Hayden Cole was everything I should stay away from. He was my brother’s best friend and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Broken smiles. Dark hair. Eyes that had seen far, far too much for his age. We spent a summer together in secret. In the darkness, in the silence, our hearts spoke the same language. Until he left without a word and tore mine right out of my chest.Ten years later … chest.
Ten years later he’s back from the Navy, and he’s demanding a second chance. He’s every inch the rogue I remember—crooked smiles and amber eyes.
But this time I’ve learned my lesson, and I’m staying far away.
Lily Marchand was everything I could never have.
She was the golden child of my uncle’s rich employer and far too good for a guy like me. I’d known it, and I reached for her anyway, and it led to disaster. I had no choice but to leave and break both of our hearts.
But a decade has given me the respectability and money I lacked before. This time I’m not giving up without a fight—not when I know she feels the same.
Her parents might still despise me. Her brothers might want to kill me. But I’d just like to see them try to run me out of town again, because there’s no way I’m giving up on Lily without a fight.
Some people are meant to be together.
And I’ll make her believe it again.
“Rogue” is a beautiful second-chance novel, starring a brooding bad boy looking to win back the girl of his dreams, a fiesty heroine with plenty of opinions, and tons of gut-wrenching feels.
Standalone, no cheating, HEA-guaranteed!
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Rogue was a sweetly romantic story about second chances.
Hayden Cole was once a poor kid who suffered more than most and was taken in by his beloved uncle. I loved his uncle! Used to living paycheck to paycheck and moving around a lot, Hayden gets a taste of the sweet life when his uncle gets a job with the Marchands. Not only does he get accepted as a friend-slash-brother, he finds a love interest in the little sister, Lily. He knows they have no future, but he can’t stay away. Despite his self-doubt and his thoughts of being unworthy of her, he knows that Lily is his true love. And then an accident decides his fate for him.
Lily Marchand knew nothing outside of her world of privilege. She loved Hayden and couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t want her. Why wouldn’t he give in to what she was offering? And when he did give in, she couldn’t understand why he had no hope that they’d last forever. She couldn’t see beyond her own hopes and dreams. So when Hayden seems to disappear without a trace, she’s left broken.
Ten years later, Hayden’s back and he’s not going anywhere. He knows he needs to earn everyone’s forgiveness and he won’t be satisfied until he owns Lily’s heart once more. And although she’s initially hesitant to give in, to let go of all of the pain, their reunion was inevitable. Their path back to each other was sappy in the best way.
My only issue was that I didn’t feel a genuine connection to the characters. I wasn’t able to become truly invested in their romance and became bored for the most part. I’m not complaining about the lack of drama because I didn’t think it was necessary, but I did need something more. What that something is, I don’t even know. I did enjoy the author’s writing and can see myself picking up another book from her in the future. I loved how supportive, patient, and understanding the characters were with one another. I would like to see what she has in store for Lily’s brothers because they did add an interesting dynamic to this story. If you’re a hopeless romantic who believes in second chances, you’ll enjoy this story too!
Lily was from a rich family and Hayden the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. His uncle worked for her family and he went to school with them and became friends with her brothers. He tried keeping his distance from her as they got older but their feelings won out even when he knew he was not good enough for her. Until the night they got in a car accident which left Lily seriously injured. Next thing she knew Hayden was gone, without a word, leaving her heartbroken. Until ten years later when he returned to town, finding Lily still as beautiful and intoxicating as before. But he was not the boy from before, the years away, being in the Navy, made a man out of him, someone who can hold his own. Will Lily be able to forgive him and will he be able to forgive himself for leaving her years ago, will he recognize his own worth? This is a story of young love, of sacrifices made for the one you love, of self doubt and self preservation, but also of survival and forgiveness. Well written and a page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Closure was not something Lily ever got when Hayden abruptly left to join the Navy ten years ago. Now he is back and it is time to confront him to get the answers that left her wondering if he ever really loved her. But just because the two have grown up and are no longer teenagers, Hayden still feels like he is not good enough to deserve Lily. The emotional journey they both need to go through to get their HEA was a joy to read. This was a beautifully written forbidden romance that should not be missed. You will fall in love with all of the characters very quickly. I look forward to reading lily’s brothers’ stories.
Olivia Hayle’s “Rogue” was an enjoyable read featuring likeable characters and a well-crafted second-chance romance. The basics of the story were relatively familiar: a boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with a rich girl, but her family tries to keep them apart, motivating the young man to leave town and make something of himself before returning to win back his love. However, the story was saved from predictability by its interesting structure, which utilized an alternating past and present timeline and frequent changes in POV between the main characters, Hayden and Lily. The details of their romance were revealed rather slowly and I wasn’t able to guess everything that drove them apart as teenagers or how they would come back together as adults, which kept me invested in the story.
My one big problem with this book is that I never understood why Lily’s parents hired Hayden’s uncle Gary in the first place, bringing their families together and creating the possibility for Hayden and Lily’s youthful romance. It didn’t seem like Gary had any special skills that made him more qualified for the job as groundskeeper than any other applicant. In addition, why did Lily’s parents choose to pay for Hayden to attend the same private school as their own children? Was there no public school in town he could have attended? Or was paying for Hayden’s education some kind of charity project designed to make Lily’s father look better in the eyes of the community? Lily’s dad did not seem like the type of person to do anything solely out of the goodness of his heart, so he must have had some ulterior motive for helping Gary and Hayden. It really bothered me that I could never figure out what it was.
Despite that relatively minor annoyance, I would recommend this book for all fans of emotional contemporary romance. I hope that there will be more books set in the town of Paradise Shores, perhaps featuring Lily’s brothers, who were likeable supporting characters in this story.
*ARC provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
He is not going to let anyone get in his way now he is back
Rogue is the first book in the Paradise Shores series by Olivia Hayle. This is the story of Hayden ad Lily in a second chance romance. They are childhood friends, who grow into sweethearts but then after an accident he left and joined the Navy. Now he is back after ten years and is determined to get what has always been his…..her!
The story is well written with a somewhat known story-line but with likable characters and a few twists thrown in. I look forward to reading the next in this series as it seems Paradise Shores is going to be an interesting place to visit.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
This is my first time reading a book by Olivia Hayle, I have to say this book was awseome! I couldn’t put it down! I absolutely loved reading about Hayden and Lily. This book made me have so many emoitions. If your looking for a romance book you will definitely not be disappointed!
I received an adance review copy for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book is a combination of two of my favorite types of romance. Second chance and the brother’s best friend romance. I thought the story between Lily and Hayden was very sweet and I really enjoyed how the author alternated between not only both of their perspectives but also showed us a look into their past. Lily loved Hayden almost from day 1 and that love grew until they were in a car accident when she was 18. Without telling anyone goodbye Hayden joined the military and is now returning to the town he called home with his uncle 10 years later. I really enjoyed seeing how much Hayden had grown from his younger years but I still got a feeling that he did not feel like he belonged in Paradise Shores. I think this book as a whole gave us a look into the difference in classes and how sometimes parents do not believe that someone from the wrong side of the tracks is good enough for their child.
I did feel that there could have been a bit more to this story. I feel like when we got to the present days they very quickly jumped back together and there was not enough angst or content to their relationship building. Overall this was a great start to a new series and I look forward to reading the next books in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
An excellent novel. This is such a great read, spanning the lives of Lily and Hayden and their families for over 10 years. Our protagonists met when they were children and the friendship, loyalty, soul mate kind of love protective instincts that developed between them was a joy to read. As one would expect, adult kind of love develops by the time they are 18. Haydon’s insecurities weigh heavily on his personality and actions. Lily’s family is the elite of the town, so Hay understandably feels ‘not quite good enough’. Following a bad car accident involving our young couple, Hayden is practically forced to leave, abandoning Lily in the hands of her parents who both had a hand in separating the young lovers. Lily’s and Hayden’s pain and loneliness is described beautifully throughout the book. The entire novel is structured well, with very good use of the language and mood. Good editing enhanced the experience. All the characters were well developed and described, the tension points were well spaced out and the pace of the storyline ensured continued interest. Hayden returns 10 years later, ‘’having made something of himself’’. His changed social standing was certainly not for Lily’s benefit, for the girl never cared about status or possessions, but rather, that he would gain more acceptance with her parents making not so much his, but her life easier. There are so many layers to Lily’s anger and pain, and Hayden’s multitude of emotions, pain, regret, and guilt. They are however reunited in their desperate longing for one another. The novel has a few steamy scenes but at no time is it vulgar. I loved this book that successfully manages to deal with forgiveness and the triumph of love over anger and pain.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A new author for me. A nice second chance romance with lots of emotional feels. This story is about Hayden and Lily. Lily never understood why Hayden suddenly broke things off and then abruptly left to join the Navy ten years ago. She didn’t know her dad stepped in trying to protect her after accident. Now he is back and it is time to confront him to get the answers that left her wondering if he ever really loved her. Hayden still feels like he is not good enough to deserve Lily but he’s never stopped loving her. A deeply emotional journey.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
“My world is infinitely better because you’ve been in it.” Hayden Cole
This one quote beautifully sums up Hayden and Lily’s relationship.
Rogue is a wonderful story of childhood love, tragic circumstances that tear the young lovers apart, redemption, self-discovery and a true love rediscovered . It is told from the two main character’s POV with in a series flashbacks to the past which are then intertwined with current day occurrences.
It is a heartwarming story with terrific characters and a wonderful ending. Truly enjoyed this book and Hayden and Lily’s long journey to happiness.
I truly enjoyed this romance…all the feels, angst, sadness, anger, hawt chemistry fear of never being good enough but most of all love. Loved it!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed reading this book. I loved the characters. This book was entertaining and a page turner. Hayden came from a different background than Lily. Her family is well off and he’s not. His uncle works the Marchand family. And his forced to leave the girl he loves. I loved the book!! And I received an ARC for my honest opinion.
This book 1 in the Paradise Shores Series is interesting, well-written with interesting and well-developed characters with chemistry. The story is good and has obstacles, twists/turns, second chances and steamy romance. a must read. This book is a beautiful second-chance novel, starring a brooding bad boy looking to win back the girl of his dreams, a sassy heroine with plenty of grit, and tons of gut-wrenching feels.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lily is enjoying her job and life but then Hayden returns and she has to decide what to do about it. Hayden made a mistake now he will do anything to have Lily again. This is an emotional story with awesome characters. I loved the HEA ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Everyone was protective of Lily. After her initial accident, it didn’t take much to convince Hayden to leave her. I thought Lily’s dad was justified in his concern for his only daughter, and I know Hayden was young and feeling responsible, but I really hated that he left her so easily.
This was a sweet second chance romance that showed the lasting but heartbreaking love these two shared and continued to share even though they were apart.
I liked the way the author slowly and sweetly built up their relationship from the past in into the present. Hayden’s uncle Gary was one of the best parts of this storyline and their relationship enhanced and deepened Hayden’s personality and character.
A sweet feel good romance with a young love feel to it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Well-written second chance romance. This book was well put together and you can see attention was paid to detail when it came to the storyline.
This is a forbidden romance/second chance romance with Hayden and Lily. He is the nephew of her very wealthy family’s employee which makes their love forbidden so when he turns eighteen he leaves for the military. Ten years later he returns where he is determined to make Lily his forever. Loved this romance story plot and the characters were perfect for each other. Great story.
A beautiful story of young love, miscommunication, meddling family, and second chances. Ms. Hayle takes us into the lives of Lily and Hayden who meet as children and forge a bond. They are separated as teens and when they reunite again all of the secrets of that separation come out. A great read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Loved absolutely everything about this book! The whole feel of the story was just great. Passionate and mature characters; I’m so ready for the stories of all the side characters. The connection between Hayden and Lily is so amazing; this is the type of second chance love story I adore. Sexy and sweet; I could feel the deep love they have for each other. Lily and Hayden have know each other since they were kids (around 11 years old) when he and his uncle (uncle is going to be the handyman) move onto Lily’s family’s property. As the years progress, love has grown between them, but some things get in the way and they end up separated for 10 years. There’s some of the rich girl, poor boy taboo going on. This story has present scenes, but also has some past scenes from when they were kids (from ages 11 to 18). I don’t usually care for flashback chapters, but they totally worked with this story. I also loved that this is dual POV; it really gets the depth of feeling across being in both Hayden and Lily’s heads. So, yeah, loved it all. Sooooo looking forward to the next book!! Hayle is a new author for me, so it’s super great to find a new author to love! I hope it holds true with all Hayle’s books.
Nicely written with nice storyline and plot. Characters are well described and they develop nicely through the story.
I like how they go from friends to be lovers. Their relationship is developing in a sweet and nice way.
This author was new to me but it is not the last time I want to read something from her. Her writingstyle is different and captivating.
I was caught in the story and the characters because of her use of words.
Nice read and I like to see more from this author.