“It’s really him. The former love of my life. The man I gave everything to, who broke me so badly the pieces never healed back together properly.”Graham Wyatt is 6’2” of muscled, tattooed, angsty Alpha male (don’t forget the man bun) …but sorry, ladies! He’s a one-woman man. Specifically, Mackenzie Thatcher, the love of his life whose heart he broke 5 years ago. Now that he’s out of prison … prison (yes, prison…it’s a long story) he’s determined to redeem himself and prove he’s reformed his bad boy ways so she’ll give him a second chance.
Mackenzie Thatcher has vowed off love forever. She’s already experienced excruciating heartbreak, and she has no intention of ever getting near that particular fire again…especially with the very man who burned her in the first place. She’s perfectly happy being a badass independent woman, thank you very much. That is, until seeing Graham again stirs up feelings she doesn’t know what to do with (besides a little quality time with her B.O.B.).
She’s not going to give in easily, but he isn’t afraid to play a little dirty. (Like that time he showed up to her yoga class and took off his shirt…) Graham will do whatever it takes to win her back, even when some drug-dealing demons from his past show up and threaten to ruin everything.
Can Graham keep from repeating his past mistakes and get a second chance at happiness with the woman he loves?
This is an emotional contemporary second chance romance from debut author Elle Maxwell that may also induce laughing-out-loud. It is a full-length standalone novel with no cliffhanger.
Warning: this book includes detailed sex scenes, some violence, and deals with some heavy topics like grief, depression, and drug abuse.
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This book was such a great read and it had my emotions all over the place, but in a good way. Mackenzie and Graham have been in love every since high school but one incident shatters their illusion of happily ever after and has Mackenzie believing that love doesn’t truly exist and it is a mere illusion we tell ourselves. She goes 5 years without seeing or hearing anything from Graham and all of a sudden, he is popping back into her life and she isn’t sure how to handle all the emotions that are resurfacing. Graham has been through quite a bit in the last 5 years and the worse of it is he lost Mackenzie so he is back and is trying to prove to not only her but himself that he can do better and be a better man for her. I felt so bad for Graham, yes he made some mistakes but he more than paid for his part in destroying his and Mackenzie’s lives yet he still doesn’t see his worth and he struggles with how to do that. I loved that the chemistry these guys had together because I think that help get Mackenzie to lower some of the walls, she built around herself. I also loved how we got to see how people in Graham’s situation must deal and cope with life out of where they have been. It really sheds a light on how sometimes people are treated poorly and judged wrongly and it broke my heart. I also loved how once Graham saw that he could do more for others he set out to help and he went above and beyond to do that. He more than proved several times he was worth so much more than he gave himself credit for and Mackenzie finally got to see he is truly the man she always thought him to be. A great second chance romance story about redemption and finding your worth for not others but yourself as well.
Well-written and well-edited, this debut novel is a great second-chance romance.
4 Second Chance Stars!!!
I was looking forward to reading this since I read the blurb. I know some people are afraid to read a debut novel but not so much me.
Graham and Mackenzie were high school sweethearts and planning their future. Trying to figure out which colleges to go too. Everybody wanted to be them and then everything changed. Graham’s parents were killed in a car accident and he was left alone.
Graham definitely didn’t handle the death of his parents well and I don’t blame him. He was 18yrs old and bc of his parents life insurance he was now a millionaire. But, living in his childhood home the memories of his parents were too much. Graham started doing drugs and lying to Mackenzie about his drug use and everything.
Graham ended up at the wrong place wrong time and ended up being charged with murder. He was so messed up in the head he didn’t fight the charges.
While in jail Graham started seeing a psychiatrist and started dealing with the death of his parents. He finally starts seeing things more clearly and gets his dads lawyer and gives details of the night he was charged with murder.
Graham has been in jail for five years. Now that he’s out the first and most important thing he wants to do is win Mackenzie back. He’ll do whatever it takes.
Mackenzie was blindsided five years ago when Graham was charged with murder. She didn’t know he was doing drugs and whenever she asked him if he wanted to talk, he said everything was fine.
Mackenzie was a wreck for awhile. She ended up changing her mind on what she was going to go to school for. She also didn’t believe in a HEA and never really got too invested in the guys she dated.
Mackenzie thought she was seeing things when Graham showed up. She didn’t want anything from him. Mackenzie didn’t hear from him once since the night he was arrested and she doesn’t want to hear from him now. Graham just wants to explain to Mackenzie.
These two fall in bed quick. Their chemistry is still smoking hot. They try to pick up where they left off but it’s not that easy. Mackenzie still doesn’t know 100% of everything that went down. There’s somebody dangerous coming after Graham.
Graham will do whatever it takes to keep Mackenzie safe. He just wants what they had back again and he won’t stop trying no matter how hard and long it takes. I absolutely love how Graham was so caring. He never wanted all that money from his parents death. But, he didn’t just blow thru it either. He found a way to give back to others in situations like he found himself in. Graham also made sure there people he cared about were always OK and weren’t struggling.
This was an amazing story!!! I did have issues getting into it though. For me the first half of the book I couldn’t get into. I have issues with books that have more inner dialogue then the back and forth between the characters. But, that’s just me. The second half of this book I couldn’t put down though.
I really hope Griff and Shaina are going to be in Marisa’s book bc I really liked them. Griff was a great person for Graham to have in his corner both in and out of prison. I found myself lol when all 3 of the girls were together. Fingers crossed they’re all back for Marisa.
Ellie did an amazing job of writing Graham’s mental health issues into the storyline. He never backed down from them and fought hard to get back on the straight and narrow both in & out of jail. I’m really looking forward to her future books.
This is my first read by this author and this is her debut book.
For a debut book this was flipping incredible! Man I loved everything about it. The blurb alone was what got my interested in reading it. I mean he goes to prison, I just had to know all about it.
MacKenzie was such a strong and independent character but finding out the reasons why she become that way in the first place was heartbreaking but also so courageous. To overcome everything she did and come out with the head she had was gahh just amazing.
And Graham was not who I was expecting him to be. He threw me for a loop. But I LOVED him! Man I loved who he was and how he was with Mackenzie.
So I am now a big fan of Elle Maxwell and will most definitely be reading her future books!
5⃣
recommend!!
WOW!! FLIPPING WOW! What a great debut novel! I love second chance romances and this one hits it out of the park. You’ll be hooked from the first chapter!
Graham and Mackenzie fell in love in high school. After a tragic accident, Graham got himself caught up in something that will change his and Mackenzie’s life forever.
Graham is determined to have Mackenzie back in his life, but she has built skyscraper walls that will not be easy for him to navigate. But he does, he fights and knocks every one of them down and it is so beautiful to see it happen.
Both characters are wonderful, but Mackenzie is my favorite. She was so strong and mature in how she deals with the situation.
The author deals with a few hot topics and I felt like she handled them well. The storyline was perfect, character development was spot on and you felt the chemistry between these two down to your bones.
Bravo Elle Maxwell!! I can’t wait to see what you do next!
I was super impressed with Elle Maxwell’s debut book. Since it was here first book as an author I really didn’t know what to expect so I was pleasantly surprised when I found the story to be deep and full of emotions. The characters are well developed and the issues are heavy and heartfelt. I fell in love with the majority of the characters and can’t wait to read more from her. I laughed, cried and swooned throughout the book. I certainly recommend it.
Us, Again was a wonderful surprise. This isn’t your average second chance romance and it was a breath of fresh air. I was hooked from the very first chapter all the way to the very end.
Graham and Mackenzie were high school sweethearts, until Graham was arrested and everything changed in Mackenzie’s life. Flash forward five years and Graham is out of prison and wants a second chance with Mackenzie, but will she be able to forgive him and give him another chance?
Graham may be a 6’2” tattooed, former inmate but don’t let that fool you. He is a man of many layers and has experienced so much pain and heartbreak that led to some bad decisions. You can’t help but fall in love with him from the very beginning. Mackenzie has built up walls around herself, she doesn’t believe in love after her heart was completely shattered and she is fiercely independent.
I LOVED the chemistry between Graham and Mackenzie. Despite the years apart and the pain and heartbreak that didn’t seem to cool down their connection one bit. I loved that Graham was willing to do anything to prove to Mackenzie, that Mackenzie didn’t make it easy on Graham. Of course, there path was never easy and was full of some suspense and drama.
The secondary characters were also fantastic. Mackenzie’s roommate Marisa was a fiery, sassy and protective woman. I seriously loved her and couldn’t get enough of her. She brought some laughs to the story. Graham’s former cellmate, Griff and his wife Shaina were also great characters and I loved their relationship, too.
Us, Again is a fantastic debut novel from Elle Maxwell and a MUST READ!
This was a wonderfully written debut novel by Allie Winters. It has all of the feels!
The book focuses on Mackenzie Thatcher and Graham Wyatt who used to be together but through fate and some life choices ended up apart, with Graham spending time in jail and Mackenzie trying to mend her broken heart which never seemed to get fixed quite right. Graham is back and he is looking to get back with Mackenzie, but she has sworn off romance and any entanglements, especially with Graham.
This book is definitely a second chance romance full of love, redemption and wit. The side characters are particularity good in this book. The book flows really well and I really liked the flashbacks so that you see what Graham and Mackenzie were like before life took over both together an independently.
If you like second chance, sweet romances with two really strong lead characters then this is the one for you. Great work Allie!
ARC received for a fair and honest review.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com