In a split-second, a car crash killed almost everything between them. Ten years later, can one accidental ride fix tattered spirits, uncertain futures, and broken hearts?Lily Grantham has always done what she’s been told. The daughter of a senator, she grew up as the good girl of Fawn Hill, and carried that torch right on through to adulthood. Her only wild streak? Bowen Nash. She loved that boy … loved that boy since the day they laid eyes on each other, and it nearly ended them both. A decade later, and Lily still can’t move on. Even if Bowen has made it clear he doesn’t love her anymore.
Bowen Nash never wanted the life he’s trapped in. Destined for baseball fame and the love of his high-school sweetheart, that existence vanished in the flip of an old pickup. Now, he’s stuck in the town that produced his worst nightmare. Pretending to hate Lily Grantham guts him day in and day out. But to protect her from the ultimate secret, it’s necessary to break his own heart each time they pass on the street.
They’ve been fighting fate for as long as it’s been chasing them. And now, time is up.
more
A beautiful second chance romance about Bowen and Lily. They were high school sweethearts that endured a tragic event that split them up and now 10 years later they still don’t speak or acknowledge each other even though they are still lining for each other. This book gives you all the feels, one minute you want to cry and the next you’re swooning real hard. This series just keeps getting better and better and I love each of the Nash Brothers and can’t wait for more.
FORGIVEN by Carrie Aarons is book Two in the Nash Brothers Series. This is the story of Bowen Nash and Lily Grantham and I think reading the previous book helped me enjoy this one more. Lily and Bowen were high school sweethearts until a accident broke them up. Bowen works to force her away which has last about 10 years. Now her best friend Presley is marring his brother Keaton and they are brought into the wedding, he as best man and her as a bridesmaid. So now they are thrown together but Bowen is still working to keep her at bay. Lily was a senator’s daughter and always the good girl of Fawn Hill but now she is stepping things up to find out what happen with Bowen.
This was a nice second chance romance.
I loved this book.
Bowen & lily’s story is a very emotional one, which will have you running the gauntlet of your emotions from start to finish.
Carrie Aarons has once again written a beautiful story. Every character brings something special.
I cannot wait to read more about the Nash brothers.
So much hurt, sadness and love. Lily and Bowen story was even better than I expected.
Forgiven is the second book in the Nash Brothers series by Carrie Aarons and each book is about one of the Nash Brothers and it takes place in a small town. This one is about Lily and Bowen and it was my favorite book of the series.
.
Lily is the town’s librarian and good daughter to her senator father. But lately she wants to distance herself from him because she doesn’t fully agree with all of his opinions. She is trying to create her own life and it starts off with some obstacles. Her car for example breaks down in the middle of a storm and none other than Bowen rescues her and he is the one she never forget.
.
Bowen wanted to become a pro baseball player, but his dream was shattered and he is trying to move on, but still thinks about it. Now he has a barber shop in town and works as a volunteer firefighter. He is an introvert and rather stays for himself and I could definitely relate to that and in general he is an amazing hero.
.
Lily and Bowen are Highschool sweethearts and they have such a strong connection, but one night with an accident changed all. Now their relationship seems broken beyond repair and their love and life was left in limbo. Bowen thinks the accident is his fault and afterwards rather stays away from her. When they become the best man and maid of honor for the couple from book one, they see each other plenty and are reminded of their great history and the good moments and it is their second chance.
.
Overall, Lily and Bowen’s story is sweet and angsty and a beautiful second chance romance. 5 stars.
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.)
I’m not crying you’re crying… Carrie Aarons what have you done to me?!? If I wasn’t a fan before I’m sure as hell now… This was filled with so much feels I don’t have words to describe what or how it made me feel.
I was a sobbing mess half the time I was reading. It was heartbreaking to see how they were hurting because they weren’t together. And to say I was happy when they finally came together is the biggest understatement of them all.
Absolutely beautiful story and my favorite in the series.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads ***
Bowen and Lily were teenage sweethearts but after a tragic accident things change. 10 years of living in a small town and no talking and avoiding each other. One night changes everything but can a secret from 10 years ago keep them apart or is this love too strong. Totally love these characters.
4.5 Stars
Sweet, angsty, the kind of small town romance that sweeps your problems away for a little bit. Forgiven is the second chance romance that readers will read and get that finally feeling. Ten years have passed since the accident, since Bowen walked away and Lily was left with a broken heart and no reason that she can find. Bowen Nash and Lily Grantham are meant to be, but there’s secrets and heartache between them that neither are prepared to face. When Lily’s best friend and Bowen’s brother select the two to be their maid and man of honor, it’s the push they both need to face one another. As Lily starts to question Bowen’s hatred of her, Bowen realizes that maybe holding onto the past isn’t worth losing the girl he never stopped loving.
I have to admit, I was prepared for a sweet romance and while we got that, Carrie Aarons gave me what I really wanted, a whole lot of angst. Second-chance romances just aren’t right without the characters dealing with the hurt between them and I hate when issues are resolved easily. I honestly wasn’t sure these two would find a way to work out, Lily has been beat down by it for so long and Bowen had turned quite surly, but they still fit together like puzzle pieces. Lily isn’t the same girl she used to be in high school, her independence giving her the ability to pursue Bowen relentlessly. And Bowen, though successful in his own way, has really allowed the past and his self hatred to hold him back. Lily’s pursuit shakes things up for Bowen, he either has to run or face the music, and that felt realistic to me as a reader. It isn’t easy of course, her pursuit often makes her hurt more, but it also restarts the longing in Bowen’s heart. It’s a kind of push and pull, but as they give in and Bowen reveals the truth they finally realize the blame should’ve never lied on the two of them at all.
I docked half a star due to the situation that keeps the two apart. Looking at it from their youthful perspectives, it makes sense that it’s what started it all, but as adults I had a hard time believing it was viewed as serious as it was. I think the time they spent apart was so long and though I’m glad they finally faced it, it made me sort of sad for the time they lost and the built up anger that Bowen had. I might have docked more had Carrie Aarons not made them tackle the issue over the entire length of the book, allowing them to restart their relationship and strengthen their bonds once more.
Forgiven is a story of love, loss, and forgiveness and it’ll tick off all the boxes for the angst lovers out there. It is the second novel in the Nash Brothers series and so far my favorite. Carrie Aarons has created a small town series with all the drama, friendships, and relationships readers’ hearts could desire, plus the brothers are handsome and the girls are fiercely independent. The entire series is the kind of romance readers root for.
ARC provided.
Forgiven by Carrie Aarons is the second book in her small town Nash Brothers romance. This story of Lily, the small-town librarian and senators daughter, and Bowen, the middle Nash brother who was going to the major leagues until an accident his senior year in high school ended those dreams.
The push and pull between Bowen and Lily was palpable, even in the previous book in this series, Fleeting. I was so excited that their story was next. The subterfuge and the meddling of parents and people who think they know better but don’t. Gah! It was so emotional. Lily stayed true to her emotions and Bowen did his best to uphold the agreement he made years ago that kept them apart but it was obviously killing his soul bit-by-bit. I LOVED Bowen’s character in this book. He was still surly and gruff but seeing that softer side of him with Lily was awesome! Now on to the next book in the series, Flutter. Enjoy!
Bowen Nash & Lily Grantham were in love but after a car crash it was over. A decade later they are circling each other. Finally they talk and it is a second chance. Lovely
Second Chance Romance!
This second chance romance about Bowen and Lily pulled me in during Fleeting. You could see all the hurt between these two characters and could only hope for their happily ever after. Especially after hearing about the love they had for each other before the accident. Another good small town read!
Ohhhh, I just adored Lily and Bowen’s story.
It’s a second chance romance with angst and a bit of mystery as to what happened to their relationship in the past.
I was on pins & needles just waiting to see what was really going on.
There were moments where my heart just completely broke for Lily. I really enjoyed watching her find her voice and standing up for herself.
There were times where I wanted to kill Bowen with my bare hands, yet… understood the predicament he was in.
I enjoyed Fleeting, but this one really had me hooked!
Bowen and Lily were inseparable in high school, and many thought they would be together until the end of time, but then tragedy strikes and changes the course of both of their lives. After ten years of not speaking or seeing each other, they are faced with interacting with each other and subsequently hashing out what exactly happened to them. The storyline flowed well and without reading the first book there was enough context that this story can be read without it, but I felt that it was somewhat anticlimactic with starting out with the two not speaking for ten years. It seemed to me that the reason they never spoke didn’t match up to the time duration. Overall though, I loved the characters and their interactions of getting to re-know each other after all that time had passed. While they knew each other so well back then, it showed really how much people do and do not change. I enjoyed the book and will definitely be going back and reading the first in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I love each Nash brother in their own special way. This author does a fantastic job at foreshadowing Bowen in Keaton’s book. He is all mysterious broody sexiness. He is having a difficult time with the loss of his baseball career and the loss of his budding relationship with Lily due to the accident. Bowen was just in high school when the accident takes so much from him. This book takes you on an emotional journey of self discovery after a loss and really pulls at your heart strings. When Bowen and Lily start dealing with their past it seems these two realize their feelings never went away. Their chemistry is undeniable and steamy, but can two broken souls heal each other even with chemistry? I can’t wait for the next book in this series!! The Nash Brothers are all my book boyfriends!!!
An emotional and powerful book that shows the power of soulmates doesn’t die. Carrie Aarons builds up the characters turmoil to perfection.
Lily Grantham doesn’t rebel–always the perfect daughter just like her Senator father likes. But she has loved Bowen Nash since the moment she laid eyes on him in high school something her father has never approved of. She has never understood why Bowen walked away after their accident. Or why has always been so cold and distant to her since he returned to Fawn Hill. Believe her, she has asked–numerous times. He refuses to answer her. Instead he grunts or makes verbal jabs at her. Even years later, her eyes can always find him, she feels when he walks into the room, and her heart races at the sight of him.
Bowen Nash has two loves –baseball and Lily Grantham. Both he lost the night of the accident. Promises were made. Bowen has to break his and her heart in order to keep the promise he made to his father. It pains him every time he’s near her. Instead of showing her how much he still loves her, he’s mean to her hoping he can discourage her. Things have changed. He can no longer stay away from her, but at what cost?
Oh my gosh, Forgiven, grabbed me by the heart and never let me go! It is a second chance romance with angst and emotion!!!
Lily and Bowen fell hard and fast for each other when they were in high school. They believed in forever until a horrible car accident took all that away. They haven’t really spoken to one another in ten years even though they live in the same town. Yet, they have never gotten over one another or been able to move on with their lives. However, the wedding between his brother and her best friend will force these two to finally face their past and the secrets that have kept them apart. The question is will they finally have the future that was taken from them?
The writer, Carrie Aarons, did such an amazing job of illustrating how much these two loved one another. From the moment Bowen smiled at her, no other guy existed to Lily. He also knew the first time he kissed her, he wanted to be her “only one.” He had a bit of bad boy in him, and she was the good girl who feel hard for him. Yet, they were so much more than that cliche. They were two halves of one soul. That was evident through every word in their story.
Everything about this book, from beginning to the end, was incredible. Aarons built such a great cast of characters that really moved the story along. Everything connected seamlessly, even the title. I love when I title tells you everything you need to know, and that is exactly what occurred with this book…it was about forgiveness and second chances!
I discovered the talented Carrie Aarons a couple of years ago, and I fell in love with her writing then. No matter what she writes, I know I shouldn’t plan on doing anything else until I’m done reading the last page. She hasn’t disappointed me yet, and each book she writes, gets better. If you haven’t discovered this amazing writer, you really need to download one of her books today!!!!
Sometimes fate steps in when life happens. That what happened after Lily and Bowen were separated for many years after an accident. If you love second chance romances, you’ll love this. Great story with lovable characters!
I finished up Forgiven by Carrie Aarons last night and it was AMAZING! I love second chance romances and this one definitely brought me all of the feels and things I love about this trope!
Lily and Bowen were high school sweethearts and firsts- best friends but so much more. When an accident changed the course of both of their lives, they both went their separate ways until one day fate stepped in. From there, you will get an epic love story that will pull on your heart strings, and make you just fall in love simply put.
Carrie’s words also speak volumes to the always hard act of forgiveness (the title hello!). Sometimes, it’s a quick thing and sometimes it takes years (like 10), AND sometimes, you don’t even have to do it at all. Sometimes it’s necessary to just walk away and that’s enough. It’s funny how throughout this book I kept thinking, the ones we are closest too are the ones that hurt us the most. And it was very true in this case.
I knew when I started this book it was going to be an emotional book, and I definitely wasn’t wrong. Carrie did everything perfect in this book- the heartbreak, the reuniting, the emotions that come with it all, the push and pull, and the second chance- it was all there! I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed the start to this series, and I can’t wait to see what else there is to come!
Lily and Bowen loved each other. They were young, in love, with a life to come. Until a car accident will end Bowen’s chances of playing baseball professionally and leave Lily in a coma. Time will heal the physical injuries, but this young love will not survive this thud. Bowen breaks up with Lily giving no explanation, not a single word. Ten years go by. And living in a small town, it is inevitable that that their paths cross, but Bowen will avoid these interactions at all costs, breaking Lily’s heart a little more, day after day.
But with Lily’s best friend’s marriage to Bowen’s brother, the two will be forced to come close, and the man who avoid his ex-girlfriend at all costs may be hiding a secret that will further hurt Lily.
I loved the book. The great secret is the main theme of the whole book, the lives of these two have been drastically affected by the wickedness of the people who should love them unconditionally. The great villain, who posed as a man of integrity and principles, fulfilled his role in the story. God! How I hated this man. Bowen’s brothers were the icing on the cake.
Lily and Bowen suffered for a lie, paused their lives, never going forward, but in the end life gave a new and much deserved chance to both. Even with such malice, lack of communication and lies love prevails. And that’s what matters.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
I was not prepared for all the feelings that Forgiven evoked in me. Emotionally, it’s like a combination of Down We’ll Come Baby and Fleeting – it still holds the small time charm that I loved in from the first book in the series, but it had a level of angst that set it apart from its predecessor. I’m a fan of second chance romances and the intensity of this one was a bit of a gut punch (in the best way possible). Bowen and Lily called to me as characters individually and the urge to root for them to confront and resolve their issues so that they can be happy together is downright irresistible. If you’ve kept up with my reviews for a while, you’ll know that one of my all time pet peeves is lack of communication and since that was a big part of why this couple stayed a part, there were several instances where I found myself fussing at them to just “say something!” Life is too short not to tell people how you really feel. Thank goodness for weddings and scheming family members and loved ones! The thing about books with the appropriate amount of angst is that the emotional payoff for the HEA is that much sweeter and that’s the exact result in Forgiven. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.