Blog Tour & ARC Review: A Thousand Letters (Austen, #2) by Staci Hart

A Thousand Letters


A Thousand Letters
by Staci Hart

A Contemporary Romance

NOW AVAILABLE!
Amazon US  | Amazon UK | Paperback | Audio

 



Blurb

Sometimes your life is split by a single decision.

I’ve spent every day of the last seven years regretting mine: he left, and I didn’t follow. A thousand letters went unanswered, my words like petals in the wind, spinning away into nothing, taking me with them.

But now he’s back.

I barely recognize the man he’s become, but I can still see a glimmer of the boy who asked me to be his forever, the boy I walked away from when I was young and afraid.

Maybe if he’d come home under better circumstances, he could speak to me without anger in his voice. Maybe if I’d said yes all those years ago, he’d look at me without the weight of rejection in his eyes. Maybe if things were different, we would have had a chance.

One regretted decision sent him away. One painful journey bought him back to me. I only wish I could keep him.

*A contemporary romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion*

Find A Thousand Words on GOODREADS


Review

5 stars!

Well, that was an emotional ride! If real life didn’t get in the way, I would have finished A Thousand Letters in one sitting. This second chance romance draws you in immediately and tugs at your heartstrings. Intense, serious, and heartbreaking, Wade and Elliot’s story isn’t an easy read. It’s painful, raw, and heavier than I expected, but it is also beautiful and honest, with an ending that completely filled my heart.

As teenagers, Wade and Elliot fell hard for each other the first time they met and for two wonderful years, their love flourished. Back when life was easier, they had their HEA in their grasps. But things don’t always work out as you plan. Wade left for the Army and hasn’t seen Elliot in seven long years. Then tragedy strikes at home bringing him back to where it all began. When they meet again, it’s clear that they are still hurting from things left unresolved, yet their feelings are very much alive.

With everything going on around them, Wade and Elliot find it hard to deal with their past. There is so much for them to overcome if they want to get back to the way things were, if it’s even possible at this point. So much time has passed. So much damage has been done.

This story left me emotionally drained. I was heartbroken, frustrated, and filled with anguish, but I believed in the love between Elliot and Wade, and the story shows the beauty of forgiveness and understanding. The feelings of anger, loss, regret, longing, desire, and love are strong throughout this book, coexisting and creating confusion. I didn’t know exactly how to sort through my feelings; I just knew I felt it all.

Neither Wade nor Elliot ever got over the fallout. Being in each other’s presence is overwhelming. The chemistry still exists, the tension coiled tight, and there’s an electric spark in the air. It will take more than that to make things right though. Everything they go through is heartbreaking and I had tears staining my cheeks.

I loved that Elliot and Wade together. Things weren’t easy and though the passion is there, the relationship is slow-burning. The push and pull between Elliot and Wade was hard to read but it all felt real. It was honest and raw. I loved watching Elliot and Wade figure everything out while growing, forgiving, and loving.

Elliot has such a beautiful heart. She was selfless, caring, genuine, and sweet. She never gave up on the people she loved, always giving her all for them, especially Wade.

I could heal him, but he would ruin me. I would make that sacrifice without question, simply because he needed me, and I loved him.

But the truth of my sacrifice was too much. He’d finally consumed all of me, fueling his fire with my soul’s tinder.

She was a wonderful friend and loved with her whole heart. Her relationship with her nephews was gorgeous and I felt how deeply she cared for them. Elliot didn’t let the negativity around her bring her down and I was so happy when she finally spoke her mind and stood up for herself.

Wade was broken, lost and unsure of himself and everything around him and my heart physically hurt for him. Everything he was feeling was almost unbearable.

By the time I realized my mistake, it was too big, the distance too far, the wrongs I’d done too deep and wide to breech.
My regret was infinite. And that regret had made me lonely. Angry. It had changed me, twisted me into the man I was now. And now … now it was impossible to see a way back.

He loved Elliot so deeply and I was distressed when that love couldn’t be. He needed to heal himself before he could let his love shine and when it did, it was everything.

“It’s always been you, Elliot. Every night when I lay my head on the pillow, every morning when I rise, it’s only you. Tell me I’m not too late. Tell me there’s still a chance for us, and I will spend every breath I have earning your forgiveness. Tell me that you still love me, and I will give myself to you completely.”

Elliot and Wade just needed a chance to right the past and see if they can ever get back to the place where their hearts were connected. I loved the ferocity of their love even when they couldn’t be together. The path back to each other never to seemed to lead them closer but rather pushed them further apart. And all the angst hurt. I just wanted all the angry noise to stop and for them to listen with their hearts.

I loved that this book has other beautiful relationships woven through the plot. The relationship between Elliot and Wade’s whole family, especially Rick, brought tears to my eyes. The strength and support was amazing, and I loved them all.

Overall, A Thousand Letters was a beautiful love story that ripped my heart apart and then pieced it back together. If you love second-chance romances, this book is for you!

I thought I’d never find freedom again. I thought I’d never know home, never know love. But in that moment, in her arms, against all odds, I found it all.

*ARC generously provided by the author and Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review*

 


The Austen Series

       

Wasted Words (#1)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback | Audiobook

A Thousand Letters (#2)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback | Audiobook

Love, Hannah (#3) – Previously titled A Little Too Late
Review
Buy: Amazon  |  Paperback  |  Audiobook

Love Notes (#4) –  Previously titled Living Out Loud
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback

Pride & Papercuts (#5)
Review
Buy: Amazon  | Paperback

 


About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life — a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can’t forget that. She’s also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, though she’s certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she’s been drinking whiskey. 

From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | AMAZON | GOODREADS | WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER


Social Butterfly PR

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *