I often do not enjoy second-chance books. But this one was kind of interesting, kind of okay.
Enjoyable.

Amazingly poignant love story that spans decades. I absolutely loved this! The characters are real and likable. It's a story of young love betrayed and life-altering consequenses. It's also a story of redemption and second chances.
Thank you Gina A. Jones, Dragonfly Books and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

Complementary copy given for honest review

Such a raw and unfiltered look at young love and the way we destroy it. I laughed and I cried throughout this book.

Love, Michael by Gina A. Jones was not the book for me. I thought this book sounded so good when I read the blurb. However, as I started reading, there were so many grammatical and editing errors it made it difficult to actually enjoy reading. The book alternates between the past and present, which I liked. Jill is 10 years younger than Michael, and their relationship begins when she is only 17 years old and he is 27. This didn't sit well with me because she is underage when they first get together. She was also a pretty weak heroine, and I didn't feel a great connection between them. Her dad and brother also act poorly, in my opinion, at Monica's wedding, and treat her as if she can't stand up for herself. This book was a bit slow at times, and hard for me to get through. I just couldn't get behind Jill and Michael's relationship. I did think Michael tried to redeem himself, but their entire relationship was just meh to me.

Words that spoke volumes...

Based off of true events, Jones has created a heart wrenching piece that lures you in and spits you out mercilessly, left feeling drained and wired simultaneously.

Before I go and spill this books guts and gush about how it made me feel, I'd like to say one thing.

I'm shook.

Now, that that's out of the way...
The entire novel covers relationships ranging from easy to super fucking difficult, slice of life, drama, past and present events that tie up together nicely, being young and being old, regrets and taking things for granted, and a ton of other life factors that most people experience at some point in time, whether they're reading or not.

This book isn't meant to be loved at hated. I believe it was meant to resonate, to harness emotions all along the spectrum, express both the good and bad qualities life has to offer and the sweet and bitter characteristics everyone has.

Because nothing and nobody is perfect. Although this novel seems pretty close to what perfection looks like.

This was the first novel I have read by this author, but won't be my last. This novel takes you back to the beginning of Jill and Michael's story. This novel kept me guessing. I loved seeing what brought the characters to where they were now. This novel grabbed me and I just couldn't put it down. I was never sure what was going to happen next. It was a novel that stayed with me. I really enjoyed it.

Oh my shattered heart, not sure how to review this one! I just finished reading Love, Michael, by Gina A. Jones and my emotions are all over the place. This beautiful novel is told from Jill’s POV and switches back and forth between the present and past tense. Beginning with their daughter Monica’s wedding day, Michael has returned to walk his daughter down the aisle, and as Jill quickly learns, to make-up for the heartache he caused them both in the past. The author then flashes back to when they first met when Jill was seventeen years old and the story meanders between their history together and Michael’s reappearance into their lives.

Have the Kleenex handy for this one because Jones’ exceptional writing and this touching story will give you all the feels from good to bad. First, I have to admit that Michael and Jill’s past was eerily similar to my first marriage, so reading this was amazingly difficult at times. The author mentions that some of this story was based on her actual events in her life, so I feel like we need to get together over a bottle of wine and compare notes. But although there are heart-wrenching moments in this novel regarding Michael and Jill’s relationship, there are just as many beautiful moments when he returns years later.

Jones’ characterization was incredible in this novel, however, I truly had a love/hate relationship with both Michael and Jill. The younger version of Jill was so frustrating because of the things she tolerated, however, the older version of Jill was, at times, just as frustrating because of the walls she had built around her heart. The younger Michael was a complete ass, but as I continued to see the positive changes in him later, I couldn’t help but fall in love with him a little. I think the switching between time periods is the only reason I was able to like Michael at all. If their story would have been told in order from beginning to end, I would have hated him too much to care about the different man he later became.

As it states on the cover, this is truly a story about regrets, wanting, and getting second chances, but also about a third, fourth, fifth, and even more chances. But an even more prominent theme is love itself and how it can endure regardless of time, mistakes, and disappointment. Love, Michael is romantic, emotional, powerful, and is one of my favorite novels that I have read in a while. I highly recommend this story of love and forgiveness, but prepare yourself for some ugly crying. This was my first time reading Gina A. Jones, but certainly will not be my last.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Dragonfly Books for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

This is the first story I’ve read by this author and it will stick with me for a long time. It’s one of those stories that you just can’t forget and don’t know if it because it so had my heart of edge the whole way through or because there is just so much to this story I just find myself, at the oddest times, thinking about different parts of it. There are a lot of different twists and turns. There are many what’s the chance of that happening, and the heartbreak of loosing someone, and the possibility of a person really changing, and this can go on and on. I feel its amazing the author could put so many different situations together and yet make it a smooth flowing story.
I love the characters mostly even though I wanted to shake Jill more than once. Who is really that much a martyr? And Michael, I really wanted to more than shake him. I want a BFF like Tammy. The author really knows how to bring the characters to life. The story had me thinking I knew where it was going and I ended up being wrong a few times. This is the type book I love and hate. Love because I can’t set it down. Hate and love because it is heart wrenching.
I can’t recommend this story enough but be sure you have Kleenex handy.

This is a very emotionally filled book. I like the way it switches from the past to the present. Even though I felt some of the emotions she went thru were realistic I questioned her decisions. Overall this is book is worth the read. I very unexpectedly cried at the end of the book, such a good twist to the story.

Thank you to netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my review.
A book about Love, betrayal, loss and second chances. I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters annoying at times but that's part of the story. Overall a good read.

Let me preface this by saying I received an advance copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review. I still would have read it as it is on kindle unlimited and I have a subscription.

Putting the grammatical errors and in some instances the misuse of words aside, I rate this book five stars. Don’t get me wrong. The errors drove me bananas! But I got over myself and just read. FYI- the KU version has all the galley errors.

Oh how I wanted to shake Jill for her immaturity in the beginning. She was 17; he was 27. Stars in her eyes. At the same time, I wanted to punch Michael. He was selfish and egotistical and I dare say, he took advantage of Jill’s innocence.

I liked how the author went back and forth between then and now to let us know what was gong on and the events that led up to the present. When Michael came back into Jill’s life the tables had ironically turned.

I laughed so hard. I got angry so hard. I cried so hard. There should be a disclaimer: will need tissues. This book was a love story. But it was also about growth, being open-minded, second chances, and coming full circle.

The synopsis said this was based on real life events that the author experienced. What courage she had to share such a beautiful story of forgiveness. It touched me so much I’m still getting tears in my eyes writing this review.

What a beautiful love story. Everyone deserves a second chance.
I would recommend this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Wow. I finished this practically in one sitting, crying through most of it. Some happy tears and some tears that made my heart hurt. What a beautiful story, and so much more relateable than many stories out there now. If this is based on real-life experiences, I hope the author continues to find happiness.

Wow, where to start. This book had me laughing and crying. This book isn't your typical romance book. It's about young love, and how we can destroy what we love most. I was completely surprised by the ending. Jill and Michael's love story is so well told. I love how Gina Jones switched between the then and now parts of their lives. Although this book is about loss, it's also about forgiveness and starting anew. Gina Jones says this is based on her life story, and I'm so thankful she opened her heart to share her story. Really loved this book!

Jill thinks of years past as her daughter Monica prepares to marry. The positive pregnancy test, the ultrasound showing us she was a girl, the day she was born. Her first birthday, her first day of school, I am pretty sure that was the day she learned about divorce. Her first crush, her HS graduation. Than today- which will be the last day of only her and me. It hurts, but it feels good to know she has a man-jordan- who loves her to death. Than it’s time for pictures But Monica tells her bridesmaid Chelsea she wanted a minute with her mom. It shocked me that her father came today and Monica is worried it will bother me. But I reassured her that I was fine. Than the pictures are taken and Monica wants a lot of her and I. I wonder how my smile will be when she poses with her father- a stranger. Than the photographer stood at the door and said Michael wants pictures of Monica and me. It’s been twenty years since we last saw each other. Michael said my name and reached for my hand. I wondered was this a joke? Than after some pictures of the tree of us Michael asks for some pictures of us two. He had dropped thirty grand on the wedding Monica had reached out to him on Facebook and asked if he would come to the wedding. Next thing I knew he told her the sky was the limit. Than- her brother Scott picked her up from school and said he had to stop to see a friend from college-Michael. Jill was seventeen. She had dozed off in the car and then Scott introduced her to Michael. He was gorgeous. What seemed like a chance meeting turned into a life of michael coming and going the rest of my life. As i watched Monica go down the aisle on Michaels arm I felt my whole messed up life with him was worth it. Scott had stepped in to be Monica dad for the moist part and was suppose to walk her down the aisle I hoped he’d keep it together until the reception was over and Monica and Jordan were gone. I had learned from Michael the worst thing you could ask of another was let me love you.
I had mixed feelings on this book. I loved Jill’s and Monica’s relationship. But I would have liked a different ending. I also would have liked Jill to have a little more backbone. At times this dragged for me but I still read on. I don’t really like going back and forth between past and future a lot. I didn’t understand Jill actually feeling hope at the wedding after all Michael had put her through. Why did Monica contact her father when she had a loving uncle her was her father figure as well as her grandfather? I could see wanting to meet him but at your wedding? Anyway I also hate cheating and lying and all the pain it causes. I just thought it was a little cold the way Monica ignored her uncle and went to her father. But this was a pretty good book putting all that aside but far from a favorite. As you can tell I had mixed feelings on this book.

I really don’t know what I expected from Love, Michael, but I was left with mixed feelings as I detest lying and cheating and find these attributes impossible to forgive. The story did draw me in, but I really can’t say that I was happy with the ending, and found the emotional rollercoaster somewhat disconcerting. I’m sure others will find this book amazing, but for me it was just OK.

-Doormat heroine
-Abusive, cheating, unredeemable hero
-So many other things I can’t go into without completely spoiling this book
-I only gave it two stars because at least the heroine gets an ending she somewhat deserves.