“Jacob Phillips was my best friend. He was my first love. We shared our first kiss together. He broke my heart.” Sage Weston and Jacob Phillips met as children at Little Kitty Orphanage. They had the type of friendship that could weather any storm and they vowed that they would always be there for each other. And then Jacob was adopted, and everything changed. At first, the letters were fast … letters were fast and furious but then they stopped, and Sage was left all alone.
Four years later, Sage and Jacob bump into each other at a university party. Sparks fly, daggers are drawn, and Sage wants nothing to do with Jacob or the bevy of women that seem to follow him everywhere he goes. Then Sage loses a bet, and she can no longer avoid Jacob. Though she does everything she can to let him know that they are no longer friends. But Jacob has plans and is determined for Sage to know the truth about what happened four years ago, even if it costs him everything.
Carry My Heart is a STANDALONE book by New York Times Bestselling Author J. S. Cooper
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Jacob And Sage’s Romance Is An Angst-Filled Quick Read About Abandonment, Betrayal, And Secrets!
Sage Weston, twenty-one, still struggles with the abandonment issues that plagued her childhood. She is barely scraping by, but had she managed to make it to college all on her own. She is thankful to have Nina in her life, her one friend and roommate. Nina is outgoing and social, unlike Sage who prefers to stay in and study. Nina doesn’t have financial worries since she has parents who love and support her. Paying the bills every month has been a worry for Sage since leaving Little Kitty Orphanage at eighteen. She had never known her father and was abandoned by her mother at age seven, so most of her childhood was spent in the orphanage. She had never felt love or the security of belonging to a family in all those years. But there had been one boy that befriended her when she turned thirteen. She didn’t trust him at first. He was too happy and made friends easily. But their friendship grew until at age sixteen they were in love. She felt connected and cherished. Sage had taken a chance on this boy, but he had broken all the promises he made her just as soon as he was welcomed into a family, leaving her and the orphanage behind. She hadn’t made that mistake again. Nina might be her only friend, but she knew very little about Sage. It was better to live a heartless life alone than to offer up her heart on silver platter again.
Jacob Phillips, twenty-one, has pined for Sage Weston since leaving her five years ago. But he has secrets, and those secrets will hurt her if she ever finds out. He had watched the shy girl since his arrival at the orphanage after his parents died in an accident when he was ten. But after three years of watching her, he had finally declared that they would be friends. He admired the depth of her feelings and her keen intelligence. Their banter even as children was fun and they could talk forever about anything. But that all ended. He wants to go to her but hasn’t figured out how to approach her without offering an explanation. Yet when he spies her at a party at school, he knows he can delay no longer.
Jacob and Sage’s romance is an emotional angst-filled quick read about abandonment, betrayal, and secrets. Jacob has a great sense of humor, but shy Sage is perfect with her come-backs. She comes out of her shell around him, which makes her loneliness in his absence that much more palpable. Despite his six years as an orphan, Jacob never seemed to suffer the abandonment issues that Sage had. He was a much-wanted love child before his parents’ accident. His charismatic personality ensured he had no shortage of attention at the orphanage during the first three years. And when he decided he wanted to become Sage’s friend at long last, he had his way with her, too. It doesn’t seem fair that he left Sage behind and lived a full social life even knowing Sage was so nearby. He knew what he did had destroyed her. It is difficult to reconcile the boy from the orphanage with the one who left Sage to her own devices. Be prepared for shocking surprises as Jacob and Sage reconnect. Their couple eventually earns their happy ending.
Jacob and Sage’s story about young orphans that find love to have it ripped away takes the reader on a gut-clenching rollercoaster ride. The story is a well-written quick read. The plot is somewhat complex. The characters are nicely developed. They feel real and raw .The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Jacob and Sage. I rate this book 4.5 starts.
I received an advance copy of this book and audiobook and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sage and Jacob meet in a foster group home and form a bond as teens. When Jacob is adopted they make a promise to keep in touch, but secrets prevent that from happening. This second chance at a love story is moving with drama, surprises, and forgiveness. It is a well-written story with characters that you can get behind. I read this story in the 7 Nightly Sins box set which I highly recommend.
Sage and Jacob grow up together in an orphanage. Their bond is seemingly unbreakable until Jacob is adopted. Then secrets come to light that cause him to pull away from Sage sending her further into herself. The light Jacob brought out in her dimming more as the years pass. When Jacob sees Sage at a college party he devises a plan to reconnect.
I would have loved a little more wrap to the story. It does end a bit abruptly. There is no cliffhanger but a little more would have been welcomed. The story is well paced and is an easy to read. It’s a very sweet story! There are moments where Jacob and Sage seem both too old and too young for their ages when it comes to their speech patterns and turns of phrase.
I would recommend this to fans of second chance contemporary romance.
I haven’t read one of J.S. Cooper’s books in a really long time and realized how much I miss how she tells a story. Sage was left at the orphanage because her mom didn’t want her anymore after her father left so Sage vows never to let someone in again but then Jacob came to live there. Jacob wore Sage down to be his friend and just when Sage started to feel loved, someone came and adopted Jacob and Sage’s heart will never be the same. My heart was breaking half way through because J.S. Cooper makes you feel.
4.5 stars
Starting over and learning to trust again is challenging. Growing up alone is never easy. One day things were looking up when Jacob was placed in an orphanage and met Sage. She had been there for a while and believed that everyone she loved would leave her. In order to get Sage to like him, Jacob begins to exchange letters with her to earn her trust. Then the unforgettable day arrived when Jacob was taken away to live with a foster family and Sage was once again alone. Fast forward a few years and Sage and Jacob reconnect at a college party. She wants nothing to do with Jacob but he is more than determined to win back her affections. The problem is that Jacob has a secret that he is scared to tell Sage because he does not want to lose her. Will Jacob tell Sage the truth? Can Sage open up and trust Jacob with her whole heart? This is one intense and heart warming second chance romance with a twist that you will not see coming.
I volunteered to read an advance copy of this book.
A heartbreakingly sweet story about Sage and Jacob. This book has it all. Second chances, slow burn and lots of heat. This story has twists and turns that you don’t see coming. Another winner for JS Cooper!!
It all started with a few letters. She fell in love with him at thirteen. Love that was meant-to-be down not fade with time or distance.
Sage loved Jacob since they were kids. She was closed off and kept to herself at the orphanage. When your own parents don’t want you, it’s hard to trust and form relationships. But Jacob insisted that they were meant to be friends and he was willing to make the effort.
Jacob came from a loving family. He ended up in the orphanage when his parents were killed in an accident. He was happy and full of life.
Jacob and Sage became inseparable…until he was adopted. He promised to keep in touch and come visit. Sage wrote him and he never wrote back. He left her.
Devastated and heartbroken…Sage carried on. It’s been five years. Sage is in college and making a life. She’s still closed off…everyone leaves. And then she sees Jacob at a party and all the hurt comes flooding back. She has so many questions and he has so man secrets. But the love they shared, never wavered. Now she has to be willing to risk it all to rekindle their love.
A sweet love story with some surprises. The author brought the slow burn and the sexual tension. Jacob knew he wanted Sage and he was willing to do what he needed to bring her back into his life, but she wasn’t about to make it easy on him. Both would have to let go of the past and share their secrets to move forward and build a future. But being together, was worth everything!
Wow this book made me cry some tears. I love Sage and Jacob. Sage and Jacob had a horrible childhood and meet in an orphanage . However Jacob gets adopted and leaves Sage behind. This is a downfall for Sage but little does she know nothing is as it seems.
Can these two come back together , or will their past ruin it for them .
This book will rip you into pieces and put you back together . It is an amazing story .
It all started in an orphanage, Sage and Jacob bonded over letters. You know the old fashioned pen to paper letters. That was the way to her heart and Jacob was determined to get in there and carry her heart forever. As they grow close the best and worst thing happens, Jacob gets adopted. He left Sage behind but promised he’d never forget her. Fast forward to present time, they find each other at the same college. While She wants nothing to do with him, Jacob once again is determined to capture her heart. But he’s conflicted, if he tells her the truth as to why he lost touch he’s afraid her heart will break for good, yet she deserves the truth. Ultimately he has to confess and as luck would have it she took it much better than expected. The twist in this story was one I didn’t expect.
” you’re the dot on the map, my final destination “
I really enjoyed this book. Sage and Jacob met in an orphanage and soon become best friends. Their friendship as children was sweet. Jacob was always watching out for Sage until the day he was adopted. Their story takes us from childhood to adulthood, from sweet to sexy. Letters, heartache, promises, a bet, and a secret that had me turning pages for the truth.
Incredible story of two young people Jacob and Sage who meet under circumstances that no young person should ever be in. JS Cooper takes you on journey of heartbreak and happiness, of friendship and true love, of mystery and wonder. I never wanted the book to end. It filled your heart and your soul up and reminded me how resilient the heart can be.
This author is one of my favorites. She always creates relatable characters with unique storylines. This book is another example of that.
Sage and Jacob are intriguing characters who took me back to my youth. I couldn’t get enough of their love story and was dying to know all their secrets. It was a sweet, easy read with a Happily Ever After.
This reader found this story to be exceedingly poignant throughout the entire story. The emotions of the young are so earnest and to be able to share such first time pureness is awe inspiring. Life happens for all of us and not necessarily as we thought it would all play out. Such is what occurred for the main male and female characters. From being in an orphanage to finding friendships, the main female character grew and matured immensely. The characterizations were all detailed, showed growth and conveyed a range of emotions for the reader to absorb. This reader came away from reading this story with more knowledge of the experiences people go through, who, for whatever reason, find themselves without family. Good read.
I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.
Main Characters: Sage & Jacob
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
3 out of 5 stars
Sorry this book just seemed too juvenile for college age kids. There was also too much internalizing from both characters and just too much repetition especially of how Sage was feeling. I found myself skimming pages just so I could get to the end and find out Jacob’s secret which I have to admit I never saw it coming. Jaimie did have one of the better edited ARC’s I have read in awhile.
What an emotional and moving story. Sage and Jacob met as children at an orphanage and were best friends until he was adopted. Their early lives were so different in that he was a ‘love child’ whose parents were killed in an accident. He survived because he was cushioned between them. She lived in an ‘unwanted situation’ with her mother and stepfather until she was dropped at the orphanage. They meet again years later at college and the drama continues. Lots of suspense and twists. No spoiler here, but this is a good read that will keep your interest. I read a reader copy and voluntarily chose to write a review.