I did not realize this book was in third person and unfortunately for me it’s just something I can’t get into. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read, I personally just can’t get into it, even though I did try!

Temperance and Duncan have always been in each other's orbits, through family and friends, always gravitating towards each other, on-and-off since that summer when they were eighteen. They are messy and real, Temperance being fiercely independent, and Duncan a fixer who thrives while helping people. There is so much depth and complexity to them, have their struggles while trying to keep true to themselves. The attraction between them has always been there, they just need to find their way back to each other.
I loved everything about this story, so much that I had to do a re-read before writing a review. I LOVE a second-chance romance with all the angst and pining, and Temperance and Duncan served that and more. There is something about them, I think it's the fact that they do find happiness, in spite of all of their perceived flaws and fears and vulnerabilities, that makes all of it so worth it.
The Brady family is a constant present too, giving a sense of comfort, support, and everything that a family should be.
Jen Devon is an excellent story-teller. She paints a gd picture that comes off the page beautifully, be it atmosphere, characters, or interrelationships.
I am forever a fan and cannot wait to read Mal and Frankie's story next!

An enjoyable second chance romance that captures the poignant sweetness of the past. It is a very slow burn that finally ignites.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Temperance and Duncan love affair spans from youth into adulthood. Their pull to each other is off the charts but it has never been their time until NOW. A wedding at Duncan's family vineyard changes their trajectory, and sets in motion steps toward for a second-chance. Their love story is complicated, rich in history and a long deserved happily ever after.

This a wholesome, adult love story with mature adults grappling with their worthiness for love.

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin

Thank you to St Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for honest review!

Preface: I didn't read the first book in this world/series and didn't know it existed, oops... can definitely see where it's set up to follow various side characters though.

Okay am I the only one with mild ick from 2 sisters with 2 brothers? Maybe I am.

Anyways! This was a fun enough second chance romance with some good steam and tension. I just found it was a LOT of push and pull, miscommunication, and with them both fully acknowledging they're still in love but won't get together for....reasons. (they swear they have them!!!) Also I think "we're not done here" before exiting was uttered no less than 4 times. They were not done. I liked the setting with the large welcoming family (as someone from that style of family myself) but there wasn't a lot of expansion on them. I definitely felt that both main characters were heavily flawed (as they admitted) but got a bit grating at times. Temperance also cried a lot. Like a lot. Which is fine, but her eyes were almost never clear of tears. I was a bit confused that at first Temperance is leaving her hospital job for a week off at the Brady farm for a wedding, which turns into weeks/months and I don't think it mentioned her leaving the job to pursue her other dreams? Maybe I missed that part. Probably glanced by it?

In all seriousness though, it was a decent read. I enjoyed my time reading it and didn't really feel like it slogged along, even when pacing at time got a bit off. Worth the read but go in knowing it's a second chance romance with some good, some bad, and of course some spice.

An engaging and angsty second chance romance. Since there are so many characters introduced early on, it would have helped if I had read Bend Toward the Sun beforehand so I was more familiar with all of them, but once I settled in after the opening chapters, it was fine and I had everyone sorted for the most part. I was invested in Temperance and Duncan's second chance romance taking place primarily around the events of a wedding involving a friend and a sibling, and appreciated the dual perspective and complexity of the characters. I would have loved more when it came to flashbacks to get a stronger sense of the events that brought them together in the first place as well as their one intense summer of love, and at times the pacing lagged, but Devon makes up for this with wonderfully descriptive writing that captures every single bit of the emotional intensity. I'm looking forward to going back and reading Rowan and Harry's story and hope that Devon's next book is about Frankie and Mal, who were relentlessly teased here with the potential to be both interesting and fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. Right Where We Left Us follows the story of Temperance and Duncan; following a whirlwind romance that ended in heartbreak in their late teens, they are now both back in close proximity at the Brady family farm in support of wedding preparations for Duncan’s brother and Temperance’s best friend.

I want to note that I did not read the authors previous work and do wish that I had before reading this book. It is completely possible to read as a standalone but, I felt like I was missing some context of the Brady family. The beginning of the book introduced so many characters at once that it was a little hard to keep track. Generally, I did enjoy this second chance romance and found it to be both very heartwarming and spicy! I also enjoyed the secondary storyline around Temperance’s work with community medicine and some of her struggles with family expectations. The family dynamics, challenges, and warm connections in this story really added to the central romance plot line; in my opinion, this also made the characters very likable which is always a plus for me! Overall, it took a while before I really got into the book (it felt a bit slow paced at first) but once I did, it was enjoyable to the end!

I’d definitely recommend this to romance fans specifically those who like the small town, close knit community type of vibe or those who enjoy a good second chance romance!

I have to start this review with saying that I did not read the first book Bend Towards the Sun. I am slightly regretful because I think it might have made this a better read. Right at the start of the book we are introduced to the Brady family and a slew of characters. I needed a family tree to try to keep it all straight as many characters also had nicknames. That said, this book is considered a stand alone but I really do think it would be much better having read the first book and getting to know the characters.

Right Where We Left Us follows Temperance and Duncan and their fraught history of on and off again love. Their story is truly beautiful and the writing was so descriptive, I really feel like I was there. The story spans 14 years, I would have liked to have more details on their history to try to better understand their actions but over all I enjoyed the book.

I definitely would read more from Jen Devon. I am going to go back and read the first book to see if I can gain a better understanding of the characters and how they fit together.

Thank you Jen Devon, Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to get an arc copy of Jen Devon’s second book. I loved her first book and couldn’t wait for her next.

In Right Where We Left Us, we get Temperance and Duncan’s story and I just loved it.

This is a second chance romance and I thought the growth of the characters from their first relationship to the present was really good. Duncan is the big, fun guy that makes everyone laugh but he has a softer more serious side also that I loved.

I also love the family dynamic! The Bradys are just one big loving family that has real issues but always comes together and is there for each other.

I hope we get to see more from the Brady family!

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the ARCs in exchange for my coverage.

This is second in a series but it can stand alone. That said, you'll miss the context of the large family and how they figure into the plot. I almost passed on this one but I like a second chance story and this one delivered. No spoilers here but I'll say I loved the MCs and how they handled finding out why theirs is a second chance story. Fair warning to readers who don't care for detailed love scenes - there are a few here. Just skip over those and enjoy the actual love story. A third book was set up (I believe) and I look forward to it.

I loved this author’s first book, so I had high expectations for this book. And boy did the author deliver on this one! Temperance and Duncan were fun secondary characters in Bend Towards the Sun. You could feel something was between them, so I was so excited to read their story. And as you all know ima sucker for a second chance romance. Temperance was smart, caring, and trying to figure out where she belonged. Duncan was hard working, loyal, and fought for what he wanted. Their banter was witty and rapid fire at times. It made me laugh out loud and cry! The way Duncan loved her even when he felt he couldn’t have her was so endearing. Temperance’s fears about letting herself have him felt so real and understandable. I loved watching them circle each other trying to figure the other out! The spice was steamy and perfectly timed. The plot sucked me in, and I had a hard time putting the it down. The ending was perfection! It fit the story and the characters so well. I loved knowing how it all worked out for them.

Temperance and Duncan first fell in love when they were 18. Fast forward fourteen years and the two still can't seem to get their act together. Both want the other but something is always standing in the way. 

Aaaah this book! The longing! The sweetness! The witty banter! The angst! The spice! This book really had it all. The storyline wasn't complicated but it held so much emotion within. I really adored everything about it. It is my first book by Jen Devon and I'm excited to go back and read her previous book now about Rowan. I have all my fingers crossed that we'll get another book in the series too.

After reading and enjoying Devon's debut, Bend Toward the Sun, I was super excited to see that she was going to continue in this world with a new couple in Right Where We Left Us. It's been nearly two years since I read the previous book and right at the beginning of this one, we are bombarded with a slew of characters. It had me on information and character overload. I'm assuming it was written this way for someone to read it as a standalone, but it felt like a lot to put together and keep straight. But I love these characters and I love the Brady family, so I hoped this story was going to be worth it in the end.

Duncan Brady is the outcast of the family. He's tall, tatted, and works with his hands. He's the one that everyone can count on, but he's not "the smart one". He feels like his expectations are low in the family and he tends to play those cards.
Temperance Madigan comes from a family with ALL the expectations for success. Two doctor parents that expect the same of her. She's become a doctor, works 80 hours a week, and basically will sleep when she dies. But that's not enough for her parents that are surgeon royalty.
But there's more to these two than who they are now. These two have a secret past of when they were teens. And the past is finally gaining on them. Will they finally give in to everything that's always been there? Or will they turn off any deep seated emotions and just be family friends?

"I think the way we loved each other was just too big for two eighteen-year-olds to know how to handle. We changed, and the world around us changed. But every version of me has loved every version of you, and deep down, I was always waiting."

I will be the first to admit that I'm not always a fan of second chance romances, but you can convince me. In this case, I just didn't get why Duncan and Temperance couldn't be together. They had a past and they always came back together even if just for a night. So what was stopping them now? I felt like the story didn't ever dive too deep into the whys and I didn't feel the pull of the angst that is always there in second chance romances. It fell a little flat in that area. They had the longing looks. They didn't have any fights. They truly cared for one another. I just kept being told that they couldn't. I didn't feel it. I want ALL the emotions and the longing and to be taken THROUGH it. But it didn't quite get me there.

BUT I loved the potential of these characters and what they embodied and wanted to become. I also loved the whole Brady family and the way they were more than just the Bradys. They were a community within a family and they all loved hard and were accepting of others and pulling them into their tribe. I wanted to be a part of their group.

If you like a slow burn, second chance romances set in a small town, this book may be for you. Told in dual POV with 2 intriguing characters, I felt like this story had potential. There was a great cast of characters (maybe too many) and I liked that Temperance and Duncan had such a strong bond and connection that held out over the years. But overall, I was more frustrated that our leads didn't get together sooner. They really didn't have any sort of conflict that should've kept them apart. Give me the angst! I hung in there for the end, which was worth it to get to their HEA, I just didn't get their reasoning for not coming together sooner.

In the follow-up to Bend Toward the Sun, Right Where We Left Us follows Temperance and Duncan as they find their way back to each other after years of a back and forth secret relationship. I enjoyed this second chance romance, which had fantastic angst, emotion, and steam. The book also featured my favorite micro-trope - caretaking.

There was tons of great tension between Temperance and Duncan, both physical and emotional, and I was immediately pulled into their story. I had to know why they didn't end up together before. They are the perfect definition of right person, wrong time, and I loved seeing how the pair grew up apart so that they could eventually be together.

There were so many beautiful lines that I found myself constantly highlighting. It was hard to narrow it down to just a few...

💬 "You can fight for someone, but you have to be sure they’re ready to be fought for.”
💬 “Second chances are for when you weren’t ready for the first."
💬 “Half my life, I’ve been trying to be okay without you.” His lungs hitched on the words. “I don’t want to be okay without you.”
💬 “You are not optional.” Each word was punctuated by a labored breath. “You are necessary.”

I liked this one better than the first book, but having read BTTS prior to its release more than a year ago, I found myself having a hard time keeping all the characters straight. I would definitely suggest reading BTTS first before reading this one. I also am not a fan of narration in the third person, so I did stumble through that at times (this is more of a personal preference than a knock to the author).

I didn’t read Bend Towards the Sun first before this and that was a big misstep on my part. I thought this was a standalone so I was definitely confused and now need to read the first book.

Oh I am such a sucker for a messy, angsty second chance romance! Jen Devon really delivered with Right Where We Left Us.

This book is set in the same universe and family as the author’s debut, Bend Toward The Sun, and picks up with the engagement of Harry and Rowan from that book. The main characters are Duncan Brady (Harry’s brother) and Temperance (Rowan’s best friend) who have been in love with each other since they were teenagers and have been circling each other ever since.

We see Duncan and Temperance grow and develop through the book and we see a lot of their history. I wanted a little more info about the precipitating event that tore them apart as teenagers which we don’t get. But I did love seeing Temperance especially come around (Duncan never stopped loving her). I loved being back with the Brady family and hope to see a book about Mal and Frankie soon!

Content flags: Temperance’s parents are financially manipulative; reference to chronic illness and injury

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Second chance romance meets slow burn in Right Where We Left Us; aggravating at times at the stubbornness of the main characters, I found the side characters and family members endearing and easy to engage with. I really enjoyed diving into the personalities of Temperance and Duncan and while I was supposed to read until I feel asleep for the back half of the book I read until I finished because I couldn't put it down!

Thanks SMP Romance for the gifted ARC to review.

I didn’t love it nor hate it. I love second chance romances. It is a slow burn but what kept me happy was the dual pov. I did have a hard time knowing when the flashbacks started and ended. But other than that, the romance, the steamy scenes and laughable scenes made up for it.

For those that love Roni Loren, Carley Fortune and Annabel Monaghan's Same time next summer, with a little sprinkle of Happy Place, this was such a great read!

Temperance and Duncan never were, but they were always SO.MUCH.MORE. This was one heck of a slow burn if there ever was one. The longing glances, the scheming family, both his for the right reasons and hers for the wrong ones, and I have to mention the longing glances again because whoa. 😍🥵😍 they weren't fooling anyone with that.

The one thing that I didn't love about this book, there wasn't any indication that it was not a stand alone novel. There were some gaps in character development that left me a little confused, but then in looking at this author's other works, I found that (slight assumption on my part at the moment) that this book picks up where her first one would have left off. By the time I realized this, I was in too deep to the longing between Temperance and Duncan to go back and read bend towards the sun and fall in love with Rowan and Harry, but you better believe it's been downloaded and I will be starting that immediately 🤣 That aside, my heart broke every which way through this story and I loved every minute of it, of being able to root for them and their HEA. The found family turned actual family in one way or another brought the meddling to the next level and I'm crossing my fingers for a book on Mal and Frankie next!!


Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This book surprised me with how rich it was written! I went into it expecting a quick and enjoyable beach read, but the pictures the author painted with her words were so beautiful and lush. The family dynamics were realistic and delightful to watch unfold and Duncan and Temperance were just perfectly imperfect 🥹. Really enjoyed their story!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!!