ReeseI made a mistake that might have ruined someone’s life. I’ve moved to Sydney to avoid the glares and the questions from the people back home, but there’s one thing I can’t run from—the guilt and pain that follows me relentlessly. All I can do is dull it with alcohol and casual sex. But then my new boss, Mr Dark and Delicious, deserted me, mid kiss, with my skirt hiked up and my shirt … with my skirt hiked up and my shirt discarded on the alley floor. I should hate him―him and the secrets he’s keeping. But I can’t stay away. Because the pain and guilt he’s hiding mirror my own.
Low
All she wanted was one night. That, I could do. I’m the king of casual. Love them and leave them, before they leave me. With chemistry off the scale, we couldn’t even make it home, both of us too impatient, ripping each other’s clothes off in the alleyway outside the bar. Then my phone buzzed, and one text message stopped everything. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. All I could do was run. I’m toxic, but I can’t tell her why. I can’t bear the look of horror I know would cross her face. But I also don’t know how to keep something so life altering from the woman I’m falling for. Not when I need her just to survive it.
more
He caught his girlfriend in bed with another man and now justn6 months later he is at her wedding. He is on the reject table and he finds the groom ex on the same table. Will they have one up on their cheating exs? See what will happen
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Only the positive by Elle Thorpe
Reese moved away after her younger sister was injured while she was in charge. Her father blamed her and sent her down a path of booze & sex to cope with her short falls.
Low the fun loving sex on a stick looking for a night of fun with the person of the night.
They meet at the bar in the racetrack they’re working at. Sexual tension and flirty banter is high, but neither wants a relationship or to cause problems at work.
When they finally give into lust his pesky phone becomes what stops everything or the information he gets from that call pauses everything for him. He loses control and has to face his past demons and his current ones, too.
This is a great book and touches on real life struggles people face!
I adore Reese and Low and the OTP world Thorpe has built. Neither our hero or heroine are looking for more than a one-night-stand when they hook up one night at a racetrack bar. But an untimely phone call mid-clinch has Low horrified and running.
Reese is disconcerted to say the least. She works with Low and when he doesn’t show for his shifts, she starts to worry. Though they both agreed they weren’t looking for love, their chemistry is off the scale. Feelings start to happen despite their intentions and Low’s reticence to even be around others. He sees himself as toxic. Reese sees more. But she has her own issues that she’s run from.
What I love about this book is that despite the full-drama nature of the plot, the characters are steady and chill. Moments of humour and absolute romance pepper the pages and I wanted to give the characters a big hug.
This isn’t the easiest of subject matters but Thorpe handles it with intelligence and honesty. The story is HEA and kicks off a big series. Go read this new author. You won’t regret it.
Low and Reese’s story was such an emotional roller coaster my mind is still reeling! The fear and heartache were so real. I wanted to fix everything for them so they could find their happiness and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to ge there. This was my first book by Elle Thorpe and definitely won’t be my last.
I absolutely loved this book! Elle is a new-to-me writer and I was floored to discover this was her debut novel. The characters were so well constructed, fleshed out, flawed, and relatable — even though their circumstances are so specific and unique. Elle manages emotions and peeling back the layers of the story like a pro, never giving too much too soon, but just exactly when we need it. I rooted for Low & Reese from page one and wasn’t at all disappointed. I loved that this was by far not a cookie-cutter romance, but one with real meat, obstacles, grit, and heart. Elle Thorpe is the Australian version of Colleen Hoover. And if you’ve ever fangirled over the Queen, you’ll need to add Elle to your TBR asap. Well done debut. I’m now counting the days till the next book is released! Elle Thorpe Only the Positive (Only You, #1)
4.5 Stars
Reese Lawson has just started a job at Lavender Fields Racecourse in the bar. She longs to get back close to horses as she grew up with them but knows that she truly doesn’t deserve to ever ride again after an accident in her past.
Low Smith manages the bar at the Racecourse and is a sexually active bi-male with no preference between men and women as long as they pay attention to him. He knows “technically” there is no dating rule at the bar but he believes it can be overlooked once he decides he has his eyes on Reese.
But sometimes life does not go as planned and we must change course. Reese is on the run from her past and an event completely changes the path that Low believed he was on. Can Reese help Low with everything he is dealing with and focus on the positive and can Low help Reese heal from her own past?
This was a beautifully written book on healing and dealing with the unexpected that changes everything.
I thought Reese was a great character and I loved her post it notes! She was so positive for certain things, yet she also lived with so much guilt inside of her due to events in the past. The events of the past were devastating and my heart broke that she took all the blame and wouldn’t let herself be happy because of it.
Low was known for getting around and I liked the chemistry he had with Reese. I actually guessed everything ahead of time but I was sad that I was right. That being said the book was so informative and is so important for people to read. I hated how Low dealt with his own grief and how many times he would end up so drunk with cruel words coming out of his mouth.
I really liked how Reese was there for Low and was such a dedicated friend who concentrated on the positive through everything until he hits rock bottom and pushes everyone away. But before that Low was also there for Reese as well and he listened to her struggles with her own past and the two really found common ground.
I liked how whenever things mattered the most they were there for each other but they each had to deal with certain things on their own!
The ending was awesome and I loved how it all came together! – Rebecca
What a roller coaster ride Elle Thorpe had me on. Only The Positive was a fantastic read with so many emotions possible. I have never read a book with this kind of story and I yelled at and cried for these characters. I found myself wanting to throw my kindle a few time. Elle really had my attention from page one until the very last page. Only The Positive was very well written and flowed perfectly.
I feel like I am in the book in these characters shoes. I love Reese’s personality; she was so sweet, outgoing but my heart goes out to her with everything that she has endured in her past. We cannot forget Low..he’s a hottie, I really admire him for thinking about others when he got his “news”. The chemistry between the two of them are off the charts.
This is my first book by Elle Thorpe and will not be my last. Only The Positive is the first book in the Only You Series and can be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to read more by Elle and to get the second book in this series.
Ok full disclosure I went into this book with stupid high expectations. It was a love of two of my biggest bookish recommenders and I trust them so much I just knew I would love it. And I was right! Guys this was everything.
We have two very broken people hiding is Sydney and trying to just survive. Their issues are each very complex and personal but still they have so much in common and share so many traits that it’s impossible for them not to gravitate toward one another.
We are faced with grief, guilt, resentment, fear, love and loss and friendships that shape these people and make their journey into healing so much better. This was such a moving and compelling story.
Oh oh and I almost forgot, Aussie Cowboys on the periphery. I didn’t know I needed that but here we are.
I’d like to say a well done to Elle for writing this book. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read and the topics tackled are very challenging. I didn’t let the reviews phase me when I bought this one because I knew that no matter what, I would love it. I understand that the topics discussed and presented in this book aren’t for everyone but I still don’t understand some of the hateful things I’ve seen about this book. I absolutely loved this book and I am so glad I bought it, along with the other books in the series.
Only the Positive surprised me, and that doesn’t happen often in romance. To be honest, it had the potential to take a different and even depressing direction – and don’t get me wrong, it is an emotional story, but the author lets the hope shine through as well. Both Low and Reese have things to work through, things they need to deal with, and it does take them some time to learn that they don’t have to do it all alone. They’re both likable characters, and their journey definitely tugs at the heartstrings.
Reese is at a low point in her life. She is starting over with a new job as a bartender. She can’t leave her guilt behind. Low is her boss and the typical ladies man at first until a text message changes everything for him. I liked these characters and how they had to overcome their problems to get the happiness they wanted together. A great read and awesome debut.
I enjoyed Only the Positive. I really like the characters. They have great chemistry. The plot is unique. This book is full of emotions and has many surprises. This is a great story. I look forward to the next book in the series.
First of all, I can’t believe this was the author’s debut book. It’s so well written, and if she could already write at this level, then I can’t wait to read her other books. I went into Only the Positive expecting one thing and came out having experienced something completely different. The story didn’t go in the direction I expected and had me sitting up in shock. Also, my opinion of Low changes fast as I read about his past, which explained why he was the way he was. I was up until 4am reading this amazing book, which tackled head on a difficult subject, but the author took great care to show the work she had put into her research. Honestly, I’m surprised this book doesn’t have more reviews because it’s worth more than the 5 stars I can give it. Sometimes, you come across a book that reminds you of why you love reading and discovering new authors so much – this book is one!
I seriously loved this book. I enjoyed how the author incorporated real life not always going the way you want it with a happily ever after. The characters were enjoyable and very relatable. This is a very well written book.
5+ stars
*ebook generously provided by the author and I’m leaving an honest review*
Woow! I really loved this book and characters, especially Reese and Low. It was not a typical love story and I loved it. I especially loved the moral of the story and sensitive topics that author handles with such care, character and intelligence; and setting – a horse racing track in Sydney. I really can’t believe this is Elle’s debut novel because it’s so beautifully written with equally beautiful, loveable and engaging characters.
This was my first story by this author and I wouldn’t object to reading more books from her. Such an enjoyable, emotional roller-coaster, passionate read and a page turner. The writing just flowed and had me engrossed to the story from start to finish wanting to find out what happens next. This is deep, soulful, emotional, heartfelt, angsty read with all the feels and second chances. I loved that it was written in dual POV. It was well developed, well written and thought out. It was sweet and steamy romance. The characters are amazing and so likeable. It’s easy to fall for them because they had depth, they are loveable and endearing, even though sometimes challenging. I cheered for these two to finally figure out that they are meant to be and to let themselves be loved by each other.
I especially liked the beginning where Jamison and Elodie meet and have an instant connection at their exes wedding. It wasn’t as painful to Jamison who had only been dating The bride, Bree for six months before catching her with Rick, Elodie’s husband. Eloise on the other hand had been married to her husband high school sweetheart for seven years and had her sweet son Nathan. I felt for her as her ex had been cheating on her a while and getting bullied into attending his wedding within weeks of their divorce was pretty degrading.
I relished the scene where she let’s go and enjoys herself with Jamison for the first time in a very long time.
I didn’t care for her decisions along the way even though it was motivated by wanting the best for her son. The author was able to show her depth of feeling and sacrificial Love though, but I hated the way Rick manipulated and used Nathan to get what he wanted from Elodie.
Kudos to the author for redeeming Bree and showing the reader a better side to her.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamison and Elodie met in the most interesting of ways. At the wedding of their ex’s. It didn’t go unnoticed that they were both betrayed and cheated on and the wedding had to have been planned ahead of time. But what was interesting was Jamison and Elodie were captivated with each other. Of course this lead to a lot of drama from their ex’s but in the end when it’s all said and done , will Jamison and Elodie become a better match than the uniting of their ex’s.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this read! Super real & super tough, she nailed it though
I had to give this book 5 stars due to the different writing style and the different story this author takes you through. At first, I thought yes this is just another bar hopping love story with a man-whore and girl that didn’t know what she wanted. But this book is sooo much more.
Reese is hiding from her past. She made a huge mistake and is running. When she gets a job at a bar and meets her new boss Low it is instant chemistry. But these two decide to be friends. I loved the banter between everyone in this story but these two are just wonderful.
Low is a man-whore and doesn’t hide it. He is bi and will go with whatever is going on that night. But when he meets Reese something inside him just clicks and she is all he wants. But when he gets news that will/could change his life forever he decides that she is better off without him.
This story is NOT your usual love story. I loved that, it was so refreshing to read something new and with characters that took real-life problems and stuck with it. Reese may have run from her past life, but she was not running from her love for Low. And Low knew he would have a life of struggle and new that he needed help. And yes sometimes I did not like his choices BUT he always found his way back to Reese. That is love.
Great read!
Loved this story. I was completely consumed with Reese and Lows journey.
This isn’t a typical romance story and that’s why it appealed to me so much. I had my suspicions as to what the book was about going in and I was intrigued to see how the Author was going to tackle such a sensitive subject.
I knew as soon as I started reading it that Low and Reese were going to put me through the emotional ringer. I thought I was prepared for it but I wasn’t. It completely crushed me.
Elle Thorpe has done an amazing job highlighting a subject not many like to talk about and writing a beautiful story with all the feels and I loved every minute.
I absolutely adored Reese and Low. They aren’t perfect by any means they are flawed and make mistakes just like the rest of us and that’s why they’ve captured my heart.
I’m really pleased to have found a new Author and series
and I’m looking forward to reading more about Jamison.