The Story of Us by Tara Sivec was such an emotional, sweet (at times) and heart-breaking read and I loved every minute of it, even in the parts that broke me. A second chance at love story that will leave you broken at times and at others filled with love and hope. Though this is my first book by Tara, she has been on my radar for a while. Now I have to go back and devour anything else she has written. 
 
A forbidden story of sorts, this is the story of Shelby, the daughter of a senator and ambitious mother, and Eli, who is beneath them, according to her mother. But Shelby has always felt something for Eli and after a secret affair of sorts; Eli leaves to join the military and never comes back. Heartbroken, Shelby puts her dreams asides and finds herself under her mother’s rule and barely living. 
 
Then Eli comes back and everything changes. But Eli and Shelby are no longer the same people they once were. But what they felt for each other is still there, but now there are many more obstacles in their way. Can they find their way back to each other?
 
I loved Eli. He was so strong, even when he was broken. He came back determined to get back what he lost. But when he finds Shelby again, she is not the girl he remembered. She was so lost and broken. But he was determined to help her find that girl again. 
 
I loved the emotions this story evoked from me. It was a powerful story of love, loss, hope and second chances. This book makes you feel. It’s a wild roller coaster of emotions, but so worth the read. It will leave you breathless and hopeful.

**3.5 Stars** 

In typical Tara Sivec fashion, The Story of Us is an emotional twisty-turny second-chance love story. With a man who has been a prisoner of war for five years, held and tortured along with his best friend, and his family believing he had died, the story starts off with a climactic start. The only thing that kept his body going each day was the thought of Shelby back home and how much he yearned to return to her even when they didn’t part well before he left. Gut-wrenching and emotional, this story is full of secrets, twists, romance, and the angst one would expect between two lovers who have been apart for so long.

Due to the way the relationship was given to us, I had a difficult time really connecting with them as a couple. If it were told in a more linear fashion rather than dropping us in with so much already invested and not showing us what brought and held them together in the beginning, I may have been able to insert myself more with them; instead those little snippets were held off for too long. It certainly didn’t take away the fact that this story was emotionally gripping and full of that stomach dipping sexual and emotional tension, and if I was still able to be affected by their story with those things missing, I could only imagine how powerful it would have been had I connected more. It’s certainly a story well worth reading and experiencing firsthand.

Tara Sivec does an excellent job at tugging on your emotions and putting your through the ringer with them as well. In this book you have Eli who has literally been through hell and survived only because of his love for Shelby. Shelby the girl he left behind. The girl who changes and sacrifices for love. these two went through different emotional turmoil and hell only to come out of it both damaged and crippled in some way. For Shelby she is emotionally crippled and has built walls so she doesn’t feel. She is a shell of herself. For Eli he is stuck in his own world due to what he went through. His story will gut you.

When he goes back he has a hard time adjusting. Understandable but when he sees Shelby his mind relaxes. He also wants the truth and to take down Shalby’s mother. Shelby isn’t the girl he fell in love with but it doesn’t matter she makes him feel peace and love. She lights a fire in him and he fights for her. Eli tries to spark the old Shelby and in the process spark himself. the question is will that spark be enough for both of them. While this is happening and they are rediscovering one another an underlying danger is there. Shelby and Eli still have the ones threatening them to contend with but there is a twist here. I thought the mom was bad especially after her reveals but seriously the puppet master is so much worse. 

Eli is a great character. I had no problems being drawn to him and Tara Sivec does a great job dealing with the issues when you come back from war and being a POW as well. He had alot of battles to contend with not only from within but from others as well. So watching him try to bring Shelby back alive with such purpose makes you smile but worry. When does he take care of himself? when shelby finally gives in we get some steamy scenes. 

Shelby I had a harder time relating to. She was very hard to get comfortable with and I think this is what Ms. Sivec wanted. She wanted a woman who for love gave up herself and is now stuck trying to claw her way back. With the help of love she begins to. 

when all is revealed wow just wow. And Eli here will have you bawling. He is such a great character who just goes through so much only to have one more fight. a fight that just guts you and has you hope he gets his HEA. 

The story is emotional, revealing in many ways on human nature, love and loss, and romantic in the love that is everlasting and sacrifices for the other. You have the villains that are just wow. So not what I expected. You have family that is there no matter what and is in pain when Eli is. there is love that knows no boundaries and struggles to find peace, themselves and each other. This is the story of Shelby and Eli. How they struggle and find their way back to not only who they are inside but also to each other and show us love is powerful in so many ways. 

A gut wrenching emotional story that just has you hoping Eli makes it out and gets his HEA with the only girl he loves and who kept him alive when he was at his darkest.

Tara Sivec is probably most well known for her romantic comedies, but she also writes excellent romantic suspense and emotional contemporary romances. The Story of Us is one of those emotional contemporary romances. It will break your heart at certain points and most likely will require a box of tissues.

Eli and Shelby were childhood sweethearts and as often happens, people, events and life got in the way of their love story. It has been five+ long years since Eli has seen Shelby and he has bee to hell and back during that time. While in the army, he became a prisoner of war. They tried to break him and if not for the memories of his sweet Shelby, he most likely would have never survived the ordeal.

When he finally makes his way back to her, she is not the sweet girl he remembers. Her dreams are seemingly forgotten, her fire and spark is extinguished and she seems more like a stranger than someone he has loved and dreamed about for years. He is sure she still has feelings for him and he is determined to fight for her and their love, no matter how difficult or hopeless that may seem.

This book wrecked me. Sivec really knows how to prey on her readers' emotions. My heart broke continuously for Eli and I so desperately wanted him to get his happily ever after. This is one of the most emotional second chance romances I have read in a good long while and if you like your romances to pull at your heartstrings, rip you apart and then sew the pieces back together you will love this story.

I tend to forget that Tara Sivec can write some of the most emotional books that I have read, I always sort of put her in the she is my go to author when I need a laugh.  The Story Of Us destroyed my emotions, even typing this review, which I must admit I have put off typing because I knew I would start to cry again and I am.  I think this one is especially emotional to me because I was a military wife so stories like this always touch a very special place in my heart.  If you love an emotional, at times heart breaking second chance romance that will have your emotions all over the place then you need to read The Story Of Us.
Eli and Shelby’s story is intense, emotionally driven, and one I wanted to take slow and just feel all the emotions that Ms. Sivec intended for us to feel and I did just that.  Normally I average a book in a day something two days depending on the length and how many interruptions I have.  I purposely read this over a course of days, not to torture myself but to absorb and process the story.  I don’t want to spoil the story because this truly is one that you have to experience for yourself and because I know my simple words would never be able to give this story the justice it deserves.
The Story Of Us very well may be one of the best books I have ever read.  This is one that will be read again and again and is one I can say must be on your TBR lists and that it will stay with you and steal a piece of your heart in the process.

Okay, I admit I went into this book with really high expectations.  I loved Fisher's Light hard, like it was my favorite military romance last year.  So, I was really REALLY looking forward to The Story of Us.  I read the first chapter of this book and I was  hooked.  It started off action packed and filled with emotion, but the truth is the rest of the story just wasn't my jam.  I wish there had been more dialogue and less inner thoughts.  I wish I had felt more connected with the characters and their story because I should have.  A lot happens to them.  Still, it was a good clean read.  I just wanted more from it.  3.5 stars.

The Story of Us is a love conquers all, second chance romance read. The leads have been through years of torture. There's lots of manipulation from forces outside of their relationship and also some plain ole crappy luck. Although, they have been around the people equivalent of poisonous snakes, both have good hearts. Both are dealing with physical and mental scars and keeping secrets, and they will do anything to protect each other. Eli and Shelby miss the relationship they once had, but they have to get everything out into the open to salvage what they have. This book is an emotional rollercoaster with some unexpected twists.

What a ride!! This is such a tear jerker, playing at sorts of emotions book and I loved it...I usually tend to stick to less ansty and painful contemporaries but this story caught my attention from the blurb and it didn't let go till the end.

Eli James , a marine has been in a hell hole for the past 1,843 days since his capture after being in a IED explosion by the enemies armed forces. He and his best friend were trapped for years and the only thing that got him through was Shelby and making it back to her. He comes home to find that he had been declared dead for the past 4 years and everything has changed, especially the woman he fell in love with.

Shelby Eubanks has also being living in a hell, a different kind and mostly made out of her own choice. Her decision to protect the person she loves led her to making several choices that have slowly chipped away at the person she was, now all that remains is some hallowed out shell and the sad part Shelby doesn't even really care about herself.

Eli and Shelby has known each other since he was 16 and she was 12 but things changed when Shelby was in high school and later when she came back from college. They fell in love, in a I'm in love with you with every part of my soul, body and heart kind of way. Losing each other was devastating for both of them. For Shelby it led to her losing her dreams of being a dancer and for Eli, losing his identity. Now years later, Shelby and Eli are reunited but everything is difficult. Gone is the woman who used to laugh, smile, love and dance, instead Shelby is just surviving while Eli is struggling with the nightmares of his captivity but he wants nothing than to be with his Shelby and he is not going to stop till the he gets the happy Shelby back.

How much can a man take before he breaks? When do the dreams stop giving him comfort and he has to accept that he’ll never see her again, touch her again or hear her say “I love you” again? ~Eli. 

One thing you could never doubt was how much they both loved each other, in a way that they would do anything to make that person happy and fight anything themselves just so the other person doesn't have to. I just really adored both of them, they made choices that they thought would make things better for the other even if it meant they would be hurting and how can you not love these selfless individuals who loved each other so much. They both felt so much guilt, love (dear god the LOVE), pain and grief that as a reader you get immersed in it with no way out. It's a just a very powerful, beautiful and heart wrenching story that leaves you with so many feelings.  

I Love you, Shelby. Only You. ALWAYS you ~ Eli 

I loved Tara Sivec's writing, it made all their emotions seem very real and human. Also just around 90% when something gets revealed I really wasn't expecting that, I should have but I didn't and took this story to the next level. The letters were a great touch, it allowed us to get to know their story from Eli's side and without the need of flashbacks and I adored those letters. This book is literally like a punch of feels right into your heart! 

Their story also reminded me of the line from Veronica Mars: "I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC."  
“I’d rather be a complete mess with you than spend another day shattered all over the floor alone.”~ Shelby. 

Quibbles: I do wish we had more of actual dialogue between the characters instead of being told certain things that has happened. I'm not a fan of huge chucks of paragraphs. I also thought some aspects of the book could have been better executed like the whole Shelby's mother situation.

Overall, a fantastic tearjerker by Tara Sivec about two individuals who felt damaged, finally found peace and a happily ever after. The prologue for the next book seems great as well so I'll be on the lookout for that one.

I love books that make me feel, the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching kind of books, with characters you can attach yourself to. Right from the start, I was fully invested in Shelby and Eli’s beautiful story. I’m such a sucker for a second chance at love story, with two people finding their way back to each other. I devoured this emotionally intense tale of true love, redemption and forgiveness, I just couldn’t stop reading!

My heart went out to Eli, he is a shadow of the man he used to be, physically and mentally scarred after spending 5 years in captivity in Afghanistan. He went through hell and back. He can never forget the horrors he has seen and endured, but he is ready to fight for his relationship with Shelby. He lied to her and spent years wishing he could go back and make everything right. Earning her trust again will be his path to redemption.

He walked away from her, to join the Military, and his unit was sent to Afghanistan. Shortly before the end of his deployment, he was taken hostage. For five years, he was presumed dead. Shelby could never move on, even if Eli hurt her deeply when he left. He broke her heart, but she doesn’t care, he is back and that is all that matters to her. I felt for her, she experiences feelings of intense despair and she is so lonely. Shelby may be socially privileged but nothing is what it seems in her life.  She is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, and she shouldn’t be because she is the victim of a twisted scheme. But Eli gives her the strength to grow beyond her past and fight to earn their second chance at happiness.

This story was partly told in flashbacks, with different point of views, giving more insight into each character’s personality. Tara Sivec’s writing is flawless, from the amazing character development to the riveting and heart melting storyline. This book has become an instant favorite read of mine and I definitely recommend it.

The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec is an emotional second chance romance about people from two different social classes fighting against the odds, time, and the people who want them apart. Shelby and Eli's story is heart wrenchingly hard and at times devastingly sad. But it also was full of hope and strength.

'I want her to feel the same searing pain that has settled inside my chest, taking root and taking over all of my thoughts and actions. I want her to know what it feels like to be stabbed in the heart and forgotten. I want her to hurt as much as I do right now.'

Tara Sivec delivered a novel full of twists, surprises , the kind of plot that pull on my heart in the best way possible. The one thing I would say is that for me personally there was not enough dialogue, especially amongst the main characters. While the writing was beautiful and the inner dialogue gave us great insight into the depth of feelings these two had for one another, I would have really enjoyed more dialogue specifically among the two leads.

The Story Of Us will take you on a journey from war and back, invoking feelings deep in you sometimes uncomfortable while still showing you to never fully lose hope. Shelby and Eli were clearly meant to be and I really enjoyed watching their struggles and their joys. Grab this one today.
~miranda

I’m going to tell you the story of us, from my point of view, so you know exactly what I was thinking. I’m hoping it will be a better way for you to see that I meant everything I said in my first few letters. I love you, Shelby. Only you. Always you.

Seconds chances can be tricky but for Shelby and Eli, tricky doesn’t come close. As far as social statuses are concerned, Eli and Shelby are on opposite ends of the spectrum but somehow they find each other and keep their romance a secret. In an evil twist of fate, they are ripped from each other’s lives. Eli’s platoon is unexpectedly deployed earlier than anticipated; word soon gets back that Eli has been killed.  However, he’s been taken hostage by the enemy and tortured for five long years. The only think that keeps him going is his love for Shelby and someday returning to her. Unfortunately when Eli returns, Shelby is not the same person he left. She’s turned into everything she once despised. 

This book was a departure from the other Tara Sivec books I’ve read so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Needless to say, it’s a  winner. It is one of those stories where it’s kind of hard to talk about without giving away too much information. 
This is one of those stories where you root for the couple from the first word on the page. Such an emotional read that it drains and powers you up at the same time. Every tear they cry, you cry. Every disappointment they experience, you experience. Every happy moment they share, you share. At one point I started to suspect something but kept saying “no, it can’t be” and when I reached that moment where the character (I won’t say which one) confirms it…it’s kind of heartbreaking; one because I really didn’t want it to be true and two because their reaction was so devastating.

This is definitely one to add to your summer beaching reading list, but be sure to wear your shades and have tissues on hand.

What an emotional ride, this was a beautifully told second chance romance. Have your tissues ready there were many times I cried. This is a story you don’t want to miss, a MUST READ! 

This is about a solider who was deployed and years later is now back to pick up where he left off. He never dreamed things would have changed the way they did. Now Eli has to navigate life and try and figure out what went wrong and how to get Shelby back.  My heart broke for both of these characters many times.

This is a slow read but it has to be for a reason, just hang in there because there its so worth it in the end.  There were twists I didn’t see coming that threw me for a loop. I love Eli and Shelby. Tara Sivec will break your heart and slowly put the pieces back together. It is so worth the heartache once you reach the end. This is has became one of my top reads of 2017.

My 4.5+ star review is posted on Goodreads. It will be posted on blog and social media upon release and links will be updated at that time. UPDATED 6/11/17

4.5+ stars

This is one of those stories that truly takes you on a journey. It is not predictable and there are surprises. There are tragic circumstances and no easy fixes. Both of the the characters are broken and in need of healing. 

Eli James and Shelby Eubanks had a secret summer love affair six years ago. He worked in the stables for her affluent family. But all control was taken away from them by circumstances. Eli ended up suffering a loss and then was deployed faster than expected. And he broke her heart as he left. That triggered a series of circumstances for Shelby that totally changed her life as well. And then unfortunately he was taken prisoner and suffered immeasurably for 5 more years. But Shelby was suffering in her own way as well. There was a lot of secrets, lies, and miscommunication in the past that has now followed them into their present. 

Eli returns a bitter, angry, haunted, scarred, and damaged man. He is plagued with guilt, regret, and nightmares. He is lost and coming home to try to reestablish a relationship with the one woman whose memory kept him alive. 

Shelby is now guarded, hurt, subdued, untrusting, and conforming to the wishes of others. She has lost her spark and lust for life, and is stuck living a life she hates. And she never got over the pain that Eli inflicted and the subsequent repercussions.

They gave up everything for each other, but all they ended up with was broken dreams and heartbreak. And now they are both lost, grieving, angry, and disappointed at how their lives have turned out. Neither of them has the full information about the past. But being in each other's presence again brings them back to life initially with fear, anger and disappointment, but is then followed with passion, peace, and a need to rekindle their lost love.

But they have layers of issues and secrets to wade through. At times they each need some saving and understanding. They need to help build each other back up and share their strength instead of tearing each other down. They have to learn to pick their battles and fight for what is most important to them. But the problem with both having so many issues is that they are not only fighting their own battles but also the other's. With all they have been through and are still going through, can they make each other close to whole again and be able to move on?

Unfortunately this couple falls into the miscommunication trap where they try to protect the other or do not want to upset them. I swear there were times I was talking back to my kindle and telling them to TALK! But the secrets just caused more worry, stress, pain, and allowed them to be manipulated at times. There was a lot going on under the surface of this story. There were some surprises, connections, and twists. My heart broke for this couple. Their story was not an easy or pretty one, it was challenging, tragic, and devastating. The side characters were also an important part of the story and plot. There were definitely some antagonists that infuriated me. I really liked her best friend, Meredith, and his friend, Rylan, and sister, Kat. I loved how the book title was weaved in to show us their past and how it affected the present.

This is a second-chance love story about confronting demons, hope, healing, embracing life, and knowing when to hold on and when to let go. It is told in Eli and Shelby's points of view with the exception of one chapter. It is intriguing, emotional, raw, heartbreaking, frustrating, and heartfelt. It hits all the feels.

The book has an emotional start. Marine, Elijah (Eli) James has been through hell. Despite his circumstances and the hardships he endured, the woman he loves, Shelby Eubanks was what kept him going. Kept him wanting to survive. To return to her. And when he returns she is a shadow of the woman she was. The woman he always that she would come to be. Shelby and Eli are from different worlds, but their love didn’t know circumstance or social status. There are secrets and promises that deeply impact their story. Sacrifices made on both their parts that will be sure to have you turning the pages to understand just how their love came to be. But is love really enough? Do their memories run deep enough to get them back to what they once had? 

I am a huge fan of military romances. Especially the ones that are a second chance romance. So when I saw the synopsis, I knew I had to read this book. While it started off strong, I just never felt a deep connection to the characters or their story. I wanted to love them but their story just never resonated with me as deep as I needed it to. I felt that the author had the perfect recipe for a deeply moving story, but the execution fell a little flat for me. I can say that there are raw emotions in this book. I applaud the author for writing a story about these brave souls like Eli. Because freedom isn’t really free. Not without the sacrifice of the courageous men and women who give their lives to protect our freedoms. That was definitely clear in this book. Just because it fell short for me doesn’t mean that I won’t pick up another book by this author again. I certainly will. I also know that there are people that loved this book and I can definitely see why. If you are in to military second chance romance stories, then this could be the book for you

First book of this author i have read, and it was really,really good. Now that does not give the story justice at all saying it is really really good, what i mean to say is this is a heartfelt second chance romance. But how can a second chance happen if you are both so different to how you where when one of you walked away? I do not want to give all the story away but i will say Shelby's mum - urgh i did not like her. I am now after reading this book intrigued into what the authors other work is like, i am off to go have a look.

review on goodreads under profile name kimothy

The Story of Us by Tara Sivec
4 stars!!!

“I’m dying.
I’m alive.
I can’t breathe.
I’m whole.”

I have loved this author from the very beginning and as much as I love her rom-coms, my most favourite books of hers to this day remain her more serious, emotional and angsty reads and The Story of Us is one of them. The Story of Us is a second chance romance between a soldier and the woman he left behind. Shelby and Eli didn’t part ways how they wanted, or how they expected but through a forced circumstance that perpetually led to heartbreak, for both of them. Misunderstandings and coercion at the root of their separation leads to one intense, epic romance and one that Tara Sivec delivered with emotion, intense character connection and a few shocking twists along the way.

““Go away! Take your lies and your fucking Ryan Gosling references and shove them up your ass!” she finishes, rounding the doorway and moving out of sight.”

Shelby and Eli were chalk and cheese. Shelby the rich girl living on her parent’s estate and Eli the stable boy. But the heart wants who the heart wants and these two only wanted each other. Class divides aside, the time that these two spent together was everything and something neither would forget. Meddling people who do not want these two together intervene and then everything goes to shit in more ways than one. Now six years later when Eli returns, he sees the damage his absence has done, but he is far from over, he will not give up, he will fight for her and there is only one way he can do, make her see “The Story of Us.”

“She makes the bad all go away, and that’s exactly where it needs to stay.”

Shelby was a woman that was well and truly under her mother’s thumb, blackmail and coercion are par for the course and the life that Shelby always believed that she would lead was a long and far and distant memory. Shelby was stuck between being herself or keeping those that she loved safe. Shelby was going to be a dancer until everything was taken away, now she needed to find her backbone and there was only one person who could help her find it.

“The walls have officially crumbled on this house of lies and I’m finished. I’m done being taken advantage of and used for everyone else’s agendas. This is my life and it’s about damn time I start living it again and making my own damn decisions.”

Eli had been through so much, struggled for most of his life and it seems those struggles are far from over. Shelby had been the one constant, the memories of what they had and shared are what kept him going when it would have been all too easy to give up. Scarred both physically and mentally, Eli is a far cry from the man that left. But, at the end of the day, he knows that the only one that can save him is his Shelby and he will stop at nothing to get her.

“Life’s too short to fight a war you can’t win, son, no matter how wrong it is or how angry you are. Pick one you can win.”

Tara Sivec delivers one poignant, heart breaking, emotional and totally gut-wrenching story. This is where I feel Tara Sivec excels. With all her “serious” books she never fails to tug at every single heart string while firmly implanting her characters into my heart and soul. It is this side of her writing that I wanted a little more from in this book. The outside interferences all got a little crazy at times and detracted from the crux of the story, hence the four stars. But, none the less, despite the crazy of the incredibly wealthy, the heart of this book is what made me love it. Those desperate second chances, that heart and soul connection and the belief in a love that transcends time. Once again, another winner from Tara Sivec.

“Two broken pieces don’t make a whole. They just make a bigger fucking mess for someone to clean up. You don’t need any more messes in your life and all the time in the world isn’t going to fix mine.”

www.theromancecover.com

Review posted on my blog.

WOW--SIMPLY WOW!  Props to author Tara Sivec for knocking this one out of the park!!

“The Story of Us” is a uniquely wonderful love story that is heartbreaking as much as it is breathtaking.  It’s the story of Shelby and Eli, a couple tragically torn apart through bizarre circumstance, seeking a second chance at love.  It’s the story of two people fighting against the odds to find their way back to what they once had but ultimately lost.  It’s the story of survival and the healing power of love.  But most of all, it’s an emotionally powerful journey that you won’t soon forget.

***5 ‘Only You, Always You’ Stars***
 
From the first page I was hooked and good lord did those feels start ramping up and didn't stop until I read the last word (actually the little teaser at the end still has them going but that's a story for another time). Eli and Shelby took me on an emotional roller coaster of a ride, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I loved every moment!
 
Eli and Shelby took me on a roller coaster ride. I hurt for them. I liked them. The frustrated the hell out of me and made me want to reach out and smack some sense into them. I wanted to commit acts of violence against those that hurt them. And I wanted to hug them and tell them that things would get better little by little each day. And I admired the hell out of them for their tenacity and strength even when I felt it was a bit misdirected. In the end though, I adore the people they were always meant to be.
 
Their journey was filled with emotional landmines and every time I landed on one it brought out a different emotional response while showing me just why Eli and Shelby were destined to be together. I loved the method used to show us who they were to each other before they were split apart and how it brought them back together in the end. 
 
I’ve read a good portion of Ms. Sivec’s RomCom’s, and still remember the Bronie’s fondly, but this is the first non-RomCom romance I’ve dived into and loved it! We get a well balanced mix of heart, humor, angst and heat. The characters, both the main and secondary, were so well written that I felt as if I could reach out and touch them. The twists and turns were well thought out and executed and when each was brought to light they all made perfect sense. This really was a great read and one I recommend to anyone who loves a well written second chance romance. And as for that ‘tease’/excerpt of Ms. Sivec’s next book at the end? Let me tell you that I’m already making grabby hands at it!

I honestly didn't know what to expect. Seriously, The Story of Us is a beautiful love story that has pain and suffering. However you don't realize there is a lot going on until you get closer to end. I'm throwing in have your tissues ready warning, because you are going to need them. At first you think, I'll be fine. WRONG! YOU NEED THEM! If you don't then your heart is made of stone, and that is all. 

Tara brings to you a story about these two lovers who have been to hell and back in different ways. Eli who has survived something most of us can't imagine or even want to, and Shelby the girl he left behind. Shelby's life fell apart after Eli left. I love this story of reconnection, and overcoming the obstacles that are laid before them. 

The first half of The Story of Us isn't too emotionally draining. We watch these two reconnect, and coming to terms what had happen in the past, but they still need to dive a little deeper. About the time they do, grab the tissues. After the emotional turmoil I faced at the end, The Story of Us is beautiful story, and I absolutely loved. I was a little worry things wouldn't work out for Eli and Shelby, but they do find their road to happiness even if it's a little bumpy on the way. 

Copy provided by Forever via NetGalley