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sv102019's review
5.0
loved this book
I loved this so much. It was pleasantly not what I expected. Coming from many DNF books lately my hopes were set on finishing the book. Loving it was an added bonus. If you read and loved bittersweet memories
by Catharine Maura then this is your book too.
I loved this so much. It was pleasantly not what I expected. Coming from many DNF books lately my hopes were set on finishing the book. Loving it was an added bonus. If you read and loved bittersweet memories
by Catharine Maura then this is your book too.
kfriend's review
3.0
Whew- this one is quite a journey. Many years, many parts, two characters who can’t seem to find their HEA. The characters themselves are interesting, and I particularly liked our heroine, Story- she’s a beautiful soul. There was a bit of instalove at first, and then the love story itself just really lost its fizzle as it drags out (for me) over the course of the narrative and over time, with the majority of out story told in the past and we have some time jumping too. The pacing didn't quite work for me- and with so much drama and secrets and issues between them, at times their story felt a bit belabored, and far too much resolution packed into the end. The burn too slow and didn’t feel quite worth the wait in the end for me- especially since I didn’t always love Cooper as our hero. But second chance lovers may really love this slow burning, multi-year emotional saga- so decide for yourself!
jsromancebookblog's review
5.0
Best I Ever Had is heavy on angst and emotions but has such a sweetness underlying it all. It’s the sort of romance that will have you anxiously needing to know how the story plays out.
When the book begins, we find Cooper and Story meeting for the first time through a horrid storm during finals week. He happens upon the coffee shop she works at when his power goes out, and he needs to finish a paper for class. There’s an instant connection, and as the storm goes on the coffee shop loses power, too. Story asks if Cooper would like to go back to her apartment to finish his paper, and off they go into the storm. Very quickly, they find that they’ve actually seen each other before, and it’s almost like fate that Cooper managed to walk into Story’s work. Their love story starts then, but there are other factors at play that threaten their happiness. That’s when the drama begins to unfold, and we get to see how their relationship changes through everything throughout the three parts of this book.
Cooper is such a complex character, and I completely fell in love with him. He’s so wounded on a fundamental level, and that hurt informs everything about him. There’s a strength and vulnerability about his character, and it made me empathize with him in a way that I didn’t expect in the beginning. And then there’s Story, and she’s so sweet and loveable from the start. As the book progresses, we find that she’s got so much strength, too. The way these two are and the gravity of their love is heartbreakingly beautiful.
The storm that brings Cooper and Story together that night serves as a sort of metaphor for how their relationship plays out in a wonderfully well written way. There’s a touch of mystery because of the secrets they keep from each other, even though I don’t think it’s necessarily intentional. This book is high on the angst level, despite part one of the book having a slower pacing than I suppose I craved. The rest of the book makes up for that though, and in the end the slowness of the first part actually makes what happens in the other two that much better.
All in all, this is a poignant must-read romance that will leave you satisfied. Cooper and Story’s tale has sweetness and drama, and what more could you want out a love story? I absolutely recommend it.
When the book begins, we find Cooper and Story meeting for the first time through a horrid storm during finals week. He happens upon the coffee shop she works at when his power goes out, and he needs to finish a paper for class. There’s an instant connection, and as the storm goes on the coffee shop loses power, too. Story asks if Cooper would like to go back to her apartment to finish his paper, and off they go into the storm. Very quickly, they find that they’ve actually seen each other before, and it’s almost like fate that Cooper managed to walk into Story’s work. Their love story starts then, but there are other factors at play that threaten their happiness. That’s when the drama begins to unfold, and we get to see how their relationship changes through everything throughout the three parts of this book.
Cooper is such a complex character, and I completely fell in love with him. He’s so wounded on a fundamental level, and that hurt informs everything about him. There’s a strength and vulnerability about his character, and it made me empathize with him in a way that I didn’t expect in the beginning. And then there’s Story, and she’s so sweet and loveable from the start. As the book progresses, we find that she’s got so much strength, too. The way these two are and the gravity of their love is heartbreakingly beautiful.
The storm that brings Cooper and Story together that night serves as a sort of metaphor for how their relationship plays out in a wonderfully well written way. There’s a touch of mystery because of the secrets they keep from each other, even though I don’t think it’s necessarily intentional. This book is high on the angst level, despite part one of the book having a slower pacing than I suppose I craved. The rest of the book makes up for that though, and in the end the slowness of the first part actually makes what happens in the other two that much better.
All in all, this is a poignant must-read romance that will leave you satisfied. Cooper and Story’s tale has sweetness and drama, and what more could you want out a love story? I absolutely recommend it.
kem0514's review
4.0
This is a book that is going to warm your heart, then break it, and then put it back together. Story and Cooper were a fated pair that were going to end up together no matter what, even if it took a few years. Their love story happened fast but you could tell it was a real epic kind of love. They were complete opposites in how they grew up, but their souls matched perfectly. They each had something horrible in their past that they endured but together they could forget everything and be happy. I think it is impossible not to fall in love with Story and Cooper.
Unfortunately, their story proves that despite loving each other wholly and completely, that sometimes it isn’t enough. Cooper’s family, being the biggest hindrance to their relationship, had a different life planned for Cooper. Then a few misunderstandings on what was keeping them apart led them to a 6 year break. When they were reunited, their feelings for each other felt like they were never apart, yet they still had so much to work through. It was nice to see that Cooper did not get angry at Story for keeping his son from him, but I did feel they wasted too much time before telling Reed that Cooper was his dad.
Unfortunately, their story proves that despite loving each other wholly and completely, that sometimes it isn’t enough. Cooper’s family, being the biggest hindrance to their relationship, had a different life planned for Cooper. Then a few misunderstandings on what was keeping them apart led them to a 6 year break. When they were reunited, their feelings for each other felt like they were never apart, yet they still had so much to work through. It was nice to see that Cooper did not get angry at Story for keeping his son from him, but I did feel they wasted too much time before telling Reed that Cooper was his dad.
reading_with_2_book_lovers's review
4.0
Oh this story had me hooked right from the start, I was addicted to these charaters. Highly recommended
wanderer27's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ciaraniamhreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.75
catxbooks's review
4.0
I loved reading this!! It’s a long book but I was hooked from the beginning and I just couldn’t stop reading. Cooper and Story were amazing, I loved how great their chemistry was and their insta-love was something I really enjoyed reading.
Cooper was very charming, he came from an important family and while he did some bad stuff in the past he really changed thanks to Story and I loved how he always treated her well and how he cared for her since the moment they met. Story had a hard past thanks to her late mother’s relationships so she didn’t want to be in a relationship until she met Cooper. The attraction was there from the start and they looked really good together.
They both had some secrets but they tried to be honest with each other in order to have a better relationship that the ones they had in the past. They spent a lot of time together and it was a matter of time before they started caring about the other. Everything was great until they had to face Cooper’s parents and all went downhill from there. They only cared about money and appearances so Story didn’t fit into Cooper’s life so they tried everything to separate them until they succeeded.
Six years later they met again and Cooper is no longer being controlled by them so when they meet at a gallery he’s upfront with her about his intentions and Story knows she has to tell him the truth so she accepts his offer of going out. There it feels like no time has passed and their attraction is even stronger than before. Story is hesitant at first but then she knows she still loves him and that he deserves a second chance and be a part of her family’s life.
I really loved Cooper’s interactions with Reed, they were very cute together and their relationship bloomed before Reed could understand who Cooper was so I was really happy for Cooper and Story and how despite everything they went through with his parents, they got the love and the family they really deserved.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
Cooper was very charming, he came from an important family and while he did some bad stuff in the past he really changed thanks to Story and I loved how he always treated her well and how he cared for her since the moment they met. Story had a hard past thanks to her late mother’s relationships so she didn’t want to be in a relationship until she met Cooper. The attraction was there from the start and they looked really good together.
They both had some secrets but they tried to be honest with each other in order to have a better relationship that the ones they had in the past. They spent a lot of time together and it was a matter of time before they started caring about the other. Everything was great until they had to face Cooper’s parents and all went downhill from there. They only cared about money and appearances so Story didn’t fit into Cooper’s life so they tried everything to separate them until they succeeded.
Six years later they met again and Cooper is no longer being controlled by them so when they meet at a gallery he’s upfront with her about his intentions and Story knows she has to tell him the truth so she accepts his offer of going out. There it feels like no time has passed and their attraction is even stronger than before. Story is hesitant at first but then she knows she still loves him and that he deserves a second chance and be a part of her family’s life.
I really loved Cooper’s interactions with Reed, they were very cute together and their relationship bloomed before Reed could understand who Cooper was so I was really happy for Cooper and Story and how despite everything they went through with his parents, they got the love and the family they really deserved.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.