After the Storm by Laura Pavlov is live!
This is the most beautiful second-chance-romance! A small-town, single parent romance that is sweet, fun and sexy with no unnecessary drama, this book had me all up in my feels, and I loved every moment of it!
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Blurb
He’s a grumpy single dad. She’s the one who got away. They haven’t seen one another in years, and now they’re stuck in a hotel room together. And there’s only one bed.
I’ve loved her from the first moment I saw her.
And I’ve loved her every day since.
Whether we’re together or we’re apart—that hasn’t changed.
Which is saying a lot considering I don’t like most people.
But life has thrown us a slew of curveballs and we went our separate ways.
Life, family, jealousy—we let it all get in the way.
I’m a dad now, and my little girl is my world.
And after years apart, Presley is back in Cottonwood Cove.
I don’t believe in fairytales or second chances.
My heart belongs to my daughter now, and there is no room for complications.
Presley Duncan is a giant complication.
A wise man would keep his distance.
But I never claimed to be a wise man.
So maybe we end up in a car together in the middle of a snowstorm.
Which leads to a hotel room with only one bed.
Maybe I should reconsider my stance on fairytales and second chances.
And seeing Presley with my little girl does something to me.
Stirs something inside of me that I thought was long gone.
But I know this is temporary.
She’ll be leaving soon, and I’m prepared to let her go.
Until she’s gone.
And I realize that I’m not prepared at all for life after the storm.
Review
5 beautiful, second-chance stars!
Oh wow, this is the most beautiful second-chance-romance! A small-town, single parent romance that is sweet, fun and sexy with no unnecessary drama, this book had me all up in my feels, and I loved every moment of it!
The fifth and final book in the Cottonwood Cove series, this is the book for eldest Reynolds brother, Cage. He is a grumpy man of few words, the town vet and single father to an adorable six year old little girl, and while his siblings are all up in his business, privately he’s alone, and he has been since he broke up with the love of his life, Presley.
Cage and Presley fell in love as teenagers. They were together all through college, but fell apart shortly after. While separated, Cage had a one-night-stand which resulted in a pregnancy and Presley, devastated, rushed into an unfulfilling marriage with a guy she was dating. Now, Cage is raising six-year-old Gracie by himself, and workaholic Presley has just filed for divorce from her cheating husband. She’s travelling back to Cottonwood Cove for the first time in a long time to care for her sick father, putting them right in each other’s path for the first time since they split all those years ago.
OMG, this book made me feel everything! The love that Cage and Presley still have for each other, the pain that their separation caused, and the longing from their years apart. From the moment we see them together again, you can feel the connection that is still so strong between them
It was everything I knew he’d be as a father.
But witnessing it was different.
Witnessing it hurt me in a way that I couldn’t explain to even myself.
I was getting a glimpse of the life that should have been mine.
But it’s when they get the opportunity to actually open up to each other that the real feels come, and I was so effortlessly swept up in the heartfelt swoon.
“I still think about you, you know.”
“Me, too.” A single tear rolled down my cheek, and he swiped it away with the pad of his thumb. “But you seem determined to keep this distance between us.”
“I can’t go there with you. Not again. Not when we both know that you’re leaving soon. And it’s not because I don’t want you. Fuck, Presley. I want you so fucking bad I can’t see straight. But I can’t do halfway with you. We tried that once before, and look at the mess we made. Losing you once wrecked me. Losing you twice would be the end of me.”
They can’t stay away from each other, and when little Gracie starts to bond with Presley and she becomes a bit of a fixture in their lives, they find themselves falling back together all over again.
“I haven’t felt anything in so long, and I feel all of it with you.”
They know that Presley is in town for a short time before she returns to her life on the other side of the country. They’re open with each other and they both know where they and the other stand, they just don’t care. The pull is too strong, and watching them give in to it all is sexy, fun, passionate, and endlessly swoony.
“I love you. I’ve always loved you, and I always will. Time may not ever be on our side, but I want you to know that. I need you to know that. No matter how long we go without talking or seeing one another, you own this.” He took my hand and pressed it to his heart.
Presley and Cage are so clearly it for each other, and they bring each other back to life in ways that they haven’t felt in such a long time, making them question their lives and their futures. They have a lot to figure out, but they do it sensibly and honestly, and I loved watching these two find their way back to each other for real, realising what’s important and making the effort to keep it.
Cage’s siblings are all along for the ride, watching the inevitable unfold, and I freaking love this group! I loved seeing each of the couples living their HEA, and their bickering, bantering, and text conversations had me laughing so many times. And Little Gracie is a big part of the story, which I loved. Seeing her relationship with her Dad, and the relationship that she forms with Presley, was so special.
“You feel like you’re mine.”
My heart nearly exploded at her words.
“You do?”
“I do. I told Daddy I wish we could keep you forever.”
So freaking cute!
This is a fabulous finish to the series, with very welcome cameos from the Thomas cousins from the Honey Mountain series. Such fun to see them again.
I loved this book so much. Second-chance-romances are my weakness, and Laura Pavlov nailed all the feels with this one.
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cottonwood Cove
Into the Tide (#1) (Hugh & Lila)
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Under the Stars (#2) (Maddox & Georgia)
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On the Shore (#3) (Lincoln & Brinkley)
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About Laura
Laura Pavlov writes sweet and sexy contemporary romance that will make you both laugh and cry. She is happily married to her college sweetheart, mom to two awesome almost-grown kids, and dog-whisperer to one temperamental yorkie and one wild bernedoodle. Laura resides in Las Vegas where she is living her own happily ever after. Be sure to sign up for updates on new releases. Laura loves to hear from readers!
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