With intimate and touching moments set in the breathtakingly beautiful Pacific Northwest, The History of Us is a captivating novel that features the challenges and heartache of loving someone with Alzheimer's, the complicated nature of familial bonds, and a satisfying, chaste romance that will leave readers wanting more of Bardsley's compassionate, confident prose.

This story is a second chance romance between Dustin and Andrea. Years ago, Dustin broke up with Andrea, using the excuse of not wanting a long distance relationship. (Come to find that a little communication would have gone a long way). Now, in the present, Dustin’s brother in law steals something from Andrea, forcing them together again. A little plodding, a bit too long and a couple of unlikeable characters (Leanne needed a wake up call earlier) made this a really slow read for me. Overall, it was good but I kind of wish it was about 50 or so pages shorter.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an early read.

I am a big fan of Jennifer Bardsley and really enjoyed her series Harper Landing. So when the author reached out to me to ask if I’d like to read a copy of her upcoming book, The History of Us, I jumped at the opportunity.

The History of Us is a sweet romance novel with a little bit of mystery on the side. Andrea Wint lives a quiet life in Port Inez, Washington. But her peace is rudely interrupted when her home is broken into and her fathers prized coin collection is stolen from her hidden safe. Beside herself, Andrea reconnects with her former high school sweetheart, Dustin Karlsson, to help her hunt down her stolen coins. Dustin and Andrea are pretty sure they know who stole the coins, Dustin’s good for nothing Brother-in-law, Cade. While driving all over western Washington trying to track down her coin collection, Andrea and Dustin begin to reminisce and their old feelings for one another resurface.

Jennifer Bardsley writes in way that always gives me a sense of familiarity and comfort. She writes with such eloquence and vivid descriptions. I find her books always feel so wholesome, and this includes The History of Us.

Thank you so much Jennifer Bardsley, Montlake and NetGalley for my electronic arc of The History of Us, in exchange for my honest review. This book is a perfect summer, beach read so make sure you grab a copy when it is published, July 12, 2022.

The History of Us is a small town, second chance romance. It centers around a former couple who come together to hunt down a coin thief. Andrea has a prized coin collection that is her father's. When her house is broken into, her safe and her father's prized coin collection are stolen. Dustin and Andrea dated when they were young. When Dustin discovers his brother- in- law is missing, along with Andrea's father's coins, both Dustin and Andrea are on the hunt for him.
The book was an okay read. It's a lighter romance novel. I honestly didn't feel a connection with the characters I was reading about.

It's been a while I have read such a heartwarming, comforting romance read. But I would say it's the effortless writing style that drew me in straightaway.

Second chance romance, good flawless writing, a good plot and a little bit of mystery. I would choose all anyday anytime but when it all comes as one in a short good book, I am here for it and I am going to recommend it to everyone I know!

Of course, the book delivers as much as the blurb says but expect more lovely, young and older side characters who are going to stay with you even after reading the book.

I love how comforting the romance is. I love the character representation, their development and the chemistry between the two main characters.
All the Christmas vibes I would say.

I feel the representation of one of the characters with late stage Alzheimer's condition has been done well quite sensibly. I appreciate this so much.

However, I feel one of the main parts of the plot about the missing rare coins and its follow up could have been more convincingly done.

I had a good time reading the entire book in one night. It's good!

Thank you, Montlake, for the advance reading copy.

I found this novel very positive & heartwarming. Someone who is looking for a cozy and warm read after some kind of stressful situation (like me who has dealt with exams recently😅) should try this novel.

This novel mainly revolves around giving 2nd chance to the lost love. I'm actually fan of that kind of plot. All the characters were likeable. As you can see from synopsis this is a romance novel but along that you'll also see many other dynamic family relationships and conflict among some close family members due to their different approach towards life.

" Emotions are like water. They can do a lot of damage if you're not careful.
Emotions could heal and the best thing was to let those feelings flow".

I liked how the problems associated with Alzheimer's patient were discussed excellently in the novel. That's why I also loved Andrea's love for her father and tricks she used to make her father recall the past events.

The plot kept me engage but sometimes some parts were very slow.

But in the end it was a very beautiful novel. I completed it in just two days so it was a short read.

I loved Jennifer Bardsley's Harper Landing series, and I loved THE HISTORY OF US, too! It's a gripping, emotional story about the power of family and enduring love, and I can't recommend it enough!

I remember the kid with the feathered hair. The boy who brought candy bars to me at my locker before third period. My first kiss at the community center pool. The guy with awesome abs and a devilish grin. Young love is an intoxicating thing. So if you have ever thought of a past love through the comfort of nostalgia, you'll languish in THE HISTORY OF US. Jennifer Bardsley pens this sweet, small town romance that will bring back all those memories and make you wonder what all that love could have been.

A Slow burning four-star read. This was my first read by this author and I hope it won’t be the last, it was emotional and interesting at times, but there were sections that just left me feeling like I needed more. Andrea and Dustin are sweet, and they do have a great connection, the rest of the characters are nice, but there could have been more done to keep the story going. Its one of those stories that you need to keep going with, as it drifts so you need to keep your hooks in tight with this one.

Andrea Wint, a loving daughter visits her dad with Alzheimer’s and shows him a penny everyday, a reminder of what her father used to be like. So she hired her ex to hide her father's collection only to find it stolen from her home.

Dustin Karlsson a protective brother and Andrea's ex-boyfriend helps her find these missing coins with a hunch that her brother-in-law is the one who stole it.

As they travel on the road, Andrea's reminiscing about the old feelings and memories behind the reason for their breakup. Can they give their love a second chance or will they remain awkward for the rest of the search?

It's a short and fun read. I love that I can read it in one sitting because it keeps me hooked on what will happen with them knowing the true reason for their breakup. I'm quite confused with the conversations at some point because it doesn't have quotation marks sometimes, though I think it will improve on the published book once the editing is done. I'm excited to read more books from Jennifer Bardsley! Will definitely put her books on my tbr list!

I would say this book actually cute, and sweet at the same time. From the first sentence I know this will be good. Then how the story of their journey in the small town so refreshing.
This book tells story of Andrea and Dustin who were dating years ago, but due to a misunderstanding Dustin assumed that Andrea didn't love him so he dumped her. After that they meet again due to an incident. Dustin brother-in-law Cade suddenly disappeared after leaving his van on the side of the road and Cade stealing a box of antique coins that belonged to Andrea's father.

Its a quick read, but I can say the relationship development with Andrea and Dustin was quite took a long time and some conversations between characters are bit boring. But still this is an interesting book by including an mystery cased so it makes more curious.

3.5/5

Jennifer Bardsley's books are just what is called for in dark, contentious, and anxious times. Warm, sweet, and uplifting, The History Of Us puts two high school sweethearts, who never quite got over each other, back into each other's orbit.

Andrea is living a solo life, resentful of her mother, who abandoned her father when he developed dementia. Every day, Andrea goes to visit her father, bringing one of his priceless coins from his collection, seeking to tether him to reality. Then one day, the collection is stolen. and she teams up with Dustin, whom she's still in love with, to track down the charming sleazeball they both know must be the perpetrator.

Bardsley gives us clear bad guys in her stories. Yet she also presents other characters who we're certain we know, only to discover, as the story unfolds, that there's a reason for their actions. Isn't that just like life? We assign hero and villain status to those close to us, only to discover that the reality is a lot more nuanced. In the end, humanity is mostly a bunch of flawed people with good intentions, messing up and needing redemption... with the occasional true villain thrown in. But unlike real life, Bardsley's villains ALWAYS get their comeuppance.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy, provided for review purposes.

Found it a bit slow and hard to get through at first, but once I read a chunk of it, it was really hard to put down. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good old high school sweethearts story. This book ended up tugging on my heart strings, people and relationships are always so complicated, but this book managed to make me feel hopeful and emotional about it. Overall quite a good read.

the pacing caused me to put this book down two different times. in the end i ended up DNFing. i think there was potential in the story just needed more progression

Sweet read. It hooked me at first but then the conversations regarding their past got boring. It was too much of the past brought up and relived. Then they fell back into a relationship and I didn't feel the chemistry or progression of it. I was more interested in the coin robbery.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are mine alone- thank you for the chance to read this book early!

These are snippets of a full review on aereyah.com, so please check it out! https://aereyah.com/history-of-us-review/


Hello everyone!

Let’s get into the book review!

My first and biggest reason as to why I didn’t give this book a higher rating was because of pacing- the first 40% of the book or so, was incredibly s l o w.

It was actually a bit unbearable to trudge through at times, it was slow, with no action. To be honest, the entirety of the first half could probably be condensed to five chapters and would be a lot better.

The reason the plot was so slow I felt was because there is no conflict whatsoever, every single thing that could have kept me engaged and reading this book was immediately answered or so obvious it would only work for a children’s book. “Who stole the coins?” obvious answer as you read it, “Why did they break up?” the most anticlimactic answer given immediately, “What’s special about the coins?” immediate. Everything is answered to an obvious extent, and the amount of unnecessary details about everything, especially other characters that turns out to be irrelevant to the whole book and is never mentioned again but just thrown out there is insane.

This also did drag down the point of the central trope and one of my favourites- the second chance romance. I personally didn’t even feel like rooting for Andrea and Dustin at the beginning just because there is nothing that interesting or mysterious to be revealed in their relationship. Some of those chapters could have been completely cut and replaced with flashbacks and it would have added to the story a lot. They face no hurdles, and it is a shame the author didn’t add more angst and emotional turmoil for them to trudge through, can’t lie.

HOWEVER, if you manage to get through the first half of the book, the pacing does get fixed and it picks up to be really interesting. It was a very unique and interesting storyline and I just think it’s a shame that certain themes weren’t picked up more than they were. For example, the mother-daughter dynamics of going through so much trauma and the resentment and resolution over their responsibilities and roles as a family when their father/husband is suffering through something so traumatising and life-altering.

The complexity of siblings assuming parental responsibility and how that affects their lives and decisions they make was amazing and I thought the author approached it in a way that evoked empathy and care. Overall, I thought the character development and voice for both Andrea and Dustin were strong in the second half.

There were also some nice cute quotes as the writing does get pretty powerful in describing grief and overcoming grief:

"Her grief was a festering wound that had sat at the surface of her emotions ever since her father had been diagnosed. One tiny scratch, and the pain oozed out."

"A tiny rip began at the center of his heart and tore all the way down."

Overall, I personally won’t be reading this again, but it is good as an easy read soft romance, and I do appreciate the nuance in the set-up of the idea and the detail in things like representing Alzheimer's and coin-collecting and the set up for the characters background was brilliantly well thought out, I just felt the pacing was not there.


Until the next chapter,

Aereyah xxx

Check out the full blog review at: https://aereyah.com/history-of-us-review/

The History of Us by J. Bardsley, published by Montlake is a full-length, stand-alone.
Andrea and Dustin were highschool sweethearts. But time goes on. Andrea lives a quiet life, she never left her small town, cares for her father. When a b&e happens, Dustin is back in his home town. Assigned to the case, he's looking for Andrea and her family.
This is a slow burn, eautifully written and told second chance story that had me from the start. I enjoyed reading Dustin and Andrea's story, 4,5 stars.

If you haven’t laid hands on the book yet, here’s your clue to stop reading. This review has spoilers.

Have you heard about one of those books that have you hooked from the first sentence? Yes, this was the book for me. The initial plot wasn’t generic, but it was intriguing until it wasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the book is great, once you follow the plot. But initially, uh-oh, no. When Andrea’s emotional turmoil and the tragedy that struck her family are talked about, I enjoyed it. It connected to me so well, I almost cried in the first chapter. Enters Cade, hot, handsome, useful, married. I mean, I’m totally against cheating but it would’ve made a great plot. But then it goes downhill and boom, present Cade the villain.

Okay, I might be a tad bit dramatic but that was the only reason I took off a star. The plot is beautiful as is, but I couldn’t connect to the rest of the story as much as I did with the first chapter. I adore Dustin and Andrea, and no, I do not wish Cade would be the hero or anything, but the emotional depth of the book was lost somewhere along the way. Undoubtedly, Dustin and Andrea make a great couple and they are #couplegoals. But the writing style did not make me feel as much as the first chapter did.

I love the book, really. Especially how adorable Jane and Kendal are, but I feel most pity for Leanne. She acted foolish, yes, and she had enablers all around, yes again, she was spoilt, omg yes, but she had her struggles too. She wanted Cade even if he’d hurt her because she didn’t want her children to live without their father. Yes, she hid her family matters from her siblings, but then it was her, who had to live with a good-for-nothing husband and struggle for her kids.

Andrea, however, I feel happy for her in almost all ways except the siblings' part. The epilogue or at least some chapter should’ve suggested that she’s as close to Karlsson siblings as Dustin is to them. I know they are family and would stick with her if need be, but a deeper bond with them (apparent to us, not that she couldn’t have had it without being written in direct words) would’ve probably gotten that star back. Anyhow, the book is amazing and I can’t wait for people to fall in love with it the way I did.

I found this novel very positive & heartwarming. Someone who is looking for a cozy and warm read after some kind of stressful situation (like me who has dealt with exams recently😅) should try this novel.

This novel mainly revolves around giving 2nd chance to the lost love. I’m actually fan of that kind of plot. All the characters were likeable. As you can see from synopsis this is a romance novel but along that you’ll also see many other dynamic family relationships and conflict among some close family members due to their different approach towards life.
Below is one of my favorite lines from the novel

” Emotions are like water. They can do a lot of damage if you’re not careful.
Emotions could heal and the best thing was to let those feelings flow”.

I liked how the problems associated with Alzheimer’s patient were discussed excellently in the novel. That’s why I also loved Andrea’s love for her father and tricks she used to make her father recall the past events.

The plot kept me engage but sometimes some parts were very slow.

But in the end it was a very beautiful novel. I completed it in just two days so it was a short read.

Living in the PNW, I was intrigued by the book and plot. I like the second chance love paired with some sleuthing. The romance was predictable, but I was hooked on other aspects of the book, like finding out whether Cade gets caught, if Leanne opens her eyes to the truth, and whether Andrea fixes her relationship with her mom. To me, the love story could have been secondary to the rest of the plot and I would enjoy the book the same.

I enjoyed Andrea and Dustin as main characters, and liked how the supporting characters were written. Leanne frustrated me, but I think it shows how well the author wrote her to be. I wish we could have seen more of her growth and more of the change between Andrea’s and her mom’s relationship.

The book wasn’t heavy on the romance and relationship scenes which wasn’t a problem with me, but something other romance readers may crave more of. I personally would shelve this as fiction rather than romance, but I still really enjoyed it and now plan to read her other books.