For as long as I can remember, I’ve been the dark to my sister’s light—the awkward loner to her social butterfly. Growing up, she had it all: our parent’s unyielding approval, perfect grades, a permanent spot at the popular table, and the attention of the hottest guy ever—Duke Kincaid. After eighteen years of living in her shadow, I couldn’t wait to escape—to finally be my own person. Yet here I … Yet here I am, I’m back in my hometown, once again in Valorie’s shadow. Only now, it’s eternal.
I had life all planned out: join the force, marry Valorie Parsons, and start a family of our own. I have the job, but the girl and all my dreams died before my very eyes.
At the urging of my friends, I agree to a blind date. Imagine my shock when I arrive and find, Valorie’s twin sister, waiting across the table from me. Mallory should be a reminder of all that I’ve lost, but instead she feels like my redemption . . . like maybe life’s giving me a second chance.
But, how can I be enough for her when I’ve already given her sister the best of me?
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Wow!!!
This book should come with a subscription to tissues. I’m telling you know. Grab a box, you’re going to need it. From the outset this story gripped me, it tore my emotions to pieces and left me crying in the corner and that was just Duke’s part. Then Mallory’s angsty tale got added to the already heartbreaking mix. These two have endured a lot. They’ve suffered and battled through it to meet on the other side. Their chemistry was a thing of beauty and even with their history, they found a way to work together.
A wonderful, emotionally wrought story but one you won’t easily forget.
Nope no way can this author do justice to this type of subject. No way no how. WRONG! Every time I start to doubt her skills she surprises me yet again. She likes to take on these subjects or the things some may call taboo or touchy and just rocks you to the core. You know the type of author I am talking about after all you’re reading this review. Let’s talk about the book.
She lived in her shadow. All of her childhood she was a shadow. No one saw. No one helped. Not even her twin. She ran. He loved her. She was everything he thought she wanted. Was gonna spend his life loving her. She was gone. Nope not her. Yeah that’s where it starts and then it goes further. But this author does so much with this because she makes them go there. Yeah I know, feels like I’m talking in riddles doesn’t it. Val is dead, but Mallory isn’t. When life serves you lemons you make lemonade. Mallory has had a life of regrets. This time as she faces all that she has run from she digs deep and finds the answers and faces it all. I love that way this author takes this story. These two take the time to prepare but is that possible? How can you tell the people who have watched you try to recover that you have and with who. It’s a slippery slope worth fighting for because he finally found that he was wrong. He hadn’t given the best of himself. The best was yet to come.
And there she does it again. An emotional ride that will make you share the pain and feel the twist. It’s not always an easy read because they both have so much to work through. Oh but what a read it is.
Second Chance
Enemies to Lovers
Angst
Tragedy
HEA
Where to begin with this book! L.K. Farlow totally captured my heart with this story. It ticked so many of my boxes I know I didn’t even get them all!
This book had me feeling it all, tragedy, sadness, a little anger, angst, love & happiness! It made me laugh & at times I want to throw my kindle.
Duke is a brooding cop who has a tragedy in his past he is struggling to get past. Mallory is a ray of sunshine who has lived a tragic life. They share a common bond from the past that stands in their way. Mallory is looking to start a new life and to have someone to treat her the way she deserves. Duke has accepted the fact that he will no longer live the happy life he had mapped out.
I really loved this touching story. L.K. Farlow kept the story moving right along and it flowed perfectly. Don’t miss out on this enchanting story!
This is definitely one of those books that pushes the forbidden just a bit past the comfortable line. Best of Me’s blurb pretty much tells everyone the plot but what we don’t get from those paragraphs are the feelings, the emotions from it all. Best of Me is bursting at the seams with emotional turmoil. So the jist of the storyline is Valorie and Duke have been together for 11 years. They’re settled into their life and Duke plans on proposing until life changes and Val dies. Duke loves Val. We can feel that. He has so much heartache and pain. I ached for him. Mallory, Val’s twin, is the black sheep of the family. The lesser sister of the golden child, Val. Mal’s struggled with her self worth since birth. After being told she was never wanted and constantly put down, well I can understand her inner struggle.
I went back and forth a dozen times thinking Duke and Mal could be a beautiful circle closing. Just to struggle and want more for Mal. I wanted her to never question her relationship and the whys behind it. The ifs, the could haves, the maybes. I also wanted so many amazing things for Duke. He was a man that loved with all of him. I just adore seeing Jenny and Nate again. I feel like they added a bit of comic relief that my aching heart desperately needed.
LK Farlow wrote one of her most complex stories with Best of Me. I felt like she pushed my moral compass a bit farther than I expected. Farlow had me struggling with what I wanted for these very broken characters that both deserved to be happy and to love and to feel loved. I was really tickled that I still enjoyed that small town, sweet romance that I’ve enjoyed in all her books while this one she definitely walked outside her normal parameters.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
Wow!! Just absolutely blown away! This is my first book by L. K. Farlow and definitely will not be my last. I read this one before reading the others and I was not thrown by all the characters. That being said, their background stories are sprinkled in.
I was drawn in from tbe epilogue and could not put it down from that point on! I was captivated by Duke and his gut-wrenching love and loss. Then Mallory the same thing she was so sweet and insecure about lots of things you can help but like her. After reading what happened in her childhood, she just gets more real. Then there is the off tbe charts chemistry bouncing off these two. As they get to know eachother better and really talk things out. It just gets hot!!! Then the bowling scene that had me in tears. I could believe that. After everything! But Duke redeems himself. And he does it in a big way! I was cheering for them in that last big scene!
Such a fantastic read, I absolutely loved it!!
Best of Me truly exceeded my expectations! Each book in this series has been amazing, and this one is no different. Duke and Mally just hits you with all the feels right from the beginning getting you hooked til you reach the end. This page turner with it’s amazing characters is a must read. Not only did Mally and Duke have amazing chemistry, but the friendships with the other characters are ones to envy. And let’s not forget, the star of the series since book 1. Miss Tatum is way too adorable for her own good.
This is book 3 in this series and a complete standalone. Very well written in dual POV and it’s own HEA. Best of Me is not one you want to miss out on. LK Farlow has done an amazing job in bringing all these characters to life in the best way.
Best of Me is the kind of story that will take readers on an emotionally captivating rollercoaster ride full of unexpected twists and turns. LK Farlow has been one of my favorite authors ever since she released her debut back in 2017 and she never seizes to surprise me with each new release. This story is hands down on of my top reads of 2019 and I absolutely adored every single thing about this story from the slightly forbidden storyline to the unique character development!
Duke and Mallory’s story stole my heart and consumed every inch of my soul. Their beautiful connection wholeheartedly captivated me and there were moments throughout their story when they took my breath away. The raw emotions between these two lost souls were intense and had me experiencing all the feels! Their journey is not any easy one full of sunshine and rainbows, but rather a bumpy ride full of grief, pain and loss. Together they find a way to heal each other, as if they were always destined to be.
This story proves that sometimes life gives you a second chance at love, even if you don’t think you are deserving of it. Duke and Mallory both deserve a happily ever after moment, and I have to say that LK Farlow delivers that with the Best of Me!
Sometimes there’s an angel helping find their loved ones HEA.
I knew I’d love Duke’s HEA!! Duke has been suffering for years after tragically losing his girlfriend in a horrible traffic accident. He is unexpectedly thrown off kilter by the unexpected reappearance in his world of his late girlfriend’s twin. Duke and Mallory are both people who’re missing a part of themselves, the same missing piece and after a little initial drama, they find the missing pieces of their souls. As if they have a guardian angel looking out for their happiness. We get to see our friends Jenny, Alden, Nate, Natalie, and the oh so adorable Tatum. All the feels. Sweet, steamy, fiery, sad, and absolutely wonderful! I received a review copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Duke is trying to move on with his life after losing the one person who made him whole. Frequent episodes he has been trying to avoid always brings him back to the past.
Mallory left to college and never looked backed until a new job position has her coming back near her hometown, a place she has been avoided ever since she left. It holds too many dark secrets and bad memories.
An unexpected gathering brings Duke & Mallory face to face. One person he holds so much resentment for at the same time has so many questions that need answers.
Two people who unexpectedly fall in love, struggle with reality in learning how to accept the turmoil they are feeling and just give in against what they think others would question.
Whew…this story hit me in the feels hard…I am a bit of an emotional wreck right now.
This is the story of Mallory and Duke. This is also the story of Valorie and Duke….trust me on this….
Duke is living his dream life with Valorie. High school sweethearts and more. Then then unthinkable happens….and Duke is mourning hard.
Mallory’s whole life has been nothing but heartache and cruelty. She is the unwanted one…this scars her for a long time. I admired Mallory’s strength moving forward and creating a future for herself. She was still vulnerable and trust was something that is a fragile thing with her.
When Mallory and Duke finally see each other after time has passed they are both slammed into the past and have to find their way to the future.
I felt the guilt from both Duke and Mallory, I felt the hurt and vulnerability from both of them. I also felt the love and hope that they had and the chemistry between the two of them is just wowza.
This was a story that I couldn’t put down until the very end. It’s steamy, it’s heartfelt and oh so swoony! Get your hands on this!
Biggest thing I am thankful for this year is being able to discover new to me authors and L.K is one of them… I went into this book blind, and not sure what to expect, and I was not disappointed in the least. There was just something about the author’s style of writing that had me hooked from page one all the way through to the end of the book.
Best of Me was different, I love my forbidden romances, and this was boarder line forbidden. Actually, it was pretty much just forbidden. Falling for your dead twins’ boyfriend? This was certainly known to me which was awesome because when it comes to forbidden romances and me, I have just about read all the ways a romance can be forbidden, apart from a couple that is hard limits for me.
In this book, we have Duke and Mallory’s epic love story. Let me say that love and their happy ending doesn’t come easy. This story takes them through twists and turns, obstacles they always couldn’t get past but managed to in the end.
Mallory hasn’t been back to her home town in 11 years but after returning, she finds herself pushed back into a group of old friends there and her dead twin sister use to know and in that small crowd of people was her sisters’ boyfriend, Duke. Mallory was taken back to learn he was there. After Duke lost Valarie (Mallory’s twin sister) he had been going through the motions in life. Not really living at all.
That was until Mallory came waltzing back into the picture and everything around him and what he now called life started to change. He knew he shouldn’t be having these sorts of feelings, Mallory knew also but the chemistry between them is undeniable and they struggle to keep in at bay.
Will they be able to?
This book holds more than just the forbidden aspect, it holds a little darkness, a little humor, a little heartache, a load of angst, and that oh-so-familiar angst-filled plot. It tackles some pretty intense topics and situations and it will have your heart hurting one minute and fluttering the next. The heat, the chemistry, the push and pull between these two was intense. It had me gripping my kindle. I wanted these two so bad, but at the same time, I felt wrong for wanting them and cheering them on.
All the angst. I LOVE ANGST and this book was overflowing with it.
It was such a complex storyline and had me a little bent out of shape. It was truly an amazing read and it will be one I will remember and go back to and re-read again.
The author has blown me away and I am eager to dive into her other books and see what awesome plots she’s come up with for them, because if they are anything like this one… I know I will love them.
5 Forbidden Stars!
I LOVED this book! I am a huge LK Farlow fan. So, I knew that this book was going to be good but I didn’t expect to have so many emotions while reading it. At times I was happy, sad, heartbroken, ecstatic, Swoony and sometimes I just wanted to bury my head in a pillow and ugly cry. Duke and Mallory’s story wasn’t easy. They had so many different obstacles fighting against them from the very beginning. In the end, those obstacles only made their relationship that much stronger.
I loved the writing, how the book easily flowed, I loved several of the side characters, I loved following Duke and Mallory’s journey and I LOVED to see them together and HAPPY! This book definitely gets 5 “I devoured it and couldn’t put it down until the end” stars!!
Love lost and unexpectedly found. I loved Best of Me. The story of Mallory and Duke had me captivated from the very first page. Their story starts well before they realize they have a chemistry.
Duke Kincaid thought love could never happen again after the sudden loss of the love of his life. He just couldn’t move on. Everything reminded him of what he lost the day Valarie died. Unbeknownst to him, love can happen more than once.
Mallory Parsons had a rough childhood. She was the unwanted twin. She was raised to believe that nobody would ever love her. Emotionally she is scared but healing and rebuilding her live on her terms.
I love the push and pull that both Duke and Mallory have on each other. They both struggle to understand what’s between them while feeling that it’s wrong to have those feelings. LK Farlow has written a story that tugs at your heartstrings and has you rooting for them to figure out their true feelings. This is a MUST READ that you will not want to put down.
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All options are my own and not influenced by the author or anyone else.
I absolutely love everything LK Farlow writes and this book was no exception. Duke and Mallory’s story broke and healed my heart. Their pasts were tragic, but in the midst of their heartbreak they find healing and love with each other. I could not get enough of this couple and was sad for it to end!
5 PHENOMENAL STARS!! I devoured this book!! Duke and Mallory’s story is forbidden and heartbreaking, but what a beautiful journey you will travel. These two are both broken with some obstacles and all the feels in the world. I had happy tears, sad tears and my heart was completely broken, but put back together again. This author has moved to the top of my list, as always to 1-Click.
Duke knew he wanted Valerie to be his wife the moment he saw her. Valerie dies in a car accident leaving him heartbroken and unable to move on. He is a cop in the small town. Mallory is Valerie’s twin sister but she left town. She’s always been in her sister’s shadow with everyone. Now she is back in town for a job that is over from her home. Duke runs into her and is stunned and doesn’t like Mallory at first due to preconceived notions. This is a slow burn romance with angst built in. You also get to visit with characters from the other two stories.
Best of Me by LK Farlow is EVERYTHING! An emotional story full of love, compassion and heat. This is her best book yet. We saw Duke in Best of Intentions and knew the torment he went through with the loss of the love of his life. Now starting over in a new town, he doesn’t expect the newest member of town to be his love’s distant twin sister. A shock to both of them, Duke and Mallory are around each other so often they have to come to terms with being in the same town with the same friends. What they didn’t expect was to fall in love with each other. I loved these characters. Loved seeing the past characters being so involved again. Absolutely loved how Duke and Mallory took their relationship slow and didn’t have to fall into bed with each other so quickly before figuring out their relationship first. Such a great story and a must read!
BEST OF ME by LK Farlow is the story of Mallory Parsons and Duke Kincaid.
Mallory has/had a twin sister Valorie who was the star of the family, had the popular boyfriend and everything that seemed good. Mallory was felt to be the unwanted child that had to live in her sister’s shadow. Duke was her sister’s boyfriend and Mallory’s crush but she knew that to Duke she didn’t really exists. When Mallory was old enough she left her family and the town to do something she wanted to with her life. Now in their present day Duke has achieved his dream job but the girl he though to move on with has past. Mallory has been giving a great job opportunity in a near by town to her home town so she has mixed feelings taking it but ends up not refusing. Mallory hasn’t had much contact since the loss of her sister and she is still in a protective mode of not showing who she really is. When Duke and Mallory end up being set up on a date they start to un-turn the past and see if there is something to move forward too.
This was a emotional read for sure but I did enjoy it.
Second chance at love with someone new? Check. Painful past for one or both main characters? Check. Angst that makes me want to cry while not being able to put the iPad down? Check. A beautiful HEA and epilogue to make me whole again? Check.
Duke and Mallory had such a rough start. While Duke knew Mallory from his past, he never really KNEW Mallory. He only knew what people wanted him to see, which leads to some serious “he needs a high-five to the face with a brick” moments. Then Duke finally sees the truth of Mallory and the place she’s been taught that she has in the world. And everything changes.
Mallory has always liked Duke, though she knew that he likely never felt anything near “like” for her. Maybe indifference at best, but not like. She’s carrying enough pain and defeat and guilt to choke a lesser woman, but she never lets that beat her. Instead, she carries on with her head held as high as she can and makes a point to avoid causing others pain.
Once Duke decides that he’s going to get to the heart of Mallory and let himself live (and love) again, they both help each other find their way to true happiness. There are some pretty sizable bumps in the road, but everyone knows that difficulties build character…and both Duke and Mallory have character by the truckload by their HEA. I was only sad to hit the end of their story because I didn’t want to walk away from them or their group of friends. I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author!