The Lovely Return by Carian Cole is live!
A standalone, forbidden, age-gap, soulmate romance, this is a story of loss and heartache, but also of soul mates and second chances. It is the most incredible love story that made me feel so much, and I loved it!
Amazon
(available in KU)
Blurb
What if death doesn’t do you part?
They say be careful what you wish for. But on December 5, Alex Fox makes a wish in the midst of a devastating tragedy. Little does he know that his wish will come true.
Six years after that fateful day, a little girl wanders into Alex’s studio. With her quirky personality, endless questions, and adorable smile, Penny Rose becomes an enchanting yet bittersweet distraction. Penny Rose is an odd girl—at least, that’s what her parents say. Penny herself doesn’t feel particularly odd; she simply feels misplaced. As if somehow, in some way, she is living in the wrong place in the wrong life.
As the years pass, Alex and Penny develop a friendship. But it becomes harder and harder for them to ignore their undeniable chemistry, no matter how forbidden it is. Alex believes he’ll never find love again, let alone fall for a girl half his age. But Penny is everything he could ever want or need. Not only is she caring, witty, and beautiful, but she accepts the past that haunts him.
Penny couldn’t be happier. She’s been head over heels for sexy, brooding artist Alex Fox since she was six years old. But when her childhood dreams start resurfacing again—dreams of a life with Alex way before they ever met—she starts to think they’re not dreams at all.
They’re memories.
Penny’s revelation to Alex threatens to tear them apart, making them question the impossible and unbelievable. Can love truly transcend time and death, giving them a second chance at their happily ever after? Or is Penny battling a broken mind that has led her down a path of heartbreaking delusion?
Review
“Your heart is safe me with for eternity. That’s my promise to you.”
5 stars
Carian Cole writes the most beautifully heartwrenching love stories, and she has given us an incredible read with this book. A story of loss and heartache, but also of soul mates and second chances. It’s an epic romance that made me feel so much, and I loved it!
Alex’s blessed life crumbles around him when a devastating tragedy leaves him a widower at only 21. Despite his pleading and a desperate wish, he loses it all and becomes lost to his grief, and oh, how my heart ached for him.
There’s no expiration date for grief. For me, there’s no getting over it. There’s no moving on. Death snuck into my life like a masked thief and stole everything from me, leaving me with a terminal disease that festers in my soul, slowly depleting the life from me, hindering the remotest chance of happiness, security, or peace of mind.
All I can do is muddle through each day, waiting for something – anything – that will either cure me or kill me.
Six years later, a little girl enters his life. Penny lives in the property behind his, and she becomes a bright and sunny distraction from the monotony of his days. A little girl who is smart and insightful, wiser than her years, and who seems instantly at home as she settles herself easily into Alex’s life, claiming him as ‘hers’ in the cutest of ways. Over the years they spend hours together talking and creating art together. They develop a close friendship and become an important part of each other’s lives, and though they do have some ups and downs, their connection to each other never wavers. Penny finds peace and contentment with Alex that she doesn’t feel anywhere else, and Alex slowly starts to heal.
I’ve got to give to Carian Cole, she took what could have been an icky situation and made it into a beautifully pure and sweet relationship. There’s nothing inappropriate about the way that Alex and Penny interact, it’s a beautifully innocent friendship yet deeply meaningful, and I loved seeing the two of them together over the years.
When their feelings for each other begin to change (after Penny is of age), it’s so natural. Penny knows that Alex was always meant to be hers, and she has loved him for as long as she can remember. Alex thought he would be alone forever, he had no intention of ever looking for love again, but when it presents itself, despite their age gap and other hurdles between them, he falls effortlessly and completely, and OMG, I felt every moment of it with them.
“I can’t explain it. I just knew with every single cell of my being that you were mine, and I was yours. I’ve just been … Waiting.”
… “I hope the wait was worth it because I’m falling crazy, madly in love with you.”
Their love for each other is effortless and all-consuming, but they have so much they need to deal with to be together. Central to it all is Penny’s past and the depth of her connection to Alex, forcing them to confront an impossibility that will test their love for each other, and everything that they believe in.
There’s so much to this story that I won’t go into because I don’t want to spoil anything. It’s a heartwrenching journey, but so, so worth it. I could feel every moment of emotion in the story, and lost myself in the epic love between Alex and Penny. Both their individual journeys, and their journey together as a couple, are beautifully written, I was invested from the beginning to the last page, and I didn’t want it to end.
“You’re wrapped in my heart. You’re threaded under my skin. I don’t ever want anyone else, and I don’t want to be friends. I just want you.”
This is such a beautiful story, full of love, hope, healing and profound messages. I loved every moment.
5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Meet Carian Cole
Carian Cole has a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls who try to tame them and win their hearts.
Born and raised a Jersey girl, Carian now resides in beautiful New Hampshire with her husband and their multitude of furry pets. She spends most of her time writing, reading, and vacuuming.
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