Who We Used to Be

Do-Over #1

by Dara J. Nelson

Ten years is a long time to live with a broken heart

Ten years ago Zeke Malloy had everything:
A happy childhood, a shot at a state championship wrestling title, a best friend, a boyfriend (albeit a secret one but that was okay because, once they graduated, that would change).
He had love, happiness…...a heart.
All of that changed in the blink of an eye.
One moment he was deliriously happy, looking forward to a future with Digger Brandt, building a life, a home, a forever, with him.
And then it was gone, disappearing like the tears that flowed down Zeke’s cheeks as he watched from the back of the church as Digger married Lisa - with his father sitting proudly in the front pew. Those tears were still flowing when he walked out of that church and went directly to the nearest recruiting office. Because he didn’t just lose the love of his life that day, he lost his hopes, his dreams, he lost…..himself.
For the next ten years he was a machine - the best Marine, the best friend, but like a machine, he did it all without a beating heart.
His was dead…..or was it?
Was ten years too long?
Was a broken heart too much?
Zeke didn’t know. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to know.
From the moment Digger walked up behind him and said Hello in that smooth, sexy voice that used to light him up six ways from Sunday, Zeke was screwed
The only thing he really knew now……..was that he was about to find out

Genres: Second Chance, Friends To Lovers, M M Romance, Military Fiction

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2019

About the author

A little bit about Dara Nelson. I also write under the pen name Kendel Duncan. Why did I choose a pen name? It seemed simple at the time - different genres. I started out writing M/F paranormal romance books, vampires and such. And while I still do love a good vampire tale – it’s the M/F part that guided me to separate my writing. My characters changed. They let me know that my heart, my love, my joy was in writing M/M fiction so that is where I am firmly ensconced and where I plan to stay. But I now write MM in both my pen name and my name, which might seem odd and trust me, I've considered many times the idea of merging the two, but I have followers, readers of both my works and I would hate to alienate anyone who follows one but not the other.
So a little about the lady behind the curtain: After growing up in Northern California, I now call the Seattle-Tacoma area of the beautiful Pacific Northwest my home. I am passionate about writing, about photography, about my family, my husband, my kids, about nature....basically I’m passionate about everything in my life - and that shows through in my romance/erotica/suspense novels. When I am not writing, you can usually find me hiking somewhere around Mt. Rainier or visiting with the many animals on my farm.
First and foremost, I am a writer.  It's not what I do, it's what I am. It's my lifeblood, it's my heart, it is what makes my soul sing.
It is from that passion that I choose to give back, that I reach out to other authors to offer tips, suggestions, help and guidance.  And I'm so grateful to the incredible LGBTQ community that I now firmly hold in my embrace and who holds me just as tight in theirs - you are my guiding light, my inspiration. I am in awe of your strength
We all have a voice....and it deserves to be heard.
​

Reviews

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, especially with all of the support that Zeke received in spades from his military "brothers".



I immediately loved both Zeke and Digger, seeing how the decade apart had destroyed both of the MCs' ability to be truly happy, as half of their soul was missing.

[Zeke]


[Digger]


All of Zeke's brothers were interesting characters, too, with a few of them seeming to be set up for their own stories, so I'm assuming that this book was the first in a new series.

What didn't work so well for me was the fact that a *lot* of very important information was either entirely glossed over or not provided at all.

Such as:

-- How did Zeke and his entire military company end up back in Zeke's hometown four years ago? Did Zeke agonize over returning home, where Digger lived -- with his WIFE?

-- Digger's uber-conservative, rich, asshole dad's plot to make Digger marry Lisa and stop seeing Zeke was casually mentioned barely once, then the reader was expected to just move along. Hello! This shit ruined their lives for a DECADE and deserved more discussion. A whole lot more.

-- Why did Lisa agree to marry Digger? "She was afraid of his dad, too" was not a good enough reason, sorry. Explain, please, and show your work.

-- Where is "the middle part" of this story? The one that digs much deeper into how Zeke finally (and OMG, so insanely quickly) totally forgave Digger? I needed more introspection, processing time to deal with the intense anger, and maybe some extra scenes with Digger proving himself.

I'm not the biggest fan of being told something vs. shown, but I'm even less of a fan of not even being *told* important info at all. : (

The missing info didn't ruin the story for me; however, if it had been included, the story would've felt more complete and been in the running for all five stars.

I just wish that the pages spent setting up two other possible upcoming romances had been spent fleshing out this current story.

I'd rate this one at around 3.75 semi-steamy, semi-angsty stars.

If this does turn into a series, I'll for sure read those books, but I do hope the future stories don't skim over important details, which I felt that this one did in a few key areas.

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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.

See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)

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[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5







When I read the blurb for this I was just a bit excited.Unfortunately it didn't quite deliver for me.I was expecting angst and heart break in abundance but that wasn't really the case here.





So Zeke and Digger were best friends,then lovers until they weren't and Digger broke Zeke's heart.Fast forward ten years and you get a lot of lamenting and quite frankly whining about how broken they both are.I think one of the problems for me was that I was expecting their story to start when they were young and be told over years and it wasn't.The story is told in the present day with flash backs from the past.There's really hardly any story about their lives in the ten years they were apart and as a result it didn't really work that well for me.There were too many things that didn't ring true to me,




-the reason for Lisa agreeing to marry Digger wasn't really explained in any great depth,



-Zeke had been back in his hometown where Digger was for four years and their paths didn't cross until one night in a bar?



-Zeke went from being angry,hurt,upset with Digger( emotions he'd been harbouring for ten years) and then suddenly,after one night everything seems to be forgiven.




Three star reviews are the hardest to explain because it sounds as though I didn't like this.And that's not really the case.There are positives here,





-I loved the relationship Zeke had with his military brothers and I'm looking forward to getting the other men's stories in future books.There are just enough teasers about a couple of the men to have me interested in this series,



-the writing is solid and even though I had issues it was a compulsive read,



-Zeke and Digger turned out to be super cute together,




Overall, it was ok and is a promising start to what looks set to be an interesting series.



An Arc of Who We Used To Be was kindly provided to DirtyBooksObsession in exchange for an honest review.

This review is posted on DirtyBooksObsession

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second Chance tropes, when done right , can be glorious reads. This was not so much the case here. What really annoys me is when the one MC is that is tasked with forgiving the other MC , forgives him far too quickly. That is what Zeke did to Doug aka Digger (only friends call him Digger, so I’m going to call him Doug.)

So, Doug and Zeke had a passionate love affair when they were around 19. Doug’s dad holds Zeke’s potential future over Doug’s head unless he marry Lisa. So he does because he’s a cowardly 19 year old idiot who does not know how to talk apparently. Now, Lisa , who is aware that Doug is gay, still agrees to marry him because “your dad scared me too”. Please stop. Also, the whole Zeke is a “pansy” line because he wouldn’t hear Doug’s explanation after 10 years of not seeing him was absolutely bullshit. I ask what purpose she served in this story because I could not find a reason why words were wasted on her.

And why didn’t we get an explanation into Doug’s return from war with his military buddies (who saved this story)? That was completely glossed over, just like Doug marrying Lisa because of his dad.

The rest is just Zeke offering his forgiveness far too soon and far too prematurely. It smacked of immaturity and had no depth. This made me think their relationship to be shallow because there was no true communication and no resolution of past mistakes.

I liked Bulldog the therapist , but I am hesitant to like the storyline of Dallas. Ultimately, this had potential; however, it never fully lived up to it.

*ARC in exchange for honest review*

[Sue Milkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEARTWARMING

What a wonderful introduction to this new series by DARA NELSON. She has also written as KENDEL DUNCAN, don't miss those books. Zeke is a broken, retired military veteran. He's broken because the man he loved, married a woman. Digger is that man, now he's back to try to win Zeke over. This is a FANTASTIC story about how life gets in the way. How uncontrollable circumstances can alter your life's path. This story introduces all the guys that were in the military with Zeke and the brotherhood they formed. It is heartwarming, funny and beautiful. The characters have such creative depth that you can't help but fall in love with them. I'm sooo looking forward to the stories that follow this one. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!

[Kaila · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is like a 3.5 or 3.75 for me.. it was a good story.. but because of the blurb i think i was going into it looking for a lot of angst and hurt.. and honestly it wasnt what i was expecting.. that being said i am curious to see where book 2 goes because i did enjoy these characters.. it was a good story.

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely a sucker for marines/any type of military guys. They fight harder and love harder than almost anyone, fictional or IRL, and I am always impressed by the stories that involve them.

Zeke was a great character, if a little bitter (with good reasons to be!), but I loved how he was with his ‘family’ and they with him. My heart broke for the pain he held inside of him.

Digger, I wanted to hate but hearing his side, I couldn’t do it. He was broken just like Zeke and I needed them to be okay.

This was the first book by Dara that I have read but I am definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure; a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
Second chance stories are my thing so I was excited for this one. Zeke and Digger were in love ten years ago, everything was going great and then one day Digger just ghosted Zeke, the next thing being an invitation to 19-year-old Digger’s wedding to Lisa. Lisa, a woman Digger had claimed to barely know. Zeke was a secret guest at that wedding, walked out and joined the military. Good things did come out of that because he got himself some amazing, loyal and supportive friends who remained with him all through. They know the story of Digger the Douche.
There is a lot of emphasis in the beginning of how dead inside Zeke is because of Digger’s betrayal. The anger, the hurt is so powerful when the book starts, even more than when Zeke finds current boyfriend getting laid in their bed. He is sort of “whatever” about it, because his heart is frozen. Enter the return of Digger.
So far, so good. I loved the interaction with Zeke’s crew in particular. My issue is I felt as if I had been tossed into a story with the middle missing. We get the anger and angst in the beginning. “He was tired of trying to love anyone…other than him. Tired of pretending that his heart wasn’t forever broken. Most of all, he was tired of being angry.” Digger was a massive coward and unbelievably cruel (you can’t even tell Zeke to his face, you stick an invitation to your WEDDING under the doormat and run?) and ruined Zeke.
Except now that he’s back, he acts like it really wasn’t so bad. I say this because there is so little apology and even less groveling that I actually went back and reread parts because I was sure somehow I missed it. There is one little mention of daddy dearest threatening to withhold college money if Digger didn’t do what daddy wanted (marry Lisa) and that’s it. “….gone was the college money, unless he gave in to daddy’s demands…” Then he tries to justify but saying that he couldn’t ask Zeke to be his secret. “It would’ve killed the light on the inside that made him so f**king beautiful.” As if being treated as disposable was better? Not worthy of a note or a phone call?
So that all was horrible - we get the story through flashbacks mostly – but then Digger is now out and for some weird reason Zeke and his crew all now live in the same town as Digger and Lisa. We get a very, very short moment of Zeke having some self respect and then bam! Everything is forgiven and we move on. Just a no for me. I needed way more justification as to why you would do this to someone you supposedly love, why Zeke would lay down and be a doormat without even an explanation of why. I needed to know why Digger still, ten years later, works for daddy at a homophobic charity and remains under daddy’s control. He just seems so selfish, even his reasons for returning to Zeke. “Because I’m broken too. And fixing him is the only way to fix me.”
The book spends a lot of time setting up the next books in the series, Dallas and Bulldog will be up next, followed by Linc. The partners for both are clear in this book. There is also an odd flashback of a conversation that just happened hours before. Instead of showing us the interaction, we are told it in a flashback. Another oddity is Zeke, who has been burned badly, meeting Slade in a coffee shop, offering him a place to stay and then giving him a key, garage door opener and alarm codes. Same day! Doesn’t know the man!
I struggled to finish the book because I was so frustrated by the erasure of ten years of pain. “Look, you didn’t just break his heart, Digger, you broke him. When I first met him, the pain in him, god, it was wrapped around him like a damn bullet-proof blanket.” It’s why I felt the whole middle was missing.
There is also the random reappearance of Zeke’s cheating ex, who shows up after cheating and ruining Zeke’s house, and there was really no reason for it, so took yet more time away from the main plot.
The only thing I remotely liked about Digger was his worry about “And then the anxiety creeped in. The thoughts of: I haven’t showered or douched. What if he doesn’t like it? Oh god, what if I fart?” Random of me, I know, but he at least was concerned about Zeke here.
I was just disappointed in this story because the potential was there and it could have been something amazing.

[Jenny Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

You ever just in the mood to cry?

That’s where I was when I read this blurb. I knew it was going to be one to kick me in the feels. I was not wrong. Zeke and Digger were young, sure, but there love was so big and important, netiher one of them doubted their forever… that was, until Zeke came home and found a wedding invitation to Zeke’s very hetero wedding. It all happens before the book starts, but you get the first few chapters of his heartbreak….

Then we get to see Digger’s heartbreak and his reasons that things happened the way they did all those years ago. I have to admit…. I didn’t feel like they were good enough. I mean, he and Zeke were both adults… and ten years is a really long time to let things go on that way when you live with regret every single day and still love each other…. I mean, a decade, especially from that age is like a whole lifetime. Zeke was in the military, has this whole family of brothers that now apparently own a garage together and kind of remind me of the Golden Girls….
SO MUCH DRAMA!!! With everyone! You could not go one chapter without the most random drama.

Do guys really talk about their feelings and cry that much around each other? I mean, I know good friends and family, I’ve got tons of them….and maybe the guys I know or have read about just don’t get that invested in their friends life or relationships…it was odd to me. I loved that they’re all so close and I love that they all support each other though….but again…. There was so much drama with so many different people, I just couldn’t keep up.

And who was Diggers dad? He was a big shot in the community, sure… but did that mean he could kill people and get away with it, just cuz his son is gay and wouldn’t produce an heir? It was just so unbelievable to me.

Anyway… backing up..here it is ten years later and Digger and his wife are divorced but still best friends, because she wants him to be happy. Another odd part to me… why they let it go on for ten whole years…. But now Digger is back and will stop at nothing to get Zeke to just stop and talk to him. The wife seems kind of crappy about it, but chick, your husband did kind of break the guy… Zeke isn’t having it though… he says at least 125 times that he can’t do this… and the number of times these two jumped to conclusions…. The wrong conclusions just made me want to pull my hair out.

And the ex-boyfriend trashing the house and then coming to ask for money…. So much cringe. I haaaate when bad guys just get away with being bad guys… I needed karmic justice.
Eventually though, after Digger fighting for his man back, things work out the way they’re supposed to. The dad isn’t a problem like I thought he was going to be. I dunno why he seemed so scary well into adulthood, but he was over and done with pretty quickly.

I am very curious about Dallas and Bulldog, but I don’t think I wanna revisit this family of so much meddling and drama. I think I’ll leave it here. I’m glad everything worked out for these two, second chances are always satisfying, and I liked both guys and loved them together, but this one just wasn’t for me. It was just too much….

3 stars from me

[Natosha Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad that I chose this book to read. I love books about military men and ex military men. It just really makes me happy that for such a manly man that was once employed by the government to not hide who he is because of his former career choice. So when I read the description of this book about Zeke being former military, I knew that I wanted to read this book. And now I am completely ecstatic that I did because this was such an amazing read.

Zeke has been broken hearted for over ten years now. Even though he tried to move on and start new relationships he was never able to fully commit because he never got over the one that broke his heart and broke him so deeply. After serving in the Marines and making life long friends with his squad members he is still the same broken hearted man. But the difference is now that he now has a new ex that he has to get rid of and his past broken heart is about to make a reappearance because of the newest betrayal.

After kicking Bryan out of his house, Zeke decides to try to wash everything away with a drink. But that is not what happens because the man he never expected or wanted to see again walks back into his life again. When Digger shows up again after ten years, Zeke wants no pay of him. He is too angry at his betrayal from years ago and he is still broken hearted because of him.

Digger knows that he has waited to long to finally get his crap together and to hopefully win Zeke’s love again. He will not give up though. Digger knows that he is going to have to do a lot to get Zeke to forgive him for not being strong enough when they was younger to keep the promise of forever. But now he knows that he cannot walk away without at least trying to make things right between the two of them. Zeke has always been Digger’s love and will always be the love of his life. Now if only he can get Zeke to forgive him.

This was such a great read about second chances, letting go of anger, making amends, about friendship and brotherhood, and most of all about love. I cannot wait to read the next books in this series. There was some hints as to what each upcoming may be about and I am honestly looking forward to them. This was a great read!!

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review

[Anabela.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when the man who broke your heart ten years ago shows up again in your life? Do you punch his face or kiss it? And this is exactly Zeke's dilemma. Because he'd like to make Digger hurt as much as he does,but at the same time he still loves him very much.
Digger married a girl ten years ago, a few hours after promising eternal love to Zeke. Just like that...with no explanation, but with an invitation to the wedding shoved under the door. And nowadays, Zeke is still devastated, his heart is still shattered...but so is Digger's. He was so young back then,a boy in love with another boy,and so scared by his father's threats. With no other options, marrying Lisa seemed like the only choice. He's free now and Digger only wants a chace to explain himself and maybe be accepted in Zeke's life,in any form possible.
To me,one word to describe Who We Used To Be is intensity. The men in this book don't do feelings at half capacity. Everything they go through, be it anger,lust,sadness, fierceness, passion or love,all are high voltage. And I have to give Dara Nelson credit for the way the plot is outlined, because it goes seamlessly from the present to the past,from one character's POV to another's, and this really gives a better insight to what each of them think or feel.
I really enjoyed reading this book because men not afraid to be seen crying are rare,and Who We Used To Be has some incredibly well written ones.

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story.

Who We Used to Be is the first book I've read by Dara Nelson. Friends-to-lovers and second chance stories are among my favorite romance tropes be they M/M or M/F. Based on the blurb I was pretty sure I was going to like this book and I did.

The blurb is great so give it a read. Who We Used to Be has a lot of drama going on. To me drama is a bit different than angst. Drama pretty much always contains angst but angst doesn't have to contain drama. What I mean is that all of the emotions that were being expressed in this story were, to me, overly dramatic with the feelings being a bit exaggerated. I love a good cry but there was a whole lot more crying going on in this story than what seemed plausible.

With all of that being said, I still enjoyed it. Ten years is a long time to pine for someone you thought was lost to you forever but Zeke just didn't seem to be able to get over his feelings for Digger. How they eventually work through all of their problems with Digger's family kept me interested in the story. I love a good epilogue and the one for Digger and Zeke was much appreciated.

There were some great secondary characters in this book and the excerpt for the next one in the series whetted my appetite for more; I'm looking forward to reading it.

An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb totally had me on this one. I love a sweet second chances story and this seemed perfect.

After 10 years, Digger shows up in Zeke's life, telling him he's divorced and gay and wanting to get back together. That's right. 10 years ago he walked away and married a woman. No reasons, no sorry's. Zeke has to decide if he can forgive and forget and accept that he's changed or continue living a shell of a life.

My favorite part of this book was the gang from Zeke's Marine corp that all worked together. They were brothers and bonded and protected each other and it was awesome to read. I liked both Digger and Zeke, but I didn't get a good feel for what actually happened all those years ago.

A lot of the story was told in flashbacks, but new facts seemed to be conveniently placed throughout the story, yet nothing was tied together. I am not going to give away the spoiler here, but it was a huge oversight in my opinion and should have been fleshed out in this story. The characters from upcoming books had way too big of roles here. I would have preferred more background on this story before we had so much background on their stories.

*Galley copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to http://gaybook.reviews/*

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second chance romances are tough to like. Like in real life, they are very rare and when they do happen, they don't last because they remember why they broke up in the first place. But the premise of this story hooked me. Zeke lost Digger when the were nineteen when Digger married Lisa. Zeke joined the marines, who became his surrogate family, and tried to get over Digger.

Ten years later, Digger seems to appear out of nowhere. I understand that sometimes you don't get over your first love, especially if it's as brutal as Digger hurt Zeke, and yet Zeke is drinking and whining about Digger when the man of his thoughts miraculously turns up at the bar he's in.

Although Digger thought he had to marry Lisa, to save Zeke in a way, Zeke forgives Digger really quickly. There is no real explanation, no in-depth talk about what had been going on in each other's lives over the past ten years where both of them became changed men. There is really no communication between the men as they fall into a relationship and in effect, it makes their relationship appear weaker than it could have been. A great concept, but missing a lot.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeke lost the love of his life the day Digger got married to someone else. He ran away and became a marine. For ten years he tried to forget. His fellow marines became his family. There for him in every way brothers should be. When Digger stepped back into his life the devastation hit him again, hard.

Digger got married for what he thought was a good and noble reason. It became ten years of hiding who he was, who he wanted. Desperately missing the man he should of been with. When he gets another change with Zeke he he’s not going to lose again.

I wished there would of been a little more of what happened during the 10 years apart. Specially Digger’s side of the story. A few holes that I would of liked answers to. Maybe we will get those in future books. I really liked the closeness between Zeke and his brother marines. Nice story.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads.

[Amy Dufera - Amy's MM Romance Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who We Used to Be, by Dara Nelson, is a nice second chance romance.

Doug and Zeke, lovers when they were teens, didn't last. They had to deal with manipulation and being controlled. Their story is one of living with regret for ten years. It's a story of explanations, understanding, and forgiveness.

Their story contains a lot of frustrating moments, exciting moments, and infuriating moments. It's a story with a whole lot of anger and a story of healing. It's good it's fair share of light angst and some steam. It you enjoy forced marriages and controlling fathers, you'll be pleased.

The author excels at creating supportive military friendships. The writing definitely skips over some things, but I love it all. The secondary characters hold a lot of potential for their own books.

Dara Nelson's Who We Used to Be is a good tale for anyone who loves second chance military romances.

[Sarita Chapdelaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting story with a lot of great characters but unfortunately it is just an okay read for me. Zeke and Digger have a painful history but ten years later Digger is determined to fix their relationship and start over again now that he is divorced. I like that the author shows a lot of their past together with flashbacks but there isn't enough information about the ten years they were apart and there are many unanswered questions that made the story feel unfinished to me. Zeke and Digger have an amazing connection and smoking hot chemistry but that may not be enough to make up for what Digger did to Zeke. My favorite part of this story are Zeke's Marine buddies who are always there for him and I look forward to reading their stories as this series continues.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

[Ruth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read!

As usual this author takes the reader along for the ride with her characters. They are so real that you as the reader feel the emotion which just makes the book so much better. As usual I have laughed and cried through out this book.
Zeke hasn't felt the same for ten years when all happiness fled b0ut he's not sure how he feels when he runs into the man he used to love.
The secondary characters are just as well written and I can't wait to hear more about Reid, Dallas, Linc and Kendry. They just add to the story and as usual the reader is waiting to find out who they are reading about next.
Anything this author writes is well written and a great read but this series is shaping up to be one of her best. Great first book in a series.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong 4,5* read!

A second chance at a love brutally squashed. Two men separated by circumstance and forced choices.
Dara Nelson chose a trope that is often used in romance book, but her take on it packs a punch from the first pages and holds the reader in a tight grip throughout the whole book.
The emotional turmoil the main characters go through is depicted in a very relatable way, adding to the reality of the story.
As a bonus, there is a host of secondary characters that promise more awesomeness in this series. I look forward to reading the next installments.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, second chance romance.
Zeke and Digger were best friends who fell in love. They had plans to leave town, go to college and become proud out gay men together. Digger ran out and got married to a woman, caving to pressure from his father. When Zeke witnesses that, he joins the Marines. He quickly becomes a part of a band of brother's in arms who help patch him back together, but he never truly heals. He becomes angry and bitter, a broken shell of a man. When Digger walks back into his life with the bombshell of his divorce, and hopes for a reconciliation, Zeke has to come to terms with the fact that he needs help to truly be able to move on. He's terrified that Digger will run again. Digger has to prove his love and commitment to Zeke and a new beginning. They both have to take a leap of faith and realize that they're both halves of a whole.

[Elaine Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zeke and Diggers story is so heart wrenching to read but I couldn't put it down. How do you watch the love of your life marry someone else? I found myself wiping eyes with some of the scenes and I had to glance away. Zeke friends are so protective of him but I'm glad Digger didn't give up on them. The book is romantic, sweet, have angst, and all the couples are hot and funny.
The best part about this book is how all the couples talk about their problems and help each other out. The book is very emotional and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who We Used to Be is the first book in the Do-Over Series by Dara Nelson. It's a contemporary gay second chance romance.
Zeke and Digger are great characters that captured my heart... their story full of trying to forgive the past and hopefully find a future together. I had so many feels teading this one... I couldn't put it down.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

I didn't want to put this book down. It entrapped me with the need to know more about all of these men. Zeus and Digger have a history. The question is do they have a future? Is the story realistic? No, but I didn't care. I liked the visit and look forward to the next book.

[joani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really sweet story

Great characters that I would like to see more of. Obviously this is about second chances. Going from childhood sweethearts to broken hearted adults to finally having their happily ever after. Everything was forgiven a little to quickly but it is what it is and it was good.

[Lillian Francis]

Dnf'd 33%

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second chances- I can't say this was a true second chance. I wanted more, I needed more. Zeke went from pissed off at Digger to forgiving him too quickly for me. While there were some really great parts in this book, overall I was left lacking.
While I understand it's not reality, I can't fathom getting married to someone who I was not attracted to just because my father tells me to do it, even with threats involved.
I liked the secondary characters, his war buddies, I just thought more could have been told about their stories.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book that I enjoyed and will probably read again. My only observation was the insta-forgiveness wasn't very believable, but I don't necessarily look for believable in my romances so it was okay for me. ;)