Once, they shared one soul. Can hope heal years of despair and broken dreams?Music is all I know. It saved me as a kid. It brings me fame and fortune now. But what am I, the famous Gage Rodin, doing at night when I’m on the road and can’t sleep Googling her. Tess Hades, the girl who still haunts my dreams and my lyrics. She arrived like a quiet storm, a wild thing with eyes guarded to the world. … a wild thing with eyes guarded to the world. But she let me into the deep end of her beautifully broken soul. When we were together, life was simple. When my life got complicated, she did what she thought was the right thing. She let me go.
While she’s been out saving the wild creatures of the world, my muse has fed on the memory of our life together. But now everything in my world is shifting again, and not in a good way. I’m not certain I have the strength to bear another devastating loss, so I find myself reaching for something as rare and elusive as the perfect song lyric.
The one woman who never gave up hope…
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4.5* Never Give up Stars
The story of Tess and Gage was an emotional rollercoaster of a ride. They fell hard in love and had immense trust between them especially that they were not able to be together a lot because Gage is a rock star travelling on tour around the country and Tess also travelling and saving the turtles and wild animals around the world.
When Gage receives an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night, their world is shattered and hearts are broken. Before any repair to their relationship can be made secrets have to be revealed to better understand the choices that were made.
Tess and Gage were very likeable as were Kaden, Sadie and Hannah who are featured in this book quite a bit. They all appeared in the book with Tess called, My One Regret which was a fantastic read too. This is a standalone book and does not have to be read after My One Regret but I highly recommend that you read that first as both books compliment each other and make for fantastic reading.
I loved this powerful and emotional love story of Tess and Gage and the cover of the book is gorgeous too.
One hell of a tear jerker!
I read books that made me emotional and that made me cry before, but not even one of them made me experience such a heart-brake but at the same time it was heart-warming. The story is fantastic! I loved the way it was presented and the characters, oh my… They are all perfectly presented, so real, so raw… The way the words are flowing form the pages just made me feel every single emotion together with the main characters.
Beautiful story about love that is so strong, that is so true that will overcome everything, the time, the circumstances, the heart-shattering events…
Just make yourself cup of calming tea, find quiet spot and don’t forget about tissues… This is must read and my top 2018 read so far!
In My One Regret, we first met the Hades family. I did not like Tess in the first book, but she was a very confused 13-year-old. It is not necessary to read My One Regret first, but it did help with the background. Now, she is twenty and dealing with her conflicted relationship with her mother.
Gage is perfect. He is kind, patient, and a talented musician. When he meets Tess there is a spark. He thinks she is too young (he is twenty-seven to her twenty) and he is afraid she will think he is after her connection to her father, a famous musician.
I loved the way their relationship slowly built. Gage has a love for facts, which is adorable. Tess loves turtles, so he studies up on them. He always puts her first, understanding Tess and encouraging her. Tess is so dedicated to her cause, I had to admire her drive and ambition.
That was one of the best stories I’ve read lately.
Tess Hades and Gage Rodin meet in a bar, and although the night has not ended well for Gage, the attraction between them is instantaneous. But Tess is still afraid to open up, since she has suffered a lot in the past, especially with her biological mother.
While Tess and Gage know each other better, we also have the chance to meet Tess and Gage’s families.
Their relationship is based on trust and sincerity, and so it works, even with distance, since Gage is on tour and Tess is trying to save the oceans.
But an unexpected event, followed by an unexpected call, alter their lives forever. And Tess decides what she thinks is best, which is to let Gage go.
After a few years, new events can change their lives again, and when Tess realizes that Gage can’t bear the burden, she readily offers to help.
I really loved this story and the characters. I highly recommend the reading.
I have yet to find a book by Claudia Burgoa that I haven’t liked but this book, this book has to be my absolute favorite of all of them!!! I LOVE TESS AND GAGE! Both are so strong in their own ways and even thought there was a part of the book where I was cursing, yes cursing Claudia (you’ll know when that was when you read it) I knew there had to be more to the story then we were seeing.
Tess has not had an easy life and if you read My One Regret you know what I mean, and for those of you who haven’t read it yet, you should, she was emotionally abused by her mother and it almost cost her dearly. Thankfully she is living with her father now and is attending college in parts of this book since it does span over eight years.
Gage, WOW just WOW, now ladies he is one hot mama but doesn’t let it go to his head in fact he doesn’t even play into it…like at all! Gotta love that. He is sweet and would give his life for his family. Gage and Tess are great together, their chemistry is amazing but its more than that, they just work even with the nine year age difference….which Tess’s father isn’t to crazy about.
This story pulled a lot of emotions out of me, I was laughing one minute while crying the next, and like I said earlier I was even cursing up a storm which is something I don’t do so you know she had to hit a nerve with something that happened. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good contemporary romance that has some angst and a lot of spice. Happy Reading!!!
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**
Have you ever had a connection to perfect it seemed unreal? Have you ever met someone and known instantly that they would be your reason for breathing? What about love- have you ever been so in love it hurt?
My One Despair answers yes to all those questions. It’s heartbreaking and leaves the reader scrambling to make sense of the loss and pain. It’s romantic and overwhelmingly beautiful. It’s love at its most intense and real. It’s everything you dream about until it’s not. Until it hurts to move. Until you can’t possibly understand why…
Rest assured, your faith will return. Your hope will be renewed. Smiling isn’t an option. You will be beaming by the time you finish!
I have read two books this week that sleighed me and this is one of them. I fell in love from the beginning with gage. He became my swoony new book boyfriend. That man wore his heart on his sleeve and was so giving, kind, gentle and amazing. He listened and was there for people. He was loyal to his family and what he did for Keane stole my heart even more.
I loved how he was with Tess even when she didn’t know he was there he was. He was there from afar. Supporting her and loving her. He didn’t crowd her and did what was right even if it was the hardest choice he had to make. And when his world was about to be shattered once again he didn’t ask her to stay for him but for the reason his heart was being taken out of him again. This man was so giving and unselfish it makes you melt.
His story of love and hope and how he clings to love and what happiness it brang him was amazing. He didn’t let his sadness or anger bleed into his life. His songs spoke of love everlasting and his love for Tess but also his hope for happiness for her and those around him. He protected his personal life as he became famous and loved with all his heart.
The beginning where we see him and Tess find their way to be together and felt their love pour from every page my heart soared. It hurt so much for Gage when his world changed due to one moment. A moment that you knew didn’t sound right and believed there was more to the story. And boy was there. So much more that it rips your heart out and when you see what he now has to do it kills you to read.
Claudia Burgoa has written such a beautifully emotional and raw story. One of love, lost love, second chances and hope. One of family, joy and sadness. ONe of healing and finding your peace once your other half is back. A story you can’t put down no matter how emotionally drained you are for it rips at your heart and heals it as well. Such a beautiful story about a boy who doesn’t use a girl like others do to get ahead only to fall in love and lose that love due to his love and loyalty. Years later to have his world fall apart again and her be there to help him find his way and give him a chance to love her not from afar but up close once more. A emotionally beautifully written tale that is worth all the tears you cry in the end.
Loved all of the books about the Hades-Bell family and how they overcame adversity in their lives. Tess and Gage find and almost lose each other when Gage has to make a heart rending decision.
This was a good book! Not sure if I loved the way the road bump in the book came about but the chemistry between the two main characters made up for it.
This book had me falling in love, breaking my heart, then falling in love all over again. Gage and Tess are such amazing characters. Their love story is one of those meant to be romances that life tries to tear apart.
These characters just touched my heart. I love the Hades family and their world. I loved reading how Tess grew up and became a woman. Gage is perfect for her. I loved their love story, the real feelings, and connection. I loved the respect for each other. This is a beautiful story with lots of love and angst, past present, and future with such strong people.
Great story, wonderful characters and realistic dialogue. Rips out your heart and then puts it all back together. I loved it.
Heartwarming romance filled with love, family, rock music, and a happily ever after.
This was my first book by this author and she had gained a new stalker!!
WOW! This book should have come with a “You will need a glass (or two) of wine and a box of tissues” while reading Gage and Tess’s story warning!
This is a sweet second chance romance that pulled at my heart strings and is packed with emotion. Seriously it has all the feels and then some! A story about love and forgiveness…not all things/situations are in black and white.
Gage and Tess will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride. Buckle up readers because sometimes life and love will rock your world! Can these two weather the storm? Or will the lies and years apart be the end of their relationship?
I really cannot recommend this book enough!!
Great story about Tess, one I wasn’t sure I’d like but instantly fell in love with!
Tess, oldest daughter of rock star Kaden Hades, and if you read My One Regret, you know what I’m saying. It was great to see a human grown up side to Tess, and to see all her struggles and how strong she’s become! Enter Gage, rock star on the rise, the feelings these two share and the relationship they develop is off the charts. I cried while reading this story, I cheered for Gage, heck I cheered for Tess too! Get caught up on the characters from the first book but you get the full story of Gage & Tess and you will fall in love! 5 rock stars, and I’m hoping for maybe Hannah’s story next???? Grab this book NOW!
This is my first time reading anything by this author. This book sucked me right into the story. I found myself saying just one more chapter until I reached the end.
We first met Tess Hades in My One Regret so you know what her childhood was like with a “crazy” mother who manipulated her and her younger sister to try and hurt her father.
In My One Despair, it’s twelve or thirteen years later from the end of My One Regret and Tess is a successful business woman who runs her own conservatory to save animals. Her heart was broken by Gage Rodin six years ago but she still can’t seem to move on with her personal life. Gage has been going through his own personal battles since he had to break Tess’ heart 6 years ago but now things are changing fast and he hopes that he can get Tess back.
This story is about how Tess and Gage met 8-9 years ago and the life that they had together and their future plans as a couple. Tess is still caring around the trauma and guilt of how her mother used her and manipulated her to hurt her father. Even though she has worked on herself and her father has helped her get through everything she is very guarded with her heart. She feels that if she doesn’t let herself get involved, then she wouldn’t be hurt. When Tess meets Gage Rodin at a bar, there were some sparks there but Tess wasn’t going to give in to it. Circumstances continue to bring Tess and Gage together though and Gage is hard to resist.
Tess and her dad, Kaden Hades, after hearing Gage play and sing, decides to help Gage make his music career come true. This brings Tess and Gage into close quarters with each other and Gage was finally able to wear Tess down and make her realize that she does have feelings for him and should try to pursue a relationship. Even though their relationship is going well, Tess seems to hold a part of herself back and has doubts that it will be forever even though Gage is heading in that direction. Tess eventually lets herself start to think of a future when suddenly Gage disappears and then wouldn’t provide any explanation about his actions!
Skip ahead to six years later and Tess is running her own conservation foundation and Gage’s music career is still going on strong. However Gage realizes that his life is about to change drastically. When he contacts Tess, he wants to talk but Tess is hesitant since she is still not over what Gage did to her. But with the help of her stepmother Sadie, whom she has developed a great relationship with since she was a teen, Tess realizes that she needs to find out what happened with Gage so she can move forward with her life. The meeting with Gage had quite a lot of twists and in the end Tess realizes what Gage did for his family. The question then is can Tess and Gage get back what they had before or even move forward with each other in this new phases of their lives.
This book is so touching and emotional just like My One Regret. I loved both stories!
3.5 STARS!!!
My One Despair was a good second chance romance. There were things I both enjoyed and disliked about this story. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. Gage and Tess were perfect for each other but to be honest, I expected more from their characters after reading previous books from this author. I wanted more passion and romance. I also didn’t care for Keane’s attitude when he came back into the picture after everything Gage had done and gave up for him. There are so many characters in this story you will love and that will make you smile. Tess’s father is one of them. I absoltuely loved that a few characters from this authors Unexpected series was in this story. The ending of Gage and Tess’s story was sweet and one they deserved.
This book was absolutely amazing. It had so many emotions going on that it kept you hooked until the very end leaving it hard to start another book after you finished and made you want to re read it just to enjoy it a second time
Holy cow, Tess and Gage’s story has my heart full, in pieces, mending, all over the place in the very best way!!!!!! Claudia!!!!!! Omgosh!!!!!! You killed it!!!!!!! Yes ma’am, READ THIS BOOK NOW!!!!!!