When you have a perfect marriage, only an impossible reconnection could make you risk it all. From USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann comes Even If It Hurts, an emotionally charged contemporary romance. OLIVER When I met her, I couldn’t take my eyes off her.We were so young and so passionate.We studied business in the day and each other’s bodies at night.We always knew it would end with … business in the day and each other’s bodies at night.
We always knew it would end with the semester, so we loved hard with no regrets.
LANCE
When I met her, I couldn’t get her off my mind.
We were fresh out of college and ready to take on the world.
We fit each other like missing puzzle pieces.
And just when I thought my life was perfect, it got better. She became my wife.
CHLOE
I met my first love while studying abroad in London.
When I moved home, I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love again.
Until I met him. The man who became my husband.
The one I promised a lifetime to.
Then, my first love came back into my life …
And I realized that love was bigger than any one man.
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This book will knock you out with emotion! WOW! I had no clue what was going to happen in this book and the love, steam, chemistry is so overflowing in this book it comes out of the pages. This story is so real and yet so original at the same time. You will not be able to put it down.
This was my first Marni Mann book and wow, it will not be my last (as I go download them all)! Her writing will punch you in the gut with emotion- sadness, rawness, happiness, and love. You get so into these characters you can feel what it is like to be them in this book. There is a BFF friendship that is also so realistic and so needed to this story. The steam level is also on point 4/5!
I highly recommend this book!
*Thank you to the PR firm and author for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, my heart. This book may not be comfortable for some, but if your looking for a book with all-consuming love and can get past cheating, then give this a read!
Marni, you couldn’t just write one swoon worthy hero, you had to write two. And this is the reason my heartfelt pain. I was so consumed by these men, each perfect in their own way.
Oliver – He’s that down to earth soul that oozes charm, charisma and is an all round gentleman that will have you falling in love with him within the first few pages.
Lance – He has to be the most caring and thoughtful man there is. There is nothing he doesn’t think about and is always putting Chloe first. This is the kind of love I like to read about, it makes my heart happy.
Chloe – You may want to hate her, but as you follow her on her journey you will feel every bit of love she has for these two men and will be consumed by it. You will feel every indecision and the pain at loving these two men and how her heart hurts when she has to choose between them.
The best part of these two men is the sex scenes! They are sexy and sensual as hell. Both different lovers and both left me wanting them. So passionate and consuming.
This story is so beautifully written and I had no idea what was going to happen. Usually, with these types of books, you can tell where the story will go, but I couldn’t with this book. I devoured the book in one sitting, the story so gripping, intense and emotional, my heart was definitely put through the ringer with all the angst. I highly recommend this book.
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ARC received for an honest review – thank you
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 18%
POV – First, Heroine
Hero’s –
Heroine –
Story –
Angst –
Steam –
Chemistry –
Man oh Mann, Marni made it hurt. Even If It Hurts should come with a box of tissues and blood pressure medicine. Look, you know from the synopsis that this story is going to be a complicated love triangle. You need to go into this book knowing that this story is going to strangle your heart. Let yourself fall in love with each man. Trust me, you will. Marni is going to take you on this emotional journey that’s going to be painful to read at times. She’s going to make you question your own core beliefs on love and fidelity. You will scream at this book. I think Marni wants you, the reader, to flex your heart’s muscle memory and walk in each of the character’s shoes to make you decide to feel it all, even if it hurts. It will. I had to put this book down a few times because I had felt some emotional whiplash. Then, like the emotional sadist I am, I ripped off the emotional bandage and went right back in. Just when you think you know how this story is going end, you don’t. Read this book even if you think it’s going to hurt. It’s worth every scream, and all of the swoon-worthy moments that you can muster. Even If It Hurts
Oh Chloe…you’re my girl. If there’s ever been a female character that I just wanted to reach out to and both hug and shake in equal measures, it’s Chloe. This book hurt so good, just like the book summary and title promise.
What I loved most about this book was how the author setup two very different types of love. Love is love right? Well what about first love? Forever love? Second-chance love? Soulmate love? This author dares you to imagine how one person would handle being faced with two loves at once. And let me tell you, you’ll likely be fully invested in each relationship and torn between who should win. That’s the trick with Marni. She never makes it easy, but makes you love the story all the same. There’s bound to be a catch-22 type twist that will both enliven the book, but also wreck you in the best way.
The men in the book? Oliver was the first-love, heart eyes, butterflies in your stomach, type of trepidatious love for Chloe. Lance was swoon-worthy from his first scene. A well-accomplished man, master of his world, and confident AF. He enters her life like a hurricane with his eye set on Chloe.
Chloe’s emotions come across the page in full-force, fully immersing me in the gut-wrenching, heart palpitating moments. That’s one of the highlights of this book for me…how the author write her emotions so beautifully and made reading this book from Chloe’s perspective a realistic experience.
This book isn’t for everyone, but it most definitely was for me. This book once again solidifies Marni Mann as one my top one-click authors.
There is no way to describe just how I felt when I finished this book, it is a story you live with the characters a book you survive.
Oliver Lance and Chloe will stay with me for a long time, I can’t choose my favourite as without all three there would be no story to tell. I sometimes wonder if Marni has a competition with herself to see if this will be the time she finally breaks her readers. Her writing always has such depth and a realism that grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. The storyline what can I say… come on you really do not want me to spoil it for you. Get ready to be swept away with romance love emotion and angst. I wasn’t prepared … are you?
I finished this novel a few days ago and I can’t get it out of my mind. Even If It Hurts left me speechless, it was intense, full of angst, gripping and engrossing.These characters, this storyline, it grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. The story was complex yet realistic and will touch your heart in so many ways, as you will feel for these characters who you can’t help but love.
It took me on an emotional roller-coaster ride and evoked so many emotions but I was hooked and could not put it down. This was a well-written, emotionally charged, gut-wrenching story. I loved it and I would highly recommend it to all lovers of contemporary romance.
Marni Mann has absolutely blown my mind and obliterated my heart with Even If It Hurts.
I dove into this story knowing the writing would be fantastic, but I was nowhere near ready for the crushing waves of emotions and the spectacular story belonging to Chloe, Lance, and Oliver.
This story is so perfect in its simplicity and yet the characters are such a complete, complex tangle of emotions. At the same time they’re all so perfectly real, raw, and relatable that I couldn’t help but feel everything right along with them. My heart ached with them and although I didn’t agree with all the decisions made I loved getting a story that was so true to its characters and how messy love can be. I don’t have the proper words for this story. Get it. Experience it. All the stars.
When you read a Marni Mann book…. do you want to read the end first???? I always want to cheat to the end to see what is going to happen. She writes with such intrigue and develops such an incredible storyline, I want to know how it ends yet I always want more when I get there to the end.
Even If It Hurts is another one of those books! It broke me. Marni’s author note at the end makes the complexity of this book make me love it even more than I already had!
No spoilers but I loved everything about this book even though it isn’t my favorite of storylines but how Marni writes compels me to feel and want more of what she is writing.
I loved Chloe, Lance and Oliver. I loved Chloe’s relationships with Molly- her amazing best friend. My heart broke, I cried tears and I felt! I’d have to say this goes into my top 2020 reads because it really challenged me to think.
I walk away from this book with knowing everyone is different and we shouldn’t judge and the only person in live I can control and accountable for is myself! What a great reminder for life.
Not sure if this is really a book review or a support session for myself but that is what Marni’s books do to me so go read Even If It Hurts because it just makes you feel and think! And want more!
I am just in awe of Marni Mann and her stories, characters and her writing. She has a way of getting into the heart and soul of the reader. If you have not read her, you must! Her books are that good!!!
Even If It Hurts is the story of first love, forever love and heartbreak. Can you love two people?
Chloe studies abroad in London in college and meets Oliver. He becomes her world but a semester is just that & when real life calls, she returns to the states.
Chloe meets Lance and life goes on.
The story is told in four parts. There will be happy moments, there will be moments you will feel in your heart and in Marni style, moments that you feel the dread coming. And then your heart will be torn as the characters make tough decisions.
Marni’s books are full of emotions both happy, sad and all those in between. You get invested in her and her characters. I highly recommend this book!
Get your tissues ready! This story will turn you inside out and make you second guess your beliefs several times. As you fight your own emotions throughout the story, you’ll fall in love more than once. This is one story you just can’t put down, no matter how much it breaks your heart…. and it will break your heart.
5 I’m An Emotional Wreck Stars!!!
This book is my first by Ms. Mann and I’m still trying to recover from reading this book that moved me in so many ways. Ms. Mann is an author I’ve been wanting to explore for quite a while and when I read the blurb for this one, there was something that just spoke to me.
This book is so well written. The characters are compelling, complicated and fascinating. There’s a depth to them that made me fall in love with them. Chloe especially. This woman took me on a journey of love that had me in tears several times. Imagine finding the love of your life, your first love, and then having that taken away from you. She never thought she’d find love like that again, but she’s one of the lucky ones…and then BOOM!!! Life changes and we’re at a crossroad that will cause heartbreak for at least one person, possibly more.
I was consumed by this book. I lost sleep reading this book. I’m still thinking about this book and this love story several days later. There are things in this book that may be a hard limit for some. While I was bothered by part of this story arc, I understood it and for me, it’s what made this book such a rich and beautiful read.
Now that I’ve hopped on the Marni Mann train, I’m never getting off of it and can’t wait to experience more of her beautiful words.
I have read almost all of Marni’s books. From dark reads like Animal, to heart wrenching reads like When Ashes Fall. Every single one of them only makes me want more. This book, simply left me speechless. Can one person love two men, equally? How do you choose? How do you walk away? This book will leave you breathless. Going through Chloe’s struggles, her heartbreaks, and her goodbyes. Even though I am dealing with a nasty flu and I should be sleeping, I just simply could not put this book down. What a beautiful story.
Marni, you are one hell of a story teller. I look forward to your next publish. Love you hard
I went into this book completely blind, the first part was incredible and so romantic and hot, but the second part of the book left a lot to be desired, she needed to grow up a little more before jumping into another relationship, the end left me with some questions, but overall it was a good story.
Marni Mann is a pro at putting my feelings through the wringer. I’m not a fan of cheating or love triangles, but I read this book anyway because I’m a HUGE fan of Marni Mann’s writing. I am so happy I gave it a chance. It felt realistic to me and I could totally understand why Chloe made the decisions she did. The book is about Chloe meeting her first love, Oliver, when traveling abroad in London. She and Oliver have a whirlwind, fun filled romance that made my knees weak. Oliver was so dreamy. I loved him. Unfortunately, their time comes to an end when Chloe has to head back home to the United States. A few years later she meets Lance. He loves her just as much as Oliver did. He was such a great guy. After being with Lance a while, Chloe’s job takes her out of the country and her path crosses again with Oliver. I was anxious to see how Chloe’s story was going to play out and to see who she would chose to be with. I loved both men so much and felt that they both loved Chloe so much that I was truly ok with whomever she chose. Such a wonderful, heartfelt story. Chloe was one lucky woman to have had two great loves!
What the hell Marni??? What did I just read? This book….I seriously don’t have the words for it! My emotions are all over the place right now! I’m sad. My heart is broken. This story is so gut wrenching it hurts. Talk about angst….oh my gosh, the angst was almost too much! I seriously don’t know how I feel about it. I don’t know if I want to be mad or happy. Either way I wanna cry! The love this story exudes just overwhelmed me!! I never know where Marni’s books are going to take me but usually it’s to a very unexpected place. And, as always, Marni did not disappoint me with this one! Honestly this book is amazing but be prepared for the emotions!! Must read of 2020!!
Wowza! That story wrecked me, I don’t even know how to put my feelings into words quite yet. This story is a gut wrenching read, it will have your emotions all over the board. If you like a story with lots of angst, then this is the book for you, still not sure if I am happy or mad about it all. Marni Mann is becoming a go to for me, every time I read one of her books I think there is no way it will get any better, but alas it always does. I loved Chloe and Lance together, I was glad to see that she was able to pick up the pieces of her life and move on with him. I need to find something stat, and get over this book hangover. Don’t miss out on the book, and keep the tissues close.
I’ve just closed the final page and I need a moment.
I have all kinds of questions that I’m sure will never be answered
What a heartbreaking read –
I confess that I lost my battle this time with my inner child and read the final pages when I was only a couple of chapters from the end
I couldn’t do it – I was a wreck – I just couldn’t …
Normally I wouldn’t be so upset with what happened
And I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t that big on Lance when his character first came on scene, but he grows on you.
He was 100% – that’s a rare jewel in today’s world.
I wish the author had devoted a touch more time to their relationship.
I do understand Chloe, truly I do.
Love is forever, especially true love, whether it is your first or your last. The emotions stay with you they embed their memory deep within the soul – Life can take you from the physical but it can never erase the echo of what once was.
Do I agree with what you did? No, but I do understand.
I felt at times like Lance was a capitulation for Chloe, that she loved him but was not in love with him. Too many times she justified why he was the perfect man. I can not pinpoint why but I felt a lack of depth to their relationship like it was based heavily on the physical aspects.
London you were her first and those feelings will stay forever – nothing can match that – but maybe the echo was all that was meant to be?
The connection between Oliver and Chloe was, in my opinion, more of an emotional one than what she had with her husband.
Again I would have preferred a bit more time with Lance and Chloe. I think that is where this fell short for me. I just did not get the connection with Lance.
My heart was still ripped from my chest and I was left reeling in the possibilities
I hope we get the story of a certain someone. I truly think he deserves the stars.
Life is messy…
And this story is all about that. The heart is a strong and fragile thing. What happens when it is torn apart or pulled in too many directions? Heartbreak, of course…
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story. Knowing this author, the writing should have been flawless. It was. It should have had intriguing, unique, loveable characters. It so did. (Bestie for the win!). The storyline should have compelled me to read it one sitting. Check. So why am I so sad? So unsettled? The choices that were made. The unexpected secrets. The way things unfolded. And no matter what happened, it wasn’t going to be a cookie cutter fairy tale ending…
Am I regretting picking up this story? No, not at all. But I embraced these characters. A lot! The author made me care for them. Worried about them. Stressed about their choices. And that ending? It was bittersweet. And that melancholy? Is exactly what I feel…
Read it for good storytelling and characters that will touch your heart. Even if that heart is left bruised..
*Reviewed for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty
This book has blown me away. I need time to let it sink in. Full review to follow.
I don’t even know where to begin with this review. I don’t read blurbs so going into this book I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into. Even If It Hurts was unexpected in the best way possible and it gutted me from the very beginning to the very last page.
The book is broken up into four parts. Part one is college age Chloe and her experience in London that forever changed it. This part broke me. First love and first heartbreak and such an emotional goodbye. Part two is after London and the course Chloe’s life took. This mends that broken heart from the first part and gives you hope. Part three was emotional for me, it continued to mend and as a reader you continued to fall in love but also felt the pain Chloe felt and the confusion. Part four *insert ugly crying here* DESTROYED ME! I could barely read because I was just in tears.
Even If It Hurts isn’t going to be for everyone, but this book was emotional, it was beautifully written and a truly beautiful story. You feel the love, the pain, the loss, the confusion and every other emotion Chloe felt throughout the story. Every single character in this story is loveable. You fall for Chloe, for Oliver and for Lance. You want to dislike them, but you just can’t. Each of these characters will touch you in some way.
Even If It Hurts is a beautiful, emotional MUST READ!