Sawyer is wonderful, she deserves all the happiness in the world. Witnessing her learning to stand up for herself was a thing of beauty. Sawyer is too kind for her own good, which can be mistaken for meekness.

The shift from anger to lust on Sawyer’s part may feel a little rushed but I don’t care. Through Sawyer, I understood Quinn’s reasons for leaving, and from then on was all in. It took a little while for me to warm up to Quinn, just as it did for Sawyer when Quinn comes back. Monica McCallan makes all that pent-up lust, all the feelings both MCs fought as teens rush up to the surface in a way that makes them palpable to the reader. Despite everything that went on before Quinn left, despite the way she left, despite the hurt and misunderstandings, neither Quinn nor Sawyer can fight the attraction that blazes back as soon as they meet again. Maybe it needs to be awakened, rekindled, or maybe it’s still as strong. I’ve said this before, I love second chance romance novels because the chemistry is already existing. I still want to add that trope to the childhood friends to lovers and return to hometown ones, since it’s got all my favourite ingredients.

While Quinn and Sawyer never were together before Quinn left Kingsford, they secretly pined for each other. In my book, this qualifies as a second chance romance, but it’s not completely accurate. Close to twenty years later, work brings her back to her hometown and a second chance at broken relationships. When Quinn moved to New York City from her hometown of Kingsford, she left everything and everyone behind: her depressed mother, her younger sister Kelly, her former best friend Sawyer who meant everything to her. I’m not sure why but this was my first book by Monica McCallan.

Monica mccallan back in your arms