We Are Us is a gripping, angsty, second-chance romance that will have you glued to your ereader until the last page! Complete standalone, no cliffhanger.
I fell in love with a beautiful, broken boy.
His whispered words of love were the sweetest of lies.He gave me his heart and destroyed mine.I am his.I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of … mine.
I am his.
I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.
His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of cages.
He gave me his name and destroyed my soul.
He is mine.
The boy I once loved is now a man.
The man I once loved is now gone.
We are us.
I have been called many things.
Victim. Survivor. Daughter. Sister. Wife.
Now I am called something else.
Murderer.
Believe it or not, this is our love story.
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We Are Us is a heart stoppingly beautiful second chance romance story that will squeeze your heart and won’t let go until the very last page. I finished this book two nights ago and I am still thinking about it. This story is about a girl who is lonely and grows up faster than she should. Poppy Whitman took me on a journey that I will be eternally grateful for and she taught me that it’s ok to be selfish and to put yourself first sometimes.
Poppy meets Gavin Cross when she first moved to Sackett, Connecticut. They meet out in the woods where they are both looking to escape. That was the day they both no longer felt lonely since they found each other. Throughout her life Gavin was never far from her mind. Sometimes you can’t let go of your past.
This book is about first love, misunderstandings, heartache, betrayals and second chances. The twists and turns and the suspense during the last 30% of the book had me on no sleep because I needed to know what happens next. I cried and felt every emotion with Poppy and I cheered her on until the very end. I am so glad I took a chance on this book, it is one of my best reads of this year. This unapologetically beautiful story is so worth the read!!
“I am his and he is mine and we are us.”
“I am hers and she is mine and we are us.”
Mystery. Young love. Drama. Angst. Twist. Those are the things that, for me, make a great story. We Are Us has ALL of those! I loved this story! Poppy and Gavin meet upon chance when they are young. Both have heartbreaking family drama, both live through some horrendous life experiences. I’m struggling to write this review because I don’t want to give anything away. Because during the angst and what the he** just happened?, there is a huge twist that you just won’t see coming!! So, really you just need to read the story.
We Are Us is one of the most beautiful books I ever read. I’m still bawling my eyes because I’m not ready to say goodbye to this characters. I still want more. Mrs. Leigh hasn’t write only a book. She created perfect universe for her characters, and US her readers.
I felt special, just beacuse this author made me feel – that I’m not only reading the book. She invited me for a very unexpected journey.
Yourney that was amazing and breathtaking.
Yourney that lead me thru the all ups and downs.
Yourney which put in our way first friendships, first crush that can grow into more beautifull feelings called one true and unconditional love.
Yourney who showed me, and other readers too, I think – everything in our lifes just made Us… US.
I’ve enjoyed so much We Are Us, and it’s hard for me to find properly words to express myself. BUT if You will read this book You will understand why… Just do|Yourself one big favor and set up a date with this author and this book.
Highly reccomended title.
Overall Grade: 1/2
“I am hers and she is mine and we are us.”
I have a soft spot for epic love stories. Finding yourself attached to the hero and heroine from the days of their youth, dying a little bit when their young love is shattered, reading them take different paths away from each other, and finding each other again when their hearts are bigger and matured and can handle the depth of their love takes me on a journey that both steals a piece of my heart and my soul. For authors to craft a story of this nature in such a way that both titillates and engages their readers is impressive. To this end, Tara Leigh is impressive in the wake of her newest book, We Are Us.
Everything I’ve noted above is true of We are Us. The burgeoning love of Gavin and Poppy is a simple one, grounded in mutual affection. As these two fall deeply for each other, Leigh forbodes their connection in her beautiful words: “like a spider’s web, the connection Gavin and I forged is intricate and beautiful. And so very, very fragile.” Their beginning is haunted: Gavin and Poppy sit in a shadow of their families, both abusive and both ineffective in meeting their basic needs. As such, Leigh shows us clearly that their initial coupling is fraught, and we, the readers, will endure pain before Gavin and Poppy can find their happy ending.
It’s in this pain where growth exists. One of my favorite parts of Leigh’s book, believe it or not, isn’t the romance (I mean, it actually is a beautifully painful one that everyone should read for its messages about living small and contented with “just enough”). Instead, my favorite part of Leigh’s book lies in her acknowledgments. It is there where Leigh flays herself open, allowing us insight into a bit of the backstory for We are Us. The truth of Poppy’s story burrows deeper into your heart when you realize Poppy represents so many women who find themselves in situations beyond their understanding. There is a bravery in her that becomes hidden by an ambition to live a bigger life than her mother. While it could seem short-sighted, it’s simply a defense mechanism, learned through years of emotional and mental abuse. You can’t help but fall in love with her, wanting to protect Poppy from the arrows of pain coming her way. However, through Poppy’s characterization, that pain brings clarity to Poppy’s life. It helps her mature so that she and Gavin can find their happy ending. Herein lies Leigh’s genius. Her ability to see the totality of Poppy’s story for her readers and craft her in such a way that you find yourself angered by her, protective of her, and empathic over her situation. These feelings are the art of Leigh’s We Are Us.
Since most of this story is written from Poppy’s point of view, we don’t get much of Gavin’s inner monologue which leaves us at a disadvantage for understanding him as the hero of this romance. We can note his actions, and we understand his sense of justice and his integrity. But we don’t get a strong sense of him as a romantic hero. With that, Leigh suggests that this book is Poppy’s story, that Tucker and Gavin, to a certain degree act as the men who punctuate her life. That isn’t to say that the reader lives for Gavin and Poppy finding their way back to each other. However, if you intend to get a sense of the men in this story, that isn’t the point for We are Us. Instead, this story seems to be a romance between Poppy and herself. She finds her power, her voice, and her peace throughout the course of this romance. She falls in love with her truth, after over a decade of fighting it. This is Leigh’s second bit of genius: writing a story that encapsulates the journey of a woman and creating a need for this woman to learn to love herself just as she is. Gavin and Poppy’s ending is idyllic, even with a bit of drama folded in. That is the big pay-off for enduring Poppy’s emotional, fraught journey towards herself.
This is my first Tara Leigh book. I feel blessed to have read it because it bleeds the truth of so many of us: always wanting more instead of loving ourselves in the present. It’s, unfortunately, a hard lesson to learn for any of us. Tara Leigh’s We are Us is beautifully written and beautifully told. From its cover to its acknowledgments, it’s a book with a big heart and a big soul.
Phenomenal! Tara Leigh has written such a heartbreakingly beautiful and a hauntingly emotional love story. It will break you and put you back together. It will overwhelm you. It will make you breathless. It will possess you. It will wreaks such havoc with your senses.
“Passion leads to pain. Promises turn out to be lies. And Love…love hurts.”
This was so much more than a second chance romance. I was spellbound, captivated through this whole book. I know that I didn’t tell you much but you need to go into this blind. Loved it!!!
Received a early copy and wrote an honest review!
Wow!!! This is an incredible story that’s relatable and grips you from page one all the way through the end. The emotional levels you experience while reading Poppy and Gavin’s story will put you through the ringer. Love, shock, awe, happiness, tears…you name it. The author’s writing continues to get better and better and this is her best book to date. One that will stick with me for a long time and one of the best reads of 2020 that is not to be missed.
Wow, Wow, Wow,
I feel like I have just ran a marathon,because I am completely breathless after reading this story.
Tara Leigh totally and utterly stole my heart with Poppy and Gavin’s emotional and beautiful romance,a second chance romance that I LOVED every single word of.
This book was full of surprises and kept me guessing and on my toes throughout,making me feel both eager and nervous for what the next chapter would uncover….and it revealed so many unexpected things and did not go the way that I thought it would, which only made me even more addicted and curious,it was unpredictable and completely satisfying.
Some of the stories subject matter in We Are Us deals with, I found difficult to read,just because it stirred within me feelings and situations I have experienced myself,so I became sensitive and highly emotional.But it didn’t make me uncomfortable it actually made me feel more connected with the characters it helped me in a way I can’t explain.With Tara’s sensitive and realistic flair and perspective her writing makes you feel deeply for Poppy and Gavin with both empathy and compassion,which creates such an authentic story that I could not get out of my thoughts.
Tara’s effortless penmanship is exquisite and I was so mesmorized and so wrapped up inside the pages of this epic book that I lost all sense of time.
I Loved Poppy she was braver than she gave herself credit for but also vunerable and she let people take advantage of her.She was very forgiving and I wanted to be her friend,I found myself feeling very protective of her and wanted to fight for her, as no one else did.She was let down by so many people in her life that were supposed to love her and there were so many times I wished I could reach inside the book and hug her.Poppy is one of the strongest characters I have read about especially after what she endured alone.
Gavin,Gavin,Gavin my beautiful broken hero he never stopped loving Poppy even when,she pushed him away and even when they were apart for so long.He never gave up,even when it seemed that they would never be together.
I have so much affection for both of them and my heart broke for them and their struggles and my heart felt so full when I shared their Joy,I was completely invested in both of them and their story.
We Are Us is a Stunning book Tragic,mysterious, Romantic and thought provoking It is a must read….I needed plenty of tissues lol…It is one of THE BEST stories I have read so far this year,Tara Leigh has excelled herself.
It has my HIGHEST recommendation phenomenal .