Right Where We Left Us

"Real love can be messy, T.J. Anyone who says otherwise is either doing it wrong, or they just haven't gotten down to the bones of it yet."

Oh my stars, the PINING! The second chance romance worked SO WELL for me! I do NOT often say that, but I adored the pining, the backstory, the chemistry, the BANTER and the delight that Jen Devon wove into Duncan and Temperance's love story.

Set back at Cloud Tide winery, Temperance and Duncan are continually thrown together for wedding related activities to celebrate Rowan and Harry. The meddling friends work, and eventually Temperance and Duncan call a truce because they'd rather not waste another second not being together.

SO DELIGHTFUL. Devon has a beautiful way with words. Her imagery and love declarations - my heart.

Y'all don't sleep on this one! Much like Duncan, this one is "the embodiment of full-throttle joy".
Check this one out for:
Second chance romance
Forced proximity
Best friend's brother
Small town setting

Right Where We Left Us is on shelves June 18, 2024! Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

This was a cute read. I read it quickly while I was on vacation. I didn’t like being introduced to so many people so fast with the beginning of the book but since it was a large family, maybe that’s how it had to be done. I wanted the main characters to be more developed Because I was really starting to like them

Right Where We Left Us is a contemporary, slow-burn, second-chance romance that has the reader drawn to Temprance and Duncan as the protagonists as the story progresses. There is so much angst and tension, but there are also very sweet moments throughout that tug on the heart strings.

Although this book moved at a slower pace, in my opinion, and seemed to drag on at times, Jen Devon has done a fantastic job at painting vivid pictures of settings and characters alike. It felt like I was in attendance at Brady family events and various moments throughout the novel.

Overall I enjoyed this read, it is a book I would recommend.

I'm thinking this was a case of the book not being for me. I usually love an angsty romance but this was too much for me. I was angry at the characters the entire time and that lead me to not really care about them. Plus I felt zero chemistry between Duncan and Temperance.

Bend Toward The Sun is one of my all-time favorite romance books and I eagerly anticipated the return to the Brady vineyard and all of the family’s shenanigans.

TJ and Duncan’s story is a slow burn, second chance romance. If these tropes are your jam then I think you’ll like this book! Personally, they are not for me and so I struggled to be invested in this story. It took me a very long time to read it. It’s a lot of angst and the couple spends a lot of time apart, but I just wanted to see them together.

Right Where We Left Us, written by Jen Devon, is a captivating homage to the concept of forced proximity and second chances. The narrative revolves around Temperance Madigan and Duncan Brady, who believed they had everything figured out in their youthful, idealistic love years ago. However, fate had different plans for them. Years later, they find themselves circling each other in their close-knit community, using sarcasm and dark humor to maintain a distance when circumstances bring them together. A family event involving the Bradys will test the boundaries of their unspoken agreement, forcing them to either come to terms with their differences or form a pact to navigate through the situation. The novel delves into themes of family dynamics, personal authenticity, and the struggle to stay true to oneself amidst external pressures. It seamlessly blends deep, thoughtful moments with steamy, romantic encounters. The characters, representing both traditional and chosen families, are skillfully developed, with Temperance embodying resilience, adventure, and optimism, while Duncan exudes hidden selflessness, mischief, and determination. Despite its strengths, I found it challenging to connect with the failed relationship between the protagonists and was put off by the clichéd phrases scattered throughout the book. While angsty romances can be compelling, this particular execution fell short for me, leading me to question whether this author's style aligns with my preferences.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Right Where We Left Us is a captivating story of love between two individuals who are perfect for each other but find themselves at the wrong time. The story is beautifully narrated in immersive and heart-achingly gorgeous prose, making it an unforgettable read. This second-chance romance unfolds slowly, building tension until it ignites into a passionate and fiery love story.

I normally love a second chance romance but this just didn’t do it for me. The female main character annoyed me a bit. And there were SO many side characters it was hard to keep track. I kept feeling like I was missing something.

Temperance Jean Madigan and Duncan Brady have a history. Their whirlwind secret romance years ago has culminated in occasional fast and furious hook-ups and sporadic run-ins. These two have a pull to each other that they can’t escape and at times is frustrating to witness. Temperance is dear friends with the Brady family. She and Duncan are bound to cross paths often, which they do- at Duncan’s brother’s summer wedding.

The wedding changes the course of their relationship trajectory. It sets in motion events which lead to a beautifully complicated, complex, and chaotic second chance romance. I almost had too much of the back and forth in this one. I kept reading and by the end of the book the totality of the relationship makes sense and is understandable. Extremely slow burn and angsty, but the conclusion is worth it! Stick with it to get the complete picture of what makes these two such a couple to root for. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

There were things I loved about this book and things that made me want to put it down and move on. I thought the character development was really good! The place where it just was like, alright already was with Temperance. The author didn’t do her justice in the first 3/4 of the book, so when the last couple of chapters came, I didn’t buy it….she showed zero of the emotions in the begnning. I know romances are the push pull thing, but there wasn’t enough of Temperance to hold on to.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was excited for this ARC copy after seeing all the positive reviews on Goodreads. I never say no to a romance especially a second chance one. The plot felt a bit drawn out but there was plenty of spice to keep you engaged. If you like a spicy slow burn and a fan of the Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Carly Fortune style and detail of writing then this would be for you.

This was a sweet second chance story with a lot of heart and character development. I thought the main characters were enjoyable and I loved the secondary characters. This has a good amount of spice and longing, too. The writing is super strong and the dialogue is believable.

Overall, I thought it was too long and that there were some pretty big plot holes. I think it could have be at least 50 pages shorter and told the story highlights well.

Whew. This one was a doozy and not in a good way. I really wanted to love this but there was just a lot going on. The plot had so much potential but it felt so unorganized. The main characters were likable but there were so many side characters intermingled with the Brady family that I couldn’t keep track of who was who. The main characters seemed to just get in their own way..they gave me whiplash. They have feelings for eachother but kept their distance to instantly being super involved. Sometimes I felt like I must have missed a chapter where they mended things..nope. It just was happening out of no where. We finally get the end where they are together and it felt rushed but then dragged on for a few more chapters. The book should have ended with them being together and the last chapter should have been an epilogue. All in all. I liked the idea of the book but it felt really messy.

Thank you for the early copy. As a second-chance romance addict I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the book after several attempts to pick it back up.

My mistake was assuming that even though this is a 2nd book that I would still be able to enjoy the book as a stand alone without having read the first story of the series.

I found it incredibly difficult to keep track of all the characters being introduced alongside all at once. It would have been better in my opinion to space out the character introductions or even have more clarity of the relationships and ties that brought them all together and who belonged with whom and how they were related, etc.

There was so much going in the beginning alongside with the over-descriptions of everything that honestly it sidetracked me of what was actually going on.

I think the overall idea of the two main characters was good. I liked Duncan’s character and was starting to form a connection with Temperance but in the end I couldn’t force myself to read something that I was not genuinely enjoying.

I wish I had more positive things to say since i hate giving bad reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP Griffin & Jen Devon for a digital ARC of Right Where We Left Us in exchange for an honest review.

The gorgeous cover drew me in immediately. It is perfection.

I loved the TJ & Duncan's story. Young lovers who has a magical fling in their teens & then were on & off over the years & then the occasional hook-ups. But now, they are in forced proximity which makes it impossible to ignore their feelings. Will they finally get it right?

You would think with all of their history, that there would be lots of action between TJ & Duncan, but nope - this was a sloooooooow burn. This was my first read by this author so I didn't know what to expect. The pacing was not great & it seemed like literally everything was over described. I feel like this book could have been cut by at least a third without all of the excessive wordiness. Sometimes less is more & I think this book could have benefited from that.

I enjoyed the concept & I liked the characters well enough & the setting was gorgeous. This was one of those books that I feel like it had all of the ingredients to be spectacular, but they just didn't get mixed in the right way, causing this one to fall a little short.

3/5 Stars for me.

I absolutely loved Jen Devon’s debut, Bend Toward the Sun, and jumped at the chance to read an early copy of the next in the series. Right Where We Left Us is about Dr. Temperance Madigan and architect/contractor Duncan Brady, who had a brief but intense relationship at 18 that fell apart for reasons the reader isn’t privy to at the start of the book. Due to close ties between their friends and family—her sister is married to one of his brothers and her best friend (Rowan from book 1) is about to marry a different brother—combined with unresolved feelings, neither Temperance nor Duncan have been able to truly move on from their relationship in the subsequent 14 years. Instead they have a pretty toxic cycle of avoidance, arguing, and then hooking-up. When they are forced to work together as Maid of Honor and Best Man for Rowan/Harry’s wedding they realize the time has finally come to confront their past.

I loved this book. Devon’s writing is beautiful and the story was full of angst and pining and longing that really worked for me. Despite the fraught history between them, it was clear that Temperance and Duncan still really care about one another, even when they do their best to push one another away. The family business/winery backdrop adds to the enjoyment as well—I love a romance with a big tight-knit family and it was nice to see more of Temperance’s sister Maren and the curmudgeon Brady brother Malcolm (who I have to believe is the MMC in Devon’s next book)! While this can absolutely be read as a standalone, I wished I had re-read Bend Toward the Sun before diving in. It is equally fabulous and only adds to the enjoyment of Right Where We Left Us. This amazing book releases June 18th. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-ARC; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The most interesting thing about this book is it’s a second chance romance and we don’t see much if any of their past yet they have over 14 years of memories and experiences together. It honestly broke my heart a little reading how much they let themselves get in their own way. Also okay she kind of sucked honestly and didn’t really have a real reason for pushing our love interest away TBH. It’s a lot of miscommunication trope so it’s getting 3 stars cause that’s how I feel

Slow burn spicy contemporary second chance romance with dual pov. There were SO many secondary characters. I wonder if I could have kept better track if I had read the first book (I did not realize this was 2nd in a series until after I looked up the author)? The writing was excellent and often even poetic. Sometimes I found the flowery descriptions beautiful, but other times it seemed a bit too much. I enjoyed the characters and setting. The chemistry was great and the spice was fantastic. The story, ultimately, dragged a little for me. Overall I enjoyed it and will read other books by this author.

I enjoyed Devon's first book in the series, Bend Toward the Sun, and was excited to see a follow-up that featured the same lovely Brady family and all their neighbors and loved ones.

As with the first book, this book had a compelling storyline with a descriptive writing style and plenty of interpersonal drama to amp up the sexual tension between the protagonists. (Honestly, are we sure these two are professional adults in their 30's? Because it felt like they were fully and willingly engaging in quarterlife-level emotional angst throughout the story, and my middle-aged sensibilities were exhausted by the end of the book.)

Regardless, there were plenty of lighthearted moments of teasing and comradery among the cast of characters, and some intrigue about friendships and family expectations that impacted the protagonists' ability to connect with honesty and authenticity. But this is a romance, so we know they'll get their HEA in the end, which they do.

Recommended for readers who love complex, fully developed characters and plenty of drama leading up to a satisfying conclusion.

All in all, I enjoyed this one! Contemporary second chance romances are often a tougher sell for me - so many times the breakup is due to a miscommunication or just characters being idiots and I just often don't resonate with the trope. I will say that I didn't mind the second chance aspect or initial breakup (essentially they were young and dumb).

I loved Duncan and would love if he existed in real life (if anyone has that magic power, I'll order one Duncan please!). Once he and Temperance got together, I totally understood their relationship and chemistry. OMG and also his tattoos!!! and the fact that he had the "temperance" tarot card tattooed on to him?? PLEASE your honor I love him!

I loved the family/found family dynamics in both Bend Toward the Sun and this book - I will say that at times this book felt just a little dense with other plot/characters so I did have to slow down and back up a few times. That didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book at all, just a note that this might be a little slower of a read for some people - but I think this book is worth the savoring!

I do recommend reading Bend Towards the Sun before picking this one up, though it's probably not 100% necessary

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.