STAND ALONE TEARJERKER ROMANCE FROM USA TODAY AND NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR CORA BRENTThey weren’t even friends. But in the wake of a terrible tragedy they’ll have to become something else…A family. KATHLEENHe’s a loner. He’s also volatile, wickedly hot and unforgiving. Probably not the kind of man anyone should trust with an infant.Definitely not the kind of man any woman should trust with her … man any woman should trust with her heart.
When Nash Ryan returned to town for the sake of his baby brother I thought I already understood who he was.
I also thought I was done giving my heart away until he proved otherwise.
But we don’t stand a chance.
Everything is ready to unravel.
And the secrets I’ve kept will be our undoing.
NASH
This isn’t the first time I’ve known tragedy.
Maybe that’s why I’ve chosen a solitary life.
But my self-imposed exile ends when a terrible twist of fate makes me
the guardian of my four-month-old brother.
Suddenly I’ve got a kid to raise and a family business to save and there’s no time for anything else.
That’s why Kathleen Doyle and I made this arrangement.
Once a skinny little girl who used to follow me around everywhere, she’s now a single mom with flaming hair, a killer body and too many responsibilities.
We told each other it was just physical.
We told each other there were no strings attached, no expectations.
We lied.
And the consequences will cost us.
But I’m not surrendering this new family without a battle.
Because in this life we might only get one chance to have it all.
more
Get ready for a powerful and emotional journey with Nash and Katherine . This is a tale filled with lust, love , loss , feelings of being unwanted , undeserving and strength . They come together in a time of such sorrow that nothing good seems possible . Nash is a 25 year old man that has just become the legal guardian of his infant brother . Kat is a 23 year single mom that has given up her one true passion and found true joy in being a mom and moving forward. When these two old acquaintances find an unlikely friendship in each other they soon realize that their is so much more In This Life than they could have ever dreamed possible .
I absolutely loved it !
~~Michele McMullen ~~
Cora Brent always sucks you in! Love it!
great read
Loved it. Good read.
I bought this book for the cover alone at first… But I really felt for the brothers who lost so much but found each other, not that the baby was old enough to understand his loss. And the twist with her past… I loved the romance and how they helped heal the emptiness in each other’s hearts.
Cora Brent is one of my favorite authors. This stand alone novel developed wonderful characters that were charming, ornery, and obstinate. I highly recommend this book.
Life dishes out surprises…4.5 stars!
This is a new-to-me author. I like the premise of the story and I really enjoyed the execution and characters. It’s an easy, romantic, and well-written story with very little drama and angst, but just watching the transformation between two people who find themselves in a situation beyond their control.
From a small town, Kat and Nash knew each other growing up but weren’t in the same circle. Nash left home after a disagreement with his father years ago, and because of a family tragedy finds himself back in town as guardian to his four-month-old brother. Kat is a single mom raising young daughter but is holding back a secret. Kat is drawn to Nash but both realize they don’t need complications being in a relationship, so agree to friends with benefits arrangement. Can they leave their hearts out of the equation?
As they spend more time together, each discovers the friendship and companionship means more to them. I found the story an enjoyable and romantic read. Nash never knew he was missing love in his life until he found it with Kate and their new family.
Just finished binge reading In This Life, Fired & Nailed. LOVED all three books.
A wonderful story that shows good can come from tragedy. I loved reading Nash and Kat’s story. All the elements of their story fit right into one of my favorite lines. I love the small town , old friends, tragedy, and happily ever after. My heart was full when I read The end.
Kat and Nash find comfort, acceptance, and love when they fall headlong for one another. Kat came home from school without the degree that was expected of the promising student she was known to be, but instead she found herself pregnant and alone. Emma is her world but there are many things she would love to change if only she could. When tragic strikes and brings a blast from the past back into town and her life, she knows things are about to get a lot more interesting. Nash has been avoiding his father and his reconciliation attempts for as long as he can remember. The bridges that were burned still act as this barrier between them. But when he gets that one phone call that lets him know he’ll never have the chance to let bygones be bygones it’s surreal. His father and Heather are gone and he is his baby brother’s guardian, a little boy he’s never even laid eyes on. He knows he can’t turn his back on his bro, but he’s going to need every resource to not monumentally screw this up. When Kat step up to help him he’s oh so grateful and cannot help fighting the chemistry they exude. Premade families is never where he saw himself but Nash isn’t going to let coulda woulda shoulda stop him from his HEA with Kat.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book.
4.5 Stars
This was my first book by Cora Brent, but I know it won’t be my last.
Nash had a difficult upbringing, to say the least. His mother died when he was a teen, and he ended up going to live with his father, a man that he didn’t get along with. So understandably, he was surprised when he is awarded custody of his infant brother after his father and his wife die. Kat was the goody girl who people expected great things from, but ended up dropping out of college. When Nash moves back to take care of Colin, Kat is instrumental in helping him adjust. And the feelings that she had for Nash as a teenager come rushing back, while he discovers new feelings for her.
I thought that the author did a wonderful job of creating likeable characters who had flaws, but learned from their past. The plot was well-developed and flowed evenly. I will most definitely be reading more from this author, and hope that there may be more from the side characters in In This Life (maybe Harrison?).
I’m fairly new to this author, this being the second book I’ve read by her, but I’ve enjoyed both books so far. This story was full of heartbreak, but also new beginnings. It took me a little bit to feel the connection between Kat and Nash, it was sort of a slow burn, angsty type read. Once the two come together, you start feeling the heat between the two and they realize they found something they didn’t even know they wanted or needed. It was definitely one of those, it’ll happen when you least expect it type relationships. Those are always the best!
Nash didn’t exactly have the best relationship with his father. His past was a bit rocky, but I thought it was pretty admirable the way he handled everything. Especially Colin. He stepped up, took everything that was thrown at him and went with it. I loved that Kat had stepped up to help out when Nash needed help. The two were definitely kindred spirits. Kat had her own demons she was escaping, but when those demons surface, Nash didn’t falter and stood by her. You see his growth as a character and you also get to see Kat grow and move on from some painful memories.
I thought this was a very mellow, a little bit teary-eyed, great read. I loved Nash and Kat and their devotion to Colin, Emma and each other. I love that even though it’s not a typical family situation, you learn that even the saddest events can turn a broken family into something beautiful. Looking forward to reading more by this author. She has a way of capturing certain aspects of life and turning them around, maybe they aren’t ideal, but in the end, it works.
#B2BKristina
Nash has known tragedy before, but nothing could have prepared him for this. He’s never had a great relationship with his father, or his wife, so he’s shocked that they named him as sole guardian of the infant brother he’s never even seen in person. In the blink of an eye, Nash now has an infant to raise and a family business to run all in the small town he left far behind when he graduated from high school. He not prepared, but how could he be.
Kat was supposed to make it out of her small town and move on to big things. Having graduated early, she has all her dreams ahead of her until she found herself a pregnant drop out at age 18. Now she is a single mom struggling to work, take online classes to finish her degree and raise her daughter on her own. She may have had a crush on Nash in the past, but all they can offer each other now is friendship and some no strings fun as neither has time for a relationship.
Completely devoted to her cousin’s child, Kat offers Nash the help he needs to be a parent to baby Colin. The more time they spend together, though, the more they both begin to feel like maybe they want something more. Maybe they like the little family they’ve started to create. When Kat’s past comes knocking, however, a new twist is thrown at them. Maybe she’s not the girl Nash thought he knew. Just like maybe Nash isn’t the volatile teen everyone remembers. Can they both leave their pasts to become one another’s present? Grab your tissues and start reading to find out.
In This Life was simple gorgeous. It’s tragic in more ways than one. Not only are lives taken to soon, Nash is left with the guilt of a rocky relationship with his father and his wife. He now needs to find a new normal and become something he never thought he would ever be . . .a father to his baby brother. Nash’s character takes readers on an emotional roller coaster as he learns to navigate his own feelings of hate, loss, acceptance and love. It’s a stunning transformation.
Kat is strong and beautiful and caring. But one little lie could ruin the life she has built for herself and her daughter Emma. She’ll need to risk it all to be able to earn a chance at a full and happy life with Nash and Colin.
Together these characters offer one another support and comfort and find out just how perfect they are together if they can both take the chance they need to be more than just friends.
In This Life was simply perfect. This book has it all. Angst, anger, hope and love. It’s a beautiful slow burn made even brighter by baby Colin, precocious Emma and the lovable Roxie the dog. 5 stars!
This is the first book of Cora Brent’s that I have read. It will not be my last, I will be reading her other books as soon as I can. I loved this story.
Nash is the bad boy loner whose world changes overnight. The death of his father and step mom has him going back home for the first time in 5 years. When he finds out that he gets guardianship of his 4 month old brother, his life flips even more.
He steps up, he asks for help. Even if doing that is hard for him. He changes for the better.
He dealt with hard things when he was younger, he was still suffering guilt because of it. No, I’m not going to go into detail, you just have to read this.
Kat was the nerdy girl. She is younger than Nash, but she skipped ahead in school. Now, she’s a single mom of a 3 year old little girl and she wasn’t able to follow her dreams.
This is a great book, I loved the whole story. I loved the characters.
Title: In This Life
Author: Cora Brent
Genre: Contemporary Adult Romance/New Romance
Publication Date: 5/14/18
**RECEIVED ARC FOR HONEST REVIEW**
Cora Brent is a talented author who writes stories with characters who are flawed and human; This makes her characters relatable. Her storylines are usually realistic enough that the reader is able to get sucked in.
With all of that being said it saddens me that I have to say I am not a fan of this book. It is well written and has a few plot “cliffhangers” that try to keep the readers interest but for me it still fell flat.
Guy comes back to his hometown due to personal tragedy, decides to stay, reconnected with girl who crushed on him as kids, chica has 1 skeleton in her closet, boy and girl hook up, boy and girl learn life lesson to let go of the past and hold on to love.
The story was slow. Kinda like how you picture life in a small town like ijn the book, laid back and slow. I couldn’t stand the female lead. Goodness she is bossy and annoying. She acts like a know-it-all. And the male lead, give me a break. He is supposedly this tough guy who hits men who abuse women (He does) but other than that the only time he shows a personality is when he is having sex. Most of the time he comes off numb and detached. Yes I know he just lost a loved one but give him a personality please.
So this book wasn’t my cup of tea, you may love it. To each their own. I guess I can’t love every book an author writes.
Wow, just wow! This is one powerful read about sudden loss, forgiveness and cherishing the time you have with those you love. You never know when that time will suddenly come to an end and for Nash and Kat that is their unfortunate reality. Bound together through a tragic event they find comfort in each other when they need it most but want it the least. They both have secrets their hiding but can they trust in each other enough to forgive themselves for past mistakes and realize they deserve the love they so desperately need! If you are looking for a must read then definitely read this book!!! One read that will leave you with all the feels!
Grab the tissues, curl up, and get ready to be hit right in the feels with this book! In This Life is a beautifully emotional story filled with equal parts heartbreak and love. Cora Brent has a way of writing characters that are so real their emotions and lives quickly take over making you feel like you’re truly in their story living it with them. With loss, love, family, and healing all at the forefront of this story you’re immediately pulled in and lost to the pages of this book.
Nash is a man filled with flaws. Anger, resentment, and loneliness rule his world when his life is hit with yet another massive loss. Even still, it’s clear those flaws can’t hide the genuinely good man hiding behind them. His past is a hard one and his story is heartbreaking. Now the sole guardian to his infant brother everything in his life has taken a dramatic change. Kat is a single mother with secrets from her past herself. Kindhearted and loving she’s devoted her life to her adorable daughter.
Tragedy is what brings these two together, but even through the tears Nash and Kat have one of the sweetest most heartfelt slow burn romances I’ve ever read. The sparks between them are instant, but the love that grows as they both heal and overcome is magnificent.
The emotional roller coaster that is In This Life began on the first page and didn’t let up until the very end.
Nash returns home to care for his baby brother. Before coming home, he was more a recluse than a loner but all that needs to change so he can do what’s best for his brother. Kat was always supposed to be going places but three years ago, she returned home from college to raise her child. The friendship that builds between them is beautiful and powerful. The chemistry is undeniable.
The life that Nash and Kat lead before we meet them is, in a word, devastating. They have both been through so much in their lives but they lean on each other, support each other, and lift each other up. This book drew me in from the first page and I couldn’t put it down. I never wanted the story to end!!!