I spent my life searching for love, but Evan was right there all along. As gorgeous on the inside as he was on the outside, I never had to wonder if he loved me. He showed me with every glance, every sweet touch, every scorching kiss.I wanted nothing more than to give him my forever—until I found out I may not have one.***Paige was the girl of my dreams. So beautiful in every way; no one would … dreams.
So beautiful in every way; no one would ever compare. I feared she would never be mine, and then she became my everything. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.
I wanted her to be my forever. But love may not be enough.
Why do I have to say good-bye to the love of my life? How can I let you go—when it’s always been only you?
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When it comes to books, one of the most important criteria for me is to have well-developed characters. It doesn’t matter to me if the book is only 50 pages or 500 pages, if I cannot connect with the characters, the book is much harder to get into. Suffice it to say, Only You by Stephanie Rose was an easy story to feel connected to. Right from the start, I fell in love with the characters! I mean, when at 9%, I’m crying, you obviously have developed feelings for the characters. This wasn’t a book that you bawled your eyes out throughout (thank goodness!), but I certainly cared about the characters and their fates and found myself tearing up and crying at times. I love those books!
Evan had had a crush on Paige since they were teenagers, but her being his best friend’s cousin (more like a twin sibling, as they were born within an hour of each other and raised together) made him keep his distance. When Jack got sick, Evan moved back home to help out, and reconnected with Paige. You get the opportunity to see how Evan and Paige’s relationship develops over time (I was so glad it wasn’t “insta-love”, although you could feel the chemistry between the two!) and the highs and lows found in a relationship. As a couple, they had to experience a lot of difficult situations, but the love they had for each other helped to pull them through.
In addition, the supporting characters added so much to the storyline. I loved Jack and Ellie (and baby Jack), Paige’s mom was typical of how I think many daughters see their mother (ok, maybe just me), and Jack’s parents were so strong- especially his father, Paige’s uncle. Natalie was the perfect best friend to Paige. I related well to Evan’s dad, and if there was one thing I would have liked to have seen in the novel, it would have been having Evan and his dad’s relationship get stronger. You get a sense of it, though.
This was a second chance romance- a genre that I tend to gravitate toward. I loved the fact that Evan was so open with the fact that he had always had feelings for Paige (he is swoonworthy!) and that Paige was able to finally find a good guy that wasn’t out to hurt her. Paige had been mentioned briefly in Ms. Rose’s first novel, Always You, as a former “girlfriend” of Marc. I loved how A couple of the characters from that book made cameo appearances in this novel!
Told in alternating points of view, the reader can get a sense of each main character’s inner thoughts. I read the author’s first novel earlier in the summer and anxiously awaited this novel. As phenomenal as debut was, Only You blew that one away! Ms. Rise’s writing gets better with each book!
Needless to say, this was an easy book to give 5 stars to! This is a book I will most certainly reread!!!
After reading and falling in LOVE with Lucas from Stephanie’s first book, Always You. It’s hard to believe I ‘m going tell you I fell in love with two men in this story and no it’s not a menage ..LOL! Follow Paige and Evan though their story that s sometimes heartbreaking and also meet her cousin Jack and follow his part in Paige’s life . Can be read as a standalone but I would also recommend book one.
What a beautifully inspiring, tear-inducing, heart-clenching book! I loved Evan and Paige’s story…it made me laugh and cry; it had me swooning hard. Only You is an incredible story of second-chances, of friends-to-lovers, of heartbreak and sorrow, it’s a book that will consume you and make you feel so many emotions. When the tears start within the first 10% of a book you know you better grab some tissues and buckle down.
Paige and Evan reconnect after he moves back home at the request of his best friend, Jack, who also happens to be Paige’s cousin. It turns out Evan’s had a crush on Paige since they were teens, but she was Jack’s cousin, and always so busy with other guys, that he never really pursued her. But now that he’s home he’s not about to let this chance slip through his fingers again. I loved watching their relationship develop. They had such great chemistry, and with their history there was an ease and comfortableness between them.
Their worlds are thrown into a tailspin after a horrible loss and Paige is completely devastated. Not only that, she’s been dealing with some terrible news on a personal level and starts to distance herself from Evan. Paige is such a strong and fiesty character, it was tough watching her go through things on her own, especially considering it was by her choosing. I was feeling the pain and despair right alone with her.
Evan is an absolutely incredible character, I fell head over heels for him from the moment he was introduced. He’s so loving and caring, he’s funny and sexy, and I just loved how much he loved Paige. Even when she tried to push him away, doing what she thought was best for him, he wouldn’t give up on her or let her give up on them. I’d go on but it might seem a little weird, gushing so much over a fictional character.
This is truly a wonderful book, with amazing characters whose lives I want to be a part of…is there a way to make this happen??? I was left with tears streaming down my face when I finished this book, it was hard to let go. It’s still hard to let go, as I find myself once again in tears as I skim back through the book. I can see myself revisiting Only You, time and again.
“You’re all the beauty in my life.”
***Although this is the second book in the Second Chances series it could definitely be read as a standalone.
* A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review *
Wow!!! The feels in this story were amazing!!! Talk about a book pulling at your heartstrings.
Only You is Stephanie Rose’s second novel and just as she did with her first book, she totally knocked this out of the park. I will DEFINITELY read anything this author writes. What I love most is how real her stories feel to me. She touches on subjects that an everyday person or couple might face in their lifetime (the subjects in this story I think are going to touch a lot of people. They are situations that many face today). She truly puts her heart and soul into these stories and characters. You can’t help but connect with both and feel like you are right there with these characters.
As with the first book, Only You is a cross between a second chance love story and a friends to lovers story. In this story I would say it was more of an unrequited love story than the second chance love story. Because Evan has been in love with Paige since he was fifteen years old. He just never had the nerve to tell her until they meet again years later.
Stephanie has amazing talent when it comes to giving her readers a sweet love story. She makes you fall in love with the characters, so you feel like your emotions are on a roller coaster when drama ensues. This book was heartfelt, and heart wrenching, but also had it’s fun times and it’s sexy times. It was the perfect combination!!! What I really loved is that this book isn’t overcome with excess drama. She added just enough to keep the story interesting and make the reader want to turn the page to see how it all worked out. Many might think this book is an insta love type story, but it truly isn’t. Yes the couple get together pretty quickly but it makes sense since they have been friends for many years.
Only You is the second book in the Second Chances Series, but is a complete stand alone. You truly do not need to read the first book before reading this one, but I don’t know why you wouldn’t, both books are FABULOUS!!!! This book is about Paige and Evan. They are a totally new couple, although I did like how they do tie into Lucas and Sam from book 1 (I also liked the small glimpse we saw of Lucas in this story) With that said you will not be lost reading this book if you haven’t read book 1.
I loved Paige and Evan….they are both amazing characters. Both were funny, loving and loyal. Also they were extremely strong characters, they needed to be after everything they have to go through. We also got to meet some extraordinary secondary characters….Jack and Ellie. I honestly can’t say how much I loved these two characters without giving the story away, I just know that everyone should meet Paige, Evan, Jack and Ellie. I honestly felt like the secondary characters were just as important to this story as the primary characters were. But don’t take my word for it, READ THIS BOOK!!!!
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a second chance romance or a friends to lovers story. This book will have you giggling, crying, smiling and blushing, but overall it will leave you with a HUGE smile on your face. This is definitely one I will read again in the future!!!! I look forward to more book by this author.
Wow, this second book in the Second Chances series grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go! This is a compellingly poignant tale of life with all it’s milestones. It will evoke every emotion as you experience some wonderful new beginnings, heartbreaking loss, and every beautiful moment in between. Evan and Paige have been friends since they were teenagers and Evan has been in love with her from the very beginning. The time is finally right for them to start a relationship and I loved how it blossomed and grew. Evan is warm, caring, loyal and funny. He is determined to keep Paige in his life forever and he demonstrates this with his every action. Paige is his perfect match being smart, kind and loving. Their banter is fun, their chemistry is off the charts and I love them together. Their families round out this story making it feel genuine and honest. This is a beautifully crafted love story that will capture your heart!
*swoon* This book is absolutely stunning! I laughed, I cried, I fell hard for these characters.
Paige & Evan totally stole my heart and broke it a bit at the same time.
Stephanie Rose is the Queen, no questions here!
Now, I need Ellie’s story like I need my next breath.
Why on earth haven’t I read Only You sooner. One thing Stephanie Rose masters is writing swoon worthy heroes. OMG how I drooled and swooned over Evan. He had the whole package. Caring, loving, protective and alpha. I could go on. Paige was such a great heroine and her relationship with her cousin Jack was something special. They truly were brother and sister. Their scenes held so much emotion and made me tear up numerous times. Her friendship with Ellie and Natalie was one of kind too. Together they added some comic relief to the story since it centers around some heavy topics such as leukemia and lupus.
Paige and Evan were pretty darn amazing together. So much chemistry. Thry had so much fun together and when they get struck with tragedy and illness their love is what prevails.
I’ve read Stephanie Rose’s books out of order and it didn’t matter at all. I have a connection with these characters and just being with them, knowing who they are and when characters from other books make an appearance only made it that much more special. Another treasure from Stephanie Rose.
5 BadAssDirtyDaisyAndJudeStars