Blossoms of the Heart

by Khardine Gray

The most intense and passionate romance you'll read this year.

When I was 18 he stole my heart.
Tai was the guy I wasn’t supposed to have…
The tattooed rebel my mother told to stay away from me.
My heart stopped beating that day.
I was off- limits to him and he was forbidden to me.
I never thought I’d see him again.
He stayed away, just like my mother demanded.

Until… fate decided to hand us an all access card eleven years later. Leaving it to us to work out the kinks.
We got to see what could have happened if we got together.
Then it became complicated….
The passion and heat between us is wild.
Scorching hot and consuming.
He wants more. So much more…
But I can't give him more…
This time it’s not my mother telling me I can’t have him.
It’s life …
Because … now I have a secret.
A secret that could tear us apart.

**This is a full length novel with a happily ever after, no cliffhanger, no cheating, and plenty of steam. ***
If you like hot, steamy, romance with gorgeous, drool worthy ex-marines that, you will like this book.

Genres: Contemporary

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2018

About the author

Khardine Gray is a USA Today Bestselling author who also writes under the pen name Faith Summers.
Khardine lives in England with her husband and two adventurous kids.
She writes contemporary romance, dark romantic suspense, and dark new adult romance.
Her books have sassy heroines and sexy, drool-worthy book boyfriends who will make you melt.
She simply adores her readers and loves spoiling them.
When she’s not writing or reading, you can find her in a ballet class or ice skating.

Reviews

[Coco.V]

💝 FREE on Amazon today (12/30/2018)! 💝

Blurb:
When I was 18 he stole my heart.
Tai was the guy I wasn’t supposed to have…
The tattooed rebel my mother told to stay away from me.
My heart stopped beating that day.
I was off- limits to him and he was forbidden to me.
I never thought I’d see him again.
He stayed away, just like my mother demanded.

Until… fate decided to hand us an all access card eleven years later. Leaving it to us to work out the kinks.
We got to see what could have happened if we got together.
Then it became complicated….
The passion and heat between us is wild.
Scorching hot and consuming.
He wants more. So much more…
But I can't give him more…
This time it’s not my mother telling me I can’t have him.
It’s life …
Because … now I have a secret.
A secret that could tear us apart.

[BookAddict]

Having enjoyed other work by this author, I took advantage of an opportunity to read an early copy of this book. This one surprised me because it reads like it was written by a different person. In the past I’ve found her work to be eloquent, heartfelt, moving and beautifully crafted. Not only was that not the case with this book, but it was also significantly lacking in editing and proofreading. It’s possible those errors were corrected before the book was released, but there were still other issues that prevented me from enjoying this book.

For a great deal of the book the hero was a jerk. Through the first half of the book he couldn’t man up and make it clear to his ex-girlfriend that they would not be getting back together. Attempts at building angst only served to make him look selfish, weak and ambivalent, and what I think was supposed to be sexy or dirty talk came across as crass and sleazy. I really liked the strong, intelligent heroine, but as soon as the hero came around, she turned weak and wishy washy, again in what I assume was an attempt to build angst. In addition to giving me mental whiplash the only emotion the story evoked was frustration. This one had great potential but unfortunately failed in delivering. Other books by this author are excellent, and I suggest putting your time and money into one of those books, rather than this one.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

[Kat Ryker]

This story should have been really great. It had a great subject to work from, the idea of the characters was strong, the background should have worked. When you hear someone speak of an author "Turning a Phrase"? Well, this author took a U-turn somewhere with her phrasing. I've never seen grammar, punctuation, and the use of words be so butchered in my life. Askance is an adverb, that should be the first lesson. And it goes on from there. The author never, ever met a comma she liked. I say this, because she doesn't use them. She also doesn't know what a fragmented sentence is. And please, before you roll your eyes, I've NEVER READ anything by this author before, and I won't until she finds an editor, or a proofer, or someone who isn't afraid to tell her she needs to tighten up her writing.

By the time I was 20% into the book, I knew I was having trouble reading it. Not because the story line failed, but because the writing was so terrible. And it wasn't really the author's words that were bad, it was the way they hit the page, unedited and apparently not proofread. I couldn't get into Phoebe at all, not because I felt she was a bad person or uninteresting, but because she had no backbone. She finds her husband cheating, runs out, drives when she shouldn't and blames her husband. She waits until she's 29 to stand up to the social-climbing witch that is her mother, but she's hated her since she was a child. She is totally UN-self-aware through most of the book, at turns trying to become some sort of femme-fatale and at other times trying to act like the innocent.

The book could have been 50 pages shorter if the narrative and dialogue had been edited so it was clean and concise. At a couple of points, when Tai is thinking to himself, I had to fill in the blanks - the blanks caused by missing words.

If, at any point, this book is edited, I would love to re-read it. Where this should have been a smooth, second-chance romance, it was instead a jumble of unedited narrative and dialogue, where in some places even the plot seems to not know where its going.

I received a copy of this book through Hidden Gems as an ARC, and this review is totally independent.

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog)]

When Phoebe has it out with her sleazy ex husband, her dad suggests she take a job in Japan. It sounds like a great way to get Phoebe's mind off the way her life has imploded ever since she found him cheating on her. Except Tai. Tai will be in Japan, too. Tai, the boy, now a man, who she was never allowed to have when she was growing up, thanks to her mother's insensitive, boorish way of thinking.

Tai is a battle-hardened ex military man now. He's got an ex who wants another chance and he's mulling it over. Except, Phoebe is in Japan now. Phoebe, the one girl, now an even more beautiful, elegant woman, he could never have. But, when he sees her, he has to have her. Will the two be allowed a chance? The chance they never had before?

I found Blossoms of the Heart mildly entertaining. It was sort of a meandering, but sweet, second chance story that had the potential to be much better than it was. The pretty pervasive editing errors took me out of the story, a lot, and the lack of oomph to the story had me skimming, a lot. I liked Tai and Phoebe together, though. I just wish their story had moved quicker, and that their relationship had been much more developed. The one thing I really liked about this story was the beautiful, fascinating Japanese setting. I've always been into this culture, and Blossoms of the Heart has made me even more so.

I received an ARC via Hidden Gems Books for an honest review.

[Erika P]

"Getting all weak-kneed, hot and bothered about a guy was not in the cards for me. After all I was here on business. Tai, however, was always the exception to every rule."

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! With a richly detailed backdrop in Japan, a romance re-kindled that never really got started. Tai is sinful, and watching them both fall after 11 years of no contact was addictive. I loved the angsty happenings with the outside forces pushing them apart, and the heady romance of it all! All in all a great read!

"Only this man could do this to me. Only he could make me feel perfect and complete with the way he looked at me. He didn't have to do anything else. All he had to do was look at me. I would always remember that."

~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog

[Yvette89]

copy received for honest review
2dn chance at love/ friends to lovers
I loved the first scene of the book. It started off with a bang. After that the book kind of dragged. Both characters have deep insecurities with love and relationships. The constant back and forth in romances is not something I enjoy. That being said the characters were ok and did develop. Loved the HEA. Epilogue was great.

[Emma]

This romance faced so many obstacles from the very beginning. Taikehiro/Tai has known Phoebe since she was three and he was eight. Tai's mother is Japanese and his father is American. Phoebe is American. Phoebe's family and Tai's family have vacationed together in Japan every summer growing up. Every summer Phoebe tagged behind Tai wanting to do everything he did. Which inevitably got her in trouble and then the blame would be on Tai. As a teenager Phoebe had a crush on Tai. Little did she know he started to notice her too. On Phoebe's eighteen birthday, Tai got caught with Phoebe in her bedroom by her mother. Her mother went into a rage. She then belittled and denigrated Tai saying the most horrid things. After that Tai joined the Marines and lost touch with everyone. While Phoebe's mother continued to rule and control her life. Phoebe ended up marrying Jason, an up and coming politician. They were not in love but Phoebe thought they were compatible. She thought that was as good a place to start a loving relationship. However, Jason only wanted to appear ideal. He was constantly cheating on Phoebe. She suspected, but one day she went home early and found him and his secretary going at it on her bed. This was only the beginning of what Jason would put Phoebe through. As a result, several months later (when you read the book you will know why it took her so long to do it) she filed for divorce. It put a serious wrench in Jason's political asperations to become a presidential candidate. He resented Phoebe and did anything and everything to turn the tables around back at her. No matter where she went or who she would see, Jason's reach knew no bounds. As he was currently the governor of Illinois he had a long arm of influence. He would interfere in any aspect of Phoebe's life as he could. Phoebe was constantly vacillating between anger, sadness and fear. One day he went too far. Jason was in the middle of a meeting with members of the judicial system when Phoebe came in and expressed her rage at him. She threw his dirty laundry around. She could not be stopped. Jason tried to get her to leave, but she would not. Not until she had her say. Then Jason tried to intimidate Phoebe and said some cutting things to her. Ooo she slapped him good in front of all his colleagues. He continued his diatribe and she slapped him again. He then vowed to get back at her for embarrassing him. On her way back to her apartment she cried. Her dear sweet loving father stopped by after he heard what happened. He did not assume anything and he let her tell her side of the story. Luckily, he brought her favorite ice cream. He sat there and gave her the love and emotional support only a father could give. When she started to calm down he asked her what could she think of to move on from this last upset. She told him, the only place she felt in total control of what happens to her is when she is working. Her father smiled and told her of an opportunity in Japan with their old family friend Akito. Akito and his team have uncovered an ancient Samurai in full regalia and his sword. They also found a journal. Phoebe's father knew that she had the skills to interpret the journal. She did know around ten dead languages as she, her father and Akito were all archeologists with different skills. She went to Japan and stayed in the home of Akito. Akito was like a second father to Phoebe and he considered her like a daughter. Akito's daughter, Mitsuke was her best friend. For Phoebe is was like coming home. For the first time in a long time she felt like she could relax and be at peace away from Jason and away from her mother. Akito and Mitsuke knew Tai was Phoebe's crush when she was younger and they let her know he was working with them on the Samurai project. As much as Phoebe tried to deny it, she still found herself roped into his orbit. Tai could not believe what he saw when he encountered Phoebe. She had grown up into the most delicious babe he had ever seen. He also found something deep inside that he thought was dead start to come alive. Over the next several days Tai made it perfectly clear to Phoebe that he was still attracted to her. Phoebe did not know what to do. She was harboring a secret that she felt would tear them apart if they got together. Mitsuke could see the attraction between her cousin Tai and her best friend Phoebe. She and Akito encouraged Phoebe to throw caution to the wind. This was the beginning of a stormy back and forth, up and down pre-relationship. Finally, Tai was able to assure Phoebe that she was safe emotionally with him and she then let him into her heart. Everything was going well. Great sex, wonderful weekends, good food. But one evening at dinner Tai spoke about what he imagined his future would be like. From that moment on Phoebe started emotionally shutting down and withdrawing away from Tai. Tai did not know what was going on. All he knew was that there was something really wrong. Phoebe really wished she could tell her secret to Tai but she was so afraid he would reject her and she could not deal with anymore rejection in her life after Jason. At the same time, Akito's project was moving forward and with Phoebe's translations they were now looking for a treasure the Samurai warrior was guarding. On another expedition back to the Samurai's cave, Tai found the treasure. It was such an important and valuable find that the Emperor of Japan included all their findings in an exhibition that was soon to open. The night before the event, Tai could not help himself he was angry and upset at how Phoebe was treating him. He gave her an ultimatum. The evening of the event, Phoebe went to Tai told him she loved him and that she wanted to tell him her secret. But he said that a better time and place would be back at his home tomorrow. The lovebirds walked hand in hand, kissing not caring who was watching. All of a sudden, in the middle of the event, Jason appeared out of nowhere. Phoebe introduced Tai to him. Jason ignored Tai and continued to denigrate her. Tai punched him in the mouth for badmouthing Phoebe. (Yay Tai) Jason's revenge knew no bounds and he exposed her secret to one and all. She was terrified and mortified. Tai was stunned and confused. He did not know what was going on and why Phoebe started to cry and run off. Everyone returned to Akito's home. After a few anxious hours Tai went to Phoebe. Phoebe was defeated. She told Tai her secret. But of course, it was no longer a secret because of Jason. Phoebe gave Tai an out for their relationship. Then Tai did the most romantic thing.... you have to read the book to find out.. but it is sooo swoon worthy and the aftermath is wonderful. This is a must read. I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book via Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly DeMarco]

Life long love finally has the opportunity to blossom

Blossoms of The Heart by Khardine Gray is a lovely and emotionally gripping story set in a unique and very interesting setting. There was so much to love about this book! The characters are all well developed and real. My favorite part of this book is that the majority of the story takes place in Japan and focuses on an archelogical find of a Samurai, which is what brings the main characters together once again.
There is a great deal of conflict on many fronts for Tai and Phoebe, however, their chemistry and longing hearts won't be denied. It's hard won, but this story does provide the absolutely perfect HEA.
I recieved and read an ARC of this book from Hidden Gems and voluntarily share my review.

[Cathy]

Phoebe and Tai reunion

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. This is the first book I read by the author.
The storyline will have your emotions on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows.
Phoebe and Tai were childhood friends, he was 5 years older than her. She had a major crush and always got into some kind of mischief with him. Her mother said cruel things to him that chased him away.
I loved their chemistry, and the closeness of the rest of Tai’s family to Phoebe. I also loved the intriguing storyline. It was very in
This was a bittersweet heartbreaking story. The history of these two friends will have you cheering for their HEA. I highly recommend this book.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel]

Wow! this book affected me on so many levels. The heroine of this book is a very strong woman to have gone through the abuse and struggles that she did both from her mother and then her husband who I really wanted to get my hands on! Through it all she maintained a dignity that speaks to the soul. When she goes to Japan and reconnects with her childhood friend her life picks up and she experiences pure joy until the reappearance of her ex-husband who loves pulling her down but this time, she has a champion the vanquishes her ex! I loved this story, and you can't help but cheer for Phoebe and her come back. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.

[Rowena]

A fun and enjoyable read.

My first read by the author and it doesn’t disappoint. This was fun and enjoyable and being Asian I loved the Japanese culture aspect of the story. Really enjoyed Phoebe & Tia’s second chance journey at love. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Readers Copy of this book.

[Kelly]

4 stars

This book b could have been great, but just missed. Things were moving at a good pace in the beginning, but then went way too fast and there wasn't near enough time spent on the actual relationship. Also, Tai was way too indecisive about Candace. That was a dumb and pointless situation

[dbbooknerd]

This is a well developed 2nd chance romance with a bit of intrigue. Lots has changed since these two last saw each other and they have to face some old ghost if they are going to have a chance at love. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy.

[Gladys]

I liked this romance and I enjoyed the uniqueness of it. There is a ton of emotional turmoil in this read. So much of it, that in fact, it often overpowers the romance. Still, I did like the plot and the characters. This is my honest and totally voluntary review.

[Nate]

Really enjoyed Phoebe & Tia's story. This was an entertaining & fun book. It was also interesting learning a bit more about Japanese culture. I'm voluntarily leaving an honest review for a copy of the book.

[Barbara]

A well-written story of second chances that I enjoyed reading. I received a copy from Hidden Gems and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

[WhiskeyandReading]

I absolutely loved this. I HATED the ex husband. I felt Phoebes pain. Tai WOW!

[Marika]

⛔️(in notes)

[Carma]

Phoebe is pissed off at her ex husband, he thinks because he is the Governor he can do whatever he wants to ruin her life. After 2 years of being divorced you’d think he’d be over her already. After storming into his office and listing off all his recent indiscretions to all the VIP’s inside for a meeting, she gets a job offer to head to Japan and takes it to remove herself from Jason’s presence. She is torn between hoping to see Tai again and thinking it is best to keep love out of her reach for a while.

Tai hasn’t stopped thinking about Phoebe for 11 years, ever since the day her mom went off on him calling him unworthy. He knew he wasn’t good enough for her so he left and never looked back. He only came home to Japan about 2 years ago after leaving the military and making a name for himself. But now he is going to be working with Phoebe on a dig and he isn’t sure how he feels about that.

Phoebe had a massive crush on Tai growing up but was sure he had no idea. On her 18th birthday she found out he knew about her feelings but before they could discuss further her mother kicked him out of her life. Tai never told her how he felt about her but now could be the perfect opportunity.

Too bad Jason hasn’t given up on making Phoebe’s life miserable. Can Phoebe and Tai’s new found partnership withstand his last ditch effort to destroy her life?

This quick read flowed pretty well for me and I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating. I really wanted to punch Phoebe’s mom in the face multiple times and I’m glad Phoebe gave Jason his just dessert. The secondary characters like Akito were wonderful additions to the storyline. I received an advance copy without expectation for review. Any and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Jordan]

I read this book as part of Holidays Ever After: Contemporary Romance Holiday Boxed Set. You can find my review of the anthology as a whole at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

Phoebe, an expect in dead languages, is invited to Japan by her father's best friend, Akito, to translate a text they found recently along with the body and sword of a long-dead samurai. Phoebe is ecstatic to travel to Japan, home of her best friend (and Akito's daughter), Mitsuke, and full of wonderful memories with her now deceased father, especially since it means getting away from her sister, Emma, and ex, Jason, who just got married, and her rather insensitive mother. The team must have all of the research done by Obon (a Japanese festival). This becomes very difficult when Phoebe and Tai, another member of team and a man Phoebe has known since she was spurned by him years ago, give in to their intense attraction for one another and consistently sneak off to have sex in the middle of the day (resulting in many steamy sex scenes). Despite how much Phoebe may like Tai, however, she is absolutely convinced he will no longer want to be with her when he finds out she can't have children. As a result of being told for years that she is damaged by Emma, Jason, and her mom, she has come to believe the same and is terrified of Tai finding out the truth. This story is HEA, told from Phoebe and Tia's perspectives, and has no cliffhanger. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

[M Hurford]

Blossoms of the Heart, by author Khardine Gray is a contemporary story. Phoebe was married and was the victim of a horrible car accident. Her recovery was referred to as "damaged goods" by her husband who cheated then divorced her. She worked hard at rehabbing her body and is currently with the Smithsonian Institute. Her father lets her know of an old family friend, Akito Maderame, fellow archeologist and Director at the Institute of Cultural Heritage in Japan that could use her expertise (she has a PHD in Linguistics with her specialty in dead languages) in an archeological dig that needs help deciphering a journal written by a Samurai Warrior. So it's off to Japan she goes. She reunites with friend's nephew Tai, who as you can guess is the bad boy handling the business side of the project. And just to complicate matters his ex, Candace, wants to rekindle their relationship. As you can guess things will heat up. Then Scott appears just to keep the pot stirred.

I really liked this story and am recommending it. The storyline was unique (for once) and the characters were well developed and fun to follow. There is a scene early in the book where Phoebe is putting on an expensive black bodycon dress gifted by her dad, she muses that; "I might love playing the girl version of Indiana Jones, but my father still spoiled me and treated me every chance he got." That line made me stop and think that it's too bad the author didn't think to use Laura Croft as someone she could roleplay as a girl instead of a guy. That being said I still give the book five stars.
(Note: I am volunteering to leave a review of this ARC book.)

[Kristen Lewendon]

I had the privilege of reading an expanded version of the original novella of this very angst-y second chance romance. I’ve recently been on a Tempe Brennan kick, so it was fun to read about a languages specialist from the Smithsonian and piece that together with my virtual knowledge from the “Bones” TV series. I know very little about Japanese history or culture and loved having this opportunity to immerse myself in both during this book. The connection between these two childhood friends, nearly sweethearts, leaps from the page. The chemistry crackles in the air every time they’re together. There were just a couple things I really wish Phoebe and Tai would have done differently. A) been able to stand behind the courage of their convictions to make a decision and stick to it. There’s quite a lot of flip-flopping back and forth by both main characters, with each other and with some of the secondary cast. And B) behave like fully grown adults and have a real, heart-to-heart discussion with each other about what’s going on and how they feel. The ‘not talking to each other’ felt to me like too much unnecessary drama in the story most of the time. The ending was utterly precious and made up for the parts of the book that weren’t my favorites.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book.

[Crystal]

Title: Blossoms of the Heart
Author: Khardine Gray
**RECEIVED FREE COPY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW**
I have to say I enjoyed learning more about Japanese culture. As an Anthropologist I wanted to read this story because our heroine is an Archaeologist. Japanese culture is not my field so I found this aspect of the story very interesting.
Both Phoebe and Tai are flawed characters in the sense beauty is only skin deep. Both are sexy, attractive people but inside they have deep insecurities. Their respective traumas, pains have to a point held them back. But, the pain was needed so they could find themselves and each other. Love they shared through time.
I really loved the characters and their interactions but I admit after a time I really wanted the story to move along. I understand the push and pull was necessary for development but at times it really caused the book to lag.
My other issue with this work is the editing. Incorrect words, missing words, juxtaposition of words constantly or adding words making sentences confusing also led to a slow read. The poor editing was consistent which caused so much lag. Then towards the end the love story heated up to a point of tears. I did love the HEA. It left a smile on this reader's face.
A great book? No. Yet, I liked it well enough so 3/5 stars.

[Raecharmed]

Phoebe is getting over a bad divorce and her ex isn't helping by being everywhere making things difficult. One evening her father tells her about a unique archeological find that a family friend needs her expertise in dead languages with. Its a possible 6 months of research and maybe a regular job afterwards. She agrees and goes to Japan. Tai is conflicted about his ex she wants to get back together but after how she broke p with him for her job he isn't sure he wants to give her a second chance. When he learns Phoebe is going to be back for awhile he is intrigue by what it means. The last time her mother kept them apart so there was no resolution to what had started between them. He is still angry at her mother for interference and Phoebe isn't sure he wants to be with her for her or to get back at her mother. Will Phoebe give Tai a chance with her heart again?


This is a great story once I started it I couldn't put it down. The chemistry between them is off the charts hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.


I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

[Emily (Mrs B's Books)]

**My thanks to the author for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This is the first time that i have read this author and i really enjoyed this book.

We start off in America where Phoebe has left her husband and is trying to get on with her life, however her ex-husband is not playing nice.

It is her father and a close family friend that brings her back to Japan, her second home and the man that was her first crush and her first kiss.

The chemistry between the two really leapt off the page and i really wanted to hurt both the ex-husband and the mother at times yet Phoebe's father is a sweetheart.

Phoebe has another man in Japan who is like an uncle and father and a best friend there, and being familiar with the language and culture she is the perfect person with her studies of dead languages to help decode an old diary.

I really enjoyed this book and will certainly look to read more books by this author in the future.

[Judy]

This is a heartfelt second chance love story about Phoebe and Tia. Their story starts out many years ago when they were children and their families are friendly and spend the summers together in Japan. When Phoebe celebrates her 18th birthday things go sideways and Tia is told to leave Phoebe alone as he is not good enough for her. Phoebe listens to her controlling mother and marries a horrible man and once she thinks she is free of him he does something else to hurt her! Tia has become a successful man working in his uncles business and one day he finds out Phoebe has returned to Japan to help with a aerological dig and the sparks fly between them all over again. There are some sexy scenes, secrets, a vicious ex, crazy mother and love worth fighting for! Can these two find a way to move from the past to the future together? I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Tracy Quoka]

I received this book as an ARC for a honest and voluntary review. I had like a week and a half to read it, and it took me that Long. I struggled with it, I couldn't connect to the characters, and I felt it was drawn out. Pheobe is divorced, not really recently but is still struggling with her ex, he didn't want her, but doesn't want her to be happy. Her father suggests she go to Japan as a ancient warrior was found in a cave, and she's an anthropologist that specializes in dead languages. She will cross paths with Kai, the one man she perhaps has always loved, but her mother kept off limits, as he too is working with his uncle on this project. Yes sparks will fly, but I just couldn't connect with it.

[Tarah Didley]

This is a first for me by this author and it was interesting.


Phoebe just got out of marriage that was no good and now the ex has taken something away from Phoebe that meant a lot to her. When suggested by her father to go to Japan to do something she loves, she goes without realizing that someone from her past may be there, and may be a second chance for her if it goes well.

Tai is this ex military man who is undecided if he wants to rekindle a romance with an ex or hold out for something better. When he hears that Phoebe will be joining them on this exhibition he realizes that maybe something can spark between the two of them if given the chance.

I thought it was a great story for my first read.

[Renata Gill]

Phoebe's cheating husband is out to make her life miserable even though they arent together for 4 years. After confronting him and embarrassing him her father suggests she go to Japan and help a family friend with the latest discovery.
Japan has always been the place she was happiest and the place were she last saw the only man she truelly loved.
Tai cant believe that the beautiful woman standing infront of him is Phoebe, Phoebe the only woman that he has deeply loved, the woman he walked away from 11 years ago......but now that she is back he isnt letting her go because she is his and he is hers.

A wonderful second chance romace set in the beautiful country of Japan and its amazing festivals.

[Silvia]

First, let me say that I am a huge Khardine Gray fan. I always look forward to strong characters with a compelling story that gives plenty of “feels.” Unfortunately this particular book did quite measure up to Ms. Grays’ previous books. Don’t get me wrong, the story was good. But not great and I didn’t get the “feels”. I liked Phoebe and felt sympathetic to all she had been through. Tai was okay for me. It just got a bit tiring to have him want Phoebe and figure out his other situation. Mixed signals galore! My favorite quote is when Tai says, “Always make sure your woman knows she comes first.”
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.