Huh

I'll be honest, I bought this book because of Abby Craden and I hoped that it wouldn't have been a true second chance romance with the whole thing hinging on being "soulmates" and never getting over "the one." Well... it was. I really liked how the relationship started, truly I did, however, after the initial lovey dovey stuff, the story turns into angst central with both MCs not making any sense of why they want to be together. For Jordan, she's basically a walking statue that is in a cuckolding relationship with some celeb named Addison until Olivia comes along and makes her feel again. For Olivia, she basically flew off to Paris and CHOSE to not speak to Jordan again until she started being nostalgic, when the two finally meet, she uses the "I was young and stupid" and the "I loved you all this time" speech! I MEAN COME ON! The amount of times these very lines come into play in second chance romances is just SO infuriating! And you know freaking what? it works, because of course it always freaking works, that's how these stories go, right? Not only was I incredibly irritated by the character development of the MCs, but the side characters hardly add anything to the story. What's the deal with Addison? Does Jordan's mom really act like a mom if she knows ALL the facts? When I learned about those facts I was seething at Olivia and Jordan. Overall, it's an overly angsty book with an overdone storyline that doesn't warrant a HEA, each character admits to why they did what they did and all the reasons they did it were either stupid or selfish or a combination. If you love Abby Craden or just happen to love this type of storyline, you should absolutely buy this. If you're like me, who just can't seem to get over the barely glazed over plot holes, you will be face palming yourself every couple of minutes and this won't be worth your credit.

15 people found this helpful

Very, very good!

This was my first book by Diana Kane and like the other review here, it was not what I was expecting; it was better. Definitely not typical as far as the lost-and-reunited-love story goes. Before you ask, that’s not a bad thing. The fact that it was told from the first person was part of what set it apart. It was extremely enjoyable and kept my attention the whole time. I liked the way the author didn’t explicitly explain every situation, but let the story unfold until you understood what was happening. I absolutely loved the high school sweetheart portion of the book. It was adorable! And the rest was so realistic and seemed almost like a true story. It was easy to relate to and was quite funny and witty in parts. Also, the use of 90’s movie and music references definitely helps to pull you in. As always, Abby Craden was incredible and as I always say, I will have no narrators before her! She’s brilliant!

5 people found this helpful

Worth every penny (credit)

This is one of my favourite novels and I was ecstatic to see it released on Audible with ABBY CRADEN narrating the story, no less!

I absolutely loved revisiting the story that Diana Kane so expertly crafted. If you enjoy second chance romances with plenty of angst/redemption thrown in, this story is for you!!

3 people found this helpful

my first

This is my first book by Diana kane, I pre-ordered it because the story seemed interesting and I must say it wasn't what I was expecting but I truly enjoyed it, I actually loved it. my heart felt for Jordan this whole book. The love between them when they were teenagers was adorable but adult Olivia really frustrated me, if someone would have done to me what Olivia did to Jordan smh.... no spoilers GREAT BOOK!

2 people found this helpful

Abby Craden strikes agai!

you are simply the best!!! better than all the rest...lol. corny but true. can't wait for the next one.

1 person found this helpful

roller-coaster love story

i picked this because abby craden did the narration. wow, what an emotional love story. Jordan and Olivia are characters that you just want to have a happy ending.

1 person found this helpful

A great book

At the end of the book “Jordan” the main character says that any writer will tell us that there is something from the author’s life in their book, I wonder which part of this up and down book tells the story of this author.
This is a book of courage and second chance and of pappy love that turns into a wonderful adult love.
Abby as always is great, but this time I had to slow her a little because she was too fast for me, probably because it is a looooong book.

1 person found this helpful

Good read!

I enjoyed this story. The writing is solid, plot is coherent and has some twists and turns. Character development is good as well. Narrator is a favorite!

1 person found this helpful

Oh, how I love this audiobook!

I have discovered that the angsty ones - while they kill me - are those that wrap firmly around my heart and won't let go. In a similar vein to The Art of Us by KL Hughes, this is the story of two lovers who meet when they are still in high school. They are from a small town so can't exactly be out and proud, but are mature beyond their years and navigate their relationship with their parents wisely. It doesn't take long for all parties involved to realize that Olivia and Jordan have met their forever person. But as years go by, life gets in their way - thwarting what they always believed would be their trajectory. This story is their journey back to one another. This isn't a spoiler - it's a romance and that's kind of a requirement unless you want a major lesbian uprising.

The audiobook is 12 hours long and covers decades, with a super slow burn that made this reader ache for resolution. For a time I wasn't sure if Olivia's character was ever going to win ME back - much less Jordan. She made some decisions that were confounding to me, yet I wonder if that is all about perspective. What choices do we make when we are young that we would never make with some life experience behind us? There is also a stunning turn of events in this story I didn't see coming that made it all the more emotionally wrenching.

If you're going to put a story like this on audio, Abby Craden is the perfect person to narrate it. She excels at portraying vulnerability and is right in her element here. Books that make a reader feel this deeply are definitely doing something right. I listened to this title for free through my library and moments after it ended, I purchased it on Audible. This swoonworthingly beautiful story is now firmly on my favorites list and I will no doubt revisit it when my heart can take it.

Good story, even better, listen.

This story follows the lives of the two main characters from teenagers to adulthood. Life changes batter their love but still will not die. Distance between them waxes and wanes, but eventually, they are in the same place and time. This book was a good read, but an even better listen to, thanks to Abby Craden, who brings the characters to life. This audiobook is well worth it and I recommend to anyone who is a fan of Craden.