There's a new addition to the Salvation Society series!
In this second chance romance we meet Mia and Terry. Mia has followed her passions and has opened up her own shoe company. And this company is very successful. So much so that they have a photo shoot and interview coming up with InStyle! One thing Mia doesn't know is that Terry has been asked to be the photographer. Terry and Mia have quite the history. They were in a serious relationship for many years, and all was going well, until the day Terry took a job in London. That lead to heartbreak, anger, frustration, and loneliness. During their 5 year separation, Terry and Mia would see each other at events, but never talked. They always stayed away from each other. Now here we are 5 years later, and these two are about to spend a lot of time together. A bit of forced proximity with a connection that cannot be denied is going to lead to a reunion. Or is it? Someone from Mia's past is determined to not let that happen.
You all know that I love a second chance romance. It is one of my favorite tropes, and I love to see people fall back in love with each other. It makes me happy. I gave Affliction 3.5 stars on Goodreads. For me it was a decent story, but I didn't feel the draw. This story wasn't calling to me for the first half of the book. It felt slow. It didn't grab my attention, and to be honest I didn't feel the connection between Terry and Mia. Yes they have history together, but it just wasn't working for me. I say that only to go on and say that I enjoyed the second half of the book. I know, I know. But you see the second half is when the suspense kicks in. It is when things start happening, and Jackson's crew is brought in. It is also during this time that we have our dramatic moment between Terry and Mia. I understand why Mia did what she did, but I'm with Hawkeye on this one, and it didn't need to happen. Also, I find myself wondering if J.L. Stray named the villain Chad because of the tiktok moment that happened in September. (Chad made a video about the romance genre, and well the romance readers came for him.) At the end of the day, I am glad that Terry and Mia had their HEA. They overcame a lot to get to that point.
There is a trigger warning for this book! If domestic violence is a trigger for you, then bypass this book. It is a minor element to the story, but it is definitely there.
If you've been around my blog for any length of time, then you know that I almost always recommend that you all read the books that I read. I truly believe that ratings are so personal, and are influenced by various factors, so it's hard to take them at face value. Also, the mood that we are in when we read the book can affect the way we reflect on the book. So while I gave this book 3.5 stars, and said that the first half was slow moving, you may not feel the same way. You may think it's the best thing ever. That's the joy of reading a book, we all walk away with different thoughts and feelings about that story.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts on Affliction. I appreciate you stopping by, and I hope that you'll give the book a read.
Laura
~He wants me to remember and I want to forget he ever existed. The past holds too much pain.~
He left me with a simple, “I’m sorry I can’t.”
Now he’s back. And he’s everywhere. Showing up in all the places that we frequented, and invading the newly created normal I made for myself when he left me. His expertise has even been sought at my company, Shoegasm. Making it impossible to breathe without thinking of him and what could have been.
Terry should have stayed gone, I can’t be with him. Ghosts from the past, who afflicted so much pain, are back. And I can’t go down that road again, knowing Terry could end up hurt. This time it’s me who has to protect him.
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Meet J.L. Stray
J.L. Stray has always enjoyed reading books and writing stories.
Finally, she gathered up enough courage to publish one herself.
A former Policy Specialist and current Consultant, she spends any extra moment she has writing, outlining and scheming her next book.
Raised in a small town in Pennsylvania, she graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy. Most days she uses one of those degrees in either her career or dealing with her children.
J.L. lives with her husband in that same small town, where they raise their three very active children, who always have them at a diamond, field or court.
She is a lover of books, shoes, beaches, and a strong drink.
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Thank you to JL Stray, and Wildfire Marketing Solutions, for providing me with an advanced copy of Affliction.
