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romance_book_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
I was gifted a copy from Valentine PR!
I love small town, second chance stories! Riley broke Lu’s heart 10 years ago but now they’re the maid of honor and best man in their friends’ wedding in their old home town. Riley is now a billionaire who owns almost all of the town. Lu just got out of a serious relationship. I love when the hero is determined to win back the heroine. Riley told Lu the truth about why he ended things and they got their happily ever after. The spice was so good too!
The next book is a nanny x single dad with an accidental pregnancy so I think I’ll skip it.
I love small town, second chance stories! Riley broke Lu’s heart 10 years ago but now they’re the maid of honor and best man in their friends’ wedding in their old home town. Riley is now a billionaire who owns almost all of the town. Lu just got out of a serious relationship. I love when the hero is determined to win back the heroine. Riley told Lu the truth about why he ended things and they got their happily ever after. The spice was so good too!
The next book is a nanny x single dad with an accidental pregnancy so I think I’ll skip it.
sfp's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
gemmajenkinson84's review against another edition
3.0
Rounded upto 3.5
This is my first book by Jessica Peterson and I’m already excited to read the rest of the series. The series kicks off with “I wish I knew then” with the MC’s Riley and Lu.
On a quaint little harbour village we see Riley and Lu fall fast and hard for each other, things take an unfortunate turn and things don’t work out. Fast forward 10 years and they are thrust back into each others lives and it doesn’t take long for things to rekindle
This is my first book by Jessica Peterson and I’m already excited to read the rest of the series. The series kicks off with “I wish I knew then” with the MC’s Riley and Lu.
On a quaint little harbour village we see Riley and Lu fall fast and hard for each other, things take an unfortunate turn and things don’t work out. Fast forward 10 years and they are thrust back into each others lives and it doesn’t take long for things to rekindle
pagesinkedinshadows's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was such a sweet and swoony read.
Riley is the perfect book boyfriend. He is so thoughtful, loving, kind, giving, passionate.
This was such a sweet & spicy second chance romance.
The passion and chemistry between Riley & Lou was incredible.
Lou is a sweetheart, but she’s been stuck. What she didn’t realize she was missing was right back in Bald Head Island.
There was so much passion and spice, and I am here for all of it.
The narration was amazing.
I can’t wait for Tuck’s story.
Riley is the perfect book boyfriend. He is so thoughtful, loving, kind, giving, passionate.
This was such a sweet & spicy second chance romance.
The passion and chemistry between Riley & Lou was incredible.
Lou is a sweetheart, but she’s been stuck. What she didn’t realize she was missing was right back in Bald Head Island.
There was so much passion and spice, and I am here for all of it.
The narration was amazing.
I can’t wait for Tuck’s story.
whatkenzreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
* second chance romance
* small town
* hate to love
* spicy (multiple open-door scenes)
I feel like this story had SO much potential, but ultimately ended up just liking it (not loving it). I really liked the set-up and was excited to see where the story went from when our MCs were reunited, but I felt like the story development really fell flat in the second half, like it was almost too easy for the MMC to get the FMC back? There was a lot of spice (which I'm good with) but no real plot anymore and that was a bummer. I also totally saw that "twist" at the end coming.
Overall this was a low-angst, spicy, easy romance!
Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for an ALC of this book - all opinions are my own!
* small town
* hate to love
* spicy (multiple open-door scenes)
I feel like this story had SO much potential, but ultimately ended up just liking it (not loving it). I really liked the set-up and was excited to see where the story went from when our MCs were reunited, but I felt like the story development really fell flat in the second half, like it was almost too easy for the MMC to get the FMC back? There was a lot of spice (which I'm good with) but no real plot anymore and that was a bummer. I also totally saw that "twist" at the end coming.
Overall this was a low-angst, spicy, easy romance!
Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for an ALC of this book - all opinions are my own!
jenjenbookfan's review against another edition
5.0
I Wish I Knew Then is the first book in the new Harbour Village series by Jessica Peterson, featuring a steamy second chance romance for Lu and Riley. Lu returns to Bald Head Island to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, but she never expected the Best Man to be the grown up version of the boy who broke her heart a decade before. The passion still rages between them, but there are secrets too. Riley was the one person who knew Lu best, can he convince her that they are still meant to be?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last! I connected to Lu and Riley immediately, and felt their bond so much. Yes, the chemistry between them is super spicy, but they are so much more than that! When they first met, they were from opposite sides of the track, but still connected on a soul level. Riley saw Lu for who she truly was, not who she was expected to be. What happened to them was sad, but it was a motivator for Riley, and what a man he became!! He had me swooning through the whole book!!
Merged review:
I Wish I Knew Then is the first book in the new Harbour Village series by Jessica Peterson, featuring a steamy second chance romance for Lu and Riley. Lu returns to Bald Head Island to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, but she never expected the Best Man to be the grown up version of the boy who broke her heart a decade before. The passion still rages between them, but there are secrets too. Riley was the one person who knew Lu best, can he convince her that they are still meant to be?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last! I connected to Lu and Riley immediately, and felt their bond so much. Yes, the chemistry between them is super spicy, but they are so much more than that! When they first met, they were from opposite sides of the track, but still connected on a soul level. Riley saw Lu for who she truly was, not who she was expected to be. What happened to them was sad, but it was a motivator for Riley, and what a man he became!! He had me swooning through the whole book!!
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last! I connected to Lu and Riley immediately, and felt their bond so much. Yes, the chemistry between them is super spicy, but they are so much more than that! When they first met, they were from opposite sides of the track, but still connected on a soul level. Riley saw Lu for who she truly was, not who she was expected to be. What happened to them was sad, but it was a motivator for Riley, and what a man he became!! He had me swooning through the whole book!!
Merged review:
I Wish I Knew Then is the first book in the new Harbour Village series by Jessica Peterson, featuring a steamy second chance romance for Lu and Riley. Lu returns to Bald Head Island to be the Maid of Honor in her best friend’s wedding, but she never expected the Best Man to be the grown up version of the boy who broke her heart a decade before. The passion still rages between them, but there are secrets too. Riley was the one person who knew Lu best, can he convince her that they are still meant to be?
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it definitely won’t be the last! I connected to Lu and Riley immediately, and felt their bond so much. Yes, the chemistry between them is super spicy, but they are so much more than that! When they first met, they were from opposite sides of the track, but still connected on a soul level. Riley saw Lu for who she truly was, not who she was expected to be. What happened to them was sad, but it was a motivator for Riley, and what a man he became!! He had me swooning through the whole book!!
sofisofi_00's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
mkb_reads_'s review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
You meet Lu and Riley when they're 18 and having a secret relationship because they come from two different worlds. Riley breaks up withe her and she moves on with her life, and even gets engaged. When that falls apart she goes back to the island that holds so many memories. Ten years later when she reconnects with her summer love- Riley she realizes that she's lost herself along the way. Riley is supportive in every sense of the word. All he's done, all he's built is for her. He's a self-made billionaire, and he's ready to win her back. And that man will stop at nothing to prove she can trust him and has never stopped loving her.
I've never connected more with a character than Louise "Lu". She's insecure about her dream to write a cookbook, she's told herself that it's silly. Her mom's expectation have made her do things and not do things she once would've been unafraid to go for. She thought her mom wouldn't understand so she hid her dreams. She thought it'd embarrass or disappoint her mom. She let the world determine who she was. But Lu realizes she's done with second-guessing herself she found freedom.
This second chance romance had all the feels, and boy did I feel them!
I've never connected more with a character than Louise "Lu". She's insecure about her dream to write a cookbook, she's told herself that it's silly. Her mom's expectation have made her do things and not do things she once would've been unafraid to go for. She thought her mom wouldn't understand so she hid her dreams. She thought it'd embarrass or disappoint her mom. She let the world determine who she was. But Lu realizes she's done with second-guessing herself she found freedom.
This second chance romance had all the feels, and boy did I feel them!
gclouser00's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75