Stars die in one of two ways. So slowly that each layer burning out feels like agony … or suddenly, exploding into a million pieces before the universe even has a grasp of what is happening.When Paxton Shaw left Demi Rosen without so much as a goodbye, he stole her shine in both manners.Now, eight years later, he’s trying to pull her back into his orbit. The nation’s most beloved football player, … most beloved football player, a tight end with a seriously tight end, has finally realized Demi is the one who got away.
But she’s a different woman than the weak girl who used to come running whenever he called in the middle of the night. Strong, successful, her life’s mission being to grant the wishes of children whose flames have all but been extinguished.
And untouchable, as dark and cold as a midnight sky with no moon in sight.
When one special child forces their star-crossed paths to collide, it’s impossible to keep the feelings of their past buried. Paxton had been her Halley’s Comet; the once in a lifetime love that scorched Demi’s heart in the most spectacular of fashions.
She promised herself she would never make that mistake again. But, how can she forget the dreams of love she once had, when Paxton wants to make them come true?
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3.5
Spanish & English Opinion
ESP ::
Me encanta esta autora. Su estilo es excelente y me encantan sus Sports romance.
La historia es excelente, el pasado que comparten Demi y Pax es una garantía para mucho rogar por parte del galán.
Y justo eso sucede. Solo que, en algún punto, alcanzamos el clímax y ya varios capítulos se sintieron de relleno.
Pero es una gran lectura, breve y con un HEA.
ENG ::
I love this author. Her writing style is amazing and I’m a huge fan of her sports romance.
This story is great. It has the perfect ingredients in their past to create lots of groveling in the present.
And it happens! And I love that, but then… we achieved that moment and after that, many chapters felt extra.
Still, the book is nice and I love the HEA.
Wow! I have been following Carrie’s writing since 2016 and this one has been my favorite! There is just something about second chance romance that pulls me in. Add in the way Carrie gives us their story…I was hooked in from the very beginning to the very end. This is a standalone novel but I do have hope to see a few of these characters again. Ok, back to Paxton and Demi’s story…
Eight years ago Paxton walked away without even a goodbye. They were not a couple. Some might even say they weren’t even friends with benefits. They indulged in the benefits but not the friendship for two years. She wanted more. Him being the selfish asshole that he was he only wanted the one AM booty call. He didn’t see her then. He was too busy riding the high of a college football career. But, he sees her now and wants to prove to her that he has changed. That he regretted the way he treated her. Can he show her that he isn’t the same selfish boy from college?
Demi wanted to hate him. She really did but he had the same effect on her. Only this time, she was stronger. She was not the weak girl she once was. The one who would wait for his call. The one who hoped to be called his girlfriend. She was now the CEO of Wish Upon A Star, a non-profit that she founded five years ago to grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. And one of those children brought Paxton back into her life. A life where she had it all, except for love. She didn’t need it. She even thought she found it once but nothing compared to him. Even if he was an ass, he still made her feel something. Now, that he was back, she didn’t know if she wanted to slap him or kiss him. But, what she did know was that he wouldn’t make her feel weak again. Ever.
Paxton and Demi’s past wasn’t roses and butterflies but what if they forgot about their past and move on to their present? Can she forgive him? Can he prove that over the years he had changed?
Overall…I love Paxton and Demi! I really loved that their story took time. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t instant. It took work. I also enjoyed their banter. Her family. The laughs. The tears. Their heat. Everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Quotes:
“Don’t bother, it’s about ten years too late. Just know that I did know you, and you couldn’t bother to even learn my middle name.”
“I wasn’t aware you had moves.”
“Sweetheart, being light on my feet is part of my job description.”
“You just want to impress me with your vast knowledge of men who play with balls.”
I get so darn happy when I see an upcoming Carrie Aarons book. I adored this cover too! It’s really just the cutest! There’s something about Carrie’s clean and fresh writing that keeps me coming back book after book. I’ve watched her writing really develop over the last few years. When Stars Burn Out was such a delightful read! It’s sweet and sexy and just made me giddy with it!!
Demi and Paxton have the sweetest and most pure relationship ever… no it wasn’t always that way. Paxton was hard to like for while but it made it even stronger! I’m not going into any of that … I’m gonna tell you that this story consumed my mind while reading. I couldn’t think about anything else but going back and reading more of it. Carrie Aarrons created one of the most romantic books I have read in a while. I loved it all… the flashbacks, the heat and lust, heartbreak, and the pain. You aren’t gonna want to miss this beauty! Mrs. Aarons has outdone herself!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
Four and a half stars!
I absolutely loved Paxton and Demi. I didn’t like how he treated her in college and when they first met back up later her words broke my heart for her and how she felt back then. But then she gave him another chance and he made it up to her. The perfect second chance romance!
Amazing read from Carrie Aarons I just loved it.
Sort of a second chance- she loved him in college he used her then just left town for the NFL. He’s close to retirement and she is running her own charitable organization. She isn’t going to go easy, and he isn’t giving up on her. One little boy makes all the difference. Beautiful, touching amazing story.
This is an immensely emotional read that put my emotions through the wringer. In my opinion this was not the easiest book to read because it’s painful. To start, I felt really bad for Demi. I wish she had thought she had deserved better from Paxton (because she did). She willingly let him use her whenever he wanted and also let Paxton and his friend’s talk to her and and treat her like trash. It honestly broke my heart, turned my stomach and frustrated me at the same time. I thought Paxton was a first class jerk and a crude, self-centered A**. He was egotistical, cruel and simply so full of himself that I am personally surprised he could even move to play football (Yeah, I really didn’t like him)! I liked the person Demi grew into. She was strong, smart and caring; if somewhat cold and closed-off (which I felt was completely understandable). Anyway, life happens and Paxton decides that Demi is the great love of his life and “the one that got away”. I wish that was true but I couldn’t buy it. I never got the feeling that underneath it all he cared for her. Not at all. There were no angsty feelings, he suffered no emotional turmoil, he had no longing thoughts of her and he certainly didn’t act the way he did to just”save face” or to protect her or even himself. The story itself I thought had so much potential but I could not like Paxton and I didn’t believe in his “love” or that he deserved Demi’s forgiveness.
So when I started this book, I really couldn’t stand Paxton, but I suppose everyone deserves a second chance.
Demi is a sweet, strong student who one night went out with her friends after much nagging from them. At this party she met Paxton Shaw. And immediately she was attracted to him. After that she became Paxton’s on again off again girl. But mostly he’s hookup when he wanted one. He never committed to her, but each time he texted/called she went. And then he just left, and she never heart from him again. Until eight years later when she needs a football player to help a dying boy’s wish come true.
Paxton Shaw is just another college jock playing football and loving his life. He has everything a guy could want. He is popular, he is a winner and he can have any girl he wants. And he does. Demi Rosen was his ‘hookup’ girl. He knew that whenever he wanted her all he had to do was pick up the phone and she was there. And then he left never even saying goodbye. Now eight years later his life is different, he is different. And he finally realized that Demi Rosen was the one that got away. So is this his time, his time to prove to her that she is his priority that she is the one he wants, will he be able to prove to her that he deserves a second chance???
Like i said when i started i didn’t know if i liked Paxton, but as the story went on he won me over. He really did change. But it took Demi some time to admit that even after eight years he was still the one she loved. Definitely a story about second chances and how some people do change
Paxton is a professional football player, on the back end of his career. Deni is a CEO of a company that grants wishes for seriously sick or dying children. They are brought together by the wish of one of those children. What no one knows is this isn’t the first meeting for Paxton and Deni. They went to college together. Paxton was everything to Deni then, but he didn’t feel the same. His priorities were on his game, and she didn’t fit in with his vision of the future. He broke her, and left her behind. Now he sees where he went wrong, and knows what he wants. The question is, can she get past the way he treated her then, and accept the future that he wants now.
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by this author, but I think, so far, it’s my favorite. It’s a stand alone, second chance sports romance (lots of my favorites, all in one!) It’s also a very emotional read, and I had total mixed feelings about this book. I really, really didn’t want to like Paxton. He was absolutely horrible to Deni in college, while she was completely committed to him. I don’t think I could have been as graceful in my responses, had I been in her shoes. I guess that’s why It’s called a second chance, and really shows that growing up, learning from our mistakes and life lessons really can change who we are. As much as I disliked college Paxton, he truly did become a better man. As angry as his treatment of Deni in college made me, his treatment of her as an adult was exactly what she deserved. This was a beautiful story of redemption and forgiveness that I’d recommend to anyone that is looking for a serious, emotional read.