My thoughts on this book are best written out in bullet format... because that is what I wanted to shot through these people by the end.

1 - There is almost no freaking conflict in this book. I have no reason to care about these people because everything is so perfect. The first 1/3 of the book is just Jackson and Emmas "awesome" relationship. Even when Emma lies to him about something kinda big, Jackson gets over it in a reasonable fashion. Boring. Not that this isn't a healthy thing, but I don't want to read 150 pages of it. If I hadn't known they were going to break up (from the blurb on the book) at some point, I would have given up within 100 pages.

2 - We finally get to the splitsville part, and it almost seemed... anti-climactic. Not to mention that phone call... Emma even said she had doubts about the person she was talking to before it happened, and she didn't think twice about believing what she was hearing. Not even during the 5 year interim. Right.

3 - I cannot believe Emma got fired that damn easily. There was barely probable cause. If she was as awesome as her boss seemed to think, there was no way that should have happened.

4 - Jackson is just... I don't know. He's boring. I almost get no personality out of him, so I don't get why Emma likes him other than his looks. He even seems creepy as hell when they get back together and Emma learns about the shrine he built to their relationship. It's weird. In Emma's defense though, she is legit freaked out by it and gets him to redecorate as soon as possible. But still. Weird.

5 - Too. Much. Sex. Tell me it happened in a few sentences as a segue. I don't need to know all the details from every damn encounter.

6 - After they meet up again, they get back together waaaaay too quick. Esp considering Emma was under the impression that Jackson had been cheating on her with Claire for their ENTIRE previous relationship. Sometimes, Emma really did seem too-naive-to-live.

7 - Which leads into my next problem of her deciding to let the freaking past go... Girl, you think he cheated on you for your entire relationship, but you love him, so its OK somehow? W.T.F. Lost every bit of respect I might have had for her regarding the whole Sean deal. ( )

2.5 stars. This book would have been so much better had it been 150-200 pages shorter. OMG I have never wanted to smack someone more than Emma (except maybe Ana from 50 Shades). Why did it take her so long to bring up Claire?! I get that she was supposed to be your friend, and you were upset, and you wanted to move on from the past and forget, but when you keep fighting about it, just FREAKING ASK ALREADY! God it was so frustrating, I wanted to put the book down and not finish, but I had to know if they ended up together. And then it ended kind of abruptly and went on to previews for a couple of other books. What the hell?! ( )

2.5 stars. This book would have been so much better had it been 150-200 pages shorter. OMG I have never wanted to smack someone more than Emma (except maybe Ana from 50 Shades). Why did it take her so long to bring up Claire?! I get that she was supposed to be your friend, and you were upset, and you wanted to move on from the past and forget, but when you keep fighting about it, just FREAKING ASK ALREADY! God it was so frustrating, I wanted to put the book down and not finish, but I had to know if they ended up together. And then it ended kind of abruptly and went on to previews for a couple of other books. What the hell?! ( )

This started as a 4star, but by the end, I'm very inclined to give it 3-stars.

At first I loved the book (well except for the initial depressing set up). I liked the flow, the writing, the characters, and the story.

The thing I was most impressed with was that this author has an amazing ability to get you to FEEL the newness and giddiness of new love. She conveyed, like no other book I've read so far, how they were so into each other, and what they were experiencing physically/emotionally. You really felt the passion and intensity and the connection.


But then I noticed that the book was written in summary mode, almost everything is told in hindsight, broken up by 'current' chunks of time, and I hate that.

At first I loved the heroine, I even read some reviews that were bitching about her, and I was all like, "why? what the hell is wrong with her? She's intelligent, slightly fucked up, honest, forthright, and goes with the flow unless the flow goes against her). What's not to like?" But then, after the shit hits the fan, then I started seeing what the upset could be about her.
>>>>>>>>>>>> spoiler When they get back together after the break up, she keeps pushing down the Claire issue. I found that to be really upsetting. I really hated how she kept shoving it aside. It made me want to bitch smack her. Fucking TALK ABOUT IT!! for fuck sake!!! And her being bothered by spending his money on a dress, oh give it fucking up!! He's invited you to an evening out, let him buy the fucking dress! Enough with the "I don't want you to think I'm after your money" shit!!!
>>>>>>>>>>>> end spoiler
The thing that actually bothered me the most about this book was how the author wrote the Sean issue...

>>>>>>>>>>>> spoiler Ok, I get that she left him, and he should figure out how to live without her. They are both adults and he needs to move on, yadayada.

But!!!

We're talking about two people who have been BEST friends since 15 years old! They've been together in one capacity or another for 10 years!!!

As friends, why is it asking too much for her to spend time with him in his time of need? Why is it not ok that she goes down there and visits him and tries to help him get past the heartache of losing her and moving on? Friends are there for each other. He's been there for her for all her shit, and yet she shouldn't be there for him? And yes, I get that it's uncomfortable because he's tried to kill himself OVER HER, but still, they are friends more than anything, and she SHOULD be there for him.

And the fact that the hero wasn't ok with that really bothered me. The fact that he was so selfish as to want her there so he could feel happy, while this other friend of hers is in the hospital after a severely botched suicide attempt, just really pissed me off. It was the only time I hated that character.



Also, I felt the book kinda ended suddenly. They just make up and BAM book over! Half the book was of their suffering, and we don't even get a full breath of fresh air before the tale is over.

>>>>>>>>>>>> end spoiler
So, there were some issues that I had with the book, I didn't like the summation quality to the book, and I didn't like a few character flaw moments. But aside from that, I did like the book. It was an interesting story.


( )

Angst, true love and more angst! ( )