Some things are better left in the past, and high school is one of them. But is your high school sweetheart the exception or the rule?
You are cordially invited to Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, CO to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of your graduation…
Marissa Lambert is not the kind of woman to let her circumstances dictate her opportunities. From raising her three siblings … opportunities. From raising her three siblings after her parents’ car accident to adopting a boy from foster care as a single woman to starting her own accounting business so she can work from home, the only thing which continues to elude her is true love. So, why does her sister, Cassie, insist that her twentieth high school reunion is the key to recapturing her lost sense of joy and fulfillment?
Approaching the one-year anniversary after his wife’s death, Declan Pierce is content to let his mother-in-law keep the household running while he loses himself in work, television, and video gaming. That is, until he’s on his own for a day, and his kids seem to believe him utterly inept. No longer willing to let his in-laws dictate his parenting and home life, he awakens again just in time for his high school reunion where he reunites with the first woman he ever loved. True to his luck, after one of the nicest evenings he’s shared with anyone since his wife died, he makes a mistake that threatens it all.
Twenty years of broken dreams can change people, and no matter how drawn to one another Marissa and Declan may feel, they can’t help but wonder if history will repeat itself or if love is here to stay for the Sweethearts Old.
If you like stories of emotional growth and sweet romance, like those written by Robyn Carr and Debbie Macomber, check out this sweet second chance romance. A “spectacular new find” with vivid characters, relatable emotion, and a charming voice, Rachel A. Andersen’s books will have you coming back for more.
Inspired by the wedding rhyme, “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” the Lucky Sweethearts series follows four couples on their way to the altar. Though each book can be read as a standalone, readers may stumble on spoilers when books are read out of order due to recurring characters.
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This is a very sweet second chance romance and I absolutely loved it. It has a heartwarming storyline that captured my attention right from the start and I was captivated all the way through. The author really pulled me in with her writing and how well the depth of emotions was portrayed. The characters were strong and lovable with realistic and relatable qualities. This was my first time reading something by this author and I really enjoyed. I will be looking for more of her books to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
WOW! what a glorious and heart tugging read. Marissa, Marissa, Marissa, you poor girl. Marissa had to go from being a teenager in love, looking forward to college, to be the parent to her younger siblings. Not wanting to tie down her nineteen year old boyfriend they part ways. Marissa gives it all up to be a mom to an adopted son after her younger siblings go their own way. If, like me you felt like you grew up too fast, you will definitely feel for Marissa and have empathy for how fast the years go by with the safe choices she has made.
Declan hasn’t had it easy either. And after twenty of years of life starting and ending and for him have now left him needing to man up and be a single dad.
For two people who have aged well beyond high school and high school friends does a the reunion hold any excitement? will add to their lives at all?
I can’t give away the roller-coaster of emotions you will feel when you, as the reader, BEG Marissa to just let her guard down and enjoy life a little, Tell her she doesn’t need to be strong 24/7. Everyone around her has a good life, she has done her job, it is her turn. AND you will want to yell at Declan, tell him, love again, love again, there are so many ways to make a family.
Yes this a Happily Ever After, that is no secret. But at times you will think maybe you have been lied to and things won’t work out.
Bravo to a writer that writes older and wiser than her years.
Lost love. A tragedy that changed a life course. Ability to live again and in doing so love again. I cried, I laughed and I love these characters and the way their story unfolded. I can’t wait to read more of this series.
The premise of this series piqued my interest. Something Old, Something New…Sweethearts Old, Sweethearts New…
I read romances to take me away from real life and transport me to a lovely place that only exists for the time it takes me to read the book. This was not one of those romances. The feelings I experienced while reading it were only too real and the tears in my eyes were also very real.
Declan and Marissa were high school sweethearts, pulled apart by a tragedy. Marissa’s parents were killed in an accident and at 18, Marissa took over the care of her younger siblings. Declan was there for Marissa, prepared to change his life to support her and Marissa said No.
Fast forward 20 years and Marissa is a single parent to Aiden, whom she adopted after fostering him. Declan is dealing with the pain of his wife passing away several months before and realizing he has relinquished his parental responsibilities to his in-laws and he doesn’t know how to go about taking those responsibilities back.
Through forces you will learn about in the book, Marissa and Declan reconnect at their 20 year high school reunion. Typically, in a romance, at this point, the sun would come out and the birds would begin to sing as readers read their way to a fairy tale conclusion. Instead, Rachel, the author, takes her readers through a real life snapshot of the ups and downs, the guilt, the yearning for happiness, the memories of adolescent love. The road is not easy for these two characters, but it is beautiful.
These two, Declan and Marissa, get the happy ending they worked hard for. I was very moved by this book. I lost my mom at a young age (I was a bit older than Declan’s kids) and I feel like I was given a bit of insight into how my dad felt after my mom was gone.
I am super-excited to read the rest of the series. Rachel gives readers a tantalizing peak into the next book, leaving me wanting more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. This is my honest review. I highly recommend reading it!
I was drawn in from the first few paragraphs and the rest of the book did not disappoint. I found the characters – of all generations because this book has that and it’s wonderful – to be very believable, and their depth of emotion in dealing with the grief in their lives to be very real.
I was impressed with this book from start to finish. It’s very well written and I found it a quick and easy read, which is actually surprising because the story deals with the death of beloved family members and how it impacts the rest of their lives. But I felt that that difficult material was all handled very well by the author. You’ll find yourself with wonderful tears of (mostly) joy rather than pain, despite the heavy subject matter.
All in all, a great read. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
I thought it a wonderful sentimental and sweet 2nd chance romance. I thought while this trope isn’t new the plot & writing was unique to enought to set it apart & make it an enjoyable read. It was a shorter book but still felt the story line developed and not rushed. I thought the characters felt true to life. I liked the secondary characters. I felt they helped round out the story and helped the h & H on their journey to each other. I love this is a series and will read the next one for sure. The writing and story had a nice flow, situations and actions by characters plausable, good dialogue, the author did well in connecting this reader to the H & h in understanding and feeling their emotions and motivations. I did wonder how after the h & H reconnected they were able to see each other with regular frequency. However, prior to this they never did. Did they live in the same town & never cross paths? Or in nearby towns? It’s entirely possible depending on the size of the city they live in. That was one point that wasn’t explained that I wished I knew.
I enjoyed this sweet clean romance very much. This story had wonderful characters and a good story line. The story starts with Marissa and Declan who are high school sweethearts who separate due to sad circumstances. They meet again 20 years later at a high school class reunion. They have things they need to figure out before they can decide if there is still something there or not. This is a great start to a new series and well written.
Rachel A. Anderson’s Sweethearts Old falls back on the classic romance of high school sweet hearts who missed their chance getting back together after a high school reunion. This book is the very beginning of a series, but can act as a stand alone novel if needed. This book deals with the struggles that come from trying to figure out a new normal when it seems like your world is falling apart. Old dreams, family relationships, and the fear of being too vulnerable are all themes that are addressed. If you’re looking for a romance, there is some of that in the book, but it honestly isn’t the focus. The focus of this book is that when life is falling apart around us, we need people in our lives who love and support us. Whether that be a mother-in-law, or an ex-relationship, people need people. Anderson is able to pinpoint some strong emotions dealing with grief, anger, and progressing when all of the emotions seem like too much. This wouldn’t necessarily be a book I’d recommend for escaping into a romance novel, but it would be a book I’d recommend if you’re grieving and need to be reminded that love can help get you through a difficult time better than anything else can.
This book is so full of feels, both good and bad as we watch Marissa and Declan meet for the first time after a heartbreaking break up 20 years ago where the love the had never died but got moved aside when they moved on with their lives and how they deal with the feelings for each other that never went away. I have total respect for Marissa for all she went through and everything she took on after her parents passed away and glad she and Cassie are still close and gosh darn it I love Aiden, then there is Declan, his children as well as in-laws all of who are brave to go through what they have and still be a close unit, but yikes I would not like to get on Tabitha’s bad side!! I absolutely floved this book and all the characters and can not wait to read the next one!!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 2nd book I’ve read written by Rachel A. Andersen; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a sweet second chance romance with strong , well developed characters in Marissa and Declan who meet up at their twenty year class reunion. It’s an emotional story with a heartwarming story line. It’s beautifully written with realistic feels and I loved reading. Highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
From the beginning, I was completely enthralled with this story. It was sweet and endearing and a must-read! I couldn’t put it down and stayed up until the wee hours of the morning reading . Can’t wait for more from this author!
A wonderful start to a series with an unique inspiration. I loved this second chance, love after loss romance. This author is new to me, but She’s definitely here to stay. Amazing characters and storyline and the kids dynamics and family… it was all great.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
A second chance romance which is written beautifully with well-developed characters, dealing with young love, grief and child rearing. I highly recommend it.
Sweethearts Old is the first book in the Lucky Sweethearts series and is a wonderful start to this new series.
I loved this story and found it to be heartwarming and sweet. The storyline is well written and engaging with a second chance for romance for two high school sweethearts. The characters are strong, intelligent, and have lives of their own with their children. Should they take a chance and explore a new relationship?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wonderful second chance romance with Marissa and Declan who meets twenty years later at a class reunion. They have both suffered loss and the unexpected reconnection with their old high school friend was something they both needed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
More than just your typical “ran into my old high school boyfriend” romance. This book had me in tears. Happy tears mainly. As 20 years after high school and tragic deaths in both of their families. Declan and Marissa re-connect. How they navigate the future with kids on both sides is the fabric of the story. Lovely book!
This is a lovely second chance romance.. I enjoyed it! It is sweet and interesting, with characters that really make you care!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Entertaining and interesting characters. Good story with some secrets and drama. Good read following the journey to love and romance with a few bumps thrown in for good measure. Great story based around a reunion and memories of school! Fun read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
All the Feels, But…
The book opens with a heart-tugging scene just after the heroine’s parents have died. She is barely over 18 and is struggling with her new reality, of course. Her boyfriend comes to the house; he’s been away at college somewhere else. He stays over, helping with her younger siblings as she tries to pull it together. He proposes marriage and offers to uproot his life, moving to where she is so he can help her and her younger siblings. She turns him down, and it is now over between them. Life continues on for both of them, and the bulk of the book then is how it is for them after they meet up again at their 20th high school reunion.
That first scene was so moving, but I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just be honest with him and why they had to do a forever break-up at that point. Yes, of course, it is needed for the plot, but I didn’t see how it was otherwise logical. When two people care about each other like the two of them did, it would seem more natural for them to work something out. I almost felt like she was too prideful, or the author of thought she had to make the perfect strong young woman who didn’t need a man. I find that stereotype just as annoying as the woman who needs to be rescued. There is a middle ground, which I don’t feel is explored often enough in romance. A relationship can be mutually beneficial; both parts of a couple can help and even “rescue” each other, even if in different ways. But I digress. When they come back together nearly 20 years down the road, aspects of what went on between them seem completely believable, like their reticence about picking up the relationship again after the way it ended. But I didn’t think other aspects were as believable, not unlike that first scene. Still, however, I found this to be a read that brought all the feels.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.