The Lovely Return- Review
The Lovely Return
By Carian Cole
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Age Gap
Publication Date: November 29,2023
Source: Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 Stars
Description:
What if death doesn’t do you part?
They say be careful what you wish for. But on December 5, Alex Fox makes a wish in the midst of a devastating tragedy. Little does he know that his wish will come true.
Six years after that fateful day, a little girl wanders into Alex’s studio. With her quirky personality, endless questions, and adorable smile, Penny Rose becomes an enchanting yet bittersweet distraction. Penny Rose is an odd girl—at least, that’s what her parents say. Penny herself doesn’t feel particularly odd; she simply feels misplaced. As if somehow, in some way, she is living in the wrong place in the wrong life.
As the years pass, Alex and Penny develop a friendship. But it becomes harder and harder for them to ignore their undeniable chemistry, no matter how off limits it is. Alex believes he’ll never find love again, let alone fall for a girl half his age. But Penny is everything he could ever want or need. Not only is she caring, witty, and beautiful, but she accepts the past that haunts him.
Penny couldn’t be happier. She’s been head over heels for sexy, brooding artist Alex Fox for as far back as she can remember. But when her childhood dreams and visions start resurfacing again—dreams of a life with Alex way before they ever met—she starts to think they’re not dreams at all.
They’re memories.
Penny’s revelation to Alex threatens to tear them apart, making them question the impossible and unbelievable. Can love truly transcend time and death, giving them a second chance at their happily ever after? Or is Penny battling a broken mind that has led her down a path of heartbreaking delusion?
Review:
This is a hard review to write and a hard book to read. I want to start out by saying this an age gap to the extreme. Alex watches Penny grow up and they know each other for years before they enter into a relationship. Carian Cole skillfully navigates this issue throughout the book. This book is also an emotional rollercoaster. I had to read it in multiple sittings or I would have just cried for 4 hours straight. It is a very emotional book and deals with grief and loss in a very realistic way. This book was truly a love story in the realest sense of the word. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart nor those who do not want to be reaching for the tissues.
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