A best friends-to-lovers, stand-alone romance from New York Times Bestselling Author, A.L. Jackson . . . Evan Bryant wasn’t your typical hero. But he was mine. Broken by the worlds’ standards, he was still the strongest boy I would ever know. My best friend. The boy I’d given everything to. My heart, my body, and the promise of forever.The day I’d needed him most, he walked away. He left me … walked away.
He left me shattered and questioning the love I’d thought we’d shared.
Three years later, I wasn’t prepared for him to return to Gingham Lakes.
It wouldn’t have mattered if he wasn’t the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
My fingers still would have ached to caress his skin.
My body still would have begged to get lost in his touch.
And my heart . . . it would have always sung his name.
But time changes things. With it, secrets that could ruin everything.
Can we find a way to love again, or have the fears of our past stolen the hope of our forever . . .
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This is a second-chance, friends to lovers story that could be read as a standalone. This is a spin-off of the Fight for me series, but if you are anything like me, I suggest reading their parents story to get a more in-depth perspective (behind the scenes) of the past and just how close that bond was between Frankie Leigh and Evan. Yes, you completely get the past and present in this story, but you’ll see more of the struggles that Evan felt that his actions would help his family. We all know it made it worse, but I will say if he did not do this then they would not have had one of the most special things that happened for the right reason. Trying to leave it at that to avoid any spoilers. Frankie Leigh and Evan had a strong bong as children and it continued throughout their lives. This was true love unconditionally, defects and all and makes your heart hurt and melt all at once. Once you pick up this story you will want to devour the entire book in one sitting. It is full of emotions, suspenseful and shows that no matter what occurs in life if you have love and family you will make it cause with the bad comes the good. Oh your heart at the end of this story has those stars shining bright! I love reading spin-offs of the children and seeing where they parents are now. Hope that Gingham Lakes will continue to be shown in more upcoming books by A.L.
4.5 Stars!
A heartbreakingly beautiful second chance romance. So much heart and feels went into this story. The emotion pouring off of the pages. I was unable to put this book down; unable to walk away from the story that is Frankie Leigh and Evan.
Frankie Leigh and Evan’s story is the kind that just snags your heart from the very first page. The love these two shared was the reach for the stars, once in a lifetime type of love. A love that they thought could move past anything…until the day arrived where Evan would break Frankie Leigh’s heart. Evan thought he was doing the noble and right thing, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. Evan leaving broke Frankie Leigh in more ways than one and it will be three years before these two lovers are once again reunited…..
Frankie Leigh and Evan are the ultimate book couple. The love and friendship between the two them was immensely palpable. Yes, there was hurt. Yes, there was pain and heartache. But, there was also the purest of love. A love that can withstand anything and any time. A love that burrows so deeply inside your heart and a friendship built to last a lifetime. Three years later and their connection was just as strong. Sure they had some major stuff to work through and lets face it, time has changed both of them, but the devotion was still, clear as day. Their hearts and souls calling out and aching for one another. My poor heart didn’t stand a chance. I was on pins and needles as I went along with Evan and Frankie Leigh’s journey. My heart ached and tugged with every page. I was breathless with anticipation and couldn’t wait to see just how Evan and Frankie Leigh’s story would play out….
Hold on to Hope is a beautiful story of love, hope and forgiveness. It is a story filled with heart, emotion and a little suspense too. A story that will captivate and consume you. The heartache, angst, and romance will all feel as though it is a part of you; as if you are experiencing it all right along with the characters.
Hold on to Hope hit all the marks and took me on the most incredible journey. A.L. Jackson has written a poetic and romantic tale of love and proves once again that there are some loves written in the stars.
In the end, Hold on to Hope left me not only with a big smile on my face, but heart filled with so much love and hope. I loved every single moment of this story from beginning to end. I’m so glad that I trusted this author with my heart and took a chance on this truly incredible journey. I laughed. I cried. I raged. I swooned. I fell head over heels for Frankie Leigh and Evan. Their story was written in the stars and so worth every angsty, heartbreaking, hair pulling, swoon worthy moment……
This book was a surprise. This story is raw, beautiful and deep, that grips your heart and doesn’t let it go. It has so much feeling, that I could feel the ache through the words on the page. It’s an emotional powerhouse, perfectly crafted and beautifully written. You’ll want to turn around and read it again the second you’re done.
4.5 “you are my favourite” stars
Oh, the feels! The epic, heartwrenching feels! I’ve been so eagerly awaiting this story, and I absolutely devoured it. Evan and Frankie Leigh’s beautiful second-chance, friends-to-lovers romance captured my heart, and I loved their story so much.
This book is a standalone, but it’s a spin off from the Fight For Me series. Frankie Leigh and Evan were introduced as children in that series (Frankie is the daughter of Rex from Show Me the Way and Evan is the son of Hope from Follow Me Back), both a big part of their parent’s stories and adorably irresistible on their own. They became instant best friends when they met, and grew up completely enmeshed in each other’s worlds, setting the stage for this, their epic love story.
Evan was born with a genetic heart defect. His health difficulties meant that he needed multiple surgeries, including a heart transplant, and resulted in him being deaf. His battles were a big part of Hope and Kale’s book and he survived it all, but in his early 20s it all became too much and he took off and cut off all contact with his friends and family. Now, three years later, and just as unexpectedly as he left, he is back… and he is not alone.
Frankie was left shattered when Evan left. The love of her life, he was her everything, and when he left she was left with just a letter, a broken heart and so many questions. She has tried so hard to move on, but with one glance at him she knows she hasn’t.
“There is no amount of time that could ever erase who you are to me.”
As old wounds are torn open once again, Evan begins to realise the magnitude of the mistake that he made in leaving, and oh, my heart! I was so devastated for all of the people that love him so dearly, and for Evan himself when he sees the damage he has caused. He vows to make it right, to make it up to the people he hurt so badly, and to win back the heart of the only girl he has ever loved.
“There hasn’t been a single day since the day I met you that I didn’t love you, Frankie Leigh … You belong with me. Just like I belong with you.”
But it won’t be easy. Frankie is understandably terrified to trust that Evan won’t leave her again, and though her heart aches for him, she tries to listen to her head and protect herself. But Evan is one determined man-in-love, and it’s only a matter of time before their undeniable connection sucks them both in.
“Let me love you.”
…”As long as you promise never to stop.”
“Never.”
The love between these two is just amazing. You can feel it! You can feel their connection, the bond of friendship and the deep, undying love that they have for each other. They are each other’s whole worlds, and the passion, intensity and all-consuming need for each other just drips off the page.
“Reaching out, I signed against the scar on his chest where his beautiful heart hammered at his ribs. YOU ARE MINE.
Evan dropped his forehead to mine. “You are my everything.”
So. Much. SWOOOOOOON!
But there are secrets from the past between them that have the potential to break their hearts all over again. And danger is lurking, threatening everything that Evan and Frankie are building together.
It’s a dramatic read that is full of feels, and I was sucked in from start to finish. We see glimpses of Evan and Frankie together over the years, helping us understand the depth of their connection, and they are just so beautiful together. We also get to see the couples from the Fight For Me series, and I loved seeing them in their roles as parents to grown up children – still supporting them and being there for them in every way that they can, that was really special to see.
Confession: I usually get a bit turned off by overly poetic, gushy writing, and I’ve struggled with that in A.L. Jackson’s more recent releases. Yeah, it was there again, with all of the metaphors and excessive emotion that had me wanting to roll my eyes. But the more I got sucked into this book, the less it bothered me. I was so caught up in the love story, and I was experiencing everything right along with them that I just let go and went with it.
This is a really beautiful story. Not the ideal path that you wanted these characters to have to go down, but there is this sense that it happened as it was supposed to happen, and I loved watching them work through it all and find their way back to each other
“I’m finished living my life without you in it.
I loved this one! 4.5 stars.
“A blaze of light lit him up, a beacon so powerful, it was enough to draw me home.”
Frankie Lee and Evan who I met as children in the Fight For Me Series are EVERYTHING!!! They are the epitome of fierce, young love that transcends every obstacle. Beautiful, poetic, gripping, I was lost amongst the pages and didn’t want to come out. Probably the most emotional, wildly romantic book I read so far this year!! 5 massively heart exploding stars and on the Top Reads of the Year for me. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review!!
“The words raked the air. Dense and mesmerizing. This man my surrender. My love. My light. My everything.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
Oh wow! This book! From the very start, I was pulled into a love story that was all consuming and filled with SO much emotion. A.L. Jackson continues to rock my world with her heart warming storylines and her endearing characters. Her writing style is like no other I have read before. Her words are captivating and play on your soul. They dance across the pages and pluck at every heart string. Evan and Frankie Leigh’s story was incredibly beautiful. It was everything I love in a romance. A sexy broken hero, a strong feisty heroine, a heart breaking past, and a second chance at love. Their connection was instant and pure. The flash backs to their childhood were so sweet and melted my heart. Their love for each other as adults was undeniable and true. I loved every part of their journey. There are some books that leave you breathless and those that don’t leave you at all. Hold On To Hope is definitely one that will stay with me long after I read, The End.
An I Love Story Time Favorite!
Review by Lys
In this book features the children from the Fight for Me book series. This is a friends to lovers/second chance romance. This book can be read as a standalone. However, it’s good to have knowledge of the characters in the previous books, as they are all a big family, and you will know who all the characters are.
In this book we have Evan Bryant who is the son of Hope from Follow Me Back. He was born deaf, and also with a heart defect, and needed a heart transplant when he was a young boy.
We also have Frankie Leigh (daughter of Rex from Show Me the Way).
Frankie Leigh and Evan were best friends since childhood and had become more, until one day Evan walked out and left them all behind and heartbroken. Frankie Leigh and his parents have suffered from his loss and missed him every day.
Even has been gone for 3 years, with hardly a word to anyone. One day he walks right into A Drop of Hope – the Bakery his mother owns and operates. His mother is staring at him in shock. Frankie Leigh comes up front and see’s him, locks eyes with him, turns around and walks out the back door. She can’t believe that after all this time he just shows up out of the blue. Evan is in need of his families help and knows they will give it to him unconditionally.
I did receive a free ARC copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.
Learning from our mistakes can present challenges that are truly unexpected. Evan has faced many hurdles in life. As someone who was born deaf, Evan had to learn how to adjust to the hearing world. If that wasn’t hard enough, a genetic condition left Evan requiring heart surgery to save his life. These trials in life were hard enough for anyone, much less a young child. Through it all, Evan found strength in one curly headed, rebellious girl named Frankie Leigh.
These two kindred spirits grew up with one another. Their friendship was a strength that saw them both through difficult times. As the years passed, the relationship grew beyond friendship. A love as pure as the innocence these two individuals possessed in their youth. Evan was always tormented by his genetic ‘curse’, determined to never let Frankie Leigh experience the heartache that came along with his heart condition. That devotion led Evan to make a rash decision that would alter the lives of his family and Frankie Leigh.
After years out of touch, Evan returns to the one place that he can count on for support. The years that passed left broken hearts in the wake, but Evan needs help that only a family can provide. With someone else’s well being on the line, Evan returns home to face the ones that were left behind. While his family welcomed Evan back with open arms, Frankie Leigh is a little harder to get to come around. The pain from Evan walking out of her life has branded Frankie Leigh in the most unimaginable of ways. Now – Evan is faced with a future that he can only think of sharing with the love of his life. The only question is will Frankie Leigh forgive Evan for the sorrow and heartache??
Hold on to Hope is the latest story from author A.L. Jackson. It follows Frankie Leigh (the daughter of Rex from Show Me The Way) and Evan (son of Hope from Follow Me Back) through their journey to discovering love. The back history of these two will play out through a series of flashbacks that offer a glimpse into the friendship that started many years ago in their youth.
Frankie Leigh is one of my favorite characters!! I loved her bossy butt as a child in Show Me the Way, and love her even more as readers experience the ‘grown up’ version of Frankie Leigh!! Evan and Frankie Leigh certainly have faced so many obstacles throughout their lives. Now – the two are facing decisions that will alter how their future will play out.
This chance to find love again won’t be simple. In fact – Frankie Leigh and Evan will face obstacles that neither could have predicted. The journey is riddled with roadblocks. How the couple finds a way through those life altering events will determine the course of their future. Simply put – I loved everything about Frankie Leigh and Evan’s road to redemption!! If you have dipped your toes in AL Jackson’s previous books, then you definitely should check out this soulful romance!!
Evan and Frankie have been together since they were just children. First as friends and then as so much more. They were everything to each other until they weren’t. Hearts are broken, more than just theirs. Families are devastated when he leaves.
I could understand what he did but not how he did it. It broke my heart to see and feel the devastation that he left in his wake. I could feel the joy and the love when he came back. It seems they both have secrets, will one of them break the love that never went away when he left?
This book pulled at me, it pulled at my emotions, sucked me in right from the start and didn’t let go until the very last paragraph. This will definitely be a re-read for me. LOVED IT!!!
Every once in awhile, you run across a character and storytelling in a book that just grabs at your heartstrings. A character that is unforgettable even though they were not the focus of the story=line.
Frankie Leigh, one of A.L.Jacksons finest characters from a former book is one of the main characters in Hold on to Hope. We first met this little spitfire of a girl when she was just a toddler. She was all sunshine and rainbows, but best of all, she had the sweetest little girls heart. It was impossible not to fall in love with her. She was a bundle of energy that not only pulled you in, but also the most compassionate little person.
Evan, the other character intertwined within these books. We also met him when he was a young boy. Someone who was different than other little boys because of the circumstances of his birth. He was a lonely boy and on borrowed time.
To sweet Frankie Leigh though, he was her sun…..and they were fast friends. Destined for each other.
This story of the Frankie Leigh and her Evan is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Sometimes the path to happiness is not a straight line. Sometimes we need to break so that we can appreciate the good that life has to bring us. We have to learn to love who we’ve become so that love will last, accept that life is not all rainbows and fairy tales and that sometimes what we thought would break us, makes us whole.
I cannot express enough how much this book brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart as well. Bravo Amy!
Oh my goodness! A.L. Jackson did things to me with Hold on to Hope. I knew I was going to be in for it when I first heard about it but my heart just wasn’t ready for Frankie Leigh and Evan. This friends-to-lovers-to-strangers-to maybe something romance slayed me from the first page.
I loved Frankie Leigh as a sweet and rambunctious kid. I liked Evan as a sweet, shy boy who had to be careful because of his condition. The fact that they had each other was a match made in friendship heaven. They got one another. Embraced each others fears and shortcomings. Lifted the other up when they needed it. Nothing could’ve tore them apart…until it did.
And with Evan back in Gingham Lakes and toting a sweet chunk of a baby, everyone is torn between elation, shock and relief. None more than Frankie Leigh. But she’s also got heaps of hurt on top of all that. Evan knows he needs to make up for the pain he’s caused he just doesn’t know where to start. And his unicorn girl doesn’t know how to let go. But when an unknown threat starts making their voice heard, all bets were off. Evan wasn’t going to lose Frankie Leigh or Everett no matter the cost…
My return to Gingham Lakes tore my heart apart. Hold on to Hope was angsty. Full of pain, longing, acceptance, fear, grace, forgiveness and most of all, love. I could feel the love between Evan and Frankie Leigh pouring off the pages. Even with all the time and misery they had endured it was still there. They were each other’s favorites despite it all. And that ending…made me an even bigger weepy mess, though this time it was happy tears. It was the perfect way to end this second-chance romance.
As usual, author AL Jackson makes me feel all the feels in this beautiful story that is full of joy, love and hope. As she always does she has a way to make me laugh, cry, laugh until I cry. But by the end of the last chapter of Evan and Frankie Leigh’s story, I was overflowing with pure joy.
Evan and Frankie Leigh were children when they met (as part of the Fight for Me series) and became instant best friends. That friendship blossomed into more as they grew older. When Evan left town suddenly, he broke Frankie Leigh’s heart. But his just as sudden return 3 years later finds her holding a broken heart all over again as questions remain about why he couldn’t stay in the first place and how he could have hurt her like that.
I love these two together. From the beginning there is such a strong and sweet bond between them that a second chance felt like it would never be necessary. But, Evan’s choices changed their path and a second chance is the only way to fix what was broken. He has a lot of answer for, but he also needs his family more than ever. The boy with so many medical close calls now has more to fight for than just his own life and he needs help to fight for what he never knew he wanted.
This book was an emotional storm from the very beginning. Add in a series of potentially threatening events/encounters and the tension is high for most of the book. Even the flashback scenes as their bond formed were full of intense emotions. These two were so perfect together that the struggle was painful to watch. Evan had his reasons for leaving, though as he found the words to explain why he needed to leave, Frankie Leigh was not quick to forgive them.
Both of these characters are some of my all time favorite child characters, and watching their very adult struggles is a great continuation to the characters they were as children. Frankie Leigh is just as fierce and fiery as she was as a child, but her spark is honed by the heartache she felt when Evan left with no word. Evan was always a fighter, but learning to lean on those around him for support rather than feeling like a burden is a new feeling for him and one he isn’t familiar with.
This return to Gingham Lakes brings back a set of beloved characters, from both generations, as well as introducing the kids as adults in their own rights. I loved every minute of this book and fell in love again with characters I thought I couldn’t love more.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
#EvanisEPIC
Many times as a Reader, your unsure of what it is your truely looking for when it comes to the words from an Author….
~TRUE LOVE
~GREAT STORY TELLING
~HAPPY ENDING
~SENSE OF BELONGING
~ALL THE FEELS
~SEXY BOOK BOYFRIEND
~SWOON WORTHY LOVE SCENES
…….. AND THESE ARE JUST TO NAME A FEW…….
Well Hold on to Hope gives you ALL that and more. It gives you a reason to believe in LOVE…. Believe in the truth of it, what makes the heart long for ultimate happiness.
A.L. Jackson has a way of tearing your into utter shreds, but is also able to mend you like noone else has the ability to do.
She puts so much of her SOUL into her words…. She is able to bring you along for the ride to ensure you feel the same stresses and dedication and love that she pours into each and every word…..
This story needed to be finished and you Amy, told Evan and Frankie Leigh’s story with such perfection. I can say how much this story touched me deeply, and I will forever be greatful to just be on the sidelines of greatness!!
Thank you for your words… For sharing your Heart and Soul with us…..
2019 Favorite Read
I don’t even know where to begin, except to say that Hold on to Hope was EVERYTHING!! This book was all the freaking STARS, all the freaking FEELS…. it made me laugh, made me cry and left me breathless! This was AL Jackson at her best….. with every page playing like a movie, vivid images and raw emotion that will leave you absolutely speechess! BEST FREAKING BOOK, TOP READ OF 2019 AND ONE I’LL RECOMMEND TO EVERYONE!!!!
“Did you really think I loved you so little? That my love was so superficial that you could leave and I’d forget you? Did you really think you could erase the spot where you are carved inside of me?”
I love friends-to-lovers and second-chance romances, and when the lead characters are the kids from previous books (Fighting series book #1 and #2) I read and enjoyed, it brings me extra joy. I was pretty excited to get started on Hold on to Hope. The main characters are Frankie Leigh (daughter of Rex from Show Me the Way) and Evan (son of Hope from Follow Me Back). They have had a strong bond and friendship from the moment they met when they were just five and eight years old. Evan has genetic defects: deafness and a transplanted heart. He shouldn’t be alive and his life expectancy isn’t high either. He feels like a burden to his family and friends, that they always will worry about him and not be able to live their lives to the fullest. However, Frankie Leigh has loved him so strongly and unconditionally. Their love was just so beautiful to witness in both the short flashbacks and present time. I felt a strong connection with and between them.
“All I ever wanted was to love you right. Be enough of a man to do it. To stand for you. To protect you. To take care of you. I never wanted you to see me as a burden. As a weight.”
AL Jackson always does such an incredible job in making you live through the characters. Her writing style is very poetic and addictive. She will always pull at your heartstrings with her emotional scenes. Especially the flashbacks were a homerun in this book, I loved seeing the friendship and love grow over the years. I also loved seeing how the rest of the characters from the Fighting series were doing. It was just so nice to be reunited and see Frankie Leigh and Evan get their HEA. I can always depend on AL Jackson to come up with the best characters and straight forward romance that makes sense. No unnecessary drama or miscommunication that makes you want to pull your hair out. I fully understood why the characters made the decisions they did. I am just happy they found their way back to each other, because they were made for each other. The emotional scenes will bring tears to your eyes, the sex scenes will make you feel hot, and the suspense will have you on the edge of your seat.
5 % in and the tears flowed. That’s when I knew it was going to be one emotional ride! This book was everything and more. One of my top reads of 2019 and if I could give this more than 5 stars I would.
AL knows how to write a story that pulled every emotion from you; the good, the bad and the ugly. With every turn of the page my heart beat just as fast as Evan’s and I couldn’t get enough of the adrenaline rush.
My emotions were all over the place. This story had everything a great romance should have; the angst, the heart pounding suspense, the swoony romance and the epic love story that spanned so many years. My heart soared with all the emotion put into this story. You’ll feel every touch, every tear and every triumph.
“You were teaching me that every single day counts. None of us know how many we’re going to be given, but what we do know is each one we take for granted is one that has been lost. And I don’t want to waste any more, Not a single one.”
This quote sums up the lesson of the story; a story teaching us to not waste a minute and live for every moment. You will need to experience this story for yourself.
“I don’t know how to be in your space and not want you, Evan. I don’t remember how not to be yours.”
Might as well just lay my heart on the ground at the author’s feet. Hold on to Hope made me feel every emotion a time or twenty. I probably looked like a theater arts student practicing pantomime as I read this heartbreaking story. One moment giggling at the banter between awesome support characters and the next giving a good gasping guppy impression as the rug was pulled out from beneath me.
Yes, Evan is a hero, but not in his own eyes. He only sees his flaws, or what he imagines are flaws. Her, she finds him as close to perfect as is possible. While he yearns to be normal, she loves him exactly as he is. She saw forever in his eyes…and then he walked away leaving their dreams in the dust.
When Evan shows up three years later I was dying to know what happened to him during his absence. He was older, stronger, and still gorgeous. But, he was also even more broken if that was possible. His eyes held so much pain and regret.
She was shocked by his reappearance, unable to pick her jaw up off the floor. She had so many questions. Too bad should couldn’t get a word past her lips for the longest time. He had ruined her childhood dreams and broken her heart. She should hate him. Good luck with that, right?
“Did you really think I loved you so little? That my love was so superficial that you could leave and I’d forget you? Did you really think you could erase the spot where you are carved inside of me?”
I felt their pain so deeply I found myself pressing a hand against my heart to ease the ache. Soul-mates. Best Friends. They belonged together, didn’t they? Would they ever be able to get past the pain to even try to rebuild the trust that they once shared? I adore both of them and wanted so desperately for them to find their way back together. It’s so easy to tell others to ‘hold on to hope’ but not so easy to do yourself. Thank you, A.L. Jackson, for another unforgettable, beautiful story that will stay with me for a long time…sigh.
So excited for a new book from AL Jackson! Hold on to Hope is now live!
But to leave?! Like I would have been mad for a lot longer for him making the decision for both of them. Still, I was totally into the story and romance.