My sister asked me if I could stand the sight my own reflection, if I’d caused enough damage yet, but I didn’t see myself when I looked into the mirror. I saw Kieran standing behind me, pressing a kiss to my shoulder while he undid my belt. I saw everything I wanted that I couldn’t have. Not unless I was prepared to hurt everyone around me. Kieran was in a similar situation. Were we monsters or …
Were we monsters or men? Were they one and the same? Did we give a flying f—hell. We did care. Just not enough to stop, not enough to walk away, and I knew we constantly asked ourselves the same question because of it. If we could go back to when we met on the train…if we could erase the deceit, erase our first hello…would we?
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I think like many, I was hesitant to dive into this book because it covers a rather tough topic. But then I got over that because it’s a Cara Dee book! She quickly became a one-click author for me after reading Power Play. Her writing is beautiful and captivating; there’s just something about it.
I would consider this book a slow burn. Emphasis on the slow. But this is far from a complaint. I don’t think it would have been the same without the build up. I loved the depth to which the relationships are built and the relationship between the main characters is messy, beautiful, emotional, and, at times, painful (not in a bad way, but in a “Am I crying yet again?” way).
The main characters have to make some very tough decisions – some of which you may not agree with – but that’s reality. Life isn’t perfect, our relationships can be very messy, we have to make a lot of difficult decisions, and we are bound to make mistakes. So if you could back, would you?
An intense emotional rollercoaster ride.
I am overwhelmed by the intensity and depth of emotions , I experienced while reading this book.
If We Could Go Back is a thought provoking , emotionally charged story that I won’t soon forget.
“This is my second chance at life,” Lincoln went on. “But my first will always be what it was. I can’t change that—or take anything back. All I can control is where the first ends and where the second begins.
I laughed, cried , cheered got angry and at times frustrated , so much so , that I might have put my Kindle Fire in time out , just so I could gather myself together.
I am not kidding , Bennett and Kieran story put me through the wringer , and I loved every minute of it.
“The harsh reality of life is that our happiness is rarely free. Someone always suffers for it.”
This is my first book by Cara Dee and she , as of now , is also, my new favorite author.
We were two happy, unhappy families pretending to have our shit together. Everything looked great on the outside, but little digs and sideways comments spoke of issues that ran deep. Buried under years of convincing ourselves this was how life was supposed to be—and some passive-aggressive behavior. As an extra spice.
If We Could Go Back is one of my top memorable reads of 2019.
I began reading this tale through my KU membership but by chapter 4 , I knew , I wanted to have this book in my permanent virtual library .
Loved the story and emotions. One of the books to leave you with the best kind of hangover
This was my first Cara Dee book, probably won’t be my last.
I appreciated the time she took to develop the relationship between Kieran and Bennett. Also, the time she took for them to come to grips with the relationships they were currently in and all the drama and feelings that come with the demise of those relationships. This is a complicated issue and I’m glad nothing was swept under the rug.
That being said, I did feel there were some mundane details that could have lightened the overall size of the story. There were several times where I felt like skipping ahead a few pages.
I’d also have liked some added heat to it all – but that’s because I like my M/M dirty, so that’s not really on the author.
A very well written slow-paced love story, as real as life itself. Amazing read.
This is the first book of the Camassia Cove series that I’ve read, and I thought it stood on its own just fine, although I now really need to read Casey’s story! The society we live in is far from perfect, with plenty of judgmental and narrow-minded people who belittle those who don’t conform to their ideals. Bennett and Kieran’s story epitomized this in full measure, bearing the brunt of the brutal judgment from those they should’ve trusted. I won’t condone everything they did, but their hearts were reaching out to each other so poignantly and beautifully. I loved their characters so much, they were simply meant to be.
What an emotional read this was and the author makes you feel as though you know these people it was heartbreaking at times and so very raw.
This story literally sucks you in from the get go. As you get caught up in the mundane activities of day to day lives, the happiness of oneself can get forgotten. As these characters find themselves at that point in their lives, Bennet and Kieran find in each other a place of happiness. It was slow in the making, not always ethical, not always right but it was what they needed survive.
The storyline is told to us solely for Bens POV and as you go along on their journey with them you want them to get them HEA.
Keiran was his cocaine and Ben could not deny himself. The kids were a fantastic compliment to the plot.
A tale that will stay with you for a while to come, much like the authors other work. Definitely a recommended read.
Cara Dee delivers on a raw and emotional romance story. The book is not your typical romance because she makes everything so realistic; it’s messy and sometimes painful. In essence it shows how love can be imperfectly perfect.
The character development of the main characters is so deep that I couldn’t help but connect with them both, feeling both of their own experiences and their entwined story. The chemistry between these two leaps off the pages, I wasn’t sure my kindle could handle it! Since this happens in a world Cara Dee has created before, I was already familiar with it. It was consistent world building and the author managed to add even more details.
It’s their story that makes me ache so much. It was impossible to not become invested. I didn’t feel like a bystander because of the vividness of the writing. There’s times I cried or wanted the characters to make different decisions but that’s what makes it amazing. The fact the characters weren’t perfect and the love wasn’t easy highlights Cara Dee’s insight into humanity and love. Reading her books feels like a balm onto my soul, a way to grow even. This book is no different because it pushed so much. It’s an engrossing and rollercoaster of emotions book that I read in one sitting because I couldn’t set it aside. I wanted to more after the end because the story is remarkably powerful.
5 stars for a realistic, powerful and captivating story!
Holy cow!!! Another amazing book by Cara! She never ceases to amaze me. I’m not one for angst but I will read anything by Cara! This book has lots of feels!!! This is a must read. You won’t be disappointed……