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Until There Was You

by Kristan Higgins (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 5,068 ratings · 474 reviews

She’s having serious prom-night déjà vu…

Posey Osterhagen can’t complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she’s surrounded by her lovable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something’s missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-looking… something like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford,...more

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published (first published October 25th 2011)

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Aug 21, 2011 I ♥ Bookie Nookie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those looking for a feel good romance

Shelves: z-netgalley, body-plain-jane, body-ugly-duckling, character-bad-boy, character-biker, character-chef, character-celebrity, character-tv-personality, genre-romance, setting-small-town, sexual-mix-mf, tone-lite-and-fun, z-freebie, z-arc, zz-reviewed, 2011-read-in, i-love-this-2012, zz-blog-list

Who doesn't love a bad boy? It really doesn't matter if you are young or old, the bad boy has appeal. Picture this: Piercing green eyes, dark hair, powerful body clad in well worn jeans and a black leather jacket with a motorcycle helmet tucked under his arm and a smile that promises to fulfill all your fantasies. Now, you are lying to yourself if that mental image doesn't turn you on!

Posey is just one of those loveable characters that you just want to squeeze and you get a little teary-eyed jus...more

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Dec 07, 2011 willaful rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of chicklit

Shelves: reunited-or-have-history, special-needs-emotional-or-mental, special-needs-learning-disability, free-to-be-a-family, made-me-cry, heroes-behaving-badly, lusting-monologues-crotch-updates, he-s-just-not-that-into-you, netgalley, made-me-laugh

Higgin’s books are often considered more chicklit than romance, with the lack of hero point-of-view cited as the reason they may seem insufficiently romantic. In Until There Was You, she departs from her usual first person style to give us both points of view -- yet ironically, though it’s a good read in many ways, it’s the least convincing romance by her I’ve ever read. Possibly one of the least convincing romances I’ve ever read.

Once upon a time, the school bad boy married the school good girl...more Higgin’s books are often considered more chicklit than romance, with the lack of hero point-of-view cited as the reason they may seem insufficiently romantic. In Until There Was You, she departs from her usual first person style to give us both points of view -- yet ironically, though it’s a good read in many ways, it’s the least convincing romance by her I’ve ever read. Possibly one of the least convincing romances I’ve ever read.

Once upon a time, the school bad boy married the school good girl and they moved away to live happily ever after… leaving Posey, the school flat-chested girl, brokenhearted. But happy ever after was ruined by death, and now Liam is back in town, a widower with a fifteen year old daughter -- and still the hottest guy Posey’s ever seen. Ludicrously overprotective and anxious about his daughter, Liam finds that being with Posey is unexpectedly comfortable and relaxing

First the good. As always, it’s funny. Depictions of Posey’s difficult adolescence brought tears to my eyes. And though I think the casual feel of Higgin’s writing works better in first person, getting Liam’s perspective is helpful, at least at first -- knowing that he has a lot on his mind makes it more forgivable that he pretty much ignores Posey for the first third of the book.

There’s often a serious edge underlying Higgins' lighthearted books, and there’s plenty here. On Posey’s side, there are issues over her adoption: greatly loved, she nonetheless feels something of an outsider in her family, and worries that her parents wish she was more like her cousin, a strapping German beauty who looks just like Posey’s mom. This aspect of the book is well-drawn, with tenderness and realism. (Posey’s brother was also adopted, and plans to adopt a child with his male spouse, so there’s a very balanced view of the topic.) And I thought it interesting to have a hero with severe anxiety -- it’s not a sexy disorder. Liam’s over-the-top protective dad act gets annoying though, and I can’t believe that in real life his daughter wouldn’t seriously rebel against his almost psychotic behavior.

I enjoyed the details of Posey’s work in architectural salvage. It’s more of a mission to her than a job, making sure things that were left behind are cherished and loved: “Something that had life in it yet, even if it was slightly damaged, or broken. Something that might find new meaning, new beauty, if given the right home.” How’s that for a metaphor? And this attitude of Posey’s is healing for Liam, who had never felt good enough for his wife or his daughter.

So -- what goes wrong? Part of it is Posey: her incessant mental squeeings over Liam reduce her feelings to an adolescent crush. And I found it unsatisfying that Liam so easily gets anything he wants; Posey barely seems to hold a grudge for something extremely hurtful he once did, (view spoiler) and after a little initial resistance, which is probably what gets his attention, she throws herself at him at every turn. He always gets to be the one running the show.

But the nail in the romance coffin for me was that Liam’s feelings for her never seem like more than a mild affection, that will never be as powerful as his love for his first wife. A grand, classically ridiculous romantic gesture by him at the end can’t make up for that.

Considering that Until There Was You made me laugh and cry, I can’t give it less than three stars. But if you’re mostly looking for strong romance, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

(E-arc provided for review by netGalley.)(less)

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Jan 14, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-chances, bad-boy, playboy-womanizer, humorous, chic-lit, 3-star, angsty-emotional, clean-romance, doormat-heroine, girl-next-door, family-dynamic, contemporary-romance, brooding-hero, okay-read

2 1/2 to 3 stars

Meh. I didn't really care for this book, though the writing was superb. I was somewhat disappointed with the heroine. I liked her a lot, don't get me wrong, but her unwillingness to stand up for herself started to grate on my nerves. I kept waiting for her to stop being everyones doormat, unfortunately that never happened. Plus, I wasn't able to fully accept or believe in the supposed feelings the hero had for the heroine. I felt his feelings for her never compared to his feeling...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Jess rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, chic-lit-romance

I'm having some conflicted feelings about this book so I'll start with what I liked about it first. As always, this book was funny and had a certain quirky charm to it. Posey, the main character, is a little odd and so is her whole family. I loved the scenes that take place at her family's restaurant, as they reminded me slightly of my family's obsession with eating. I only wish I had Posey's issue of not gaining weight! Gretchen was also entertaining and I was constantly wishing to smack her up...more I'm having some conflicted feelings about this book so I'll start with what I liked about it first. As always, this book was funny and had a certain quirky charm to it. Posey, the main character, is a little odd and so is her whole family. I loved the scenes that take place at her family's restaurant, as they reminded me slightly of my family's obsession with eating. I only wish I had Posey's issue of not gaining weight! Gretchen was also entertaining and I was constantly wishing to smack her upside the head but she still made things interesting. And of course, we discover more about her and some of her issues that made her into the annoying person she was. I loved John and Henry! They were adorable. Although, John was a teacher and thought he was a little too close and friendly with his students! I also loved the little anecdotes about the baseball games, it just left me feeling like this could be a town that I could live in. With everyone hanging out and supporting each other and actually genuinely liking each other.

Now on to what I didn't like. That would mostly revolve around the romantic storyline. First off, I had some troubles with Liam the hero in this book. Liam is described as being the bad boy of high school in his days and now has returned some odd years later to raise his daughter after his wife Emma dies. One thing that bothered me was his weird relationship with his daughter Nicole. It was a little creepy. He seemed oddly dependent on her and he used her as an excuse not to move on with his life. Also, he was just kind of an asshat. He got everything he wanted throughout his life and his constant flirting with women was irritating. Half the time he didn't even remember who people were. And yeah, I understand that he didn't like high school but was he an amnesiac? He couldn't remember anyone that he came into contact with. It was so odd.

Then of course was the way he treated Posey. Posey who had this crush on him, extended into when she saw him again 10 years later. And in high school he treated her like crap most of the time and now in adulthood he was still acting like an idiot and for some reason that made her happy. Don't understand that in the least. He also never acted like Posey was the most important thing in the world to him, she was always second or third. Even his lame attempt at the end of the book to make up for his past mistake was emphasizing how much of a jerk he was. "Oh sorry that I made your prom miserable, but let me sing you a song and that will make it all better." Yeah, no.

All in all, not my favorite book from Higgins. If you haven't yet read a book by this author I would suggest starting with one of her other books which are MUCH better than this one. And if you did already read this one and didn't like it, give one of her other books a chance!(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Dinjolina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, angst, bad-boy-involved, bipolar-alert, brain-dead-heroine, different-social-classes, saintly-ex-spouse, hero-i-wanted-dead, hero-married-a-freak, hero-overly-angsty, hero-singing, horribly-wrong-ending, horribly-sad-ending, just-plain-stupid, kid-that-was-supposed-to-be-cute, lite-romace, love-your-fellow-man, moronic-male-alert, my-spine-got-kidnapped-by-aliens, never-going-back-to-them, pretty-cover-pulled-me-in, ripped-my-heart-out, sorry-but-just-no, stress-inducer, stupid-plot-development, when-three-is-a-crowd

Imagine yourself as a heroine.

What kind of hero would you wish for?

How about one that overlooked you and your love as a kid, ruined your social life in a stupid attempt to help you in a 4 minute time span that he could divulge to you and then forget you even lived for the next 15 years?
How about one that leaves you at every turn because he hides behind parenting his child?
How about one that is so hooked up on his dead wife that this child is almost a bizarre extension of what he had with her?
How...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook, arc-electronic, arc-own, own, hqn-mira-club

http://book-obsessed.blogspot.com/201...

The next book is called Until There Was You, and it’s what I think of as Return of the Bad Boy. Back in high school, Liam Murphy was worshipped from afar by scrawny Posey Osterhagen, who could barely get him to acknowledge her. Somehow, he still managed to break her heart. Now, quite a few years later, Liam’s back, a widower with a teenage daughter, and Posey finds he still has quite the effect on her. She has to learn if Liam’s any different from the high...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Paula rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book

Ugghhh...not sure I am going to continue with this one. It's starts off like a bad version of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where the heroine is working at her parents' restaurant when a guy that used to live in their town (What IS their town? I keep reading "New England" but nobody ever says a town name!) comes back to live there with his teenage daughter. The uncomfortable banter about his dead wife is cringe-worthy. The dialogue is not really all that believable - I keep seeing words like "Crikey...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Carrie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-has-copy, contemporary, humorous, read-2011, small-town, manipulative-friends-family, second-chances

3.5*

While a few thing didn't work for me, like Posey's choice of "swear" words (Beiber and Elvis Presley) and how often we get to read Posey's mental and physical reaction to Liam for the first half of the book (we get it, she lusts for Liam), there were several things I really liked about the book. For one, it's the first book Higgins has published that's written in 3rd person. I much prefer 3rd person POV. Her other books are all first person POV, and several are written in first person presen...more

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Apr 10, 2012 _yay_ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, bad-boy, family, 3-stars

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publish date: October 25th, 2011
Fiction – Adult: Romance: Contemporary
Harlequin (HQNBooks)

Posey Osterhagen lives a happy life. She’s close to family and friends, has an old church all to herself, and owns a company. Maybe some people don’t understand the allure, but she loves architectural salvaging. All is just fine - peachy in fact - if it weren’t for…
Having Bellsford’s bad boy Liam Murphy back in town is a bit of a shock. He...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Diana~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-kristan-higgins, contemporary-romance, arc-galley, amazon-kindle, 2011-reads

I'm going to write a review just because I want to escape the horridness that is Accounting! Anyway, Until There Was You is Kristan Higgan's latest contemporary romance novel. This book... was quite different yet the entire feel and setting is totally the same. I didn't love it as much as her previous book, My One and Only, but it was really sweet and the hero is to die for! I mean who can resist a bad boy turn good named Liam Murphy? Our heroine, Posey Osterhagen, is probably one of the dorkies...more I'm going to write a review just because I want to escape the horridness that is Accounting! Anyway, Until There Was You is Kristan Higgan's latest contemporary romance novel. This book... was quite different yet the entire feel and setting is totally the same. I didn't love it as much as her previous book, My One and Only, but it was really sweet and the hero is to die for! I mean who can resist a bad boy turn good named Liam Murphy? Our heroine, Posey Osterhagen, is probably one of the dorkiest and cutest that I've read from Higgans' books so far. See? They're already a match in heaven...?! Kidding aside, these two used to be the total opposites of one another. And when Liam finally realizes that he loves Posey? It's a must read for sure. And thank you NetGalley, for granting me this lovely arc when I was in the mood for a sweet story with a lovely yet cheesy ending!

Posey Osterhagen is our heroine of the story. She's your every day gal, right? Except for that fact that she's not the most beautiful girl in town, kind of plain, short, and she's actually adopted. The story starts out with her telling readers that she's used to be in love with this boy who ultimately broke her heart and never even realized it. Yes, it's another of those 'second chances at love' kind of stories and I love it. If you look at it from Posey's sixteen years old point of view... her love was tragic. The boy that she'd been crushing on was the 'God/Bad Boy' of the town, Liam Murphy, and he ended up falling in love with the town's 'Little Miss Sunshine/Good Girl' and they ended up happily ever after, right? Nope, I guess not since he's back! But it's actually more than that and we'll get to find out the real reason later on!

Liam Murphy is our hero and to be honest, I think he's the sexiest hero yet. He's a bad boy turned good due to the magical entity called 'love.' And yet, he's back in town as a widower/father to a teenager named Nichole. The moments when he tries to intefere with his daughter's social life were so hilarious! But anyway, he's back... and now it's time to face his past and live up some memories. Liam had never really thought much about Posey. She was the girl who used to crush on him... so when they meet again, he didn't exactly have any good old memories to recall with her. Well of course, until he starts noticing her lips. That changed the ball game entirely, don't you think? The side characters were all pretty amazing. I loved Jon, Posey's brother in law. Sidenote: Posey only has a brother and he's adopted as well. So brother-in-law? Haha! YES! Her brother Henry is gay and Jon and him have been married for 10 years. They're relationship is super cute and sometimes, the town tries to convert those two back to being straight.

Overall, this book was truly a stress reliever to my school days. It was cute, the characters had great depth-- even though I do have to admit that I didn't exactly feel Posey and Liam's chemistry together was that high. It was still a very good book and as always, I'm looking forward to Kristan Higgins' next book!(less)

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Nov 12, 2011 Tori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this one as I do most all of Kristan Higgins' books and I am SO happy to see she has finally written a book where we get the guys POV as well. I loved Liam, he was adorable, and I absolutely adored Posey! Especially her smart mouth. I'd like to think that she spoke to Liam the same way I would if I were in her shoes. But, I don't know if it was because he was a widow, or if it was because I never felt like he had to work very hard to win Posey when she clearly deserved it after pining...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Clio rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, doormat-heroine, plain-jane, gamma-hero, humiliation-of-heroine, the-grovel, wounded-hero-needs-healing-lurrrrve, grand-gesture

I didn't feel the romance in this book. Posey is a Plain Jane/ugly duckling who has had a crush on Liam her whole life, despite the fact that he's always ignored her and ruined her prom by calling her a terrible name. She's got an interesting job (architectural salvage) and a successful business, but serious self-esteem issues. Plus, she loves Neil Diamond and "swears" by saying "Oh, Beiber" or "Holy Elvis Presley." (Excuse me, I think I might be sick.) I empathize with her, but she's a total do...more I didn't feel the romance in this book. Posey is a Plain Jane/ugly duckling who has had a crush on Liam her whole life, despite the fact that he's always ignored her and ruined her prom by calling her a terrible name. She's got an interesting job (architectural salvage) and a successful business, but serious self-esteem issues. Plus, she loves Neil Diamond and "swears" by saying "Oh, Beiber" or "Holy Elvis Presley." (Excuse me, I think I might be sick.) I empathize with her, but she's a total doormat, and that got old really fast. Liam is reeling from the death of his wife/high school sweetheart, who left him to raise their teenage daughter, Nicole, alone. His anxiety that something will happen to him and leave Nicole orphaned has reached pathological levels, in that he exhibits symptoms of OCD, suffers panic attacks, and is way too overprotective of Nicole. He gets involved with Posey but isn't ready to commit, which leads to him treating her even more badly in the present than he did back in high school... and mostly, she puts up with it. Snore.

Usually Kristan Higgins's books are populated with a large and humorous cast of supporting characters, who can be counted upon for humor even when the romance between the main characters feels a little flat. Here, the supporting characters were there, but they aren't funny or even that interesting; in fact, most of them are kind of tragic. There are Posey's adoptive parents, who run a restaurant and profess to love Posey, but are always trying to set Posey's secret boyfriend (Liam) up with someone else. There is her cousin Gretchen, who is The Bitch (most Higgins stories have a female villain whose role it is to humiliate and belittle the heroine--which is actually something I really hate about the Higgins formula, now that I think about it). There is her brother Henry and his partner, Jon, who were about the only supporting characters who actually "support" Posey in any real way. There was Posey's best friend, Kate, who is just sort of weird and seems to have a really unhealthy, unfunny relationship with her pre-teen son. There were Posey's employees, one of whom doesn't speak and one of whom is in her late twenties but upspeaks (makes everything sound like a question?) like a 1990s Valley Girl. There were others, but they were forgettable.

(less)

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May 20, 2013 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first Kristan Higgins book after meeting her at CTRWA's conference last year (2012).

Posey is feeling marginalized by the society of the small town around her yet does not leave her friends and family for a different life. Like Liam Murphy did. Liam is the bad boy who broke her heart with mean spirited actions - at least that's what Posey believes.

The humor in the novel eases us into Posey's delicate life. Perception on your teenage years and your place with your family can be delicat...more

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Mar 23, 2013 İlkim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, books-i-own, fav-author, romance

Yorumun orjinali Kitap Esintisi sayfasında.

Kristan Higgins'in yayınlanan ilk kitabı Geç Gelen Mutluluk, yazarı favorilerim arasına taşımaya yetmişti. Güzel bir öyküyü, hafif dram ve bol romans ile anlatan yazarın uzun zamandır kitabı çıkmıyordu. Bu kitabın çıkacağı haberini aldığım anda tahmin edersiniz ki deliye döndüm diyebilirim. Vee alabildiğim en yakın zaman içinde elime geçirdim, bu dün oluyor, ve bu sabah da bitmiş bulunuyor, gerisini siz anlayın.

Bu seferkinde de durum öncekine benziyor...more Yorumun orjinali Kitap Esintisi sayfasında.

Kristan Higgins'in yayınlanan ilk kitabı Geç Gelen Mutluluk, yazarı favorilerim arasına taşımaya yetmişti. Güzel bir öyküyü, hafif dram ve bol romans ile anlatan yazarın uzun zamandır kitabı çıkmıyordu. Bu kitabın çıkacağı haberini aldığım anda tahmin edersiniz ki deliye döndüm diyebilirim. Vee alabildiğim en yakın zaman içinde elime geçirdim, bu dün oluyor, ve bu sabah da bitmiş bulunuyor, gerisini siz anlayın.

Bu seferkinde de durum öncekine benziyor. Posey, gerçek adı ile Cordelia, gençliğinde aşık olduğu serserinin şehre geri döndüğünü görünce yine eski hislerine kapılmaktan kendini alamıyor. Aslında bir evlatlık olan Posey'nin yine evlatlık alınan bir abisi ve onun partneri Jon var. Bir de çekilmeyen kuzen Gretchen'ı unutmamak gerek. Posey'nin ailesi Alman ve Alman yemekleri yapan bir restoranları var.

Liam ise lise çağlarına serseri gibi dolaşmış, orada burada takılmış, Posey'i ise görmezden gelmiş bir gençti. Ne zaman iyi kalpli Emma'yı okulda gördü, o zaman ona vuruldu ve bir şekilde onunla evlenip bir kız babası da oldu. Bu süreçte Posey zaten görünmez kız olduğu için yapabileceği bir şey yoktu, Emma'yı o da çok seviyordu ve Liam zaten farkında olmadan mezuniyet gecesi onun kalbini çok fena acıtmıştı. Ama Emma'nın ölmesi üzerine kızıyla şehre geri dönen Liam her şeyi ona unutturacaktı.

Liam aşırı korumacı bir baba. Aşırı derken burada neredeyse obsesif kompülsif bir bozukluktan bahsettiğimi anlamanız gerek. Kızının her hareketini izliyor, erkeklerle yakınlaşmasını istemiyor, arada bir panik atak geçiriyor, öyle bir baba. Araları yine de çok iyi kızıyla. Gençliğinde görmezden geldiği Posey'den ise etkilenmeden edemiyor. Onu hem güldüren, hem de mutlu eden bu minik kadınla ilişkisine devam etse de ona istediğini veremeyeceğinin farkında. Zaten aralarının açılmasına neden olacak şeyler de olacak ama sonunda yine aşk kazanacak.

Liam ve Posey çiftinin anlatırken birçok yan olaydan da bahsediliyor. Yaşlı Virginia, favori gay çiftiniz, ilginç ilişkiler gibi. Kadının yazışına hayranım, ayrıca Koridor'un çevirmeni Rabia Taş'a da hayranım. Gördüğüm en iyi çevirmenlerden biri, hiçbir sorun yaşamadan rahatça kitabınızı okumanızı garanti ediyor Rabia hanım. Kitaba dönersek, öncekini daha çok sevmiştim ama bu da kötü değildi. Güzel zaman geçirtti ve ileriki kitaplarını dört gözle bekliyorum.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Steven Slavick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This novel had so much potential, but the characters and plot seemed to slip away from a great novelist, Kristan Higgins. The heroine, Posey Osterhagen, is a decent person with poor self-esteem, who never really seems to outgrow this flaw. The hero, Liam Murphy, a misunderstood man every single woman in the novel wants to have sex with, takes parenting to the extreme and is filled with self-esteem issues of his own.

There was some wonderful writing in this novel, particularly a lengthy chapter a...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins
Liam is back in town with his teen daughter. He now owns and runs a motorcycle shop and he's a widow. Posey remembers when Emma set her up for a prom. There are a lot of references to their teen years.
Such funny party: when his daughter introduces him to a guy and what transpires then had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Liam was the bad boy in town and full of himself. He also worked at the family restaurant where he finally notices her.
She had b...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Sep rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a cute story. The story is told in present time with recounts of the past. There's nothing particular spectacular about the plot, but it was engaging. I didn't want to put the book down. My only issues with the book are: 1.) the ending felt abrupt. The last couple of chapters seemed rushed, as though the author was just trying to wrap things up as fast as possible and give everyone a "happily ever after" ending; 2.) Some of the information presented in the story comes way after the fact...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Eileen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Oh my was this such a good book! I loved it! She had me crying and laughing out loud and had the biggest grin at the end. I mean I wanted it to never end. KH did a fantastic job developing Liam and Cordelia as characters that were so easy for me to love, hate at times(the young Liam), cheer for and cry for during those tough times. KH loves to make her heroines a little quirky and that is fine with me. That makes them more believable and easier to relate to for me. When Cordelia has the worst po...more

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May 25, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I laughed, cried and got angry reading "Until There Was You". So I guess this book covered all the bases. Love Kristen Higgins. What I would change? Her last book I read also had a main romantic interest that couldn't let go of a past love. Really? I want someone who can love me and not hold on to the past. She has loved him forever and it seemed that she was pleased that he "settled " for her because his only love died. Then to wait for his kids permission as well as his ex inlaws???. No offenc...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Chucha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bullies-abuse, childhood-friend, family-problems, food, girl-in-love-forever-with-boy, good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy, i-so-love-these-books, made-me-cry, death-and-dying, second-chances

This was not on my reading list - just came across this book when a friend mention the author. For my first Kristan Higgins read - this particular book had me in tears half-way!!!

I'm a sucker for bad boys who're in need of redemption. Liam was the epitome of the perfect bad boy then - just got out of juvie, owned a motorcycle and was sleeping around. But then he fell in love and he just lost it. The only problem is that, he didn't fell in love with Posey back then, he fell in love with another g...more This was not on my reading list - just came across this book when a friend mention the author. For my first Kristan Higgins read - this particular book had me in tears half-way!!!

I'm a sucker for bad boys who're in need of redemption. Liam was the epitome of the perfect bad boy then - just got out of juvie, owned a motorcycle and was sleeping around. But then he fell in love and he just lost it. The only problem is that, he didn't fell in love with Posey back then, he fell in love with another girl. Someone a bad boy usually fell in love with, a good, sweet girl namely Emma. When Emma moved from home to go to college, he followed shortly.

Years later, he came back with his teen-age daughter. I love his fatherly figure. Since I'm not the one he's fussing over with, I find it cute. The possessiveness and uber-protectiveness had Nicole (the daughter) exasperated, but she didn't love him less. This is what I love about Nicole - although she may act like a normal teenager and may have disagreements with her dad, she always reassure her father that she loves him.

Now, Posey. I envy the fact that she couldn't gain weight even she eat loads of ice cream. Although this pose to be a problem for her since she looked like a kid even at her 30s. She's still single and in search of a meaningful relationship to end in a happily ever after. She had her shares of mishap, some bad dates and hook-ups, until Liam came back to town again.

I like her humor and exuberance mixed with innocence and sweetness. I also adore the family and friends that surround her. Jon, was simply an amazing friend, not to mention was the root of humor throughout the book. I love the relationship he had with Posey's brother Henry. And Henry - if he's not gay, I would have been in love with him as well, being Posey's knight in shining armor and despite the fact that he rarely shows emotion, he just knew when her sister needs him the most and was always ready to help. The rest of the cast, from Kate, one of her closest friends was great was well. Her overprotective family, her obnoxious cousin Gretchen, everyone was completely adorable at some point.

The plot was great, and involves a lot of fun and an equal mix of drama on the side. The past issues were brought up - and was given a closure, this includes the prom incident and of course, Posey's adoption. The scene with her mother at the near-end of the book had me in tears.

This book is sweet and really, really nice. I will gladly recommend it to friends who loves a sweet, nicely-paced contemporary romance that will leave them in tears and sweep them off their feet.

After reading Until There Was You, I believe Kristan Higgins added another fan to her list. I will surely check some of her books as well!
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Apr 18, 2012 Starry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Posey Osterhagen can't complain. She owns a successful architectural salvaging company, she's surrounded by her lovable, if off-center, family and she has a boyfriend—sort of. Still, something's missing. Something tall, brooding and criminally good-lookingsomething like Liam Murphy.

When Posey was sixteen, the bad boy of Bellsford, New Hampshire, broke her heart. But now he's back, sending Posey's traitorous schoolgirl heart into overdrive once again. She should be giving him a wide berth, but i...more

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Apr 08, 2012 cupcake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let's get this out of the way at the start: I love Kristan Higgins' books. Just love 'em. There is something about the way she writes that wraps around me like a soft, fuzzy blanket. I can't get enough of them!

Until There Was You is the third book of hers that I've read, and it probably ranks #2 on the list (behind My One and Only and in front of Fools Rush In). Set in New England, where all three of them have been, Until There Was You is a love story and nothing more. And it made me cry. The ot...more Let's get this out of the way at the start: I love Kristan Higgins' books. Just love 'em. There is something about the way she writes that wraps around me like a soft, fuzzy blanket. I can't get enough of them!

Until There Was You is the third book of hers that I've read, and it probably ranks #2 on the list (behind My One and Only and in front of Fools Rush In). Set in New England, where all three of them have been, Until There Was You is a love story and nothing more. And it made me cry. The other two didn't. This one made me cry TWICE.

(As an aside: I usually cry in books, movies, television shows and Bruce Springsteen concerts.)

We meet Posey Osterhagen, daughter of Stacia and Max, who own a kitschy German restaurant called Guten Tag, in a cute, quirky hamlet in New Hampshire. Posey owns an architectural salvaging company (read the symbolism - she rescues things other people want to toss aside) and her life is humming along without great complaint. Sure, she'd like to be bigger - she's slightly over five feet tall, weighs slightly over 100 pounds, has the metabolism of a 13-year-old boy and, sadly, the boobs of one too - and a fulfilling romantic relationship would be nice, but life treats her well.

But then Liam Declan Murphy re-descends into her life. He broke her heart in high school, albeit unknowingly, and he was her first burning, consuming crush and love. And now he's back, with his 15-year-old daughter. Posey cannot resist.

Oh, she tries, but we readers know that both, ultimately, will be powerless against the tides of true love. Yes, it's obvious, but what makes Kristan Higgins so good and fun to read is that she takes you down that path of predictability in an unpredictable way.

For instance, Posey's first night with Liam is not the stuff of dreams:

Posey's first thought on waking was not optimistic. No. It was that the sunlight hated her, and, really, God was quite cruel in sending this blindingly painful day, and why did her mouth taste like a landfill for poopy diapers?

She clamped a pillow over her head and groped for the comfort of Shilo. Empty. And hang on a sec ... this pillow ... it was foam. And her pillows were not. Hers were down. She cracked open an eye. These sheets were blue.

Hers sheets were yellow.

Posey bolted upright, pain kicking her head like an angry mule. Where was she? Holy Elvis Presley, where was she? The room was nowhere she'd ever been. Ever.

It makes me want to read this book again. So hang on a sec while I do ...

Better yet, go grab a copy for yourself. And while you're at it, get My One and Only, which I read a while ago but will review when I can find my copy. Join me in my addiction.(less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Vanessa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Until there was You Kristan Higgins – I liked this one! Chic lit w/ some romance . . . wait. . . more like homeboy lit! Why you ask? Because I felt like Liam really evolved through the story. Sure he loved his wife when they were together, but even he admits that she left the r/s LONG before she died. She had been pulling away from him gradually over the years before she was diagnosed. He was there for her in the end. Why wouldn’t he be? He took care of that stray cat as well. It’s his character...more Until there was You Kristan Higgins – I liked this one! Chic lit w/ some romance . . . wait. . . more like homeboy lit! Why you ask? Because I felt like Liam really evolved through the story. Sure he loved his wife when they were together, but even he admits that she left the r/s LONG before she died. She had been pulling away from him gradually over the years before she was diagnosed. He was there for her in the end. Why wouldn’t he be? He took care of that stray cat as well. It’s his character it’s just how he is. He would never bad mouth Emma, his first wife, to his daughter or bad mouth his in-laws to their grandchild either. That’s not Liam. He tries his hardest to be a good dad. His whole character seemed like the juxtaposition of the single mom raising her child. He always put his daughter’s happiness first even at the expense of his own. This is a good thing, IMHO. The OCD incidences were amusing at times and slightly endearing. They reminded me a little bit of As Good As It Gets.

I understood why Liam hurt Posey the way he did in the story as well as earlier on. I know what she heard hurt her, but I really think it was for the best in that incident. His later hurt, well IMHO it was hard for him as well, but he felt that he needed to hang on to his daughter in the face of those in-laws! IIRC Liam knew that Posey had developed feelings for him when he was working for her parents and he just felt it wasn’t right to take advantage of her because of his connection to her parents. He respected them enough to have a hands-off policy for her.

Posey aka Cordelia really did seem to have her own set of problems. She didn’t stand up to people she let them do things to her that were pretty bad! That nasty cousin, her mother, yes even Liam at times, but this seemed to mesh w/ her overall character as well. She is so small and hardly noticeable. I felt as though Posey was always working on the fringe of things never putting her-self out there to be recognized or have all the attention centered on her. Posey is comfortable and relaxing, she is true to herself as well as reliable and very loving/forgiving. While Liam hurt her terribly back in high school she seems to have gotten over it when his attention was completely focused on her – he could have had ANYONE and he chose to be w/ her. Nope he didn’t make it public, but he did later on and that proved to be the beginning of the end for them.

For some odd reason I acquainted the whole cat story w/ Posey when Liam reminisced about it. I could actually substitute Posey in as the cat, Joe. I don’t know why, perhaps because for some reason I have a tendency to wonder why things are added into the story unless they are some type of literary element that should be checked into further or perhaps I can blame Liam. He said something about that look on Joe’s face – “as if shocked by the pain but accepting it just the same. The same way Cordelia looked tonight” – he thought. Seemed to describe Posey to a ‘t’. She accepts things a lot and while this is sad because she never really puts herself out there to fight for things it is Posey. However, she did finally put herself out there when she begged Liam and you know how that turned out. I also felt that Liam and the story of Joe seemed to be playing out again w/ Liam and Posey in the roles. The in-laws were preventing him from having a r/s w/ Posey just as his uncle prevented him from bringing home Joe. Once again Liam was accepting of this, he didn’t fight for things like that. Perhaps things completely for himself and being selfish – yes he will fight for his daughter but . . . what did Liam have for himself? Completely and totally for Liam Murphy, it seemed as though things just fell in to his lap sometimes. If there was going to be a fight for something would he walk away or would he stay to realize his true dreams? His r/s w/ wife, all the women, the cat, his job – he just went w/ the flow. Obstacles in his path what will Liam do? He showed that he persevered in the end, he showed that – yes after checking w/ his daughter, that he was willing to fight for Posey. He didn’t need to fight Posey for her, but his in-laws and he stood up to them beautifully!!

I loved the history of her name! That was very touching and I think a bit cathartic for Posey as well. After realizing how much she has she puts it out there for Liam but he just feels he can’t be that for her.

Emma had been his first love and he felt honored to have been loved by her if only for a while, but even Liam admits that even though they hadn’t been great as a couple that had been great as parents to Nicole. He never knew that Emma thought he was such a great guy either. This seems to make him feel more worthy of so much more as well. Nicole had felt a vibe b/w him and Posey and she let him know she wants her dad to have a life! All of this seems to spur him into fighting for himself as well. It showed him that he is worthy of someone like Posey, someone good too! Sure he talks about marriage when Nicole is ready, but seriously that little girl is his life. He won’t forsake her happiness for his own and he isn’t going to rush into things either. Liam remembered what he said all those years ago that was great as well since most guys don’t always remember things. The grand gesture – sorry worked for me as well IIRC he wasn’t a big fan of that crooner, then the special gift at the end – yeah that was like a "remember when" type of thing which is probably when she really fell in love w/ him way back then.
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Jan 11, 2012 Sophia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: checked-out-from-library

I want to say I loved it, I certainly enjoyed it I read the book in one day after all. It did make me laugh and it made me cry at some points and overall it was a fun light read. Something for the beach. I didn't find that two narrators confusing and there were not that many flashbacks as some reviewers have stated. It was just enough. It was classic chic lit, where the girl's heart was crushed by a highschool crush (crushed get it? ha ha) and grows up and they some how reconnect. I found the en...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Mim rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not a big fan of contemporary romances aside from Lisa Kleypas. I picked up this book because it was recommended by Eloisa James.

This is the third Kristin Higgins book that I've attempted and the only one I read completely. I won't be reading any more of her books. Why? I just don't like her heroines. I like heroines that aren't perfect. Kristin Higgins heroines are doormats and if she were writing in another genre, such as urban fantasy or horror, her heroines would fall into the category o...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Booklover rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: baby-children, cruel-abusive-hero, divorce-separated-reunion-2nd-chanc, dead-wife-exwife-exfiance-ow, love, parents, sibblings-best-friends

I was very disappointed by the time i finished it.Did not like the way Liam behaved with Cordelia through the book,did not feel any love blossoming from Liam's side,i felt he was still hung on with his guilt and past and was very much in love with Emma,as a father his decision to keep his daughter first was right but why did he started this affair with Cordelia when he knew how deep she felt for him.

Cordelia i wanted to like her but the way she always let everyone walk over her and the begging n...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Sarah Mayberry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book totally worked for me. Hubby was away, so I lounged on the couch and powered through this book feeling very decadent and self indulgent. My absolute favourite Kiggins is One Of the Guys. I've re-read it several times, and I think this one is on the same level for me. The heroine is terrific - feisty and funny and vulnerable. The hero is troubled and human. I love watching him trot out his usual "sexy bad boy" moves with Posey and them bouncing off the brick wall of her determination to...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-uns, bibliocrack, romance

Originally published here.

It's taken me forever to get around to reviewing this one, and I feel bad about that, because I don't want that lag time to be a reflection of my reaction to it. At all. This is actually the second Kristan Higgins book I read immediately after inhaling All I Ever Wanted a few months back. It's also her newest publication, and I was interested to see if I liked her new stuff as well. You know how sometimes you really connect with an author's work from a certain "period,"...more Originally published here.

It's taken me forever to get around to reviewing this one, and I feel bad about that, because I don't want that lag time to be a reflection of my reaction to it. At all. This is actually the second Kristan Higgins book I read immediately after inhaling All I Ever Wanted a few months back. It's also her newest publication, and I was interested to see if I liked her new stuff as well. You know how sometimes you really connect with an author's work from a certain "period," if you will? And then some of their other works don't quite do it for you? I really hoped this wouldn't be the case with Higgins. Given how blissfully I fell into my first of her books, I had all sorts of appendages crossed for more of the same. I knew she had a huge fan following, but I also knew that (much like Jennifer Crusie or Julie James) people seem to really have their favorites and the ones they just didn't like much at all. Case in point, I thought All I Ever Wanted was the freaking bee's knees, but not everyone feels the same. Which is just dandy. I'm glad of it, in fact, as I'm always drawn to authors where that is the case. Which camp will I fall in? Which bench will I plop down on and feel at home? The anticipation is excellent.

Posey (short for Cordelia--sort of) Osterhagen has asserted control over her life. At thirty-four years old she's no longer living with her adoptive parents, working in their German restaurant, invisible to one and all. She owns and runs a salvage company. She's even got a handful of employees of her own. And she's moved out of her folks' house and into a converted church bell tower. It's drafty. And the enormous old bell may crash down and kill her at any given moment. But it's home. It's hers. And life is looking pretty good for Posey. Until Liam Murphy moves back into town. When she was 16 years old, Posey had the mother of all crushes on the bad boy biker from the wrong side of town. No one knew, of course. And Posey herself didn't realize until now that she never quite got over Liam when he left Bellsford, New Hampshire for college in California. Of course, he didn't go alone. And he hasn't returned alone, either. His wife (and hometown girl) Emma Tate passed away in the intervening years, and Liam has brought their 15-year-old daughter Nicole home to Bellsford, where he's set up a custom motorcycle shop. And, unwittingly, sent one Posey Osterhagen's well-ordered life into a tailspin. As you can imagine, mayhem, snark, and sizzle ensues. Not necessarily in that order.

Posey is my favorite Higgins heroine, and that's all there is to it. Not only is she the most complex, in my opinion, she also exhibits the largest growth as a character. Also in her favor--she never bored me or drove me crazy with her inability to call a spade a spade. I always sympathized with her plight, and I admired her drive to stand up for herself and be stronger than she used to be, no matter how many times her past rose up and tried to squeeze the life out of her. She did this, over and over, throughout the course of the book and in the face of parents and various and sundry town denizens who seemed hell bent on refusing to recognize her as an adult. Also in the face of Liam Murphy's considerable charisma. All in all, no mean feat. When she succumbed to her weaknesses, I understood why. When she called Liam out on his arrogance and assumptions, I applauded. Kristan Higgins is able to infuse her ostensibly quite light stories with an incredible amount of warmth and heart. I just buy the connections between her characters because they're laid out clothed in so much genuine emotion. In this case, I was particularly enamored of Liam's struggle with his overwhelming guilt, fear, and love for his daughter. His insecurities as a single father with a checkered past rang true for me and pleasantly balanced out what vestiges of his cocky teenage self remained. I also felt my heart thump in my chest for Posey and her struggle being so different from her adopted family as well as her sensitivity to Liam and Nicole's fragile little family. The emphasis on being seen for who you really are, despite the name you're given, the shape you hold, or the nature of your roots was decidedly a highlight. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, you guys. Gobbled it up, in fact. UNTIL THERE WAS YOU is right up there with All I Ever Wanted for my favorite. It's sweet, funny as hell, and everything I've come to expect from Kristan Higgins.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011 Aarann rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really great book. Without going too far into the plot (because if you want to read about that, you can read the synopsis or some of the other reviews) I totally fell in love with Posey as a character, and Nick...? Well how can you not fall for someone as deliciously flawed but still adorable as Nick? I did have some complaints, in that I wished Posey hadn't been so much of a doormat when it came to her obnoxious cousin (seriously? She treats you like crap your entire life then invites herself o...more

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Nov 12, 2011 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really did like this one. After being disappointed by Higgins' last book, My One and Only, I had some reservations going into this one. Especially when, in the very first scene, the heroine finds herself in an unflattering situation with the hero. No real big deal there (mouth full of food, awkward but not embarrassing), but I find it hard to identify with heroines who are portrayed as clumsy or awkward. Maybe it pushes my buttons and brings up bad memories of my own awkward stage(s), but I ju...more

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About Kristan Higgins

Hello! I’m flattered that you clicked the button. If you clicked by mistake, well, hello anyway.

I live in a small Connecticut town with a beautiful library, a great agricultural fair, nice people and not much else. I have two lovely, entertaining children and a brave firefighter for a husband, who is, perhaps more importantly, a fantastic cook. Digger from Fools Rush In is inspired my very own Dig...more Hello! I’m flattered that you clicked the button. If you clicked by mistake, well, hello anyway.

I live in a small Connecticut town with a beautiful library, a great agricultural fair, nice people and not much else. I have two lovely, entertaining children and a brave firefighter for a husband, who is, perhaps more importantly, a fantastic cook. Digger from Fools Rush In is inspired my very own Digger, our cheerful Lab mutt. We also have two cats and grieve for an occasional, short-lived beta fish.

I worked as a copywriter until I had kids and started writing fiction when my children graced my life with simultaneous afternoon naps. Writing, I surmised, was infinitely more satisfying than folding laundry, and so I started my first novel. Before long, I had finished Stalking Joe, whose title was later changed to Fools Rush In. Catch of the Day followed, winning the 2008 Romance Writers of America's RITA© award, which just thrilled me to my toes. Then came Just One of the Guys (August 08), Too Good To Be True (Feb 09), The Next Best Thing (Feb 10), and All I Ever Wanted, summer 2010. More books are in the pipeline.

I love to write books about relationships, since the search for love and security is one of the driving forces of life. And I try to focus on an aspect that’s common, if not universal, hence the “stalking” in Fools Rush In and the crush on the unattainable man in Catch of the Day. People ask if I’ve ever stalked a guy. Of course not! Jeez! Come on! It’s fiction! They also ask if I’ve ever had a crush on a priest. Of course not! Jeez! Come on! It’s fiction! As far as being crazy about one of my brother's friends, which is the plot of Just One of the Guys, well, yes to that one. But I'm not naming names. Dating a fictional man, like Grace does in Too Good To Be True? Um...can I take the fifth on that one? Whether it's my own experience or not, I try to find something we can all relate to.

When I’m not writing, I like to be with my kids, goof around with my husband, read, watch baseball, ride my bike and bake. I suffer from chronic bedhead and an unhealthy (and completely understandable) obsession with Derek Jeter, shortstop for the New York Yankees. Like Millie Barnes, I run, which provides the neighbors with some real entertainment.

We spend as much time as possible at our family home on Cape Cod, swimming in the Atlantic, shivering on the beach, swatting horseflies and watching fish evade my lure at Higgins Pond. It’s as close to heaven as it gets.(less)

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Quotes from Until There Was You

“God grant me the courage to date the men who aren't idiots, the serenity to accept the fact that many men are idiots, and the wisdom to know the difference” — 27 people liked it

“OH!” KATE GRUNTED as she sat down behind her desk.
“My side is killing me. I’m ovulating, I think. That sucker must be huge.”
“Must we discuss?” Jon asked.
“Man up, weenie boy,” Kate said.
“You man up, Venus Williams,” Jon replied. “I’m a gay home-ec teacher. I never have to man up. I never will man up. As God is my witness, I’ll never man up again.” — 19 people liked it

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