We all know that when we need a good, tears from laughing, we turn to Tara. But this was an emotional read that I am pleasantly surprised with.

She created this wonderful story of two people who have a worthy story to tell. A second chance story of love, and life lessons.

He thought he was doing the right thing. They were a young love. And of course years later, he is back and wants to claim her again.

Hearts are broken. Egos are bruised. With time and undeniable chemistry and recalling back to the way they were, brings The story Of Us.

5 The Ultimate Second Chance Romance Stars!!!

Imagine the heart break when you learn the man you've loved all your life has died and you realize you'll never hear is voice or feel his arms around you again and the length you'll go to in order to protect your memories of him....until he comes back from the dead and your world is turned on its axis.

This my friends is what this poignantly, soul searing, book that will break you and then put you back together again by the amazing Tara Sivec is all about! From the very first page of the Prologue I had a feeling this story would suck me in and not let go and boy was I right.

Eli and Shelby were lovers when they were younger with Eli being from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks and Shelby being from a very prominent family. These two had so many plans and most importantly a love that surpassed anything either of them had ever felt in their lives. Unfortunately, someone in their lives didn't want them together and went to great lengths to keep them apart...until things didn't go as planned.

Imagine Shelby's shock when the love of her life shows back up but he's not the same boy that left her and the pain in his heart and head could prevent them from getting their HEA. Not only are we getting a beautifully written love story, we're getting somewhat of a mystery/suspense side story because there's lots of questions with not a lot of answers.

But through it all, Shelby and Eli try to find themselves both individually and as a couple. It's not easy and we have a few surprises along the way that had me gasping, but a love like this is worth the fight to get a never ending, all encompassing love. This is a must read book and bring your tissues with you!

Tara Sivec diverts from her usual humor and snark to write a heartbreaking and hopeful story of two people kept away from each other by their families and society expectations.

Shelby and Eli met on her property -- she was the daughter of a wealthy and politically connected mother, and he worked in the stables. She was young, he was attracted but kept his distance. One day she comes home from college, and they give into their attraction. Then, that's all taken away.

Eli enlists and is called away to duty. He's found years later as a captured soldier, who survived a horrific ordeal by thinking of one day returning to his one true love. Shelby, her humor, sass, and the scent of peaches is the one thing that kept him hopeful and alive through his torture. When he's finally released, he learns that everyone, including Shelby, through he was dead. He has to go through the motions of not only learning how to live as a free man again, but how to gain back the life, and the love he once had.

Shelby Shelby isn't the same either. She's never been able to get over the "loss" of Eli. She's tried to move on with a man that her mother approves of, and yet, she hasn't been able to give him her heart. Once a dancer with dreams of moving to New York, Eli returns to her and finds that she's still at home, no longer pursuing her dreams, and her scars may be deeper than his own.

"I love you Shelby. Only you. Always you"

They're both broken, and have to heal together. Much like Tara's prior work Fisher's Light, this story deals with a Veteran returning to find the home he left isn't the same. It's an emotional story and while at times a bit too lovey for my black heart, it was hopeful and had some surprises.

If you enjoyed Fisher's Light, you'll really enjoy this one!

This book absolutely and utterly devastated me at times.  I love Tara Sivec's ROM COM's, I have read a few of her other books too, but this book may have jumped to my all time favorite Tara book. (And I am a HUGE Rom Com fan - just sayin')

From the moment I opened the book until the last page this book occupied my mind, my heart and my soul.  Even when my pesky family or work got in the way of my reading. Eli and Shelby were the couple that you wanted to survive this nightmare that was their lives and circumstances.

The twists and turns, the array of emotions I felt were endless.  My heart was breaking and soaring all at the same time. Tara Sivec's ability to sneak into my psyche for days after reading is spectacular and this book hangover was EPIC!

The perseverance and unshakeable spirit of this couple was breath taking at times.   A must read and one of my top reads of 2017!

Shelby Eubanks, the quintessential Southern Belle, has a perfect life: husband, house, and prestige. Eli James is the perfect guy: handsome, honorable, and driven. The perfect couple except they’re not. She’s with someone else, and he’s somewhere else, but these are just tiny details in the quest for romance.
The Story of Us by Tara Sivec is like The Notebook meets This is Us, so not an exactly groundbreaking storyline, but the opener is compelling. My anticipation ramped up as the action-packed opener grabbed my attention. The melancholy intrigued me, but it was Eli’s backstory that captivated me. As a veteran, I have a soft spot for a military romance, and I was happy to see that Eli and I were part of the same family. Kudos to Sivec for getting the military tone correct (and capitalizing Marine). I could have stayed in Eli’s headspace for the book’s entirety, but The Story of Us is a dual storyline.
At its heart, The Story of Us is a standard damsel in distress story waiting for the hero to save her. But the hero in question is hampered by memories and things he cannot change. While Sivec lays a decent groundwork of a hero’s return, but it doesn’t marry well with the second chance relationship. The romance is tepid, the heroine weak, the bad guys are overdrawn, and the plot cliched. The narrative and Shelby’s love of “I did it for him” mantra gets stale quickly as does the drawn out mystery. The reasons why Shelby and Eli are not together is fueled by misunderstandings and mommy issues, and when the big confessions come, it falls flat. The Story of Us’ strength is Eli’s backstory and his struggle with PTSD. However, the conclusion does little to shed light on the disorder, and the thin exploration is too small to be impactful. The Story of Us makes a play for the heartstrings, but it’s predictability and lack of connection, make this just so-so read.

I love this! This story was empathetic and real. It felt like I was living their lives. Amazing.

The blurb to The Story of Us has emotional written all over it and it’s fair to say Tara Sivec does not disappoint in delivering a charged, heart-rendering read.

The opening scenes instantly sought me wanting to know more. Elijah James is a prisoner of war, and for the last five years he has been subjected to atrocities at the hands of his captors. With his body near breaking point, his spirit will not yield as he holds on for the promise that awaits him at home.

Shelby Eubanks is a ghost of her former self. Under the impression Eli has been killed, she leads an empty shell of a life for reasons that are not fully known to us. Her free spirit has been crushed under the weight of grief, and as much as I found myself anticipating a joyous reunion, Tara builds the story in such a way we know their struggles are not over yet.

It’s a story of love, loss, sacrifice and its repercussions. I enjoyed piecing the story together but felt it a tad guilty of slightly indulging. I felt every bit of their pain and championed them through to their well deserved happy ending.

The Story of Us was an incredibly gut wrenching story. I actually cried while reading it and I VERY RARELY cry while reading. Shelby and Eli's story has a current storyline that could be ripped right out of the headlines and will break even the coldest of hearts.

I can't even imagine believing that the love of your life is dead for 5 years and then having him reappear after you have moved on. I admire the fact that even though Shelby was confused about her feelings toward Eli she handled seeing him again gracefully. I also understand why she acted the way she did but I was more then happy when she finally found her backbone and stood up to everyone in her life.

Eli's character was amazing. He was honestly my favorite character in the whole book. What he went through was horrifying. He clung to his live for Shelby to get him through the brutal days and lonely nights that he lived through. I rooted for him the whole book.

The Story of Us had many twists and turns, most that I didn't even see coming. I tend to prefer Tara's funny books but I have to say, this is up in the top three of my favorites of her's now. It is absolutely worth a read!

***ARC Provided by the Publisher, Forever Yours, via NetGalley***

Eli and Shelby were together in high school and then life, the military, and things beyond their control both separated them and left Shelby thinking that Eli was dead.

Shelby moves on with her life, sort of, and gets quite a shock when it turns out that Eli is not only alive, but coming home after a number of years as a prisoner in a foreign country.

The angst is there, the stress and joy of the first time they see one another, the difficulty of finding common ground after that many years, and the stress of what they have both been through are all handled fairly well and in a way that I thought was realistic.

I liked so much of this book, the pacing was strong, the characters interesting and the writing was wonderful. Right up until the end.

The last about 15% of the book took it from a strong 4.5 to the 3 that I have given it. Not for the twist that appears, but for the timing of it. I was not able to believe that the characters were able to get to their happily ever after in the time that was left for them in the book.

Saying what happens is a huge spoiler. But I can say that if it had happened earlier, I would have loved it, and I would have been totally able to believe what was happening...but the combination of how much happened before you found out the twist, and there not being enough time for the issue to resolve, meant I was left feeling this book was close, but not quite there.

I do recommend this title, as I did enjoy it overall.

The Story of Us follows two people who went through unspeakable tragedies that left lasting scars, even though they do find their HEA. They found a love in each other that they didn’t expect but fought demons and villains to get back to and hold on to.

I typically read anything Tara Sivec writes because I know that the story she weaves will leave me feeling like all the time I spent ignoring people being lost in her world will be worth it. And The Story of Us is no different. What I wasn’t prepared for were all of the emotions and soul searing feelings I would be left with. Just when I thought I could handle what she was giving another new revelation or twist would crack me open and leave me in a puddle of tears where I stood. Or sat. Or laid. Because I could not put this down. This book was attached to my hands at all times.

From the first page I was addicted to Eli & Shelby and their heartbreaking and heartmending story. To see how their relationship came to be. How they found their other half in each other and to see how they didn’t completely fall apart when they thought their forever was gone and never to be again in this life. That soul mate love that gets you through each day when you think you won’t be able to.

The way Tara crafts a story that has you feeling intense emotions for characters, that you have to remind yourself are not real, is a true talent. When you care for characters so much that you want to physically comfort the ones you love and punch the ones you hate in the throat so bad you have to step away for a moment and remind yourself you’re in a fictional world at the moment.

Even though she tears you apart and has you bleeding out in the open for all to see with this story, trust that she is going to piece you back together and leave you with the best “I’m sorry I broke you” ending that you’ll have no choice but to forgive her. You’ll even find yourself begging for the next rollercoaster read you know she’ll bring to you. And you’ll happily jump at the chance to go through it all again because she’s amazing!

If you’re not adding The Story of Us to your library you are doing yourself a true disservice. This is one of the best Tara Sivec reads and one of the best reads in all of 2017.

*Arc generously provided for honest review.

BIANCA

Oy and double oy! I cried soooo much in the prologue already!!!!!

And I didn't stop crying once I finished the first few pages!
THE STORY OF US was such a beautiful book.
I wanted to crawl into the prologue and save Eli. And hug him and comfort him.
And then I wanted to jump into the book to slap the hell out of a couple of people (or worse!). Grrr.
Shelby and Eli were so perfect together and they could be again. But it takes us a long time to get things right again.
And I kind of cried all through it! ☺
There's so much sadness and grief and hopelessness and drama in this story!
You can't help but cry. And feel. Jeez - the feels in that book!
But of course there's also so much hope and love and excitement and sexy moments!

You just feel that it's very close to Tara's heart, the way it's written.
It was an amazingly beautiful story. But it was also a very (patriotic) American story in some aspects. But I didn't mind. I loved and I cried and most of all I felt soo much for and with all Eli & Shelby! ♥

THE STORY OF US was such a heartbreakingly beautiful 2nd-chance lovestory! Full of sadness & grief & hopelessness, but also so full of love & hope!!! Just perfect!
Please run to your nearest amazon for your own Eli - this one is MINE! And don't forget to order a huge box of tissues while you're at it!


JANEANE

This book! I mean, this book! I was a wreck from the prologue, and Ms Sivec had me on edge for the rest of the whole darn book.

The Story of Us had all the feels. I wanted to jump into the book and save Eli, I wanted to jump in and hug Shelby, and I wanted to jump in and b!tch slap the crap out of Shelby's mother - grrr she makes me mad just thinking of her.

I am a fan of a second chance romance, however through in the hurdles that our lovelies have to face and I am in love. I loved the hurt, the fear, the pain, the helplessness.

There is a great sense of hopelessness throughout the story that had me in tears over and over again - though as I say that, there is so much hope. Gah, serious emotional overload from the first word to the last.

I love love loved seeing Shelby and Eli come out of the shells they have been stuck in, seeing their fight come back to them.

Giving a big middle finger to those that wanted them apart.

I don't know how to put my thoughts into words to do this book justice.

So buy it. Read it. You won't be disappointed.

Full text at: https://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2017/06/18/review-the-story-of-us-by-tara-sivec/

"Only you. Always you."

Previously, I had Tara Sivec filed in my mind as the incredible author of the Chocolate Lover series. I mentally had her tagged for Romantic Comedy. I was totally blown away by The Story of Us. Not expecting, but totally loving all the surprises she had for me. She took me somewhere I wasn't expecting to go, and I didn't want to leave. She made me question, accuse, doubt, get mad, be sad, smile, laugh, blush, gasp and I may or may not have shed a tear or two. I enjoyed this beautiful story from the beginning to the end. It will stay with me for a long time. When I see Tara Sivec's name in the future, it will still make me smile, but it won't just be for the laughs. Thanks for the memories. I'm looking forward to see what she has for us next. The line forms here...

* * Review goes live late in afternoon 6/13 on blog * *

What is your ‘breaking point’? The place where nothing else matters. A darkness that doesn’t seem to have a shining light at the end of the road. For Eli - the torture of his capture during the war was gruesome and full of pain. For 5 years, the only thing that kept him going was the memories from his time with Shelby. Distant memories that fill Eli with hope. Something he desperately needs in the turmoil that his body and mind have experienced.

Then the unexpected happens and Eli finds himself back home in the place he once shared with Shelby. So much has transpired in the years since his absence. Believing Eli was dead, Shelby went on with her life the only way she knew how. Through a tangled web of deception at the hands of her mother. Never in a million years did Shelby believe that Eli would one day come walking back into her life. Now - Shelby is faced with the realization that her two worlds are colliding.

What was Eli thinking waltzing into Shelby’s life without understanding the consequences? It’s a road that is riddled with ‘strings’ that altered so many lives. While Eli tried to learn how to live in the world that he left behind, he desperately realizes that Shelby has paid a price for his abrupt departure into the military. Resulting in crushed dreams and tragedy. Now the two try to find a way to balance the lives they lead now while the memories of the past weigh heavy on their hearts. Will love find a way to overcome time and tragedy?

The Story of Us is an emotional story that pulls you into the turmoil of what our military personnel face when heading to assignments in war torn countries. Eli’s plight certainly pulls at your heart and leaves you desperately hoping that he finds his way back to the love that kept him alive for all of those years. Shelby’s life was certainly no walk in the park. Her resilience and strength shine through all of the heartache that has riddled her doorsteps.

This novel is a culmination of hope, faith, and finding your way back towards the happiness that bleeds over from the past. A true testament to the painful side of life as a soldier and the experiences that some face. Gut wrenching and full of emotion….The Story of Us is a powerful love story that clearly should not be overlooked!!

This story broke me! Okay so I am going to be honest and say I have only previously read Tara's humorous work and I go crazy over those books I love them so much. I know. I know. Where have I been?

The answer is, I don't know, because I absolutely loved this work as much as everything else I have read by Tara. It is sweet, heartbreaking, emotional and utterly stunning! The writing just blew me away and I adore second chance storylines. I definitely need to go back and read some more genres from Tara, because this will definitely be on my reread list. I can't wait to see what Tara brings us next!

Holy crap!! Tara Sivec you have completely out done yourself with this book. I am emotionally exhausted (and blissfully happy) from the journey you just took me on with The Story of Us.  This love story was so gripping that it left me feeling emotional and raw - I absolutely loved it.

More often that not, it felt like everything was against the two main characters in this book.  But then you experience the magic of Shelby and Eli together and everything else just disappears.  All you feel is the love and passion they have for one another.  It is amazing.

At the start of the book, you meet Shelby and from all outside appearances she's a typical southern princess.  Although, you quickly realize how much more there is to this character.  After losing her one true love, Eli, she has spent the last six years heartbroken and becoming a person she herself cannot stand. However, you learn that her behavior and everything she's done was to help the one man who broke her heart.

Eli has spent the last five years as a prisoner of war. Tortured and beaten for years - he has survived the most inhumane behavior that one could possibly imagine. What carried him through were his thoughts about Shelby - memories of her laughter, her smell and her dreams - all the little details that he fell in love allowed him to escape the horrors of his every day life.

When they are finally reunited, they have a quite a few issues that they need to overcome. Not only do they have to overcome all the hurt created by their past but they have to figure out how to share with one another the hard truths about their lives apart.  It's intensity left my heart completely exposed and aching.  I ignored all of my responsibilities so that I could be and Shelby and Eli's world and get to experience their happily ever after.

The Story of Us was one of the most brilliantly written books that I've read in a long time.  I cannot recommend this book enough - you do not want to miss this romance.  It is a must read.

Okay so I always adore Tara Sivec and all her cute romantic comedy stories – fun, light-hearted, a good needed laughter after a long week of work. But I have to say I LOVE the serious side of Tara, and the Story of Us is absolute breathtaking. A heartfelt, emotional love story between a soldier and his childhood friend and their long journey to mend their broken hearts.

Eli and Shelby came from different worlds. Shelby’s family is wealthy – she is a princess, sheltered, flocking around all day taunting Eli. Eli was hired help at Shelby’s family plantation. Their romantic relationship started the night Shelby graduated and went off to college. They shared one unforgeable kiss but sadly that was that! Shelby went off to NY to pursue her dream as a dancer. Four years later, she came back and they had one whirlwind romantic summer but Eli broke her heart again. He let her go and went off to fight war, was captured and presumed dead. Shelby tried to move on with her life but her heart was shattered and she was nothing but an empty shelf, existing but not living life. That is until news came that Eli was rescued, alive, then comes home broken beyond repair. Will they have a second chance at happiness? Fair warning - the plot is not a simple second romance or military romance. The storyline is complicated with twists and turns, as well as lies and deceit from Shelby’s family. Eli was also hiding a big secret – that was a big surprise! I did not expect that plot twist at all. My heart breaks for Eli. I cry thinking about Eli but also the soldiers out there – what they went though, are going through. Their struggles are real and the challenge they continue to face long after their time served. It really saddened me.

The story of us is a poignant, heartbreaking, emotional love story - a tear jerker, so get some tissues ready. The plot grabbed my attention immediately and kept me glued to the kindle from beginning to finish. As I said before there are so many twists and moments I was like “WTF did I just read?” Trust me you will not be able to put it down either. I’ve love Tara’s writing – simply beautiful. It’s easy to connect and fall in love with the characters. I thought the last part about Shelby’s mother and Landry ended rather quickly but there was so much ugliness there that I did not mind their disappearance. I love the heart of the story – Shelby and Eli both broken leaned on each other through dark days and finally find their own happiness. That’s love!

I can’t wait to read Written on the Stars about Everett and Cameron – sounds intriguing and emotional as well. I just dig that sh*t! Love this version of Tara!

4 Stars

Wow! The Story of Us is a heartbreaking and emotional read that wraps up beautifully in the end. It's a story about never giving up.

Eli and Shelby couldn't come from more different background. Shelby grew up with money, but with a mother who is a tyrant and controlling. Status is the only thing Shelby's mother is concerned about it. So when her daughter starts to fall for Eli, the help, she will do whatever (and I mean whatever!) it takes to tear them apart.

Eli has lived through hell the last five years. Literally. What kept him going is the thought of Shelby living her dreams and away from her mother. But when he unexpectly returns home, he's surprised and hurt that Shelby hasn't left town and is still controlled by the Mom.

The Story of Us takes you through the hardship of what these two characters go through and how they fight for each other and overcome all the lies and deceit. Their story is is emotional, but it's a story that works for them to find their HEA.