Finally got to Bryce and Keagan's love story. I had been anticipating it and it didn't disappoint. It was a great friends to lovers to enemies to lovers romance. Then the twist at the end was an interesting surprise but everything worked out for the HEA that I wanted for them.

The relationship between Bryce and Kaegen has been a thread through the other books in this series. Formerly high school sweethearts, Bryce and Kaegan had a falling out when he misinterpreted something he saw without talking to her about it. But after about fifty page, he's discovered his mistake and is ready to make it work.
That man did NOT do enough groveling in this book. Ten years of attitude and he is just like, "Oh no, I was wrong. Oh well, we should get back together."Frankly, their could have been a lot more of the two finding their way back to each other (like the last book in this series) and a lot less drama of the romance triangle.

Three and a half stars
This book came out October 29th
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

ahhhhh I'm so excited this is the third book ( and hopefully not the final) in the Catalina Cove series and we are going to finally learn just why these two have been angry with each other for ten years. And what a story it was. A second chance romance with a bit of a mystery that makes the couple face their issues and finally admit what they truly feel for each other.



Kaegan, Bryce & Vashit have been best friends since childhood. Kaegan's father didn't believe in education and had kept his son from school, once Bryce's mom found out she pushed the community to get him to go to school and realizing he couldn't hold out against them the old man grudgingly sent his son to school but in doing so Kaegan was two years behind. From the first KGee, nicknamed that because Bryce couldn't say his name, was friends with the girls as the older kids ignored him and the others didn't engage. He's been their protector and friend for as long as they all can remember.



While Vashti was sent away during her pregnancy, Kaegan and Bryce leaned on each other and their friendship bloomed into love. And as with all young lovers untested by life believed that their high school romance would go smoothly into an adult romance. But life and some of the towns' people couldn't leave well enough alone and the young lovers split based on a misunderstanding that bloomed into a bitter fight.



And that fight and bitterness have defined their relationship for the past ten years. After drifting apart Kaegan moved away & Bryce moved on and became a successful business owner. Still angry with each other they have taken every opportunity to swipe at each other since KGee moved back home to Catalina Cove. Their bitter battle has placed Vashti in an awkward position because she knows more about the story from each of them than they know and she keeps trying to get them in the same area so they can air it all out. This tragedy finally comes to a head and they both hurt each other again before separating, finally, Bryce breaks and tells her truth to Kaegan and he's left realizing his actions were based on lies. He's devasted but determined to make it up to her and win her back. Also, I could understand his POV especially with all the misinformation he had been receiving, and the events of that night; Bryce acting as if she can't understand why he was angry doesn't fly. Girl reverse it, you would have lost it and wouldn't have believed him either.



This is a sweet second chance romance, where the couple now have to not only learn about each other as adults but learn to forgive each other for the mistakes they made as their younger selves. It's hard to fight through the past while trying to hang onto the good memories; they both help and hinder them. Kaegan starts a campaign to gain her forgiveness and Bryce is afraid to trust again. Add to this he decided to win her back when she's decided to move on completely, she's trying to find someone who can replace the way Kaegan made her feel and she starts dating. As they try to move on, they just keep hurting each other and I wanted them to just get therapy cause y'all need to work through everything.



I really loved the strength of the friendships in this one, as they were the best sounding boards for both of them as they tried to find their ways back home to each other. Bryce has to learn to trust again and since this man has shown that he can break her heart this is a little harder to do than one would think. I loved that it wasn't an easy journey back to each other, as this means they will appreciate the love more.



However, while they are trying to make their way back to each other, someone has decided to wage a campaign against Kaegan, there are several incidents with each escalating in severity and then the ending happened. Listen ok, I was yelling at the book no no no no don't go, call someone, send a text something anything. it was like watching a horror flick and commenting the whole time. I loved it.



This story flew and I loved that there was tension not only within the relationship but without as well, this kept me engaged and the story flowing well. Giving the characters time to develop and share with us their true motivations. I loved that we had several small stories within as well. We get to see Vashti and Sawyer's family and their progression. We learn what happened to the budding romance between the girl's grandparents while catching up on Ray & Ashley and their growing relationship.



I loved visiting this town again and hope it grows. I would love to see what happens to Jade in a few years.



★★★☆☆

Series In Order

Love In Catalina Cove
Forget Me Not

RECOMMENDATIONS

Robyn Carr
Happy Reading my loves,

This book is one that unfortunately I can't finish. I didn't realize it was part of a series, which is on me. Even so I found that even though there were a few things that I could tell had been explored in earlier books I could still finish this story. What really made me dislike it is the way the characters spoke to each other. All of the conversations felt so stilted and almost like English was not their first language. I made it about 40% into the book before it got too much to take. It also seemed to be repetitive on certain things. For example, in just the portion I read it was noted 4 times that one of the characters was the wealthiest man in the cove. That's unneccessary to mention more than once.

Bryce and Kaegan friendship as children evolved into a love that they thought was invincible. They had plans for their happy ever after but a surprise visit by Kaegan leads to a confrontation that created such a rift between them that they wouldn’t see each other for ten years.

Kaegan has returned home and although he and Bryce didn’t want to see each other or drag up their painful past their friends weren’t about to let that happen. When the truth is revealed Kaegan wants a second chance and although Bryce is willing to share her body will she be able to trust him with her heart?

Full of heat, drama, angst and emotion Bryce and Kaegan definitely had their ups and downs but there was no denying that they have always belonged together.

This was a "friends to lovers too enemies to ..." kind of book. There was back and forth between the main characters that spanned decades and covered so many life experiences, changes, struggles and showed you how one misunderstanding can change your whole life. I read this story in one day; it was the type of story that pulled me in and was easy to read.

There are other books in this series (Catalina Cove) and there were a handful of references to other characters back stories that would have made more sense if I had read the other books; however you can read this as a stand alone and be fine.

This is a good book. Buy a very slow start. Intriguing but unfortunately just didn’t “click” for me. Keep in mind that was after trying again for a few days in a row. Disappointed.

Bryce and Kaegan were in love when they were teenagers and had been best friends since they were kids. But Kaegan had misunderstood what had happened one night and left town. When Bryce tried to tell him what had really happened he didn't want to hear it and took off with another woman for payback. Years later they are living back in their hometown and both still care for each other but not admitting it. They have the same circle of friends and they all want these 2 back together. Not to mention that Bryce's parents still care for Kaegan but don't want to get in the middle of their relationship. Once Kaegan realizes how wrong he was then he is going to try to win Bryce over no matter what and get her to forgive him and take him back. But she just wants to be friends with benefits.
I received an ARC from Inkslinger for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance (U.S. & Canada) and HQN for the advance reader copy, Finding Home Again by Brenda Jackson, in exchange for an honest review. I read the 2nd book in this Catalina Cove series first (I have not read the 1st, Love in Catalina Cove, but can’t wait to read about Vashti and her journey to love) and I was mesmerized by Brenda Jackson’s beautiful description of Catalina Cove; the sights, the sounds, the water, the beaches and the alluring weather. I was familiar with Bryce and Kaegan’s contentious relationship but did not know the why. Finding Home Again reveals the awful breakup ten years before of Bryce and Keagan, their deep friendship as children and their romance during their high school years and college. I loved their story but the back and forth anger with each other, the glares and mean-spirited words that continued over the years was a little too much conflict for this reader. But I continued to root for Bryce and Kaegan since their thoughts revealed they were not over each other, had cared deeply for each other throughout their loves and still had a raging chemistry. How Kaegan is able to reach Bryce, time and again, required patience and that is where his unwavering love was able to conquer all. Branda Jackson is one of my favorite authors; her books are full of romance, undeniable chemistry, and characters who are real, sympathetic, and totally drawn to each other (I loved Bryce’s love of Kaegan’s long hair falling on his shoulders but also on her body, face, etc). An enjoyable addition to the Catalina Cove series, brimming with romance, naughty thoughts, and packed with sexual energy.

First Love. Second Chance Love.
Bryce and Kaegan share a past where a misunderstanding leads them to separate.
As time passes and truths are revealed, but barriers need to be broken so trust can occur.
There is a bit a mystery but that part of the story seems underdeveloped.

I've been reading Brenda Jackson for a long time and although I may not be a fan of every story, it's hard not to love this author. Characters like Bryce and Kaegan are the main reason why. Finding Home Again grabbed in every sense of the word. Haunted by a love that once was, that was never meant to be. Stalked by danger. Hoping for a chance to begin again. Jackson appeals to the heart with intriguing accuracy. From heartbreaking romance to heartstopping suspense, Finding Home Again packs a wide range of emotion.

Finding Home Again in an entertaining and well written second chance romance. Fans of romance novels will enjoy this book. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

Complementary copy given for honest review.

I felt this story was very long and slightly on the verge of stopping reading. We found out the history of the main characters but it took a really time to get there with minimal conclusion.

Wonderful story of love, betrayal, lies, and second chances.
What would you do if you found your best friend and the love of your life in the arms of someone else? Well for Kaegan the answer was simple, walk away and never talk to her again.
Bryce and Kaegan had been best friends since first grade, and in high school moved into the realm of lovers. Through her college and his military time they continued the romance with the intention of marrying and starting a family in the future. When Kaegan surprises Bryce one night, things stumble out of control when he thinks he stumbles upon her cheating on him. Their anger for each other spans ten years. When the truth of that night finally come to light can they get through the anger of the last ten years and have the happily ever after they once dreamed about?
I enjoyed the characters and well developed plot. Enjoyed the book very much.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of Brenda Jackson's Catalina Cove series have been anticipating this story which follows high school sweethearts and seemingly sworn enemies Bryce and Keagan. We've seen them pop up in the two previous books and I, for one, have been waiting to read more about their past.

It pains me to say this but I was quite disappointed with this novel. With such buildup, I guess I had high expectations but was left feeling underwhelmed while reading. We get the history of these two and find out why they broke up and it was a classic case of miscommunication and assumptions. Remorseful, Keagan is intent on righting his wrongs and finding a way to make Bryce a permanent part of his life again.

This story was too long and I found various passages to be repetitive. We found out why they had broken up and that is was a constant back and forth rehashing of the same thing. I wanted to like it but it didn't work out that way.

This book was unnecessarily long and frankly, uninteresting.

I love a good second chance romance. Even more so one where the characters have grown to dislike each other over the intervening years. When I read the blurb for this one, I had such high hopes that it would become a fast favorite. What it became was a huge disappointment.

Let's begin by talking about the little things that hopefully will be fixed before the book goes live, as I did review an advanced-reader-copy. Things that were distracting, but may have been more easily overlooked if the rest of the novel had been stronger. The formatting for the start of each chapter was... weird. Then there were areas where words weren't spaced apart, "showme" and "oneanddone" being two examples. Again, these are things that could be easily fixed.

What can not be as easily fixed is the rest of this novel. There was so much that I feel could have been cut out, and so much that I feel could have been added that would have improved this story.

When it comes to Keagan and Bryce? Their story is so repetitious that it becomes tedious. They dated. They were stupid. (Although honestly Bryce? Your boyfriend comes to your house at 2am, sees you come out with another guy, embrace said guy and lean in like you're going to kiss him - but leaves, before he sees said kiss - and you REALLY can't see how he might have misinterpreted that? Give me a break).

Anyway, the majority of this novel is them going back and forth. They have feelings for each other. They have a spark, but OH MY GOD THEY HAVE HURT EACH OTHER SO MUCH WE MUST KEEP BRINGING THIS UP. It took me over a week to finish this novel because I had to keep putting it down. It was great to read before bed, don't get me wrong, but that was only because it kept putting me to sleep. And I'm just throwing it out there - I'm no prude by any means, but when more than one consecutive chapter is dedicated to them finally having sex? That's a bit much.

What might have saved this novel was Bryce's stalker.... if he wasn't added as an afterthought. Seriously. It wasn't until the last few chapters that we were even told she HAD a stalker, with his two dubious attempts at getting to her prior to his reveal being written off as mundane events.

All in all, I believe that another good round or two of editing could have cut out all this tiresome repetition and still left enough for the reader to not only understand but enjoy this novel. While it definitely was not for me, and I don't see myself reading more from this author, I am sure there are others that will love this story.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I am a big fan of Brenda Jackson books. They are always a great escape filled with the right amount of steam and suspense to keep my attention. Brenda did it again with Finding Home Again. The storyline was amazing and the characters felt so incredibly real and relatable it was easy to love and hate them.

I absolutely love Brenda's books. They're filled with suspense, steamy sex and friendship. Brenda takes you on a journey with the characters that makes you feel like you're part of the story.

FINDING HOME AGAIN is an intriguing second-chance romance read. Bryce and Kaegan were high school lovers who believed themselves to be soul mates. A misunderstanding broke them up and they have been separated- and hating each other- for 10 years. He is angry because he believes she cheated on him, and she is angry because he didn't trust her or even listen to the truth.

We also have Vashti from the previous books, who is featured as the voice of the reason in this one. She wants her two BFFs to be friends at the least, and she hates that this is hanging over their friendships. Eventually, she does pull the full truths from them, and Kaegan was definitely in the wrong here. It is thus no surprise that their reunion is not easy, even though once he does listen to the truth, he does start to want a second chance.

At the same time, odd things are happening that start small, like a slashed tire. These escalate and add a sudden romantic suspense angle for the last half of the book. This made it feel a bit like two plots were thrown together into an odd combination.

In terms of the romance, there is a lot of push-and-pull, and I was not even sure if I could get over how Kaegan had treated Bryce. By the end, I was glad she was happy, but I would still be quite wary. The book did do a good job of holding my attention, but I felt like we needed a little different scenario to fully see both Kaegan and Bryce's side of things and thus want them to get back together. As-is, Kaegan was hard for me to get or like. Then, the suspense plot seemed a little random to be tacked on (also did not get the villain really, it needed a little more background/oomph in my opinion).

Overall, I did find it engaging enough to read through, but I felt like I needed a bit more to fully cheer for the couple romantically. I did really enjoy the unique setting, and I loved seeing the characters from previous books again here (though this one could be read as a stand-alone).

Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Bryce Witherspoon and Kaegan Chambray seems like that can't stand each other. Ten years of antagonism towards each other still does not remove the heat that is still there -- whether they want to admit it or not.

When Kaegan returned to Catalina Cove to run the family business he didn't want anything to do with Bryce after she broke his heart But a showdown encounter with Bryce will finally reveal a devastating secret that will show Kaegan just how wrong he was about Bryce..

Even though the sparks still exist between them Kaegan has a long way to go in convincing Bryce to give him a second chance and for her to risk her heart again.