3.5 stars rounded down. I really, really wanted to like this one more than I did. When approved for this title, I went back and read Jen Devon's first in the series, BEND TOWARDS THE SUN to make sure I had all the character backgrounds (and I love small town romances). In the first book, I chalked up the "meh" feeling I had about the main characters in the first book as the reason I didn't quite enjoy it, and the I loved the tension between Temperance and Duncan and really looked forward to reading their second chance story. I also love the Brady family! Unfortunately, I think this is just a stylistic issue for me in that I felt the author's descriptive writing, while very beautiful, takes away from necessary plot development and advancement. RIGHT WHERE WE LEFT US felt slow, drawn out, and the miscommunication elements didn't seem severe enough to warrant the back and forth between the characters. I appreciate a slow build, but being 2/3 of the way through the book, I was still waiting for the pace to pick up. I think all the elements of a five star romance were there for me, but the execution fell short.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Temperance & Duncan
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Multiple POV
✨Found Family
✨Childhood friends to lovers
Temperance pretty much spent all her youth around Duncan and his family. His family has a gorgeous large house on a winery that is the family business, which Duncan is the most involved from all of the siblings. Temperance is a resident doctor and so her & Duncan are drowning in their workload.
T&D have always had this flow and spark between each other but aren’t “together” after years of stuff. Well one of the brothers propositions to Duncan that they should become “friends”.

💗Temperance, Frankie, & Rowan💗 Every girl needs a friend group like them. I love that fact that everyone is intertwined in this book. It adds to the intrigue of the book.

This book is very well written. I enjoyed that the author Jen Devon kept me engaged the entire time. The words she uses to convey her story and help you feel like you’re actually seeing it firsthand. It’s cute, sweet, and funny. A love story between friends that are like family, and childhood best buds.

Right Where We Left Us was a quick and enjoyable second chance romance. I absolutely loved the dual perspectives. It had a good blend of humor, romance, and also some steamy moments. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an enjoyable contemporary romance!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Temperance and Duncan are like two planetary objects, drawn to one another due to a consistent, intense magnetic pull. At times they come too close for comfort, temporarily colliding before drawing back into a safer, more comfortable orbit. <b><I>Right Where We Left Us</I></b> is a story of the reunion of childhood sweethearts at a family wedding and a chance at second-chance love.

Our FMC and MMC had a whirlwind childhood romance which they kept hidden from both of their families. When an accident leads to an ultimatum, Temperance and Duncan try to untangle their lives despite having seemingly interwoven destinies. Fourteen years later, when Duncan’s brother is set to marry Temperance’s best friend, the two childhood sweethearts are set back onto a path of an inevitable head-on collision, the final opportunity to see if they can mend what was broken all those years ago.

I was completely smitten with this book. The writing style of Jen Devon is one that I rarely find in romance books these days: a true mastery of scene and plot development, coupled with the ability to build staggering tension between our FMC and MMC which had me completely engrossed in their story. Her skill of establishing a scene based on all five senses was so intoxicating that I wish all books could be written in the same way, though I doubt my feeble heart could handle it! This book was incredible, and I highly recommend it to all who are looking for a romance with slow-burn tension, delicious spice and redemption.

Tropes in this story:
✨ Second-chance love
✨ Childhood sweethearts
✨ Tattooed, brawny MMC
✨ Intelligent, doctor FMC
✨ Chronic illness
✨ Misunderstanding and dishonesty in past

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via NetGalley, but my review is all my own.

This book has a solid second chance romance plot line. But my favorite thing about it, by far, was the Brady family. Meddling siblings and a whole group of people who love the main characters endlessly is what truly makes this story. I was thrilled to see Temperance and Duncan get there happily ever after, turning found family into forever family.

i was SO HAPPY to be able to read this (early)!

i read a goodreads review when i was a couple chapters in; the person has dnf’d, saying it was too “messy.” i will agree, it is messy, but worth it in the long run. second chance really needs to be done well for me to enjoy it. the first half (third especially) was kind of slow going for me. i even considered quitting at one point.

BUT, i LOVED… and i mean LOVED devon’s debut — the first book in this series. her writing is so warm, funny, and readable. so, i stuck it out, and the part four really sold me.

i especially CAN’T WAIT for book three, which i’m HOPING is frankie x mal, based on some of the setup here. fingers crossed!

#netgalley

I loved this book!! It was fabulous and well done. The characters were on point and I thought the plot was well developed. I would recommend this book to others.

I hate giving bad reviews, especially when it’s an ARC. When I read the description of this book I thought it would be so cute and so amazing. I was wrong. This book was not my cup of tea. Almost every other sentence I got second hand embarrassment. The wording was terrible. Usually I don’t judge character names but come on, Temperance. Really, when I opened it I thought that character was a guy. Overall I hope that this book is liked by people but I just wasn’t for me.

Oh this hit right in the feels!I devoured this in one sitting!absolutely beautifully written second chance romance! will definitely recommend and can't wait
to read more by this author! 10 stars!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early arc in exchange for an honest review*

I didn't realize that this book was part of a series. I wish I had read the first book before this one because you're kind of just thrown into all the characters and I was often confused by who was who. I also didn't love the overly descriptive writing and would have preferred more dialogue instead. I didn't feel a ton of chemistry between Duncan and Temperance, and they just fell a little flat for me. This one wasn't my favorite, but I would be willing to try another book by Devon.

Wow! What an experience! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Netgalley and boy am I extremely grateful 🫶🏻🫶🏻😍😍!

Like the first book- which I loved completely 💗💗- this takes place at the Brady family’s vineyard and involves Duncan and Temperance. Their story is a second chance trope- one of my favourites- and it didn’t disappoint. The author has an amazing way with words and I was once again captivated by these flawed, vulnerable characters that you can’t help but root for!! 🫶🏻

Duncan, like his brother Harry, is such an amazing guy -book boyfriend worthy! He hides so much of himself yet at the same time isn’t afraid to go after what he wants. Temperance is a person who knows her own dreams but keeps boundaries around her heart. Both have hurt each other but they have the ability to heal each other as well. 💗💗
Would highly recommend this book and if you haven’t read the first one, what are you waiting for? 😊. Well done ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved it!!

The tempo was slow, but the story happened over a short period of time. I wish there were a few more flashbacks so I could get deeper into the history of Duncan and Temporance. I like the story of these two characters, but I just wanted a little more about them and their history.

The premise is interesting and the writing is fine but I quickly discovered that this book just isn't for me.

This is a second chance romance. A slow burn. They were on and off as young adults. Buy life and other people get in the way. He has do get himself right before he can get the girl of his dreams. It was such a cute story.

I’m not a big fan of second chance romances but I heard such great things about this author so I wanted to give it a try. This book has the best of the best angst. And while I love me a slow burn and some angst I felt it got repetitive with Tj’s constant rejections. But I will say, I was so happy when they got back together.

Also thank you for the way the past was woven in. That was major brownies points for me on the second chance front. I hate dual timelines most of the time and the way the story worked even while not having them was done so well in my option.

I’m on record more than once saying that second chance is not my favorite trope and it has to be done *really* well for me to love it. Great news—Jen Devon has a beautiful way of telling stories and wove this second chance for Temperance and Duncan as such a moving and satisfying way.

Temperance Madigan and Duncan Brady were secretly together when they were 18, burned out brightly, and have found their way to each other on and off over the years since. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and it’s hard on them both with the lingering feelings still simmering below the surface. When it’s time for Harry and Rowan’s wedding, planning and scheming land the two of them in too many situations for their avoidance strategies to hold up any longer. They’ll both be forced to face all they’ve been suppressing and decide if they can move forward or have to move on.

The yearning and chemistry between Temperance and Duncan is palpable from the very beginning. Really, it was evident in Bend Toward the Sun, but now it’s in full focus with the two of them front and center. They seem determined to misunderstand each other or push the other away, but it’s evident in each interaction that the respect and longing is deeply ingrained. It hurt my heart every time they held back from communicating the way they needed to and drove the wedge further apart. Their journey to finding their way back to each was beautiful and tender though. It felt very rewarding when they finally got there. Even as I found myself thinking that I didn’t fully understand what drove them apart to begin with, there is a quote from Temperance that brings it around to have me thinking, “Yeah, that’s fair and accurate.” I appreciated the book not being full of flashbacks to establish their backstory. There are some details of their division that could have been provided that way and been a little helpful, but I think ultimately the way their story is told eventually fills in the important parts.

I loved Bend Toward the Sun and I am so happy that this follow up did justice to the Brady universe. I’m already looking forward to more. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A second chance romance with forced proximity that I wanted to love but couldn’t quite connect to. It centers two people who are forced to be around each other in preparation for a wedding, and other events, because of their close family and friends. The couple has been in and off for fifteen years. The twists and turns were lack luster and didn’t have the teeth I wanted it to have.

Similar to her first book, this book was very descriptive and a little boring. It picked up a bit towards the end but the middle/ body of the book, it felt like it wasn't going anywhere. We knew where it was going but it just felt stagnant.

I understand a need to relive the past in second chance romance novels, but with the in depth description of everything, it took away from the characters and story itself. I also felt the characters were flat. In Bend Towards the Sun, she painted Duncan as a funny, class clown but one who can love easily and I was excited to see where that was going with, Right Where We Left Us. However, it fell flat after a few chapters in. Same for Temperance. There wasn't much character to her.

The ending felt rushed with the drama between Temperance and her parents and Duncan & the Madigans. You build this drama and this secret pay off with parents and then at the end, the mom offers her daughters to be a part of the clinic and thats it? I get that we don't need to draw out family drama and move past it, but it just felt blah.

I think the idea of the story was great, a second chance at love but overall, it just felt anticlimactic.

First of all thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I was surprised by this book. It’s one where not much happens plot wise (it all takes place around the wedding of the couple from the first book) and despite the characters shared past has no flashbacks but I was so deeply invested. Not only in the romance but
Both characters careers and their relationships to their families. This was my first Jen Devon but won’t be my last.

I am at a loss for how to rate this book. It’s either a 4 or a 2 due to the plot. I think there are going to be 2 distinct camps on this one. There really isn’t a lot happening in the book plot wise. BUT, i didn’t put it down. It was really beautiful writing. To the point where I wonder if the great writing overshadowed that the two leads maybe shouldn’t be together? I mean, they don’t have a lot in common excite ties to the family and it felt a little toxic. I think I kept reading hoping he could move on from obsessing over her. So kept my interest. I would give this a shot and see what camp you fall in.
Definitely gave me the Carley Fortune vibes (minus the cheating tropes).

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.