Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I woudl recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary raomcne
-second chance
-aaangst
-found family
-hurt/sick comfort
-it's always been you

Jen Devon is just an incredible talent. Reading this I would just sit staring at her line level writing, the lusciousness of it, the angst, the feeling, she does na incredible job of just dropping you right in the scene. I don't know how you can read this books and not want to just go live at the winery if not be adopted into the Brady family. This was angsty goodness of two people who the timing wasn't right, but the yearning never let up. And maybe also a bit too stubborn to get out of their own ways.

I won't give any spoilers but the way this book left me screaming for who I assume the next couple in the series is, I cannot wait. I am a forever Jen Devon fan.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I absolutely loved Jen Devon's first book. We are in the same world as the characters in the 1st book, which came out a couple of years ago. I definitely needed a refresher on the Brady family. The author provides that well. You don't necessarily need to read the books in order, but it probably makes sense.

This book is a second chance romance. Temperance, or TJ, as she's known, is a pediatrician who is finishing her residency. Duncan Brady is one of the younger of the Brady kids and the general contractor at his family's business. He has aspirations of being an architect. When the two were 18, they had a secret fling. (Or not so secret to members of their families, her sister Maren married Duncan's brother Nate) they are in each other's lives by proximity of their friends and family. Something ended their fling, but as readers, we don't quite know at first what it was. There's an unstoppable attraction there that they can't fight. The feelings run deep. The book was a little slow in the beginning, and it took me until about 60% to really get into the book.

I really enjoyed most of this book and how they take care of each other. The chemistry was hot. It just felt a little slower paced than I would have liked.

4/5☆ out June 18, 2024.

Right Where We Left Us takes us back to Vesper Valley and the Brady family. Even though it can be read as a stand-alone, I will forever recommend reading Jen’s debut Bend Toward the Sun first.

When I read Bend Toward the Sun, it blew me away and I’ve been waiting for Jen’s next book ever since. When I finally got my hands on Right Where We Left Us I was torn between devouring it in one sitting and savoring it.

Jen Devon is just the absolute queen of angst and pining. You feel every emotion radiating off the page, it’s just so easy to lose yourself in the story. Here she goes gracing us with another gorgeous love story in Duncan and Temperance. Their spice and banter were *chef kiss*. It was impossible not to feel the tension and chemistry between them, they were electric.

While Temperance and Duncan rightfully took center stage in this story, I loved that we got to check back in with Harry and Rowan as well as the rest of the Brady family who’s joy and love is as contagious as ever. (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever, someone please tell me where to apply to join the Brady family!)

Back in 2022, Bend Toward the Sun immediately took a top spot on my favorite romance list and Right Where We Left Us has definitely joined it. (And I have no doubt that whenever we are graced with a Frankie and Malcolm book, that one will join them as well.)

Thank you SMP Romance and Netgalley for my review copy in exchange for an honest review 💜

P.S. I eat cupcakes the same way as Temperance and it is without a doubt the superior way to eat cupcakes. That’s a hill I’m prepared to die on!

I really enjoyed this book and won't be the last one I read by Jen Devon!

I loved the forced proximity and the mutual pining between the two! Devon's descriptions of everything really put you into the story! I could picture everything in the vineyards and their love for each other!

Truly loved this story! Thank you NetGalley, Jen Devon, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This book was "finish the arc and immediately preorder a finished copy" good.

I absolutely love Jen's writing and will never grow tired of the Brady family. Jen has such a lovely author voice and, while the story arcs in Bend Toward the Sun and Right Where We Left Us are very different, the prose is undeniably Jen. Right Where We Left Us immediately sucks you into the sweet vortex that is Duncan and TJ.

I love a story with angst and pining, and Right Where We Left Us DELIVERS. Temperance (TJ) and Duncan have been on-again off-again since one magical summer when they were eighteen. They can no longer avoid each other when Duncan's brother and TJ's best friend ask them to help them plan their wedding at the Brady family vineyard. Old wounds resurface and the chemistry is palpable.

I loved getting to revisit Harry and Rowan as they plan their wedding. Right Where We Left Us included more of the Brady family and Frankie, which I absolutely loved. I adored all of the interactions between Duncan and his brothers! This is a story any romance lover needs to read, and it is one I cannot wait to re-read.

Asparagus and Duncan's enemies to lovers romance deserves a mention because it is delightful.

Read for:
- pining
- second chance romance
- puns
- a donkey named Asparagus
- more Brady family shenanigans
- beautiful prose
- broody Mal 🔥🔥🔥

I'm off to prepare a powerpoint on why Mal is the best Brady brother. I dearly hope that we get to see his full story someday!

To read a Jen Devon novel is to fall in love with the characters and world that she so vividly creates and brings to life as she pens words to paper like the artist paints a canvas.

I adore everything about this book and was thrilled to be returning to the vineyard of Cloud Tide which we were first introduced to in “Bend Toward the Sun.” While you do not need to read this before “Right Where We Left Us,” I would definitely recommend doing so as you’ll have a better understanding and connection with the characters and a thorough introduction to the Brady family. In this novel we see Temperance and Duncan’s love story as well as the love, trust, respect, and caring of the entire Brady clan. And oh how I love the Brady family and all their distinct personalities and connections to each other. A second chance romance after a secret fling that fell apart where they were 18, Duncan and Temperance are still fighting their feelings for one another 14 years later when they come together for a few weeks for a family event. This is a charming story with witty banter, sage advice, undeniable chemistry, steamy romance, character growth, second chances, and complex realistic characters that you’ll root for and want to have by your side in real life.

Devon’s writing is a breath of fresh air leaving you with all the scents and sounds of a vineyard as if you were actually there. “Right Where We Left Us” will soon have a home on my shelves so I can revisit Cloud Tide. @kisscrafter (who also has the bestest Instagram handle btw) has quickly become an #autobuyauthor for me and I cannot wait for her third book to hear Malcolm and Frankie’s story as well as more details about the Brady family. Are there any Brady brothers in real life? ‘Cause I think I’ve fallen for the entire family…

Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the digital advance ebook. I loved it! Pre-order now so you have it for its June 18, 2024 release!

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I really enjoyed this book. One of my favorite tropes is second chance-love. The chemistry between Temperance Jean (TJ) and Duncan was palpable. There was a small amount of spice and was overall very sweet.

While this was not a sequel, it is part of a series. I was not aware of this when I started reading this book. I will go back and read the first one.

Forced proximity means second chance love for Temperance Madigan and Duncan Brady.

This romance was a highly entertaining and easy to breeze through. All of the characters are well fleshed out as are their flaws and the backstory explaining why the relationship didn’t pan out the first time around.

The last 10% of the book could have been condensed in my opinion but this is a small issue.

One other comment is that while this is the second of Devon’s books in the series, it acts as a self contained, standalone story. You just need to be patient to understand how people connect but the author gets us there pretty quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the advanced reading copy.

“Right Where We Left Us” by Jen Devon
Love is complicated
I really did enjoy my time in this story. The love journey of TJ and Duncan Brady was loaded with difficulties some from outside forces, some their own making. Oh, so much like the real world. The Brady family seemed familiar. I checked my reading journal and yes I had spent some time with them a couple of years ago. Loved that story, too. Note: For me there were a few spicy scenes with a bit more detail that I care to read. So, I just skipped those paragraphs. Happy Reading ! !

Right Where We Left Us was a sweet second chance for on again off again Duncan and Temperance. This sweet second novel from Jen Devon was so cute! It's technically not a sequel but these characters are in her debut novel which I also loved!

The chemistry was undeniable and they had a lot of growing to do together and apart. I loved the banter, the fun and all the side characters! They all bring so much laughter to the table! A must read!

Thank you Netgalley, SMP and the author for providing an arc copy as a teavelling arc in Canada aka arctic. Jen has become an autobuy authoe for me. I loves everything abou this book and immediately want to reread and annotate ny copy. This is a beautiful book aboit redemption and forgiveneeas and obsessed with the gorgeous purple cover love how it wad s broken down into parts. I will need a tropy for my shelf.

5/5☆

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

Oh this book was adorable! Very small town romance, second chance, slow burn! This book gave me kind of Hallmark vibes and I think that’s why I liked it so much.

Temperance and Duncan have been together before but it just never seems to work out! They are constantly around each other. So maybe this time they can finally get it right?

4/5 stars for me and I would recommend this!

Right Where We Left Us is a dual POV forced proximity romance centered on Temperance and Duncan. The two are constantly thrown together (Temperance’s older sister is married to one of Duncan’s brothers, her best friend is marrying another brother). While they had a brief relationship at 18, now 14 years later they are stuck in a pattern of wanting each other, casual hookups, and angsty separation.

This book just didn’t hit right for me, but I can be a mood reader and maybe it was just not the right book at the right time.

Positives: it was beautifully written, Jen Devon really had a way with words! If you enjoy a lot of angst and tension between romantic leads, this one will have you hooked with the back-and-forth.

Negatives: the pacing kind of dragged. I love a good slow burn but this one felt mostly just slow, no burning. 🤷🏻‍♀️ The first few chapters were an overload of secondary characters being introduced, all friends and/or family and a little difficult to sort out and keep track of (maybe not a problem for people who had read the previous book).

Read dates: 05/06/2024- 05/08/2024
Goodreads review: 05/08/2024
Instagram review: 05/09/2024
Blog review: 06/08/2024

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Right Where We Left Us is the first book I have read of this author's and I learned after I was picked to review an advanced copy that this is the second book of a series. So I will preface this review with the fact that I have not read the first book.

This book opens and takes place in a small rural community. The female lead Temperance (can I stop here and say that Temperance is not a great name and is a real mouthful?) is a pediatrician and the male lead helps run his family's winery. The couple dated in high school then broke up for reasons that are revealed later in the book. However, in true Second Chance romance novel fashion, the couple continues to have sexual chemistry and some one night stands over the years. All this is complicated by the fact that her sister is married to her brother and her best friend is marrying his other brother.

Positives
From very early in this book it was clear that this author is an excellent writer. Her descriptions of both surroundings and feelings are gorgeous and poetic. I don't really expect this with contemporary romance novels and I found myself highlighting many passages.

This was from a outdoor scene where a storm was approaching

The storm’s agonizingly slow approach felt almost sexual, an elemental edging. A familiar lick of adrenaline lit through her veins, prickling her skin with goosebumps and raising the roots of her hair. Her body felt like a blood and bone barometer.

Then

All at once, the sky ruptured wide, unloading rain like a belly split with a blade.

Or this conversation as she's telling her the other women her complicated feelings for the MMC.

Temperance closed her eyes. “It’s like I’m looking into a clear lake, and I’m confident I know is the depth, but after I dive in, the bottom isn’t where I thought it was. So I sink. And sink, and sink. Then when I start to drown, I realize it wasn’t a lake at all. It’s an ocean, and I’ve already fallen so far in that I’m never getting out again, because it’s so much bigger than me. Indifferent to my smallness. And I belong to it now, sinking forever until I’m just—” She swallowed hard and opened her eyes. “Bones.” “Holy shit,” Maren said. Arden said, “Is Duncan the ocean, or—?” “I think it’s a metaphor for love,” Mercy said. “Deep,” said Frankie. “Yeah,” Temperance said. “So’s my salty ocean of feelings.” “Do you want to know what I think?” Arden pulled a brush through her hair. When Temperance nodded, she said, “I think, when someone makes you feel those big feelings, that’s your heart telling your brain to let them.”

This is just some of the beautiful language. Even the smutty scenes have amazing prose!

The couple does have great chemistry, and I liked all the characters. No one acts totally out of character to move along the plot and there aren't any dumb miscommunication plots. I liked how the book ended and liked the HEA.

Negatives

For a contemporary romance there was a lot of world building and details included that didn't really matter. I get that there is a book before it and maybe just giving some background could help the reader but there was way, way more background and random details in the early parts of the book. At certain points it got confusing. I get that these types of series have lots of characters but it became hard to keep track of who was who.

The MMC had multiple abstract dreams that are pretty bananas. Not just dreaming about the FMC but super complicated ones that distress him to the point where he wakes up in a cold sweat. I don't see why he has such strange dreams or why they are added to this book.

While it was very clear how the MMC felt about the FMC and why they broke up on his end, it never felt really clear to me why the FMC was so terrified of getting back together with him. While he did break her heart in high school, they reconnected and continued to have strong feelings and great sex. He is obviously in love with her and wants to commit to her. The reason for her reluctance just never felt clear to me.

Despite these negatives, it was hard to put this book down and I really all the other aspects of it. Easy 4 stars.

I really loved book one in the series, Bend Towards the Sun, so I was thrilled to read this sequel. Temperance (TJ) and Duncan have always been in each other's orbits. They dated when they were younger, before separating. Now as they find themselves back in the same place for a summer wedding, sparks fly between them. Can TJ and Duncan find a way back to each other?

Right Where We Left Us is a charming second-chance romance. Jen Devon balances the large cast of characters with ease, creating a strong sense of family (both blood and found). Duncan’s struggles with getting his family to take him seriously and to follow his own dreams were very relatable. TJ also has her own family struggles, including finding the balance between making her parents proud and living her own life.

TJ also deals with a chronic and rare disease called ITP, which seemed thoughtfully written and researched. The diagnosis never stops TJ from pursuing her dreams and she uses her knowledge to help as many people as possible. I enjoyed the cameos from book one and I love the affectionate chaos of the Brady family. I really love the distinct characters that Devon has created and I hope to see more books in this series! I hope Mal and Frankie are next! Readers who enjoy second-chance romance, lovable characters, and a strong sense of family will enjoy this book.

Thank you to Jen Devon, St. Martin’s Griffin, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

TJ (Temperance) Madigan and Duncan Brady have a history of getting it wrong. Wrong place. Wrong time. But for one summer when they were eighteen, they had everything right. Fast forward a decade and a family wedding at the Brady vineyard forces TJ and Duncan into close proximity- and they must navigate hidden feelings for one another, years worth of rejection and doubt, and interfering friends and family members.

The basis of this story is good- friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. A second chance romance. Small town vibes. A big cast of supporting characters that know both main characters well. That being said, it wasn't apparent at first that this is actually book 2 in a series of books. I kept reading with a nagging feeling that I was 'missing something': there are A LOT of extra characters in this book, and their interwoven storylines is really confusing. I think this may have felt different if I had of read book 1 first (although it is not called book 1) Bend Towards the Sun. I just felt like I was walking into a family reunion and didn't know anyone-but was expected to keep up with the drama and storylines of multiple people.

Duncan Brady was instantly loveable- he seemed like a big softie, pining over a love interest from his youth. Temperance (TJ) is a hard working medical professional with a desire to make everyone proud- unfortunately, the opinions she cares about are those of people who shouldn't matter. I found it a bit frustrating that she could have someone right in front of her who is wonderful and cares about her and she has chemistry with and just not notice him. Or reject him continuously, for reasons that remain unclear.

In the end, this book held my interest. I had to 'ignore' the competing storylines and this may cause a problem when additional books in this series come out, but TJ and Duncan were enough for me!

Bend Toward the Sun, Jen Devon’s debut novel, chemically altered my brain and became the book that both defined my 2022 reading year and the one I recommend to everyone.
I’m adding Right Where We Left Us to that pantheon of stories in my head that are everything I want in a love story.
When they were eighteen, Temperance and Duncan’s story was the brief, beautiful flare of a comet.
Fourteen years later, there is a well of pain and hope between them.
There has never been anyone else for either of them.
Read it. Read it. Read it.

This was my first book by this author; I sadly was not aware that there was a book before this with the same characters. From other reviews that I read, I understand reading that one first was a must. I did feel at times that there were too many characters, too much history and stories to keep track of. I had to skim back a few times to reread a section to grasp what had occurred, and I normally don’t find myself doing that while reading.

The main focus was on Temperance and Duncan for this book, with their very, very complicated past. At times, the pace of their relationship was frustrating. I loved the idea of the second chance romance and their lives being so entwined that it was almost destiny for them. The characters themselves were good leads. I just wanted more from the romance between them; I got lost at times from the battle of it all.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

Right Where We Belong is a second chance romance about Duncan and Temperance. It takes place after Bend Toward the Sun, which centered on Duncan’s brother, Harry and Temperance’s best friend, Rowan, who are getting married.

Another angsty slow burn from Jen Devon. Like Bend Toward the Sun this made me smile over and over again but it also had me tearing up, tense and frantically turning pages to see when these two would finally get it together. Like with my first visit to Cloud Tide, this hurt me then healed me. It was painful and beautiful and hot. I wanted to scream at these two and make them tell each other how they felt a billion times but the progression and pacing made sense for the story. I would have loved to have seen some more fleshed out flash backs to their summer falling in love but it also worked keeping things in the present and didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I loved seeing Harry and Rowan in their major conflict free lovey dovey era. Harry being obsessed with calling Rowan “my wife” sent me. I am in love with the Brady Family. I cannot wait for Frankie and Mal’s book, which seemed to be heavily hinted at, and am really hopeful that after that we get an Arden book???? Please?!

I don’t know how Jen does it but her prose really speaks to me. If I were highlighting a physical copy, I would have needed to replace my highlighter.

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this but it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters and found it took me a long time to finish the book because I couldn’t stay interested. I will try others from this author though.