As teenagers, Lindsay
and Grady found a love together that few people are lucky enough to ever
experience.
When Lindsay Ross
decided to visit her aunt for the summer in a small lake town in New York, she
didn’t expect anything other than an escape from her demanding parents. She certainly didn’t expect Grady Hawke. At the end of the summer, Lindsay and Grady
made plans for their future and vowed to be together forever. Back in New York City, events beyond her
control forced Lindsay to turn her back on Grady and their love.
Grady has spent the
last five years trying to forget the one girl who broke his heart. But when Lindsay arrives back in town
unannounced, will Grady get to know the woman she has become and find out the
real reason she left him all those years ago?
Or will he push her away for good?
Kirsten DeMuzio was a brand new to me author before I read this book. Let me start out by saying, I did not read book 1 in this series, Safe With You. No worries though, Just One Reason can be read all by itself. The characters from the first book did make a few appearances in this book, and when I have time I plan on going back and reading book 1.
I absolutely adore the second chance at love and the one that got away stories. They are absolutely one of my favorite premises for a book. This book was no exception. I loved it. It was packed with emotion and angst.
Lindsey was written very well and you could feel her emotions coming off the pages. I do wish the author would have added a little bit more about the affair with her professor to the story. It piqued my curiosity.
Grady, well Grady is a HOT tattooed bad boy, who really is a pussy cat. I loved his character. In fact I think I may have found my new book boyfriend for this month.
In conclusion, this is a great book, which I thoroughly enjoyed and this is an author I will definitely be reading again. In fact, there is a new book in the series due out in November. Kudos Ms. DiMuzio, on a wonderful story!
~ Review by Erin
Just One Reason by Kirsten DeMuzio is a sweet romantic tale of a young couple who were given a second chance at love. This book follows up on her first book, Safe With You and can indeed be read as a stand-alone since this story focuses on Taryn Ross cousin, Lindsay Ross.
Lindsay Ross is a young privileged NYC 21-yr old socialite, who is at a crossroad in her life. Nothing that Lindsay planned for her life is going right. She is unhappy with the choices and things she has done from dropping out of college in her senior year, the career path she has chosen, her affair with a married college professor and the disapproval and disappointment of her parents. With the help and suggestion from her cousin Taryn, Lindsay decides to leave her old city life and move to the countryside of Penn Yann, New York with her Aunt Lana hoping this time away will help her find herself and purpose in life.
Penn Yann holds a special place in Lindsay's heart since this was where she met her first and true love, Grady Hawke in the summer of her junior year of high school. Although they only spent 3 months together, they instantly fell in love. The forever kind of love. Being that Lindsay was only 16 and and Grady was 19, they made plans for their future. The plan entails that Lindsay would return home finish her senior year of high school, return next summer, attend college nearby, and they would begin their lives together. On her last night with Grady, he shows Lindsay a plot of land where he plans to build a house for them by the lake. A house where they will grow old and raise their children. They spend one magical last night together. Two months later, Grady receives an email that completely shattered and destroyed him. Lindsay informs him " it's over and to not call her" with no clear explanation of why for the sudden break-up.
Five long years has passed since Lindsay has visited her aunt and the small town of Penn Yann. She fears running into Grady since she broke his heart. Being that it is a small town, words get around that Lindsay is back and Grady is furious. He is so upset and hurt that the one girl whom he truly loved is back in his life and his town. Memories of all the pain and hurt that she has caused him comes flooding back...He is filled with so much anger that he goes out of his way to make Lindsay uncomfortable. He wants to her hurt as much as the pain she caused him so he goes around sleeping with another woman and flaunts it in her face.
" You ripped my heart out of my fucking chest! I loved you Lindsay. I would have done anything for you, given anything to be with you....Apparently you didn't feel the same way."
But behind the pain, hurt, and anger, deep down Grady knows that he still loves her. Lindsay also loves Grady and has never stopped loving him but she had her reasons for the break-up. Like every buried secrets and reasons everything comes to surface. Truths and lies are exposed. Lindsay has held onto the pain of what happened 5 years ago losing Grady. It's not what she wanted, but really how much of your life do you control at 16?
When the truth is finally revealed, the love these two held onto still burns bright. The time apart only reminded them that they still love each other and their passion never died.
"Lindsay, I loved you five years ago. I love you everyday we were apart, and I love you today more than I ever have. I know I have been a shitty bastard this last month, and I will never forgive myself for treating you like that...If you can forgive me for that, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you and making sure you are happy. Lindsay...I want to be with you."
What I like about Just One Reason is that two heartbroken individuals are given a second chance at love and gets their HEA. The heroine, Lindsay learns that she is indeed strong and that pleasing and conforming to what her mother's expectation is not the life that she wants to live. Her happiness lies with Grady, the boy who stole her heart five years.
What I didn't like about the book was the 15% in the book, my assumptions of the big secret was correct so it was no big surprised when it was revealed half way into the book. Although I already knew what was coming, I still enjoyed the book. It had the things I look forward to reading in a contemporary romance: it had some angst, sweet and funny moments, love and of course a HEA with no cliffhanger. I especially liked that the author gave us an epilogue that will leave readers feeling happy and good.
~ Review by Michelle
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