Cover Image: Then Came You

Then Came You

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Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

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Aubrey and Grant were adorabe to each. They brought out the best in each other and needed to learn to show each other all aspects of how they are. OMG the demon cat LOL

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Grant and Aubrey's story was a tear jerker. These two had gone through so much and it tore them apart. Now they have a second chance and Grant is determined that they work through things.

This is a second chance love story. I loved the writing and the story. I had a really hard time connecting with Aubrey though. She seemed like such a cold fish and I know that's what she was supposed to be, but I had a hard time with why Grant would want that.

Never the less, the story is really good and Grant is a true book boyfriend! Good read!

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THEN CAME YOU - Kate Meader

NOT UP TO ITS POTENTIAL - 3 stars

#3 in the Rules of Engagement romance series

Plot - 3.5 stars - Even though Grant and Aubrey are divorced, they remain close because of their mutual friends. When Aubrey needs to head home for Thanksgiving, Grant offers to drive her since she has broken her arm and won't fly. She also wants him to talk to her grandmother who doesn't know about their divorce. There was a lot of potential for conversations, back story, and sex scenes throughout this trip, but it all turned out to be pretty vanilla.

Writing - 4 stars - As usual, Meader draws me in right from the beginning. In this case we're continuing from the first two books in the series and revisiting with all of the characters who already are very familiar.

Characters - 3 stars - First of all, let me say that the characters are great. Grant is a solid member of the law firm and is a wonderful main character--tall, handsome, and a Southern gentleman. Aubrey is a professional in her own right, with a successful career as a lawyer. But their relationship let me down and took off points for me. We know that they are divorced but remain friendly enemies, with mutual friends and competing clients in court. But their apparent need for each other and easy capitulation took a lot of the excitement out of the story. There seemed to be no sexual tension, no excitement, no real goal for the story since it seemed a foregone conclusion.

Title - 3 stars - Not sure what the title means. Grant and Aubrey have already been a couple, so the statement "then came..." doesn't go anywhere.

Cover - 3 stars - A fairly typical cover for this genre. No bright colors, nothing to draw the eye.

Overall - 3 stars - Although I'm a fan of this author, this book seemed like a throwaway. I totally loved the first in the series, then liked the second a little less, but this one was just OK for me. The characters, while appealing and approachable, didn't seem to have the conflict or the tension needed to really make the story interesting. Although they are divorced and find themselves in an enforced togetherness, there didn't seem to be any problems--they are basically friends who just need to finalize a few details. Sure, they each suffered pain, but I couldn't really "feel" it or sense any strong emotion from either of them or between them. I found the book to be pleasant, but not compelling.

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I really enjoyed this book.

Kate always writes such good romances. And this one was no exception.

It had all the things you look for in one.

And I found myself not able to put this one down, and losing some sleep even haha

Definitely a 5 star read

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I loved Then Came You! This second-chance romance is a perfect blend of sassy, smart, and sexy.

Aubrey and Grant may have divorced but they never stopped loving each other. And this road trip to Boston is the perfect time for them both to remember the good times they shared while working through some of the worst hurts of their past.

I loved how they both finally admitted their feelings, that they both truly worked to forge a future--a solid, strong one, that's built on their learning experiences and mutual respect and a whole lot of love.

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I LOVED this one! I have been cheering for Grant and Aubrey to find their way back together since the first book in this series. We could feel the chemistry was still strong between them even though they have been divorced for a couple years and now we get the back story and find out why they are apart. It is so sad and so needless they have been apart for so long but Grant volunteering to drive Aubrey home to Boston for Thanksgiving along with her crazy cat gives them plenty of time together. Especially after they are snowbound in Cleveland for an extra day. Add in a meddling grandmother and all the relatives and there is no hope but talk or fight. Will they figure it out before they drive each other further away? Make sure to read this one all they way to the end. The epilogue is GREAT!

**Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

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Aubrey and Grant were PERFECTION! I couldnt get enough of this book and it was my first by Kate Meader. I love when I find new authors to me and instantly fall in love with their writing. 5 stars.

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From the courtroom to the bedroom these lawyers have battled it all. When a personal loss impact them both, will they find a way to come together? This tender story is one of the many reasons I love Kate Meader. There is raw emotion, hot sex, and a ton of discovery for both the hero and heroine. The story will tug at your heart and leave you wanting more.

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Aubrey and Grant have been divorced for some time and they're still not used to it. There's familiarity that always seems to pull them together but stops just short of reconciliation. With so much unresolved anger and hurt they'd have to sort through before they can even move forward again and possibly have a genuine friendship much less a second crack at marriage. All this matters because they seriously do still love each other. They're also both divorce lawyers who work in close proximity, and they have mutual friends so there's no avoiding each other physically as they have avoided each other emotionally during their failed marriage. In the previous books, their friends speculated about the pair's breakup but no one knew what truly transpired because Aubrey and Grant chose to keep that to themselves. The reason for their separation is heartbreaking and what happened surrounding it is just as sad. It's not exactly a twist that Meader introduces but rather she took whatever assumptions we were going with and gave us something else instead.

The drive to Aubrey's parents' on the East Coast gives them ample time in the car to talk. Their easy banter, nostalgia and jokes would make you think all was right with the world. Yes, things get physical because lust was never really lacking between them. The emotional intimacy is trickier and that's what needs to be addressed. Meader turned things around by having Aubrey be tight-lipped, steadfastly against confiding in anyone and refusing to discuss her feelings, whereas Grant is the one who's desperate to seek advice and to hash things out. When they do finally unleash on each other, reopening those wounds that are still raw, it gets ugly before any healing or forgiveness can begin.

This is a far more sensitive read that unfortunately, a lot of people are familiar with, and Meader, I think, handled it delicately by offering a reminder that everyone processes their sorrow in their own way and time. You know, I liked both Down with Love and Illegally Yours but Then Came You got me right in the gut. As my heart sank and was wrung out through the shocking truths and brutal pain, I held on to the thought that things would right themselves. The bright spot is that this is a second chance romance with an eventual happily ever after.

~ Bel

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Their lives got turned upside down and they lost each other along the way. Standing by her side he knew that she was his one and forever love and he was willing to fulfill a favor and find the love they lost and find the future they always wanted together.

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This was an interesting novel, and I’m not sure how I feel about it? It dealt with an incredibly painful topic, and as such, was a rough read.

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The chemistry between Aubrey and Grant is incredible. This story is one of the best second chance romances I have ever read. In addition to the wonderful stars of the book, the supporting cast is equally fun to read about and feels like a group of friends I would want to be a part of and could easily fit in with. I recommend this book to all lovers of second chance romances.

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I'm a huge fan of Kate Meader and I haven't read a book of hers that has disappointed me. Also, I LOVE second chance love stories and was excited to finally get the story of Grant and Aubrey! I love the group of friends and getting to revisit them made my heart happy. I'm all for the angst since it wasn't overwhelming. This is a great read and I highly recommend it!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

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As always, I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title.

However, I was not able to finish this as I was not able to connect with the story and the way the characters were written.

I have chosen to mark this title as a "DNF" and I apologize for the delay in sending this response to this title.

Thank you!

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“Falling doesn’t have to be a bad thing, not when I have the greatest catcher of them all. Life can be joyous, cruel, messy and terrifying. Love even more so. Rarely is it perfect, and realizing this at long last is the greatest gift I could ever receive.”

In the notes from the author at the end of the book, she mentioned how this was a tough book for her to write and boy was it even harder to read. While I couldn’t empathize with the main character’s loss of a child due to miscarriage, I could empathize and thoroughly understand Aubrey’s emptiness. The closed off and aloof disposition for the rest of the world in order to protect oneself. I found myself hurting right along with her with the same doubts about being good enough for Grant. Then we have Grant, a true knight in shining armor who shows just how much he loves Aubrey by putting her needs and pain over his time and time again.

At this point in time, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect book to read, and for me, this book deserves all the stars.

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I adore all things Kate Meader, and the second I got a look at the blurb for this book, I knew I had to read it! It sounded like it would be a great combination of feels, angst and steam, and boy was it!
Aubrey gates is a successful divorce attorney, Boston blue blood society bred yet totally down to earth sort of woman. She’s sharp witted and strong…or at least on the surface. Below the sharply dressed exterior, the woman is still trying to pick up all of her shattered pieces.
Grant is a good ole’ souther boy with the manners and slow drawl to match. He’s Aubrey exact opposite. The boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks to her high society. The man that never quite belonged in her family. The sweet to her edgy. Her ex husband and the only man that’s capable of finally shattering the walls that Aubrey has built around her heart in one holiday road trip to visit her family.
I loved the premise of the story, but admittedly, I just didn’t feel like the root of the story was a full novel size. And while I really loved the chemistry between them, I struggled understanding the quick turnaround considering all their emotional issues. Grant tries so hard to get Aubrey to talk about their problems. And Aubrey is just as determined to leave it buried. This ultimately began to get extremely frustrating for me. Don’t get me wrong, I understood her issues and they why’s behind it, I really do. But I also struggled to connect to her stonewalling of a man that’s as incredible as Grant.
Ultimately, the kind of issue they had between them, didn’t seem like it was one that could have been resolved as quickly as it did considering their time apart, hence my saying the book could have worked better as a novella. I think some of the sexy times (and they WERE sexy) served more to keep the book going rather than drive the plot forward, if that makes sense.
Grant was absolute perfection and made the book for me. I adored him so much. And considering my gravitation towards alphaholes in books, that’s saying something. He was the ultimate nice guy and I loved him for it.
I really enjoyed Then Came You and loved Grant and Aubrey’s HEA, but it just didn’t pack as much of a punch for me as much as Kate’s book usually do. Do I think most would really enjoy this one? Absolutely! There’s plenty to love about this romance. It just didn’t check every box for this particularly picky reader.

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Such an emotional journey! Kate Meader saved the best for last when she brought us Grant's story! The Laws of Attraction series has been a lot of fun to read with a group of close knit and hilarious characters. This book took it to a new level with even more emotion and angst than the previous two. I loved it ... and loved how we got an update on them all a little down the road at the end.

Chicago divorce attorney Aubrey Gates told herself she was dealing with her divorce just fine and getting on with her life more every day ... until he brought a date to a function they both had to attend because of shared friends. Seeing him with another woman on his arms gutted her ... but it made being in the same room together again at least tolerable.

Competing divorce attorney Grant Lincoln can't look at Aubrey without seeing the woman who broke his heart. He's not sure if they'll ever be friends again, but when he learns she never told her favorite grandmother that they got a divorce and now has to go home to Boston for her 90th birthday, he can't leave her hanging. He loved her grandmother too, so if it will keep the event happy, he'll play doting husband for a couple of days.

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I read Then Came You two months ago and it still hasn't left me. My challenge has been finding all the words to do this book justice. I've gone back and read it a several more times and with each reading I fall harder for Grant and Aubrey.

There have been elements in each of the books in Kate Meader's Laws of Attraction series that struck close to home for me. I felt a deep communion with movie-loving Max and adored the ultimate Potterhead Lucas because he made me think of my amazing daughter. But Then Came You, the final book in this series, really and truly has my heart with it's brilliant humor and heartbreak. This is a story that felt very real and gave me an view from the inside out of a personal experience I had long ago tucked away.

One thing that is never in question is just how much Aubrey and Grant love each other still. It's loaded in every glance, word, thought and touch. But weighing even heavier is the pain that drove a stake into their marriage. It's in there that Kate Meader does such an amazing job of weaving this story. Yes, of course the funny bits are brilliant (Points for best feline name EVER). But it's in the most difficult moments where this couple has to face themselves and their heartache so that they can find their way forward that my admiration for this author grew exponentially.

Run, don't walk to get your hands on the first two books of the series, Down with Love and Illegally Yours and put Then Came You at the very,very top of your TBR and prepare to fall in love!!!

Happy reading!!!

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** spoiler alert **

When I requested this book on Netgalley I had no clue this was a third in a series. Once again I really wish they would disclose this next to the title. I don’t understand why they don’t do that. Even if this book could be read as a stand-alone. Other characters from book 1&2 are in this book. So why not just put #3 right next to the title.
It gives the reader an option before buying or requesting it.

I like to read books in order and I hate jumping into a series like this. Because you never know if you’re going to feel lost with all the other characters.

And as soon as I started reading this book. I could definitely tell these characters were already familiar with each other. Like when Aubrey was talking about Max. And how his soon to be bride Charlie was perfect for him. Their book was book 1 Down with Love. Aubrey is talking to Lucas and Trinity a lot. Their book is Illegally Yours Book 2.
No back story or anything. I feel like I just walked in on a conversation and have no clue what they are talking about.

The synopsis to this book is kinda misleading too.
So I went into this book thinking I was going to read something light and funny. Some courtroom drama between the ex’s.
This book is kinda serious. I wish the whole miscarriage thing was said in the synopsis. Aubrey loosing her baby was the main focus in this book.
Grant basically giving her her space until the right moment to win her back.

I mean... what! I hate that!! I wanted a sexy, funny, light read. Not something that would be sad.
Yes, This book had its moments. Where it was funny. But the whole baby thing threw me.

I wasn’t a big fan of Aubrey either. I just never warmed up to her. I like Grant a lot.

Unfortunately... I don’t think this book was for me. I was expecting one thing and got something different.

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