Rating - All the stars
“If you’re looking for forever, why aren’t you looking at me?”
If you can read this book without falling for Austin Andrews, I think you accidentally got the wrong book. I was really excited when Because Forever hit my Kindle. But let me tell you, it far exceeded my expectations. I love this whole group, but Aussie is book boyfriend perfection, and he and Odie couldn’t be more perfect for one another. The love they share, even when times were tough (or was it especially when times were tough?) was so evident.
When About Time came out, I fell in love. I absolutely adored Ash and Dunk, and their story caused me to fall head over heels for this whole family. I don’t think I made it even halfway through their story when I started getting excited for Aussie and Odie’s story. The friendship they shared, and the tension that followed had me more than a little intrigued.
Meeting these characters and really getting to know them throughout this book was delightful. Aussie is a man who knows what he wants and goes for it. He may be forgetful, but one thing he is certain of is his love for Odie. I love the way he strives to be better for her. He wants to be the man she deserves and wants to prove that there is no other man for her. His wooing was perfection and had me swooning! The connection he already shared with Odie was so strong from years of being best friends that the transition to lovers was delicious.
Odie knew where she wanted her life to go, but she was a bit oblivious to what was right in front of her. I love that she stuck up for herself, but also learned how to let down her guard and work through problems along the way. She was smart and funny and loved with all she had. While she had some insecurities, she grew throughout the story, and I loved watching her learn to see Aussie in a new light and embrace the love they shared.
Cranford has this uncanny ability to create characters that are so real. Aussie and Odie weren’t perfect. They had their own fears and flaws and struggles, but their love was perfect. Perfect in its ability to overcome differences and perfect in its ability to learn from one another and compromise. I love that while these two had been best friends for years, they still had to learn how to love and be loved by one another in a new way when they decided to transition into a romantic relationship.
Reading this book brought all the feels. I laughed, I swooned, and my heart broke a little along the way. Not only did I love Aussie and Odie’s story, I absolutely adored seeing the other characters from this group. I love that they are so close and their stories are so intertwined. While you could read this story as a standalone, I definitely recommend reading About Time first. Not only do you meet Aussie and Odie there, it is a fantastic story that will cause you to fall in love with this whole group. I can’t wait to see what is yet to come with these characters!