Member Review

Oh, this story tugged so much at my heartstrings. After a close childhood friendship and some rocky college events, estranged friends Shiloh and Cary reconnect as adults at a close friend's wedding 14 years later. Shiloh is now a divorced mother of two young children, and Cary is a Naval officer who is posted on a ship for six months at a time 2000 miles away from where Shiloh still lives in their hometown. Over the course of this wonderful story, prickly Shiloh comes to understand that Cary is her person, something that quiet Cary has always known about Shiloh. And Cary comes to understand that Shiloh is worth fighting for and being honest with. I guess you'd call this a second chance romance, and honestly it has my favorite trope which is childhood friends-to-lovers. Also, I originally thought maybe grumpy/sunshine, but really it's grumpy/grumpy (which I also love). They seemed opposites attract at first: Shiloh was a little too much when she was younger, in that way that energetic and intelligent girls are who don't fit with their surroundings but can't leave; and Cary was her calmer counter-part. But as we watch them get older they seemed more like two sides of the same coin, wounded by their families and life and looking for acceptance and love and friendship while dealing with their own demons. When you know people through the stages of your life, it can be tricky for both of you to be at the same emotional place at the same time. Throughout the course of the book, we see this to be true for both Cary and Shiloh, although they realize this at different times. I liked that their reactions to each other were realistic, and I liked that they didn't have all the answers but still saw the value in trying.

I really enjoyed this poignant and at times bittersweet story, and I loved watching the journey they went on. Hopefully it's not a spoiler to say they finally got their HEA, thank goodness. Just a warning that the POV kept changing, which was a little confusing at times but I'm very glad we got to see both perspectives. I liked the use of flashbacks to fill out pieces in their backstory and to further inform why Shiloh and Cary were drawn together as children and then back together as adults. I have read this author in the past and enjoyed her immensely (I highly recommend "Attachments"), and this newest book did not disappoint. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book, this is my honest and objective review.