FORGIVENESS: A Second Chance at Love Romance

by Jaycee Avalon

I fell in love when I was sixteen. Young love which tends to be a myth amongst grown-ups. But it was true love, it was real love. Then he destroyed it, destroyed us. Breaking every single promise and dream we shared together. I left heartbroken and no longer the same innocent girl I once was. I was forced to grow up fast. Becoming a young single mother of two. My children were my life, my reason for being and though I knew I wasn’t whole, I was happy with our lives. Then he came back, like an apparition, a haunting from my past. Looking for atonement, asking to be heard. Forgiveness…

Genres: Second Chance, Romance

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2019

About the author

I have been successfully writing romance books for almost a year now and it has become one of my favorite things to do. I love alpha males and hero type men who are loved by women and respected by men. But most importantly, my heroines are bad-ass women who know their worth and will not take disrespect from anyone, not even from the man they love. I believe a strong male deserves a strong mate, as do my female characters.

Jaycee Avalon is an acronym for my real name. I live in Sunny California with my gorgeous and over the top sweet husband (not kidding, though he has his sour moments). We have successfully raised two boys who are pursuing their goals with success. I was born in Latin America and my grandfather never failed to remind us of our Mayan heritage, which I am proud of.

Reviews

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
==============

NO! I didn’t just send her away. I made it my mission to destroy her, to give her as much hurt and anguish as I thought she gave me. I made almost the entire school disown her and would have done worse had she not disappeared.

There he was, with the top cheerleader sitting on his lap while he roamed his hands all over her. “Guess he had his fill of you, huh? Thank God!” one of the popular girls told me laughingly.

“Fuck you! I’m done with you. nothing that comes from you matters and I want nothing to do with you or anything that can come from you. I don’t even want you to look my way.”

“If you come near me again, I’ll have my father go after that little bake shop your stupid mother has. Stay the fuck off!” he barked before turning around and heading to our school.

“He loves fast cars and fast women. He takes extreme sports to a new level with no respect for the consequences.”

“Your background shows a lot of your stunts, including the number of women in your life.”

[Chalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The couple: Derrick and Eve

Romance genre: second chance romance
Length: 195 pages

5/5 actions and words

Plot: Derrick and Evie shared a young love when he was 18 and she was 16. But then he got some wrong information and thought she cheated on him. He cruelly dumped her, but years later he finds out that he was set up by his father. He sets out to find her, and a year later, he does. When he does, the groveling begins. He wants a second chance and will pull out all the stops.

Commentary: Pretty sure that normal human women don't go into heat. If the h had said that she was horny, that would have made sense, but animals go into heat, not women.
I don't like it when the H "coos." Personal preference.
I'm from Texas - we do say things like "good ol' boy," but I don't know what "yeap" is.
"I'm gonna give Molly those earrings she's asking for." Why the hell not? Latin people do it, why not us." All kinds of people get their kids' ears pierced, not just "Latin" people - that was a weird take.
However, despite those little annoyances, the story was interesting. What do you do when someone hurts you in a seemingly unforgivable way? This H absolutely groveled. When he found out what he had done, he actually threw up (and he did that more than once - she told him to take a shower so he didn't smell like chlorine and vomit!). He told her he was sorry, directly, more than once. He even cried (not a fan of that, but it did show sincerity). When she demands certain legal things re: their kids, he agrees, no questions, no problems, because he feels like he owes it to her. He did things right the second time around, and that redeemed the story completely for me.

Grammar/formatting: The most egregious mistake, which happened twice, was "comma" instead of "coma." Two very different things. There was "you're instead of "your." And "potatoes chips." Anyways, needs one more pass with a proofreader. Story is there but the grammar was a little wonky.

[Esther]

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
TW WITH SUICIDE. Proceed with caution if you are sensible to this topic. If you feel like you can’t read about this. Don’t continue to read this review or this book.
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

THIS REVIEW HAS TW AND SOME SPOILERS


Honestly I don’t know how to rate this book. I know going into it that it was ott and short and a little bit dramatic but that was exactly what I needed after hearing some horrible news.
For the most part, it was exactly what I needed but the h says two times that…
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

if she didn’t have know that she was pregnant she would have hung herself after the H dump her horribly.
Well, you see the news that I receive was that one of my high school classmate committed suicide two weeks ago (you can imagine how he finished his life)
So, this really triggered me and I had to stop. Then it was mention again and was hard. I’m also in a trip so I have less time to think but those two times triggered me.

Take care of yourself and others. Hug them tight and tell them how much you love them.

If you are someone how it’s going through a bad time, you can always reach me to talk about whatever you want or need. I’m not a specialist but you can always decompress with me.

[GimmeAllTheWerdssss]

It was cringy and amateurish but I wanted to persevere, but y’all, I had to call it quits when the very human, non supernatural of any kind, heroine went into “heat”. I’m not even joking 😐

[Grisette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3 stars

With a title like this, it was bound to give off just the right vibes. Overall, the story delivered. I got some serious heart tremors and I could taste the delicious raw pathos. We were saved from much of the angst in the past when the H, Derick, rejected the h, Evie, due to the lies of others. I think the author should have added these as well, to really amp up the cryfest drama to a pitch. But as it is, witnessing Derick's dejection when he found the truth and laid himself bare to Evie's hate and retaliation was quite gratifying.

The whole book was a big melodrama of tortured feelings and regrets, though there are no overdramatic plot points. Most of the tropes have been done before but what I am thankful for is that the writing was quite good. There were typos but the writing structure was quite good and lot less cringey than I could have expected.

Derick's regrets felt very genuine. He apologised a lot, he accepted anything Evie asked, he laid himself open to her every condition, he was a great dad, and his inner turmoil was heartbreaking. Yet, I would not qualify all he said and did as grovel because Evie did not allow him much space to really air out all the bad blood between them. They did talk but not deeply enough. And then somehow, Evie just jumped into his bed, and for a time they acted like f*ck buddies (a bit too much imho!). And after a last twist, they finally get together for an HEA.

It was not a bad book. There were much right feels in many parts of the plot. I enjoyed the angst parts and the flow of the story. The story had potential to pack a bigger punch but it was still a good try by the author.

[Bela · Rating 5 out of 5]

h was not celibate during separation! Enjoyed sex with others halllleluja!!!
H was also not celibate
Grovel and remorse was good

[Cindy]

Dnf

[Shelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. I just didn’t feel the love between the MC’s
In fact I didn’t really like the h. I found it hard to connect with her and her hurt… I kind of felt it was all a little OTT. And I know it was only a short book but the end felt rushed

[Prac Agrl · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG !!!
This was i don't even know what to call this shit show
This seems to be one of those watta pad stories written by a teenager.
Lot of glaring mistakes and writing is soo.. bad.
Didn’t like the h she was made out to be a super women who suffered like no women in history but in reality she was a stupid and immature teenager. i didn't even feel her pain, there didn't seem any chemistry or love between them.
H was ok. He was a beta and just was as stupid as the h
But again the characterisation as well as the relationship establishment was all bad.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, with a father like the H's, who needs any enemies? Admittedly he was young, but if he had loved the h as much as he believed, wouldn't he have questioned those photos and rumors or at least talked to her? Anyway, h was no shrinking violet and she had strength. I thought her willingness to allow the H into her children's lives was exceptional. Her ability to forgive when the truth of what happened is revealed is also noteworthy. That the H had to learn to forgive himself in order to move forward was a real challenge for him. My only complaint was the too in detail descriptions of all of the sexual activities they experienced. I am no prude, but there is such a thing as too much, over the top, etc. After what seemed like the 400th time, I just skipped over those parts.

[VoraciousReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

So very bad. Incorrect word usage, poor spelling and grammar. Awkward phrasing. I couldn't make it past 30%.

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 3 out of 5]

3✯

°2nd chance
°Switching POVs
°They dated for 4 months, he was her first, his past wasn't mentioned
°6 year separation
°He's 24 and she's 22 when they reconnect
°No OW drama
°No real OM drama
°Both not celibate during separation
°Why did he break up with her? the H's father made him believe that the h had cheated on him
°No intimate scenes with OP
°Mention of suicide (both MCs)
°The hero felt so guilty for what he did to the h that he puked and cried several times, I loved that
°Sadly, the story wasn't as angsty as I thought it was going to be
°No epilogue/HFN they get engaged and she's pregnant again
~*~*~*~

**She was my love. The love of my life and I sent her away. I sent her away without looking back and without remorse. I sent her away because although I knew what love was, I obviously didn’t know what deception looked like.**

**“Eve. I was, I was so hurt. I felt so hurt and I see now that my actions were so selfish. So, so, selfish because I couldn’t put your pain before mine. I don’t know how to atone for that. I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness because, believe me, I can’t even forgive myself.”**

**There are tears going down my cheeks but I’m not crying. There is deep hatred and shame coming from me and I acknowledge that I will never be able to forgive myself for what I’ve done to her, to them.**

**“I’m so sorry, Evie. I am so, so sorry. I have never stopped loving you, I swear. I’m so sorry I did this to us. God, I’m sorry,” he whispers to me and I can hear the torment and agony behind his voice.**

**I sobbed quietly onto the pillow, deeply regretting my actions. Eve Bradford might find it in her heart to forgive me, but I could never, would never forgive myself for what I had done to a beautiful girl. An innocent beautiful girl who gave me her heart and which I completely destroyed.**

**“Did you know I never went down on a woman? Yours is the only pussy I’ve ever eaten,” I tell her, changing the angle and hitting her deeper. “Hmm…” “There are a lot of things I never did with a woman and I’m going to be doing them with you.”**

**“I never stopped loving you,” I breathe out between kisses. “Derick!” “I’m falling in love with you again, more than ever before.” “I… I’m not sure I can,” she says lowly. Burying my face on her breasts, I hug her body tight to mine, breathing in her scent. I’m not sure when the sobs start but when her arms wind tighter around my shoulders and her hands sooth me, I feel the quake in my body. “Please. God, please, I’m so, so sorry. Please, baby, I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You own me completely and I will forever be your slave, but please, baby, please…”**

**I hug her even tighter to me, feeling the weight of my actions and drowning once again in guilt. Guilt I can’t seem to let go. I rush to the hallway bathroom and throw up dinner until my stomach hurts too much to keep heaving. I can’t cry anymore but the dizziness and headache are enough to keep me leaning against the wall by the toilet and holding my head with my hands.**

**“I think I love you more now than I ever did. I know what love is and I know how to love. I’m going to make you love me the way I love you. Unconditionally and unequivocally.”**

[Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t romantic enough,
I was told there’s a good grovel and here I am,

They’re sweethearts very young, she is 16, there’s a plot against her and H ended things in a cruel way,
She left and she is pregnant,
H tried to find her but she is vanished,
Years past and H knows it was all because of his father and spends one year looking for her,
I believe if it wasn’t for the kids, H would left her after their meeting,
H is a good father and they came back together,

Truth is there are parts of this book very anticlimactic, a lot of lawyers, rights, money… and the grovel is not very romantic, H is a father and say sorry a hundred times but H is not very romantic,
Not a bad book and interesting side characters,

In the six years separation they aren’t celibate, I think it’s fine and healthy because six years is a lot of time and you need to find love. My problem is when the separation lasts three weeks and H freaks everyone around him and she is crying at home! 😝😤🤬

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgiveness

I wanted to read this because it was discussed in a reading group and I wanted more angst for what happened to Evie/Eve. What she went through and not there have more drama and angst was slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong this was a good read but could have been so much better. Derrick needed to grow up and could have listened, but the evidence was overwhelming.

I liked that Eve was strong and had family support.

[Paige Whitecotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

Jaycee what a beautiful job you did here. The life changing decision mad by an evil man set a horrible corse for Evie and Derrick. They didn’t deserve it and they survived it. Amazing book Jaycee.

[Linda Landers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interference

It is amazing that some people are so caught up in themselves that they feel they have the right to interfere in your life. They make decisions that they feel will make you into what they want. Not sure if it ever comes out okay. It didn’t in this story.

[Suchanangel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is actually a nice story and the passion came across without tons of explicit, racy words or scenes. I appreciate Derick’s tenacity in fighting to get his family back. The Blessing in the end was worth it for all involved.

However, it wasn’t a steady flow read due to the numerous errors...word choice, typos, and some punctuation issues. I had to re-read and decipher content in various sections to stay on track. This reason , and the fact that it seemed a tad rushed to me, is why I rated it 2-stars instead of at least 3. A few editing issues are understandable...I mean, we’re human :)
But this many, really did affect my reading enjoyment. It is a nice story, though!

[Tamotha clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eve, and Derrick second chance

This is a story of two people that have so much hurt and pain from their parent to them as adults. At sixteen years old Eve loved Derrick and Derrick loved Eve, but his evil made Derrick life a harsh. Eve and the twins children she carried. Because of lies, life for is Eve hardship she is abandoned by Derrick cause her to feel pain, a betrayal, and in need of healing from her heartbreaking situation. Then Derrick want to come back into her life for her and his beautiful children, Sam a handsome quiet little boy, and Molly a innocent carefree spirit little girl. This a great story to read. And a special lovely ending

[Nerissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weak writing. Shallow 2 dimensional characters. Cliche plot.

[Khadidja · Rating 1 out of 5]

" Her breasts weren’t small and perky like they used to be but were large and rounded; soft looking.
Her hips were larger too and she no longer had a completely flat tummy but was beautifully rounded, though I wouldn’t say she was fat. Just the opposite. "

Begging romance authors to stop with this dual pov shit if they're gonna have their love interest say shit like this. Just stop. You're doing more harm than good.

Other than that the book was so badly written the characters, the plot, the pacing did not make sense to me at all.

[Jordan Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fine read

This is a fine read. The story is pretty straightforward. I don’t dislike any of the characters. The geography is a bit confusing. They say the dad and brother are in New York and then suddenly their law firm is in Texas. That I don’t understand. We never see the bad dad again even though they did a bunch to be ready for his return. Ultimately it’s a fine short story.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good grovel!

I like my betrayals to happen before I get to know either character. Helps me forgive them better and this book delivered that. He starts to grovel right away and I was there for it. I enjoyed this story it was face paced but with a good plot and good grovel. I would have liked to see his dad suffer more but other than that it was a perfect story.

[Kelly Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a genre people are harsh with in reviewing because people have their values and if the h’s decisions go against those or the H’s actions are more than they would forgive it’s over for them. Within this genre though, I liked it. The h was strong and smart and the H put out the good grovel. If you like books with this content, it’s a good read.

[Bel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited

Nice read

Derrick was a d!ck, believing other ppl and not getting clarification from Eve. glad he got over himself and did what was right. I didn’t like the ending tho. Eve found out she was pregnant. Derek got a check up to find out that he could still have kids. Derek proposed story ended.

Will reread

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

wasn’t aware going in that it was religious

Story wasn’t bad. Not great, but not bad. Editing could’ve been better, but not horribly distracting. Dialogue was juvenile. Lots of religion.

[Marie Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Story

I was very upset with Derick, but he definitely redeemed himself. The story was a bit rushed, but I still enjoyed it.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually fell asleep.

[Roy Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

I enjoyed how heartfelt he was.. it was a beautiful love story.. I fell in love with the characters. Amazing

[Eliana]

Old books

[Leeanne Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Romance

Loved the storyline and characters. Believable and tasteful with that much needed dash of spice. Would recommend this ebook to those of us who love a good read.