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!!

Format - Paperback/EARC (Netgalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶

Series- Cloud Tide

Troupes- Second chance, mutual pining, small town, childhood lovers

Representation-

CW- neglectful parents


I have been waiting for this book for over a year and after getting to meet the wonderful Jen Devon in person I could not have been more excited to both get an ARC from Netgalley and win a ARC paperback from Jen.

I was so intrigued by the bearded Duncan and Doctor Temperance when we met them in “Bend Toward the Sun”. And now I can say with confidence that everyone needs to read their story. It is one of the best Second chance romances I have read in a very long time and I will not be able to get them out of my head. Jens Characters are so well flushed out and they just walk off the page and make you love them.

I know I have said this before, Jen’s descriptive imagery is like a movie playing in my head. In both her Novels now I have highlighted the hell out of it because the words she uses and puts together there way she describes things makes my brain happy.

This book is spicer then they Harry and Rowan’s and I think that it perfectly normal and really fucking wonderful. Temperance and Duncan’s chemistry just levitates off the page and drags you under.

I cannot wait for whatever Jen has next for us and will definitely be seeking out the Audio for this one.

Thank you Jen Devon, Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the advanced copy all opinions are my own.

This book was so satisfying to read! It was mature, funny, honest, and realistic.

Temperance and Duncan, and their second chance at love gave me all the feels. The author, Jen Devon, wrote so tenderly about them, I truly felt it in my heart.

All the supporting characters were written so well, and added extra emotion and fun to the story.

I would definitely recommend this book!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I will forever be a fan of Cloud Tide. This world that Jen Devon has created is the literal BEST! I love close-knit, large families who adopt people into their lives as if they were their own. Gives me all the heart eyes!!!! I was obsessed with Bend Toward the Sun and Right Where We Left Us was no different. Duncan was hilarious in BTTS, and I was so excited that his story was the next to be told.

Slow Burn seems to be a hit or miss trope for a lot of people. But, I think Jen does a great job of giving us such a great journey, that the slow burn doesn't feel too incredibly slow. I will say that I felt like the slow burn here wasn't quite as slow as BTTS.

I absolutely loved Temperance and could relate so much to her just wanting to keep the peace. I was so happy for her when she gained her voice and stood up for herself.

As with Bend Toward the Sun, my only complain is that I didn't want the book to end.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a chance to be an early reader! My review will be posted to my bookstagram on Friday, May 31.

my rating: 4.5/5 stars

I did not know this was the second book in a series. Perhaps that led to some of my issues but, holy moly, were there a lot of characters. Like, so many siblings and in-laws and children and friends. I was so confused. And then I felt like I needed more back story for Temperance and Duncan. The author actually provided quite a bit, but I still felt like it was lost at the beginning while I was attempting to find my way through the other characters, and then I never caught up to them. Also, way too many secrets and misunderstandings. Some books revolve around one or two secrets - this book was secreting all over the place.

All that said, I still found myself involved and enjoying it? At least after the 50% mark where both the story and myself as the reader found our strides.

I really liked this book. It was a little slow at the beginning, but you find yourself rooting foe Duncan and Temperance. There is so much history between them, and so many secrets. I also loved the supporting characters. They lost so much time because of caring too much what other people would think. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

If you're here because you read Bend Toward the Sun and you want more of Jen Devon's dreamy scene-setting, you are in for a treat! The Brady's are back, and boy, do I love a meddling family.

I ADORE how in touch with each character the POVs are. Temperance thinks and feels in medical vocabulary and Duncan in architecture, which are both romantic in their own way, and it's so lovely and authentic to experience with them.

Both MCs are maddening, and together they are maddeningly hot. Gonna go think about chopping wood.

The book lightly dips its toe into dual-timeline, and I think exploring that further would have made it 5 stars for me. There is so much delicious longing, and we would have felt all 14 of those years deeper if we spent more time in the past.

I devoured this read, I just wanted a little more from it.

This book took me a bit to get into, but once I got into the groove of the story I enjoyed it! The story itself was very engaging, but I think I mostly struggled with the writing style. I thought both Temperance and Duncan were interesting characters, and it was pretty neat to see a male main character who was a bit more emotionally aware then the FMC. Also, I really loved the secondary characters in the story and would love to hear more about them!

I really enjoyed Bend Toward the Sun and have been excited for this follow up book. I went in blind so I didn't know that the entire book is based on a second chance relationship filled with secrets. So I just can't. Life is too short for books with secrets.

Roses: Duncan and TJs love was undeniable. The family relationships were also a huge highlight of this story. I’m always a sucker for a happy ever after and was happy this happened for this couple. The spice was good in this and wasn’t too much.

Thorns: I didn’t really like TJ. I was getting annoyed with her responses to Duncan when he would tell her about this feelings. She didn’t ever seem receptive unless it was something she wanted. To me there wasn’t much reason why she couldn’t be with him yet she made some reason. Duncan also was petty with how he would drop his feelings all out there when it was pretty obvious it wasn’t the right time to talk about it. He really took every interaction they had and made it about his feelings for her. Like bro read the room and literally not everything needs to be about you. I thought it was super weird that everyone said how much each of the sisters wanted to become a Brady. That was a bit cringey to me. I’m just not a fan of the small town keep it in the family type of thing. I also wasn’t a huge fan of how the POVs were written. I’ve read a few books recently that have had this model and for me takes away from being fully immersed in the character.

Tenía meses esperando este libro y cuando me dieron el arc estaba muy feliz, lamentablemente no me gustó.

** spoiler alert **

Hace 14 años Temperance y Duncan tuvieron una relación secreta que terminó mal, durante esos años apenas y se vieron, sin embargo, siempre terminaban teniendo sexo y al otro día se ignoraban.

Lo que odie fue que se supone que él la ama, que es la única, sin embargo, durmió con medio mundo y según él las otras no significaron nada, pero se ofendía cuando Temperance trataba lo suyo como una aventura. Decía que la quería recuperar y en esa década jamás intento nada para disculparse y recuperarla.
Rompieron porque el quiso y volvieron porque él decidió que ya era tiempo. 😒
Ah, también anteponía los deseos de cualquiera a los de ella, durante el 70-80% estuvo de "novio" con Millie la chica con la salió al terminar su relación con Temp a los 19, pero nunca pudo decirle que era una relación falsa para alejar al exmarido de la chica. Que más dan los sentimientos de ella si lo importante era ayudar a la otra, mejor Millie conocía todos los secretos del tarado que la propia Temp, ¿cómo se supone que crea que él sólo la ha amado si le tenía más confianza a la mujer con quien tenía una relación falsa?


Temperance no sabe bien lo que pasa entre Millie y Ducan, los ve abrazados, con la familia de ella, bailando, tomándose fotos, viéndose con ojos de amor, o sea la invitó como su cita a la boda del hermano y aun así la tonta de Temp dejaba que el idiota la besara. Ojalá tuviera amor propio y se hubiera dado la oportunidad de conocer a alguien que la tratara como reina y no estuviera esperando al tipo que terminó su relación cuando los padres le ofrecieron dinero.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC REVIEW

Right Where we left Us
BY Jen Devon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5 (2 out of 5)

Publishing date: 6/18/2024

I think its safe to say this author isn't for me.

I read her previous book in 2022 and disliked that as well. I wanted to give her work another try. (Everyone deserves a redemption story.) However, I'm not a fan of the 3rd person POV this book has. I don't jive with the writing, and there are SO many side characters....I didn't feel they were needed, and it was distracting.

However...just because I dislike something doesn't mean you won't love it! Check out the GOODREADS SUMMARY to see if this is something you would like to add to your tbr 🙂

Even though it wasn't for me, I am always thankful to @stmartinspress
And @netgalley for the ARC opportunity

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book. all opinions are my own.

I will post my full review once SMP address the insensitive comments of their employee.

This series is low-key becoming one of my favorites! All the couples, side characters, scenery settings, & plotline are extremely comforting.

TJ & Duncan's relationship has always been on the rocks. They've tiptoed around for each other for a long time with occasional hookups and unlimited feelings. I loved reading the past & present chapters and knowing how they become what they are now. Their chemistry is off the charts and level of care & love they had for each other was heartwarming. That's what I loved the most; though there was steam, so was love too.

Until 50% through (or more) the book you won't exactly know what went wrong back then, but stick around cause it will be one hell of a ride. Some decisions or actions might leave you surprised, but all works out in the end.

Can't wait for book 3 in the series. And if I'm correct and the way Jen teased us about THAT couple, I'm already losing my mind and honestly sooooo looking forward to it.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I DNF at 25%. I really didn’t dislike it, I just found myself not wanting to pick it back up and it started feeling like it was hanging over my head, so I decided to let it go. I think this authors writing is both beautiful and a little much for me personally. It’s a lottttt of backstory, unnecessary details, and a little forced. But I can definitely see the appeal for the right audience!

If you’ve had a relationship like this one, then you just get it. It’s sexy but unhealthy. Exciting but tiring. This book encapsulates all of that. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. Publication date June 18, 2024.

Jen Devon’s second novel Right Where We Left Us embodies romance angst (14 years!) and the deep pain and joy of a second chance at love. All the elements I savored in Bend Toward the Sun carried forward and blossomed fully - the heart-wrenching redemptive power of love, sizzling passion, and of course, the most lovable and ebullient Brady family. I completely and utterly savored this novel, and will wish and wait for Mal and Frankie’s turn next (a girl can dream)!

Thank you to St. Martin's press for the ARC.

Jen Devon has written a novel that takes you through a whirl wind of emotions. Temperance and Duncan feel like friends, you love, but frustrate you at the same time. As their story unfolds you are amazed at how real the conversations feel, and how two people can talk so much, but never say anything.

This novel that can be read as a stand-alone (which I did), but it's a continuation of the Brady family and their world from her first novel. I can not wait to go back and read this introduction to the Brady family and their beautiful property.

Right Where We Left Us is heartwarming, a little bit spicy and totally enjoyable!