INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The bestselling author of The Simple Wild and Keep Her Safe and “master of steamy romance” (Kirkus Reviews) delivers a sizzling novel about an ambitious and high-powered executive who reconnects with her first love: the boy who broke her heart. Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway. On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real … she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé–a fellow VP–on the other side of her glass office wall every day.
Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller–the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group, and coincidentally the first love of her life.
The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.
Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is still alive and strong, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.
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Say You Still Love Me is told in past and present day chapters, immersing readers into a summer camp life so heavy that one cannot read this novel without wishing for a summer camp experience of their very own!
Kyle Miller was Piper Calloway’s first love… And then he broke her heart. Years later, Piper has mended her heart more than once and is now a succesful businesswoman in a male dominated field. On the outside looking in, she has everything a woman on the cusp of 30 could ask for. Except, she just ended her engagment and still has to see her now ex-fiance everyday at work. And who so happens to walk back into her life? Kyle ‘Mr. First Love’ Miller and he claims he doesn’t remember her.
Say You Still Love Me is one of those novels you either love the set-up or you do not. For me, I found the plot moved rather slow just as I found Piper and Kyle’s relationship in all their present-day moments to lack the emotional level of depth K.A. explored between these two characters in the past. I knew Piper truly and genuinely loved Kyle, the flashbacks prove this to be true as they show glimpses of all the ways Piper fell for him. However, Kyle was sort of a mystery for me. So much so, that I found I questioned his motives throughout. I really wish there had been chapters in his point of view or at the very least his character’s inner thoughts held a bigger significance as I also found I really needed this particular aspect as it would have ultimately created a connection between Kyle and myself.
Regardless, not only was this a wonderful second chance romance but a reminiscent tale of a love found in one’s youth.
Say You Still Love Me by K.A. Tucker is a story of young love and a second chance at reconnecting.
Two lovers separated by secrets are brought back together by fate after 13 years apart. The moments where I’m taken back to those hot summer days the h/H shared at camp were absolutely special! However, I would have preferred K.A. write a separate story detailing the couples’ life together at camp because at times the flashbacks overshadowed the story and as a result their love in adulthood wasn’t shown as much.
K.A.’s craft is spellbinding for sure, making me wish I had a summer camp experience to reflect back on. Though this particular story may not have been my favorite, it was equally wonderful and beautifully written. With great characters, especially the secondary ones, Say You Still Love Me thrived!
It takes a special author – and a special book – to make you feel nostalgic for a place you’ve never been and experience you’ve never had. K.A. Tucker was just that author, and Say You Still Love Me was that book. I pretty much suspected I would love this book as soon as I read the blurb. I don’t think I realized just how much Piper and Kyle’s second chance romance would get to me though. These two worked their way under my skin and into my heart.
One of my favorite things about Say You Still Love Me was the format in which it was told. Jumping back and forth between present day and the past can be messy, but it was far from that in this one. I loved how the details of Piper and Kyle first falling in love at Camp Wawa were woven in with their second chance. I can’t think of how this book would possibly work any other way. Basically I lived for the bits I would get from both time periods in each chapter. It made me feel as though I really was right there beside them, part of the story.
It could probably go without saying, but I absolutely loved the romance in Say You Still Love Me. From the first love at Camp Wawa and the albeit more complicated second chance in present day, I was 1000% in. I couldn’t get enough of Piper or Kyle (together or separate!) or the secondary characters, for that matter. While present day Piper and Kyle (understandably) had their issues to work through, Camp Wawa Piper and Kyle just warmed my heart. Is there anything as pure as first love?
Say You Still Love Me was an absolutely joy to read. I adored the characters. Piper was especially wonderful. Present day Kyle got a pretty healthy dose of side eye initially, but it wasn’t long before he had me swooning all over the place. I never went to summer camp, but somehow while reading this, I felt like I had. The setting and characters were so rich, it was easy to imagine myself right there. I laughed and cried and reminisced on my own first love and some fun summers spent with friends and big time crushes. What a sweet and special read. Hands down one of my favorites of the summer.
Favorite Quotes:
But is this what my life has become? Managing fragile male egos all day long?
Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering “what if” that I have never been able to truly shake.
I’m going to be madly in love with Piper Calloway for the rest of my life and I only just met her.
5* Beautiful Second Chance Love Stars
I was so excited when my paperback arrived as I love K.A. Tuckers powerful writing. Her stories are full of feels and tug at your heart strings.
The story of Piper and Kyle was just that, full of feels of happiness, love, friendship and heartache. Finding love for them was not easy and I was routing for them throughout the book. I enjoyed that the story was alternating between the past and the present. It brought the storyline together nicely. The characters we were likeable and real, and you will be transported back to your youth when reading about their adventures at summer camp and first loves.
I was sad when the book ended but loved every page read and look forward to what K.A. Tucker brings us next.
At sixteen, Piper’s mom wants to teach her core values and signs her up to be a camp counselor – to see how the other half lives. Not everyone has their life made and Piper quickly figures out that she’s got it good. Fast forward thirteen years and Piper’s settling into her new role as part of her father’s executive team at his firm. She’s destined to take over the reins of the company whenever he decides to step aside. She’s 29, she’s recently single, and she’s roommates with her two besties from that long ago summer at camp. So what happens when her past takes a stroll through the lobby of her company? And why does her heart still beat as fast as it did when she was 16 and his?
Poor little rich girl.
Piper was entitled, privileged, wealthy, and didn’t have a clue what it was to be anything but part of the 1%.
It’s not to say that the author didn’t characterize her with a big heart, because she did…
It’s just that the entire story is told from Piper’s perspective and it was extremely one-sided.
It was hard not to see how her world was colored and seen with rose-colored glasses.
For her, the glass was never half full because it should always be refilled.
And because of her somewhat condescending and superior attitude, even when she was trying to be approachable, it was impossible for me to be convinced of this second chance at love she had with Kyle.
I think I really needed something from him to bring it all together.
I needed to see how he was able to overlook so much in order to be with her.
I needed to see her grow as a person, as someone who would make sense with someone like Kyle.
And because that didn’t happen, I found it hard to invest.
The writing was outstanding. It was easy to see why this author has garnered such a huge fan base with the floetry of her words. While this story wasn’t for me, I’m sure it will be a big hit with other romance lovers. And I’ll definitely be giving this author another try.
Don’t be fooled by this romance-filled synopsis between the rich CEO and the poor guy, let alone get carried away by this nostalgic cover full of love. Say You Still Love Me is so much more than that and if it has the signature of K.A. Tucker…OMG.. All the fans should already be preparing for an impactful and surprising plot twist when least expected.
Piper is a powerful woman who struggles every day to impose herself in the sexist business world. Following in her father’s footsteps, she prepares herself to one day take over the company he founded that has become one of the most prosperous and highly regarded in the United States. While battling against a sneaky enemy, she sees again her great lo of the past and finds that she was not emotionally prepared to confront the guy who once broke her heart to pieces.
Kyle, in the past, was a boy who loved to break the rules and comes from an unconventional family with a foot in the criminal world. Trying to make a living without getting carried away by the bad blood that runs through his veins, he tries to create his own path. What he didn’t expect was that as he meets the sweet and witty Piper, his world would once again turn upside down.
Highlight to Piper’s friends, the crazy Zen Ashley, and the controlling and serious Crista who bring a lot of dynamics and funny moments to the plot.
With a narrative that sucked me in and held me captive till the end, K.A. Tucker brings a tension-filled storyline alternating present and past so the reader can understand what happened in Piper and Kyle’s life. A story about true love, forgiveness, new chances, strength and struggle with a super beautiful heartbreaking ending.
I really liked how she built the story especially the moments of the past, I was just a little frustrated with Kyle’s behavior in the present and just didn’t understand Piper’s obsession with him, but when the real point of conflict comes I was groundless and I understand perfectly the guy’s reluctance. I just waited for more dialogue between them so that everything could be resolved, I thought the main scene of reconciliation was a little too fast but that does not spoil the reading.
Say You Still Love Me by KA Tucker will give you all the second chance romance feels. We start by meeting Kyle and Piper as teens at summer camp-how adorable!! We see young love blossom and then die. They are opposites: classic wrong side of the tracks guy meets pampered princess. The story bounces between that summer at camp and the present, where they are reunited. Piper is still crushed by Kyle’s cold shoulder for the last 13 years. It’s kind of 2 parallel love stories in that sense. You see the love story to 2 teens who haven’t hardened their hearts and 2 adults who have been burned in the past.
The ‘mystery’ of the story surrounds why Kyle never made contact with Piper. The reader slowly sees teen Kyle and falls in love with him just like Piper, but since you know what happens, you are left to wonder-is Kyle hiding some horrible secret? Now, this is KA Tucker, so the angst is kinda high, so reader be warned. Say You Still Love Me is told only from Piper’s POV so we don’t get insight into the mystery of Kyle until he reveals it to Piper. Present day Piper is delightful though so you aren’t going to feel trapped by only getting her POV. She has an interesting job, solid, supportive friends, and a fun assistant.
Say You Still Love Me by KA Tucker manages to combine YA romance with Contemporary romance and blend in a second chance story as well. While the beginning of the book was a tad slow for me, the end is enchanting and decidedly romantic.
There’s just something so sweet and beautiful about first love. That all encompassing and consuming love that stays with you your entire life. Say You Still Love Me captured that innocence and purity so well, bringing back memories of youthful, carefree days.
I loved slowly unraveling Piper and Kyle’s story. The book alternates between the past and the present and I loved the chapters at Camp Wawa and seeing their connection grow (and sadly abruptly end). It was heartbreaking to see them struggle to reconcile the past and attempt to find closure 13 years later. Wondering if what happened that summer left an indelible mark on the other as well. This was definitely an emotional read as the past comes full circle and hard truths are revealed. Some of the story played out exactly as I predicted, but there was a twist or two that left my heart hurting. This is my first book by KA Tucker, but her writing was heartfelt and poignant and I can’t wait to read more.
*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*
3.5-3.75
I enjoyed Piper and Kyle’s story. I am always up for a young love, second chance romance. Piper & Kyle meet when she becomes a camp counselor on summer. Told in alternating present and past chapters, we watch as two kids fall in love and then get torn apart after a tragic night. I loved all the characters I just felt like there was a little something missing and the epilogue was lacking IMO. I just needed a little but more but it is worth the read.
This romance pulled at my heartstrings. I love how we got to see the main characters in the past and present. Also the underlining story of consequences and mistakes definitely gave me all the feels.
Dare I say this is my favourite KA book? It’s nearly pushed A Simple Wild out of the number one spot—nearly. This book has it all: a strong heroine who’s a feisty, loving and wonderful narrator. A hero that is swoon-worthy, both past and present. And enough family/work angst to fill in the rest. As is usual in Tucker’s work, the prose is perfection and the tension between Piper and Kyle is so intense; I rooted for them from the first meet! Truly one of Tucker’s best, Say You Still Love Me is definitely nostalgic, romantic and a joy to read all around!
Wow, K.A. Tucker did it again! Say You Still Love Me was emotional, intriguing, heart-tugging, and sexy.
This is a dual timeline story, taking place when Piper is a 29-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar firm and looking back to when she was sixteen and met Kyle when they were both camp counselors.
The dual timeline that alternated with each chapter kept me wanting more. As I read the story of them as teens, I kept wondering what he did to hurt her and how things ended. Then, when reading the current timeline, I was wondering why he came back and what was going to happen next. So many questions, I just had to keep reading to find out more.
Kyle is the guy you know you’re not supposed to fall for, but he pulls you in like a magnet. When Piper meets him, he’s seventeen with a faux-hawk, a lip piercing and a tattoo. So of course, the good girl immediately falls for the bad boy. (Same, Piper, same.) In this case, it’s also a rich girl/poor guy trope and forbidden love trope. Basically, there are a lot of reasons for these two to stay away from each other. Their young love story is full of passion, hope, and naivety. As adults, the reader is left wondering how “the real world” has changed them and what that means for their relationship.
I feel like I could talk about this book for hours, but I’ve only got so many characters here, so just know that I loved Kyle and couldn’t put this book down. KA Tucker is now an auto-buy author for me and I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.
Say You Still Love Me is about Piper Calloway and Kyle Miller. Piper’s family has money. Her father owns a millionaire dollar company dominated by men. Piper has been groomed for the VP position from an early age.
Kyle Miller works as the new security guard at CG. Kyle’s family has a reputation for finding trouble. Kyle is a good man who has the best intentions. He strives to be a better man than his father and brothers. Unfortunately, his family name and reputation follows him.
Thirteen years ago, Piper attended Camp Wawa as a camp counselor for the summer where she met Kyle a returning camp counselor. Piper tried to hide who her family’s wealthy wanting to be recognized as just a normal girl. Piper fell in love with the boy who represented kindness and understanding. They were equals as camp counselors looking forward fun.
With all that being said I didn’t particularly like the way the story went back into the past recounting the love story that blossomed between them. I felt those chapters were far too extensive and didn’t help progress the story. Ms. Tucker alternated chapters between the past and present presenting information from both to coordinate story’s. Yet, it seemed to pull the reader away acting as a distraction. The problem was that each of these chapters could have been a story by themselves.
Unfortunately, my thoughts kept drifting away from this book. With the array of supporting characters introduced in this book they just overcrowded the storyline. Between the camp friends and co-workers I was bored beyond tears listening to the failed relationships they all had.
This read like a lesson on how men and women are different both in the work place and as a love interest. It also reads like gossip girls chit chatting about the guys they are crushing on and who’s doing who at camp. It’s all irrelevant to the business savvy woman Piper has become. I felt like the businesswoman storyline was unfinished. For as extensive as some of those scenes were I expected a different turnout between her and her father.
This is a second chance romance with an over exaggerated backstory about camp counselors. The present chapters weren’t any better dealing with the shady co-workers and ex-fiancé’s.
Sadly, I can’t find it within myself to be interested in these characters or the storyline. I’m extremely disappointed in this book. I remember loving the books KA Tucker wrote in the beginning of her writing career, but along the way I’ve lost interest in the types of books she’s been writing.
Narrator:
Devon Sorvari is the sole female performer. She did a magnificent job performing this book. While I appreciate the effort to perform all these characters with different tones and voices I felt at times the performance fir male characters could’ve been better.
This was an unabridged audiobook. The audiobook was performed in a sound proof setting offering a high quality listening experience.
I am not a big fan of the billionaire trope. It just seems unrealistic. But, gender swap it, and I’m suddenly a huge fan. (Which what does that say about me? I’m going to hard pass thinking about that right now.) I do, however, adore second chances. Combining these two together made for an amazing read.
This book is a dual timeline, told from Piper’s POV as a sixteen and twenty-nine year old. Piper’s young insta-love is sweet but hard to see translating to her future. Her family is affluent and Kyle is clearly from the wrong side of the tracks. Their paths would never have crossed if not for working together at a summer camp. As a successful woman on the verge of taking over her father’s booming real estate business, Piper’s memories of her summer with Kyle merge with his sudden appearance in her office building lobby. She needs answers to where he went and why he’s suddenly around again.
The way that Piper and Kyle work through their past and present is beautiful. My heart strings felt every tug and hope of young Piper as well as her older counterpart. I loved it! It’s thoughtful and definitely one I’d love to re-read.
3.5 Rounded to 4
Piper Calloway and Kyle Miller have a history, one filled with stolen kisses, a summer of young love and a future filled with hope. Until the summer ended and Kyle just disappeared. Thirteen years later he mysteriously reappears in the building Piper’s family owns and where she works. Why is he here after all these years? Why did he break her heart and abandon her? She’s determined to find out.
I absolutely loved The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart so I was looking forward to another fun romance filled with heartfelt and teary moments BUT I just didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would. Don’t get me wrong…it’s a cute story. The writing is good. The setting is good. I loved the camp scenes and young love timelines and actually wish it was more about that time as I didn’t enjoy the present timeline much.
Overall I just had a hard time with the whole rich girl meets poor boy from the wrong side of the tracks that daddy of course doesn’t agree with and so comes the heartache and misunderstandings … BUT for those that love that type of romance trope this book will definitely work for you and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
Last year KA Tucker completely took me by surprise when I read her book The Simple Wild. I had never realized I was even a fan of the romance genre, but after reading that book I knew there was no denying how much I actually love a good love story. When I saw she had a new book coming out I was very excited but also a little worried nothing would be as good as Simple Wild… I was so very wrong. Once I started reading Say You Still Love Me I couldn’t stop – I literally stayed up until 3AM because I wanted to know how Piper and Kyle’s story would end. The chapters alternate between the past and the present and really weave the whole story together perfectly. I enjoyed seeing Piper navigate her life and career as an adult. Even more than that I loved the chapters of them as teenagers at Camp Wawa. Tucker nailed it with giving the reader a full sense of nostalgia that transports you back to all the feelings and butterflies of what it’s like to be sixteen and find your first love. If you are looking for the perfect romance book this year, look no further and GET THIS BOOK! Tucker has singlehandedly shown me I am a fan of this genre and specifically her books. I will read anything she writes and cannot wait to see what she comes out with next.
Say You Still Love Me alternates between past and present with the story of Piper and Kyle. They met (and fell in love) as summer camp counselors as teenagers. After camp, Piper doesn’t hear from Kyle again until years later when he shows up as a new security guard in her family’s company building.
I liked this one but didn’t love it. I didn’t mind the alternating timelines but there was something about it that just didn’t connect with me. I enjoyed their story, both past and present, but it isn’t my favorite book of hers. I think it’s probably because I wasn’t attached to the characters from the very beginning.
Overall, a good story, just one that wasn’t for me. /5 stars.
I feel like I wish I would have known how much of this book would be in the past. It took me a while to get into the book, but as soon as I did I was hooked. This book was twisty and I really liked that, and I am a sucker for a guy who comes to get the girl because he can’t forget her. There were butterflies in my belly quite a few times because of all the feels. I feel like if I had went to summer camp I would appreciate this more. Either way, it was another great read by one of my favorite authors.
Say You Still Love Me is an irresistible read that’s told through Piper’s POV – her 16 year-old self and her current adult self. I genuinely like the format for this story because one, it shows any differences between younger Piper and the older version, and two, I like to see not only what the parallels are between the two time lines but how they eventually converge.
Piper is a hardworking and enterprising woman who’s being groomed to take over her father’s real estate development company once he retires. Her father has high expectations of her and she plans to prove that she can lead the company and its people. She’s completely blindsided by Kyle showing up out of he blue after disappearing from her life all those years ago. They had met as counselors at summer camp where their attraction was instant. He was her first love which made it hurt even worse when he cut off all contact with her after that summer was over. Seeing him ushers back a rush of feelings. She still loves him and never stopped loving him, that she is certain of. Despite his cool demeanor toward her she’s determined that they will finally resolve their unfinished business because she deserves answers and she’ll get them.
I’d say that this was a slow buildup as the answers she’s seeking lie in the past which is rehashed in increments. Tucker captures beautifully the wide-eyed and innocent crush that Piper felt for Kyle back then. I could feel her excitement at crushing on the seemingly bad boy and knowing that he’s also checking her out. She also explores that tricky age of developing friendships and wanting to fit into a group as evidenced as here when she meets two other young counselors who will eventually become her best friends in the future. It’s interesting to see how those bonds started – because it wasn’t easy – and evolved into what they have today. In the present, they allude to an incident that occurred during that summer but the reveal doesn’t come until almost the end of the novel. It’s shocking in both the past and present.
I liked this second-chance romance that also puts a significant focus on Piper’s career and the various hurdles she faces. One of them being a misogynistic long-term employee who seeks to undermine her any chance he gets. We get to see how Piper problem solves and navigates her way through the office politics. The other problem is her ex-fiancé who holds out hope for a reconciliation. He starts off a bit of a douchebag but does become slightly palatable in the pages ahead. Much later ahead. The standoff she faces with the one troubling employee is part of the subplot that brings Piper and Kyle working together. It’s not exactly a mystery but there is some sleuthing involved.
K.A. Tucker is a good storyteller of first loves, heartbreaks and atonement. She’s excellent at capturing the initial spark that sets off everything and taking you on that journey from the teenager years through adulthood. Say You Still Love Me is a splendid journey!
~ Bel
Spurce: ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
From beginning to end I just absolutely loved this book. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by K.A Tucker, but I think this is my favorite of them all and please nobody tell River that. This book is just so good and it hits you right in your heart.
First things first, I loved how this story was told. We get alternating perspectives between the past when Piper and Kyle first meet and then the present when they reconnect. I loved getting to see both their first and second chance because it really lets the reader know how intense things were the first time around so you want their second chance to work out even more. I admit I enjoyed the present a bit more than I enjoyed the past, but I think that’s because I identified more with present day Piper. Which brings me to my next point.
As a character I just loved Piper. She is a strong woman who is working in Corporate America and getting ready to take over the business from her Father. But never once does she take that for granted. She works incredibly hard and is incredibly smart and unfortunately has to deal with working in a position that is traditionally filled with men. And of course this means she has to deal with misogynistic assholes from time to time. But all of this is why I related to her so much. I get dealing with these kinds of guys and like Piper, my career is important to me, which is why I really appreciated that Piper got to have her second chance romance without sacrificing her career. So many stories like this, in the end the woman realizes she’s working too hard and sacrificing her life and walks away from her career… and if that’s what a woman wants fine, but it’s nice to see a story where she can have both. Because women contain multitudes and can be more than one thing. And this now brings me to Kyle who I just loved. He was so sweet and so charming and he supports Piper in any way he can. I adored him so much and I especially adored them together. They have a lot to work through and of course there is more going on than either of them know, but I just loved them and loved seeing them get a second chance. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right the first time around, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t real and Piper and Kyle deserved another chance.
Say You Still Love Me is easily one of my favorite reads this year. I loved the romance, but I especially loved Piper and her story. K.A Tucker always delivers a romance that has so much heart and feeling and just fills you up inside and Say You Still Love Me was all of those things and more.