We Are Us is a gripping, angsty, second-chance romance that will have you glued to your ereader until the last page! Complete standalone, no cliffhanger.
I fell in love with a beautiful, broken boy.
His whispered words of love were the sweetest of lies.He gave me his heart and destroyed mine.I am his.I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of … mine.
I am his.
I fell in love with the beautiful man who broke me.
His boldly spoken vow was the cruelest of cages.
He gave me his name and destroyed my soul.
He is mine.
The boy I once loved is now a man.
The man I once loved is now gone.
We are us.
I have been called many things.
Victim. Survivor. Daughter. Sister. Wife.
Now I am called something else.
Murderer.
Believe it or not, this is our love story.
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Word of advice…go in blind. It is honestly the best way to read it, to really get the full feel of the story. Tara Leigh has penned such an emotional and heartbreakingly beautiful read. This book is broken down to 3 parts. The moments in Part 1 between Gavin and Poppy is the sweetest. Watching their friendship evolve through the years will warm your heart. Part 2 of the book really hits you hard. All the ups and downs, navigating life and what it throws at the hero and heroine will have your emotions on a crazy rollercoaster ride. Part 3 is set in present time. It’s hard to find the words to explain how I truly felt after reading this book. This is a second chance romance and so much more. I highly recommend this and try to avoid reading any spoilers. This is best read without knowing. Just feel it as you read it. We are us is truly an epic read!
Poppy Stockton has woken up in the hospital with no recollection of what got her there. She has no idea where her husband, Tucker, is but the man who broke her heart first is there for her.
Special Agent Gavin Cross met Poppy in the eighth grade and fell in love with her but then he disappeared and broke Poppy’s heart but now he is back with questions for Poppy.
Poppy has not had an easy go since Gavin broke her heart but she thought she had found happiness with Tucker but now there is a chance that she may have killed Tucker and Poppy must discover the truth before her own life turns upside down.
Wow – this book was incredible and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. The book definitely has some difficult subjects and will not be for everyone but I thought it was handled so well and I loved the author’s own explanation at the end of the book.
Poppy was such a great character who never had an easy go but loved spending time alone in the woods which was where she initially met Gavin. I loved watching the two of them gain trust with each other and slowly becoming so much more and planning their future together until that moment when Gavin disappeared.
From there my heart just broke for Poppy and what she endured at Worthington University and her “relationship” with Tucker. I hated what Tucker did to her and then how he slowly gained control of Poppy through “giving” her so much that she felt like she owed him and couldn’t leave him. Tucker’s relationship with Wren Knowles was suspicious to me and I hated how Wren looked down on Poppy.
At a certain point in the book everything changes between Tucker and Poppy after they were married when more pressure goes onto Tucker and my heart broke for Poppy with what she lost. I was so sad for her and I felt like she was completely alone.
Towards the end of book we begin to discover certain things and Poppy realized other things that were caused because of Tucker and she opened up to Gavin about what she remembers. There was one person who suddenly raised my suspicions and I was shocked to learn that I was right!
I was still blown away by being right as part of me was still hoping it was someone else but the actions that happened next were totally shocking! I was so grateful for Gavin getting there on time!
The end was justified and although I was sad about certain things I was also so happy that Poppy was able to get her happy ever after with Gavin and everything else! The other people got what they deserved and I did a happy dance but I need more books from this author!!
By Rebecca
I had never read any books by this author before. Once I read the blurb, I was very intrigued. This 5 star story was not what I thought it was going to be, it was so much more.
We Are Us, starts off in the past and then goes on to the present. It’s a tale of betrayal, lies and full on suspense. Once I thought I had it figured out, well I was so fare from the thruth . This author has the ability to tell stories that kept me hooked from the very first page to the very last one.
I loved these amazingly flawed characters, I felt for them as children and then as adults. This story is full of angst and suspense. Bottomline this is a must read.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story. I will be sure to check out more titles from this author.
A love journey like no other. First love is so precious and when it is ripped away so suddenly, there will be after effects. Gavin and Poppy’s love story is heartfelt and broken. A fantastic story with lots of deep and wonderful characters. This book stayed with me for days afterwards. The angst was real and hit close to home in some parts!!
Tara Leigh is back with a story that feels like we have been waiting forever. This is a story that is in two parts of Poppy and Gavin. Two people who didn’t want to know each other but when the heart gets involved there is no stopping it. Then we have the second part which is like wow that this is coming from the same author. Tara Leigh shows us what a brokenheart can do to a person and man seeing Poppy learn to survive without Gavin was tough. Now Gavin is just like Poppy, two sides of a man we love but might hate also for what he does. All in all this was beautifully done and shows just how much first loves can either break us or make us stronger. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
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Wow!! The blurb for this story was so intriguing and I must say that I’m actually going to write very little about the plot because this book needs to be read to be enjoyed.
What I will say is that the main female character is complex. She’s messed up yet brave and stoic. Life threw her so many curveballs – some of them through circumstance and some of her own making – but she remained standing. She’d let her life be controlled by someone else, but she had her coping mechanisms. I felt so wretched for her. She had some peaks of real joy in her life and yet, I believed that she was deeply unhappy and navigating through life tethered to a much stronger person steering the course.
This was book was equally beautiful and dark. The author made me like yet hate one of the main characters because she’d humanised them through glimpses of their vulnerability. This story portrayed a wealth of emotion and experiences – such an epic read!
Tara Leigh has filled the pages with “ALL” the words… perfection. Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
It is so hard to put into words all that I feel with this story. So much pain, loss and overwhelming love.
We are Us isn’t just the story of two lovers who find each other and two souls inner-twining. After this story We are Us also means We (each person) are Us (who we are inside). We are our losses, our joys, our souls, our personalities, our futures. Tara Leigh has captured this into her story of We are Us…. she has filled the pages with all the words with perfection.
My Gavin and Poppy live in in each of us, with happiness and love.
5 Stars of Love!!!
Prepare yourself for an emotional adventure that will have you tied to your chair, flipping pages and ignoring life. Wow! Ms. Leigh has a way of mixing a special love and second chances with suspense full of lies and betrayal that will leave you in awe.
We follow Poppy through the years of early teen, learning how to live life by keeping herself under the radar, stepping into new adventures into college and all it has to offer a naïve young woman, to becoming a strong woman fighting for everything.
Gavin understood her as they shared their misfortunes. A special bond was formed and a love grew. Gavin had his mind set on his dreams and who he was going to get what he wanted. Until he was gone, the answers he had left taken with the storm. Just when she thinks he might be gone forever, he shows back up.
Poppy finds herself tied between a love of the past that she never let go and a necessity of the now that she needs to move forward. Which path will she follow? Will it lead her back to Gavin or does Tucker stand a chance?
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
We Are Us had me at the cover. I literally fell in love with the cover and the story of Gavin and Poppy did not disappoint.
The story was so addictive, I had to have more and I devoured it in just a few hours. The story of Gavin and Poppy totally consumed me
It was a roller coaster full of ups, downs, twists and stomach dropping moments. The writing is flawless and the story so captivating that you are sucked in and forget that the story is purely fictional.
My emotions were all over the place- tears, heart palpitations, and lots of heartfelt sighs.
GAVIN is a bit of everything- friend,lover, protector, Alpha and a knight in a white shiny armour.
Poppy , I have to say that I found myself shouting at her as I was frustrated and annoyed but she did what she did for a reason…
This book will simply blow you away and make you feel all the emotions, all the angst that the characters are experiencing.
Emotionally Speechless is the first thing that comes to mind if you ask me what I think about We R Us by Tara Leigh. Hands down the best book I have read in February 2020. Amazing characters, emotional read and Tara has upped her writing game with this book. 5+5 Stars!!
https://smile.amazon.com/Are-suspenseful-emotional-second-chance-standalone-ebook/dp/B083JK5KCH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=DC9UVY1NFWAJ&keywords=we+are+us+tara+leigh&qid=1583077600&sprefix=We+are+us%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1
“A heart can ache. A heart can break. A heart can harden.
A heart can stop beating, stop loving.
In an instant.”
As a reader, you are exposed to books that take you on an experience. Certain books are a journey to life. Certain books are meant to resonate and cripple you with emotions. Certain books hold stories that give you flutters in the heart but still rip a hole. We are Us is the definition of a book experience. Every facet, every layer and every inch of We are Us transported me to an incredible world that shook me up. Tara Leigh is one of my favourite authors, adoring her books since the Legacy of Lies duet. Her writing always awakens a deep hunger to devour every single word. We are Us definitely showed a different range to Tara Leigh’s writing that marveled me. I was captured in her world full of emotion, heartbreaking scenes and multi layered characters.
We are Us is the heat splintering standalone, written by Tara Leigh that takes you on an heart tumbling journey of a raw and soulful book. Where do I begin? How can I fully articulate what We are Us did to me? Let me tell you, this book wrecked me. It ruined every part of me. It hit my heart so hard that I felt the ache deep in my soul. I am a mess. I ugly cried. I got angry. I got on the edge of my seat. We are Us deeply burrowed in my soul , twisted my heart and bled me dry with a story that truly crushed me. Mesmerizing. Heart Tugging. Soul Blazing. We are Us is a brilliant book with a heart rending story of love, pain, trust taking on an angsty and intense ride. An unforgettable story that clutched every single morsel of my heart. Candid. Unrestrained. We are Us delves deeper into the powerful story of a woman’s journey in her life, highlighting all her faults, gut wrenching pain, decisions and obstacles that pierce your heart and soul. We are Us penetrate your soul till beginning to end.
We are Us is the story of Poppy. Tara Leigh leads you into a woman’s thoughts and feelings in her life, divulging into her past and present decisions and mistakes and baring her soul to me as a reader so I can understand her. Let me tell you, Poppy is a flawed character who battles insecurities in her life, turmoil, social issues that will punch you deep in her heart and her view of love. I felt her story deep inside me. Her inner demons as she goes through life in various stages from eighth grade to her late twenties. My heart broke for her. Sometimes I want to smack some sense into her. Sometimes I was angry at her. However, Poppy is human and I truly related to her. She is a survivor. Her story spoke volumes. Most readers won’t understand her mistakes and might get angry but to me, Poppy is a layered character who you can’t help but recognize and feel.
I am still in a mess. We are Us, to me, is an experience. You feel all the emotions. You connect with the characters. You open you heart to the sheer greatness.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
What a journey this book takes you on and I was completely caught up in all the emotions this book threw at me.
We start with Poppy and Gavin being childhood friends, forging a bond of friendship and love that could never be broken. Just before they head to college together, Gavin abruptly leaves, leaving Poppy heartbroken and having to move on without him.
This is where she meets Trent and where the book takes on a darker element. Beware there are triggers that come from this and it’s no easy story but its one that had me hooked, I couldn’t believe everything that was happening but it held my attention.
Poppy, this poor girl never really felt good enough, blanketed her thoughts and feelings with how she was supposed to act and manipulated into being someone she wasn’t. I wished she were a little stronger in her feelings but I can understand where she came from.
This book will fill you with both happiness and heartbreak and was a complete journey tearing up my emotions along the way. The story was nothing short of amazing with twist, turns and heart-stopping moments that will be staying with me for a while and is a book I think you should head into blind to experience the journey.
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 18%
POV – First, heroine
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Steam –
Chemistry –
Whew! This book took me on a ride. I will tell you there is love, hate, mystery, tragedy…. I felt it all. I died all the deads. Cried all the tears. Laughed all the laughs….. and still this book leaves me feeling. I have finished and I still have a lot of the details running through my head….. I figured out the answer to the mystery before the characters did…. but I still have so many questions. I can not even describe my feelings right now. All I know is that I LOVED this book. My heart is in so so so many places right now! People have said you should go in blind (which I do with most books) and I totally agree…. which is why I have not told too many details. But just know that you need to be ready to FEEL this story because I know I will be feeling it for a long time. Tara Leigh did a magnificent job telling this story…. and with all the difficult things that happen in this book I would have been a MESS if I had been trying to write it.
Poppy Whitman and Gavin Cross are outsiders in the town of Sackett, CT, and both come from difficult home situations. There is a nature preserve between their homes and it’s there that the story begins and ends. It’s their private, special place where they experience a new friendship, years of discovering life, their first kiss, their first everything. It’s a beautiful love story until it’s broken. Expecting to start freshman year at Worthington University together, Gavin doesn’t show. Without a single word, he disappears from Poppy’s life. She feels deserted and off kilter when she makes some of the worst decisions of her life. My heart breaks for Gavin and Poppy, as she moves on. She befriends Tucker Stockton who is not at all a friend but, in her mind, he’s really a good guy who knows what’s best for her….and he makes sure he tells her continually! She loves him enough to say yes when he proposes, but Gavin is still in her mind and in her heart. When Tucker turns out to be the worst mistake she ever made, is her hero going to come to her rescue? Their second chance is so much sweeter than the first and there are enough twists in this story to cause you to gasp! The ending is tense, heartbreaking, but oh, so right. The epiloque reflects the long road they travelled to bring them back to their special place. It takes a look back and a look forward for this family. Beautifully written!
This is definitely not your typical love story. Gavin and Poppy met at a young age and fell in love. Then one day Gavin was gone and Poppy had no idea what happened to him. Poppy had to go on with life but her life was far from happy. I couldn’t believe she would let Tucker anywhere near her again let alone be in a relationship with him! I wish once she saw Gavin again and he told her what happened she didn’t push him away. His reasoning was legit and it was there to protect her and I didn’t agree with her thinking he would abandon her again. I had a hard time not yelling at Poppy for most of her decision making. In the end, stories like this are great reads because they challenge you and push you to keep reading to see how it pans out. If you can’t read stories about sexual assault, depression and mental abuse this story isn’t for you.
I wrote this review based on an advance reading copy that the publisher sent me.
Rate: 5/ 5 stars
There are some books in this world that give you more than an emotional reaction, they give you a physical one. I’m stitting here writing this review after I just finished reading and I can’t stop thinking about it, there are tears in my eyes and goosebumps on my arms… I just had to sit down and write my review because I need to let all these emotions and feelings out. That in itself is very rare for me. I usually give a few hours if not a few days to sit down and write my review.
These kind of books are super rare for me. I’ve become that sort of reader that although is an emotional one, is almost never surprised, can easily figure out the plots and isn’t that easily affected by a book. Yes, I cry and get emotional but it doesn’t really affect affect me. And this book, this book did just that. This is one of those rare books that had a physical reaction in me. I read this book sick to stomache, heart in my throat because it touched me in some kind of way I can’t comprehend. And after reading Tara’s note, it hit me even deeper.
I was sick for Poppy, for what happened to her and everything that came after… everything she let happen. I have never been in her shoes, I don’t know what I would have done in her place but it bothered me so much that she gave up on herself, on her life. She just chose to let things happen… she chose to forgive and in doing so she gave up her self, her freedom, her dreams, her life. I was not okay with any of that. Everything about her and Tucker made me sick. I couldn’t understand, I don’t. He took over her life, controlled everything and she just let him.
Poppy seemed weak but it’s understandable after that night, after being abandoned by the love of her life and then going through what she did… it completely broke her. So I hate what she let happen, I don’t agree with it, I don’t understand it but truth is I can’t even really imagine her true state of mind, what she felt. She was numb, she pretended everything was okay and that she had forgiven and was able to move on. The fact is, I didn’t forgive or forget and reading about her building a life with Tucker and losing a piece of herself every single day well that was really hard to stomach. I had to pause my reading so many times and just breathe and take a break but at the same time I wanted to just keep on reading and reach the end of this book and that happily ever after I craved with every bone in my body for Poppy and Gavin.
I had no idea what was still ahead for Poppy. No clue. Even though now that I think back to it… there were so many clues since the beginning of the book that had me figuring out everything towards the end. But everything that happened astonished me. That Poppy that I felt had been weak showed how much strength she had in her. Even though I figured some things out in the end, there were still so many things that surprised me and I had not been expecting at all. Jeez just thinking about everything Poppy was put through for the majority of her life… I can’t even. She is a survivor in more ways than one. She’s brave, strong, forgiving and even after being broken so many times, she had so much love to give.
Gavin, goodness. he didn’t have it easy either and when he was faced with saving someone from his past, he ended up losing his present and future. He was always such a great guy and he loved Poppy so much. No matter what had happened, no matter how many years had passed he never once stopped loving her, checking on her and waiting for the moment where he could finally save her.
Oh man, I am not okay you guys. I think this book broke me a little. It’s definitely a book I won’t soon or ever forget. I don’t even know how to rate this book, I had such a strong reaction to it… there were some things I hated that happened but I don’t know if that should affect my rating because just the fact that I’m having this reaction to this book means something. It was a very powerful, thought provoking book that deals with so many real issues and just because I don’t agree with some things doesn’t mean this book wasn’t phenomenal and had an heartbreakingly beautiful love story.
We Are Us is a deeply touching and emotional second chance romance that is different from your usual. It’s sort of a bit of a love triangle too but again so very different than anything out there. It has a touch of suspense and a whole lot of shocking events. It’s a real and raw story that will without out a doubt touch you in some way. These characters are characters you won’t soon forget and all the turmoil, heartbreak and tragedy they go through only makes the ending sweeter. I can’t say I didn’t want more of Poppy and Gavin in the end because I did, I wanted so much more from them but that epilogue made my heart warm and finally getting something from Gavin’s POV made it all the more special.
Damn, I feel a book hangover coming and again that’s something very very rare for me. Gosh I’m getting emotional again… Tara, I just want to say thank you for sharing this book (and a piece of yourself) with us.
4.5 Poignant & Hopeful Stars!
This powerful and emotional story takes you on a journey that you might not think you are strong enough to endure at times. But Leighs honest, insightful, and beautiful prose captures your heart and won’t let go. This story begins with Poppy and Gavin meeting as young teens. They are drawn to each other immediately, finding a stable, caring home in each other. Their story is sweet and tender as they struggle with a home life no child should. They work hard, go to school, and make big plans for a future together. Until plans inexplicably change. Poppy goes to college feeling lost and alone. She makes several poor decisions and the consequences are heartbreaking. At times I want to shake this girl for the choices she makes. But Leigh expertly allows us to understand her thoughts, and emotions. She touches on some very real situations that are very close to home for many of us, and with such honesty and empathy. This story is told in Poppy’s pov and it’s as if we are living every moment with her. We experience all her battles and when we think they’ve beaten her, she proves to be her own hero.
This story is so raw, poignant, and heartbreakingly beautiful. It will take your breath away, make you cry, swoon, and every emotion in between. I highly recommend this book!
*Beta Read**
I was incredibly lucky to beta read We Are Us by Tara Leigh. And I am speechless, breathless and a mess of chaotic emotions after finishing it. She is going to take your heart through shredder. This is totally different from what you are used to from Tara Leigh. Yes this story still has the intensity of emotions and captivating writing. But this was so much more.
I am deliberately leaving out details about storyline as you should go blind. Just know you won’t be able to put down this epic story spread across time, space and people. Poppy’s journey is one of the most difficult, heartbreaking and angst filled one. It has suspense. It has romance. It has lessons of life. Tara Leigh did not hold back at all while exploring and integrating the ugly, horror filled, devastating and painful reality in what I will stamp as one of the most important stories I have ever read. My heart is broken. My heart is heavy with emotions. I went through the full spectrum of emotions. Sweet. Swoony. Tragic. Angry. Incapacitating heartache. Triumph of love. And I have scars in my heart to prove it. This won’t be an easy story. This story will test your limits and patience and you will want to throw your kindle.
Romance is not about two persons only. Learning to love oneself and accept own deficits is the greatest love story ever. And that is exactly what We Are Us is. A path through heaven of feelings and hell of angst. Unputdownable. Unforgettable. Unimaginable. Unparalleled. Best work by Tara Leigh. Best of 2020 so far.
I’m really not sure where to start and if I can do this emotional roller coaster justice !!!
This beautifully written love story really needs you to pick it up with no expectations with no preconceived ideas and that’s why I’m not going to write a review full of spoilers, I’m going to tell you how this book made me feel and hopefully that will be enough to make you one click one of the best reads of 2020……
This is a story about love, forgiveness and heartbreak and it touched me on so many levels, Its a book with all the feels and yes it ticked all my boxes, it was a roller coaster I was glad to join and it was also a journey I was happy to be part of even if my heart was broken on more than one occasion. I emotionally connected with a Poppy and Gavin and their story has the perfect mix of love and drama as well as some angst just to keep you wondering. This is a great read so as I have already said please one click when this book releases you won’t be disappointed