Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. Right Where We Left Us follows the story of Temperance and Duncan; following a whirlwind romance that ended in heartbreak in their late teens, they are now both back in close proximity at the Brady family farm in support of wedding preparations for Duncan’s brother and Temperance’s best friend.

I want to note that I did not read the authors previous work and do wish that I had before reading this book. It is completely possible to read as a standalone but, I felt like I was missing some context of the Brady family. The beginning of the book introduced so many characters at once that it was a little hard to keep track. Generally, I did enjoy this second chance romance and found it to be both very heartwarming and spicy! I also enjoyed the secondary storyline around Temperance’s work with community medicine and some of her struggles with family expectations. The family dynamics, challenges, and warm connections in this story really added to the central romance plot line; in my opinion, this also made the characters very likable which is always a plus for me! Overall, it took a while before I really got into the book (it felt a bit slow paced at first) but once I did, it was enjoyable to the end!

I’d definitely recommend this to romance fans specifically those who like the small town, close knit community type of vibe or those who enjoy a good second chance romance!

I have to start this review with saying that I did not read the first book Bend Towards the Sun. I am slightly regretful because I think it might have made this a better read. Right at the start of the book we are introduced to the Brady family and a slew of characters. I needed a family tree to try to keep it all straight as many characters also had nicknames. That said, this book is considered a stand alone but I really do think it would be much better having read the first book and getting to know the characters.

Right Where We Left Us follows Temperance and Duncan and their fraught history of on and off again love. Their story is truly beautiful and the writing was so descriptive, I really feel like I was there. The story spans 14 years, I would have liked to have more details on their history to try to better understand their actions but over all I enjoyed the book.

I definitely would read more from Jen Devon. I am going to go back and read the first book to see if I can gain a better understanding of the characters and how they fit together.

Thank you Jen Devon, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to get an arc copy of Jen Devon’s second book. I loved her first book and couldn’t wait for her next.

In Right Where We Left Us, we get Temperance and Duncan’s story and I just loved it.

This is a second chance romance and I thought the growth of the characters from their first relationship to the present was really good. Duncan is the big, fun guy that makes everyone laugh but he has a softer more serious side also that I loved.

I also love the family dynamic! The Bradys are just one big loving family that has real issues but always comes together and is there for each other.

I hope we get to see more from the Brady family!

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARCs in exchange for my coverage.

This is second in a series but it can stand alone. That said, you'll miss the context of the large family and how they figure into the plot. I almost passed on this one but I like a second chance story and this one delivered. No spoilers here but I'll say I loved the MCs and how they handled finding out why theirs is a second chance story. Fair warning to readers who don't care for detailed love scenes - there are a few here. Just skip over those and enjoy the actual love story. A third book was set up (I believe) and I look forward to it.

I loved this author’s first book, so I had high expectations for this book. And boy did the author deliver on this one! Temperance and Duncan were fun secondary characters in Bend Towards the Sun. You could feel something was between them, so I was so excited to read their story. And as you all know ima sucker for a second chance romance. Temperance was smart, caring, and trying to figure out where she belonged. Duncan was hard working, loyal, and fought for what he wanted. Their banter was witty and rapid fire at times. It made me laugh out loud and cry! The way Duncan loved her even when he felt he couldn’t have her was so endearing. Temperance’s fears about letting herself have him felt so real and understandable. I loved watching them circle each other trying to figure the other out! The spice was steamy and perfectly timed. The plot sucked me in, and I had a hard time putting the it down. The ending was perfection! It fit the story and the characters so well. I loved knowing how it all worked out for them.

Temperance and Duncan first fell in love when they were 18. Fast forward fourteen years and the two still can't seem to get their act together. Both want the other but something is always standing in the way. 

Aaaah this book! The longing! The sweetness! The witty banter! The angst! The spice! This book really had it all. The storyline wasn't complicated but it held so much emotion within. I really adored everything about it. It is my first book by Jen Devon and I'm excited to go back and read her previous book now about Rowan. I have all my fingers crossed that we'll get another book in the series too.

After reading and enjoying Devon's debut, Bend Toward the Sun, I was super excited to see that she was going to continue in this world with a new couple in Right Where We Left Us. It's been nearly two years since I read the previous book and right at the beginning of this one, we are bombarded with a slew of characters. It had me on information and character overload. I'm assuming it was written this way for someone to read it as a standalone, but it felt like a lot to put together and keep straight. But I love these characters and I love the Brady family, so I hoped this story was going to be worth it in the end.

Duncan Brady is the outcast of the family. He's tall, tatted, and works with his hands. He's the one that everyone can count on, but he's not "the smart one". He feels like his expectations are low in the family and he tends to play those cards.
Temperance Madigan comes from a family with ALL the expectations for success. Two doctor parents that expect the same of her. She's become a doctor, works 80 hours a week, and basically will sleep when she dies. But that's not enough for her parents that are surgeon royalty.
But there's more to these two than who they are now. These two have a secret past of when they were teens. And the past is finally gaining on them. Will they finally give in to everything that's always been there? Or will they turn off any deep seated emotions and just be family friends?

"I think the way we loved each other was just too big for two eighteen-year-olds to know how to handle. We changed, and the world around us changed. But every version of me has loved every version of you, and deep down, I was always waiting."

I will be the first to admit that I'm not always a fan of second chance romances, but you can convince me. In this case, I just didn't get why Duncan and Temperance couldn't be together. They had a past and they always came back together even if just for a night. So what was stopping them now? I felt like the story didn't ever dive too deep into the whys and I didn't feel the pull of the angst that is always there in second chance romances. It fell a little flat in that area. They had the longing looks. They didn't have any fights. They truly cared for one another. I just kept being told that they couldn't. I didn't feel it. I want ALL the emotions and the longing and to be taken THROUGH it. But it didn't quite get me there.

BUT I loved the potential of these characters and what they embodied and wanted to become. I also loved the whole Brady family and the way they were more than just the Bradys. They were a community within a family and they all loved hard and were accepting of others and pulling them into their tribe. I wanted to be a part of their group.

If you like a slow burn, second chance romances set in a small town, this book may be for you. Told in dual POV with 2 intriguing characters, I felt like this story had potential. There was a great cast of characters (maybe too many) and I liked that Temperance and Duncan had such a strong bond and connection that held out over the years. But overall, I was more frustrated that our leads didn't get together sooner. They really didn't have any sort of conflict that should've kept them apart. Give me the angst! I hung in there for the end, which was worth it to get to their HEA, I just didn't get their reasoning for not coming together sooner.

In the follow-up to Bend Toward the Sun, Right Where We Left Us follows Temperance and Duncan as they find their way back to each other after years of a back and forth secret relationship. I enjoyed this second chance romance, which had fantastic angst, emotion, and steam. The book also featured my favorite micro-trope - caretaking.

There was tons of great tension between Temperance and Duncan, both physical and emotional, and I was immediately pulled into their story. I had to know why they didn't end up together before. They are the perfect definition of right person, wrong time, and I loved seeing how the pair grew up apart so that they could eventually be together.

There were so many beautiful lines that I found myself constantly highlighting. It was hard to narrow it down to just a few...

💬 "You can fight for someone, but you have to be sure they’re ready to be fought for.”
💬 “Second chances are for when you weren’t ready for the first."
💬 “Half my life, I’ve been trying to be okay without you.” His lungs hitched on the words. “I don’t want to be okay without you.”
💬 “You are not optional.” Each word was punctuated by a labored breath. “You are necessary.”

I liked this one better than the first book, but having read BTTS prior to its release more than a year ago, I found myself having a hard time keeping all the characters straight. I would definitely suggest reading BTTS first before reading this one. I also am not a fan of narration in the third person, so I did stumble through that at times (this is more of a personal preference than a knock to the author).

I didn’t read Bend Towards the Sun first before this and that was a big misstep on my part. I thought this was a standalone so I was definitely confused and now need to read the first book.

Oh I am such a sucker for a messy, angsty second chance romance! Jen Devon really delivered with Right Where We Left Us.

This book is set in the same universe and family as the author’s debut, Bend Toward The Sun, and picks up with the engagement of Harry and Rowan from that book. The main characters are Duncan Brady (Harry’s brother) and Temperance (Rowan’s best friend) who have been in love with each other since they were teenagers and have been circling each other ever since.

We see Duncan and Temperance grow and develop through the book and we see a lot of their history. I wanted a little more info about the precipitating event that tore them apart as teenagers which we don’t get. But I did love seeing Temperance especially come around (Duncan never stopped loving her). I loved being back with the Brady family and hope to see a book about Mal and Frankie soon!

Content flags: Temperance’s parents are financially manipulative; reference to chronic illness and injury

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Second chance romance meets slow burn in Right Where We Left Us; aggravating at times at the stubbornness of the main characters, I found the side characters and family members endearing and easy to engage with. I really enjoyed diving into the personalities of Temperance and Duncan and while I was supposed to read until I feel asleep for the back half of the book I read until I finished because I couldn't put it down!

Thanks SMP Romance for the gifted ARC to review.

I didn’t love it nor hate it. I love second chance romances. It is a slow burn but what kept me happy was the dual pov. I did have a hard time knowing when the flashbacks started and ended. But other than that, the romance, the steamy scenes and laughable scenes made up for it.

For those that love Roni Loren, Carley Fortune and Annabel Monaghan's Same time next summer, with a little sprinkle of Happy Place, this was such a great read!

Temperance and Duncan never were, but they were always SO.MUCH.MORE. This was one heck of a slow burn if there ever was one. The longing glances, the scheming family, both his for the right reasons and hers for the wrong ones, and I have to mention the longing glances again because whoa. 😍🥵😍 they weren't fooling anyone with that.

The one thing that I didn't love about this book, there wasn't any indication that it was not a stand alone novel. There were some gaps in character development that left me a little confused, but then in looking at this author's other works, I found that (slight assumption on my part at the moment) that this book picks up where her first one would have left off. By the time I realized this, I was in too deep to the longing between Temperance and Duncan to go back and read bend towards the sun and fall in love with Rowan and Harry, but you better believe it's been downloaded and I will be starting that immediately 🤣 That aside, my heart broke every which way through this story and I loved every minute of it, of being able to root for them and their HEA. The found family turned actual family in one way or another brought the meddling to the next level and I'm crossing my fingers for a book on Mal and Frankie next!!


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This book surprised me with how rich it was written! I went into it expecting a quick and enjoyable beach read, but the pictures the author painted with her words were so beautiful and lush. The family dynamics were realistic and delightful to watch unfold and Duncan and Temperance were just perfectly imperfect 🥹. Really enjoyed their story!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!!

Format - Paperback/EARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- Cloud Tide

Troupes- Second chance, mutual pining, small town, childhood lovers

Representation-

CW- neglectful parents


I have been waiting for this book for over a year and after getting to meet the wonderful Jen Devon in person I could not have been more excited to both get an ARC from Netgalley and win a ARC paperback from Jen.

I was so intrigued by the bearded Duncan and Doctor Temperance when we met them in “Bend Toward the Sun”. And now I can say with confidence that everyone needs to read their story. It is one of the best Second chance romances I have read in a very long time and I will not be able to get them out of my head. Jens Characters are so well flushed out and they just walk off the page and make you love them.

I know I have said this before, Jen’s descriptive imagery is like a movie playing in my head. In both her Novels now I have highlighted the hell out of it because the words she uses and puts together there way she describes things makes my brain happy.

This book is spicer then they Harry and Rowan’s and I think that it perfectly normal and really fucking wonderful. Temperance and Duncan’s chemistry just levitates off the page and drags you under.

I cannot wait for whatever Jen has next for us and will definitely be seeking out the Audio for this one.

Thank you Jen Devon, Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy all opinions are my own.

This book was so satisfying to read! It was mature, funny, honest, and realistic.

Temperance and Duncan, and their second chance at love gave me all the feels. The author, Jen Devon, wrote so tenderly about them, I truly felt it in my heart.

All the supporting characters were written so well, and added extra emotion and fun to the story.

I would definitely recommend this book!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will forever be a fan of Cloud Tide. This world that Jen Devon has created is the literal BEST! I love close-knit, large families who adopt people into their lives as if they were their own. Gives me all the heart eyes!!!! I was obsessed with Bend Toward the Sun and Right Where We Left Us was no different. Duncan was hilarious in BTTS, and I was so excited that his story was the next to be told.

Slow Burn seems to be a hit or miss trope for a lot of people. But, I think Jen does a great job of giving us such a great journey, that the slow burn doesn't feel too incredibly slow. I will say that I felt like the slow burn here wasn't quite as slow as BTTS.

I absolutely loved Temperance and could relate so much to her just wanting to keep the peace. I was so happy for her when she gained her voice and stood up for herself.

As with Bend Toward the Sun, my only complain is that I didn't want the book to end.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to be an early reader! My review will be posted to my bookstagram on Friday, May 31.

my rating: 4.5/5 stars

I did not know this was the second book in a series. Perhaps that led to some of my issues but, holy moly, were there a lot of characters. Like, so many siblings and in-laws and children and friends. I was so confused. And then I felt like I needed more back story for Temperance and Duncan. The author actually provided quite a bit, but I still felt like it was lost at the beginning while I was attempting to find my way through the other characters, and then I never caught up to them. Also, way too many secrets and misunderstandings. Some books revolve around one or two secrets - this book was secreting all over the place.

All that said, I still found myself involved and enjoying it? At least after the 50% mark where both the story and myself as the reader found our strides.

I really liked this book. It was a little slow at the beginning, but you find yourself rooting foe Duncan and Temperance. There is so much history between them, and so many secrets. I also loved the supporting characters. They lost so much time because of caring too much what other people would think. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

If you're here because you read Bend Toward the Sun and you want more of Jen Devon's dreamy scene-setting, you are in for a treat! The Brady's are back, and boy, do I love a meddling family.

I ADORE how in touch with each character the POVs are. Temperance thinks and feels in medical vocabulary and Duncan in architecture, which are both romantic in their own way, and it's so lovely and authentic to experience with them.

Both MCs are maddening, and together they are maddeningly hot. Gonna go think about chopping wood.

The book lightly dips its toe into dual-timeline, and I think exploring that further would have made it 5 stars for me. There is so much delicious longing, and we would have felt all 14 of those years deeper if we spent more time in the past.

I devoured this read, I just wanted a little more from it.