems, they are able to work together and still stand strong on their own, but even stronger as a team. This book had me in tears multiple times, you can feel the emotions straight from the pages!

Aldo Moretta and Gloria Parker were something.

I enjoyed these two characters. Both dealing with trauma life has thrown at them in different ways. But together they can get past it right?

Lucy Score is a wonderful storyteller and this one was a goodie.

Gloria finally finding herself and growing into the person she wants to be. Aldo finally getting the girl of his dreams.

The story will make you fall for Aldo and cheer for Gloria. And of course you cannot help but love the secondary characters too.

Small town Benevolence had me laughing and crying and wanting to visit just to spend some time in their lives.

I gave Gloria and Aldo 4 💘

In this book, Gloria and Aldo navigate heavy topics such as emotional abuse and military battles. Gloria learns to stand up for herself and doesn't rely on Aldo to fight her battles. The story takes place during the same timeline as "Pretend You're Mine," with glimpses of behind-the-scenes moments between Aldo and Glo. However, some scenes and dialogue are repeated verbatim from the previous book, which can be distracting. Overall, the author handles delicate topics in a thoughtful way and the character development of Gloria is a highlight.

I liked that Aldo and Gloria got a happy ever after. I did get satisfaction with what happened to Glenn and I hope the town is all the more peaceful afterwards.

Thank you SO MUCH to NetGalley, Lucy Score and Sourcebooks for an eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHINGGGGG

OK I became a Lucy Score stan long before I found this book BUT after reading the first in the series I had a fear that since these were her first books that maybe she would still be working out the kinks. I didn't absolutely love the first in the series (but I liked it well enough) and you got enough glimpses of Aldo and Gloria to be invested already so I was pleased to be able to review the second in the series for NetGalley.

Aldo and Gloria have known each other since high school. Due to another relationship in Gloria's life, they missed their chance to connect at that time. But when Gloria ends her 10 year long abusive relationship, Aldo knows he won't miss another chance. Because the universe seems to be working against these two, they reconnect just a couple of weeks before Aldo has to leave for deployment to Afghanistan. Before Aldo leaves he is already fully committed to Gloria. He is so loving and emotionally intelligent and patient when he leaves- he is fully secure that their connection will still be there upon his return. He encourages Gloria to experience life and to find out who she is outside of a relationship so that when he comes home he can show her who she is in a good relationship. The connection you feel from Aldo's side is so moving. This man has zero doubts that he is the one who can make her happy.

Aldo being the perfect MMC:

'I'd like to date you, Gloria'
The glug of water she'd just taken to was down the bitterness of disappointment came back out on a cough and ran down her chin.
Gently, he mopped her face with a napkin
'I'm sorry I don't think I heard you correctly.'
He grinned. 'That's not the reaction I was expecting. It'll be a fun story to tell our grandkids, though' - THIS MAN NEVER WAVERED

'he'd bought a dozen houseplants this week for the express purpose of having Gloria in his house weekly while he was gone.'

Lucy Score writing brilliance:
'Do you know how many people would do anything for a love like this? For even an ounce of what you two found in each other? Do you know how many would fight and claw and beg for this? And you throw it away like it's replaceable?'

You also get plenty of Harper charm from book one: 'Eat your burger. You're weak with hunger and stupidity'

Unfortunately- because once again the universe is against them- Aldo experiences so trauma while he is deployed and comes back feeling like he isn't good enough for Gloria. At this point it's Gloria's turn to fight for them. This is the story of them finding their way through all of their heartbreak to get back to one another.

I loved this book so wholeheartedly. Lucy Score had me crying at almost every stage and I could not put this book down. The characters are so damaged and the theme of the book- that damaged people can still love and be loved- is so beautifully betrayed.

A great addition to the “Pretend You’re Mine” story, “Finally Mine” follows the plot lines of Gloria and Aldo. I loved the behind the scenes look into their relationship and how it enhanced what we already knew about Gloria and Aldo from “Pretend You’re Mine!”