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Our relationship was such a clich\u00e9.
\nFriends to lovers. High school sweethearts.
\nThen\u2026 driven by insecurities, I broke Grady Ryan\u2019s heart.
\nI was weak, afraid to love, and even more afraid to be loved.
\nThere are secrets I\u2019ve kept buried but I can\u2019t forget what we once shared.
\nI\u2019ve been given a second chance and this time, I\u2019m prepared to fight for him.<\/p>\n
After six long years of silence, Bri Jameson is back in my life.
\nI never expected to see her again, especially not to share in the biggest opportunity of my career.
\nWhen she walks toward me across my football field, I can\u2019t stop my heart from racing.
\nBut time hasn\u2019t stopped me from knowing her \u2013 and I know she\u2019s hiding something.
\nI just hope whatever it is doesn\u2019t ruin me.
\nI\u2019ve finally moved on and I won\u2019t fall into her trap again.
\nI just wish I could tell my heart the same thing \u2013 it\u2019s just been waiting for her.<\/p>\n
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Find\u00a0Waiting for Her<\/i> on <\/strong>GOODREADS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n A gorgeously emotional second-chance-romance that is sweet, functional and full of swoon!<\/p>\n Grady and Bri were childhood best friends who fell in love as teenagers and (eventually) made the leap from friends-to-lovers, becoming each other\u2019s whole worlds and knowing that they were going to be together forever. But Bri\u2019s life got shaken up and she reacted badly, running in order to \u2018protect\u2019 herself and triggering a downward spiral that she found it impossible to pull herself out of.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been six long years since Grady and Bri have seen each other, but Grady has just been appointed the youngest coach of a division 1 college football team, and Bri is the sports reporter assigned to write an in-depth article about him \u2013 forcing the former lovers together and giving them the chance to finally face up to what happened all those years ago, and to address the feelings for each other that have never gone away.<\/p>\n \u201cI went through some of the best and worst moments of my life, and you weren\u2019t there. It was always supposed to be you by my side. Me by yours.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I love second-chance-romances, and this one is full of feels from the very beginning. Despite their separation, Grady and Bri still love each other deeply, and they are both fully aware of that fact. The chemistry zings from the first moment they lay eyes on each other, neither of them deny it, and they don\u2019t hide the pain they\u2019ve been in since they parted. But they have a lot to work through, starting with the secrets of their past and all that they have missed.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to understand, and yet, I\u2019m not sure I ever will. I can\u2019t fall back into you again. It hurt too much to lose you the first time. Not just as my girlfriend, but as my <\/i>best friend.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Jennifer Van Wyk writes the most amazingly irresistible heroes and OMG, I absolutely adore Grady! He is SUCH a sweetheart! He\u2019s been through hell in the time they\u2019ve been apart, but he\u2019s also made a good life for himself, with great friends and family, and now his new amazing career opportunity. He\u2019s a genuinely good guy who is open, honest and very in touch with his feelings. He never moved on from his first love, and he is not afraid to pour his heart out to Bri, putting it all out there and holding nothing back, and I love that!<\/p>\n I shift, framing her face in the palms of my hands, and lean down, letting my forehead rest against hers. Oh swoon!<\/p>\n I admit, I had some issues with Bri early on. Grady is so amazing that I was mad at her for hurting him the way she did, and I found it difficult to sympathise with her. But seeing her so willing to own her mistakes and make things right helped warm me to her. There is a bit of back and forth as she and Grady sort things out, but I loved the honesty between them, and when her full story is finally revealed I could understand how she became as lost as she did. And though I was still pissed at her, I loved that she was willing to put herself out there for Grady, determined to do whatever he needed to make things right.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need any more chances, Grady. No more time. I\u2019m here. With you. Yours, for as long as you\u2019ll have me.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n And Grady\u2019s unwavering love for her made it impossible not to love her too.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t deserve your forgiveness and yet here I am, receiving it.\u201d *dreamy sigh*<\/p>\n It\u2019s a beautifully written love story, with lots of feels, and I was completely swept up in the reunion between these two who were so clearly meant to be. It\u2019s not all serious, with moments of fun, flirting, teasing and banter, and I loved that their families were both so involved in everything that was going on between them. This is a fantastic bunch of characters who are so closely intertwined, and the dynamics add something special to the story.<\/p>\n Although this book can be read as a standalone, I loved having all of the background details about Grady and Bri, and their families, before diving into this one. Even knowing most of the characters, I needed to reread over some of the details in the book to remember who they were and make sure I had all of the relationships straight in my head. Plus, I had an added build up to Grady and Bri\u2019s story which began in Van Wyk\u2019s first book, From the Ground Up<\/em> (featuring Grady\u2019s parents and introducing a teenage Grady), and Bri\u2019s downfall which began in the last book, Feels Like Home<\/a> (the story of Bri\u2019s mother and now-stepfather). And in the six years since the last book ended, there have been some really interesting developments that I really appreciated and loved seeing.<\/p>\n Like Van Wyk\u2019s other books, this one completely captured my heart and had me in a world of swoon as Grady and Bri fought hard for their happy ever after. Beautifully written and absolutely captivating, I loved it!<\/p>\n \u201cI love you \u2026 Time didn\u2019t change that, and it never will.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n 4.5 swoony stars.<\/p>\n An Advanced Review Copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Each of these books can be read as standalones, but there are strong character tie-ins.<\/p>\n From the Ground Up<\/strong> (Barrett & Tess) A Better Place<\/strong> (James & Carly) Feels Like Home<\/strong> (Andy & Christine) Waiting For Her<\/strong> (Grady & Bri) All I Need<\/strong> (Walker & Ellie) The Other Guy <\/strong>(Jack & Sierra) <\/p>\n Click here for our suggested reading order and to see how all of these characters tie together.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Bri.\u201d Mia says, both shock and confusion in her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s what I said.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, Grady. It\u2019s. Bri.\u201d Savannah says, nodding her head with wide eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n Mia\u2019s eyes are narrowed, and Cole looks like he\u2019s seen a ghost.<\/span><\/p>\n Actually, he\u2019s not even looking at me. None of them are.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re looking behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n I turn in my seat to see what they\u2019re all gawking at, and wouldn\u2019t you know it, the object of conversation is right there.<\/span><\/p>\n Standing behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n Bright green eyes glistening.<\/span><\/p>\n Top teeth biting down on her plush bright red bottom lip.<\/span><\/p>\n Dark hair down, curling over her shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n Beautiful.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n To anyone else, she would look like she\u2019s going to a St. Patrick\u2019s Day party, but I know Bri. She has more green and white in her closet than anyone I know.<\/span><\/p>\n If I bleed the colors, she may as well paint them on her body.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure it\u2019s at least part of the reason she was chosen to do the story on me. She knows Warrior football better than anyone I know.<\/span><\/p>\n My eyes can\u2019t decide which part of her to catalogue first.<\/span><\/p>\n When I was younger, I was positive there was nothing sexier than Bri Jameson. It\u2019s shockingly apparent nothing\u2019s changed, at least in my reaction to her\u00a0 appearance. I take in the rest of her, wanting so badly to reach out and pull her into my arms. She\u2019s grown into a beautiful woman.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBri,\u201d I breathe out her name, stumbling like a moron to get out of my chair. The effects of two shots in less than a few minutes time hitting me more than I \u201cHi, Grady.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The sound of her voice causing my heart to speed up triple time.<\/span><\/p>\n I haven\u2019t heard it in <\/span>years.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Except for in my dreams.<\/span><\/p>\n Or nightmares, depending on the night.<\/span><\/p>\n And it still hits me direct in the gut.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat am I missing?\u201d I hear Drew murmur behind me only to be shushed by the girls.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUm. What\u2026\u201d I trail off, clear my throat, look down at the dirty bar floor, shake my head and look back at her, standing up in the process. She takes a small step back to allow me room. She\u2019s a little thing. Only about 5 feet tall. When we were dating, I would have to practically bend in half to kiss her. A lifetime ago. My chin meets my chest when I tilt my head down to her. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d I ask, finally finding my voice. <\/span><\/p>\n She looks away quickly before returning those eyes that always drew me to her. I never could resist her shining emerald eyes. She simply had to flutter her long lashes at me, and I was putty in her hands. \u201cUm, I heard about this incredible band and wanted to check them out since\u2026\u201d Her voice trails off as she glances at the table of my friends and family uncomfortably. <\/span><\/p>\n She\u2019s back in town, is what she failed to finish saying.<\/span><\/p>\n She swallows and closes her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n I lick my lips, blow out a breath, and wait for her to open them back up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWait. A. Minute.\u201d Cole\u2019s voice breaks through our stare down.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBri?\u201d Mia sneers. Or as close to sneering as she gets. \u201cWhat the hell are you doing here?\u201d I turn in time to see her waddle her pregnant body out of the chair, shove Cole\u2019s hand away from her shoulder and come to stand in front of me, effectively pushing Bri away a few steps considering Mia\u2019s, well, she\u2019s not little at the moment. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t realize everyone would\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRealize what? That we would be here to support Brandon?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mia crosses her arms over her chest and taps her foot.<\/span><\/p>\n I press my lips together to keep from laughing.<\/span><\/p>\n Mia\u2019s hardly a threat, but she\u2019s also protective of me. <\/span><\/p>\n I place a hand on Mia\u2019s shoulder and she twists her head to peek at me. She raises her eyebrows and tilts her head to the side, narrowing her eyes at me in a silent challenge for me to let her be.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEasy, mama bear,\u201d I murmur.<\/span><\/p>\n Bri looks down at Mia\u2019s protruding belly then in Cole\u2019s direction. She smiles faintly, her eyes glossing over slightly. I doubt if anyone else noticed, but I\u2019ve always been a little more in tune to Bri than anyone else.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMom mentioned you were expecting. When are you due?\u201d she asks quietly.<\/span><\/p>\n Mia lifts her chin, probably determined not to answer her because she\u2019s a stubborn little shit, but Cole pipes up. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations.\u201d She smiles but it\u2019s sad.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYup. We got married, too,\u201d Mia says, a hint of snark in her voice, raising her hand to show her ring finger.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMia,\u201d Cole murmurs a quiet warning.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes, I heard that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Of course she\u2019d heard. Her entire family was there, celebrating with us. I\u2019d swallowed down the hurt all day, enjoyed the moment of celebrating with my brother and Mia. Pushed away the jealousy I felt toward him and Mia, who\u2019d also been friends before they started dating. It had been a little over two years at that point since she had walked out on our relationship. Walked out of my life. <\/span><\/p>\n Part of me had wondered if she\u2019d show up at the wedding.<\/span><\/p>\n A bigger part of me held out hope it would happen. I missed the hell out of her and as pathetic as it may make me sound, I was still waiting for her to come back to me.<\/span><\/p>\n That night, more changed for me than only getting a new sister.<\/span><\/p>\n With Bri\u2019s stepdad working for our dads, who own a construction company together, it\u2019s not as if we\u2019re strangers. Our families don\u2019t just know each other, we\u2019re connected in every way that matters. Which leads me to believe she knew Mia and Cole were expecting, too.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou missed a lot,\u201d Mia reminds her, hurt and anger lacing her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n In another time, Bri would have been one of Mia\u2019s bridesmaids. It was a hole that was missing on the special day that everyone felt, not just me.<\/span><\/p>\n I was always waiting.<\/span><\/p>\n Waiting for her to come back.<\/span><\/p>\n Waiting for her to come to her senses.<\/span><\/p>\n Waiting for her to love me enough to fight.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI did,\u201d she nods her head sadly. \u201cI wish I hadn\u2019t.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Me too.<\/span><\/p>\n I can\u2019t take my eyes off her.<\/span><\/p>\n Can\u2019t believe she\u2019s here.<\/span><\/p>\n Standing in front of me.<\/span><\/p>\n Still looking too beautiful for her own damn good.<\/span><\/p>\n Life, man. What a mother-<\/span>effing<\/span><\/i> bitch it is. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well. It\u2019s done,\u201d Mia snaps. Bri breaking up with me didn\u2019t hurt just me. That hurt and pain extended far and wide. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMia,\u201d Bri whispers. Raising her eyes from where they\u2019ve been fixated on the floor between us, she looks directly at me, rather than Mia. My gut clenches when our eyes lock, afraid she\u2019ll see the hurt still living inside me. The sound of a chair scraping along the floor behind me startles me, breaking our stare down. She turns and starts to reach out a hand to Mia but pulls back. Rather, she lifts a hand and twists a finger through the thick strands. I used to be obsessed with running my fingers through her hair A flash of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu hits <\/span>me when I remember she would always mess with it when she was nervous, especially in front of a crowd of people.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry I missed it. I have no excuse. I won\u2019t pretend any of what I did was okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. It wasn\u2019t. But like I said, it\u2019s done,\u201d Mia says dismissively.<\/span><\/p>\n She doesn\u2019t accept Bri\u2019s apology, but I know Mia. She will eventually. The only reason she\u2019s holding a grudge right now is because she thinks I need her to and because she\u2019s more hurt than she\u2019s letting on.<\/span><\/p>\n If Bri wants forgiveness, she\u2019s going to have to earn it.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo. You\u2019re back?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Bri takes a step in my direction, and I see realization hit Cole\u2019s features. <\/span><\/p>\n He points a finger at her then me. \u201cWait. Is she the one?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Out of the corner of my eye I see Drew\u2019s head going back and forth like he\u2019s at a tennis match, but I ignore him. I should introduce them, but I figure they\u2019ll get to know each other soon enough.<\/span><\/p>\n Irritation suddenly settles in my veins. Being this close to Bri used to provide me with a sense of calm. \u201cThe one, what?\u201d I growl, staring down at the girl I once thought was my forever. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe one doing the article,\u201d he explains. Cole\u2019s not stupid. He knows she\u2019s a reporter and who she works for. Her showing up after all this time obviously isn\u2019t a coincidence.<\/span><\/p>\n I pause a few beats, breathe in deep as her eyes, so expressive and beautiful, blink up at me. \u201cYeah,\u201d I admit, my heart in my throat. \u201cShe is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the Ground Up<\/em> was Jennifer\u2019s first published novel and now that she was bitten by the writing bug, has no intention of ever stopping. Jennifer makes her home in small town Iowa with her high school sweetheart, three beautiful, hilarious and amazing kids, one crazy Jack Russell terrier. This is where her love for all things reading, baking, and cooking happen.\u00a0 Jennifer\u2019s family enjoys camping, boating, and spending time outside as much as possible. You\u2019ll be her best friend if you can make her laugh and follow up with asking her what to read next. When she\u2019s not writing, you can find her cheering the loudest at her kids\u2019 sporting events (read as: embarrassing them), sipping coffee or iced tea out of a mason jar with her Kindle in her lap or binging on Netflix.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Waiting for Her, an all-new emotional, standalone second chance romance from Jennifer Van Wyk is available NOW! Amazon US\u00a0 |\u00a0 Amazon Universal\u00a0 | \u00a0Audio Blurb Our relationship was such a clich\u00e9. Friends to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":35128,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4.5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,25,9,24,29],"tags":[59,790,48],"class_list":["post-35260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feeeeeeels","category-friends-to-lovers","category-romance","category-second-chance-romance","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-jennifer-van-wyk","tag-review"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Waiting-For-Her_ebook.jpg?fit=150%2C234&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-9aI","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nReview<\/b><\/h4>\n
\n\u201cDon\u2019t you get it, yet, Bri?\u201d
\n\u201cGet what?\u201d
\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what happened in your past. What <\/i>mistakes you made. My love for you, it doesn\u2019t have a beginning or an end, I would have waited for you forever.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n\u201cWho am I to say you don\u2019t deserve forgiveness? My love for you isn\u2019t conditional, Bri. I fell <\/i>in love with you, my heart never allowed me to fall out.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\nJennifer Van Wyk Interconnected Standalones<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\ncare to admit. Surprisingly, I have a low alcohol tolerance. With my size, one would think I\u2019d be able to handle a lot of liquor. Not so much.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nAbout the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nAmazon\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Facebook\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Twitter\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Instagram\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 Reader Group<\/a>
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