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I left Lakeside, Montana heartbroken and lost with no desire to ever return. When I watched Reed Sanders drive away from Lakeside, I knew my heart would never recover. The heart is mysterious. It can be closed off and open at the same time. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add to Goodreads<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4.5 stars!<\/b><\/p>\n \u2713 Small town romance Jennifer Van Wyk writes the most beautiful, swoony love stories. Her books are always strongly focussed on the romance, and I love getting completely swept up in her books, and this one was no different. The story of a widowed single father returning to his home town and reuniting with his childhood love is sweet, sexy and swoony, and such a gorgeous read!<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve carried you with me, Sadie Jones.\u201d Reed fell in love with Sadie when she moved to his small town when they were 14 years old. They became best friends and he always wanted more, but she continually refused him, using the differences in their situations and social standings as an excuse. She was from the \u2018poor\u2019 part of town and never felt good enough for him, and even when they turned 18 and seemed on the brink of something magical, Sadie broke his heart and he left town.<\/p>\n Twelve years later and Reed is a widowed father to a spunky 5 year old little girl. Following the death of his wife nine months earlier, he is returning home to his roots and his family ranch to get a fresh start for them both. That fresh start includes enrolling his daughter in longed-for dance classes, and that\u2019s how Sadie comes back into his life – as the owner and instructor at the local dance studio, she is little Emmy\u2019s new teacher.<\/p>\n From the moment that Reed and Sadie see each other again, sparks fly. You can tell there is so<\/i> much emotion still between them, and I love, love, love how they don\u2019t get all cagey and play the cat and mouse game. They were best friends, they have missed each other, and they don\u2019t delay in catching up on all of the time they have lost. They have so much to learn about what has happened in their 12 years apart, and though they have a lot of difficult news to share, they do it openly and honestly, and I loved watching them reconnect.<\/p>\n And it doesn\u2019t take long for the truth of their feelings to be revealed. Something so all-consuming can\u2019t be hidden, and neither of them even try, and there\u2019s this overwhelming feeling of at last<\/i> as they give in to everything they\u2019ve wanted for so long, and it\u2019s beautiful to watch. The emotions are strong, and their passion for each other is sizzling, and there\u2019s this sense of soul-mates being reunited as they easily and naturally fall back together.<\/p>\n \u201cI carried a piece of you with me even when I tried like hell to let you go.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But just as they are finding their happiness, there is danger lurking, threatening their HEA and bringing a mystery\/suspense storyline. Personally, I didn\u2019t think it was needed, but it adds some interest and certainly didn\u2019t diminish my enjoyment of the story. It just was<\/i>.<\/p>\n The big question was \u2013 did Reed\u2019s undying love for Sadie mean that he was unfaithful to his wife? Well\u2026 I don\u2019t think he was unfaithful<\/i>, but I certainly wouldn\u2019t want to be married to a man who never fell out love with his first love. He did love his wife, and I\u2019m sure he loved her the best he could, but she certainly came off as second best, and I felt bad for her. But I was still able to embrace Reed and Sadie\u2019s love story and after all that they went through, I loved seeing them finally get their happy ending.<\/p>\n \u201cI love you\u2026 I\u2019m yours. Forever.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There\u2019s such a great bunch of side characters to go along with this one. Firstly, huge shout out to Reed\u2019s parents, who are absolutely fantastic! Not only firmly supportive of their son, but they are all up in his business, and open about their own, and their interactions are highly entertaining! Reed\u2019s daughter, Emmy, is completely adorable and seeing the two of them together absolutely melted my heart. And Sadie and Reed\u2019s respective best friends, Kandace and Justin, had a few sparks flying during their brief interactions, and I am hopeful that we\u2019ll get a story for them in the future.<\/p>\n I loved this book. It\u2019s sweet and swoony, and just what I was hoping for.<\/p>\n 4.5 stars.<\/p>\n An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I pull on the door and step inside, looking around. I hear sultry music from the back and hear someone call out, \u201cI\u2019ll be out in a second!\u201d<\/p>\n I look around, pictures of dancers grace the walls. It didn\u2019t look like much from the outside, but inside tells a different story. There are four rooms plus what looks like an office, each of the dance rooms have a large glass wall and a quick look inside shows a mirror on the opposite wall. There\u2019s a sign that says \u201cNo shoes allowed past this point\u201d and I furrow my brow, wondering what that means. There\u2019s a built-in shelf that looks like it\u2019s to store shoes and maybe even hang backpacks and coats. It\u2019s impressive, really.<\/p>\n This same studio was here when I was growing up, but it looks updated, modern, and when I look to the side at another sign that reads \u201cAll dancers welcome here\u201d I know that it\u2019s exactly where I want Emmy to be.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep going, ladies. You\u2019re looking great.\u201d<\/p>\n That voice. I know that voice.<\/p>\n It arrests me, my feet glued to the floor.<\/p>\n And then I see her.<\/p>\n She\u2019s standing probably ten feet away from me and she gasps. I open my mouth to say something but I don\u2019t even know what to say. Sadie<\/em>. Our eyes connect and she takes a step forward then another. I do the same but then neither of us come any closer.<\/p>\n \u201cHoly shit,\u201d Sadie breathes, stopping in her tracks. My sentiments exactly. I had no idea she still lived in Lakeside, though I made it very clear to my parents that I didn\u2019t want to know details on Sadie\u2019s life.<\/p>\n We stare at each other, eyes blinking slowly. \u201cWhat\u2026\u201d the rest of my question sticks in my throat. I\u2019m not even sure what I was going to ask her. What is she doing here? What\u2019s she been up to the last dozen years? Why couldn\u2019t she love me back all those years ago?<\/p>\n \u201cReed.\u201d My name sounds like heaven coming from her lips. I close my eyes, letting it wash over me. It\u2019s been so long since I\u2019ve heard her voice or seen her in the flesh, not just in my dreams. \u201cSadie.\u201d My voice is thick and scratchy. She bites her lip and looks over her shoulder when the music in the back changes, someone calling her name and asking if Sadie wants her to continue.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you take over for a bit, Kandace?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou got it!\u201d<\/p>\n When her eyes return to mine, we continue our stare down, neither of us making a move.<\/p>\n \u201cMy daughter. She\u2019s looking for dance classes.\u201d It\u2019s the first thing that comes to mind to say. But what am I supposed to do here? Shoot the shit with her? Make small talk? She made it clear twelve years ago that she no longer cared about me, so it\u2019s best to keep things cordial now. If she came out to help a visitor, that must mean she works here, right? It\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve felt this way; like my mind is stuck.<\/p>\n Her eyes widen at my mention of Emmy but they don\u2019t seem surprised. Of course they aren\u2019t. I\u2019m sure she\u2019s heard all about Emmy from my mom. Possibly even the fact that Katherine died, too. I assumed that when mom was keeping in touch with Sadie, it meant that they were doing so over social media or the occasional phone call. Now I wonder if they\u2019re hanging out together, spending time with one another.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard\u2026 about your wife. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d So, she did know.<\/p>\n I nod, shoving my hands in my pockets. I never understood why people said they were sorry. It wasn\u2019t her who forced Katherine to stare at her phone screen rather than focus on the road ahead of her. I suppose it\u2019s one of those sayings that started years ago and it just never changed over time.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n She looks away and then back again, her eyes still so pretty. \u201cHas Emerson danced before?\u201d<\/p>\n My entire body flinches at her use of my daughter\u2019s name. She knows about me. Possibly knew I was moving home and I didn\u2019t even know she was still here. I take a minute to really look at her and that\u2019s when I realize what she\u2019s wearing.<\/p>\n Fish neck stockings, heels that look like they could be used as a weapon, they\u2019re so tall, a pair of shiny bright green underwear and a black bra thing that looks incredibly complicated with all the straps.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the hell are you wearing?\u201d I ask, probably rudely but she just smiles, giggling a little and it\u2019s like a vice is gripping my heart. I haven\u2019t heard her voice, her laugh, in so long. I missed it. I missed her<\/em>; The way her eyes sparkle in amusement and her lips lift in a smile. Damn, she\u2019s even more beautiful than I remember. When I last saw her, she was still growing into herself. Now, though, I see everything, thanks to her attire. Firm stomach, full breasts, strong arms and legs. The only thing that\u2019s the same about Sadie Jones is her hair. Still pin straight and blonde.<\/p>\n She throws a thumb over her shoulder. \u201cI teach pole dancing in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy daughter isn\u2019t pole dancing!\u201d I\u2019m sure I look horrified but I figured this was a regular dance studio for little kids.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good because she\u2019s not old enough for that. Maybe we could start her out with some beginner ballet?\u201d A teasing smile stretches across her face and I can\u2019t stop my eyes from drifting down, focusing on her full lips.<\/p>\n I\u2019m standing here in front of Sadie for the first time in twelve years as she takes a break from teaching a pole dancing class. We\u2019re discussing starting my daughter out with some beginner ballet classes while she\u2019s at her first day of Kindergarten. How is this my life? I\u2019m barely holding it together, feeling like I\u2019m about to come out of my own skin. It\u2019s too much for me to deal with. She\u2019s too pretty and sexy and my daughter just started school and\u2026 shit. I need a drink. And I rarely drink.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d I find myself saying.<\/p>\n She moves with ease on heels that should roll her ankle and brushes past me, her scent lingering in the air between us. A mixture of something sweet that reminds me of when my mom would bake pumpkin bars in the fall and something else that brings back memories better left buried.<\/p>\n She hands me a piece of paper and pen. \u201cFill this out and here\u2019s a list of our classes and the times so you can take a look at what works for your schedule. How old is she? Five?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d I tell her, wondering how she\u2019s so calm. Meanwhile, I\u2019m about to come unglued and out of my skin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the Ground Up<\/em>\u00a0was 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 Amazon\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Instagram\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Reader Group<\/a> Goodreads\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0BookBub\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Book + Main<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nBut life had other plans.
\nMoving back wasn\u2019t what I wanted to do, but I\u2019d do anything for my daughter Emmy. Including put myself right in the path of Sadie Jones.
\nMy daughter\u2019s new dance teacher.
\nThe reason my heart was never fully opened to anyone else was because it\u2019s always belonged to her.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nHe was meant for more than what this town could offer him.
\nThan what I could offer him.
\nI tried to warn him to stay away from me but he refused to listen.
\nIf only he would have, maybe then I wouldn\u2019t feel so broken.<\/p>\n
\nUnfortunately, sometimes it takes danger lurking around the corner to make it choose a side.
\nAll I can hope is that one day I can finally hear the words\u2026 I\u2019m Yours.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Im-Yours-Teaser-1.jpg?resize=452%2C452&ssl=1\")
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\nReview<\/b><\/h4>\n
\n\u2713 Childhood best friends
\n\u2713 Almost-second-chance romance
\n\u2713 Sexy single Dad<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI\u2019ve carried you with me, too.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Im-Yours-Teaser-2.jpg?resize=452%2C452&ssl=1\")
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\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nGiveaway<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nAbout the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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