Bend Towards the Sun was one of my favorite books of the year when it came out, so I was so excited to read this one!

I love Jen Devon's writing, it's beautifully done and her character work is wonderful. The way she makes the location feel alive and like a character itself adds depth to her stories! However, something didn't quite work with this book for me, and even though I finished reading it a few months ago, I can't quite put my finger on it. Because there were parts I loved, and I have so many highlighted lines! But something about the timeline and the organization of the story just didn't click into place. It felt like we were dropped in the middle of something, and it wasn't quite second chance but it was? It's like I can see what she was trying to do, but it fell short for me in its execution.

Will I keep reading everything she writes? Absolutely! This just sadly isn't quite on the level of BTTS for me.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to SMP Romance for this advanced copy.

Right Where We Left Us, much like Jen Devon's debut, has strong foundations but left me feeling like something was missing. I’ve mulled over this review for weeks because, while part of me loved this book, I also found myself rereading passages, feeling like I’d missed something. Perhaps it’s the overly lyrical third-person narrative that didn’t quite resonate with me.

A family tree would have been helpful to keep track of all the characters. The sheer number of family members added to the confusion, making it difficult to remember who was who and how they were connected. You can't dive into this book completely blind. While it's marketed as a standalone, it doesn't entirely read that way.

Temperance and Duncan had incredible tension, both emotionally and physically. The angst was palpable, and their connection was so strong that you genuinely felt for them. The novel also offers some truly beautiful quotes. However, the flip side was that Temperance kept rejecting Duncan, creating a cycle of breakthroughs followed by reversions. This back-and-forth sometimes felt like emotional whiplash, and not always for the best reasons.

I had some of these same feelings with Bend Toward the Sun, but since that was a debut, I chalked it up to first-time growing pains. Maybe third time’s the charm?

Gimme any Jen Devon book and I know I'll devour it, getting swept away by its sweeping cinematic set up and a story I cannot do anything but get lost in.
Right Where We Left Us is a slow burn, second chance romance with lots of tension and big emotions that just pulled on my heart strings.

Even though it's the second book in the series, it can totally be read as a standalone - by why would you?! Grab the first book too!

I felt this book could have had a tad better pacing (being faster in some areas and linger more in others) so I deducted half a point to rate this romance at 4.5/5 from an otherwise truly wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for allowing me to read this book ahead of its publication date.

This is a cute forced proximity and second chance romance. It is a beautiful live style win deep works in the families. It was warm and fuzzy read.

I'm a huge fan of second chance romance so I was really excited to read this one! I only wish I had read the first book (Bend Toward the Sun) beforehand. All in all, this was a decent read with a lovely HEA ending :)

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Jen Devon’s Right Where We Left Us follows the tempestuous, on-again, off-again love story between former secret teen lovers Temperance Jean Madigan and Duncan Brady as they’re forced together for a summer wedding at the Brady’s Vineyard. After years of being virtual strangers engaging in small talk, adversarial banter, and messy secret hookups every now and again, can they finally get things right this summer?

Devon’s beautiful writing and storytelling, vibrant with details, makes it so easy to visualize every scene, making you feel present with the characters experiencing every moment with them. She excellently develops her characters through clothing, appearance, mannerisms, quirks, interactions, and conversations. Despite how thoroughly she dives into her characters' physical, emotional, and thought worlds, Devon doesn’t waste words. She shares her characters’ knowledge of each other and intimacy through colorful, natural-sounding dialogue peppered with snarky banter that perfectly suits her characters, multilayered story, theme, and setting, and contributes to her rich world-building, character development, and the flow of the novel’s scenes and pacing.

Duncan’s and Temperance’s lives are intricately tied because of the connection between their hearts, souls, and bodies, but also because their siblings are married, and friends' lives are also romantically tied. So, even if they wanted to avoid being around each other, they couldn’t. Devon develops and explores Temperance’s and Duncan’s relationship—passionate, sexy, and full of so much chemistry—through banter, interactions, and memories that are emotional, intimate, funny, sensual, and steamy. They have a lifetime of moments and knowledge of each other that have become a part of who they are, linking them together. Duncan and Temperance have a shared sense of humor. Their eyes are always on each other, and their physical attraction and awareness are like a live wire constantly drawing them back to each other. As much as they love each other, their relationship is so messy, rife with unresolved emotions and problems.

Right Where We Left Us may be the best-written second-chance romance I’ve read. It’s multilayered, sweet, passionate, sexy, steamy, funny, and full of rich moments between Duncan and Temperance that show how they're meant to be together. These two have never stopped—and will always—love one another. They just needed time and life experience to grow into the people they needed to be and mature to live together with the intensity of the love and connection that they shared, especially considering the external pressures that Duncan’s family’s business and Temperance’s relationship with her parents were exerting on them.

Sweet, steamy, funny, sexy, nostalgic, emotional, romantic, and fast-paced, Right Where We Left Us is a beautifully written love story perfect for fans of first love, friends-to-lovers, on-again-off-again, small-town, forbidden love, secret lovers, and second-chance romance.

St. Martin's Griffin provided an advanced reading copy via Netgalley for review.

The book was fine but I received approval very late on this book and I have a feeling it has to do with the boycott and just approving as many people as possible for ARCs

its been a while since I've read a second chance romance that was also a third, fourth, with chance romance due to the on again and off again nature of the relationship! this adds so much emotion, history, drama, as an undercurrent and I was here for it!

Im likely the problem for the lower 3 star rating as I didn't know this was a second book in a series and I really feel like it didn't work well as a stand alone! I plugged my way through but there is definitely plenty I missed because of this.

With that being said, there's still plenty good to say about the story. The tension was a delicious slow burn that had me begging for more and once the heat hit it was HOT! I thought the world was well crafted, the writing was really well done, and the characters were engaging! this is for sure a book id like to revise after I've read the series in the correct order and can give this one a fair shot! I have a feeling it'll blow me away the second time around!

I ended up starting Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon a few weeks past the publication date because I overlooked it, but I was still really interested in the story so I picked it up and I was hooked!! Duncan Brady is just the epitome of a hard working, loyal, strong, decent man. I adored him! His family and the dynamic between all of them was so fun and made me want to be a part of the Brady family too. Temperance is a lucky lady! The angst and slow burn was driving me crazy, in the best way possible! The perfect combination of my favorite tropes: best friends brother, slight enemies to lovers, second chance love, and secret relationship. 🔥

I did find a few parts slightly confusing, but it all resolved by the end. I think I may be to blame for the confusion since I was reading it so fast!


Thank you Jen Devon, Netgalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC!

What happens when you can't get over the love of your life? You keep doing everything you can to prove you are worthy of love. That is the love story of Temperance and Duncan. It is loving story that started as kids that grew up together but completely different backgrounds. I loved these two, the banter how much they know each other so well. How they make each other a better version of themselves and know matter far they go they are drawn to each other.

Temperance (TJ) has always been close to the Brady family, then there is on again off again relationship Duncan so when a wedding throws them back together, it seems like they are strangers. And for Duncan, having TJ this close is distraction he can't afford. But no other choice, buried tensions resurface and force them to confront each other the love they have and maybe get it right this time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this story for my honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

The highlights: the writing was well done. The angst and slow burn (very slow burn) were next level. You could cut the tension between Duncan and Temperance with a knife. I was so interested in their back story, their conflict, and where they were going. Jen Devon was a master at building suspense just to drop you into the next hour, day, week, etc. (She did occasionally circle back.)

That said, this book was very slow moving. I often felt like I was running in place, waiting to be cut loose on the meat of it. I also felt like I was missing something. Why was Temperance staying with the Bradys? What was the origin story? Why was all her stuff in moving boxes? How/why was she off work for so long? Etc. Some of these lingering questions were addressed, some weren't. There were also a very large number of characters and a significant amount of time spent "world-building" for a romance book. Eventually, I decided I just wasn't going to keep it all straight and powered through.

Overall, not quite the book for me. I highly recommend you pick it up if you are looking for an angsty, second chance, slow burn romance. (With lots of family ties.)

DNF @ 48%

Like I've seen being said by other readers, I did not know there was a book before this. I think going into this, I would have enjoyed the book better if I knew what was going on. There is an obvious gap that needs to be filled if you haven't read the previous book.

Not to let that deter you, but for some odd reason, I didn’t understand why the characters couldn't be together. It was frustrating as a reader trying to understand the logistics, and I don't believe they were sound.

I'm not sure I also like the author's writing style. It was set in 3rd person, which isn't my thing, but continued through. The writing just felt too lyrical and felt like a poem at times, if that makes any sense!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this read!

Jen Devon creates yearning and angst like no other, and I just felt like I was right in the world with Duncan and Temperance, and I found their story to be intense and just plain romantic. Second Chance at its best. I cannot wait to read the continued works of Jen Devon

Right Where We Left Us is the sequel to Bend Toward The Sun. This romance book has different narrators, however the characters from the first book are all in this book. I highly recommend reading this in order (and I really don't understand why this isn't listed as a series on Goodreads).

These books focus so much on family. That is definitely one of the best parts of this series. It was really nice to see all of these characters from the first book again.

This book is divided into four parts with alternating male and female POVs. This is Temperance and Duncan's story. Duncan is part of the Brady family. His brother Harry was the male main character in Bend Toward The Sun. Temperance's best friend is Rowan the heroine of that book. And Temperance's sister is married to one of the Brady brothers.

I was actually very surprised that this book picks up right where the first book left off. However from a different couple's POVs.

We met Temperance and Duncan in the last book. They fell in love as teenagers. But they broke up. She is a doctor. He is a general contractor for his family's winery. I like them so much. However I really did not understand why they couldn't be together. Overall I really did enjoy this book. And I am definitely looking forward to the next book.

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.

This book really had it all - Sweetness, witty banter, and spice! 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.

Highly enjoyed reading this. Admittedly requested it bc of the title but I do love a second chance romance and this delivered.

Before I begin this review, I want to address the author personally if there's any chance she'd ever see this. Jen, I think you are an incredible author and I will read every single thing you write from now until the end of time. I have lots of lovely things to say about this book and some maybe not so lovely but it doesn't change any of my above statement.

I fell so hard and so fast for Jen Devon's first book that I would like to consider myself an hononary Brady. It's my rainy sunday book. It's my go-to comfort reading book. It's my "get me out of this book hangover book" and will be for a long time. When I heard that there was a book two in this world I was so ecstatic to read it and then when I found out it was a second chance romance, I wanted to actually weep with joy. The set up for both Duncan and Temperance in book one was so well executed (Malcolm and Frankie as well!) that I thought this book would be a no-brainer.

Here's my complaint. When you're writing a second chance romance, you have to have some sort of dual timeline thing happening so you see the events of the present against the events of the past to find out about The THING™️ that breaks them apart. This book didn't have that. We get like moments of the past as they are retold in the present tense but the timeline is murky and weird. I've read this book twice now and I still don't fully understand why Duncan and TJ ended things when they were young.

At the end of book 1, it's pretty clear that Duncan was under the impression that TJ was in love with his brother Harry and that was the thing preventing them from being together now. I almost feel like the author decided against that plotline for the second book but then still had to reconcile the two REASONS and it didn't fit.

That being said, we all go through sophomore slumps and I bet book 3 will be incredible.

Here are the lovely things to say:

The writing - Still so beautiful. I highlighted so many sentences and phrases that gave me all the feels and that I thought were just gorgeous prose. I totally and completely understood TJ's deep love for Duncan and how much he loved her back. Visually, this book slapped (although maybe a little less than the first?)

Humor - Jen Devon is funny! Her characters routinely made me chuckle and the way the family members talk to each other felt so real and true.

Character development - I'm pretty sure that Devon knows the start charts for each of her characters and could explain how they would react in any random scenario posed to her. They are so clear and believable, making you feel like you know all of them in real life.

Apologies for this review being all over the place but many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon gave me all the summer romance feels I’ve been hoping to capture but haven’t quite been able to find so far this year. Her follow-up to Bend Toward the Sun, Right Where We left Us exudes the longing of star-crossed lovers, chemistry that leaps off the page, and a cast of characters worth rooting for—all the things I like best in my love stories.

Just as I’ve seen many other readers say, I’m not sure why these two books aren’t promoted as a series. They most definitely are, practically picking up where the last one ended, just focused on a new couple within the Brady family universe. You could probably get away with reading this one without reading the previous book, but you might find yourself a little lost among all the characters. (And missing out terribly!) The Brady family is a big one. And even though I read the previous book, I still had to stop and jot down the family tree to refresh my memory. Once I did, I had everyone straight for the rest of the book.

In Right Where We Left Us, we get Duncan’s and Temperance’s story. Duncan is the youngest Brady brother, while Temperance is the younger sister of Maren, who married Duncan’s older brother Patrick. (See, I warned you it can get confusing!) A second-chance romance, Duncan and Temperance had a “secret” romance the summer they were eighteen, one that was so powerful they still haven’t gotten over it fourteen years later, often finding themselves unable to stay away from each other when thrown together for family gatherings. The reason these two can’t just be together is slowly revealed and I was relieved that it was a worthy reason.

Sometimes when I read romances where our leads have pined for each other for years and years, it seems unbelievable. But I believed Duncan and Temperance. For one thing, they’ve continued to be in each other’s orbit, having to see one another often, and secondly, it was believable because they were so young when they first fell in love; it took time for them to understand their strong emotions.

Duncan and Temperance are somewhat similar in that they are both kind and sociable, but also hard on themselves. Duncan is eager to prove his worth in the Brady family, but also desires something of his own. And while Duncan comes from the most loving of families (sometimes too loving), Temperance has a very strained relationship with her parents who have crippling expectations for her, especially since they’ve been estranged from her sister Maren who chose marriage over a career. Because of all this familial tension, I expected our couple’s story would take a certain, more predictable direction, but was pleasantly surprised when it didn’t.

I could read books in this setting forever! The Brady family had just acquired a Pennsylvania vineyard and farm in the previous book, working to restore it. They’re continuing the work in this one, and it’s the perfect summer setting with fireflies, late night swimming, thunderstorms, and a wedding to prepare for. And I adore Devon’s writing style. She’s exceptional at painting a scene, breathing life into her characters, and making me believe in their connections.

Thankfully there are plenty of Brady siblings, and friends, to continue the series. Right Where We Left Us clearly sets up the next book, and I’m very anxious to get brooding brother, single dad Mal’s story next!

If you read and enjoyed Bend Toward the Sun, you should equally enjoy Right Where We Left Us. And if you haven’t read either, but you love a heartfelt summer romance with a magical setting, make some time to visit with the Brady family!

This book sounded like it would be good but I simply couldn’t fully invest in it. For me it was a slow read & was drawn out. The characters were average & I don’t feel they connected the best.