Better

Too Good #2

by S. Walden

Their relationship has been exposed, and now their lives are changed forever.

For Cadence Miller, the fast track to adulthood proves intimidating and frustrating. She’s a little girl lost—abandoned by her family and uncertain of her future. She doesn’t think she “fits” anywhere. She’s eighteen. She wants to be older. And the result is both comical and heartbreaking.

Mark Connelly will do anything to provide Cadence a stable, loving home—to be her protector. But he’s just as broken and lost, and his heart won’t let go of his past so easily. He knows he should share his secret with Cadence. He should trust that she’ll understand. But what if she doesn’t? What if their love doesn’t grow stronger?

What if it doesn’t get better?

Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Forbidden Love, College, Young Adult

376 pages, ebook

First published November 19, 2013

About the author

S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. She is the USA Today bestselling author of Going Under. When she's not writing, she's thinking about it.

She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and follow her twitter feed at @swaldenauthor.

Summer Walden

Reviews

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3 Stars*

A very sweet and insightful finish to a bold and out of the box series!

This installment delivered the finality I was hoping for, and surprised me with one of the sweetest epilogues I've read. Told in a third person perspective that alternates focus, Better takes us on a journey through the very real and uncut complications the steep age gap between Mark and Cadence presents.

What I loved most about this installment was the fact that, although Cadence and Mark are now a couple, the story retains its forbidden element and successfully stays true to its initial theme. The characters are placed in a sort of mundane day-to-day setting, and we see them struggling to make it work. Cadence's immaturity was highlighted not to become an annoyance, but to allow the story to thrive in forbidden territory. Her naïveté flaunts itself so we can clearly see just how these two puzzle pieces don't fit together in a conventional way. We are not meant to embrace this relationship with no questions asked; we are supposed to feel the discomfort and uncertainty it fuels and decide if we want to root for it anyway.

There were moments that I'm certain will frustrate the reader — namely Cadence's sudden reckless behavior: drinking, partying, staying out all night... Although it was difficult to witness her on a downward spiral of self-destruction, these occurrences served to bring the message home that she is still, in many ways, a child finding her way into adulthood, and very different from Mark.

Mark's unconditional love was the driving force of this book, for me; it pushed the story forward even through its low points. He allowed Cadence to embrace her youth and learn on her own, all while remaining her faithful protector — which is precisely what she needed. We also get generous insight as to why Mark behaved in certain ways, as his heartbreaking backstory is slowly revealed.

The religious element was still a solid theme and this time we see Cadence not fighting against, but struggling to gain back her faith. In book one, Cadence's religious upbringing seemed to intensify the 'wrong' -- whereas in this book, it helped to showcase the 'good'.

Although I didn't enjoy this addition quite as much as the first, I found it was a truly honest and sweet, sometimes emotional finish to a great series. The fantastic epilogue sealed the deal and singlehandedly made me fall in love with Cadence and Mark all over again. This author never ceases to push the boundaries of her readers by placing us smack dab in the middle of uncomfortable, controversial issues, and I appreciate my own internal battles while reading. For this reason, I'll continue to read whatever Miss Walden puts out there!

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Romance/NA
▪ Steam Caliber: Maximum
▪ Romance: Forbidden love. Complicated.
▪ Characters: Well executed. Great character development.
▪ Plot: Mark and Cadence struggle to make their unconventional relationship work.
▪ Writing: Bold, creative, and insightful.
▪ POV: 3rd Person Perspective: Alternating focus
▪ Cliffhanger: None. Final installation.
▪ HEA? Yes

*Many thanks to this author for providing Arc copy in exchange for an honest review*

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author in exchange for honest review

*****4.5~5 Too Good Stars*****

After reading Good , many questions are left up in the air: Did Cadence make a mistake in choosing Mark? Was their love real? Or was this merely a teenage crush and infatuation gone wrong? Could their love survive? And the most important questions to be answered: Is Mark good or a pedophile? Did he truly love Cadence? What happened in Mark's past?

Fear not, all these burning questions are finally answered in Better, the second and final installment of the Too Good series. First and foremost, did i like Good? Yes, I liked it . There is something about a forbidden romance between student and teacher that have always peaked my interest. Did I like Mark in Good? Hmm... In all honesty, I was on the fence with him. I will not lie and sugar coat it, I will admit there were times I liked him and really, really wanted to trust him but I questioned his true intentions and motives with Cadence. Towards the end of Good I was bordering on leaning on the idea that maybe Mark is a pedophile like he was hiding something or had ulterior motives for wanting to date a younger girl. Did I want Cadence and Mark to end up together? Well, I wasn't sure. One reason, Cadence was so young. I wanted her to have a chance to grow up, find herself, and experience life. But in the back of my mind, I was still wondering maybe she was destined to be with Mark.

Well after Good, my mind was a jumbled mess of what if's and I was left with lots of questions. And I can thank S. Walden for that. In Better, all my doubts were finally put to a rest. I finally got to know the real Mark. Like the title states, readers get a better understanding of Mark, Cadence and their relationship. I just want to thank S.Walden for taking a chance on writing a controversial book knowing readers will either love it or hate it. Well rest assured, I LOVED it. Better was the perfect conclusion to this beautiful love story of Cadence and Mark.


Better picks off where it last left off in Good. Mark and Cadence are finally living together and adjusting to this new phase of their relationship. The ever present factor of the 10 year age difference and maturity levels plays an important role as Mark and Cadence adjust and weaves through the many bumps in their journey as an official couple.

Cadence, now 18 and recent high school graduate is officially living with Mark after her father disowned her. Her mother takes sides with her father since he is the head of the household and basically treats Cadence as an outcast. Her uber conservative and religious parents thinks she is living in sin. Without the support of her parents, Cadence finds support in her friends, her brother and of course, Mark. They became her new family.

Mark lost his job as a high school teacher but he was able to find a new teaching job at a local college. His dream of getting his Master Degree is put on hold since he now has to step up to take care of Cadence. Without the financial support of Cadence parents, Mark knows he wants her to go to college and get her degree so she can fulfill her dreams opening up her own flower shop.


Questions of Mark’s past and the skeleton in his closet are finally revealed and my heart ached for Mark and understood why he kept them from Cadence. It was painful to witness Mark struggle from these memories and nightmares. When Cadence discovers his secrets and the confirmation from Mark, their relationship reaches a breaking point of TRUST. Hurtful words were exchanged and their relationship begins to crumble under pressure. Can Cadence accept his past? Can she really forgive Mark for the unkind and hurtful words he said?

Keep in mind Cadence is 18, so she wants to be like any normal college freshman. She wants to experience the “real college life” : going to parties, living in the dorm, making new friends, and of course having a relationship with her parents. I totally understand where Cadence was coming from about wanting to experience her college life but the way she went about it frustrates me. She starts off by experimenting with alcohol, going to parties, and staying out late or just not coming home which really worries Mark. So when Mark’s secrets were finally revealed, Cadence suddenly becomes reckless with her excessive drinking, partying and staying out all night. Basically, she went on a downward spiral of self-destruction and drank to the point where she just wanted to feel numb. As painful it was to witness Cadence’ destructive ways, it really reiterates the point that she is still young and immature, and that she’s still figuring out life and finding her way into adulthood.



While Cadence went through her revenge/rebellion period, I totally admired Mark. While most men would have walked away, Mark was there. He patiently waited and picked her up when she was at her lowest point. He showered her with love and force Cadence to wake up from her numb state. Mark’s unconditional love was the heart of the book for me. He allowed Cadence to embrace her youth and learn on her own. He didn't act like a father figure but instead he simply was the man who promised to love, adore, cherish, and protect Cadence. My doubts about whether Mark was good were finally answered. He is indeed a good guy. He was one of those men who took care of his responsibilities. He made sure Cadence was cared for and so it was not hard to fall for him. He was gentle, sweet, funny, understanding, loyal, sexy, smart, faithful and romantic.

The beloved secondary characters we fell in love with in Good are back and play an instrumental role in Better. I love Avery. She was one of those friends you would want to have in your life. She is sassy, funny, witty, and blunt. She will not sugar coat her opinions and will tell you how she feels. I love that she was there for Cadence and was a shoulder to lean on. Asides from Fanny, I’m happy that Cadence was able to get the support and love from Mark’s mother also. Lastly, Cadence brother, Oliver was her rock. He was there to help Cadence get out her funk. My heart ached for Oliver as he struggled with his faith and the choices he made. Overall, these secondary characters from Dylan, Avery, Fanny, Oliver, and Mark’s mother became Cadence and Mark’s family. Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile & who love you no matter what.




My Thoughts:
I loved the fact that S.Walden didn’t do the typical trilogy series but instead packed and answered all our questions of Mark and Cadence in Better. I found this book to be truly honest and sweet. It showcased flawed, imperfect, uncut, and real characters who are struggling to find a balance in their complicated yet loving relationship. I love love the epilogue. It was fantastic and beautifully well done and sealed the deal for me. It made me fall in love with Cadence and Mark all over again.

I applaud S. Walden for writing such a controversial series and pushing the boundaries of readers. The Too Good series really puts its readers on a roller-coaster of emotions. This series had everything from angst, drama, romance, humor and lots of OMG moments. I think Miss Walden did a fantastic job in balancing and incorporating all the aspects of the complicated life Cadence and Mark will have to face and eventually overcome. This series will open up your mind and take a chance on the unknown possibilities of what is truly right and wrong. Is there really a wrong answer? Or a right one? Does the age difference really matter? Well, as for the age difference, it didn't bother me since I am product of parents who have a 13 year age gap difference. I love a book that will make you think and feel and Miss Walden was able to do that. Books that make you think and feel are the ones that I will remember and hands down, this is one series I will remember. So I highly recommend everyone to pick up and read this series. Its not your typical love story but what is. At the end of the day, I think this quote sums it up best:

“LOVE isn't always perfect. It isn't a fairy-tale or a storybook. And it doesn't always come easy. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on & never letting go. It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without. Love is work, but most of all, LOVE is realizing that every hour, every minute, every second was WORTH it because YOU DID IT TOGETHER.” -Unknown


S. Walden

[Aestas Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. I wanted to like this, I really did. But for me, this just didn't have the same spark that the first book had.

Please know that it was not the taboo part of their relationship that bothered me - I loved the first book and I have loved many other books that push boundaries.

My problem with this book was that I really felt like I couldn't respect the characters' decisions. Who knows, maybe they were realistic? Maybe that is how some people would react to their situation? I don't know. But I just got overly frustrated with Mark and (especially) Cadence's decisions again and again and also felt like the religious aspects of the story were heavier here than I would have personally liked.

I guess I just felt like while there were some funny, witty scenes and a few romantic ones, that there were also a lot of scenes that just didn't hold my attention and for a good chunk of the book I felt like it was one WTF moment after another. For me, it was just too much. I liked Cadence a lot in the first book and understand that she was younger and less mature than Mark and I also get that there's no 'standard' way to act for a certain age but I just felt like she was overly immature and just generally regressed in this book.

I did still like Mark a lot in this one. He made mistakes for sure but he owned up to them and you could tell how much he cared for Cadence (despite that care bordering on creepy every once in a while, but that was to be expected given their huge age gap). He did have two WTF moments too though that rubbed me the wrong way but for the most part he was the highlight of the book for me. I just wish we'd seen more of him in it because a large portion of the focus of this book seemed to be on Cadence.

And, just randomly, I also preferred how the first book was written in first person. This book was written in third person and for some reason something about it just didn't work for me.

This being said, I'm still a huge fan of this author's writing. I love that she writes about uncomfortable topics. I love that when I read her stories I never know exactly what I'm supposed to feel. In this book I kind of went back and forth between wanting to root for Cadence and Mark and inwardly cringing. It's like this author makes me feel things that I'm not sure I'm okay with feeling but I like that her writing pushes boundaries. I loved both Going Under and Good and will absolutely be looking forward to the next book from S. Walden regardless of how I felt about this one.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better is the continuation of the forbidden love affair between a highschool student and her math teacher.

Better picks up where Good left us hanging. Cadence has made her choice and now she is learning how to live as a grownup. Better is Cadence's journey to adulthood.

All the characters from Good make an appearance in Better. We are introduced to some new characters too. Each character, in their own way, helps Cadence realize her redemption is necessary to becoming the person she wants to be.

"Pride breaks even the strongest people. It wrecks relationships, marriages, friendships. It's ugly and can warp even the gentlest hearts."-Fanny

Chapter one sets the tone of the book. Mark clears up some of the things that left readers frustrated in the first book. Having his POV made him a likable character which helped me sympathize with him. The lack of Mark's POV in the first book was a missing element for me. I didn't care for him in Good but Better changed my mind.

Thank you, Ms. Walden, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

My pre-review YES! WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE - 11/19/2013



SERIES:

Cliffhanger. Series complete

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ★'s

Mark and Cadence's relationship has been brought out in the open and after a disastrous fight with her father, she was able to escape to Mark's with the help of her brother, Oliver. Now the real work begins.

There were many elements of this series that I liked and I didn't like but it did keep me interested enough to want to keep reading and see what happened.

All the same problems I had in the first book, Good, are still a big factor in this book unfortunately. The heavy religious factor I can deal with but the immaturity was over the top. What was extremely frustrating was that there would be moments of maturity for Cadence and then she had to go and ruin it. Ugh!!

I do like Mark and Cadence together but...you just knew it was coming especially right at the beginning when Cadence is trying to fit in on the first day of college. Remember that maturity I was talking about? Well, Cadence does a good job at first. She's open with Mark and they are able to make things work for her as much as possible. But then Mark's secret comes out...and well, that all goes to hell in a hand basket.

Cadence is totally out of control and she has shut down and shut off all her emotions. I have to say that I don't really blame her. Mark said some really cruel things. But bravo for Mark in that he let her have her space...I think she really needed to get that out of her system.

Everyone and I mean, everyone, tries to snap Cadence out of it...even Fanny, God bless her heart! And even her brother getting in a car wreck doesn't do it. Finally, Mark takes the bull by the horns!! I was shocked...WTH?? But like I said, over the top!



There were still some steamy scenes...not quite as good as the first book. But it made me laugh how Mark was always trying to get Cadence to talk.

Avery is still her usual lovely self...maybe just a tad more refrained. And she has a new boyfriend but we all saw that coming.

The roller skating was hilarious but I could totally see Mark doing that. I did like the metaphor but it was sad about Mark's Dad.

A lot of things were worked out but some things seemed to be thrown in there for added unnecessary drama - what happened with Gracie? what was up with Michael? and hellllooo...what about Cadence and Carrie at the bar?? and what was the point of Drew? just to name a few.

I did like that there was an epilogue. It was great to see how they were and I loved the reenactment. But...it would've been nice to hear how Mark came to terms with the "parasites".


Favorite quotes:

♥ “Dude. Step AWAY from the shiny object.”

♥ “You saved that money for you!” Cadence interrupted.

Mark paused before replying.

“No. I saved it for you. I just didn’t know it then.”

♥ “You’re my girl. I’ll always stick up for you. Ain’t nobody gonna talk down to my shorty.”

♥ “I’m gonna love you for the rest of my life. You know that? Even when my mind goes and I’ve no idea who or where I am, I’ll know you. And I’ll love you.”

[Jessica's Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I mean it, Cadence. I fell in love with you for so many reasons. You make my heart feel. You bring joy to my life. It was never just primal attraction for me, though when I saw you on the highway that afternoon, I knew I had to have you. It was desperate feeling I hadn’t felt in so long. I went home that afternoon determined to find you. I knew no one else in the world would be able to heal my heart. It had to be you.” - Mark

Better is the second and FINAL book in the Too Good series by S. Walden and continues the story of 18 year-old Cadence and her relationship with her young, cute high school teacher Mark Connelly. Book one, Good is one of my favorite books of the year. It was everything I look for in a book and then some. I love forbidden romances and a teacher falling in love with his student would definitely rank up there as forbidden.

My Casting:



Beware of spoilers for those who have not read Good (Too Good #1).

Better picks up literally where Good left off. Cadence and Mark’s relationship has been discovered. Cadence’s parent’s confronted her and her father hit her in the face out of anger. Cadence took off and went to Mark’s apartment to get away. Better starts with Mark and Cadence waiting for her father to come get her and force her to come back home. Mark is reassuring Cadence he will take care of her, his home is now her home. He wants to start a life with her.

Mark, Mark, Mark. What can I say about him? He is pretty amazing in this book. He does EVERYTHING in his power to take care of Cadence, even putting his dreams on hold to make sure she can have hers. He loves her and wants to take care of her in every way possible. I always liked Mark and the fact he WAS Cadence’s teacher never really bothered me, he is young and fell in love with her but now he is her man and it was very sexy and loving. He definitely won me over, and I think with how much he steps up for Cadence will help win those who are skeptical of him over too.



Better is more of Cadence’s story of trying to get over struggles that are the effect of her relationship with Mark. She loses her parents, who disown her for being with Mark, her best friend, her financial stability she had with her parents, and is forced to grow up rather quickly. She has to live out her last couple weeks of high school with no one and the entire school knows about her affair with Mr. Connelly. As she starts college she begins to question if she is missing out on the “college life” and this causes even more turmoil for Cadence & Mark.

”I know” , he replied. ”I knew how sad you were from the moment I met you. And I knew my purpose was to try to make you happy. But sometimes I feel like I’ve done nothing but make your life even more painful.” -Mark

”Pride breaks even the strongest people. It wrecks relationships, marriages, friendships. It’s ugly, and can warp even the gentlest hearts.”

We knew from Good Mark was hiding a secret from his past he was not ready to share yet with Cadence… well Mark’s secret is a BIG, GIANT, DOUBLE WHAMMY of a secret. No doubt about that. Cadence finds out in a harsh way and words are said sending Cadence down a dark path. I understood her pushing Mark away, having to think things through because his secret is THAT BIG but Cadence was doing more than pushing Mark away, she was hurting herself and being selfish. After some time past (like months!) and she was still acting the way she was I started hating her myself. She was pushing everyone away including Avery (her best friend). Cadence was right to question everything she had with Mark because of his secret but I couldn’t justify her actions entirely or for much longer and wanted to slap some sense into her! I think part of it was just is too young to understand or have sympathy with Mark’s grown up secret.

”I’m just so angry with you. Its taken root in my heart, this anger. It’s grown a monumental hatred that’s made me crazy, I don’t even know who I am anymore.” -Cadence



Better is a great follow up book to Good. I don’t know if I loved it the same but I still really enjoyed the story. Though the two are no longer teacher/student their romance was still forbidden in many ways making it feel wrong. But at the same time you know how much these two love and need each other and it makes their relationship feel so right. Mark really showed me in this book how much he truly loves Cadence and even though Cadence didn’t always show it, she loves Mark and gave up her entire world, her safety net for him. It was very romantic, emotional, and very sexy all at the same time.



I love their romance and story. The ending was just what I needed to feel closure for these two characters. Too Good is a great series, I really enjoyed it and am so happy I was able to get to read Cadence & Mark’s story.

I give Better (Too Good #2) 4 Stars.



ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.




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[Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review

There are so many things that can be said about this two book series, but what comes to mind first is the creativity with which this author molded this story and created these characters. I've said it once and I'll say it again-sculpting a story around an underage romance where an adult male teacher falls for one of his female students is a damn hard thing to do. Even harder, though, is writing a story that is wholly unique in it's ideas, and Walden managed to do that with no problems whatsoever.

Mark was the kind of guy in book one that I completely fell in love with. He was sweet, kind, caring, and willing to do anything for Cadence. He risked it all by showing his feelings and taking a chance at true love. And he fell hard-consumed by his undying attraction to her, they fell head first into a forbidden relationship that no one could know about....until it all fell apart. Caught in an act of passion where Mark showed he no longer cared what the world thought of their secret affair, they were found out and forced to show their hand.

Picking up the pieces in book two, this is where we start the final stretch of Mark and Cadence's tremulous journey. Mark is no longer working for the school and Cadence is being forced to grow up quicker than she had ever anticipated. Attending college and learning what it is to be an adult, we start to see Cadence's immaturity and how this hurried transition in life is starting to effect her attitude and overall personality.

A very ugly look at her true self, indeed, I found myself more than once wishing the story would end and wondering what Mark could possibly see in this new and not-so-improved Cadence. I found myself asking that very same question in the last book as well, but never to the extent that I did in Better.

The corny dialogue that surrounded this young girl's journey to self-discovery was cringe-worthy and hard to swallow, making for a bogged down feeling as I trudged through the initial chapters. Things do begin to turn around, of course, but it doesn't change the fact that Cadence took a certain shocking and unpleasant occurrence and twisted it into an excuse to party in college and delve into 'experiments' that were better left unexplored.

Overall I did find some enjoyment in this story-I love Mark, he is a kind and caring man who would do anything for this girl he loves. That alone is enough to carry the three star rating I felt this book deserved. The epilogue was both beautiful and sweet, helping to melt the ice in my heart I had attributed to Cadence's horrible attitude and behavior in this installment. It almost made up for some of the things she did, but not completely. She still was almost unbearable. BUT...she eventually did start to grow into the woman she is suppoesd to become, and for that, I can look back on this book and smile. I will miss Mark and his understanding ways, but I am satisfied with the way the story ended-Cadence is a very lucky girl.




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[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I pick up a S. Walden book, I know it’s going to be like no other reading experience. Better, the sequel to Good, was no exception and I could not put this book down. I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, what it would be about, or what would happen and I loved how surprised I was by it.

4.5 Stars!
Since this is a sequel, I’ll try not to give too much away from this book or the first one. It started right where the first one left off, with Cadence and Mark facing a tough situation. This is the story of what happens after the good, after all the dust settles, secrets are revealed, and when insecurities threaten to take over. It’s about taking the good, the bad, and the ugly, and making it better.

Cadence


Mark


This book was a very different read from the first one. The biggest difference is that this one is told in third person narrative, while the first one was in first person from Cadence’s POV. I actually really liked this change because this was no longer just Cadence’s story but Mark’s as well. The first one was really centered on their forbidden romance and all the worry and anticipation that came with that but this one really focused on their new relationship.

“Okay, so what do you plan to do with the shining girl?” Dylan asked.
“Love her.”

I have to admit, I love how unapologetic Summer is in her writing. Cadence and/or Mark didn’t spend this whole book feeling guilty over their actions or relationship but were working to build a stable relationship together. The whole teacher-student relationship definitely isn’t condoned in this book but their actions also weren’t condemned. This is what Summer does. She’s risky and daring and isn’t afraid to push the bounds of what is deemed right or wrong in her stories.

Cadence still very much struggled with the transition from child to adult but I think this made her real. She still has so much innocence and naïvete to her. It hurt to see how her parents treated her in this one because no child, no matter what mistakes they have made, deserved to be treated like that. She has a huge heart and just wants to be loved. Her insecurities and vulnerabilities definitely came out and it was hard to watch all her self-destructive behavior. And for such a tiny person, she can be a real bitch.

“Pride breaks even the strongest of people. It wrecks relationships, marriages, friendships. It’s ugly and can warp even the gentlest hearts.”

But the whole time, I knew where she was coming from, what she was feeling, and why she was acting the way she was. Of course I wanted to shake her and yell at her to get her shit together but I think that she was just going through the stages of growing up. I think everyone can relate a little to having so much freedom you don’t know what to do with it and also wanting to lash out at the people who love you. So while I didn’t like what Cadence was doing, I could definitely sympathize with her.

Mark was amazing in this one. In the first book I wasn’t sure if it was okay for me to love him but right now, I don’t care anymore. He’s so protective and caring and thoughtful with Cadence and I loved how much he was willing to sacrifice for her. At 28 he’s still just starting out himself, working to go back to school, but he never hesitated to provide for Cadence.

I wish he had just told her the secret earlier but I can also understand why he didn’t. And holy hell, what a secret it was!! My heart definitely went out for him. Some of the things he said, made me want to slap him, but I know he only said them out of anger and then he worked hard to prove he didn’t mean them. I loved how respectful he was of her but how he also wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted. I also love that he’s kind of a dork but doesn’t care what people think about that.

“Cadence. Rhythmic. His song. His life. He decided that afternoon on the side of the road. She was his cadence.”

In the beginning, I loved seeing Mark and Cadence have happy times together. They’re such a cute couple and I enjoyed all their banter. They also have a very deep connection and I could feel it throughout the whole story. Mark and Cadence definitely made my heart pound with their smexy times and angsty drama. Despite their large age difference, Mark and Cadence do share something special and I think they both bring something to the relationship and have helped each other to heal. And they have some hilarious moments together. Here is one of my personal faves:

“What’s up?” he asked, looking at her face.
“I wanna suck your dick,” she replied. Mark froze and said nothing. Cadence grew flustered. “So…” She looked around the room. “Um, take your pants off.” Mark grinned.

This series as a whole has really made me question my own beliefs. Looking in from the outside it is so easy to pass judgment on others but these books have shown me there’s always more than one side to the story. People tried to label Mark as a predator because he ‘went after’ Cadence. But Cadence went after him just as much as he did her. They said he preyed on her because she was lonely and vulnerable. But wasn’t she only that way because her parents, the people who are suppose to love her, rejected her and punished her for her mistake?

I liked that we didn’t get to forget about the age difference between Mark and Cadence. Even though their relationship is no longer 'forbidden' in the traditional sense, it is still pretty clear how much more Mark has experienced and learned. For me, this is what made the book feel so real. Their problems didn’t just disappear and Cadence still struggled with growing up. Mark also made his fair share of mistakes but I think the both learned from them and were abel to move past them.

This book sends a deep message about family. Cadence was all but abandoned by her family but eventually found a new one. One that loved and supported her, no matter what. Through all her mistakes and anger and downright bitchiness, they stood by her. So maybe family isn’t just about blood, but finding people who will love you unconditionally. There were also a lot of religious tones in this book but I didn’t think it was preachy or too overdone.

“I wouldn’t give a shit if you did nothing but lay around all day because loving you is not about percentages: I give 50 percent. You give 50 percent. My job is to love you and give you as much as I can each and every day. Try to make it to one hundred. On my own.”

The writing was fantastic and every single one of these characters came alive. I felt like I was right there in the story and everything is felt so real. I loved watching Cadence grow up and that this really was about Mark and Cadence growing together. I think we can all relate to that feeling of being insignificant or not knowing who we are, which is one of the things that makes Cadence so likable. Everyone can find a bit of themselves in her and what she goes through.

Mark and Cadence are one of my favorite book couples because I have seen everything they’ve gone through to be together. I loved how Mark stood by her even at her worst and showed her how much value she has. Their ending was so sweet and tied their whole story together. It’s hard to let them go and I wish this wasn’t the end of their story.

Thank you to Summer for providing the ARC and Kristin Fuller for contacting me about it. This was such a beautiful, heartwarming, emotional, though provoking journey, and while I am sad it’s over, I know Mark and Cadence will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what Summer does next and I know it will likely surprise me!

“Did you hear me, Cadence?” he asked softly. “I’m gonna love you forever.”
“Oh I heard you,” she replied. “And you better.”

BTW total cover lust happening over here

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like 1.5

It's sad really. The first one I actually enjoyed. Although the ending was a slight cliffhanger I think I would of preferred if this was never written.

Better picks up right were Good left off. I like this, means you miss none of the action.

The main problem I had with this book is fully down to Mark and Cadence so I'm just going to talk about that as it explains my rating, which may be slightly harsh but honestly from first book to this? It deserved it.



Cadence has you like that throughout.

We finally found out about Mark's past and guess what? You guessed it! It's a troubled one.



Well done S. Walden never ever saw that coming.

Mark had a wife who was pregnant, gave birth, died and then to top it off the baby died.

Wow. That's a lot I mean who feels for him to have to go through that? Then of course Cadence has a preganancy scare.

So he goes off the deep end. Do I blame him? NO. I mean that must be pretty scary and horrible. He's sad and doesn't want to loose Cadence.

After working up the never to tell her about his troubled past he comes home where she has found out his past already from a box wedding rings and photos inside

He says he was going to tell her and he's sorry.

Do you know what the bitch does?

She goes out a lot. Gets drunk a lot. Makes new friends after falling out and refusing to make up with her old ones and her new friends are complete douche bags by the way.

So Cadence get's drunk a lot. Stays out a lot. Doesn't come home a lot. Mark worries a lot.

That's about it for a long time. Honestly I get it Cadence is angry he kept it from her. She should be angry for a week max then realize what he went through. He lost his family! He didn't want to lose her! He loves her!

Her old best friend Avery even keeps tabs on her and tells Mark where she is. How does Cadence repay her? By being a bitch. She says that Avery wants to be her and is trying to steal her 'story' because Avery is now dating Mark's best friend. Funny thing is Cadence and Avery are nothing a like and neither are Mark and his best friend.

So.. Cadence gets a new friend Carrie. She's a slut and bitch. They go out one night and make out at a bar. The scene cuts and next thing you know Cadence is talking about how she didn't know where things lead or what happened. Doesn't this sound like they might of had sex?

Is this ever mentioned again? Does she even feel guilty or class it as cheating? No because Carrie's a girl. Wow your so religious and immature and feel guilty about EVERYTHING. yet the one time you do its conveniently swept under the carpet.

My next problem with the book was the religious aspect. I'm atheist but I understood and liked that aspect in the first book. In this one it's overplayed. She talks about how she creates her own rules and makes her own relationship with God so she can have sex with Mark and not feel guilty then randomly tells Mark

I will always love God more than you Erm thanks?

I don't understand why this was used so much in the second book. In fact it grated on me how much it was used. The first book had it perfect this one not so much.

Cadence was also 500 times more immature. It was so over the top and annoying. Cadence is 18 at this point, I'm 17. I get that people act differently but if my older boyfriend explained that about his past would I go out drinking and make out with girls? No I'd be annoyed and angry to start with sure. Then, I'd see it from his point of view and talk to him. This never happened.

In fact the whole plot was around Mark's past and it annoyed me. His past was dark and sad yet Cadence warped it and made it seem so insignificant because of how she reacted. She made what he told her come across as small and that she was annoyed and doing it for attention.

The epilogue annoyed me as well. It wrapped things up showed us an old Mark and Cadence. He know works at a college getting his dream. Go Mark. They have two kids. Mark called them parasites though?

I would of liked to see how that was resolved.

Cadence enrolled in his class even though she should of took the one she wanted as really what are they going to do? Make flirty eyes as he teaches math and talk after class? Why couldn't she take her class that would of been at the same time and then saw him after? Or wait till he got home like normal people?

Sure it was cute for like the first day. Can you imagine her sitting there every lesson for a semester just to watch him teach?

No it just makes me want to roll my eyes.

Overall the plot was stupid. Cadence was stupid. Mark was an idiot for letting her act like that for 2 months with no consequences apart from getting smacked on the arse a few times which made her cry and say she shouldn't of done it and him say that she should behave or he'll do it again. Makes him sound like a twat right? S. Walden shouldn't add pieces for more shock value then forget about them. (Carrie make out in the bar for example)

[Miri · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I started reading this series because my boo Yahaira mention it and since I love all her choices I decided to give this a try. Ummmm where do I begin with this book! I freaking loved it. I've read taboo love stories but this series was amazingly naughty written. I love Mark! He is caring, loving, a bit of alpha male, romantic, sexy, sweet, naughty, and just sigh! Candace I loved her personality.. A bit crazy at times, pretty , funny, sweet, curious and very full of surprises. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone that wants to read it. Mark will not disappoint you... There's romance, love, lust, sex, and a beautiful love story about to people connecting, making each other happy, and understanding they heal each other! Very good story!

S. Walden can I get a novella of Mark and Candace epilogue life and how they got there!???? Pretty please! I loved the ending.. I just want more of Mark pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I'll add some Trix and a crush soda!!!!

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kind of difficult review to write because for the most part I loved Better and would give it an easy 5 stars, but then things took a turn for the worse and I felt like I was reading a different story, one I would only give 3 stars. So it has to be 4 stars for me, even though parts were less and other parts were more!

I was a mahoosive fan of Good. I loved Mark and Cadence individually and I loved them as a couple. I know people had their issues with Mark, they thought he was creepy and such, but I never once felt like that, in both Good and Better. He simply fell for a young girl, his student. Nothing more, nothing less. BUT he was hiding some things, he had his own set of secrets. Secrets that seemingly had the power to hurt Cadence and destroy their relationship. I couldn't WAIT to find out what they were.

"I don't wanna mess her up. I want her to make me a clean slate, too."

So.. we find out Mark's secrets.. and my heart breaks. I had guessed his past by the time I got to the end of Good (and I was right *does a little dance.. woo*) but there is no way that could have prepared me for it actually being revealed. Summer really wrung out all of my emotions on that scene and I felt everything. Unfortunately, at the same time this was a massive, vital part of the book, for me it was also the turning point from it being an incredible book to a what-the-hell-has-happened-to-these-characters book.

In the previous book, readers accused Cadence of being childish, she is only 18 after all, how is she meant to act? That wasn't the case for me. I never felt she was immature or acted her age, I found her wise beyond her years, especially where her relationship was concerned. Oh my word I was WRONG. From about the 56% mark until 80ish% (yes, that long), I wanted to throttle her. Mark shared his secrets, and yes, Cadence had every right to act up a little when he has kept things from her, but in my opinion she took it too far. I got tired of her attitude and failure to act responsible for her actions. I don't know what happened to her character but she was not the Cadence I knew in Good. She was a horror story. Thankfully she did redeem herself in the end, when she finally saw the error of her ways *hallelujah* but I think it may have been a little too late for me.

"I let you act like a little bitch for two straight months because I love you. I let you worry the shit out of me because I love you. I let you break my heart because I love you? And now? Now, I'm gonna beat your ass."

And that leads me directly to my next not so great point... It's hard to talk about without slight spoilers. So I'm gonna have to tag it I'm afraid.. Mark's slight Dom/BDSM tendencies are a real what the fuck moment for me. In Good, we see him and Cadence have the whole strangling episode and back then I felt it was odd, like it came out of nowhere, but I accepted it for what it was and moved on. When I came across it again in Better though I knew I had to mention it. There is a scene towards the end where Mark turns in to a crazed animal. Yes seriously. He spanks the shit out of Cadence and it comes out of NOWHERE. I honest to god don't get it. Aside from those two episodes it is SO unlike his character and actually it made me dislike him a little. Yep, all that LOL.

Aside from all of my negatives or positives I did enjoy the story, and the series, and am going to be a little sad that there is no more Cadence and Mr. Connelly.. my favourite teacher/student romance couple. I enjoyed the ending but I also wanted so much more, I felt like there were loose ends that needed tying up and major character changes that I really would have liked explained.

"I'm mad for you. I'll do anything for you. I'll take on the whole world. I'll rescue you. Always, Cadence. You tell me, and I'll do it."

*Reviewing for The Hopeless Romantics Book Blog as part of the 'Better' blog tour.*

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://booknerdsanonymous.com/2013/11...


*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

***4.5 stars***

“Because I love you. Madly. You’ve infiltrated my brain. Driven me crazy.”

When I read GOOD I knew I was in for quite the literary experience! People told me how amazing S.Walden was with her writing, so I had to see for myself. And people were right, she is an amazing storyteller. I fell in love with the idea of reading something that people were manic about, something controversial that made message boards flood with drama and cynicism. S. Walden takes risks that make you want to turn the page just to see the next hurdle into an unknown experience, and BETTER takes you on a track with many hurdles to overcome! Secrets become exposed, trust is lost, sorrows are drowned, love is made, and hearts become mended in this beautifully written conclusion to Mark and Cadence’s story.

BETTER picks up right where GOOD left off. Cadence is of course the object of her father’s disapproval, and he has proven such by giving her a nice shiner on the eye. Good goin’ Dad. Feeling betrayed, and broken Cadence becomes truly dependent on Mark, even though she adamantly tries to retain her independence. Since Mark moved Cadence in to his apartment these two have to go through the typical adjustments of living together, and learning all of the lovely things about people that aren’t pretty while living together. Mark is obviously deeply in love with Cadence, yet Cadence feels some sort of disconnect with him. Mark has a secret that he’s been holding on to for quite some time…

“I don’t wanna mess her up, I want her to make me a clean slate too.”

“She doesn’t hurt.”

“She’s just there, all the time, shining.”

Avery is back! Words cannot express how much I love Avery in this book, Avery’s fearless, opinionated, don’t-back-down attitude is awesome. Not only is this girl a great friend to Cadence she actually warms to Mark and pushes for him, proving that Avery isn’t some shallow loud mouth. She truly wants what’s best for Cadence, and her well being. Dylan, Oliver, and Fanny are back as well. I really love the relationship that Cadence has with her brother Oliver, they really seem to grow together in this book. And Fanny is just Fanny, awesome and wise as ever giving the best advice a person could give. And Dylan, Mark’s trusty old friend is a good guy with a glimmer in his eye for my favorite girl Avery. But he better be careful with that one…

“I did crack open my bible last week to read Song of Solomon, and that’s only because I’m so damn horny right now.”

“You read the Bible for smut?”

While Cadence is still trying to hold it together from her families discourse, she finds out a pretty big whopper of a secret that Mark’s been holding on to for the length of their relationship. This cripples Cadence to the soul. The hurt and betrayal runs so deep in her, that she truly believes she was and always will be Mark’s second choice. This change of events sends Cadence spiraling out of control in a desperate attempt to take away the pain. Mark tells her that she’s simple, and easy, and uncomplicated. And this, in turn makes Avery believe that she’s only there to suffice calm in his life. What she doesn’t realize is the depth of his meaning, his words scar her and she turns to stone showing no emotion except for anger and bitch—which I truly believe is an emotion in itself… bitch.

“I’m mad for you. I’ll do anything for you. I’ll take on the whole world. I’ll rescue you. Always, Cadence. You tell me and I’ll do it.”

Cadence really bothered me at this point in the book. I wanted to feel for her tremendously and I felt myself more annoyed at her immaturity. She kept rehashing the same thing over and over again and completely put Mark through hell. Yes he kept a secret. But the way Cadence punished him for months didn’t sit well with me at all. I wanted her so badly to see the bigger picture, which was that Mark’s pain was far deeper than anything she could imagine, but she refused to do that. It came off extremely selfish to me. When you love someone you put their needs before your own, and Cadence most definitely did the opposite. It was hard to see Mark sacrifice everything for Cadence without an ounce of reciprocation.

“You’ve let anger and bitterness twist your heart, Cadence. It’s made you an ugly person. You’ve gone so far backwards that I fear I’ll have to teach you how to walk again.”

When Cadence finally pulls it together, I was so happy to see her willingness to listen to great advice, and maybe even her conscience. Her and Mark have something so sweet and endearing, that I was obviously pulling for them the whole time. And when it came down to it the story had so many intricacies that I felt like a little bit of a whirlwind hit me. There are just so many interesting facets to this crazy love story! Even the biblical references didn’t bother me. I loved how the characters referenced things that were both logical and enlightening. It wasn’t preached, it was meant as a common sensibility towards life and I actually enjoyed it. Crazy, I know!

I’m so glad this series was brought before me! I truly loved it! And the ending was wrapped up so perfectly for me!! All of the characters, and events, and drama, and LOVE made this an awesome thing to be a part of. Yes, I know I’m not an actual part of the series but you get it…

“I’m gonna love you for the rest of my life. You know that? Even when my mind goes and I’ve no idea who or where I am, I’ll know you. And I’ll love you.”

[Rachel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

I ended up really liking this sequel to S. Walden's book Good. Typically, most story continuations tend to lose me, but I was riveted throughout this entire story!

With the semi-cliffhanger ending of Good, I was glad to get some answers about what happened to Cadence and Mark right off the bat. Cadence and Mark are able to remain together despite the taboo surrounding their relationship. All too quickly, Cadence is thrown into an adult world when quite frankly, her parents had done everything they could in the past to raise and keep her childlike and dependent on them. Cadence's struggle throughout the book on the concepts and ideas of what it means to be an adult was my favorite part. Granted, I don't think she handled everything in the most mature manner, but freshman year of college is hard enough as it is without all the baggage that had been dumped on Cadence. Freshman year at college is the time in a person's life where they are trying to figure out what to do, where to fit in and what they want. Cadence just had a very extreme version of this experience.

As a reader, I loved that we finally got some insight into Mark's thoughts. One of the most frustrating things for me about Good was I never really could see where Mark was coming from and what his true feelings and intentions for Cadence were. Walden remedied this in Better, going over past events in Mark's thoughts and portraying to the reader his tragic past and his hopes for the future with Cadence. Mark is not the perfect guy, not at all. In fact some things he said to Cadence in this book had me wanting to scream at him, but his undying faith and devotion to Cadence and their relationship ultimately won me over in the end.

The epilogue, while I was glad it was there, there is a small part of me hoping S. Walden will fill in the blanks as to how the characters got to that point. Another book in the series please?

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope. Don't feel any better about their relationship. At times I wished that she would just shut the hell up. She is too immature to have this kind of relationship and it felt like she was playing house, not planning a future with the love of her life. And the epilogue went against what happened in the book which was confusing to me but this whole book could have been an epilogue at the end of the first book. Waste of time and energy. 1 star.

[Ailene♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite disappointed. What's happening with sequels these days? Review to come.

[Jessica Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to take this series and eat it. I want to squeeze it while I sleep. It's like a tangible thing I want to hold in my hands and not let go of.

The characters in this book are perfect. If perfectly flawed, sad, broken sinners can still be considered perfect anyway. They are certainly perfect to me. Mark Connelly might be one of my favorite fictional characters. Ever. I love every word out of his mouth, every nerdy, sexy thing he says and does. Every mannerism and tick and imperfection. I love love love him. Cadence is a mess. And I couldn't adore her more than I do. She is immature and spunky and lovely. I want to be her best friend. But I also want to steal her boyfriend.

The entire cast of characters in this book are perfectly thought out and developed. Avery and Dylan are perfectly placed in this story, adding such a critical component to this story. It brings so much perspective to the way I looked at Cadence and Mark's own relationship. I love the dynamic between these characters, the witty banter between them, how different they are from one another. Cadence's relationships with her brother, her parents, her new classmates, Mark's mother and her circle... it's refreshing and different. S Walden is phenomenal in the way she creates such complex personalities in her characters. I was never bored. I laughed constantly. And they broke my heart. Perfectly.

Why did I love this book so much? Why can I clearly set it apart from all other teacher/student relationship books? I love taboo relationships, I love teacher student forbidden romances. But Better is better than the rest. In many of the other stories I've read of this kind, I'm obviously rooting for the couple to make it out unscathed. And they always do, I always get my happily ever after. But somewhere in those other stories, the dynamic changes and you forget how forbidden this relationship actually is. Whether the female is more mature than every one else so naturally this older man is attracted to her. Or the male teacher is fresh out of college and there's only a 3 or 4 year age gap so it's not that big of a deal. Or the student is the aggressor and so the male is easily absolved of his faults. I could go on and on...

Better breaks the mold. Better reminds you that it is a big deal. This relationship feels wrong. Cadence isn't mature. She's your typical confused teenager, she's lost and vulnerable. And Mark is significantly older than her. And he is the aggressor, he's ballsy and direct and his desire to consume Cadence borders on uncomfortable at times. And that is why this book, this series is different. And better than the rest. You never forget how inappropriate this relationship is. And while they do work, you want them together, you want their happily ever after, you never take for granted why this relationship shouldn't work.

When Better picks up, Cadence is ready to start college. S Walden could have easily started off this book with Cadence's transformation into an independent, mature woman amidst a relationship with her somewhat older but equal boyfriend. But she didn't. She never lets you forget that Cadence is young and immature and inexperienced. The relationship never falls into a comfortable normal. You never take for granted the drastically different places these two people are in their lives. You consistently feel the gravity of that age gap. You never stop questioning how this can work. You never stop wondering what Mark's true intentions are with Cadence. He consistently teeters the line between this devoted lover who worships the woman in his life, and the older teacher who gets off on the fact that his girlfriend is barely an adult. You are never allowed to forget how imbalanced this relationship is. Cadence remains this naive immature teenager, the young naive girl dependent on her dominant alpha counterpart.

I read this book with a stomach full of unease. I waited for the bottom to fall out the entire time. And when it did, it was perfect. It was painful and raw but it was real. Mark is older. He has secrets and a painful past and he uses the fact that Cadence is young to defend his right keep secrets from her. Cadence is young, and she's already on shaky ground, so uncovering Mark's past sends her exactly where you'd expect an eighteen year old college student to go. Her rebellious behavior, her binge drinking, her flirtation and curiosity about other guys (and girls) was uncomfortable and painful but it was honest. Mark's hurtful words thrown out in the heat of an argument mixed with Cadence's juvenile coping tactics add the perfect angst I crave so much.

I'm redundant but I'll say it again. This book is perfect. It is the perfect portrayal of what a teacher student relationship should look like but rarely ever does in other books. The relationship isn't suddenly rainbows and sunshine because the teacher gets a new job and the student graduates. The obstacles never cease. The teacher in this book never stops being deemed a predator. Even when the name calling stops. And the outsiders back off, Mark still feels predatorial inside the relationship.

Readers who didn't love Good didn't love it because they were uncomfortable. They didn't like the vulgar way Mark spoke to Cadence in the coat closet. They didn't like being reminded of how wrong that relationship was. They think they like the idea of a teacher falling for his student, but when that relationship didn't rapidly fit in a perfectly wrapped box of appropriateness, they grew disgusted and left bad reviews. Better doesn't let you forget how wrong this relationship was. in some ways, it still is. We're not supposed to gift wrap it. It was wrong. We're supposed to be uncomfortable with Mark and Cadence being together. It's never supposed to sit right. We're always supposed to question whether Mark is with her because he loves her, or if he's there because she's innocent easy prey. Once you get comfortable with how uncomfortable it all is, then you'll really get it. This relationship will never fit in a box. It's not supposed to. It's beautiful in it's ugliness. And I loved every bit of it.

[Deborah G. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This second & final installment of the series was painful for me to read. I wanted to throttle Cadence throughout most of the story, so to finish this was quite the achievement for me. Mark & Cadence are living together, he pays most of the bills & she is going to university. She misses her family in spite of the fact that they disowned her. With the exception of the occasional visit with her brother, there has been no contact. An argument with Mark sets her off & produces a very nasty version of herself. She drinks heavily with two new friends from school, goes AWOL for days causing Mark to panic & wonder if something awful has happened to her & eventually she turns on her best friend Avery. Her petulance, lack of consideration for Mark & pretty much everyone else had my fingers twitching & forming fists. By the 75% mark I was so fed up with her questioning her God & how he/she could allow all the bad things happening to her. I understood where her pain was coming from; insecurities about Mark's secret, losing the family she's always known & also a good dose of reality from her best friend. Sometimes we are not ready to hear the truth. She, like many children raised in a strict environment, go crazy once they are free. My problem with Cadence
was her deep level of immaturity. I was almost willing Mark to kick her to the curb & let her live on the streets. He, for the most part, let her live out this wild phase for a few months before finally saying enough. He loved her & wanted the "old" Cadence back. This book has just as many religious references as the first, which did irk me, but Cadence, she got on my very last nerve.
As overly dramatic as this book was, the author portrayed the relationship with a ten year age gap very well. Mark, the wise & patient part of this duo, found a way for both of them to get on a path of forgiveness. He was the best part of the entire series.

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better by S Walden
3 stars!

“…be quick to forgive and slow to anger.”

I absolutely loved Good, the first book in this series. I adore stories of student/teacher relationships, that forbidden romance and S Walden’s writing certainly captivated me with Good. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Better as we continue the story of Mark and Cadence. As usual S Walden’s writing is beautiful and flawless but I must admit, I did struggle with the first 50% of this book, I found it slow and it just didn’t grab my attention like S Walden usually does, but the last 50% evoked a totally different emotion altogether.

I totally fell in love with Mark in Good and he only gets better in Better (pun intended). He is so thoughtful, caring, considerate, loving and is willing to do anything for Cadence, even sacrificing his own education so that he could put her through college as her parents had disowned her. After the explosive way in which their relationship was revealed in Good, they are left to pick up the pieces in Better. Mark has lost his job at the school and is now out of work and looking for a job so that he can support himself and Cadence, especially now that they are living together. With a new life comes new responsibilities and Cadence certainly has a problem when it comes to adapting. She shows her maturity in some ways and then in others we see the true immature 18 year old that she is.

“And he knelt before her in reverence, his head bent, hands folded in supplication. He said a silent prayer that she would always love him, always open herself to him and trust him completely.”

The second half of this book is where Mark’s secret is revealed, however I had realised what this secret was in Good and was glad when my previous suspicions were confirmed. However, Cadence’s reaction to this was just dumbfounding. She morphed before my very eyes into a very immature, spoilt, selfish, shallow person and this was not the Cadence that I had grown to love. In Good she was wise beyond her years but in this one, she just totally confused me. I could understand why she was upset but to drag this out for 2 months and use it as an excuse to do some of things she did was truly pathetic and incredibly annoying and it was something that had me shouting at my kindle and wanting to throttle her. How Mark stood back and watched this melt down and yet still loved her amazed me and it goes to show how deep and meaningful his love is for Cadence, any other man would have walked away. If I am being incredibly honest, the secret wasn’t even that bad anyways and in all honesty, if he had mentioned it at the start it all could have been avoided, but there you go, you wouldn’t have this story if he did. It makes for some entertaining reading.

“Pride breaks even the strongest people. It wrecks relationships, marriages, friendships. It’s ugly and can warp even the gentlest hearts… it’s happening to you. Your pride – if you cannot check it, if you cannot learn to break it, if you cannot learn to forgive Mark – your pride will be your undoing. It will destroy you and Mark.”

There is also one part of this book that came out of nowhere, it was so far out of left field it was a totally WTH moment, it totally didn’t sit right with Mark’s character and I actually had to re-read to make sure I was reading correctly. There was another similar scene in Good and I actually thought it was a one-off but again, it rears it’s ugly head in Better too. I personally felt that this was merely added for effect as it didn’t suit the character at all, I get all men have their alpha tendencies but this was a bit too much and actually made me feel a bit sick.

“I gave you your space and time because I love and respect you. I let you act like a little bitch for two straight months because I love you. I let you break my heart because I love you. And now? Now, I’m gonna beat your ass.”

I loved Avery and Dylan in this book, they have both changed sooooo much and it was great to see them both tied down in this book, who would have thought!! Also, Cadence’s brother, he was such a sweetheart in this book, his fierce protection of Cadence had me laughing and swooning all at the same time, he is such a cutie and I can see he is going to be a whole heap of trouble when he grows up.

Overall, I liked it, but didn’t love it, but I have loved Mark and Cadence’s story as a whole. I am sorry to see their story come to a close. I loved the epilogue, but would have loved to have read more as I feel there is still so much more to know between the end of the book and the epilogue. I feel that area needed to be explored further.

A fab author though and I cannot wait to see what S Walden delivers next.

www.theromancecover.com

ARC received for an honest review

[Kelly 'Perusing Princesses blog' · Rating 4 out of 5]

RELEASE DATE CONFIRMED AS NOVEMBER 19TH

*ARC was kindly gifted by the Author for an honest review for Perusing Princesses Blog at: www.perusingprincesses.com *

“Loving you is not about percentages: I give 50 percent. You give 50 percent. That’s bullshit. My job is to love you and give to you as much as I can each and every day. Try to make it to one hundred. On my own.” - Mark Connelly

‘Better’ is another beautifully written, honest, passionate love story with a flair of the forbidden between two unlikely characters. It continues the journey of Mark and Cadence’s intimate relationship, taking you through the myriad of emotions that derive from the moment ‘Good’ ends with Cadence being disowned by her parents, to the reality of what it takes to live in the real world, with adult responsibilities.

At only eighteen, Cadence has had to say goodbye to a comfortable life she once knew, and embrace her future with Mark Connelly; her lover and former calculus teacher. The notion that they were still very much involved in a forbidden relationship remained integral to this second installment, as they continuously battle against derision from the local ‘church going’ community.

Her best-friend Avery is still furious with her after being caught by their parents due to Gracie’s damning revelation. With only a few weeks left at school until graduation, Cadence is still coming under scrutiny from her classmates and teaching staff, all the while sporting a black eye - a parting gift from her Father.

Mark has lost his job and with a girlfriend now living under his roof, he is adamant that this slip-up will not come in the way of their relationship as he sets out to prove his love for Cadence is unconditional and forever. There is just one problem, he is hiding a crucial part of his past from her and he is scared of the consequences when she eventually finds out.

With tensions running high, its not long before the once ‘almost’ perfect union between student and teacher takes a detour into darker territory when Cadence happens to stumble across a clue that rips the floodgates wide open. Coupled with a sense of betrayal and heartbreak she questions everything she thought they had, and the part she plays in Mark’s life.

College has started and frat party invitations are aplenty. Cadence, along with a new group of friends gravitate her into a downward spiral of self-destruction.

Mark wants his sweet Cadence back, and he knows what he has to do, he just hopes in time if she will ever learn to forgive, and help him...forget!

*

I loved this two-part tale of forbidden romance. There is always something so taboo about a teacher and student coupling that makes for such a riveting story as the sequences of events unfold and consequences meet you at every turn. I can’t help but be a sucker for them. S.Walden is a brilliant writer who is a master at emotional projection. But what really shined is her ability to pull off a third person narrative with first-person scenes from Mark’s POV, which gave more depth to the story and his character.

For me, this journey has always been told in Cadence’s voice but Mark really is the hero of this story. I love everything about him. In one moment he can be the sweetest, most supportive boyfriend on the planet and the next he is all hot-alpha male who can charm your pants off with just words alone.

I love Avery’s crassness, she is a breath of fresh air and isn’t shy of the ‘C’ word. I normally hate that word but in the context that the author uses it with regards to her characterisation, it just works - to the point that it had me chuckling out loud on a few occasions.

Overall, this is a fabulous tale of two lovers who should never have been, but work in all the areas that matter. It isn’t sordid in any way. I didn’t feel any immorality by reading it. In-fact give me a Mr Connelly any day! He has such a good heart that it’s impossible not to fall for his charms.

The Epilogue... can I just say, ‘sheer beauty!’ <3

So, why not a five? I think it was because by 70% I wanted to strangle Cadence’s neck! Her ‘downward spiral’ just seemed to go on for a little too long for my liking which highlighted her immaturity. This is just my personal opinion so therefore many of you may feel different about it, so please don’t quote me on it!

Read ‘Good’ and ‘Better’ if you have a penchant for forbidden romance stories that incorporate the feel of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet twist.

4-Crowns.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

SUCH a let down! :( Its drama drama drama and Cadence getting drunk and/or blasted for like 75% of the book!!! I hate reading tons of crap about peoples shitty lives and poor choices! Reading is my escape from irl shit. Guh. I know she was 18 but really she was bat shit crazy and immature the whole time.
I get keeping the secret from her was bad and saying she had no history was even crappier, but leaving her after a pregnacy scare in the first book was WAY worse imo. Boooo :(
Its probably more of a 1 star for me but since I loved the first so much it was nice to know they had a HEA...

[All Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't care what anyone says. I love these books. S. Walden is amazing and I am obsessed.
MICHELLE'S REVIEW
Better is the second and final installment in the story of Cadence and Mark. You must read Good before you read Better. And if you don't read these books, you are missing out.

I literally do not know where to begin with this review. I was so excited about this book and when the ARC showed up in my inbox I was like:


So here's the thing. I loved Good. It was so different from other books that I had read. I've read a lot of teacher/student romances and some of them are my favorite books. And Good was no exception- it was easily one of my favorite books of the year. I put Good in the same category as other forbidden romance stories, but in a lot of ways this series goes above and beyond being a teacher/student forbidden romance. All of the elements of those types of books are there but this takes it to another level. Of course I should say- it's not illegal in anyway BUT it definitely pushes the boundary. In Better- we are sort of over the things that make their relationship taboo and despite how excited I was, I just wasn't sure how it was going to drag me in the way Good did.

I should have never doubted for a second...

When we left Cadence and Mark in Good, their relationship had been exposed but in many ways was stronger than ever. Cadence's parents, specifically her dad, had driven her to Mark who was happy to have her in a permanent way.

Better picks up right where we left them as Cadence's dad comes trying to force her back home. The rest of this book really focuses in on Mark and Cadence and especially the parts of Mark's past that he has been hiding. I think for me, I kind of pieced together some parts of his past along the way but just hearing the actual story ripped me apart.

But unfortunately it also causes issues for them and a large part of this story is about Cadence sorting her feelings- not always in a healthy way. In fact I was really surprised by the direction the middle of the story took. But it was so well written, so well done- AMAZING.

This is where S. Walden BLOWS ME AWAY. When Mark and Cadence are good- she has the ability to make you forget their age difference. But then she goes and writes these pieces of the story where Cadence's age is so obvious and Mark's love for her despite that is so great and all you can do is a lot of this:


I did have a little trouble with how Mark snaps Cadence out of her crazy spell but even that was done in such a way that makes me want to meet SWald and just be like:

because it pushes boundaries and forces you to get out of your romance novel comfort zone and I LIVE FOR IT.

It is so hard for me to tell you how much I loved this book without gushing. There are so many times that SWald could have taken the easy road out. She set up perfect moments for cheating, or for Cadence's age to win out, or Mark's past to ruin them. But instead she chose to make their road- all the ups and downs- completely about them and it was PERFECTION and not always what you would expect.

All of the relationships in this were amazingly written- whether they were good or bad. I loved the relationship Cadence had with Mark's mother. I thought that Avery and Cadence's relationship was one of the best things about the book. For one thing- I loved how they interacted with one another but again, their ups and downs are such a huge part of what proves that S. Walden is a writing goddess. I loved the brother/sister moments we got in this book and even the turmoil of Cadence's relationship with her parents was amazingly done. The only thing that threw me was the stuff with Grace. I thought more might come out of that and when it didn't I just found myself wondering what the point was. But I can honestly say that was one of the only moments I was not totally obsessed with every single word of this book.

As I said in Good, the whole battle of Christianity in this book is one of my favorite parts. It's simply magnificent and just makes you think about the difference between Christianity and Christians. It may not be a big deal to some but it really sticks out to me.

The epilogue was beyond anything I could have imagined. I loved that she took us out a few years so we could really get a glimpse of the future.

Sorry- I tried not to gush but its impossible with this book and this series because it is SO DAMN GOOD. In fact, the Good got even Better!

Seriously- just read this series.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book to a series. If you haven’t read the first book, don’t read this review - but even if you have read the first book, procceed with caution as this will most likely contain spoilers.

I’m going to start off by saying that, for me, the first book was a work of art. I adored it; I thought it was worthy of more than a five star rating! It was everything I could ever want in a novel of this genre.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for this book - in fact, I actually struggled to rate this - I deliberated between three stars and four and then settled for a 3.5. I adore the pairing in this series and wanted to read more about them but I don’t think that this book was exactly necessary; I think that the story could’ve been wrapped up in the first novel by adding just a little bit more. I understand the desire to develop Cadence and Marks' relationship, but I don’t think that this novel really did that - it felt like it was taking the couple back a few steps, and in the end I didn’t ship them quite as much as I did at the start. There were some gorgeous things within this novel (which is why it has a fairly high rating considering my dissatisfaction) and as a whole, I did enjoy it. However, I did feel that there were large chunks of this book just weren’t necessary or seemed repetitive.

It seemed to me that there was too much focus on the trials and tribulations of their relaitonship - moreso than there were when they were just getting together and learning about one another. It seemed that, the closer they got, the more they argued - and for me I felt that it was just uneccessary to have this happen. Whilst I appreciate the realistic aspect of "things don't always work out", I feel it could've been approached a different way than making them bicker over silly, petty things. By the end, I actually found myself skipping over the arguments because they were repetitive and they weren't going anywhere; the same argument happened at least four times throughout the entirety of the whole thing and that just isn't cool to read over and over.

I also feel like the characters were painted really immaturely in this novel - Mark is supposed to be fully grown and at his height in maturity, but he seemed somewhat childish in this. And don't get me started on Cadence! She stepped back from an adult to a 13 year old. When she found out Mark's "big secret", she acted like the biggest, selfish brat. The way she acted genuinely irked me and took out so much enjoyment for me.

That being said, I do think the novel has many redeeming qualities and is worth a read if you can look past petty arguments and childish behaviour. It did have some redeeming qualities, which were why I kept on reading.

For one, I was interested to see the ending and where that left the pair. Thankfully, the ending wrapped everything up nicely for me and I was satisfied with it - it felt worth it to go through the quite irritating turns of events to get to this ending, which actually left me with a smile on my face. I was thoroughly happy with the ending and it restored my faith in the pairing, the series and frankly the author - so I'm happy with that; it really is worth all of the tediousness of the rest of the novel.

I'm also in love with the writing style that this author uses - it's descriptive (though not overly so) and it flows really, really well. It's a mature writing style too, so it doesn't feel like I'm reading something really simple (which is something I often see in teacher x student novels - the writing always seems somewhat naive and basic/plain), but I loved the way the author described everything from physicalities to the characters feelings; it helped me feel as if I was there with them on the rollercoaster and that was a really brilliant thing for the novel to have.

To be honest, this novel was more good than bad - it's just that I felt the bad needed to be discussed. I did like the novel and think it's worth the read because of the writing, the characters redeem themselves, the dynamic is quite intense and it's a thoroughly capturing read. That, and I finished this with a smile on my face and that's definitely a few bonus points - so win, win.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

~5 AWKWARD YET SOMEHOW SEXY STARS!!!~

*starts singing* "If its wrong I don't wanna be right..." So I know this series was slightly controversial because of the age/religious angle but honestly I just couldn't muster enough energy to be outraged by it. I love this series and I feel like shouting it from the rooftops! I don't care how wrong it seems.



Better is the the follow up to Good and it picks up exactly where the 1st book left off. Cadence's parents have just discovered that their 18 year old daughter has been having an ongoing affair with her high school calculus teacher and let's just say, they didn't take it well. However, her father's sudden outburst of violence proved to be rather serendipitous. Cadence threatens to report her father's assault if he tries to have Mark arrested. Once that little hurdle is overcome, Cadence realizes she has nowhere to live, no way to support herself, and no family. But she does have something far more valuable...a man who loves her unconditionally and would literally do anything for her. *cue dramatic sighing and sobbing*

Mark invites Cadence to move in with him, and helps her navigate through all the rites of passage into adulthood like filling out tax forms or buying a crappy car or picking out bed linens at Bed Bath and Beyond. It's all so hilarious and heartwarming because we've all been through that awkward stage of not being an adult just yet but you're still not quite a child anymore. And Mark is there every step of the way helping her even if it means putting his own life/goals on hold. I swear this guy was absolute perfection and he was not just book boyfriend material. Oh no, this man was promoted to book HUSBAND material. Seriously, if you find a man like this you marry him.

However, their relationship is not without conflict. They still suffer from embarrassment over their age and the circumstances of their relationship, mainly Cadence. And Mark, had some serious guilt and pain over something that happened in his past, something that threatens his relationship with Cadence. Once the secret was revealed though, it was at this point that I got a little annoyed with Cadence. Her wallowing, self-pity, bitchiness, and her determination to make everyone, especially Mark suffer went on a little long and felt unjustified. She carried her pain around like it was the most important thing in the world and used it as a weapon to lash out at people. I know she's had her fair share of pain and we shouldn't compare one's hurt to another's, but sometimes one person's pain IS worse than another's. And what Mark went through WAS worse than anything Cadence experienced IMO. I just wanted her to get her shit together and stop hurting everyone around her simply because she felt betrayed, and show a little more compassion.

One of the things I love about S. Walden's writing his her ability to write dialogue that actually sounds like a real conversation two people might have. It's snappy and witty, and offers just the right amount of quirkiness that makes me laugh out loud at times. Also, the sexytimes are impossibly hot and that is always very much appreciated. And just like Good had an "OMG what is going on?! I'm so confused and yet simultaneously turned" on moment, Better did as well. Some people will hate it and I completely understand why, but others might enjoy it. I wasn't bothered in the least because honestly, she had it coming and I found it weirdly hot. Oh well. Also the ending and epilogue had to be one of my favorites ever, it was the most perfect ending for Mark and Cadence. Overall, I loved this book and I'm hoping Avery gets a book as well (hint hint) and would recommend this to anyone who isn't squicked out by student/teacher romances involving a 17 and 28 year old.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better. What a perfect title for a FANTASTIC book. Some may say it’s taboo…a student/teacher relationship, they may feel uncomfortable and dismiss immediately. Well, I loved Cadence and Mark in Good and could not wait to see where their story would lead in Better. Just WOW. I was blown away.

“She’s just there, all the time, shining.”

I loved this book so, so much. It wasn’t wrapped in shiny paper with a sparkly bow on top...it was raw. You feel, you hurt, you cry, you laugh and most of all you learn. Life is not perfect. You are shocked and stretched to lengths that may make you feel uncomfortable. This is a student/teacher relationship after all. But Mark loves Cadence and Cadence loves Mark. They were meant for each other.
They are up against so many challenges in this novel. Mark has not had it easy and Cadence is still growing up. You travel on their journey along with them and I found myself in awe over the words S. Walden brought to life.

“Cadence. Rhythmic. His song. His life….She was his cadence.”

You watch Mark struggle with the secrets of his past. You watch Cadence try to come to terms with the broken relationship with her parents. You struggle with the logic that their relationship should be taboo, yet you can’t imagine them not being together.

“Do you even understand the definition of a gift? It’s given freely. No strings. No expectations. No payback.”
“Why,” she whispered.
“Because I love you. Madly. You’ve infiltrated my brain. Driven me crazy.”

The big age difference between these lovers definitely adds some shock value, but you're never painted a false picture or led to believe that these characters are what they’re not. You know Mark is older, more mature, and has had real life experiences. You know Cadence is young, immature, and lacking guidance in her life. But what you learn is that two people can complete each other and fit together perfectly even if their lives aren’t perfect.

Summer Walden pushes the envelope. She writes about things that take you out of your comfort zone and make you feel, learn, grow, and most of all, for me, she made me think. I thought about life, God, relationships, judgment, and love. I learned that love is necessary, it is “Better than hope…Better than faith…The greatest thing.”

5 Good, Better, AMAZING stars!!!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am really torn on how to rate this book. On one hand, the motivations for why 28-year-old math teacher Mark pursues 17-year-old Cadence are fully explained and understandable. The secret devastation in his past perfectly explains why he would seek out a partner who was essentially a blank canvas, bended and folded to his will and needs.

What is messed up about this story is that the Mark/Cadence relationship is presented as true love and not allowed to completely self-destruct once the cracks in the facade emerge. At several points in the story, it was blatantly obvious that the relationship was completely unhealthy...at one point, there is a scene in which Cadence pummels and slaps Mark and he responds by punishing her by beating her bottom until it was red with white handprints. At that point, I began to wonder if this was truly sick or if the author was just trying to shock the reader, but it was later dismissed with laughs by some of the characters.

I question whether the ending of this story is really true to these characters. I think this story would have been much better if they had fully split apart and gotten back together in a third book say when Cadence was 25 and Mark was 35 and the relationship wasn't started based on a foundation of quicksand.

I was disappointed that the epilogue left them married 16 years later with teenagers of their own. I think this jumped ahead too far and too much good storytelling was left untold.

Comments on second read (7/29/14):
On second read, it really bothered me how the Christians in the book were depicted as good if they approved of Cadence and Mark's relationship and bad if they did not. It seems like poor storytelling to put things in black and white and not show the grey. There were plenty of good reasons why good people would object to this relationship between an 18-year-old girl and her former HS math teacher aged 28.

[Yahaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the Perfect follow up to Good. She couldn't have made it better, oh wait she did at 83%(Consequnces). We already know from Good that this is a Teacher/Student relationship with mutual consent. So if the age difference or topic of Church bothers you, you are on the wrong side of the library.

I found myself very upset with Cadence many times but quickly I remembered how young and innocent she still was. Oh Shut Up. Just because she was fucking her teacher didn't mean she still wasn't innocent. The girl didn't even know how to give a BJ. That cracked me up. Every sister deserves a brother like Ollie and a Fanny in their lives. Mrs. Connelly you get props for the way you defended and stood up for your son and also for serving as a Mom to Cadence. Yup her parents are even bigger Assholes and Gracie is still a little Twat. The Church Ladies...that was a trip. "Gawd made whiskey" LMAO

As for Mark...Oh Mr. Connelly you Hawt bastard. You came(many times), You saw(with eyes wide opened), You conquered(that little pussy). He took responsibilities for his actions and stepped up to the plate like the man he is. Cadence is one lucky girl.

S Walden, thank you for being a part of our Group chat and answering questions. I'm sure you think we are all crazy but that's your fault for giving us Mark&Cadence, the closet scene, 93% in Good, the Epilogue, did I already mention Mark...Gaaahhhh. I'll just keep reading your work. I'm not a Prude(LoL) More "Consequences" Please!!

[Lara Kareem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lol, I love them, although I was a lot annoyed.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

4.5 "Sweet Cheeks" Kisses

I am in shock...awe...and amazement. I knew Mark and Cadence had a tough road left ahead of them...I knew it was going to be far from easy...but wow. There was so much to their story...so many aspects I didn't anticipate...difficult barely scratches the surface. But I am so proud and happy of their journey. First of all, if you have not read Good – drop everything because you MUST read it! It’s the first book in the Too Good Series and…you have to read Good to understand Better.

Cadence Miller...my sweet little Cay, I don't know what to make of her this time around. I mean...she's 18...she's still naïve and inexperienced and being forced to deal with some very adult choices and situations. I felt aggravated by some of her choices and nativity but it was easy to forgive because...she honestly doesn't know any better! It might be frustrating or something that I would never do, but it was fitting with Cadence’s character and who she is. I still had this unending need to hug her, help her, fix her! I felt bad for her because although she is struggling with what's going on she is surrounded by people who want to help her. She just doesn't know what to do with that help. That might have been the most frustrating part too…

“Be quick to forgive. Slow to anger.”

Mark Connelly...ok, so I was concerned about his secret, especially after the way Good ended. It scared me...I was worried I wasn't going to be able to get over it…or even worse, that Cadence wasn’t going to be able to get over it. I was smart to worry. It was bad...prolly worse than I expected but the way he handled telling Cadence was epically worse than I could have ever imagined. BUT…the way Mark handled Cadences’ reaction to his secret was a MILLION times past my expectations. Where some guys would have given up he didn’t. I have no idea where he got the patience to deal with her antics. She gave him every opportunity to move on...but he loved her too much. *sigh*

‘“But you know what?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“I wouldn’t give a shit if you did nothing but lay around all day because loving you is not about percentages: I give 50 percent. You give 50 percent. That’s bullshit. My job is to love you and give to you as much as I can each and every day. Try to make it to on hundred. On my own.”
“You usually do,” Cadence said, smiling.
“Then I must be doing something right.” He winked at her.’

So I talked about their journey...there are no words to fully explain it. This is one of those stories that needs to be experienced firsthand to truly convey the emotions. The angst is pretty rough...I was hurting for him, I was hurting for her (even if I thought she was making it more difficult!)...there was just no escaping the hurt. There are so many scenes that are rough to get thru...one very specific one towards the end. I don't want to spoil it because it's the pinnacle of everything they have gone thru. The point where all the hurt that they have both experienced over the past few months is laid on the line and they have to deal with it. It's different...it's a physical expression of their emotional pain...and both of them go thru it. And the way the come out the other side is...beautiful. There are many different ways the scene can be taken but if you look at it the right way you will see it for what it is...a pure, heartfelt expression of love. It's not conventional but then again neither are Mark and Cadence.

‘He only saw her. She was all that mattered.’

So on top of hurting for them in their relationship you're also hurting for Cadence because her friendship with Avery is strained...her relationship with her parents is non-existent...her brother is struggling without her...your heart is just pulled in all different places. This is mainly a story about Mark and Cadence but it's also Cadences’ journey into her life as an adult. What she is like after high school, after her parents and what she wants her future to be like. Seeing her grow and become a stronger person, getting more confident and more of a back bone...exploring her sexuality with Mark, learning to make new friends and seeing that maybe not everyone has the best intentions. There are two people we meet that prove that point...Michael and Carrie. Their influence and the parts they play in the story while...sucky are crucial to Cadences’ process.

‘Cadence lifted her face to him. Eye to eye, and she thought she’d drown in his. Stormy seas with one purpose s- to sweet her up and sink her deeper and deeper into his love. She would go there, to the bottom of his ocean, stay there a lifetime as long as she could keep feeling this.
“Say it,” he whispered.
“I love you.”
He smiled brightly.
“I’m mad for you. I’ll do anything for you. I’ll take on the whole world. I’ll rescue you. Always Cadence. You tell me, and I’ll do it.”’

There was an interesting change that I did not expect from Good to Better...the POV. I knew we were going to see a lot more from Mark’s POV but we got more than that. It was like third person but we got everyone's inner thoughts. Which...said like that sounds like it has the ability to be very confusing - it wasn't! The writing was clear and concise...I always knew whose head I was in...I enjoyed having the little bits of info we got from each characters thoughts. We might only be in someone’s head one time, but what we gain is worth it and pertinent. I felt like no detail was left out and I really appreciated that. While the story is always moving forward we do skip around in time a little bit…which, there were parts I liked and parts I didn’t. The parts I liked - going back in time and getting Mark’s thoughts on different things that happened in Good - no, I didn’t like that, I loved that! Totally enriched those memories and made them that much more special. Getting that insight was amazing for me. Then, there was skipping forward in time, which did happen occasionally...it might be a few days, it might be a few weeks...it might be more than a few weeks. Now don't get me wrong I don't expect for every moment to be catalogued at all and for the most part that didn't bother me too much but there were some pieces of time when a little more explanation would have been nice. It didn’t stop me from feeling the emotion or understanding what was going on with the story…but I guess I am one of those readers where I like all the little details, so if everything hit with me with the skipping around, I can only imagine the impact had we seen more.

“I’m gonna love you for the rest of my life. You know that? Even when my mind goes and I’ve no idea who or where I am, I’ll know you. And I’ll love you.”

There was so much else that I loved...the quotes! OOOOOOMG…too many…it’s impossible to pick a favorite…they’re swoony, they’re happy, they’re funny, they’re sad…couldn’t get enough. I loved Ollie (I wish he could get an HEA too *hint hint*)...I loved what happened with Avery and Dylan - sooooo didnt see that coming! The ending was fantastic but that epilogue was genius. OMG…my smile was ginormous! Freakin’ amazing epilogue. I loved Mark and Cadences’ unlikely journey of love...it was touching, different, and original.

[preppea · Rating 4 out of 5]

If GOOD had me conflicted, BETTER had me downright pulling my hair out.

In GOOD, we experience the love affair between Cadence and her high school math teacher, Mr. Connelly (Mark). GOOD didn't hold back any punches and I felt completely torn—I fell in love even as certain things about their story made me question my sanity for being so intoxicated by their forbidden love! It's no happily ever after either, people find out and Cadence and Mark's world comes crashing to a halt.

So you’d think: okay, they’ve essentially hit rock bottom and now BETTER is just about the journey back up, right? Well, not exactly. S. Walden doesn’t let you off that easy. She’s going to show you all the frustrating nuances of a relationship with an 11-year age gap, particularly when one of the individuals is still growing into an adult. The story is told in third-person perspective with alternating views, not my personal favorite narrative, but I thought it was done well.

The first half of BETTER felt like a soft, diluted version of how life might be for Cadence and Mark. It was the day-to-day issues of a girl who is suddenly disowned by her family and the man who loves her trying to support and take care of her through it.

I felt like people were too easy on Cadence and Mark. Everyone told Cadence how wrong her parents were for how they reacted. I’m not saying Mr. Miller wasn’t wrong for hitting his daughter – of COURSE he was. But at the same time, I thought it seemed unrealistic how everyone, even adults, were so quick to find fault with her parents without mentioning Cadence or Mark's mistakes. I mean, let’s think about this. Cadence’s whole life she has followed all the rules. Then within a two year span she tries cocaine, robs a convenience store, spends 10 months in juvenile detention, and has an affair with her high school math teacher. I can sort of see why the Millers would overreact when finding out the latest in a series of questionable decisions! I was just a little surprised because it appeared so black and white in BETTER —the parents were wrong, they were bad parents, they never tried to reconcile, end of story.

I also found myself getting angry at Cadence for all of her self-centered, immature actions. But then, it finally hit me. Of course she’s an immature girl. This isn’t the author being easy on her, this is Ms. Walden showing all of Cadence—flaws included. She is immature and young and inexperienced and she makes so many mistakes. But that is what Mark signed up for and he either loves her in spite of it or he hits the road.

My favorite part of the story by far was the huge fight between Mark and Cadence when Cadence found out Mark’s secret.

Mark’s anger was hideous and ugly and cruel. But I thought it was so honest and raw and it gave me back that gritty, torn feeling I’d loved so much in GOOD. And it broke Cadence. It really broke her. And I loved that because it should break her. What girl could hear those things and not be devastated. But then, she got angry. I’m not talking yell and scream and fight it out angry, I’m talking never get over it angry.

It got to a point where I felt like the only reason Cadence stayed with Mark was because she had nowhere else to go. When Avery confronted Cadence about the fact that eventually she had to forgive Mark or they’d end up breaking up, Cadence’s biggest fear seemed to be who was going to take care of her if they broke up. He’s not supposed to be her dad, he’s her boyfriend! Doesn’t she see this? Why is this not a bigger problem in the story that Cadence feels this way? And Mark was a saint while Cadence worked through her anger. A true saint! Mark revealed some pretty upsetting life experiences and Cadence never had to show him any support simply because she was mad about the lie and his subsequent explosion. And when she’s still whining over it 2 months later and telling Mark she thinks it's irreparable, I’m just thinking, then leave already! He’s paying for your school and being patient while you work through your anger and you’re just going to torture him forever?

Through all of this—Cadence is also desperately trying to decide what she believes in God and her faith. She’s trying to objectively evaluate all the things her parents taught her with what she has seen and learned on her own. Rather than believe what her parents believe, or what Mark believes, she looks inside and around herself and makes her own decisions about what she believes to be true. I thought Cadence handled this soul-searching much better and more maturely than she did her relationship with Mark.

All things considered, I thought the author did a really good job of writing a challenging story. It was difficult to read at times because I was so frustrated with the characters; at times I felt indifferent and other times ready to throttle someone, but it also felt like a choice. A choice to write not the most easily digestible story, but a story that makes you think and evaluate your own comfort zones. I struggled with the story a lot, and certainly more than GOOD which I thought was beautifully conflicting, but I also appreciated it. I give BETTER 3.5 stubborn stars.

**Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.

**Reviewed by preppea on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews.

[G. K. Malathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This honestly would have been a great book but when Candance cheated on Mark with Charlie and Carrie it kind of put a huge slope and hypocrisy since it was never mentioned again in the book. (Kissing someone else when you are still with someone is still cheating! ! !) She should have confessed or this whole kissing thing should have never happened.