Learning to live and love all over again
349603
I had a really tough time reading this book...not only because it was out of my usual favorite genres of rocker, biker and dark romance...but because it just hit a little too close to home for me. I like to read books that are so far removed from my own personal life, that they are an escape. In this book though, we get the story of an older woman who, unknown to her, is about to lose what was essentially half of her life...her 30 year marriage.
When Olivia is forced to uproot from her comfortable Houston home and relocate in cold, windy Chicago because her husband Alan's job transfered him there, she was already fragile and vulnerable to the idea of starting over in a strange place. Their adult children were spread out over the world but she wanted to be with the man she loved and was willing to make a go of it.
Enter Ash, her husband's friend and the person who is sharing his home with them until they can get their own place. He is a gorgeous and caring widower who is smitten with Olivia at first sight and basically becomes the one to fill the void when Alan is away on a job. We get to learn about each of their children and how devoted they both are to their families. Music plays a huge role in bringing them together and between Ash's son's band and the various friends coming and going in their lives, it becomes almost a circus.
When Alan pulls the rug out from under Olivia's feet, it sets in motion many events and big changes in this lonely woman's life. Two people who were very compatible and meant to be together, find their way home despite all the obstacles thrown their way (EX-husband, jealous woman, obnoxious kids) and prove that it is never too late to find love.
A sweet and steamy starting-over story for an older generation of romance readers with enough kick to please some younger ones as well.

**** 4 **** "learning to live all over again" stars
2721393
This was a nice story about a second chance of true love, I would recommend it to all those who have given up on finding true love again!
4152963
this book is a story about learning to love again. It is beautifully written & heart warming. You truthfully come to care for the characters and almost hope th he story never ends.
3611886
I had the gracious honor of being on the review team. I was completely taken back but how perfect this book points you to second chances as they are all around us. I had the great joy of loving someone so fully and then losing him to God. It brought me to tears with lessons it taught me. I loved the draw of each character and the immediate love you feel for them. How many times we walk by someone and think twice should we or shouldn't we, God is always listening and so shall I. Catherine is a reply gifted writer and I'm forever a fan. Life may throw you lemons, but pull up your boot straps and keep going. Love love love it......
2902859
I received this book as a gift

By My Side is a sensual journey into recovering after heartbreak and the beauty of finding love again. Bursting with light and laughter, Theresa Troutman shows that sometimes, when you take a chance, wonderfully unexpected happiness can happen.

PROS:
The chemistry is an explosion of heat and steady loss of control as Alicia and Hunter fall deeper into lust and love. Fiery kisses are met with tender touches and passionate lovemaking followed by rough, graphic sex. Each encounter is a new experience in learning control, healing, and in finding themselves again in a cloud of loss and heartache.

Alicia and Hunter are both flirts. Their playful, perverted banter speaks of attraction on both a physical and emotional level. They tease and tempt each other to the point of no return, falling into each others arm with little thought but ecstasy and raw need. Their conversations flow naturally and are sometimes cheesy but adorable. Theyre both lovable, thoughtful people and the fact that they are so good has you cheering for their love to grow.

Alicia was incredibly believable. Her struggle with her hurt and digging through her beliefs to accommodate her new situation is something that the average girl can connect to. The uncertainty of trusting again, of opening your heart and the fear that your significant other will be careless and stomp all over it. Alicia thought she knew what she wanted, but as her heart opens, she discovers that theres so much more to feel and experience when she doesnt put limitations on herself and let fear rule her.

Hunters loss is horrible and traumatic. Hes such a cheery, stunning guy that its easy to forget that his heart has been mangled and his life altered by a freak tragedy. Hunter is part dom part insatiable Adonis. Hes thoughtful and always concerned with Alicias comfort but most importantly, he knows when to push her to achieve blissful joy.

CONS:
The secondary characters faded out into the background and while Alicia and Hunter both felt friendship for these people, there wasn't enough to substantiate these feelings. Tia, Pax, Mick, etc were are interesting characters, especially from a cultural perspective. Learning about the Maori habits and beliefs would have added a little more color to these smaller characters and made the story more cohesive in terms of subplots.

Some scenes were extremely detailed while others glossed over the imagery. This fluctuation left breathtaking scenery to the imagination and at times was so explicit that it fell flat.
4464181
If you're really lucky, love grows out of a friendship, that you never want to lose, it brings colour and meaning to everything you do. Far from changing you, love takes the person that you already were and makes it into a better version of you

A direct quote from the book.

Oh, how can I not start my review with these beautiful lines. This is the line which resonates with all of us,  who believe in the magic of love. Some books are magical, meant to be read on those special moments when  life turns a corner, year turns anew, and the earth completes its journey around the sun.

I waited for the spark of magic of such a moment to begin my journey of reading Emmas book. And it began at the stroke of midnight when the world celebrated its New year, and I celebrated mine with Emma and her delightful characters.

In a land of literary thrillers and killers, Emmas book is a breath of fresh air, where love abounds, goodness fills the hearts, and there is peace all around. Life is difficult, but with books like these to escape into, they become an oasis in the desert of life, with happiness all around to regenerate the soul when going gets tough.

I can tell you about the head librarian, Lucys Book Club, consisting of shy nerdy guy Callum, the elderly gentleman Oscar, the single mother Hattie and the carer of her mother, Lia. I can tell you about them and their stories. I can tell you about the strife in their life. I can tell you their secrets. I can even tell you how Lucy finds a way But I wont.

Instead, I will tell you about the emotions I felt with each character, and how I decided on my New Years resolutions from each one of them.

Lucy brought me happiness and joy, she made me want to be generous and helpful. Callum made me want to be a better human being, he taught me that one can come up in life inspite of difficult circumstances if one has the will. Lia taught me to dance, to fly high, she made me hug my mother tight. Hattie taught me that sometimes hobbies can be a way of life, she made me to listen to my creative side. Oscar taught me love, he made me feel hope, that soul mates exist, that love is eternal and life has no time for regrets.

Emma is one of the few authors, who can write emotions using few words. She writes love, she made me laugh out with joy. She writes emotions, she made me cry and laugh. She writes moments, she made me enjoy each one of them in her book. She writes words, she made me feel magic in and out of the book. What a beautiful way to spend New Years Day!!!

To Emma Davies
Five of the best, you not only gave me their stories, you made me feel their stories.
31074
I'm learning to love better. So grateful for this dear woman's heart and her willingness to share her story. I needed this book more than I could have guessed.
2568390
So much good information in here about technology, brainwashing, and what we can do to get back to love. The lesson has been and will always be to return to love. Love is what created everything and it is what will remain. Everything that isn't love is an illusion. I am very excited to continue to embark on this journey. I definitely recommend this book. The Holocaust has always been a very fascinating subject to me. I always knew there was something deeper we had to learn from it. Thank you Spirit for answering all of my questions on this topic in this book.
4402001
Taking a stroll down memory lane is something we all do at some stage of our lives. It might be just because at that current moment we feel lost or you might be at a point where you are thinking you would have been better off if you made a different decision.

But no matter the reason , for most of us the fact remains that we will simply never get back what once was. Unless a second chance is in the cards for us.

As is the case in the new read from Kandy Shepard. On impulse Sandy Adams takes a detour and ends up back in Dolphin Bay. She runs smack bang into Ben.

Once they shared a beautiful relationship together until certain circumstances tore them apart.  Now they have a second chance at happiness but in the twelve years that have passed they have both become different people and it is not as easy as " Okay let's do this again without any trouble".

I really liked this read. It was a very nice focus on a trip down memory lane and the transformation of two people years after they once knew each other. I adored that the author used the difference in personalities to show both characters in a different light to each other.

It reminded me that as we become older, we do change it is not always for the better but for the most part it is, but that does not mean we will be able to simply fall back into a previous pattern or relationship as easy as one, two, three.

And this is so vital to remember when we come face to face with our past. Don't think the love of your life will simply just automatically focus on only the good you once had, there is always more to consider.

Both main characters were very well written and I loved them from the start, but particularly I fell very hard for Ben. The man was a lost soul just needing to be healed, and I rooted for him all the way to find happiness with Sandy.

There is a very stunning message in this read, one that we can all remember and take with us every minute of the day. Life is so short and if we get the opportunity to have a second chance at happiness or at anything really, we need to take it.

Sitting back and only giving focus to the bad that once was will only make the entire situation so much more worse. You will never know if you once again let go of happiness and years later will still be left with the wondering of it all.

Take a chance and never let circumstances deceive you, there is always something deeper hidden in everything in life.

4 star review
" The return of summer love, blossoms into an endless summer of happiness"

**Copy provided in exchange for a honest review
4420112
This book tears out your heart! But it is worth it in the end! Learning to love again is the hardest thing anyone can do. This story covers the journey of Danielle. Love lost and re-gained. I love Rebecca Brooke's books!
4031042
Reading Walking Home took me back to Seattle, my second home. It was an unexpected pleasure to revive old friendships I made from reading William's Biking Uphill (although it is part of a trilogy, they stand alone, nicely). I adopted new members into "my" (their) family, so inclusive. I slipped back into their world (now mine) and shared in their joys and sorrows as their saga unfolds.
I experienced the flashbacks of a young refugee from Eritrea, the only member of his family to escape the slaughter by the Ethiopians, and witnessed his journey into this extended family's fold. His girlfriend's journey escaping the urban plight of poverty, drugs and pain, held its own tragedies, and yet the strength they got from each other, and their basic values brought them where they deserved to be. They carried deep wounds and losses, and secrets that burdened them, threatening to crush the light out of their strivings.
The beautifully drawn characters reminded me to take a deep breath, soak in the gifts of the present, articulate and follow my dreams, as they did, and to trust and allow. Isn't that one of the gifts we can receive when we slip between the covers of a book, that its story symbolizes our own-and gives us perspective to allow awareness and change? Remember we don't need to be in our boxes of borders, and we can give ourselves permission to say, "Yes!" to love, even when we thought we'd never experience it again. This book is of hope.
William's characters, so easily fleshed out as we get acquainted, are immersed in the everyday. I identified some with each. When new people were added into her very visual pallets, they, not surprisingly, found unexpected connections that we, in our over-scheduled lives can so easily miss or ignore.
The written pictures she painted were warm and colorful, and moods and nuance were clearly articulated; rawness and pain were exposed along with fears, and the tears of loss and love. I loved the sweet men and how they encouraged the women to be fulfilled. They reaped the full benefits of that. (Ahem...)
Most of us seek the nurturing of an extended family, and build our own, informally. I am so grateful for William's intended classlessness. She is not culture and color-blind, she blends them with dignity. The story is richly nuanced, a jewel-colored mosaic, each soul filling a piece in the puzzle, the leading connecting them simple acceptance and love. In these days of a heavily wired and overloaded society, it takes the reader to where we need to be. It's not complicated. Leave your electronics at the door and seep in the genuineness. Allow strangers in. Take the time to Walk Home and remember what home is meant to be.
4779823
Vacation is a story of Dr. William Koval, who feels imprisoned by grief and loss. After a forced vacation, William learns to have hope and love again. He does not realize that learning to love comes with hurt and above all acceptance and healing.

Vacation is a refreshing and well-written story.  JC Miller really knows how to build up the suspense and tension and keep your attention to the very end.  The characters are well developed and engaging. The story has just enough description that you can picture you are there in the moment. This story has many lessons to be learned and is an inspiration to all.

Curt Simmons did an excellent job with the narration. He had a crisp and clear voice that was a pleasure to listen to and easy to follow. Mr. Simmons did a fantastic job with the different characters voices.

This is the first book that I have read by JC Miller. I recommend Vacation to anyone that enjoys a quick read that is full of romance, grief, hope, and humor.
3079857
**4.5 Stars**

Oh how Ive missed Ms. Webbers writing. Its like coming home, going back to a books hers. I got it instantly on the first page, that feeling of, oh this feels nice. Because she has her own style, and its easily readable, but its also deep, well-written, and profound. I was so excited to get into this book because I loved Easy and Breakable.

Pearl has lived a structured life style, and its very much the typical only-child life. She lives to please her parents and is too worried to disappoint to actually tell them what she wants. And what she wants is to not be an aspiring doctor anymore. The only person that shes ever truly been herself around is Boyce. And thats because, when he was seven and she was five, he saved her life. He rescued her from the depths and this sparked a life-long connection. Two people who, no matter how hard they resisted, were constantly circling around each other. But these two people were on such opposite sides of the tracks that they withhold and refrain from anything other than friendship. I found Pearl to be very likable, and easy to read. She was learning to be who she wanted to be, and to stand up for herself. And I loved her slow burn relationship with Boyce.

Boyce is from the wrong side of the tracks, but hes a good guy. His childhood was deplorable, and he missed out on so much love. I wanted to wrap him in a blanket and hold him close. He was hard, tough, and alone because he had no other choice but to be. He had rough spots, but I loved his drive to be better, to be more. He worked himself up to where he could be proud of himself despite all of the setbacks he suffered. He was resilient and sweet. And the way he was with Pearl? Wonderful.

I thought this story enveloped all things Ms. Webber. It was a sweet, childhood to adult romance that spanned many years. We got flashbacks from childhood that tied together perfectly with where the story was currently, that gave us a sense of who they each were, and how their relationship formed. I think Pearl really wanted to be a free spirit and admired that in Boyce, and they really latched onto each other. Two constants that would always support rather than tear down which is simply what they desperately craved for. Such a beautiful and moving story.

**Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
2648927
A beautiful love story demonstrating out of insurmountable grief can come a wonderful second chance at love. Liz and Tristan are so broken, barely surviving their grief, their characters were wonderfully developed and the author did a phenomenal job of developing both their individual characters as well as capturing the heart wrenching grief that kept both of them suspended and not moving forward. This is a must read for anyone who believes in the healing power of love...
1968861
A lovely and heartfelt story about love, betrayal and rediscovering oneself!
The strength of good friends and learning to believe in yourself once more
2646740
What a beautiful story about love, loss, and choosing to live again.  The book covers so many aspects of our human existence, particularly facing personal loss or tragedies in our lives that we cannot control.  For most of us who have encountered such difficult times, this story is very relatable.  The story inspires us to accept our new lives and identities, that even though different, can be just as rewarding and fulfilling.  I loved the friendship Seymour had with Renee.  We all need a little Renee (God) in our lives.
1791061
****1/2 stars****

Jules and Rick are back in this wonderful tale about life.  When book one (Angel Avenue) left off Jules had just came back from a three year  vacation(to find herself). Jules return to a love that is so deep she doesn't know why she was even gone for so long,  Rick is so happy to have the love of his life back that they embark on a journey to better their future.  As life takes them up and down they find that the love they have for them and their families is beautiful and Beyond Angel Avenue .