Coming face-to-face with my past changes EVERYTHING.I’m at the top of my game. All my struggles have finally paid off. Life should be great.I mean, life is great.Except for the fact that I can’t stop thinking of her. The woman who mangled my heart into a bloody pulp and never looked back.If I could free myself of our shared memories, my future would be golden.There’s only one way to move on-I … only one way to move on-I have to confront the past, so I can move into the next chapter of my life in peace. Which means confronting her for the final time.
I had no idea that knocking on her door that day would turn my life upside down.
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“You cannot run from your past.”
Jimmy had his heart broken once, but he recovered. After witnessing Lilah’s alleged betrayal, he had a difficult time. Six years later, his career has consolidated and he is about to get married. However, the shadows and doubts of the past still haunt him and make him seek Lilah for closure. He never thought that the things he would discover by knocking on the door would change his life forever.
The revelations that follow from this point in the book are slowly changing the lives of Jimmy, Lilah, Monica and Adelaide. Past and present mix and form something new and mature, which is calm and at the same time intense.
If at the beginning of the previous book, I had trouble accepting Lilah’s behavior, everything changed at the end of the first volume and throughout the second book. Her insecurities and fears are real, grounded, and do not appeal to extreme drama.
A trajectory full of anguish and emotion, which from the first book awakens the most intense and controversial feelings. The story of Jimmy and Lilah moves and makes us reflect how trauma can mark life to the point of almost destroying it and that love can truly transform and save lives and stories.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
A new romance from Elisabeth Grace and Michelle Lynn!
5 Star Review All We Are (Ex-Factor #2) by Elisabeth Grace & Michelle Lynn
Wow, where do I start? This is one of those little gems that you hope you to find. All We Are had me from the first chapter and I was riveted until the last. This was a book which I highly anticipated after reading book 1 and I was not disappointed with the it in any way. This is a great conclusion to a duet which has become one of my favourite reads so far this year.
If you haven’t read the first book All we Were then you need to STOP as this book picks up a number of years after the previous book finished.
Jimmy needs closure to move forward with his life and in order to do that he has to see Lilah.
I am unable to say more for fear of spoiling the story accidentally. This was an emotional roller coaster of a read and one that really got to me. This book had so much angst and packed such a punch that I was left with a book hangover.
All I can say is one click this duet ASAP.
After the ending of All We Were I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.
I was devastated the way things ended for Jimmy and Lilah in the first book. But in the six years that pass before Jimmy and Lilah come face to face again. Things have change tremendously.
Will they be able to find closure?
Will they be able to move on?
This book was another emotional read and a great ending to the duet.
This is the second book in the Ex-Factor Duet which was an emotional beautiful story about first loves and second chances. Jimmy and Lilah’s story continues six years later with numerous jaw-dropping and shocking moments that will have you enraptured with each page it will become unputdownable! I absolutely adored this duet and would recommend this beautiful story to anyone who loves an amazing second chance romance!
I swear these two women together can do no wrong when writing a book. Although this one was a lot more emotional and took my feelings on one roller coaster of a ride but loved every single moment of it. From the dual povs so you know exactly how everyone is feeling and their emotions that would hit you in the gut especially if you are a mom. I loved how they showed a vulnerability to Jimmy that some male characters don’t get but still kept his masculinity and his protective side. Also how strong Lilah proved to be once she found out everything. And I didn’t like some certain person from the very beginning,I knew she was trouble. I could read and reread this book over and over again. And I hope that there are more to come from some other people we met in this book(Tripp..lol hint hint). This is definitely one of my top 10 reads of the year!!! And I highly highly recommend it!!! – By Tina
These two have been through so much and have more to get through in this book. At the end of the first book, I could hardly wait to get this one. I needed to know how this one was going to play out. It had a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming and it made me FEEL so much!!!
Great second book to the duet!!
Lilah and Jimmy had the perfect ending but it wasn’t a walk in the park. This story picked up 6 years later and oh boy how much things were changed. Lilah wasn’t the same anymore but in a good way and Jimmy was still successful but deep down he couldn’t push Lilah out of his heart. He tried moving on and decided he needed complete closure. When he went to get the closure things changed and those feelings resurfaced. It wasn’t easy and wow how I felt sorry for Lilah. In book 1 I wasn’t her biggest fan but in this book I was all team Lilah. I liked how nothing was rushed and all the ups and downs these two went thru especially with situations from their past. Their epilogue was perfect for them.
A book I anticipated for as long as the wait to receive it, once it hit my kindle I dived in and was reaching the finishing line quicker than I would have liked. These authors don’t create short reads but they have the ability to spin a brutally emotional and raw tale that ensnares the reader and makes time fly faster than normal.
We don’t pick up at the end of the last book. Nope, not in this one and it does make a lot of sense to have a time lapse. As the authors themselves state, this is a book about both Jimmy and Lilah and she was a messed up basket case in the last book. Lost in substance abuse, wallowing in it like a pig rolls around in mud. She needed time to remake her little world and discover who she is standing on her own two feet.
When Jimmy and Lilah come face-to-face again, it could have been so much better if Jimmy hadn’t found out what he did the way he did. You see, Lilah had a secret and it kept me guessing on whether Jimmy would ever be able to move past it. Hate comes from love. Hate fuels passion and these two had it in spades. With a single word or look they could injure or even maim.
‘The pressure inside me releases, and I finally admit to myself that my concern isn’t just because she’s–,
It’s because she’s Lilah.
My Lilah.
No matter the time and distance and circumstances that kept us apart, some things never change. And what we mean to one another is one of those things.’
With the time between books, t meant that the story between them progressed at a very slow pace. Almost insurmountable odds were stacked so high even Superman would have struggled to leap them in a single bound.
Lilah oftentimes wasn’t a good person in the first book. Whereas here she’s relatable, I lost count of the number of times my heart bled for her and the predicaments she had put herself in. Good or bad, her decisions (off drugs) were always made carefully and with thought and planning. Well, for the most part, she knows where she wants to be and who she wants to be and when she jumps in she does it with both feet.
“I wish there was another word for love because sometimes I feel like it doesn’t sum up what we have.”
There is no risk of boredom or monotony when reading a book penned by these two lovely ladies. Jimmy and Lilah have earned their spot on my top three much-loved couples.
‘My reaction is fierce and immediate. I growl into her mouth and slide my tongue along the seam of her lips. She parts them for me, and the taste of her rushes in on an ocean of conflicting emotions. Ever so slowly, we find that rhythm and the sting of betrayal fades and all I taste is her want and need that matches my own.’
We make of life what we will and even fictional characters have been known to throw a wrench into their own machinery. All We Are is the kind of book I wish I truly could read again for the first time. Thank you, ladies, for completing this duet the way you did. I loved the epilogue that was so brilliantly done.
Confronting the past and making peace with it sounds like a good plan, even a necessary one when it comes to moving on from a multitude of bad memories, but it’s so much more complicated than most people believe, especially when it comes to the pain and the heartache that people experienced – feelings that may have receded but even dormant, they still can scar and fester like an open wound, which is exactly where Jimmy and Lilah are when the second book in their duet begins.
In order for both of them to move forward…to live their best lives, even if they’re still a bit broken and bent, Lilah and Jimmy need to sort out everything that happened between them due to Lilah’s addiction and the maelstrom of highs and lows that they experienced, both as a couple and individually, forcing them to face hard truths and accept the possibility that everything that’s happened may be too much to overcome.
Oh Lilah…this tortured woman put her heart, Jimmy’s heart, her friends and families’ hearts, and readers’ hearts through the ringer and then some. I raged at her…I cried with her…I cheered for her, and while book two definitely didn’t have the same angst level as book one, it was still incredibly emotional because it was two people trying to figure out if their love was strong enough to let go and love on.
Jimmy…boy is that man something special. Every decision that he made when he was with Lilah and when he finally shut his heart to the girl who owned it were his attempts to not be defined by Lilah’s addiction…to not be the enabler that he seemed to so easily become.
I appreciated the authors’ use of the time lapse. At the end of book one, it was more than clear that Jimmy was truly done dealing with Lilah and her volatile behavior, and I can’t blame him for completely stepping away from that train wreck. So, moving the story line forward quite a few years allows both Lilah and Jimmy to try their best to heal their hearts, minds, and bodies, which means that the fact that book two is quite the slow burn when it comes to any kind of relationship between Lilah and Jimmy makes perfect sense, and even though I was quite anxious for these two to do what needed to be made to start a brand new life together, it’s not that easy, so the way it played out and the major obstacles that needed to be take care of was exactly how it needed to go, even if I was holding my breath the entire way to the conclusion.
The Ex-Factor duet is an emotional journey for everyone involved – it’s one that has no easy answers and one that takes time to get everything sorted due to how deep the characters’ wounds go, both self-inflicted and ones due to other people’s influence and neglect. There’s nothing easy about Jimmy and Lilah’s story, but I think that’s why it makes Lilah getting clean and finding her own way while Jimmy works to make a name for himself without being in Lilah’s shadow is essential for their growth and progress, and I can’t see it written any other way than how Michelle Lynn and Elisabeth Grace penned it, even if I was a nervous wreck for most of book two;)
4.5 Poison Apples
5 Pinky Promise Filled Stars!!!
Finally!!! I’d be rooting for Lilah & jimmy and just when I thought they’d gotten it worked out a misunderstanding tore them apart. Lilah s broken and Jimmy’s devastated. I was hoping and praying these two finally got their HEA.
Six years have past since Lilah broke Jimmy’s heart and trust for the last time. Ever since then Jimmy has become a household name. He can pick and choose what movie he does and doesn’t wanna do. He’s at a part in his life where all the pieces should be falling into place.
Except there’s one piece of his life puzzle that doesn’t fit properly. It’s gotten wet and it won’t go in properly. That piece belongs to Lilah. He knows finding her can open up his heart and mind and totally unravel him. But, jimmy knows if he doesn’t know exactly why she broke that pinky promise he’ll never be 100% over her to move on.
But when Jimmy knocked on Lilah’s door he wasn’t prepared for the answers, questions and wtf’s that were waiting for him. What jimmy did know was his life was never gong to be the same.
When Jimmy broke up with Lilah she planned on leaving Cali and the modeling, acting world and never looked back. She thought of jimmy everyday but knew she couldn’t contact him. With her lifestyle Lilah knew Jimmy would take away everything she loved the most.
Lilah turned her life completely around. She wasn’t the same girl as she was six years ago and Lilah would do anything to keep it that way.
But, Lilah owes Jimmy answers and so much more. She’ll give him the answers and do right by him. Lilah just needs Jimmy to listen to her, trust her and most importantly forgive her and not take away everything that means the most to her bc she’ll never survive.
Omg!!!! This story was amazing. Six years changed both Jimmy & Lilah. Especially Lilah!!! These two were finally the people they always wanted to be. At the end of the tunnel they saw the same thing. Their HEA was an arms length away. To bad there was an obstacle in the road. They had decisions to make that could make or break them.
You can’t read this first. Read All We Were first and than read this one. It was beautifully written. These two were mad for each other. Def go get it now. Lilah and Jimmy won’t disappoint you.
All We Are, the second book in the Ex Factor Duet, is an emotional rollercoaster! This is the conclusion to All We Were, the story of Jimmy and Lilah, six years into the future. Jimmy needs closure and to do that, he’ll need to show up on Lilah’s doorstep and get answers….answers she’s not expecting to give. This story was not what I was expecting. Where book one was full of angst, this was full of a beautiful love story/slow burn! I won’t say much more so I don’t ruin the story but you definitely need to read the duet!
A wonderful story! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
All We are is a wonderful ending to this duet! Full of second chances regrets and forgiveness this a well written story. You are going to be so surprised at the event of this story. These ladies do know how to write a story you want to read! 5 Awesome Stars!
All We Are was a great conclusion to the duet! I absolutely adored Lilah and James and I am so glad they both got the ending that they truly deserved.
This book, I have to say, was even better than the first one. I love second chance romances and this was just incredible. I loved seeing the journey that Lilah and James took to get back to one another and how much they’d changed.
This book was emotional. It was powerful. The authors did an incredible job in this novel. The emotion was on a completely different level.
All We Are is a steamy, beautifully written and emotional read. Once you start reading, you will not be able to put it down.
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~~ 4 “PINKY SWEAR” STARS! ~~
“She tastes like heaven. Like home.”
Ever since the scream-inducing cliffy at the end of the first installment of the EX-FACTOR duet, co-written by the exceptionally talented Elisabeth Grace and Michelle Lynn, I have been waiting with bated breath for the long-awaited conclusion. And it sure did not disappoint! ALL WE ARE consumed every part of me, put my heart through the wringer and healed it in the most WONDROUS OF WAYS!!
PREMISE:
In book one, ALL WE WERE, I fell irrevocably in love with James “Jimmy” Crawford and Lilah Robbie, two childhood soulmates who had painful upbringings and always yearned for a better life. Together. Then after a horrific turn of events led to them to finally escape their impoverished mountain town, they headed to the bright lights of Hollywood to pursue their dreams.
They might have escaped one nightmare but their topsy turvy relationship became a wild rollercoaster ride of euphoric highs and crushing lows, due in large part to Lilah’s toxic addiction and crazy dysfunctional behavior. Nevertheless, Jimmy supported Lilah through thick and thin, and they were SO CLOSE to having it all and riding off into the sunset together. But, alas, a forgivable act of betrayal caused them to crash and burn.
Now in book two, ALL WE ARE, which opens six years later. James career is hotter than ever, and his love life is looking mighty fine too. But despite all of his fame and good fortune something—or someone–is still missing. And when he finds himself at Lilah’s front door in Kansas, hoping to find closure once and for all, he is about to receive the surprise of his life. A surprise that not only throws both their lives in more turmoil but intertwines their destinies in ways neither had ever envisioned….
MY MUSINGS:
Gah! After the end of book one where Jimmy finally reached the breaking point and walked away from Lilah for good, I was so invested in the outcome of their romance that I was kind of jumping out of my skin even before I started this second installment. And while ALL WE ARE has a slightly different tone…it doesn’t have the same level of high voltage, full throttle intensity of book one—it was equally compelling!
This brilliantly crafted reunion romance unfolds at a leisurely pace, and the steamy sexual tension percolates at a slower, sweeter burn than last time, but the feelings between Jimmy and Lilah are as deep as ever. Perhaps even more so after all that they have been through. And once again, I felt the full array of feels throughout—joy, anguish, frustration, arousal, uncertainty, trepidation. But…EEEK…there are a whole different set of complications that make surrendering to their feelings even more confounding.
Sob! If any book couple is the embodiment of two tortured lovers, it’s Jimmy and Lilah. Even though they have both matured, they are still kind of a hot mess and despite their best intentions, continue to bring out the best and worst in each other. I loved how the authors played out every angst-ridden beat of their bittersweet love story, paying homage to their tempestuous history which solidified their bond in the present. But confronting their dysfunctional past and trying to wade their way through an emotional landmine together is far from easy. As I mentioned, their love is COMPLICATED!
I loved the growth of both these characters from book one. Lilah has cleaned up her act and forged a new, healthier future far away from the temptations of the noxious Hollywood scene. She literally had to start from ground zero to do so but after all her blood sweat and tears she finally found peace and serenity. But there’s still that glimmer of fear, that aching vulnerability inside of her, that this beautiful new life she’s worked so hard for could implode around her which makes her story so riveting.
Whereas Jimmy, the classic “enabler/fixer,” has finally learned to stand on his own two feet without Lilah, the other half of his soul. And has become the famous Hollywood A-lister that he was always destined to be. But even though he has moved on with his life and has hardened his heart to the woman who destroyed him, deep down he is still the kind, generous, fiercely protective best friend that Lilah could always count on. The noble-hearted man she NEVER STOPPED LOVING.(Though not from lack of trying!)
This couple undoubtedly have many issues to work through, but I never gave up the hope that their love would conquer all! And while I wish it had not taken them quite so long to reunite, when they finally succumb to their feelings, prepare for FIREWORKS GALORE!
I don’t want to say much more about the plot…but I will divulge that the whirlwind of emotions that I was swept up in really struck a chord ! Jimmy and Lilah’s love never came easy—hurdle after hurdle sure was strewn in their path and the perils of the Hollywood lifestyle continues to be a MAJOR sticking point–but omg what they found together sure was worth the fight!
BOTTOM LINE:
The conclusion of the Ex-Factor Duet is brimming with love, heartache, turmoil, red-hot chemistry and palpable push pull! And like any epic Hollywood love saga that hits the silver screen, the grand denouement of Jimmy and Lilah’s soul burning romance had me BASKING IN GIDDY BLISS! Now I can’t wait to see what this writing duo extraordinaire comes up with next!
I was a little worried after All We Were, but I really enjoyed the conclusion to this duet! These women created such a great slow burn love story after the angst of book 1! I’m so glad that Lilah & Jimmy we’re able to find the answers they needed!
Jimmy and Lilah fought like hell to escape their past. Now 6yrs later Jimmy is about to get married but still can’t help that he needs closer from how his relationship with Lilah ended. When Jimmy arrives on Lilah doorstep he is in for the shock of his life! A secret that Lilah has kept from him.
This story really pulled at my heartstrings. There is so much raw emotion built into these pages. I could not put this book down! I was so engrossed in what was going to happen. How were things going to pane out when Jimmy found Lilah? Would he realize how much he still loves her despite all the pain she caused?
These characters were honestly AMAZING! I felt everything while reading the pages. I felt all their pain, all their heartache, all the emotion to how sorry Lilah was and how ashamed she was for what she did to Jimmy. It broke my heart but I couldn’t get enough. I needed to know if Jimmy would ever forgive her.
Jimmy and Lilah have a love that after so many years is still fresh in their hearts. With all the pain and suffering they endured together, all the mistakes, all the miscommunication; they are still each other’s HEA.
Literally 15 mins after this book hit my kindle, I started reading and didn’t stop until it was finished, I have been waiting for the conclusion of the Ex-Factor diet since I finished book one and I LOVED how this all played out. I’m. It saying it was easy because really I had a knot in my throat since the first word but I absolutely loved it!
All We Are picks up 6 years after the end of All We Were (which you have to read first) and Jimmy is about to enter a new phase of his life but first he has to get closure which brings him to Lilah’s front door…but that’s where the truths start to be revealed..
I’m not going to go further into it because it’s something you must experience first hand but I will say that this book is full of angst, heartache, a whirlwind of emotions and what seems like impossible situations, but after all of that is the proof that nothing worth having is easy..
I really loved these characters in both books and I know that they were a hot mess but for me that was part of their charm. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I wanted to reach through my kindle and shake them but I got it! I can not stress enough, that this book needs to be read ASAP!!
This book is the emotional part 2 of Jimmy and Lilah’s story.
Six years later and life is not at all like he had expected it to be. Jimmy has done well or himself in the movie business. But lately she has been on his mind. There are too many unanswered questions.
Lilah has done everything she can to take charge of her life and be the best person she can be. Starting over was anything but easy. Feeling like she has achieved what she sent out to do but she still has a big hole in her heart with out Jimmy.
Will the secrets and lies of their past, pave the path of their future? Is there room for forgiveness still in his heart?
These characters will find their way into your heart. You will feel their turmoil and pain as well as their soul deep love.
Great conclusion!
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
It’s been a long time since I’ve rooted this hard for a couple. After book 1, All We Were, I was CRUSHED. Lilah and Jimmy took me on the wildest emotional roller coaster ever!!! It was clear these two are designed to be together; they’re written in the stars. But after that ending, I wasn’t sure where the conclusion would take us. And here we are, I’m doing a complete 180 reading All We Are because THIS is the story I wanted for Lilah and Jimmy.
From the start, jumping ahead 6 years later is GENIUS!! Lilah and Jimmy have completely different lives then when we left them. But one thing is constant, their hearts sing out to each other!! I was quickly wrapped up in this slow burn. Cheering for Lilah and Jimmy every step of the way, I’m in heaven!! To switch from an angsty, emotional battle to this romantic, second chance romance, I’m sighing with such joy!! Every page, every turn of this duet will blow you away. It’s jammed packed with ALL THE FEELS. The HEA I’ve been hoping for is perfection!! This duet is a MUST READ