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ruth_beckingham's review against another edition
3.0
Ok I love Tessa Bailey, I love her newer stuff. This series is amazing with the way she draws you into the couples and gets you invested. I’m having a hard time reading them continuously cause there’s so much smut, which I don’t ever have a problem with, but sometimes in this book it really just felt like it was there for the sake of making it dirtier. It didn’t really feel like it needed to be there. That being said, the main couple really did have all of my affection this time round and I found myself rooting for them, more so than the first book. Took me a while to finish cause it’s not the kinda book I can read at work, but I’m glad I did finish it
prettylightsandcitynights's review
Great if you like sex to be 90% of the content in the first 15% of the book.
buttonsandbooks's review
3.0
I picked this Tessa Bailey up as part of a Made in Jersey series audiobook package deal through Chirp. I didn't look into the details, just went in blind knowing I usually enjoy the author's books.
River has been going it alone with her three year old daughter Marcy since before she was even born. She found out she was pregnant right after her long time boyfriend Vaughn left for the military. He promised to love her forever and then broke her heart and left. River's brother called Vaughn recently and broke the news about Marcy. As soon as it happened, Vaughn came racing back, wanting to see River and know about this daughter he never knew. But can he convince River to give him another chance?
This was good. I'm not usually into second chance romance or high school sweethearts but this was decent. It definitely isn't on my list of favorite Tessa Bailey books, though.
Read if you like:
✅ Second chance romance
✅ High school sweethearts
✅ Bad boy, good girl
✅ Military
✅ Lots of 🌶️
⭐⭐⭐
River has been going it alone with her three year old daughter Marcy since before she was even born. She found out she was pregnant right after her long time boyfriend Vaughn left for the military. He promised to love her forever and then broke her heart and left. River's brother called Vaughn recently and broke the news about Marcy. As soon as it happened, Vaughn came racing back, wanting to see River and know about this daughter he never knew. But can he convince River to give him another chance?
This was good. I'm not usually into second chance romance or high school sweethearts but this was decent. It definitely isn't on my list of favorite Tessa Bailey books, though.
Read if you like:
✅ Second chance romance
✅ High school sweethearts
✅ Bad boy, good girl
✅ Military
✅ Lots of 🌶️
⭐⭐⭐
meganlarsson's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
samix3reads's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jackie_of_all_books's review
4.0
(Audiobook) River Purcell (doll)and Vaughn De Matteo
It starts with Vaughn and river in a hotel room waiting for river to turn 18 so he can take her virginity. Even though she’s been begging him for the last 2 years to take it from her.
River is Sarges sister, Vaughn is the father of their 3 year old. Sarge had reached out to him informing him of their child that Vaughn had no idea about. Vaughn shows up to the club that River is slinging drinks at and punches the owner for hiring river. She comes over and gives a cool and calm greeting after having months to prepare since Sarge sent that letter. But it’s been 49 months and 3 days since she last saw Vaughn and she doesn’t know if she could ever be fully prepared. But she knows she needs to convince him everything is fine and to leave Hook. She tells him she’ll leave with him now that he’s riled up the bar. She tells him she knew he’d come and he apologizes he’s not there sooner he doesn’t check his PO Box. And she tells him Marcy is fine and he’s taken aback because he didn’t even know her name. She tells him that everything is fine and to go back where he came from and he tells her he can’t do that and everything isn’t fine because she’s serving beers at this shit hole. She tells him he didn’t want her, so he can’t be the hero, she’s her own hero and Marcy’s too, and then she leaves. She Skypes Jasmine the next day and wants to tell her something about the night Vaughn left but then her brother walks in in his underwear and she wants to end the call but then Vaughn comes in and is upset she’s talking to a man in his underwear until he figures out who it is. She hangs up the call and explains her brother stole Jasmine and they’re in a band and getting married and he asks who helps her and she tells him the neighbor and she’s great. And she tells him she knows he didn’t want to be found which is fine, he didn’t have an ideal life. But she’s doing fine and he doesn’t need to stay. And he says he’s here now to make things right. And she tells him she can’t have him form a bond with Marcy and kill her the way he killed her when he left. Vaughn left river for a few reasons but he had hoped while he was gone in the army she would go to a real college. He felt like he was holding her back. Before the army he had been beneath river but after he considered himself cancerous. She tells him she needs to think about him meeting Marcy but he can have a picture of her for now. And he’s taken aback by how much she looks like river and that they made a baby together. He asks to see the scar and she shows him her stomach and he kisses it and she knows she needs to push him away but then he kisses her mouth and she’s feeling this kiss in her chest. And he tells her he doesn’t know what to do with this feeling but he feels like he needs to thank her for carrying their child he just needs to give. Then she smacks him and says “how dare you kiss me like that”. She tells him she’ll make him a deal, he can meet Marcy but then he needs to leave for good. He goes to the bar to drink and sees his best friend who also went to the army with him Duke Crawford. Duke tells him he looked for him because he kinda left something behind and Vaughn tells him he knows about river and the baby. Then he sees river over taking shots of tequila and demands to drive her home. She keeps replaying what he said to her “I don’t feel the same way anymore Riv”. Because she always told him to never leave her unless he didn’t love her anymore so he must not have been lying then because he just confirmed he’s a man of his word. She takes care of the nanny and he comes inside and walks her upstairs and she wonders if she can let him please her without feelings. So she asks if he remembers when he jacked off to her. And he tells her how could he forget and she begs him to do that again. He’s doing that and freezes up and she feels like she did something wrong and goes insecure so he knows he needs to soothe. So he licks her til she cums and kisses her body and asks to see her tomorrow and she says no but you can see us. And he can’t wait to be a family. The next day he goes to the factory where they’re doing the construction and he asks about their security and offers his services, so we find out that’s what he’s been up to. And then River calls and asks him to dinner at 5. When he gets to dinner he tells Marcy he has a gift and it’s a picture of her mom, he doesn’t tell her he’s the guy in the picture. And she tells him her mom is pretty when she smiles like that. When river looks at the picture she sees Vaughns glare and wonders if maybe he never did love her like she loved him. After dinner they end up alone together and she begs for his dick. And he dirty talks her until she’s sucking his dick. After he makes her cum he tells her he knows they need to stop because he wants more time with her and Marcy both. He goes back to the hotel and we get a flashback to when he came home from his service and River was waiting for him in his hotel room and he didn’t figure she’d stay and wait for him. He banked on her leaving him and moving onto better things but she waited. He was about to go back to her when her dad sat down and told him he burned all his bridges in this town and couldn’t give anything to her but he was going to give her the house it she went back to school and Vaughn knew he couldn’t take that away from her. So his life ended today. In present day he doesn’t know what to do because he knows river deserves to know the truth of what happened that night but he knows she’ll resent him for lying then. He claimed his feelings had changed but he never quit loving her and instead thought he was doing the right thing and broke both of their hearts and left her a single mom. He wakes up to a knocking on his door and finds Duke who confesses to telling their colonel he’s back in town. And then River calls to tell him there’s a colonel at her house. While he’s on his way river takes this chance to quiz the colonel and ask if Vaughn is in trouble and he says no he’s like to bestow the badge of honor on him if he could ever be in his presence and she asks how and the colonel tells him he thinks she needs to find out from him herself. “Suffice to say he gave a lot of families closure, including mine”. When Vaughn shows up he asks the colonel if he told her yet and she tells him no but you will. The colonel leaves a time and date for the ceremony and river promises he’ll be there and her and Marcy as well. She agrees to a date with him that night so they can talk and dukes sisters are going to watch Marcy. He takes her to the place he had taken her for her 19th birthday and he confesses what he did. He carried all the bodies back to base when he was the only one left, he didn’t leave them behind. She tells him how proud she is of him and he tells her how proud he is of her for raising their daughter. She tells him they should get their dinner to go and go back to the hotel but he doesn’t want to take her there but she insists. When they get there he tells her he lied that night that he never quit loving her but he felt like he was holding her back. And she didn’t move on while he was gone and he couldn’t provide for her so he pushed her away. He decides not to get the trust between her and her dad involved and hurt her in that way. She is upset that he would take that decision away from her, one they should have made together. She tells him she wants to be so mad at him but she also made choices for them that night. She tells him when he tried to leave that night the only way she knew how to keep him was to show him he loved her with her body. So she told him she was on the pill and they had sex. But she confesses now she wasn’t on the pill. She tells him she knows she should be more sorry than she is. But Vaughn tells her he’ll never be upset with her now because that’s why they’re here where they are now. Because their one time they didn’t use a condom, created Marcy. she tells him she hopes he brought condoms and he did. He sinks into her and tells her this is his first time since the night he left her, and we know it’s hers too. She tells him before he can cum he needs to know she’s his and she tells him her body is always his and he tells her he needs her heart too. And listens to it and lets loose. When they had sex River saw her name jaggedly carved into his skin and we find out from him he thought he saw her once and when he went home he did it to himself. When he takes her back home he tells her he’s ready to talk and she says yes and he says yes to what and she says yes to giving them a chance. She thinks maybe it’s crazy but she thinks it’d be crazier if they didn’t. But she tells them they need to ease into this for Marcy’s sake and he knows she’s right. He’s on a high until he notices rivers father in a running car across the street. And the fact that he kept the part about her father out so he didn’t tell her the whole truth. It was time for them to go to the ceremony and she realized he was so nervous because it was his first time driving with a toddler. At the ceremony Marcy asks where Vaughn is and river calls him her daddy
It starts with Vaughn and river in a hotel room waiting for river to turn 18 so he can take her virginity. Even though she’s been begging him for the last 2 years to take it from her.
River is Sarges sister, Vaughn is the father of their 3 year old. Sarge had reached out to him informing him of their child that Vaughn had no idea about. Vaughn shows up to the club that River is slinging drinks at and punches the owner for hiring river. She comes over and gives a cool and calm greeting after having months to prepare since Sarge sent that letter. But it’s been 49 months and 3 days since she last saw Vaughn and she doesn’t know if she could ever be fully prepared. But she knows she needs to convince him everything is fine and to leave Hook. She tells him she’ll leave with him now that he’s riled up the bar. She tells him she knew he’d come and he apologizes he’s not there sooner he doesn’t check his PO Box. And she tells him Marcy is fine and he’s taken aback because he didn’t even know her name. She tells him that everything is fine and to go back where he came from and he tells her he can’t do that and everything isn’t fine because she’s serving beers at this shit hole. She tells him he didn’t want her, so he can’t be the hero, she’s her own hero and Marcy’s too, and then she leaves. She Skypes Jasmine the next day and wants to tell her something about the night Vaughn left but then her brother walks in in his underwear and she wants to end the call but then Vaughn comes in and is upset she’s talking to a man in his underwear until he figures out who it is. She hangs up the call and explains her brother stole Jasmine and they’re in a band and getting married and he asks who helps her and she tells him the neighbor and she’s great. And she tells him she knows he didn’t want to be found which is fine, he didn’t have an ideal life. But she’s doing fine and he doesn’t need to stay. And he says he’s here now to make things right. And she tells him she can’t have him form a bond with Marcy and kill her the way he killed her when he left. Vaughn left river for a few reasons but he had hoped while he was gone in the army she would go to a real college. He felt like he was holding her back. Before the army he had been beneath river but after he considered himself cancerous. She tells him she needs to think about him meeting Marcy but he can have a picture of her for now. And he’s taken aback by how much she looks like river and that they made a baby together. He asks to see the scar and she shows him her stomach and he kisses it and she knows she needs to push him away but then he kisses her mouth and she’s feeling this kiss in her chest. And he tells her he doesn’t know what to do with this feeling but he feels like he needs to thank her for carrying their child he just needs to give. Then she smacks him and says “how dare you kiss me like that”. She tells him she’ll make him a deal, he can meet Marcy but then he needs to leave for good. He goes to the bar to drink and sees his best friend who also went to the army with him Duke Crawford. Duke tells him he looked for him because he kinda left something behind and Vaughn tells him he knows about river and the baby. Then he sees river over taking shots of tequila and demands to drive her home. She keeps replaying what he said to her “I don’t feel the same way anymore Riv”. Because she always told him to never leave her unless he didn’t love her anymore so he must not have been lying then because he just confirmed he’s a man of his word. She takes care of the nanny and he comes inside and walks her upstairs and she wonders if she can let him please her without feelings. So she asks if he remembers when he jacked off to her. And he tells her how could he forget and she begs him to do that again. He’s doing that and freezes up and she feels like she did something wrong and goes insecure so he knows he needs to soothe. So he licks her til she cums and kisses her body and asks to see her tomorrow and she says no but you can see us. And he can’t wait to be a family. The next day he goes to the factory where they’re doing the construction and he asks about their security and offers his services, so we find out that’s what he’s been up to. And then River calls and asks him to dinner at 5. When he gets to dinner he tells Marcy he has a gift and it’s a picture of her mom, he doesn’t tell her he’s the guy in the picture. And she tells him her mom is pretty when she smiles like that. When river looks at the picture she sees Vaughns glare and wonders if maybe he never did love her like she loved him. After dinner they end up alone together and she begs for his dick. And he dirty talks her until she’s sucking his dick. After he makes her cum he tells her he knows they need to stop because he wants more time with her and Marcy both. He goes back to the hotel and we get a flashback to when he came home from his service and River was waiting for him in his hotel room and he didn’t figure she’d stay and wait for him. He banked on her leaving him and moving onto better things but she waited. He was about to go back to her when her dad sat down and told him he burned all his bridges in this town and couldn’t give anything to her but he was going to give her the house it she went back to school and Vaughn knew he couldn’t take that away from her. So his life ended today. In present day he doesn’t know what to do because he knows river deserves to know the truth of what happened that night but he knows she’ll resent him for lying then. He claimed his feelings had changed but he never quit loving her and instead thought he was doing the right thing and broke both of their hearts and left her a single mom. He wakes up to a knocking on his door and finds Duke who confesses to telling their colonel he’s back in town. And then River calls to tell him there’s a colonel at her house. While he’s on his way river takes this chance to quiz the colonel and ask if Vaughn is in trouble and he says no he’s like to bestow the badge of honor on him if he could ever be in his presence and she asks how and the colonel tells him he thinks she needs to find out from him herself. “Suffice to say he gave a lot of families closure, including mine”. When Vaughn shows up he asks the colonel if he told her yet and she tells him no but you will. The colonel leaves a time and date for the ceremony and river promises he’ll be there and her and Marcy as well. She agrees to a date with him that night so they can talk and dukes sisters are going to watch Marcy. He takes her to the place he had taken her for her 19th birthday and he confesses what he did. He carried all the bodies back to base when he was the only one left, he didn’t leave them behind. She tells him how proud she is of him and he tells her how proud he is of her for raising their daughter. She tells him they should get their dinner to go and go back to the hotel but he doesn’t want to take her there but she insists. When they get there he tells her he lied that night that he never quit loving her but he felt like he was holding her back. And she didn’t move on while he was gone and he couldn’t provide for her so he pushed her away. He decides not to get the trust between her and her dad involved and hurt her in that way. She is upset that he would take that decision away from her, one they should have made together. She tells him she wants to be so mad at him but she also made choices for them that night. She tells him when he tried to leave that night the only way she knew how to keep him was to show him he loved her with her body. So she told him she was on the pill and they had sex. But she confesses now she wasn’t on the pill. She tells him she knows she should be more sorry than she is. But Vaughn tells her he’ll never be upset with her now because that’s why they’re here where they are now. Because their one time they didn’t use a condom, created Marcy. she tells him she hopes he brought condoms and he did. He sinks into her and tells her this is his first time since the night he left her, and we know it’s hers too. She tells him before he can cum he needs to know she’s his and she tells him her body is always his and he tells her he needs her heart too. And listens to it and lets loose. When they had sex River saw her name jaggedly carved into his skin and we find out from him he thought he saw her once and when he went home he did it to himself. When he takes her back home he tells her he’s ready to talk and she says yes and he says yes to what and she says yes to giving them a chance. She thinks maybe it’s crazy but she thinks it’d be crazier if they didn’t. But she tells them they need to ease into this for Marcy’s sake and he knows she’s right. He’s on a high until he notices rivers father in a running car across the street. And the fact that he kept the part about her father out so he didn’t tell her the whole truth. It was time for them to go to the ceremony and she realized he was so nervous because it was his first time driving with a toddler. At the ceremony Marcy asks where Vaughn is and river calls him her daddy