She offered him everything. He left and took nothing. Now he’s back and wants it all… Florist Lara Williams gave up on love the day her soulmate rode off on his motorcycle into the sunset. Since then, she’s been living vicariously through her clients. As the owner of Stems, the leading florist for theme weddings in Beloved, Colorado, she’s responsible for making other’s dreams come true. Lara’s … true. Lara’s resigned to live a life without love, but when Grayson rolls back into town, their relationship is full of thorns. Can an abandoned garden be brought back to life or is it destined to be fallow forever?
Tattoo artist Grayson Greer has everything he could want. He always has. As the owner of the hottest tattoo parlor in Southern California, he’s living the dream. There is no end to the string of beautiful women lining up for a chance to be with him, but his heart belongs to another. When he’s summoned back to Beloved by his mother, he comes face to face with Lara, the one he left behind over a decade ago. He never meant to be gone forever, and now that he’s back, he’s determined to remind her what they once shared.
Will Grayson bring life back to a heart that wilted years ago? Or will Lara’s pain from the last time he left be as permanent as tattoo ink?
Find out in Still the One.
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This was an enjoyable read made up of well developed and engaging characters and a storyline that flowed smoothly from beginning to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Grayson left Beloved, Colorado and Lara his girlfriend and never looked back. He became a successful tattoo artist in Santa Monica, California but something was missing. Lara has her own success back in Beloved. She owns a florist shop and weddings are the thing in Beloved. Grayson’s mother asks him to come home. When he sees Lara he knows what he has been missing and now he has to convince her to trust in their love. I really enjoyed this book
A fairly straight forward second chance story. Man leaves town, becomes successful but when his mother becomes terminally sick he returns to find the love of his life is still available. The, again typical, problems that arise give the story some interest.
Despite its very predictable plot, the story is entertaining and well-written. If you want to have a Hallmark story to read – this is one of them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Grayson left his hometown, Beloved, he also left the girl who holds his heart. He’s the owner of a tattoo parlor, living his dream and the women are endless but his heart still belongs to the girl in Beloved, Colorado
Lara gave up on love the day Grayson left and has poured her heart in to her floral business Stems. She makes other people’s dreams come true but has decided to live her life without love.
When Grayson is summoned back to Beloved by his mother, he comes face to face with Lara. Can he bring back the love they once shared or is Lara’s heart forever turned off from love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Grayson and Lara were meant to be but decisions were made and they went their separate ways.
Years later Grayson’s back for his mom but can’t control his feelings that are still there for Lara. He just has to show her he’s staying this time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Has Grayson finally grown up?
Lara and Grayson second chance love story is a bit of a tear-jerker and I loved it. The ups and downs in this book were brilliantly written and the characters have such a real feel to them. I loved Aidy our gossipaholic (author word not mine) character and Lara friend and this one sentence in the book description “Couldn’t let you go. You’ve always been with me, Lara… You’re like a dormant virus.” I hope you are in the mood for an emotionally charged ride because that is what you will get with this piece. It is an excellent book that I highly recommend. I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Book one in the Beloved Duet set brings a second chance romance between Lara and Grayson who were high school sweethearts before he breaks her heart when he leaves town. Ten years later he’s back knowing he never wanted anyone but her and he’s determined to win her back. It’s a beautiful love story filled with ups and downs and tons of emotions. It moves quickly and smoothly and I enjoyed reading.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
I absolutely loved this book and was honored to have been able to read and review. It was such a phenomenal read and had amazing characters as well as an amazing story line. I just could not get enough of it and once I started reading it I could not put it down. I recommend that you read it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Grayson left Beloved, Colorado, after graduation, leaving Lara with a broken heart. Ten years later, his mother summons him back and gives him some heartbreaking news. Lara has made a life for herself and is the proud owner of her successful flower shop, Stems. Grayson stops at the flower shop, on his way to his mom’s. Imagine his surprise to see Lara. Will they pick up where they left off or will the past hurt be too much for Lara to overcome. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say that I loved, loved, loved this second chance book. I read it in one sitting with my KU subscription and I loved it so much, I had to buy it.
Another great story by Kelly Collins, can we forgive and forget what has happened in the past.
Lara finds out that her high school sweetheart is back in town and she doesn’t
want to see him. The last time she did she told him if he was going to leave their home town of Beloved then she never wanted to see him again.
Grayson comes back into the town after a request by his mother to come and visit. The first person he runs into is Lara and all the feelings start to come back.
Will they be able to work out their differences and will she forgive him for the past.
You won’t be disappointed by this book, I can thoroughly recommend it.
I received this book as a Advnaced Reader Copyan dthis is my honest review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Grayson left Beloved to achieve his dreams, only to discover that those who chose to stay have all made it in their own way. Suddenly, he questions his reasons for leaving in the first place, especially as part of him has been missing ever since. Summonsed back to Beloved by his mother, Grayson finds that Lara is even more beautiful than he remembered and that she is every bit as successful as he is. He also has to acknowledge that his leaving her in the fumes of his Harley has wounded her far deeper than he thought. Winning her back becomes his primary focus, but it’s an uphill battle. This second chance romance is well written, witty and emotive. As frozen hearts crack wide open once again, Lara realises that the risk of heartbreak is even more possible than the first time around, but now she has more to lose. I received a copy of this book as a gift and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This story will touch your soul. Grayson and Lara were teenage sweethearts. Grayson always knew what he wanted to do and on his eighteenth birthday after graduation high school, his mother gave him the money for him to chase his dreams. She made one stipulation he couldn’t take Lara and he had to see his dream through. Lara told him if he left not to ever contact her. He left without looking back and Lara nursed a broken heart. Now ten years later his mother summons him home and the first person he sees is Lara. One look and old emotions come flooding back and time stand still. Will these two be able to put aside the past to make way for a brighter future?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book, I read it in one go…(had to pause a bit, because I had to sleep) I even loved it how Ms Collins made me mad at Grayson , the hero in this story. He was so spoiled and cocky in the beginning- but he grew up once he had to be a strong, responsible man in order to support his mother. He returns to his teen-love Lara, to get comforted over bad news. Lara has become a florist and can do amazing things with flowers, she had to overcome the loss of her teenage love to become a successful business-owner.
I can’t wait to read part two of this awesome Duet!
Here’s the blurb:
She offered him everything. He left and took nothing. Now he’s back and wants it all…
Florist Lara Williams gave up on love the day her soulmate rode off on his motorcycle into the sunset. Since then, she’s been living vicariously through her clients. As the owner of Stems, the leading florist for theme weddings in Beloved, Colorado, she’s responsible for making other’s dreams come true. Lara’s resigned to live a life without love, but when Grayson rolls back into town, their relationship is full of thorns. Can an abandoned garden be brought back to life or is it destined to be fallow forever?
Tattoo artist Grayson has everything he could want. He always has. As the owner of the hottest tattoo parlor in Southern California, he’s living the dream. There is no end to the string of beautiful women lining up for a chance to be with him, but his heart belongs to another. When he’s summoned back to Beloved by his mother, he comes face to face with Lara, the one he left behind over a decade ago. He never meant to be gone forever, and now that he’s back, he’s determined to remind her what they once shared.
Will Grayson bring life back to a heart that wilted years ago? Or will Lara’s pain from the last time he left be as permanent as tattoo ink?
Find out in Still the One.
I found the plot of this book was heartwarming
Sexy and romantic.
Its a second chance read that had me absolutely hooked.
The chemistry between the two main characters is absolutely brilliant.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
Is it curse or blessing to find your soulmate? For Lara, finding her soulmate at 17 and watching him ride away from her is a cure she never got Grayson out of her mind or heart and a decade later he is back to flip everything topsy turvy all over again. The characters are just wonderful, the banter between Lara and Grayson make you laugh and residual hurt makes you cry. A very HEA, and a story that gives you warm fuzzies. I read through till I could not keep my eyes open a minute longer I was so engrossed in the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Still the One is a second chance love story set in the mountains of Colorado. Grayson and Lara were high school sweethearts. They were making their plans for their future dreams when Grayson’s mother interfered. She thought that she did the wise thing for her son and his future but now it is 12 years later and while Grayson has achieved a bright future with a thriving tattoo business, he has a pretty shallow personal life. His mother has asked for him to come home and see her because she has something serious to discuss. Lara also has a thriving florist business and a close knit group of friends. She hasn’t moved on from Grayson even though she has tried. Still the One is filled with angst, regret, tears and second chance at getting love right this time. It’s told from dual POV and is a sweet beach read.
Still the One was a good book. A second chance romance between two high school sweethearts, seeing each other after 10 years. I liked the storyline but honestly not my favorite of Kelly Collins. I thought the ending was rushed and wished there was more to it. I can’t wait to read Aidy’s HEA!
This was an easy little story. I still love the Aspen Cove series the most by this author, but this was enjoyable in its own way. Kelly Collins is great at writing a cast of supporting characters. As I was reading, I kept thinking how I’d love to read Aidy’s story, or Rick from the diner. My one complaint would be the timing. It was hard to judge sometimes how much time had passed – it made part of the story line throw me off a bit. Sorry I know it’s vague, but I don’t want to spoil anything. It does have a very warm and fuzzy ending, which I love
Still the One is the first book in the Beloved Duet. Lara and Grayson dated back in high school, but Grayson left to set up his business. Ten years have passed and he’s coming back to his home town for the first time to visit his mother. Grayson loves his life, but being back home, he’s quickly realizing that he’s missing the most important thing – love. Being around Lara brightens up his day, but he’s being pulled in a different direction. Will love finally win between Grayson and Lara, or is love just not enough for this couple?
Oh my goodness, this book really pulled at my heart! I don’t know if I want to be mad at both Grayson and Lara, or if I’m really happy for where the journey has lead them individually and as a couple. I loved that for both Lara and Grayson, neither one could find love again with someone else. Lara tried so hard to protect her heart and she was really stubborn, which didn’t help with communication. Grayson had a lot of growth in this book, because in the beginning, he was kind of full of himself, selfish, and a bit cocky. By the end of the book, he could really see what was important in life, as well as continued to be a bit cocky haha. They really seemed like the perfect couple because they seemed to balance each other out and I loved their connection that stood against the test of time! While their stubborn, prideful natures and lack of communication sometimes drove me crazy, I really enjoyed this romance. I’m really excited for the second book in this duet, too!
Favorite Quotes:
While she trimmed the apricot colored roses for the bride’s bouquet, she thought back to the silliest names she’d come across in her career. There was a Fister, a Wacko, and a Loser, but the worst had to be the Shittles. Poor Dorothy had waited forty years for the man of her dreams, and he turned out to be a shit— well, a Shittle.
She loved Aidy— her life-long best friend— but she would describe her as a gossipaholic. If there was something new to be learned, someone new in town or some tidbit of gossip to share, Aidy was all over it… Lara wasn’t a gossipmonger. She listened to Aidy as a public service… Lara was afraid if she didn’t let Aidy have her ear for at least five minutes, poor Aidy would suffer elevated blood pressure or an information aneurysm.
Couldn’t let you go. You’ve always been with me, Lara… You’re like a dormant virus.
She was coming to his house because his mother invited her. This was like seeing an eclipse of a blood moon. Something profound and rare was in the works.
My Review:
This was the start of a new duet series featuring a second chance romance for a couple who had been high school sweethearts in a small-town. The plot and storylines were entertaining and easy to follow with a colorful cast of somewhat vexatious characters who, like most people I know, were not always likable. Their first romance had ended suddenly and dramatically, which remained a source of angst and resentment for Lara, as she was still bitter and angry at being cast aside over a decade ago as Grayson was on his way out of town.
Grayson had become a successful businessman and only returned to his small hometown after being summoned back by his ailing mother. Grayson deserved several well-placed kicks to the pants for being such an indulged and oblivious mama’s boy. The narrative alternated between angst, humor, and a few steamy delights. Comic relief was frequently provided by Lara’s over-exuberant best friend Aidy, who thrived on gossip and rumor in much the same way that I require my daily allotments of wine and cheese.