I really enjoyed Jen Devon’s follow up to Bend Toward the Sun. This book was full of tension and I loved seeing beloved characters from the first book again. Looking forward to more from Devon!

This was an adorable sweet second chance romance. I loved Duncan he is so selfless and sweet. You can't help but want them to get together and get past all their issues. I liked the flow and how this story played out. It was very realistic and I felt like I could really see myself in this story. Super cute.

✅ dual POV
✅ forced proximity; Temperance and Duncan have been on again off again for years, and now her best friend is marrying his brother
✅in their mid 30s
✅ so much angst
✅ no third act breakup
🌶️: yes

This is book 2 in a series, I haven’t read Book 1 - the couple from Book 1 shows up here, so if that’s a spoiler for you, read them in order.

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved its predecessor but for some reason, this book just didn't hit the right notes for me. Jen Devon's writing continues to be lush and lyrical and evocative. But I think the pacing was a little off in this book and for a second chance romance, I wasn't quite sure what it was that kept these two apart for as long as it did. I can understand their first time at bat, they were both very young and incapable of understanding what it took to make a relationship work, especially with her lousy parents and their interference. But it took so long for them to come back together and why?

Also, the way that Duncan is presented in the first book is such a departure from how he's presented in this one and I'm not saying that it's bad to give the hero more depth, that's obviously good and necessary. I guess the internal angst that kept these two apart for so long didn't work as well for me.

Finally, Duncan keeps a pretty big secret for TJ for much of the book and it's a pretty big doozy. The way that secret is revealed and then resolved seems to happen very very quickly and I felt that didn't work as well. Again, that's a pacing issue. However, I'm still keeping this author on my list of must reads and am super excited for what I hope will be the pairing in the next book.

Content warnings: toxic parental relationships, sickness, hospitalization

I’m not usually a second chance girlie but the blurb made me request it and it did not disappoint! Maybe I’m a second chance girlie now??? I thought this was so well executed and the author did such a fantastic job of portraying the characters! I will 10000000% be buying a copy for my shelf when it releases!

I liked Jen Devon's debut a lot, but it didn't sink into me in the way that it did for so many of my reading friends. For me, Right Where We Left Us is that book. The craft in making me feel the entire weight of the protagonists past without deploying very many flashbacks is extraordinary and the FEELINGS of it all, resonated so beautifully. The book also takes the stale familial meddling trope and executes it in a way that actually feels the familial warmth and love that's more often said told but not shown. If the book has a flaw, it's that the cast of characters is SO large and it has been some time since the previous book, so jogging my memory as to how all of these characters are connected was sometimes a challenge. But again, the author gives you what you need, so you can figure it out as you go along. Loved reading this very much and looking forward to future works in this universe and among this family with eagerness.

The beginning of this book felt confusing. After looking up the author’s work, this is the 2nd book in a series but can be read as a stand alone. It’s not marketed as a sequel. But their small town family has so many people/different relationships, I was having a hard time keeping everything straight. It would be easier had I known about book 1.

It was a great combination of deep and thoughtful while also being romantic and sweet. Felt like literary fiction AND romance.

That being said, I couldn’t get into it. Too many descriptions. Wanted more plot and less atmospheric details.

I can see how another reader may enjoy this one more. It just found me at the wrong time.

I received an arc of the book through NetGalley. I gave this book 4 stars.

This book is about Temperance and Duncan, who found love at a young age then life happened and they couldn’t be together anymore, while pining after another for many years.

It took a little while for me to be invested in Temperance and Duncan’s relationship. I was confused for some of it, like why they wouldn’t be together as adults and what happened as kids. I started feeling their chemistry about halfway through the book.

I loved the Brady family. Everything about them was wonderful.

There was a lot of describing in this book. It sometimes took me away from being hooked. It was definitely a slower read for me because of this, but I still definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to @smpromance for a digital ARC. Right Where We Left Us is a second-chance romance where plenty of time has passed. There is so much tension between Temperance and Duncan. I could feel their pain in this story, they are two tortured souls who so desperately want to be together but think they can't. I'm glad that I read Bend Toward the Sun first because the Brady family and friends are really all set up in the first book. I thought the contrast between the Brady family and Temperance's parents was interesting. I really loved the friendship between Temperance, Rowan, and Frankie. I'm a reader who loves dialogue, so I did feel like there were some parts that were slow because there are a lot of inner thoughts from both main characters. Overall, I enjoyed the tension-filled romance where these two just can't stay away from each other. Also, there is a tattoo discovery that melted my heart.

Duncan and Temperance fell in love at 18. They've been on-again off-again ever since. With Duncan's brother getting married and Temperance's many ties to his family, she ends up staying at the Brady's vineyard for the summer. Fourteen years later, there is still a pull between them. The more time they spend together the stronger that connection becomes.

Duncan and Temperance's relationship was messy and complex. There was a constant back and forth which made for some delicious tension between them. I ate up every second of it. There were reasons that kept them apart, but it was so painfully obvious they were meant to be. It was frustrating at times when it seemed like the scene was finally coming when they would commit to each other. But then something would happen and pull them apart again. But it was frustrating in a good way because I loved all the angst it created. I'm so glad this was written in dual POV because it made the pining for each other feel so real. I ached for them to find their forever.

In my opinion you must read Bend Toward the Sun before this book. I read it when it was released two years ago and it took me some time to get all the characters straight again. Once it all came back to me and I settled in, everything was all good but I probably would have benefited from a reread.

Beyond the romance, I enjoyed the setting, close family vibes and the author's beautifully descriptive writing. The next book was set up and I can't wait to read it.

4.5 stars

Sometimes I find books like these to be cheesy but this one was well written. It is a second chance on/off again romance that was very believable. The characters were written with depth and it was an easy book to get though. So glad I was able to read this ARC. Thank you NetGalley.

This book is such a heart throbber! My emotions were all over the place and I loved it so much! I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for other to read it!

"...𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘤."

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗨𝘀 is poetrrrry. The imagery was elegant and evocative of sweet summer mornings spent during a blissful childhood.

- ~ -

The story follows Temperance Madigan and Duncan Brady and in a second chance setting where they try to act as friends for a mutual wedding only their history suggests they could never be anything but lovers. With subtle matchmaking hijinks and oddly fitting analogies, Temp and Duncan realise they've grow up but not quite grown out of each other.

- ~ -

Duncan is a sweetheart. He deserves all the love. It was quite obvious even in the previous book he used humour as disguise for all that he hid underneath and it was a pleasure to read his story.

Temperance's fierceness towards her profession was abundant throughout but I fear she didn't add much to the story.

Above all, I wish to have Frankie and Mal's book in my hands soon. I just know she'll be a sassy queen and Mal'd be wrapped around her fingers.

3.97 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Right Where We Left Us is one hell of a romantic slow burn! Temperance and Duncan have always been in love, but time was never on their side, but when a wedding brings Temperance back to Duncan’s family winery from the summer, they’re forced to face the chemistry sizzling between them. Right Where We Left Us is all the things you want in a romantic novel. It’s angsty and nostalgic and wistful. Duncan loves so fully, and he is complex and dynamic. Temperance too has so much she wants to prove, and she’s smart and full of light. The slow burn sizzles and I just pined for these two to get together. Duncan is such a well written romantic hero; he’s kind and driven and sexy, and there’s just so much love he has for Temperance. And their chemistry is so strong. The story covers a good span of time, and I feel at times it felt a touch long, but the characters are so real and flawed. There’s no leaning on miscommunication; Temperance and Duncan are a team. They look out for each other, even when they’re mad at each other. This could be read as a standalone, but I think it works better if you read Bend Towards the Sun first since the background story there helps set this one up. This is a dreamy, angsty romance and I definitely recommend this as a summer read!

Right Where We Left us by Jen Devon follows Temperance (T.J.) and Duncan on their journey to a second chance romance. I gave this book 3.5 stars because I felt like I was missing the character development and felt like I was dropped into a novel where I was supposed to already know the characters. I didn't know this was a second book in a series. I think it is an interconnected stand alone but I felt like I was missing something as I read it so a better reading experience might have been to have read the first book in the series prior to this one.

What I did enjoy about the book was the connections between the Brady family. I also like that it was told in dual POV because I really enjoy reading the inner thoughts and feelings and getting the perspective of both main characters.

While I did feel the connection between the main characters, I had a hard time getting invested in their relationship and had to power through to finish the book.

I enjoyed the troupes in this book and if second chance romance and forced proximity are high on your list of troupes, then this book may be for you! If you enjoyed her first book and enjoy an angsty romance full of pinning for one another, then I would give this book a try when it releases on June 18, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to voluntarily read this book and give an honest review.

Synopsis: Temperance and Duncan had a brief summer together, but after an unforeseen event, they are now only on again/off again lovers and can barely stand to be in the same room. They are forced to spend the summer together as Temperance’s best friend is marrying Duncan’s brother...and Temperance’s sister is also married to another one of Duncan’s brothers. Now having to spend all this time around each other may allow them to heal old wounds and rekindle their flame, but they have to let each other in to finally get it right.

Review: I genuinely feel like second chance romances are hard to pull off. In this case, it felt like this was the 100th chance to figure it out, and they still haven't. The entire book was encapsulating the self sabotage that they both had done to the relationship. At some point, they really should've just called it off and been friends. YES, I understand that it is a romance book and they will get their HEA, but I genuinely did not feel like it was worth the strife and the problems they created all on their own.

I think that if this story had been written a little bit differently, it would've resonated more with me. There were multiple times where I literally thought "Temperance, you are a doctor of medicine, you should act a little bit more mature and hear him out." Like I wanted them to act their age and attempt to fix it or just call it quits instead of being in limbo for most of the book. I didn't need them to get together in the first chapter, but at least have progress or a direction for the characters.

I think that this is an overall enjoyable book though. The small town vibes and found family aspect for Temperance are endearing and of course, Duncan is a tatted, muscular farm boy who adores her. If you want a quick read, this would be good!

**Also, this is actually the second book, but was not labeled. I was super confused with all the characters that were at the beginning that seemed to have short intros. I ended up searching up her other books and noticed that there was the connected book.**

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Full disclosure: I already think this writer can do no wrong, so am I truly an impartial judge? Only one way to find out. Pick up Bend and fall in love. You’ll have no choice but to then pre-order Duncan’s story, which releases on June 18, 2024.

Partial Disclosure: I’m not even finished with the ARC yet, but I’m reviewing it anyway, because nothing short of a meteor crashing into the planet could cause this to end badly.

Duncan Brady sees himself as the ugly duckling of his family, but not like that. He knows he’s gorgeous, and he knows he’s funny, but he feels unaccomplished compared to his siblings who are out there rocking advanced degrees and best-seller lists. He was on his way to potentially great things, until a piss-poor decision shattered his heart and that of the woman he just can’t get out from under his skin.

The tattoos and the beard may have modified his exterior, but inside he’s mad at himself and the world for the situation he’s in, and the love he wants to get back, but doesn’t feel he deserves.

Dr. Temperance Madigan shaped herself into the form most pleasing for her emotionally absent parents, but her calling isn’t to sit in a boardroom and dictate the direction of her family legacy. She wants to be on the ground, in her clinic, helping parents and children be healthy and thrive. There’s just the problem of funding, and her parents are holding all the financial cards.

There’s also the problem of Duncan. Thanks to the marriages of her sister, and now her good friend, to Brady men, she can’t get away from him, and she can’t decide if she even wants to. He does things to her insides that she loves and hates simultaneously, because he also broke her way back when they were teenagers, and the heart doesn’t forget.

The push and pull between these two is beautifully frustrating. I’ve never met two people more determined to ignore their own wants and needs. I want to slap them silly and lock them in a room together until they figure it out. Or something else that begins with F.

I love seeing glimpses of Rowan and Harry from Bend. Their story was agony, and their HEA is lovely to witness. There’s also the tension between friend Frankie and Brady brother, Mal.

Jen, if you’re reading this, they better be book three or I will throw things. The only thing I love more than a broken man is a broken man who’s broody.

Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon was such a fantastically emotionally romantic book. I love how quiet Jen Devon's writing is in the best way possible. It's not overly complicated, it's straightforward but filled with such emotion. This book was no different than her debut novel, in fact, I would say it was even better. There is great character development and you definitely feel everything that the characters feel. The pining, oh my goodness, the pining. I really enjoyed reading this book.

I would like to thank St. Martins press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

so this book was extremely hard to read with all the characters and their back stories that I did not really follow at all.. it’s definitely a very slow burn book and for sure does not work as a standalone novel.. you’ll get way to confused if you don’t read whatever novel comes first.. it was boring.. but I would definitely need to read the first book to understand anything.. and Duncan and Temperance were extremely immature in my opinion.. they’re both characters that did not heal in ANY WAY..

Right Where We Left Us by Jen Devon
I want to say right away that the description should have said this was a sequel. This book was very hard to read because there were a million characters whose backstories must have been established in the earlier novel, it does not work as a stand-alone. The novel is a slooooow burn second chance romance between Duncan and Temperance. They are both unhealed characters who, even in their thirties, contestants say what they actually mean and want. This was tough for me. Because they aren't acting like adults. If they were in their 20s the angst would make more sense. Maybe I'm not the right audience. Definitely needed to have read the first book. Great for lovers of Hallmark and Lifetime movies.