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Say You Still Love Me
Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.
On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.
Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group, and coincidentally the first love of her life.
The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.
Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is still alive and strong, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.
On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.
Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group, and coincidentally the first love of her life.
The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counselors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.
Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is still alive and strong, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2019
1126 people are currently reading
40836 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Tucker
66 books25k followersK.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.
She is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty books, including Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and the Fate & Flame series, Until It Fades, Say You Still Love Me, and Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and A Queen of Thieves & Chaos were Goodreads Choice award nominees.
K.A. Tucker lives outside of Toronto. When she's not writing books, you can find her reading recipes she'll never make or chasing rabbits away from her hostas.
Join Tucker's Troop on Facebook! >>
https://www.facebook.com/groups/14685...
Signup for her newsletter >> https://www.katuckerbooks.com/newslet...
She is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty books, including Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and the Fate & Flame series, Until It Fades, Say You Still Love Me, and Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.
Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and A Queen of Thieves & Chaos were Goodreads Choice award nominees.
K.A. Tucker lives outside of Toronto. When she's not writing books, you can find her reading recipes she'll never make or chasing rabbits away from her hostas.
Join Tucker's Troop on Facebook! >>
https://www.facebook.com/groups/14685...
Signup for her newsletter >> https://www.katuckerbooks.com/newslet...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,910 reviews
December 25, 2021
3 whyyyyy whhyyyyy whyyyy can’t I find a proper, loveable, edgy, twisty but also tear jerking, pant melting romance for so long, my favorite writers got me disappointed over and over again stars!
List started to get longer: first Jewel E. An did it with “Naked Love” and “Jersey Six”( some GR friends unfriended me after I gave two stars to that book, but I still stick with my review ), then Renee Carlino’s `Last Post” made me disappointed. Even Karina Halle released some good but not so good books lately.
Now one of my favorite and brilliant writers (Ten Tiny Breaths, Burying Water, Simple Wild are quiet great and remarkable reads), K. A. Tucker made me feel like my favorite brand of Chardonnay is no longer available at the markets!(Somebody burned the family’s vineyard, OH NOOOO!)
When I check the ARC COPY lists from NetGalley and saw this amazing writer’s book, I requested without thinking a second and as soon as the copy arrived, I danced, clapped, screamed, did all immature, awkward things( my neighbors still push me to see my shrink more randomly, I couldn’t say them I didn’t have one)!
But as soon as I start this one, I felt that something is not right, actually many, many, many things were not right.
Here is the list of the wrong things:
-Instead of too many flashback scenes, we may have stayed in the past and read a young adult camp story!
-I tried to turn the pages but I felt like I stuck in the mud and couldn’t move to anywhere.
-You may think this is slow burn romance. You are right. It’s so slow, too slow, never ever ending story, but it doesn’t burn, it is just SLOW and it’s hard to be considered as a romance. Where is romance? I was craving romance and when I didn’t get it, I feel like a frustrated person who watched the last episode of GOT over and over again!
-I didn’t find a moving plot maybe I lost it when I was yawning and taking a quick nap on my couch. At least this book helped me having lovely dreams.
-I didn’t like the character development. I didn’t like Piper and Kyle. I found them too immature and the lack of chemistry and their awkward behaviors made me detest them too many times.
So unfortunately, heart-breakingly this book didn’t work for me! I know what I’m looking for! A heart-wrenching, emotional, smartly written romance and I know deep in my heart, K.A. Tucker is one of the most gifted writers so in near future I hope she will give us better stories.
Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley to send me one ARC COPY is written by one of my favorite writers in exchange for my honest review.
List started to get longer: first Jewel E. An did it with “Naked Love” and “Jersey Six”( some GR friends unfriended me after I gave two stars to that book, but I still stick with my review ), then Renee Carlino’s `Last Post” made me disappointed. Even Karina Halle released some good but not so good books lately.
Now one of my favorite and brilliant writers (Ten Tiny Breaths, Burying Water, Simple Wild are quiet great and remarkable reads), K. A. Tucker made me feel like my favorite brand of Chardonnay is no longer available at the markets!(Somebody burned the family’s vineyard, OH NOOOO!)
When I check the ARC COPY lists from NetGalley and saw this amazing writer’s book, I requested without thinking a second and as soon as the copy arrived, I danced, clapped, screamed, did all immature, awkward things( my neighbors still push me to see my shrink more randomly, I couldn’t say them I didn’t have one)!
But as soon as I start this one, I felt that something is not right, actually many, many, many things were not right.
Here is the list of the wrong things:
-Instead of too many flashback scenes, we may have stayed in the past and read a young adult camp story!
-I tried to turn the pages but I felt like I stuck in the mud and couldn’t move to anywhere.
-You may think this is slow burn romance. You are right. It’s so slow, too slow, never ever ending story, but it doesn’t burn, it is just SLOW and it’s hard to be considered as a romance. Where is romance? I was craving romance and when I didn’t get it, I feel like a frustrated person who watched the last episode of GOT over and over again!
-I didn’t find a moving plot maybe I lost it when I was yawning and taking a quick nap on my couch. At least this book helped me having lovely dreams.
-I didn’t like the character development. I didn’t like Piper and Kyle. I found them too immature and the lack of chemistry and their awkward behaviors made me detest them too many times.
So unfortunately, heart-breakingly this book didn’t work for me! I know what I’m looking for! A heart-wrenching, emotional, smartly written romance and I know deep in my heart, K.A. Tucker is one of the most gifted writers so in near future I hope she will give us better stories.
Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley to send me one ARC COPY is written by one of my favorite writers in exchange for my honest review.
July 15, 2019
If I've said it once then I've said it one thousand times: K.A. Tucker knows how to write a romance that is equal parts steamy chemistry and female empowerment. It's not fair to try and compare different romance novels to an end of stating which types of stories are more worthy than others, and you'll never find me shaming readers for whatever form of storytelling they choose to enjoy, but within the sliver of sub-genre that this author chooses to write, she is in the top of her class. Upon closing out the final pages of one of her novels, I always feel like I've bettered myself by experiencing life from a POV that is different than my own. The amount of empathy Kathleen can evoke in this reader is quite extraordinary, and I'd like to invite you to check out her latest novel, Say You Still Love Me, if you enjoy NA romance and are searching for one that's well done.
It's a tale as old as time; girl who comes from a well off family falls for a boy who her parents do not approve of. Summer love as camp counselors ends in heartache for girl, yet 13 years later life presents a second chance for these lovebirds. I'm sure you read this, promptly rolled your eyes, and thought "I've read this story a hundred times!", and you'd be right. SYSLM is based on an age old cliche, and whether or not it was due to the comfort and familiarity of the trope, or the author's talent at adding her unique flair, it was the perfect formula for a 5 star romance. Timing is everything, and I'm a sucker for second chance love stories, but the depth of the characters' connection is felt throughout, and I adored how Tucker convinced me to adore Piper as an individual first, and then built on my respect of her character before adding in the romance element.
If you enjoy the nostalgia of summer camp, tender young love, and a renewed hope that there is some good left in the world, do yourself a favor and add Say You Still Love Me to your late summer TBR. I don't know how I'll wait patiently for the author's next novel, but I do know one thing: it will be worth every painful moment of delayed gratification. 💖
It's a tale as old as time; girl who comes from a well off family falls for a boy who her parents do not approve of. Summer love as camp counselors ends in heartache for girl, yet 13 years later life presents a second chance for these lovebirds. I'm sure you read this, promptly rolled your eyes, and thought "I've read this story a hundred times!", and you'd be right. SYSLM is based on an age old cliche, and whether or not it was due to the comfort and familiarity of the trope, or the author's talent at adding her unique flair, it was the perfect formula for a 5 star romance. Timing is everything, and I'm a sucker for second chance love stories, but the depth of the characters' connection is felt throughout, and I adored how Tucker convinced me to adore Piper as an individual first, and then built on my respect of her character before adding in the romance element.
If you enjoy the nostalgia of summer camp, tender young love, and a renewed hope that there is some good left in the world, do yourself a favor and add Say You Still Love Me to your late summer TBR. I don't know how I'll wait patiently for the author's next novel, but I do know one thing: it will be worth every painful moment of delayed gratification. 💖
August 18, 2019
for those needing a new go-to NA romance author who writes stories with great authenticity and female empowerment, then look no further! k a tucker is your girl!
this is not my first 5 star rating for one of her books, but its definitely my favourite one. by far. if you know me, you know im an absolute sucker for both the ‘second chance at love’ and ‘childhood sweethearts’ tropes. so imagine how much my heart melted when i found out this story combined both them!
the romance is the reason i picked this up and definitely why i finished it, but i also quite enjoyed the side story of piper in the workplace. as someone who has once worked in an environment predominately ran by men, i could totally empathise with piper and was really inspired by how strongly she handled herself against the stuffy old men.
something i might have changed to make this tad bit better would be the narrative style. with second chance at love plots, i think telling the story in chronological order is more effective as it allows the reader to understand why the characters fell for each other in the first place. i didnt really mind the alternating flashback chapters, but if tucker really wanted to keep them, then maybe have them from kyles POV instead? dunno. i just think this could have been arranged in a much more impactful way.
anyway, i really loved this and i will recommend it to literally anyone who will listen. lol.
↠ 4.5 stars
this is not my first 5 star rating for one of her books, but its definitely my favourite one. by far. if you know me, you know im an absolute sucker for both the ‘second chance at love’ and ‘childhood sweethearts’ tropes. so imagine how much my heart melted when i found out this story combined both them!
the romance is the reason i picked this up and definitely why i finished it, but i also quite enjoyed the side story of piper in the workplace. as someone who has once worked in an environment predominately ran by men, i could totally empathise with piper and was really inspired by how strongly she handled herself against the stuffy old men.
something i might have changed to make this tad bit better would be the narrative style. with second chance at love plots, i think telling the story in chronological order is more effective as it allows the reader to understand why the characters fell for each other in the first place. i didnt really mind the alternating flashback chapters, but if tucker really wanted to keep them, then maybe have them from kyles POV instead? dunno. i just think this could have been arranged in a much more impactful way.
anyway, i really loved this and i will recommend it to literally anyone who will listen. lol.
↠ 4.5 stars
July 10, 2020
3.5 stars
Say You Still Love Me is the perfect summer read. It made me wish I had gone to a summer camp as a teen. It was a great blend of young love and adult romance.
Kyle and Piper met as camp counselors one summer when they were teenagers and it was love at first site. These two were from different sides of the tracks, but that didn’t matter to them. They fell hard and fast for one another. It was the best summer of Piper’s life until something happened that pulled the two of them apart. After that, Kyle sort of disappeared from her life. A decade passes and she doesn’t hear a peep from him. Until one day at work, she sees him…
I was confused to what Kyle’s motives were. It was apparent he was back in Piper’s life for a reason and even though I adored teenage Kyle, I wasn’t sure about adult Kyle. It didn’t take long to see that he was a good guy though, and very much there for Piper and her best interests. He’s always been there for her in some way or another, even if she couldn’t see it.
This book went back and forth with each chapter. One chapter would be Kyle and Piper’s time at camp, and the next chapter would be the present. There was a lot of build up to what happened that summer as well as the present. I couldn’t stop reading and as soon as I got invested in a time period, it would jump backward or forward. Even though it could be a bit distracting, I think overall it worked for this book. Parts of this book felt like a YA novel and the other half felt like a contemporary romance.
I really did enjoy the camp aspect of the book and watching Kyle and Piper fall in love. I also loved the current plot and watching them rekindle their romance. This book was very well written and character driven. It was so easy to get invested in the story of Kyle and Piper.
If you love second chance romance, books about first love, and books where the hero is from the wrong side of the tracks, pick this one up. KA Tucker always delivers. The writing was fantastic and this is one sweet and sexy romance you don’t want to miss.
Say You Still Love Me is the perfect summer read. It made me wish I had gone to a summer camp as a teen. It was a great blend of young love and adult romance.
Kyle and Piper met as camp counselors one summer when they were teenagers and it was love at first site. These two were from different sides of the tracks, but that didn’t matter to them. They fell hard and fast for one another. It was the best summer of Piper’s life until something happened that pulled the two of them apart. After that, Kyle sort of disappeared from her life. A decade passes and she doesn’t hear a peep from him. Until one day at work, she sees him…
Kyle may not have forgotten me, but he doesn’t seem to want to remember us.
I was confused to what Kyle’s motives were. It was apparent he was back in Piper’s life for a reason and even though I adored teenage Kyle, I wasn’t sure about adult Kyle. It didn’t take long to see that he was a good guy though, and very much there for Piper and her best interests. He’s always been there for her in some way or another, even if she couldn’t see it.
This book went back and forth with each chapter. One chapter would be Kyle and Piper’s time at camp, and the next chapter would be the present. There was a lot of build up to what happened that summer as well as the present. I couldn’t stop reading and as soon as I got invested in a time period, it would jump backward or forward. Even though it could be a bit distracting, I think overall it worked for this book. Parts of this book felt like a YA novel and the other half felt like a contemporary romance.
I really did enjoy the camp aspect of the book and watching Kyle and Piper fall in love. I also loved the current plot and watching them rekindle their romance. This book was very well written and character driven. It was so easy to get invested in the story of Kyle and Piper.
If you love second chance romance, books about first love, and books where the hero is from the wrong side of the tracks, pick this one up. KA Tucker always delivers. The writing was fantastic and this is one sweet and sexy romance you don’t want to miss.
October 10, 2019
4 Second Chance at Love Stars
This story was adorable. It kept me up way past my bedtime because I just had to read through to the happy ending - I was in that kind of mood.
Piper Calloway is 29, smart, beautiful, rich and being groomed to take over her father's multibillion-dollar real estate development firm. Sounds like she has it all right? Well, looks can be deceiving because she is also single, having recently broken off her engagement to a man she has to continue to work with every day and battling a male-dominated business daily in order to earn the respect she deserves and works hard for.
Enter Kyle, the new security guard at her building and the boy who broke her heart thirteen years ago. She has never forgotten Kyle. Not the magical summer they spent together or the disappearing act he pulled after an accident involving another camper left them both fired and unable to ever return to camp. Can fate be bringing him back into Piper's life?
Told in dual timelines - Then/Camp and Now - we experience all the butterflies, stolen moments, desire and intense feelings that come with first love. We see how Piper and Kyle fell in love and slowly connect the dots to what led them apart in the present.
Say You Still Love Me was a quick, easy read that I enjoyed. Thank you K.A. Tucker, Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this second chance romance.
This story was adorable. It kept me up way past my bedtime because I just had to read through to the happy ending - I was in that kind of mood.
Piper Calloway is 29, smart, beautiful, rich and being groomed to take over her father's multibillion-dollar real estate development firm. Sounds like she has it all right? Well, looks can be deceiving because she is also single, having recently broken off her engagement to a man she has to continue to work with every day and battling a male-dominated business daily in order to earn the respect she deserves and works hard for.
Enter Kyle, the new security guard at her building and the boy who broke her heart thirteen years ago. She has never forgotten Kyle. Not the magical summer they spent together or the disappearing act he pulled after an accident involving another camper left them both fired and unable to ever return to camp. Can fate be bringing him back into Piper's life?
Told in dual timelines - Then/Camp and Now - we experience all the butterflies, stolen moments, desire and intense feelings that come with first love. We see how Piper and Kyle fell in love and slowly connect the dots to what led them apart in the present.
Say You Still Love Me was a quick, easy read that I enjoyed. Thank you K.A. Tucker, Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc of this second chance romance.
August 25, 2019
I adored The Simple Wild, so Say You Still Love Me had some pretty big shoes to fill and wow did it just..... not. This book was SO bland. I can't even believe this was written by the same person who wrote one of my favorite romances of all time. I never ever felt like there were any stakes, and I honestly could not have cared less about ANY of the characters. Also, did 95% of the sexy scenes in this book need to happen while the characters were underage???? This was just messy, y'all. I'm SAD.
November 15, 2019
I was living for the summer camp nostalgia in this, because it took me right back to when my husband and I met as camp counsellors in the USA over 15 years ago... 😍
Piper, a 29 year old successful and feisty vice president at her fathers multimillion dollar company is being groomed to take over is loving the single life, but constantly has to prove her worth in a male dominated industry. Then she bumps into Kyle Miller, who was her first love 13 years previously. She hasn't heard from him since they were summer camp counsellors together and he broke her heart. Why is he suddenly back in her life, and why is he pretending that he doesn't know her?
Ah I really enjoyed this cute second chance romance, which was written on a dual timeline, so also had flashback chapters to the couple when they first met, and experienced first love at a summer camp! I will admit that my fond memories of falling in love at the summer camp where I worked for two summers did colour my experience of this, as it bought back memories that I haven't thought about in years! It was fun, sweet and I stayed up way too late reading it!
I obviously really loved the flashback chapters, for sentimental reasons! The setting of the summer camp, the young impulsive nature of the characters, the adorable first love, where you have butterflies when you see each other, cant stop thinking about each other, make any excuse to be near each other...ah those were the days ha ha!
However I did also enjoy the present tense chapters, where Piper had to be tough in a male dominated business. She was so strong and hard working, and I liked her a lot. I did wish that we saw more of Kyle in the present, as I enjoyed seeing them reconnect.
Was this predictable and cheesy? YEP! Did I care? A big fat nope! I was grinning as I read it, and was on a high chasing my HEA. This story was nothing that you won't have seen before. A classic story of rich girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who her parents hate. Sprinkle in a little tragic backstory, and throw them together again 13 years later and voilà!
I did think the characters were a little young in the flashbacks, as on my camp the 16 year olds were SIT's (staff in training) and you had to be 18/19 to be a full counsellor. I was 21 and 23 when I worked as a camp counsellor, but had I been 16, then I'm sure I would've been getting up to no good just like these characters did lol! The age of the character's when they first met, did give this a bit of a YA feel to it though.
Usually I despise insta-love and the like, buuuut camp is a strange place! You all spend all day an night with these people in a little bubble for the whole summer, and you forget about reality, they become your family and it's so intense! You can definitely get swept away in your feelings! The difference between this book and my life is that this couple were separated, with many secrets, but my husband and I decided to get to know each other in real life, first long distance, seeing each other at weekends, and then fully as we moved in together. We've always been open and honest, and our story certainly doesn't have all of the twists that this story does, but then that's why it's not in a book I guess!
So this was a fun, quick read that would appeal to people who have been to summer camp, either as a camper, or as a counsellor. It isn't the deepest tale, but it was full of love and hope, and I was in the mood for that! Great as a light beach read, or for snuggling under the duvet with! I'm not sure it was better than The Simple Wild, but it was certainly an improvement on Until It Fades! I will definitely be checking out more of this author's books when I need a good romance to lift my spirits because this one put a real smile on my face!
Piper, a 29 year old successful and feisty vice president at her fathers multimillion dollar company is being groomed to take over is loving the single life, but constantly has to prove her worth in a male dominated industry. Then she bumps into Kyle Miller, who was her first love 13 years previously. She hasn't heard from him since they were summer camp counsellors together and he broke her heart. Why is he suddenly back in her life, and why is he pretending that he doesn't know her?
Ah I really enjoyed this cute second chance romance, which was written on a dual timeline, so also had flashback chapters to the couple when they first met, and experienced first love at a summer camp! I will admit that my fond memories of falling in love at the summer camp where I worked for two summers did colour my experience of this, as it bought back memories that I haven't thought about in years! It was fun, sweet and I stayed up way too late reading it!
I obviously really loved the flashback chapters, for sentimental reasons! The setting of the summer camp, the young impulsive nature of the characters, the adorable first love, where you have butterflies when you see each other, cant stop thinking about each other, make any excuse to be near each other...ah those were the days ha ha!
However I did also enjoy the present tense chapters, where Piper had to be tough in a male dominated business. She was so strong and hard working, and I liked her a lot. I did wish that we saw more of Kyle in the present, as I enjoyed seeing them reconnect.
Was this predictable and cheesy? YEP! Did I care? A big fat nope! I was grinning as I read it, and was on a high chasing my HEA. This story was nothing that you won't have seen before. A classic story of rich girl meets boy from the wrong side of the tracks, who her parents hate. Sprinkle in a little tragic backstory, and throw them together again 13 years later and voilà!
I did think the characters were a little young in the flashbacks, as on my camp the 16 year olds were SIT's (staff in training) and you had to be 18/19 to be a full counsellor. I was 21 and 23 when I worked as a camp counsellor, but had I been 16, then I'm sure I would've been getting up to no good just like these characters did lol! The age of the character's when they first met, did give this a bit of a YA feel to it though.
Usually I despise insta-love and the like, buuuut camp is a strange place! You all spend all day an night with these people in a little bubble for the whole summer, and you forget about reality, they become your family and it's so intense! You can definitely get swept away in your feelings! The difference between this book and my life is that this couple were separated, with many secrets, but my husband and I decided to get to know each other in real life, first long distance, seeing each other at weekends, and then fully as we moved in together. We've always been open and honest, and our story certainly doesn't have all of the twists that this story does, but then that's why it's not in a book I guess!
So this was a fun, quick read that would appeal to people who have been to summer camp, either as a camper, or as a counsellor. It isn't the deepest tale, but it was full of love and hope, and I was in the mood for that! Great as a light beach read, or for snuggling under the duvet with! I'm not sure it was better than The Simple Wild, but it was certainly an improvement on Until It Fades! I will definitely be checking out more of this author's books when I need a good romance to lift my spirits because this one put a real smile on my face!
Read
August 6, 2019SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME is NOW AVAILABLE! Grab it in paperback, ebook, or audiobook format!
October 2, 2019
Ugh, too darn cute.
I got a good dose of character development, enjoyable plot, an adorable second chance romance story with a summer camp as the backdrop.
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like this book since I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Simple Wild, but this story had me head over heels.
Now I need more of K.A. Tucker in my life.
———————————
An overdue buddy-read with Karima! 💛
I got a good dose of character development, enjoyable plot, an adorable second chance romance story with a summer camp as the backdrop.
I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like this book since I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Simple Wild, but this story had me head over heels.
Now I need more of K.A. Tucker in my life.
———————————
An overdue buddy-read with Karima! 💛
June 2, 2020
We starrrt at 5 stars (I read it, didn't I?)
+1 star for the bitter-sweet plot
-1 star for the brainless shit the characters do
+1 star for the all-around happy ending (apart from Eric, of course, dreadful situation!)
+1 star nicely cut heroes (the 'Now' part, the 'Wawa' camp was largely 'ewwww' for me)
-1 star for clichees
+1 star for the feminist vibes
+1 star for a decent take on corporations clockwork and challenges of flexibility introduction into those. Of course, it's all very token and supeficial but I'll like with that!
We end at 5 stars!
Q:
Unfortunately for them, I’m not going anywhere. And I’m beyond fed up, because I heard the same bullshit update from Tripp in the last meeting. (c)
Q:
I stroll out of the boardroom with my head held high, making sure my heels clack extra loud for Tripp, in case he missed the part where the tart just handed him his ass. (c)
Q:
We’re quite comfortable in the “plotting together to trounce misogynistic jerks” stage, though. (c)
Q:
Maybe there’s someone who you’d mesh with better?” Chad and Ashley are as opposite as you can get, and not in a good way. Ashley is all about organic foods, vegetarianism, and protecting nature, while Chad had a deer head—from a deer that he shot—stuffed and mounted above their bed. Ashley uses laundry baskets instead of dresser drawers to store her clothes, while Chad vacuums the vacuum cleaner. Ashley will spend hours on Pinterest, looking for ways to up-cycle a chipped teapot to avoid it going into a landfill; Chad is an engineer for an energy company—that Ashley has protested outside. Ashley spends a few hours every Thanksgiving working at a soup kitchen; Chad thinks the homeless are all lazy people looking for a handout. (c)
Q:
Noted. So I shouldn’t mention . . . basically anything about my life around him. (c)
Q:
With Christa as my bunk mate, I basically have a walking, talking agenda anyway. (c)
Q:
“We have turtles at home, I’m crushing hard on Kyle, and I dumped my high school soccer team captain’s ass for trying to pressure me into having sex.”
Probably not what Darian had in mind for this ice breaker, but there you have it. (c)
Q:
I sigh heavily. In my father’s eyes, a man’s worth is set by his family name, his bank account, and his shoes. (c)
Q:
“It is confusing, isn’t it? Life? To be so sure of something in your head but unable to ignore what’s in your heart.” (c)
Q:
How was your weekend?”
He shrugs. “The usual. Grandkids, church, poker. Not at the same time.”
“Sounds relaxing.” (c)
Q:
“What’s wrong with his tail?”
“Anxiety.”
His dark eyebrows rise. “Cats get anxiety?”
“This one does.” (c)
Q:
“Your ex paid me a visit today.”
“What did he say?” ...
“He didn’t say anything. He just stood there and stared at me.”
“Stared at you.”
“For ten or twelve seconds, until Gus stepped in and asked if he was okay. And then he left.” (c)
Q:
“Maybe I should start screwing the help, too.”And . . . he’s back.
“I think that’s a great idea. She already has your children’s names picked out.”
“What?” Panic flashes across his face.
“I’m kidding. Now go away so I can work.” (c)
Q:
“Do you know what I see when I’m in that building?”
“Old men staring at my ass?”...
“But it doesn’t happen as often as you think. More than that, I see people sitting up straight when you enter a room; I see their eyes glued to you when you speak. When I hear your name floating around, it’s said with respect.” He smirks. “Sometimes with a bit of fear.” He pushes a strand of hair off my face. “And I see a woman who has I don’t even want to know how much money to burn, busting her ass all day and coming home exhausted at night to the penthouse condo that she’s welcomed her camp friends to live in rent-free, and having conversations about kids with new assistants, and stopping to greet the old security guard at the front desk when everyone else is too busy to look up. Do you know how happy that makes Gus?” ...
“No, it’s because you’re still you. You’re still the same kind, generous, down-to-earth girl from Wawa who cares about people no matter where they fit. Hell, you could be sailing around in a yacht, or drinking fucking lattes in a courtyard in Paris or whatever it is you rich people do, and yet here you are, working hard doing something that’s important to you, trying to please your father, with bags under your eyes, eating takeout on a Friday night.” (c)
Q:
That cat has mastered the art of snubbing in a way few humans can match. (c)
Q:
“Interesting . . . I didn’t think being told to shove a golf club up his ass would motivate him so well.”(c)
Q:
Eight weeks, eight new sets of kids. Eighty little girls. What if they all cry themselves to sleep every night?
This must be why camp counselor looks so good on college applications—they know you’ve endured hell and lived to talk about it. (c)
Q:
“I remember wondering where they got those pantyhose from. Like, if they went out and bought them or took them from our mother’s dresser.” (с)
Q:
“How’s the condo?”
“Besides the psychotic Siamese cat that was sitting on my nightstand watching me sleep the other night?” (c)
Q:
“You never judge.”
“I’m a huge stoner, remember? Stoners don’t judge.” (c)
Q:
“Why are you staring at me like that?”...
“No reason. I’ve just always wondered, when aliens abduct a human, do they undress them before infecting the host body or were you still wearing your suit?” (c)
+1 star for the bitter-sweet plot
-1 star for the brainless shit the characters do
+1 star for the all-around happy ending (apart from Eric, of course, dreadful situation!)
+1 star nicely cut heroes (the 'Now' part, the 'Wawa' camp was largely 'ewwww' for me)
-1 star for clichees
+1 star for the feminist vibes
+1 star for a decent take on corporations clockwork and challenges of flexibility introduction into those. Of course, it's all very token and supeficial but I'll like with that!
We end at 5 stars!
Q:
Unfortunately for them, I’m not going anywhere. And I’m beyond fed up, because I heard the same bullshit update from Tripp in the last meeting. (c)
Q:
I stroll out of the boardroom with my head held high, making sure my heels clack extra loud for Tripp, in case he missed the part where the tart just handed him his ass. (c)
Q:
We’re quite comfortable in the “plotting together to trounce misogynistic jerks” stage, though. (c)
Q:
Maybe there’s someone who you’d mesh with better?” Chad and Ashley are as opposite as you can get, and not in a good way. Ashley is all about organic foods, vegetarianism, and protecting nature, while Chad had a deer head—from a deer that he shot—stuffed and mounted above their bed. Ashley uses laundry baskets instead of dresser drawers to store her clothes, while Chad vacuums the vacuum cleaner. Ashley will spend hours on Pinterest, looking for ways to up-cycle a chipped teapot to avoid it going into a landfill; Chad is an engineer for an energy company—that Ashley has protested outside. Ashley spends a few hours every Thanksgiving working at a soup kitchen; Chad thinks the homeless are all lazy people looking for a handout. (c)
Q:
Noted. So I shouldn’t mention . . . basically anything about my life around him. (c)
Q:
With Christa as my bunk mate, I basically have a walking, talking agenda anyway. (c)
Q:
“We have turtles at home, I’m crushing hard on Kyle, and I dumped my high school soccer team captain’s ass for trying to pressure me into having sex.”
Probably not what Darian had in mind for this ice breaker, but there you have it. (c)
Q:
I sigh heavily. In my father’s eyes, a man’s worth is set by his family name, his bank account, and his shoes. (c)
Q:
“It is confusing, isn’t it? Life? To be so sure of something in your head but unable to ignore what’s in your heart.” (c)
Q:
How was your weekend?”
He shrugs. “The usual. Grandkids, church, poker. Not at the same time.”
“Sounds relaxing.” (c)
Q:
“What’s wrong with his tail?”
“Anxiety.”
His dark eyebrows rise. “Cats get anxiety?”
“This one does.” (c)
Q:
“Your ex paid me a visit today.”
“What did he say?” ...
“He didn’t say anything. He just stood there and stared at me.”
“Stared at you.”
“For ten or twelve seconds, until Gus stepped in and asked if he was okay. And then he left.” (c)
Q:
“Maybe I should start screwing the help, too.”And . . . he’s back.
“I think that’s a great idea. She already has your children’s names picked out.”
“What?” Panic flashes across his face.
“I’m kidding. Now go away so I can work.” (c)
Q:
“Do you know what I see when I’m in that building?”
“Old men staring at my ass?”...
“But it doesn’t happen as often as you think. More than that, I see people sitting up straight when you enter a room; I see their eyes glued to you when you speak. When I hear your name floating around, it’s said with respect.” He smirks. “Sometimes with a bit of fear.” He pushes a strand of hair off my face. “And I see a woman who has I don’t even want to know how much money to burn, busting her ass all day and coming home exhausted at night to the penthouse condo that she’s welcomed her camp friends to live in rent-free, and having conversations about kids with new assistants, and stopping to greet the old security guard at the front desk when everyone else is too busy to look up. Do you know how happy that makes Gus?” ...
“No, it’s because you’re still you. You’re still the same kind, generous, down-to-earth girl from Wawa who cares about people no matter where they fit. Hell, you could be sailing around in a yacht, or drinking fucking lattes in a courtyard in Paris or whatever it is you rich people do, and yet here you are, working hard doing something that’s important to you, trying to please your father, with bags under your eyes, eating takeout on a Friday night.” (c)
Q:
That cat has mastered the art of snubbing in a way few humans can match. (c)
Q:
“Interesting . . . I didn’t think being told to shove a golf club up his ass would motivate him so well.”(c)
Q:
Eight weeks, eight new sets of kids. Eighty little girls. What if they all cry themselves to sleep every night?
This must be why camp counselor looks so good on college applications—they know you’ve endured hell and lived to talk about it. (c)
Q:
“I remember wondering where they got those pantyhose from. Like, if they went out and bought them or took them from our mother’s dresser.” (с)
Q:
“How’s the condo?”
“Besides the psychotic Siamese cat that was sitting on my nightstand watching me sleep the other night?” (c)
Q:
“You never judge.”
“I’m a huge stoner, remember? Stoners don’t judge.” (c)
Q:
“Why are you staring at me like that?”...
“No reason. I’ve just always wondered, when aliens abduct a human, do they undress them before infecting the host body or were you still wearing your suit?” (c)
August 12, 2019
How many of us would jump at a second chance with a lost love, or wish we had that opportunity at some point in our lives? What would we be willing to risk to see that second chance through?
Piper Calloway is being groomed to take over her father's multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, if he's ever willing to retire. She definitely knows her stuff and can go toe-to-toe with any man in the business, but many believe she's only risen through the ranks of the company because she's the boss's daughter. Since she's beautiful and 29, and a woman, many aren't willing to take her seriously—at their own peril.
As if battling for respect from one of her father's right-hand men isn't hard enough to deal with on a daily basis, she also needs to work closely with David, her fiancé, who is a fellow VP at the firm. He's handsome and intelligent—and he knows it—but Piper's father still hasn't gotten over their ending their engagement, since David is both surrogate son and sidekick. David is just biding his time until Piper realizes the error of her ways.
One day, in the midst of all her daily chaos, she sees a face she hasn't seen since the summer she was 16 years old. Kyle Miller, the handsome, cocky boy who stole her heart when they were summer camp counselors 13 years ago—and then broke her heart when the summer ended and they went their separate ways—has grown into an immensely handsome man. She's never been able to find him on social media, never heard from him again—what is he doing in her building?
"Because, even after all these years, with college and boyfriends, and my career and my engagement to David, Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering 'what if' that I have never been able to truly shake."
It turns out Kyle is now a security guard in her building, and at first, he didn't seem to even know her name. But when he admits that was an act, he also admits he'd like to keep their relationship formal. Too many years have passed, she's nearly the CEO of the company that owns the building in which he works, and he's just a security guard. Once again, they're on either side of the financial divide, and Kyle would like to keep it that way.
Piper can't seem to shake the feelings that Kyle has reignited. Was this just a summer relationship between two high school kids, not destined to go anywhere, or did it have the potential to be so much more? Why did Kyle cut her off completely, change his name, and disappear, leaving her wondering whether the feelings he told her he had were genuine or just a way to get what he wanted that summer? Can a relationship succeed between two people who are so different that forces will try to keep them apart?
K.A. Tucker's new book, Say You Still Love Me , explores the idea of a second chance years later, when so much has changed, but the people are still the same at their core. Can a teenage relationship from summer camp blossom into something serious, all these years later? Can a relationship in which the participants are so far apart financially ever work? Are there secrets which can keep them apart even now?
The narration shifts between when Piper and Kyle first meet at camp 13 years ago and present day. It also shifts between Piper's attempts to understand Kyle's disappearance and his distance since then and her struggles to succeed outside her father's shadow. It's an exploration of friendship, first love, family, and the secrets that threaten to destroy it all, or which incite us to want to throw it all away.
I read Tucker's last book, The Simple Wild , earlier this year and fell completely in love with it. I was really excited to get the opportunity to read Say You Still Love Me before it was published. I really enjoy the way Tucker writes, and her combination of emotion, humor, and sex is really appealing.
I definitely enjoyed this book, and loved the concept (especially having gone to summer camp for 10 seasons and seen many couples from that time married now), but I honestly could have done without the narration from camp. I felt that part of the story dragged and took far too long to tell. I understood Tucker was setting the scene but it seemed to just be the same things over and over again.
More and more, I'm becoming a fan of rom-coms, and Tucker is definitely an author I'll turn to again and again. Say You Still Love Me was an enjoyable, emotional read that brought a tear to my eye.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
This book publishes August 6, 2019.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Piper Calloway is being groomed to take over her father's multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, if he's ever willing to retire. She definitely knows her stuff and can go toe-to-toe with any man in the business, but many believe she's only risen through the ranks of the company because she's the boss's daughter. Since she's beautiful and 29, and a woman, many aren't willing to take her seriously—at their own peril.
As if battling for respect from one of her father's right-hand men isn't hard enough to deal with on a daily basis, she also needs to work closely with David, her fiancé, who is a fellow VP at the firm. He's handsome and intelligent—and he knows it—but Piper's father still hasn't gotten over their ending their engagement, since David is both surrogate son and sidekick. David is just biding his time until Piper realizes the error of her ways.
One day, in the midst of all her daily chaos, she sees a face she hasn't seen since the summer she was 16 years old. Kyle Miller, the handsome, cocky boy who stole her heart when they were summer camp counselors 13 years ago—and then broke her heart when the summer ended and they went their separate ways—has grown into an immensely handsome man. She's never been able to find him on social media, never heard from him again—what is he doing in her building?
"Because, even after all these years, with college and boyfriends, and my career and my engagement to David, Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering 'what if' that I have never been able to truly shake."
It turns out Kyle is now a security guard in her building, and at first, he didn't seem to even know her name. But when he admits that was an act, he also admits he'd like to keep their relationship formal. Too many years have passed, she's nearly the CEO of the company that owns the building in which he works, and he's just a security guard. Once again, they're on either side of the financial divide, and Kyle would like to keep it that way.
Piper can't seem to shake the feelings that Kyle has reignited. Was this just a summer relationship between two high school kids, not destined to go anywhere, or did it have the potential to be so much more? Why did Kyle cut her off completely, change his name, and disappear, leaving her wondering whether the feelings he told her he had were genuine or just a way to get what he wanted that summer? Can a relationship succeed between two people who are so different that forces will try to keep them apart?
K.A. Tucker's new book, Say You Still Love Me , explores the idea of a second chance years later, when so much has changed, but the people are still the same at their core. Can a teenage relationship from summer camp blossom into something serious, all these years later? Can a relationship in which the participants are so far apart financially ever work? Are there secrets which can keep them apart even now?
The narration shifts between when Piper and Kyle first meet at camp 13 years ago and present day. It also shifts between Piper's attempts to understand Kyle's disappearance and his distance since then and her struggles to succeed outside her father's shadow. It's an exploration of friendship, first love, family, and the secrets that threaten to destroy it all, or which incite us to want to throw it all away.
I read Tucker's last book, The Simple Wild , earlier this year and fell completely in love with it. I was really excited to get the opportunity to read Say You Still Love Me before it was published. I really enjoy the way Tucker writes, and her combination of emotion, humor, and sex is really appealing.
I definitely enjoyed this book, and loved the concept (especially having gone to summer camp for 10 seasons and seen many couples from that time married now), but I honestly could have done without the narration from camp. I felt that part of the story dragged and took far too long to tell. I understood Tucker was setting the scene but it seemed to just be the same things over and over again.
More and more, I'm becoming a fan of rom-coms, and Tucker is definitely an author I'll turn to again and again. Say You Still Love Me was an enjoyable, emotional read that brought a tear to my eye.
NetGalley and Atria Books provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
This book publishes August 6, 2019.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
May 26, 2020
IT'S LIVE!!!!
She did it again. I honestly didn’t think it would happen again – but I cried. I got to the point when I couldn’t keep on reading, and had to put the book down. Because I couldn’t see through my tears – lol.
What I love about this author’s writing is that she doesn’t overdo the emotional. She doesn’t rip out my heart and stomp all over it. There is nothing manipulated about the way she goes about. It just sneaks up on me, when I least expect it and – pow!!!
So, this book is for everyone who loves summer camp. Who loves the idea of a summer of falling in love. A first love that endures hardships and years of separation. Say You Still Love Me is the perfect romance novel about second chances.
Besides a fantastic story arc, I really enjoyed the cast. The characters are down to earth, kind, and relatable. The friendships, and emotional connections are palpable and real. And I love how very different most of the personalities are. None was boring, two dimensional or just plain superficial.
The only thing that always takes some of the joy out of these kind of novels are the flashbacks. A reason why I’m not the biggest fan of the popular second chance trope. If the author does the flashbacks too well, I always wish that it would have been a YA novel instead. I’m a huge sucker for first love. It’s passionate, and emotionally charged. The newness of first love is uniquely exciting and the feelings just jump off the pages. So, going back between past and present is jarring and messes with my mind.
But in the end, I got used to the alternating chapters, and in retrospect, the way the author had this novel set up only shows how well she knows her craft.
The novel was everything I wanted it to be.
The story spoke to me, lured me in, and even made me cry. Perfect ingredients for a romance novel that touches hearts and allows the reader to reminisce about their own summer camp days. Or for someone like me who never went to a summer camp, to imagine how it could have been and also to contemplate all the things I missed out on.
Say You Still Love Me wasn’t as poignant as Be the Girl or as engrossing as The Simple Wild but it was in its entirety a wonderful addition to my KA TUCKER collection. Especially her latest books are MUST READ novels for me. Her words, writing and characters speak to me, and are by far some of the best romance novels available.
Her books have become a new obsession of mine, and Say You Still Love Me did not disappoint.
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
___________________________________
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog.
Find me on Bookstagram.
She did it again. I honestly didn’t think it would happen again – but I cried. I got to the point when I couldn’t keep on reading, and had to put the book down. Because I couldn’t see through my tears – lol.
What I love about this author’s writing is that she doesn’t overdo the emotional. She doesn’t rip out my heart and stomp all over it. There is nothing manipulated about the way she goes about. It just sneaks up on me, when I least expect it and – pow!!!
So, this book is for everyone who loves summer camp. Who loves the idea of a summer of falling in love. A first love that endures hardships and years of separation. Say You Still Love Me is the perfect romance novel about second chances.
Besides a fantastic story arc, I really enjoyed the cast. The characters are down to earth, kind, and relatable. The friendships, and emotional connections are palpable and real. And I love how very different most of the personalities are. None was boring, two dimensional or just plain superficial.
The only thing that always takes some of the joy out of these kind of novels are the flashbacks. A reason why I’m not the biggest fan of the popular second chance trope. If the author does the flashbacks too well, I always wish that it would have been a YA novel instead. I’m a huge sucker for first love. It’s passionate, and emotionally charged. The newness of first love is uniquely exciting and the feelings just jump off the pages. So, going back between past and present is jarring and messes with my mind.
But in the end, I got used to the alternating chapters, and in retrospect, the way the author had this novel set up only shows how well she knows her craft.
The novel was everything I wanted it to be.
The story spoke to me, lured me in, and even made me cry. Perfect ingredients for a romance novel that touches hearts and allows the reader to reminisce about their own summer camp days. Or for someone like me who never went to a summer camp, to imagine how it could have been and also to contemplate all the things I missed out on.
Say You Still Love Me wasn’t as poignant as Be the Girl or as engrossing as The Simple Wild but it was in its entirety a wonderful addition to my KA TUCKER collection. Especially her latest books are MUST READ novels for me. Her words, writing and characters speak to me, and are by far some of the best romance novels available.
Her books have become a new obsession of mine, and Say You Still Love Me did not disappoint.
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
___________________________________
Find more reviews and book recommendations on my blog.
Find me on Bookstagram.
March 23, 2020
I actually loved that it’s sort of a reverse Cinderella situation with this book. I’m used to reading books with rich alpha male Hs, so it’s nice to find one where the roles are swapped. I enjoyed reading about the time during which the main leads spent together at the summer camp when they were both still in high school. Unfortunately, the adult version of their characters were much less fun to read.
I honestly would prefer reading about the teenage version of these characters rather than having to deal with their inanity throughout the adult/present chapters. Instead of having alternate chapters that take back 13 years into the past and are delivered only through the h’s POV, I think I would’ve appreciated more if the author had written the book in a dual POVs and without the dual timelines.
I also feel like there’s too much talk shop/business talk in this book. I wanted the “adult chapters” to show more about how our characters reconnect after 13 years not seeing each other, rebuild their friendship, and eventually fall in love again. Instead I got pages after pages of . I just don’t like that this becomes the plot device the author used to build a base for the climax and resolution of our characters’ relationship.
I honestly would prefer reading about the teenage version of these characters rather than having to deal with their inanity throughout the adult/present chapters. Instead of having alternate chapters that take back 13 years into the past and are delivered only through the h’s POV, I think I would’ve appreciated more if the author had written the book in a dual POVs and without the dual timelines.
I also feel like there’s too much talk shop/business talk in this book. I wanted the “adult chapters” to show more about how our characters reconnect after 13 years not seeing each other, rebuild their friendship, and eventually fall in love again. Instead I got pages after pages of . I just don’t like that this becomes the plot device the author used to build a base for the climax and resolution of our characters’ relationship.
July 19, 2023
4.99 stars
July 23, 2019
*****FOUR STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Publisher}
Because, even after all these years, with college and boyfriends, and my career and my engagement to David, Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering “what if” that I have never been able to truly shake.
”SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME” is a sweet and steamy second chance romance that is both young adult and adult contemporary. It started off a bit too slow for me but luckily towards the second half of the story the plot started to rev up and I couldn’t wait to find out how it all would end. There were surprises I didn’t see coming.
Piper Calloway and Kyle Miller met and fell instantly in love during their shared summer as counselors at camp Wawa. It's hard to believe that you can find your true soulmate at sixteen, but as the story unfolds it becomes clear that what they shared was more than a summer fling.
The story goes back and forth between present and past. We see how adult Piper and Kyle are living their lives and it’s obvious that thirteen years of separation has done absolutely nothing to erase the feelings they had for each other. I did feel that there may have been a little too much emphasis played on the back story which created the slowness for me. Maybe I am getting a bit tired of the switch from past to present in most of the books I have been reading lately.
Luckily plot twists take place towards the end, which explains Kyle’s actions in the past and why he suddenly reappears in Piper’s life. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It’s definitely worth adding to your summer reads list!
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Plot: 4
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
”SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME” releases on August 6th.
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2JCUa76
{ARC Generously Provided by Publisher}
Because, even after all these years, with college and boyfriends, and my career and my engagement to David, Kyle Miller has always been a sliver in my heart, a shadow in my thoughts. A lingering “what if” that I have never been able to truly shake.
”SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME” is a sweet and steamy second chance romance that is both young adult and adult contemporary. It started off a bit too slow for me but luckily towards the second half of the story the plot started to rev up and I couldn’t wait to find out how it all would end. There were surprises I didn’t see coming.
Piper Calloway and Kyle Miller met and fell instantly in love during their shared summer as counselors at camp Wawa. It's hard to believe that you can find your true soulmate at sixteen, but as the story unfolds it becomes clear that what they shared was more than a summer fling.
The story goes back and forth between present and past. We see how adult Piper and Kyle are living their lives and it’s obvious that thirteen years of separation has done absolutely nothing to erase the feelings they had for each other. I did feel that there may have been a little too much emphasis played on the back story which created the slowness for me. Maybe I am getting a bit tired of the switch from past to present in most of the books I have been reading lately.
Luckily plot twists take place towards the end, which explains Kyle’s actions in the past and why he suddenly reappears in Piper’s life. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. It’s definitely worth adding to your summer reads list!
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 4
Heroine: 4
Plot: 4
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
”SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME” releases on August 6th.
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2JCUa76
May 23, 2020
Many thanks to Atria Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
”I was an addict and Kyle was my drug of choice.”
This was everything that Twice in a Blue Moon tried and failed to be. Throughout the entire book, I just kept muttering to myself ”Twice in a Blue Moon ... but better.” because it felt almost exactly like TIAB but actually well done.
So, what’s this book about?
When Piper Calloway is sent off to a run down(ish) summer camp to be a counselor, she expects her entire summer to be miserable. And it is, until she meets Kyle. Kyle is charming and attractive. Slowly and then all at once, Piper falls head over heels for him. But when an accident happens, Piper is forced to go home from camp, leaving Kyle behind.
A decade later Piper is climbing the ladder in her father’s business. She is successful and happy but she still thinks back to that one summer fling, constantly wondering why Kyle never spoke to her after she left. One day, out of the blue, Kyle shows up and every kiss, smile and joke shared between Kyle and Piper comes rushing back in painful detail. Piper must decide between trying to rekindle what they had or avoiding him altogether. But deep down she wants him to say he still loves her. See what I did there? I loved how accurate the title is. It sums up the entire novel in five words.
K.A. Tucker chose to tell Say You Still Love Me via two timelines which was extremely enjoyable and effective. We switch back and forth from Piper’s summer at camp to the present at her job, though most of the book is in the present. Tucker (I’ll never get used to that) expertly reveals enough from the past to keep the reader thirsty for more and just when you think she’s saved the best for last, she slaps you with a scene from the past that makes you look at the present in a whole new way.
➵ Kyle -
I’ve been doing it occasionally but now, I am starting a tradition. With every romcom, I will find pictures of people that I think look like the character (or my mental image of them) and share them with you. SO:
Young Kyle:
Adult Kyle
[Credit: Michael Provost]
Even though Kyle was attractive, he didn’t earn a spot on my fictional crushes list. He was just not someone that I would gravitate towards in real life. There was anything wrong with him. He just didn’t float my boat.
➵ Piper - Random note, my brain kept autocorrecting to Amy. I don’t know why but my brain
Anyway, I really loved Piper. She was spunky, smart and feminist.
And speaking of feminism… I was pleasantly surprised to see it done well in this. Again, I go back to Twice in a Blue Moon which tried and failed to incorporate feminism but ended up shoving it down the reader's throat. Something I see a lot in books is authors trying to have feminism in their stories, which is not a bad thing. It’s great! But sometimes, it’s shoved in our faces so much that it gets annoying. Tucker (yup, still not used to it) expertly incorporated feminism and empowerment into Piper’s story perfectly in a way that didn’t annoy or turn away readers.
Also, the sex scenes and smut were superb!
And finally, the romance in this book warmed my heart like hot apple cider on a chilly autumn evening. With characters that every reader will fall in love with immediately and an ensnaring plot, Say You Still Love Me is a romance that every reader will fall in love with.
Bottom Line:
5 Stars
Age Rating: [ R ]
Content Screening - Educational Value (0/5) - [None] ~ Positive Messages (3/5) - [Forgiveness, female empowerment] ~ Violence (3/5) - [Character falls and is severely injured] ~ Sex (4/5) - [Many detailed kissing & sex scenes] ~ Langauge (4/5) - [F**k, sh*t, d*ck, b*tch, d*mn] ~ Drinking & Drugs (2/5) - [Legal drinking, smoking]
Trigger and Content Warning - Severe injuries, heart troubles, brain damage, anxiety
Cover: 4/5 ~ Characters: 4/5 ~ Plot (4/5) ~ Audio (3/5)
Publication Date: August 6th, 2019
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Romance/Comedy
***********
omg, what fun this was!!!
***********
no, i didn't request a copy because the author's last name is Tucker
what makes you think that?
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July 1, 2019
Gah, this book was tedious.
I used to love, love, love K.A. Tucker, but her recent books have been disappointments.
I see a lot of friends loving this book, so maybe it's just me. However, I found Say You Still Love Me to be incredibly boring, which is the kiss of death for me. In fact, the only way I got through this one was by heavily skimming the second half.
I should have realized this book wasn't for me right from the start. I really dislike flashbacks and a good half of the story is told in flashback. Contemporary romances are always struggles for me, and if I'm going to love them, they have to be damn good. Say You Still Love Me wasn't, I'm afraid. There were a lot of summer camp details, a lot of rich kid details, and a lot of information that made my mind wander. I found the plot to be really slow, and the romance just didn't interest me.
I didn't really enjoy any of the characters, either. They either seemed immature or spoiled or just... blah. Nothing grabbed me.
Maybe some of my fellow readers, especially contemporary romance lovers (though this also felt very YA to me, even though the MCs are adults) will enjoy this one, but I'm going to have to talk a long, hard break from K.A. Tucker for awhile.
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I used to love, love, love K.A. Tucker, but her recent books have been disappointments.
I see a lot of friends loving this book, so maybe it's just me. However, I found Say You Still Love Me to be incredibly boring, which is the kiss of death for me. In fact, the only way I got through this one was by heavily skimming the second half.
I should have realized this book wasn't for me right from the start. I really dislike flashbacks and a good half of the story is told in flashback. Contemporary romances are always struggles for me, and if I'm going to love them, they have to be damn good. Say You Still Love Me wasn't, I'm afraid. There were a lot of summer camp details, a lot of rich kid details, and a lot of information that made my mind wander. I found the plot to be really slow, and the romance just didn't interest me.
I didn't really enjoy any of the characters, either. They either seemed immature or spoiled or just... blah. Nothing grabbed me.
Maybe some of my fellow readers, especially contemporary romance lovers (though this also felt very YA to me, even though the MCs are adults) will enjoy this one, but I'm going to have to talk a long, hard break from K.A. Tucker for awhile.
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July 8, 2021
SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME will make you fondly recall all of your own “firsts” –your first day at camp, your first crush, your first kiss, your first love – and all the other romantic milestones and adventures involved in being young and inevitably foolish!
But young love rarely survives its infancy, and the star-crossed lovers in this story are no exception. Kyle and Piper come from two different worlds. Kyle’s father and two of his brothers are in prison, whereas Piper’s father is a wealthy real estate developer. Their paths first cross when they work as teen counselors at Camp Wawa, somewhere in New York or thereabout. It is love at first sight – the young couple continue to fall even more in love over the course of that wild and romantic summer. The slow burning attraction between these two young lovers was sweet, and a joy to read.
But, alas, tragedy strikes, separating Piper and Kyle. (No spoilers here! Find out for yourself what happened!)
Thirteen years have passed when, out of the blue, Piper sees Kyle working as a security guard in her father’s office tower. She can’t stop thinking about him, wondering why he never returned her calls and emails all those years ago: why he just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth and broke her heart.
. . . . . . . . . .
There are all kinds of mysteries surrounding Kyle’s reasons for coming back into Piper’s life. No matter: neither of them can deny that they have been pining for each other since that last fateful day at camp Wawa. There is no way they can walk away from each other this time – which makes for a very steamy and passionate reunion!
One theme that recurs throughout this story is that the path to true love can be very messy and requires a lot of faith and forgiveness along the way. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this story: the mischievous, fun-loving Kyle and his crazy friend Eric; the goodhearted, passionate Piper who wants her father’s approval, but who refuses to sacrifice her love for Kyle in order to keep it; Christa, the chief camp counselor who must always be right, and who adopts the world’s most neurotic Siamese cat; and finally Ashley, the ultimate “earth child” who literally knits their entire group together. I absolutely enjoyed this second chance at love story, which is told in shifting “Now” and “Then” time sequences. You are kept on the edge of your seat until the very last chapter for the final reveal. Highly, highly recommended!
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
But young love rarely survives its infancy, and the star-crossed lovers in this story are no exception. Kyle and Piper come from two different worlds. Kyle’s father and two of his brothers are in prison, whereas Piper’s father is a wealthy real estate developer. Their paths first cross when they work as teen counselors at Camp Wawa, somewhere in New York or thereabout. It is love at first sight – the young couple continue to fall even more in love over the course of that wild and romantic summer. The slow burning attraction between these two young lovers was sweet, and a joy to read.
But, alas, tragedy strikes, separating Piper and Kyle. (No spoilers here! Find out for yourself what happened!)
Thirteen years have passed when, out of the blue, Piper sees Kyle working as a security guard in her father’s office tower. She can’t stop thinking about him, wondering why he never returned her calls and emails all those years ago: why he just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth and broke her heart.
. . . . . . . . . .
There are all kinds of mysteries surrounding Kyle’s reasons for coming back into Piper’s life. No matter: neither of them can deny that they have been pining for each other since that last fateful day at camp Wawa. There is no way they can walk away from each other this time – which makes for a very steamy and passionate reunion!
One theme that recurs throughout this story is that the path to true love can be very messy and requires a lot of faith and forgiveness along the way. I really enjoyed all of the characters in this story: the mischievous, fun-loving Kyle and his crazy friend Eric; the goodhearted, passionate Piper who wants her father’s approval, but who refuses to sacrifice her love for Kyle in order to keep it; Christa, the chief camp counselor who must always be right, and who adopts the world’s most neurotic Siamese cat; and finally Ashley, the ultimate “earth child” who literally knits their entire group together. I absolutely enjoyed this second chance at love story, which is told in shifting “Now” and “Then” time sequences. You are kept on the edge of your seat until the very last chapter for the final reveal. Highly, highly recommended!
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
December 16, 2023
In SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME, Piper is the daughter of the company president and sick and tired of people expecting her to be a pushover. She’s earned her position as VP. She has a close group of oddball friends she met at camp when she was a teen, and reconnects with Kyle, a senior counselor who she had a crush on way back when over the marshmallows and campfires. Yes, please.
This one was way different from the last KA Tucker book I read, which was set in Alaska! Piper has an iffy relationship with her parents. And Kyle has had… not the greatest childhood, to say the least. Definitely plenty of interesting stuff brewing. Half of the book was told through flashbacks to their teenage years at camp, which isn't my favorite storytelling device. I definitely preferred the present day storylines. I think my favorite segments were interesting boardroom drama ones!
This one was way different from the last KA Tucker book I read, which was set in Alaska! Piper has an iffy relationship with her parents. And Kyle has had… not the greatest childhood, to say the least. Definitely plenty of interesting stuff brewing. Half of the book was told through flashbacks to their teenage years at camp, which isn't my favorite storytelling device. I definitely preferred the present day storylines. I think my favorite segments were interesting boardroom drama ones!
December 2, 2024
Finished this one in a single day 😍 I loved this story of first loves. ❤️ Characters were great, settings great, storyline great 🥰 sprinkles of spice was nice too 🔥😉
July 25, 2019
3.5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Nothing like a K.A. Tucker romance to heat up my my summer vacation! Remember that guy or girl that you met years ago and always wondered "what if?" Well, main protagonist Piper Calloway gets that question answered when she comes face to face with a man from her past. Now working at her father's company, one which Piper will inherit one day, she is more than shook up when the newest employee in the security department, Kyle Stewart, is the boy she fell in love with thirteen years before. A boy she loved and that disappeared from her life without any explanation. As the story bounds between the present and the past, Piper must choose between letting things lie in the past or seeking out a promising future.
Now Tucker has had me in her literary grip since I devoured Ten Tiny Breaths years ago. She writes richly drawn characters that are easy to connect with and even when something falls into a cliche, she somehow manages to make it work in her narrative. But I found it just a little bit slow and drawn out especially when dealing with the teen romance. This resulted in me picking up and putting down the book quite a bit. But I still cannot deny that I was still tempted enough to stick with it because I am such a fan of the author.
Goodreads review published 23/07/19
Expected publication Date 06/08/19
Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
Nothing like a K.A. Tucker romance to heat up my my summer vacation! Remember that guy or girl that you met years ago and always wondered "what if?" Well, main protagonist Piper Calloway gets that question answered when she comes face to face with a man from her past. Now working at her father's company, one which Piper will inherit one day, she is more than shook up when the newest employee in the security department, Kyle Stewart, is the boy she fell in love with thirteen years before. A boy she loved and that disappeared from her life without any explanation. As the story bounds between the present and the past, Piper must choose between letting things lie in the past or seeking out a promising future.
Now Tucker has had me in her literary grip since I devoured Ten Tiny Breaths years ago. She writes richly drawn characters that are easy to connect with and even when something falls into a cliche, she somehow manages to make it work in her narrative. But I found it just a little bit slow and drawn out especially when dealing with the teen romance. This resulted in me picking up and putting down the book quite a bit. But I still cannot deny that I was still tempted enough to stick with it because I am such a fan of the author.
Goodreads review published 23/07/19
Expected publication Date 06/08/19
August 6, 2019
It's LIVE! https://amzn.to/2MIuyX5
At sixteen, Piper's mom wants to teach her core values and signs her up to be a camp counselor - to see how the other half lives. Not everyone has their life made and Piper quickly figures out that she's got it good. Fast forward thirteen years and Piper's settling into her new role as part of her father's executive team at his firm. She's destined to take over the reins of the company whenever he decides to step aside. She's 29, she's recently single, and she's roommates with her two besties from that long ago summer at camp. So what happens when her past takes a stroll through the lobby of her company? And why does her heart still beat as fast as it did when she was 16 and his?
Poor little rich girl.
Piper was entitled, privileged, wealthy, and didn't have a clue what it was to be anything but part of the 1%.
It's not to say that the author didn't characterize her with a big heart, because she did...
It's just that the entire story is told from Piper's perspective and it was extremely one-sided.
It was hard not to see how her world was colored and seen with rose-colored glasses.
For her, the glass was never half full because it should always be refilled.
And because of her somewhat condescending and superior attitude, even when she was trying to be approachable, it was impossible for me to be convinced of this second chance at love she had with Kyle.
I think I really needed something from him to bring it all together.
I needed to see how he was able to overlook so much in order to be with her.
I needed to see her grow as a person, as someone who would make sense with someone like Kyle.
And because that didn't happen, I found it hard to invest.
The writing was outstanding. It was easy to see why this author has garnered such a huge fan base with the floetry of her words. While this story wasn't for me, I'm sure it will be a big hit with other romance lovers. And I'll definitely be giving this author another try.
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At sixteen, Piper's mom wants to teach her core values and signs her up to be a camp counselor - to see how the other half lives. Not everyone has their life made and Piper quickly figures out that she's got it good. Fast forward thirteen years and Piper's settling into her new role as part of her father's executive team at his firm. She's destined to take over the reins of the company whenever he decides to step aside. She's 29, she's recently single, and she's roommates with her two besties from that long ago summer at camp. So what happens when her past takes a stroll through the lobby of her company? And why does her heart still beat as fast as it did when she was 16 and his?
Poor little rich girl.
Piper was entitled, privileged, wealthy, and didn't have a clue what it was to be anything but part of the 1%.
It's not to say that the author didn't characterize her with a big heart, because she did...
It's just that the entire story is told from Piper's perspective and it was extremely one-sided.
It was hard not to see how her world was colored and seen with rose-colored glasses.
For her, the glass was never half full because it should always be refilled.
And because of her somewhat condescending and superior attitude, even when she was trying to be approachable, it was impossible for me to be convinced of this second chance at love she had with Kyle.
I think I really needed something from him to bring it all together.
I needed to see how he was able to overlook so much in order to be with her.
I needed to see her grow as a person, as someone who would make sense with someone like Kyle.
And because that didn't happen, I found it hard to invest.
The writing was outstanding. It was easy to see why this author has garnered such a huge fan base with the floetry of her words. While this story wasn't for me, I'm sure it will be a big hit with other romance lovers. And I'll definitely be giving this author another try.
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August 7, 2019
K.A. Tucker wrote one of my favorite books of 2018, The Simple Wild, so to say I was excited for her next contemporary romance would be an understatement. She knows how to write stories that will appeal to your emotions and heart, which is exactly what happened with Say You Still Love Me. Reading this book was like an emotional roller coaster I never wanted to get off of. If you love second chance romances that will hit you in the face with summer feels and nostalgia, read this book.
Second chance romances are my favorite, and Say You Still Love Me hit all the right buttons for me. The main characters met and fell in love at summer camp as teenage counselors, but Kyle never contacted Piper again after that one summer. Thirteen years later, Piper has just received control of her father’s company and she needs to prove to her dad and her employees that she’s the right fit for this multi-million dollar company. Just when things are looking up, her past love shows up as the new security guard at her office building, and feelings resurface. It’s almost as if the decade that passed without each other never happened. The privileged, wealthy girl is still very much in love with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
I LOVED these Piper and Kyle. You can feel the absolute heartbreak, the longing, the adoration that these two still hold for each other. They might not have gotten on the right foot during their reunion, but over time I couldn’t help but swoon over how clearly the two worship each other. We get some great juxtaposition between alternating chapters of past and present, with the past chapters set in summer camp. We can see Piper and Kyle falling in love for the first time alongside them relearning each other in the present and falling in love all over again. This kind of storytelling reminded me a lot of another 2018 favorite, Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren, so if you liked that book, you’ll probably like this one too.
Say You Still Love Me made me feel nostalgic over summer camp and I never even WENT to summer camp. K.A. Tucker made that camp setting come to life in this book, and it’s almost as if it’s another character itself. Which made this the perfect summer read. This is a romance that will hit you in the feels and I can’t recommend it enough!
Second chance romances are my favorite, and Say You Still Love Me hit all the right buttons for me. The main characters met and fell in love at summer camp as teenage counselors, but Kyle never contacted Piper again after that one summer. Thirteen years later, Piper has just received control of her father’s company and she needs to prove to her dad and her employees that she’s the right fit for this multi-million dollar company. Just when things are looking up, her past love shows up as the new security guard at her office building, and feelings resurface. It’s almost as if the decade that passed without each other never happened. The privileged, wealthy girl is still very much in love with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
I LOVED these Piper and Kyle. You can feel the absolute heartbreak, the longing, the adoration that these two still hold for each other. They might not have gotten on the right foot during their reunion, but over time I couldn’t help but swoon over how clearly the two worship each other. We get some great juxtaposition between alternating chapters of past and present, with the past chapters set in summer camp. We can see Piper and Kyle falling in love for the first time alongside them relearning each other in the present and falling in love all over again. This kind of storytelling reminded me a lot of another 2018 favorite, Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren, so if you liked that book, you’ll probably like this one too.
Say You Still Love Me made me feel nostalgic over summer camp and I never even WENT to summer camp. K.A. Tucker made that camp setting come to life in this book, and it’s almost as if it’s another character itself. Which made this the perfect summer read. This is a romance that will hit you in the feels and I can’t recommend it enough!
August 7, 2019
Another one that I enjoyed and loved by this talented author!! Love her writing!!!
Kyle and Piper have met in the past, and sparks ignited. They were torn apart by the end of that summer. Why? We are taken on a journey from past to present back to past. Its intriguing, its exhilarating, yet at times, so dang frustrating!!! There were parts of this story I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Tons of feels, total recommend to those Contemporary Romance lovers, and YA lovers!!
Kyle and Piper have met in the past, and sparks ignited. They were torn apart by the end of that summer. Why? We are taken on a journey from past to present back to past. Its intriguing, its exhilarating, yet at times, so dang frustrating!!! There were parts of this story I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Tons of feels, total recommend to those Contemporary Romance lovers, and YA lovers!!
July 11, 2019
I have been a long time fan of KA Tucker ever since I discovered her Ten Tiny Breaths series. When I saw this book on Netgalley, I didn't hesitate requesting a copy and reading this second chance romance!
When Piper was 16, she fell in love with Kyle at camp Wawa. And never saw him again after that summer. Now, as a 29-year-old business women grooming to take over her father's business, Piper is shocked when she runs into Kyle in the lobby of her building. Kyle is their newest security guard. Old memories and emotions come rushing back. Why is Kyle back in her life? Can she really trust him with her heart again?
From the beginning, I really loved how this book was a dual timeline between when Kyle and Piper first fell in love and when they reconnected years later. Piper then and Piper now were pretty different people, but her feelings for Kyle were definitely the same. I loved how Piper was fighting to prove to people she was just as capable as the men in the company. There was some drama in her company that I did feel was dragged out and a bit anticlimactic, but I enjoyed seeing her dedicate her life to a job she was passionate about.
This book felt fluffy and fun, but definitely took a more serious, somber turn near the end. I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book and the people that Piper had surrounded herself with, specifically her friends. This book reminded me to so much of my own teenage summers and spending time away at camps and with friends. Kyle was so adorable and I really wanted to see more of him with Piper in the current timeline.
If you're looking for a second chance summer read, I would absolutely recommend Say You Still Love Me. You get to watch a couple fall in love as teens and reconnect many years later. There is so much more than the romance here and you won't want to put the book down.
When Piper was 16, she fell in love with Kyle at camp Wawa. And never saw him again after that summer. Now, as a 29-year-old business women grooming to take over her father's business, Piper is shocked when she runs into Kyle in the lobby of her building. Kyle is their newest security guard. Old memories and emotions come rushing back. Why is Kyle back in her life? Can she really trust him with her heart again?
From the beginning, I really loved how this book was a dual timeline between when Kyle and Piper first fell in love and when they reconnected years later. Piper then and Piper now were pretty different people, but her feelings for Kyle were definitely the same. I loved how Piper was fighting to prove to people she was just as capable as the men in the company. There was some drama in her company that I did feel was dragged out and a bit anticlimactic, but I enjoyed seeing her dedicate her life to a job she was passionate about.
This book felt fluffy and fun, but definitely took a more serious, somber turn near the end. I really enjoyed the cast of characters in this book and the people that Piper had surrounded herself with, specifically her friends. This book reminded me to so much of my own teenage summers and spending time away at camps and with friends. Kyle was so adorable and I really wanted to see more of him with Piper in the current timeline.
If you're looking for a second chance summer read, I would absolutely recommend Say You Still Love Me. You get to watch a couple fall in love as teens and reconnect many years later. There is so much more than the romance here and you won't want to put the book down.
April 24, 2019
4,5 perfect balance stars
This book is a perfect balance between cute yet real, past and present, nostalgic yet hopeful.
I won't explain the plot as you can go read the blurb but I will focus on the cast and what made me love that book
1) Meet the cast:
Kyle is: boyish, handsome, loyal, afraid to be associated with his family’s mistakes, respectful, a good man. Humble yet self-confident.
He respects Piper and can’t believe how lucky he is. He will never pressure her yet once they’ll “do it” he will take care of her. Even as a teenager he was a catch LOL :-D
Daring, he can’t resist a challenge. At camp Wawa he was a people’s boy.
Piper is: rich but values people by their behavior and character not by their bank account. Down to earth. Generous. Simple. Caring. Smart. She is passionate about her dad’s work.
She wants he dad’s approval as they share a special bond.
Teenage Piper was also afraid of her parent’s divorce and what it will entail for her.
She could never resist Kyle’s dare!
Both are attracted to each other like hormonal magnets. It was a little bit like love at first sight. They were oozing pheromones and my head was just pinning as it was such a heady mix!
Now for the sidekicks:
Eric was a hellion. Typical goof and devil may care teenager.
Ashley was sweet, creative and kind. Always ready to follow Piper on her adventure.
Christa was bossy. A planner and organizer. The voice of reason. She also cares deeply about her friends even if her exterior rather looks like a hedgehog than a sweet kitty.
Piper’s dad was intense. Harsh but KA made him not a real villain as all that he’s done was to protect Piper. And he remains human and cares about other's misfortune. At heart he is a good guy. An overprotective father wanting to protect his daughter. He pushes Piper very hard as he is preparing her, grooming her. He made mistakes but he owned them and somehow atoned for them. As the saying goes: The road to hell is paved with good intentions ….
2) What made me love that book?
Well of course the characters first as I am a character driven stories kind of reader.
I love that KA Tucker takes the time to flesh out her characters and give the needed nuances to make them real. They have flaws but are good at heart. Even Piper's dad seemed harsh sometimes but we could not stay mad at him as his actions came from the need to protect his daughter but not boss her like you can sometimes see in other storie.
I thought about the construction of the story. Alternating between past and present chapters is never my favorite way to tell a story. I usually want to rush up the past chapters and just stay in the present. Or want a first part about the past and a second past about the present. Yet it did not bother me much in Say You Still Want Me.
Because the past chapters were as interesting and real as the present chapters.
Because the past featured really likeable teenagers falling in love that summer. You even get great sidekicks with the goofy best friend, artsy girl and "always walk the line" roommate.
They were needed to understand the dynamic between Piper and Kyle when they will come face to face again. They were necessary to grasp Kyle's secrets and some things he'll tell Piper in the "now".
I loved all the feelings I got to experience while reading: the meet cute at the camp, the burgeoning love with its thrill and first pitter patter of the heart. The shock at seeing someone you cared for from your past. The anger when Piper had to face masochistic pigs as a vice president of her father's company. The rush of a work well done be it because the teary little girl you had to mother left you with a parting gift at the end of her week or because you are part of a city's transformation. I worried and wondered too not knowing if I would simply be one more notch under the alluring boy's belt or if his come-back in my life had a deeper meaning than just taking a new job.
I cried too, at the end of the summer or learning what happened to some friend.
I also basked in a lasting friendship.
If you are looking for a smart, realistic moving NA story don't look further!
Last but not least I want to thank Atria Book (Simon and Schuster) for sending me this copy!
Have you read it? Or are you a fan of K.A. Tucker
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
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This book is a perfect balance between cute yet real, past and present, nostalgic yet hopeful.
I won't explain the plot as you can go read the blurb but I will focus on the cast and what made me love that book
1) Meet the cast:
Kyle is: boyish, handsome, loyal, afraid to be associated with his family’s mistakes, respectful, a good man. Humble yet self-confident.
He respects Piper and can’t believe how lucky he is. He will never pressure her yet once they’ll “do it” he will take care of her. Even as a teenager he was a catch LOL :-D
Daring, he can’t resist a challenge. At camp Wawa he was a people’s boy.
Piper is: rich but values people by their behavior and character not by their bank account. Down to earth. Generous. Simple. Caring. Smart. She is passionate about her dad’s work.
She wants he dad’s approval as they share a special bond.
Teenage Piper was also afraid of her parent’s divorce and what it will entail for her.
She could never resist Kyle’s dare!
Both are attracted to each other like hormonal magnets. It was a little bit like love at first sight. They were oozing pheromones and my head was just pinning as it was such a heady mix!
Now for the sidekicks:
Eric was a hellion. Typical goof and devil may care teenager.
Ashley was sweet, creative and kind. Always ready to follow Piper on her adventure.
Christa was bossy. A planner and organizer. The voice of reason. She also cares deeply about her friends even if her exterior rather looks like a hedgehog than a sweet kitty.
Piper’s dad was intense. Harsh but KA made him not a real villain as all that he’s done was to protect Piper. And he remains human and cares about other's misfortune. At heart he is a good guy. An overprotective father wanting to protect his daughter. He pushes Piper very hard as he is preparing her, grooming her. He made mistakes but he owned them and somehow atoned for them. As the saying goes: The road to hell is paved with good intentions ….
2) What made me love that book?
Well of course the characters first as I am a character driven stories kind of reader.
I love that KA Tucker takes the time to flesh out her characters and give the needed nuances to make them real. They have flaws but are good at heart. Even Piper's dad seemed harsh sometimes but we could not stay mad at him as his actions came from the need to protect his daughter but not boss her like you can sometimes see in other storie.
I thought about the construction of the story. Alternating between past and present chapters is never my favorite way to tell a story. I usually want to rush up the past chapters and just stay in the present. Or want a first part about the past and a second past about the present. Yet it did not bother me much in Say You Still Want Me.
Because the past chapters were as interesting and real as the present chapters.
Because the past featured really likeable teenagers falling in love that summer. You even get great sidekicks with the goofy best friend, artsy girl and "always walk the line" roommate.
They were needed to understand the dynamic between Piper and Kyle when they will come face to face again. They were necessary to grasp Kyle's secrets and some things he'll tell Piper in the "now".
I loved all the feelings I got to experience while reading: the meet cute at the camp, the burgeoning love with its thrill and first pitter patter of the heart. The shock at seeing someone you cared for from your past. The anger when Piper had to face masochistic pigs as a vice president of her father's company. The rush of a work well done be it because the teary little girl you had to mother left you with a parting gift at the end of her week or because you are part of a city's transformation. I worried and wondered too not knowing if I would simply be one more notch under the alluring boy's belt or if his come-back in my life had a deeper meaning than just taking a new job.
I cried too, at the end of the summer or learning what happened to some friend.
I also basked in a lasting friendship.
If you are looking for a smart, realistic moving NA story don't look further!
Last but not least I want to thank Atria Book (Simon and Schuster) for sending me this copy!
Have you read it? Or are you a fan of K.A. Tucker
Thanks for reading!
Sophie
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August 11, 2019
TITLE: SAY YOU STILL LOVE ME
AUTHOR: K.A. Tucker
RELEASE DATE: August 6 2019
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Second Chance
RATING: 3 Stars
CLIFFHANGER:No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
I love KA Tucker. She writes poignant, heart-wrenching stories that always make me tear up at one point. I just love her writing. Say You Still Love Me was no different in that regard. However, it took me forever to make it through this book and I blame the way it was written.
Alternating timelines - we get the presence and flashbacks into the past. I'm not a big fan of excessive use of flashbacks as they keep the story from moving forward. And that's exactly what happened here. This story would have been so much easier to read if the author had divided the book in two parts, a now and then respectively instead of going back and forth in every other chapter, which made the story feel like molasses, which is sad because the plot itself was beautiful! I found my thoughts drifting and my attention waning multiple times.
"You'll make friends for life here. People you can call up twenty years from now, for anything, and they'll be there for you. I promise you, you won't forget these days, ever."
I loved Piper and Kyle's sweet beginnings, the first love when hormones got the better of you. Kyle is the boy from the wrong side of the tracks, Piper the rich girl, a daddy's girl who wants to follow her father's footsteps. I didn't grow up rich but K.A. Tucker made Piper relatable because she wanted everything every young girl wants: a functional family and the approval of her parents for the boy she fell in love with. Imagine how hurt she must have been when he didn't remember her when they met again.
Kyle may not have forgotten me, but he doesn’t seem to want to remember us.
It's typical for this author that we only get one point of view and I'd really have loved to get Kyle's. He left summer camp where he and Piper met without a trace. We learn why later on and because this story was so slow I was soooo tempted to skip and find out why. While I dove deeper into the story I found things out about him that made him look shady but I held on to the belief that this author would give us another lovable hero and in that regard K.A. Tucker never disappoints. While he wasn't his boyish, playful younger self any longer, a grown-up, a little more somber version of him was just as alluring. The selfless things he did, the reason why he left, the realization that Piper has always been The One for him, it all made me fall deeper in love with him.
This was no The Simple Wild, which was one of my top favorites last year. It had all the ingredients but the execution didn't work for me. I'm sure that's a one-off and next time I'll be singing praises about her talent and craft again. At the heart of it, though, this is a beautiful, a little heartbreaking, emotional story that will make you think of your own youth, the friendships you made, the carefree spirit of that time in your life, that tingling first love. Give this a try if this kind of story appeals to you because I'm just one opinion and you may feel completely different about it!
“And I will jump off any cliff you ask me to, no matter how frightened I am, as long as it means you’re waiting for me at the bottom.”
August 6, 2019
❤️4 STARS❤️
This was another beautiful and emotional story!It touched me and I have many feelings while I was reading it!The story is told in alternating time lines one in the present day and and one from the past when Piper and Kyle were camp counselors.
I loved their relationship in the past and present!What I love in K.A. Tucker's stories is that always has the ability to bring life in her characters and I always feel like I'm a part of their story!This one is the same!I could feel the emotions and the intensity between Piper and Kyle!
"You'll make friends for life here. People you can call up twenty years from now, for anything, and they'll be there for you. I promise you, you won't forget these days, ever."
If you're looking for an emotional summer read with an intense romance this is perfect!
��
This was another beautiful and emotional story!It touched me and I have many feelings while I was reading it!The story is told in alternating time lines one in the present day and and one from the past when Piper and Kyle were camp counselors.
I loved their relationship in the past and present!What I love in K.A. Tucker's stories is that always has the ability to bring life in her characters and I always feel like I'm a part of their story!This one is the same!I could feel the emotions and the intensity between Piper and Kyle!
"You'll make friends for life here. People you can call up twenty years from now, for anything, and they'll be there for you. I promise you, you won't forget these days, ever."
If you're looking for an emotional summer read with an intense romance this is perfect!
��
August 6, 2019
KA Tucker swept me away in Say You Still Love Me, an unforgettable romance that beautifully depicts both the bittersweet stirrings of first love and the achingly emotional pull of a second chance. This book was so different from what this author has delivered previously, a story as much about the struggles of a woman in charge of a hugely successful company as it is about the love story between a privileged heiress and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
I seriously enjoyed every bit of this book. I loved the dynamic born in the past, the history of a wealthy teenager reluctantly sent to camp for the summer who has no idea she's about to fall for the boy her parents will never approve of. The trajectory of their lives is altered that summer, setting into motion events that the reader comes to understand slowly over the course of the entire book, secrets that reveal themselves at just the right moments as a second chance love story unfolds many years later.
What sticks out the most to me on these pages is the palpable chemistry between Piper and Kyle. The lust, the adoration, the fierce attraction, the devastating longing... every moment of this book is laced in such an undeniable pull between these characters and it leaps right off the page and ensnares the reader. I FELT it all and it was INTOXICATING. You can't read this book and not completely melt over their romance.
There's a lot going on in this book and I loved all of it. It's so rare we get to read about a woman in a position of power, as Piper is, and I loved that she owned every bit of it but, at the same time, remained relatable. Aside from the love story on these pages, this is very much a story of what successful women face in a world dominated by men, and it's fantastic the way Tucker lays out her story.
This was a solid read in every way. It's rich with heartache and longing, steamy and sexy and light in the way only young love is, but tangled with complications and drama as second chance love stories are. It's sweet and full of surprises and the chemistry is just FIERCE. The writing, the romance, the vast ensemble of characters... all of it, I just loved and I can't say that enough!
I seriously enjoyed every bit of this book. I loved the dynamic born in the past, the history of a wealthy teenager reluctantly sent to camp for the summer who has no idea she's about to fall for the boy her parents will never approve of. The trajectory of their lives is altered that summer, setting into motion events that the reader comes to understand slowly over the course of the entire book, secrets that reveal themselves at just the right moments as a second chance love story unfolds many years later.
What sticks out the most to me on these pages is the palpable chemistry between Piper and Kyle. The lust, the adoration, the fierce attraction, the devastating longing... every moment of this book is laced in such an undeniable pull between these characters and it leaps right off the page and ensnares the reader. I FELT it all and it was INTOXICATING. You can't read this book and not completely melt over their romance.
There's a lot going on in this book and I loved all of it. It's so rare we get to read about a woman in a position of power, as Piper is, and I loved that she owned every bit of it but, at the same time, remained relatable. Aside from the love story on these pages, this is very much a story of what successful women face in a world dominated by men, and it's fantastic the way Tucker lays out her story.
This was a solid read in every way. It's rich with heartache and longing, steamy and sexy and light in the way only young love is, but tangled with complications and drama as second chance love stories are. It's sweet and full of surprises and the chemistry is just FIERCE. The writing, the romance, the vast ensemble of characters... all of it, I just loved and I can't say that enough!
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