Wednesday 10 February 2016

Review - Love Rekindled by Michelle Lynn


Title: Love Rekindled
Series: Love Surfaced #2
Author: Michelle Lynn
Release Date: February 10, 2016



Taylor Delaney is the love of my life.
She’s also the one I've hurt the most.
Two years ago, I made a disastrous mistake.
One I’m not sure I can make amends from.
But I have to try, because I’m nothing without her.

Brad Ashby's here, in my hometown, asking for a second chance.
All those unresolved feelings for him have resurfaced.
Not that they ever went away.
I know I should run him out of the town, but I can’t.
He needs to know that I wasn’t the only one who was deceived.

Even if we gave our relationship another try, how can we rebuild what’s been destroyed? If we weren’t strong enough then, what makes us strong enough now?







Oh, my heart! It PLUMMETED with the first words in Love Rekindled—a book I knew had the potential to bruise my heart, but which I couldn’t wait to read… And I am so glad I did, because while it may have plummeted with the opening line, in the end, my heart had soared higher than high. 

Brad Ashby… He could have been—and was—an arrogant bastard. A heart-breaker. But he wasn't just that. No, actually, he was HARDLY that. Because at his core, Brad was a loving, caring, good man looking to make amends for his mistakes. Looking to win back Taylor, the love of his life, and the woman he pushed away—destroyed—after his dreams crashed to the ground around him. Looking to be the man he needed to be to deserve all the good that was returning to his life. And he managed it. 

I was barely pages into this book before I was head-over-heels for Brad Ashby. Michelle Lynn has gifted readers this amazing man who owned his mistakes, refused to hide behind excuses and stood up and took responsibility. He might have fallen—and nearly stumbled again as the tension rode high—but he picked himself up. And I was cheering for him the entire time. 

This couple went through so much, and in such a realistic way, I couldn’t help the ACHE in my chest. The frown pulling at my forehead. The tears that threatened with each new thing—good or bad—that turned this rekindled love from a flame-out to a blazing inferno. Taylor and Brad were heat and chemistry and electricity. They were beautiful, real, and their mistakes, their apologies, their honesty, their love made me want to sink into this story and never, ever leave it.

I'll never fail her again. 

And I truly believed he wouldn't either. I could feel the honesty in that statement. I could feel Brad’s desperation for Taylor. I could feel everything, and that, THAT, is what made this book so remarkable. That is what made this book so utterly unputdownable. That is why, when I think back over the moments that spoke to me, I want to sing the praise of this book and its author at the same time I try to calm my romantic heart so that I have a chance of being able to move on. 

I loved Love Surfaced something fierce—it was one of my top reads for 2015—and I was desperate for more on what happened with Brad. That phone call? I've been turning it over in my head for months. And while Love Rekindled can be read standalone, why deny yourself the magic that is Love Surfaced? Read it, fall in love with it, and then do what I did…fall even more in love with this second, perfect book. With Brad Ashby, and his perfect, strong Taylor—who I loved just as much as our hero. Find out why, when the opening line makes your stomach drop, you should press on so you don't miss the magic that is this book. Let your heart soar. 
~ Review by Beth

The opening line. 

I died. Right there. My heart stopped for a moment in time and then started beating at a super rapid pace. Then I had to go back, way back in time, and think. Did I miss something? Should I have attempted a re-read before I broke into this? NOOOO, with that opening line, I was already committed to the deep end and was swimming for my life. And it just got better!! 

I love L.O.V.E. So, of course, Love Rekindled was perfect for me. Oh, the feels on each page. No flailing but plenty of blushing, smiling, maybe an oooh or ahhh, or even a gasp or two. And this was all while I was stuck next to the window on a plane, in the last row by the bathroom. Thankfully my seat-mate wasn’t sure who the oohs and ahhhs were coming from... ;) 

Brad and Taylor have the relationship that so many of us have lived, loved or experienced from the outside, as a friend or family member. Young Love. The kind where nothing can go wrong until…it does. Then, one person is left broken-hearted and the other walks away, seemingly with no regrets or hurt. In this case, Brad admits his mistake right out of the gate. But what we also learn is semi heart-wrenching. 

Two years ago, I fell into a hole, and as fast as my fingers clawed to escape, the dirt continued to pile on me.

—Life isn’t perfect, neither are we. We make mistakes. We survive them the best way we can and sometimes we get second chances. 

Taylor is a strong, determined, amazing woman. A woman who never stopped loving Brad. She picked up the pieces of her life and attempted to move on. Yet remembered him every day, her love never waning. I loved Taylor as much as I loved Brad. She pulled herself up by her bootstraps and made a life for herself. She didn’t stop living when the going got tough. She didn’t give up or wallow, she worked hard and survived. She wasn’t waiting for a man to save her and that was refreshing. 

When Brad came back Taylor was leery—I think we all would be, with a broken heart that never healed. But ultimately, her unwavering love for Brad triumphed and she gave him a second chance. The rollercoaster was just enough for me. It wasn’t too high or too full of twists but sweet perfection! I’ll can’t wait to revisit these characters soon! 
~ Review by Heather




Michelle Lynn is a USA Today Bestselling Author. She moved around the Midwest most of her life, transferring from school to school before settling down in the outskirts of Chicago ten years ago, where she now resides with her husband and two kids. She developed a love of reading at a young age, which helped lay the foundation for her passion to write. With the encouragement of her family, she finally sat down and wrote one of the many stories that have been floating around in her head. When she isn't reading or writing, she can be found playing with her kids, talking to her mom on the phone, or hanging out with her family and friends. But after chasing around two preschools all day, she always cherishes her relaxation time after putting the kids to bed.



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