This book was originally written in 2018. It's undergone some updates, including the cover. I really enjoyed the story. As the wife of a wounded warrior, I really got into the storyline of the physical and mental struggles of the two characters who returned home from war. If you think that someone goes off to a war zone and returns even close to the person they were when they left, you are mistaken. Just flat out mistaken. The person that you loved when he was deployed will not be the person that you loved when they get home. You can either cut and run or learn to love that new person and try to help him through it. I really appreciated the honesty in the book about that.

This is a romance of two damaged souls. It was a beautiful romance that also included lots of friendship and family running throughout. I haven't read the first book yet, but I certainly will. Lovely! The Bonus Epilogue was perfect.

I was gifted a copy of this book by Sourcebooks/Bloom Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Lucy Score has fast become one of my favourite rom-com writers. Her novels are always full of emotions and highly entertaining.

I didn't realise this was the second book in the Benevolence series. Not having read the first one, all I can say is that it can totally be read as stand alone.

We follow Gloria and Aldo. Both are rich adorable characters with baggage and a few hurdles to overcome in their personal lives. It was lovely to see both their journeys and overcoming some life adversities.

I cannot wait for Things We Hide From the Light, due out later this year. I loved the first two from the Knockemout series.

TW’s Domestic violence, abuse.

Many thanks to @netgalley @sourcebooks @bloombooks @lucyscore for an advanced reading copy

Lucy Score does it again! I love her books so much and this one was no exception. The one thing I didn’t like is that everyone knew about her abuse and did nothing about it, although I suppose that’s often the case.

I read this a few years ago and was so ecto see it on NetGalley! I love this Benevolence series by Lucy Score so much. It may be a tinge cheesy but that’s romance, and these books so much deeper. I loved the development of Gloria and Aldo, both together and of themselves. I enjoyed the reread of this and totally want to read the third one now.

The h was in an abusive relationship for 10 years. The H has cared for the h since high school. The h finally breaks away from her abusive boyfriend and begins to start a new life. The H and the h start to date, before he is deployed. Unfortunately he is injured by an ied and loses part of his leg. When he comes back he pushes everyone away. Eventually they are able to sort things out.
I received an ARC from NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. I applaud the author, who always addresses dark themes with heart. She did it again here and I look forward to reading more Lucy Score.

I’ve ready previous Lucy Score books and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into the book. The characters weren’t well developed. The F bombs were frequently used throughout. This was a DNF for me. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for an ARC

Omg, love this second installment! Just as hot and spicy as the first. I love this so much. It felt like true love in the purest form.

I was excited to read this book for Aldo and Gloria’s story; but it unfortunately fell flat for me. I felt like I got most of their stories in book 1 and this one just restated. I really wanted to like it because I really loved this couple.

I DNF’d this book. I am a fan of Lucy Score but I am not a fan of how this topic was addressed. It might be a solid read for some people but was not my cup of tea.

DNF

This book was happening along the same timeline as pretending you’re mine and I didn’t like that and it wasn’t about characters I liked much.

I really enjoyed this duology! Gloria's story was both sad and heartwarming, and the MMC had enough depth to him thanks to the dual POV.

I usually love Lucy Score and her lighthearted romances. I liked the premise of 'Finally Mine' but there were a lot of deep/dark themes that brought down the mood of this book for me. I didn't enjoy it like I have her other work. I didn't like that the whole town knew of Gloria's abuse and never stepped in to help her. Aldo had some sweet qualities but also had some that made me not love his character.

3.5 star rating, thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for my honest review.

I dont typically like reading books that are a different POV of a previous story. Lucy Score did a great job when writing this book. This book gave the readers enough new content to keep them interested and engaged while still staying true to the original storyline. I absolutely love all the characters and seeing things from their perspective. Gloria & Aldo, Harper & Luke. I've laughed and cried as the characters have faced challenges and have grown and overcome their struggles. I look forward to reading the 3rd book in the series. Lucy Score is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read. I give this book 4/5 stars. Thank you Netgalley allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What to say about this book... That first chapter grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. So much emotion was packed into the first bit and it continued. Each word had a purpose, was full of emotion. You couldn't help but cheer for Gloria. God, I fell in love with her. She's so strong and resilient and amazing. And Aldo. GAH!!! I loved him. He was the perfect book boyfriend.

Lucy Score writes amazingly. I highly, highly recommend Finally Mine. I can't wait to see what Lucy comes out with next!

This book put a whole new meaning to falling in love. Lucy Score has always been an amazing author but she outdid herself with this book. It will pull on all heart strings and making you head over heels for small-town romance. The characters of Benevolence, especially Luke and Harper, made this love story all the more compelling. Plus the spice was spicin’, it gave a whole new view on one-bed tropes.

I enjoyed following up with the characters in this book after reading the first one, but for some reason, just didn’t personally connect with Gloria and Aldo’s story like I did with Luke and Harper in the first book of the series. Maybe because many of the events overlap and you already know the ultimate outcome?

Thanks to Sourcebooks Bloom Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

I have never read a Lucy Score book before, but I have heard great things about them. So I thought I would sit down and read a few chapters before bed and then I finished the whole book. I literally could not put it down, even when I was brushing my teeth.

There are some trigger warnings here for domestic abuse and mental health/PTSD but if you can handle that, this book is well worth a read. Gloria and Also's story was apparently long awaited for fans of Pretend Your Mine (which I now HAVE to go an read).

I didn't feel like I needed to read the previous book to know what was going on. The romance is beautifully and honestly written. Yes, there are some moments of pure angst but I did find myself laughing quite a bit. I particularly liked Sophie's snarky comments - hilarious.

If you want an engrossing read (and don't need much sleep) then this book is for you.

I loved that it was the same timeline as the first one, and I liked this story more than Harper and Luke’s but it was a bit drawn out and a slow read.


Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

Lucy Score -oh my how you always capture my heart! From the moment we got the first glimpse of Gloria and Aldo, I knew we needed their story. And what a heart-filled, complicated, and emotional journey it is. Tender, raw, compelling, and emotively poignant, Finally Mine delivers a heart-hitting and authentic tale of healing and hope and the power of love.

Both of these characters have to overcome SO much personal trauma to find their way not only to each other but back to themselves. We got glimpses of their challenges in the prior story, but living it through their eyes was a whole new level of emotion. There is a real heaviness to them- Gia overcoming her domestic abuse and finding her own strength and healing and Aldo overcoming his war trauma, the charming and Gloria-adoring man now in a dark and complicated place. But what I loved most is that they connect so deeply because they are both broken in their own ways. I loved how their love story is a beautiful path to healing for them BOTH as individuals, but something they can do alongside each other, with compassion and respect and care.

I love how much Aldo has always loved and pined for Gloria- even as she was trapped in such a complicated situation. It’s hard to see all that through her eyes, to experience just how powerless and trapped everyone is (because truly, there is not right way to break free- it’s hard and painful and traumatic). But I loved Gloria’s path to freedom, to see her heal and find her voice and inner strength again. And equally complicated is seeing the impact of Aldo’s deployment on the character we know and love be changed so greatly. But Lucy keeps this story really authentic- it’s deeper and heavier than the one before, but it has to be because of the real pain these characters have experienced. Their journey is a hard one, Herculean at times, but a beautiful one. And how beautiful that Gloria’s healing, her confidence and hope in turn provide the avenue for Aldo’s.

If you’ve read PretendvYou’re Mine, there are some parts of this story that will feel familiar since they are told in concurrent timelines. For me, I enjoyed seeing the different landmarks happening from a different perspective and how those moments played into a different character’s love story, but if you don’t like stories that rehash already told elements through different characters’ lens, you may find parts of this too repetitive. But, again for me, the IMPACT and behind those moment felt different and most importantly unique catalytic to this individual couple-their story felt truly theirs.

I just adore this series- this one is a slower burn, but emotionally rich and rewarding. Another Lucy Score gem.