This book took me a bit to get into, but once I got into the groove of the story I enjoyed it! The story itself was very engaging, but I think I mostly struggled with the writing style. I thought both Temperance and Duncan were interesting characters, and it was pretty neat to see a male main character who was a bit more emotionally aware then the FMC. Also, I really loved the secondary characters in the story and would love to hear more about them!

I really enjoyed Bend Toward the Sun and have been excited for this follow up book. I went in blind so I didn't know that the entire book is based on a second chance relationship filled with secrets. So I just can't. Life is too short for books with secrets.

Roses: Duncan and TJs love was undeniable. The family relationships were also a huge highlight of this story. I’m always a sucker for a happy ever after and was happy this happened for this couple. The spice was good in this and wasn’t too much.

Thorns: I didn’t really like TJ. I was getting annoyed with her responses to Duncan when he would tell her about this feelings. She didn’t ever seem receptive unless it was something she wanted. To me there wasn’t much reason why she couldn’t be with him yet she made some reason. Duncan also was petty with how he would drop his feelings all out there when it was pretty obvious it wasn’t the right time to talk about it. He really took every interaction they had and made it about his feelings for her. Like bro read the room and literally not everything needs to be about you. I thought it was super weird that everyone said how much each of the sisters wanted to become a Brady. That was a bit cringey to me. I’m just not a fan of the small town keep it in the family type of thing. I also wasn’t a huge fan of how the POVs were written. I’ve read a few books recently that have had this model and for me takes away from being fully immersed in the character.

Tenía meses esperando este libro y cuando me dieron el arc estaba muy feliz, lamentablemente no me gustó.

** spoiler alert **

Hace 14 años Temperance y Duncan tuvieron una relación secreta que terminó mal, durante esos años apenas y se vieron, sin embargo, siempre terminaban teniendo sexo y al otro día se ignoraban.

Lo que odie fue que se supone que él la ama, que es la única, sin embargo, durmió con medio mundo y según él las otras no significaron nada, pero se ofendía cuando Temperance trataba lo suyo como una aventura. Decía que la quería recuperar y en esa década jamás intento nada para disculparse y recuperarla.
Rompieron porque el quiso y volvieron porque él decidió que ya era tiempo. 😒
Ah, también anteponía los deseos de cualquiera a los de ella, durante el 70-80% estuvo de "novio" con Millie la chica con la salió al terminar su relación con Temp a los 19, pero nunca pudo decirle que era una relación falsa para alejar al exmarido de la chica. Que más dan los sentimientos de ella si lo importante era ayudar a la otra, mejor Millie conocía todos los secretos del tarado que la propia Temp, ¿cómo se supone que crea que él sólo la ha amado si le tenía más confianza a la mujer con quien tenía una relación falsa?


Temperance no sabe bien lo que pasa entre Millie y Ducan, los ve abrazados, con la familia de ella, bailando, tomándose fotos, viéndose con ojos de amor, o sea la invitó como su cita a la boda del hermano y aun así la tonta de Temp dejaba que el idiota la besara. Ojalá tuviera amor propio y se hubiera dado la oportunidad de conocer a alguien que la tratara como reina y no estuviera esperando al tipo que terminó su relación cuando los padres le ofrecieron dinero.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC REVIEW

Right Where we left Us
BY Jen Devon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5 (2 out of 5)

Publishing date: 6/18/2024

I think its safe to say this author isn't for me.

I read her previous book in 2022 and disliked that as well. I wanted to give her work another try. (Everyone deserves a redemption story.) However, I'm not a fan of the 3rd person POV this book has. I don't jive with the writing, and there are SO many side characters....I didn't feel they were needed, and it was distracting.

However...just because I dislike something doesn't mean you won't love it! Check out the GOODREADS SUMMARY to see if this is something you would like to add to your tbr 🙂

Even though it wasn't for me, I am always thankful to @stmartinspress
And @netgalley for the ARC opportunity

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

I will post my full review once SMP address the insensitive comments of their employee.

This series is low-key becoming one of my favorites! All the couples, side characters, scenery settings, & plotline are extremely comforting.

TJ & Duncan's relationship has always been on the rocks. They've tiptoed around for each other for a long time with occasional hookups and unlimited feelings. I loved reading the past & present chapters and knowing how they become what they are now. Their chemistry is off the charts and level of care & love they had for each other was heartwarming. That's what I loved the most; though there was steam, so was love too.

Until 50% through (or more) the book you won't exactly know what went wrong back then, but stick around cause it will be one hell of a ride. Some decisions or actions might leave you surprised, but all works out in the end.

Can't wait for book 3 in the series. And if I'm correct and the way Jen teased us about THAT couple, I'm already losing my mind and honestly sooooo looking forward to it.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF at 25%. I really didn’t dislike it, I just found myself not wanting to pick it back up and it started feeling like it was hanging over my head, so I decided to let it go. I think this authors writing is both beautiful and a little much for me personally. It’s a lottttt of backstory, unnecessary details, and a little forced. But I can definitely see the appeal for the right audience!

If you’ve had a relationship like this one, then you just get it. It’s sexy but unhealthy. Exciting but tiring. This book encapsulates all of that. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. Publication date June 18, 2024.

Jen Devon’s second novel Right Where We Left Us embodies romance angst (14 years!) and the deep pain and joy of a second chance at love. All the elements I savored in Bend Toward the Sun carried forward and blossomed fully - the heart-wrenching redemptive power of love, sizzling passion, and of course, the most lovable and ebullient Brady family. I completely and utterly savored this novel, and will wish and wait for Mal and Frankie’s turn next (a girl can dream)!

Thank you to St. Martin's press for the ARC.

Jen Devon has written a novel that takes you through a whirl wind of emotions. Temperance and Duncan feel like friends, you love, but frustrate you at the same time. As their story unfolds you are amazed at how real the conversations feel, and how two people can talk so much, but never say anything.

This novel that can be read as a stand-alone (which I did), but it's a continuation of the Brady family and their world from her first novel. I can not wait to go back and read this introduction to the Brady family and their beautiful property.

Right Where We Left Us is heartwarming, a little bit spicy and totally enjoyable!

This book was an easy read and had lots of good moments.
Specifically, my jaw dropped at the line about remembering this moment because you could've been honest and avoided future miscommunication.
However, it was also hard to root for this couple. His communication and her genuine dislike for him made it hard to believe them.

This book gave me deep-seated "hmmm" feelings. Where I was charmed and debut-talked myself out of some of the lack of tightness in the first (and I do find the writing compelling mostly so that helps), for this release I didn't allow for the same level of grace. I LOVE second-chance, but even this push and pull was...weird? And for a book that feels so grounded and organic in its setting, I found this massively frustrating.

And guys, it's dripping with sentimentality, but not always the kind I am on board with. The secondary characters wholly serve the romance and only care about love, the idea that her sister's kids are "previews"of what hers might look like bleh. It's just disjointed and a little unfocused. Rather than having that hazy magical setting it felt like it shamelessly exploited characters but dropped you right back in with the lot (I didn't pre-read)

Did I like some of it? I did? And tightened up with more interrogation for I don't ALL the characters' motivations would be helpful.

I also had misgivings about both characters as well. I enjoyed reading it but not always what I was reading. I think it's between a 2-3, but because I will give this author another chance I will say 3.

If forced proximity and second chances or just many chances is your thing this one is a good choice to read. A little bit of tension with sneaking a on/off relationship with your best friend’s brother.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Right Where We Left Us focuses on Temperance and Duncan, who were deeply in love in high school (and perhaps are still 14 years later) . The two continuously run into each other as they have joint friends and family. As they both try to determine what they want with life, the other keeps coming to mind.

There are a lot of characters in this book and it initially took some time to keep them (as well as the relationships to each other straight). I felt like the plot was decently cyclical, though there is good chemistry and conversations between Duncan and Temperance.

This is one of those books that is trying to set up several others books so it features lots of different characters. The biggest problem with a setup like this is that it makes it difficult to follow the storylines and get attached to characters. This book also is a very slowburn and because of that it takes a long time to want to root for the couple.

Destiny
My Books
Browse ▾
Community ▾

Destiny rated a book really liked it
less than a minute ago
Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon
Right Where We Left Us
by Jen Devon (Goodreads Author)
Read
-Slow Burn
-Second Chance
-Forced Proximity
-Banter
-Small Town

"Right Where We Left Us" was a charming and engaging read. I read this book as a standalone but it is apart of an interconnected series so I would recommend checking out book one also.

I enjoyed reading Duncan and TJ's story, their characters were well-developed and I felt like both showed good character growth. Their romance definitely had the slow burn element to it, worth the wait but definitely took a little bit to get to that point.

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

Heading back to the Brady family with a second chance romance love story but this time with Rowan’s best friend Temperance and Duncan Brady.

Duncan is the moody misunderstood guy in the family while TJ oozes positivity. But they both have secrets and they both dance around why they can’t be together despite obvious attraction.

Ok, here’s the thing: I loved the authors debut. I thought it was flirty and fun. But this one felt too long. I got frustrated with the miscommunication and lack of communication between them. It felt like I wanted to shake them and say, “figure it out”.
It’s angsty which is great, attraction is there, but it goes on for too long for me. The book is almost over before they even get together.

But I did like being back in the family. I’m hoping this is just a me thing! Because I totally loved the first book.

I really enjoyed Temperance and Duncan's story
I just wish we got their past POVs instead of being told what happened
Can't wait for the next couple's story... I hope it's Frankie and Malcolm!

“Second chances are for when you weren’t ready for the first”

After seeing such great reviews, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book so that I could read it for myself and wow did it live up to all my hopes and expectations! I enjoyed it immensely! A perfect
second chance romance filled with angst and spice!!

Temperance and Duncan never seem to be able to get the timing right. They first fell in love when they were only eighteen years old but illness, family and pride gets in the way and they soon find themselves apart. Duncan knows that Temperance is meant to be his if only he can get her to see that she can count on him. After circling around each other for years, a wedding at the Brady vineyard forces Temperance and Duncan back together and they are either going to pledge their undying love for one another or end things once and for all.

I didn’t realize that this was not the first book in this series until after I started reading so I will admit that it took me a minute to figure out all the characters, but once I did I couldn’t get enough. I just loved Duncan so much. He is selfless and funny and his love for Temperance is beautiful. For her part, Temperance grew on me. She is a complex character to say the least but in the end her resilience as well as her willingness to open herself up to the possibility of love is what won me over. I will absolutely be going back to read Bend Toward the Sun!

If you like second chance, he falls first, slow burn romance then is a great pick!