He was my first love. Will he be my last?
Going home after twenty years was supposed to be a short stop. Before following my dreams.
Instead, I’m forced to face my past… and the ex that betrayed me.
Dawson Eldred.
• Hollywood superstar. • America’s most eligible bachelor.• And the jerk that walked out on me.
Seeing him again opens old wounds. But the spark is still alive.
We failed being … again opens old wounds. But the spark is still alive.
We failed being in a relationship once.
Should I even give him a second chance?
Read now to find out.
Fresh Start is the first book in the Cedarwood Beach small town romance series and is completely standalone. It contains two rivals in close quarters, a Butterfly festival, and a young niece hell-bent on getting her uncle his happily ever after.
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Who doesn’t love a small town romance? I loved Cedarwood Beach and its characters. Leo and Dawson were really likeable and it was a pleasure watching their journey to the HEA. I mean, how much can you really hate someone when you really love them?
3.5 stars! Fresh Start is the first in the new Cedarwood Beach series by Rhys Everyly. It is a second chance romance, enemies to lovers read set in small town Cedarwood Beach. Overall it is an entertaining read, both MC’s experiencing their own issues and dealing with the past and unexpectedly see each other again after many years. It was emotional watching their journey to their HEA.
This was a lovely second chance story! I loved the backdrop the author painted for the story, all the details were well thought out and the secondary characters really complementing it all. The. There were the MCs whom you cant help but love and cheer on!
The emotions were all right and it was fun to read, with low angst.
Love among butterflies
I’m a fan of small town romances and Cedarwood Beach sounds like a wonderful place for a vacation and to fall in love. I really enjoyed meeting the quirky but lovable cast of characters, looking at you, Yaya. I’m happy we get to revisit the town as I’m curious about Andy’s story. Leo and Dawson are adorable and epitomized enemies-to-lovers and second chances, which I love. Watching them bumble and flutter their way to happiness and love was so much fun.
This second chance/enemies to lovers romance was sweet and fun set in a small coastal town that immersed itself in butterflies. I don’t think there could have been a better setting for Dawson and Leo to reunite and find the love they once shared. I cannot wait for Andy’s story next!
Both Dawson and Leo only went to Cedarwood Beach to decompress, just for a few days of rest before embarking on the next phases of their lives. Neither expected to bump into each other, not after the ugly way they parted ways almost two decades ago.
Maybe this would be the their opportunity to make amends for past mistakes, but what I liked a lot about this book is that it’s not centered only around their possible second chance, but it’s about mending bridges in more ways than one. During all the years they’ve concentrated on their careers, they’ve also distanced themselves from their families, especially Leo, so the story is also about the importance of family ties and affection.
That’s why reading this book was an incredible emotional ride. The characters’ feelings emanated from the pages, each of them intense: regret for all their wrong choices, longing, loneliness, hope and passion. There was some groveling involved, many difficult talks, a lot of introspection and shifting of priorities. Also so much fun and family interactions, laughter and joy.
Most definitely a hard earned, suffered for Dawson and Leo, and a really delightful reading experience.
Nearly two decades of misunderstanding
Rollercoaster is often overused describing stories, but wow, it’s perfect for this, so much miscommunication, incorrect assumptions, stupid and unnecessary pain and longing that could have continued unabated. A happy accident of circumstances forces the two idiots to understand the truth, then the fireworks start! Then it could all come crashing down, but an unlikely HEA wins eventually
Dawson is not expecting to see the one he loves when he visits his parent’s new house but there Leo is. As these two work through their past issues and reconnect, the emotions will pull you in and have you cheering for one or another then both together. Cedarwood Beach will be an interesting and fascinating series that is full of life and will have you wanting to move there.
i really did enjoy the book,but well to the problem these two had could have been solved a long time ago if they just would have talked,but this is a good read,,i read this for the author for my free opinion
This lovers to enemies to lovers book is a sweet story. It has everything you could want in a romance- misunderstandings, forgiveness, steamy make out (and more!) scenes. Leo and Dawson are very relatable characters. I wanted nothing more than for them to find happiness with each other.
I was given an advanced copy. This review is freely and honestly given.
3.5 ***
I enjoyed this read. The first I have read by this author. Leo and Dawson are cute together with a 2nd chance at their happy ever after. There is some angst over coming out but this is pretty much a happy read.
This is the first book in a new series. I read an ARC that I hope was an unfinished proof because there are a lot of typos and editing errors and a few continuity errors that I hope get picked up in the final editing process.
The storyline is an entertaining one. This is an enemies to lovers, second chance romance book. The protagonists are a big movie star and a former model/boy band member looking for his big acting break. They have history and ugliness dating back 17 years. Let me mention here that it was nice to have older (late 30’s) protagonists for a change. It seems like so much of what I’ve been reading lately is twentysomethings!
I really liked Dawson and Leo and I felt for both of them as to why they held the feelings towards the other that they did and the predicaments they found themselves in due to certain life choices. Dawson really got under my skin and I think the author did a great job humanizing a major star. Leo took longer for me to warm to. He seemed a bit too petulant and self-centered in the beginning.
The character development is pretty good here though I would have liked a bit more background info on the characters as the bits and pieces we got seemed to have had a tremendous impact on them. Neither of these characters have been to visit their families in years and there is not a really good explanation offered for it. “Being busy” just doesn’t cut it when you are talking about stars for whom money is no object. Also the reasons for Leo’s family not keeping him informed about things going on and then being so overtly hostile because he “abandoned them” just doesn’t sit right. When we get a little piece of information very late in the story it helps a little but that’s something that should have come much earlier and been expanded upon I felt.
The story arc moves at a kind of uneven pace. There are points where it flows along nicely and then it gets bogged down. Some of the sex scenes seemed gratuitous to me. I prefer to have sex scenes enhance and add to the storyline rather than exist for the sake of just reading more steam.
The ending was sweet and I will definitely read the next book in the series.
*I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my objective review *
It was such a fun book!!! I read it in one sitting! I love second chance romance and I love celebrities romance. This was just the perfect book for me and it was so so well written. The characters were deep and well developed and the writing style was beautiful. I loved the family themes in the book. It was great to see both characters trying to make amends with their families. And the ending was very satisfying! I really can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This was a wonderful fairly low-angst story full of some of my favorite tropes: small town, second chance, positively meddling family, and a splash of adorable youngster as an added bonus. Rhys Everly did an excellent job of immersing us into Dawson and Leo’s lives as individuals so that we could fall in love with them as they did with each other. What I especially appreciated was Everly’s ability to make two superstars seem so normal and relatable. This story was also a “coming home” for both men as they repaired strained relationships with their individual families, a healing so important for all involved. There is a “big misunderstanding”, but it is resolved somewhat quickly and I appreciated not feeling like it dragged on. While Everly included enough steamy scenes to satisfy, it didn’t overshadow Dawson and Leo’s emotional reconnecting.
Fresh Start also provides a basic introduction to the town of Cedarwood Beach as well as a slight glimpse into some of the characters that will be featured in the series. I’m looking forward to book 2, Wayward Love.
Trigger Warnings (possible spoilers):
Dawson was in an emotionally abusive/controlling/sexually manipulative relationship with his first manager, off page.
I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.