I should never have fallen in love with the boy next door because he was a perfect beautiful billionaire and I was the awkward teenager who always wanted to argue. It was never meant to be..Ten years later after a marriage that broke me, I crept back home to lick my wounds, then he walked in the door as perfect as ever, and everything had changed.He didn’t recognize me and I let him almost seduce … didn’t recognize me and I let him almost seduce me, I let myself almost have him.
He was a gorgeous billionaire bad boy married to a beautiful movie star, and I was the dog walker with a past.
But their marriage was over if it was ever anything more than an empty arrangement, to begin with, and he said he loved me.
We fell into love, into a dream full of magic and laughter and joy, knowing all along that it couldn’t last, that our pasts and our failures and our heartbreaks would catch up to us.
Because when you’ve been around for a while you know that if a famous A list movie star wants you, she doesn’t let you go…
And when your pain and fear and past wants you, it comes to get you..
A secret love. A secret divorce. A secret romance. When the secrets come out, whose heart will be on the line? Whose life will be ruined? Who will get to live their true love’s desire?
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A wonderful short heartwarming contemporary romance with a little twist. This engaging emotional story had me listening chapter after chapter of neighbors who had childhood crushes. The two main characters seem to get a second chance, 10 years later as they struggle to overcome their fears, past mistakes, terrible ex marriages, and even physical danger, all while trying to build their own relationship. It includes witty dialogue, undeniable chemistry, panic attacks, understanding, love romance with steamy chemistry as the narrator really has you feeling what this amazing author is portraying.
James kept Hannah’s secret crush to himself for a long time
Hannah grew up among wealthy and had a crush on James.. James is aware of her crush but keeps it to himself for a while. They move on with their lives through high school and college. They meet 10 years later and it was love at first sight for him and at first he didn’t know it was Hannah. Both are out of failed marriages and the story is written beautifully about their love for each other. Fast paced and I would recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
James just signed his divorce papers and flew from L.A. to his home in New York. He is expecting to see his cousin but instead finds a beautiful stranger dancing with two large dogs. He can’t tell anyone about the divorce yet and she has things to hide as well. But the chemistry is undeniable. Now if they can get through secrets, an ex-wife bent on destruction and a few other surprises, maybe just maybe they can make it.
This is a wonderfully crafted contemporary romance filled with great characters, witty dialogue and some steamy scenes. The characters pop off the pages making them seem real and grabbing your attention. How can you not root for them? The emotional drama pulls at your heart strings as the two main characters struggle to overcome their fears, past mistakes, terrible past marriages, and even physical danger, all while trying to build their own relationship. They show courage and great determination to be together making this a lovely, dynamic love story. This is an awesome, well written contemporary romance worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Perfect group of books. An easy read that just takes you out of your daily life and immerses you into a world of love, laughter and hunky men.
This was a quick read. James and Hannah were neighbors as kids, but hadn’t seen each other in ten years. What happens when fate intervenes and they are reunited? Read and find out!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A really enjoyable read. The storyline is amazing, funny, engaging, witty, and beautifully written. The plot is consistent, realistic, engaging, and will grip you from beginning to end from the twists, drama, and suspense. Loveable characters – their chemistry is intense, potent, and things move very fast for them. Strongly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
L.A. Pepper is a new author to me and I have to say I truly enjoyed this book and will be reading more of her books in the future.
This is a sweet and beautiful story about Hannah, the girl next door who was just a little different growing up. She wasn’t what all the boys considered pretty and she wasn’t from a wealthy family. Then we have James who was very cute and came from money and just happened to live next door to Hannah (aka Philomena). James and Hannah knew one another in school and she was crazy about him, but he was brutally honest with her and never considered her anything other than her strange neighbor. After high school they each go their separate ways, both marrying and neither of them having very good luck in that department.
Fast forward 10 years and James finds this gorgeous woman in his house with Bette’s (his cousin) dogs. Hannah and Bette are close friends and Hannah walks her dogs, well James fall for Hannah Instantly having no clue as to who Hannah is.
I loved this story and the characters and how their relationship develops. Hannah has her own set of problems as does James, but will they be able to survive what or should I say who is trying to keep them apart. I like how the author has thrown in a little suspense to go along with all the chemistry that James and Hannah share. I love how James goes out of his way to protect Hannah from the things that are trying to bring her down. That’s about as much as I can say without giving too much of the story away.
I would definitely recommend reading this book it was a sweet second chance love story that you don’t want to miss.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a sweet semi steamy story about a billionaire and geeky neighbor girl who grew into a beautiful woman. Sort of like “The Ugly Duckling” meets “Sabrina”. Ms. Pepper writes enchanting stories about things we all wish could happen in real life. I found James and Hannah to be refreshing in their honesty with each other, not holding back secrets. There is an interesting twist near the end, and it is great to see the character, Bette, return. I enjoyed this so much, I will be on the lookout for the next story to come from the imagination of Ms. Pepper.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
– Protecting his secret was an enjoyable read. There were some great characters. There were some twists, turns, and surprises to keep the story entertaining. James and Hannah both had secrets that were very similar in nature. It was fun to follow the reveal of their secrets and thoughts about the past. It was an enjoyable story.
Hannah was the geeky girl next door. James was the popular guy, trying to please everyone. When they were growing up, Hannah had the biggest crush on James. He knew she had a crush, but blew her off. They grew up and married others. Those marriages were not good. They both return home to lick their wounds. Hannah’s wounds go deeper than James, but they are broken in a way. They slowly start to learn about each other and those wounds start to heal. That is until their pasts come back to haunt them. Can they move forward or will they always be stuck?
L.A. Pepper’s book is a great read. The characters can be anyone you may run into on the street or in your life. The connection that grows between James and Hannah is very real and sweet. This is a perfect book for a long weekend.
I received an ARC for a fair and honest review.
Hannah and James grew up next door to each other. He was the rich, good looking kid and she was the nerd with a crush. Ten years later fate steps in and sends these two for the ride of a lifetime.
“Yeah. So soulmates with a flair for the dramatic. Clearly, we had to elope in Hawaii and keep it a secret for a month.”
This was a wonderful story about James and Hannah. She was the nerdy girl (who had a crush on the boy next door) and he was the billionaire next door neighbor. But 10 years and 2 divorces later they meet again. Second chance aren’t always what you expect. Very well written there’s your romance, betrayal and suspense. I recommend !!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a great read from start to finish having weir developed and engaging characters and a storyline that flowed smoothly made for an enjoyable read that held my attention.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a quick read for me-it had an interesting storyline with a fun intro. While it dealt with heavy topics, I would have liked to have seen the author flesh out the story a bit more and add more depth to the characters. Overall, not a bad way to spend a few hours.
I received an ARC from Booksprout. The opinions are my own.
I’m not sure where to start with this one. I thought it was all over the board and jumped from 0-90 in a flash. Hannah, her middle name because of the “crap” she went through and didn’t want anyone to recognize her is a mess. As a kid who lived in the carriage next door to James the rich kid who lives in the mansion, she “loved” him from afar and hoped that one day he would notice her as someone who is special to him. Time passes on, she gets married/divorced from what I would call an abusive marriage and is now living back in the carriage house and is a dog walker. She has given up on the things that she used to do and is basically a shell of a person who doesn’t go out etc. Her best friend Bette is living in the mansion and is a cousin of the now owner James. James is a billionaire who is married to a movie star but isn’t happy with his life and living in LA so comes home to the mansion to find Hannah there but he doesn’t recognize her.
In a flash James and Hannah are in a relationship even tho he is still married but getting a divorce or just divorced and he still doesn’t recognize her and the story goes from there.
For me, it was so-so.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is what Hallmark movies are made of! Young girl falls for gorgeous rich boy next door but to him she’s just the kid next door. Fast forward 10 years and he finally notices! They each have baggage from previous relationships to work through and a few good friends to help with that. At times funny and at others serious. Very nice story, easy read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
We’ve all had crushes on the girl or guy next door. Time passes and you run into each other again. Times and things are different, but the connection is still there. James and Hannah are given a chance to see what could be after their last encounter a decade ago. Their new bond is tested when the past rears its ugly head. Can it stand the storm?
I liked the story. It’s a quick read about love that never dies regardless of the time that’s past. I would classify this as a novella. I could totally be a full length novel with my chapters, especially ones that dug deeper into their past and the issues that shaped who they are now. I love challenges that make love stronger. I’d recommend this book for your happily ever after with your crush.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Two people, two divorces, and a long history with each other… Is it fate? In this adorable sweet love story, read as two people find each other again and see if they can find love in one another and make it work.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
James and Hannah had been neighbors while growing up. They haven’t seen each other in 10 years. James come home and finds a woman in his house walking the dogs of a family member. He is intrigued by her.
James doesn’t recognize her as his former backyard neighbor. Can their attraction survive? Can they be more? With his public marriage and secret divorce can they find their way to each other?
This is a wonderful book. Will have to read more.
This was a great story. It is well written with some drama that you just soak up. It has sweet moments that draw you in. James and Hannah have this long time coming romance that is just charming. James is a protective but loving type of alpha male. Hannah is this sweet and loving woman that is strong and independent. It is definitely worth reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.