Biggest mistake I’ve ever made? Kissing my best friend.I’ve never been a relationship guy. Sure, I have Ellie—my best friend since middle school who’s been by my side through the good and the very bad—but with girls who aren’t Ellie? One date is enough.Then when I get back from boot camp, one kiss changes everything. But also, nothing’s changed. Ellie still wants to settle down with a picket … settle down with a picket fence and kids, and she knows I don’t.
And now there’s heat when she looks at me in my new uniform. It makes me wonder if I didn’t want that kind of life, or if I didn’t want it with anyone but her.
But I’ve made one mistake after another with Ellie, so now I have to convince her that it’s okay to want me too.
Back to You is a sweet romance told from alternating POVs, set in the world of The San Diego Marines. Each book can be read as a standalone but are fun to read in order.
Check out the rest of the series:
Prequel: Forever with You – Vince & Sara (get it free on my website)
- Back to You – Spencer & Ellie
- Away from You – Matt & Olivia
- Christmas with You – Cooper & Angie
- Believing in You – Jake & Ivy
- Memories of You – Brooks & Cat
- Home with You – Owen & Rachel
- Adored by You – Noah & Paige
more
*I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review*
Story: 3.5
The story was pretty good, although the angst was just about to the point that I had had it, when things finally resolved and I was able to enjoy the rest of the story. To her credit, the author allowed us plenty of time with the newly in-love couple, so that was good.
I really enjoyed the descriptions of boot camp and the terminology and descriptions of some of the experience. This author definitely knows her stuff and she’s obviously comfortable writing about the military. I liked her mastery of the terminology and knowledge of the lifestyle, etc. it made her writing more authentic.
Narrators: 3.5 stars
The idea of double narrators to voice the two view-points worked really well and I loved the idea. I’ve only heard this in one other book and it worked there, as well. That said, these two more read it, than acted it. They definitely acted the dialogue, but I felt that the in-between stuff was simply read. That’s not 100% the case in this book, but that is the overall feeling. I think that both narrators have great potential!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
Friends to More is my favorite trope in romance novels and Back to You is a perfect example of why. Readers were introduced to Spencer and Ellie in Forever With You and I really enjoyed reading the rest of their story. As a wife to a retired Marine, I really enjoyed the descriptions of Spencer’s experiences in boot camp. She made the reader feel like she was right there with him. Jess Mastorakos is a master at writing about all aspects of Marines including their physical and mental strength and a brotherhood found nowhere else.
This author can definitely write about a swoonworthy hero and Spencer is no exception. Now, don’t get me wrong I wanted to strangle him a few times and give him a piece of my mind when he would distance himself from Ellie. However, I understood the hesitation on both of their parts because they were both afraid of losing the friendship they both cherished for so long and didn’t want to risk losing that. That was what made the story so much more realistic.
This is a well-written clean romance about characters with great chemistry. I look forward to updates about Spencer and Ellie in future books in the series.
Good story. In depth description and attention to the Marines, which is informative and very interesting.
** Audiobook Review **. I was given a copy of this audio book for an honest review. This sweet, military romance story is well written & narrated beautifully. Off the charts chemistry and burn you to the ground feels. God this book, it will grab your heart and squeeze and not let go. It hit me straight in my feels and had me laughing, crying, mad, and swooning all at the same time. This is book #1 in the “San Diego Marines” series. I can’t wait to read/listen to Matt & Olivia’s continued story in book #2.
Wonderful beginning of this series. This is fast-paced yet you can keep up with what is happening. Having lived in San Diego I the 70’s and later in the 90’s, I particularly loved the local flavor of this special city. The characters are well developed, flaws and all. The relationships can be complex in their maturation, and I especially loved the father-son dynamics. Highly recommend.
I LOVED this book!
Such a sweet romance between friends! I loved the friendship between Spencer & Ellie and the support they always had for each other. The growth of their relationship was incredible. This book is so well written and easy to read. Halfway through the first chapter I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. Jess Mastorakos is such an amazing author and really brings all of the characters and their stories to life.
I enjoyed the story but in my opinion it is a slow slow burn Friends-to-Lovers romance because of Spencer’s unresolved feelings about his childhood and he his gonna make you want to knock some sense into him but other then that it was worth reading.
I liked how Mrs. Mastorakos went into detail about the military and how the military works.
I adored The Notebook moment.
Will i continue with this series? yes
This book sucked me right in. Prior to reading the book I knew nothing about military/marine life but the author explained it all so well that I never questioned anything throughout the book and by the end felt like I had a much better understanding of not only what a marine goes through but their families at home as well. This book has it all. Young love, heartbreak, challenges, and friendship. You will find yourself rooting for Spencer and Ellie and saying “just one more chapter..” and end up reading 5 more because it’s just that captivating. I will be on the lookout for more books by this author for sure!
Lots of info on boot camp 🙂
Lots of awkward teens in love but not acknowledging it, the back-and-forth, and the angst all that brings.
Luckily these two kids had some great friends around them offering support and kicks to the behind when needed.
I will admit that am a sucker for military romance stories. Back to you is a well-written military romance with believable characters and situations. Since I was a military wife, I could identify with the feelings of those waiting at home for their husband/fiancé to return. I have a little bit of a problem with the ages of the characters. They seem to be much more mature than the average eighteen-year-old.
Other reviewers have mentioned the need for editing for grammar and spelling. I did notice that there were some errors that could have been caught by a good editor, but I also believe that some of those might be the fault of autocorrect…for example, the word ‘passed’ appeared in several places where ‘past’ should have been used. I’m willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Y’all. I am not a fan of books that are full of angst and drama. It’s one of the reasons I stay away from YA books. I get so frustrated that I want to throw my kindle across the room. And I may or may not be mentally Gibbs slapping the characters until they get their act together.
So. Why am I bringing this up? Well, this book is all about the angst and the drama. One of my favorite book buddies had to listen to me vent my frustration last night. BUT. This morning, I had to eat my words. The moment I finished the book I sent her the following message: “Ok… so she has this way of making all the angst and the drama worth it. I ended up loving it!” And, if you’re wondering, yes.. she totally laughed at me.
This was a true friends to lovers story. Ellie and Spencer have been best friends since the 6th grade. They’ve been through everything together and are by each other’s sides no matter what. The night before Spencer leaves for boot camp, things start to change. But because Spencer is stubborn and Ellie has a boyfriend, neither were ready for the rollercoaster ride they were about to embark on.
Oh. My. The feels y’all! The feels! You will experience every single one of them. Every. Single. One. You better hold on tight for this upside down, full of loops, twisty ride! I loved every frustrating, dreamy sighing moment of it!
As far as the swoon factor goes, let me just say… oh my holy swooniness Batman! Y’all the chemistry in this book is off the charts! I thoroughly enjoyed watching it knock Spencer of his feet! WOWZERS! That’s just one of the reasons it made all the angst and drama worth it.
I am loving this series! I can’t wait to start Olivia and Matt’s book. I love that they were a big part of this book and that I’ll get more of Ellie and Spencer in their book. Seeing all the couples throughout the series is a definite plus for me.
If you haven’t read anything by Ms. Mastorakos yet, then I highly recommend checking out her books. I’ve read 3 of them so far and have NOT been disappointed. She’s definitely been added to my favorites and auto-buy lists.
This is about Ellie and Spencer who had been best friends for many years. Spencer realized at his going away party that the feelings he had for Ellie were more than just friends. He didn’t say anything, because she was going with Tim.
This sweet romance author is new to me, but I loved her magnet story (free with her newsletter sign up) so much, that I seriously went on to binge read this entire series over the next few days. She writes Marine romance in a way that only a real military wife can do. I’m anxiously awaiting book #5. Highly recommend this author and this series!
I loved this story. I liked the details about military life. It was so unique, unexpected, and made you proud of our service people. The story Of their growth as individuals and as a couple was so sweet!
I received an ARC of this, and I am leaving a voluntary review.
Sweet friends to more romance. As Spencer gets ready to go into the Marine Corp. he realizes that he has romantic feelings for long time best friend Ellie. Ellie is dating someone else but eventually it all works out for them. It is a fun ride to see how it all plays out. I also liked the conversation Spencer finally has with his dad which opens his eyes to trying a relationship with Ellie as well as restoring the father/son relationship.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.