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Synopsis
Abby: He was my best friend. My first kiss, my first love, my first everything really. But then he walked out of my life and didn’t look back. It was sudden, and I was devastated. All I knew was that Iggy had enlisted in the Army—and that he was leaving me—likely forever. But that was twenty years ago, now my life is in shambles and I don’t just have myself to worry about…
Iggy: I still think about her. Every time I walk through the doors of my club, Duality, I’m reminded of what I’m missing. Every time I take a man to the mat at the Academy, it hurts, but not as much as the pain of losing her. Every time I suit-up to fly overseas knowing I might not come back, the regret comes raging back. Life has been hell. But it’s a hell I’ve chosen. I’m happy enough, now. But if she’s in trouble, I can’t stay away. I won’t stay away. I’ll protect her and her children with my life, and if she’ll let me stay, I’ll promise to never leave again.
Review
4 stars!
A second-chance-romance from Sidney Halston, tying in to her other series? I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and I was completely sucked in to this sweet, emotional story of two broken people reunited fifteen years after they first fell in love.
This book is advertised as crossover, but it’s more a spin-off from the Worth the Fight series, with cameos from characters from those books, and mentions of the Panic and Iron Clad Security series. But having said that, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I haven’t read the WtF series (love that name!), and I enjoyed meeting those characters and am feeling all excited to dive in now!
But this book is Iggy’s story. Iggy and Abby met in high school – he as the new kid and she as the quiet, shy girl. The became best friends, fell in love and were planning on a future together when everything fell apart. Fifteen years later, Iggy is a veteran who still does some military-ish work, he also has investments which conveniently tie him into Halston’s other series 😉 He’s happy in his life, with good friends and career success, but without any ties, allowing him to throw himself into dangerous situations without too much thought. But he drops everything when he learns that his first and only love is in trouble.
Abby is a widow with two young children. She’s created a good life for her and her kids and is fiercely independent, but she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time and turns out to be the only witness to a gang-related murder. She’s in trouble, and that’s when help appears in the form of her first love.
Iggy and Abby are absolutely gorgeous. Their history burns brightly between them – not just their love for each other, but the friendship they shared. They were best friends, and we get to revisit that part of their lives through flashback, seeing them meet and fall in love, and I loved seeing their past and how much they meant to each other. But in the present things are very different, there is so much hurt and pain between them, and they have a lot to work through.
“You broke me once, Iggy. I’ll never let you break me again. I need you to protect my kids and I’m selfish enough to take the help you’re offering, but that’s all I want from you.”
You broke me.
I knew that I had hurt, her but hearing her say it… I slam my fists into the steering wheel. I fucking broke my girl, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. There’s no going back in time and taking away the pain I caused her.
Even if I try to fix things now, the damage is already done and I’m the one who did it.
But even though they both moved on and built lives apart from each other, those feelings are still there, and it doesn’t take long for them to be rekindled as Iggy moves himself into Abby’s home, into her life and the lives of her adorable children
“I had my reasons back then and I know it was fucked up. But that was then and this is now. You can’t deny this.” He points to the space between us. “Are you going to pretend it’s not there?”
It’s beautifully sweet, fun and emotional, and while Iggy works to protect Abby and her kids, they also begin to work through the pain of their past and the years in between. It’s realistic and heartfelt, and really well done (thankfully respecting the life that Abby had with her deceased husband), and watching Iggy become a part of Abby’s family is just gorgeous. And the romance develops beautifully as they find themselves falling for each other all over again.
“I’m going to kiss you … I need to kiss you like a man who hasn’t seen his woman in fifteen goddamn years.”
“You and I, just sex? Abby, who are you kidding?”
I’m such a sucker for a second-chance-romance and I loved this story. The feels are there right from the beginning, and though they have to work at it, their honesty as they deal with the past once and for all and embrace the second chance they’ve been given is so, so beautiful!
“I loved you back then. I loved you every waking minute of the last twenty years. I love you now. And when we’re old and senile and can’t remember anything, I’ll still remember how much I love you.”
Abby’s kids, Oscar and Lily are freaking adorable! They bring so much light to the story, and of course any time you see a big badass fall hopelessly in love with his girl’s children, you can’t help but swoon!
This is a great read! Sweet and sexy with a bit of suspense, and well-written family themes, I loved it.
4 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
I’m done. He’s sweet, but I’m over this game, no matter how nice he’s trying to be. If years of speech therapy can’t fix me, this guy is certainly not going to. “Iggy.” That’s as close as it’s going to get at the moment. I’ll go home and practice but for right now, I’m done.
“Iggy?” he repeats, and I shrug defeatedly. “Iggy. Yeah, I can live with that.” He winks at me.
“Later, Abby.”
And then he walks away with a smug look on his face.
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About the Author
USA Today Bestselling author, Sidney Halston lives her life with one simple rule: “Just Do It”
And that’s exactly what she did. After working hard as an attorney, Sidney picked up a pen for the first time at thirty years old to begin her dream of writing. Having never written anything other than very exciting legal briefs, she found an outlet for her imaginative romantic side and wrote the successful New Adult series, Seeing Red and Seeing Black. That first pen stroke sealed the deal and she fell in love with writing. Currently on sale is the bestselling contemporary romance series, Worth the Fight and Panic Series, as well as Romantic Suspense series, Iron Clad Security.
Sidney lives in South Florida with her husband and children. She loves her family above all else, and reading follows a close second. When she’s not writing you can find her reading and reading and reading… She’s a reader first and a writer second.
When she’s not writing or reading her life is complete and utter chaos trying to balance family life with work, and writing (and reading). But she wouldn’t have it any other way.
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