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Aces High MC - Charleston #9

The Broken Beginning - Part Two

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YOU MUST READ: THE BROKEN BEGINNING - PART ONE PRIOR TO THIS BOOK!

Tiger Lily
When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of my wedding. I dreamed of my husband, my children, my future. When I developed a crush on the gorgeous boy who was my neighbor, he became the man in those dreams. When he took my virginity, those dreams were at the forefront of my mind, turning just another hook up - for him - into something more in my heart. Unrequited love feels like hell when you realize it’s unrequited. It feels worse when you see those two pink lines on the stick telling you that your one fantasy night turned into so much more. It’s unbearable when your love is forced to marry you, but never honors the vows he took. My heartbreak lasted for years. Eventually, things changed but our path to get there was never easy.

Merc
She was the girl I always overlooked until one stupid night, and the worst decision of my life, cost me my freedom. She was the girl who trapped me with a kid I never wanted. Slowly, as time moved on and another kid was brought about by another dumb decision on my part, I began to realize what I had been overlooking all along. She was fiercely loyal in the face of my betrayals. She loved harder than any person I knew. She was always there for me, even when I never gave her the same courtesy in return. Then, she decided enough was enough and I learned to fight for what’s important instead of taking what was easy.

WARNINGS:
This is book 9 in the Aces High MC - Charleston Series, and while it must be read after The Broken Beginning - Part One, the two books can stand separately from the rest of the series.
THERE IS CHEATING BY MAIN CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK! If that is not your thing, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
Pregnancy Loss, foul language, sex, and crude humor might also be problematic for some readers.

ACES HIGH MC - CHARLESTON
This series should be read in order for optimal enjoyment!
1 - The Other Princess
2 - A Love So Hard
3 - The Princess and the Prospect
4 - The Killing Ride
5 - A Twist of Fate
6 - Everlasting
7 - A Year and a Day
8 - The Broken Beginning - Part One
9 - The Broken Beginning - Part Two

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2021

136 people are currently reading
252 people want to read

About the author

Christine Michelle

64 books719 followers
Christine Michelle runs on coffee and giggles as she writes her angst-fueled romance stories (motorcycle club, rockstar, paranormal, college, & other contemporary as well as women's fiction and marriage in trouble novels).
She is a mom to four humans (2 girls, 2 boys – all grown now).
When she's not writing books, she enjoys reading, drawing, hiking, or feeding her soul with live music at concerts.
Christine is a traveler and has lived all over the USA (and other parts of the world). She currently lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with her two fur babies.

Universal links to everything
(website, social media, book links, and more)
https://linktr.ee/christinemichelle



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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
Profile Image for Taonga.
8 reviews
October 11, 2022
It's so weird how women Keep on writing such books why can't people write about a fmc who isn't a complete doormat and a manwhore mmc honestly their relationship didn't need to be romantic at all this book wasn't needed at all and I'll forever regret the few hours I wasted on this book ✌️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lu Bielefeld .
4,304 reviews634 followers
March 31, 2024
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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♥♥♥♥Rereading in 2024♥♥♥♥♥
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#TeamLucas

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What a ride!

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I really enjoyed the read and I think our heroine must have cheated or looked for another love interest long before it happened.
She'd put up with so much shit and was swallowing every cheat, loss and disappointment over time and eventually she would have to blow it all up.
I was rooting for her to drop everything and run away with someone who really valued her and wasn't a walking STD. But she was always left behind and never picked or put first and she really admired and valued the guy who did what our hero never did, put their kids first.
I generally condemn anyone's cheating, but after everything she's been through I was rooting for her. She fucked up, I know, but I didn't care. She ended up hating herself for it and sank deeper into depression. He remained the usual piece of shit and didn't really wake up until she left.
Kudos to our author.
“I think she’s in labor.” “You think?” “She told me to get her bag. I came home to find her doubled over in the shower.”

There was no arguing the fact that I hadn’t been there for Declan’s birth. In fact, I’d been knee-deep in strange pussy for my first son’s birth.

Like the asshole I was back then, I didn’t even know and remained caught up between the legs of another woman for the duration of their stay in the hospital.

“It should be a happy occasion. It was supposed to be different this time.”

“I need my dad! I need both of them. Our boys need them. Who will I have when you decide I’m not worth it again?”

My father had promised me that if it ever happened again, he would help me quietly pack mine and the kids’ bags and get us out of here. Who would have my back now?

Lily immediately took a step away from me and shook her head. “I told you before, there is no way in hell that you will ever get me to set foot in that room, let alone crawl into that nasty, skank infested bed.”

I turned to see Chrissy, one of the club girls who had been around for a few years. Yep. That meant that I’d been fucking her back when I didn’t take my marriage seriously.

“What if I told you that I didn’t mind making it a threesome with your wife. We can all fuck. She can lick your cum out of my pussy after you fill me up.”

“Oh, I am well aware. That’s dangerous to anyone who they think is in their way though. And Merc, they wouldn’t feel like they have a claim on you guys like that unless you gave them a reason to think they did. I’m not saying you personally,” she was quick to add before I could argue.

When the club whore approached my husband, knowing that I was standing right behind him, I worried. How could I not with the history we shared?

“What happened to the old hunting shack?” “Boone had it torn down and sold the property a couple years back. He said there were too many bad memories associated with it and that there was no way in hell he could ever take his grandson there, not after the way I’d disrespected his mother.”

“I fell out of lust, love, or whatever it was I had for you back then, only to fall right back in. Please, don’t hurt me like that ever again.”

“Two more weeks and we’ll get to see whether this little peanut is a girl or boy, if we want to.” I told Merc as I rubbed my hands over my belly.

There was no comfort for the news that was delivered. I had lost the baby, a girl. My beautiful baby girl was gone because I had an incompetent cervix.

“You looked stressed,” a female’s voice called out before a glass of whiskey was placed in front of me. I glanced up to see Sylvie’s tits overflowing her barely there top and was fucking shocked to feel a stirring in my pants that I hadn’t felt in months. It fucking punched me in the gut, knowing that this woman had piqued my interest after months of having no desire for sex whatsoever. I hated that the desire hadn’t been there for Lily in months because I was worried about the ramifications of fucking my own wife.

Seeing Sylvie there, daring me to let go and sate myself with her brought back memories of carefree days where a fuck felt freeing, like the release it was meant to be. It had been a long time since I’d felt that way about sex. It had become something to dread instead, knowing that the result might be another lost pregnancy.

As my brother spoke to his little girl, Sylvie snickered, causing me to glance back in her direction. “I want to start my ride.” My eyes slid from Sylvie to Double-D as shame burned through me.

“Like you weren’t just stroking your hard-on while staring at my pussy like a thirsty man who’s been in the desert too long.”

For the next six months, I was a fucking monk. Lily was too deep in her depression to give a shit about whether I was even home, let alone if I was down to fuck.

On the way back, I tripped on a piece of linoleum that needed to be tacked back down properly. I ended up catching myself on a fine pair of tits for my trouble. “Damn, baby. Sorry about that,” I mumbled as my hands did their own thing and squeezed the breasts they landed on. “You don’t have to apologize as long as you keep that up,”

I nodded my head and turned us around. There was an unoccupied bedroom at the end of the hall. It was the one I had already claimed for the night the minute I realized I couldn’t stay at home with Lily.

What had I been denying the club girls for anyway? My wife wanted to have some other man give her a baby because I wasn’t good enough anymore. Fuck it. I was done pretending to be a family man for a family that was no longer good enough for my wife anyway.

“What did we do?” She giggled. “You name it, we did it stud.”

“You’re Merc’s wife, right?” The blonde woman asked with a bit of arrogance laced through her words.

“Well, I just wanted to congratulate you on having that to yourself for all these years.” She rolled her eyes skyward, as if in thought for a minute. “Maybe to yourself. If last night was any indication, that’s over with now. I could barely walk when I had to leave his room this morning. He gave it to me all night long.” She giggled. “I think he filled every single hole I have with his cum.”

“You fell into her?” I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “No one in the history of cheating spouses has ever actually tried to use that excuse. There’s no way.”

“Another woman had your dick in her mouth, and you woke up naked in bed with her this morning. I find it hard to equate that with nothing happening.”

“You promised me,” I reminded him.

“You promised me that there would never be anyone else.”

“You’re right. I broke my promise first. Did that make it easier for you to break yours? Was it tit for tat?”

“Yeah, you pretty much sailed that point home with what you did last night.” I told him. “You should pack a bag and go stay with your whores. It’s always going to be them you end up going back to anyway.”

“No, the low blow was the one you got last night from a club whore. It hit us both right where we expected it to. That ‘blow’ got to your dick while it stabbed me right in my heart. Just like old times. Now, get out before I say something you might truly regret.”

Truth be told, I was thinking about starting a party in the room I used last night. Why the fuck not? I already lost my wife. Felt like I lost her a long time ago, not just this morning.

“Fuck that! I didn’t even do anything.” “Because you were too drunk to get it up,”

“Do you hear yourself? You were just upstairs, getting ready to invite two more club bitches into your office to party. If you’re using the too drunk excuse, then what the fuck are you doing drinking like a Goddamn fish?”

The toxic bitches of this club will take and take. You saw what happened this morning, and I’m guessing that cunt who slept in the same bed with you last night told your wife a whole different tale about what went down.”

“If you think I’m so broken that you had to do this behind my back then why are you even still with me?” I screamed at him. “I don’t fucking know anymore!” His answer gutted me.

When I woke in a strange place hours later, reality came crashing in. I had done something I could never take back.

He was the first man I had ever had sex with besides my husband. It felt weird with him being slightly thicker but having about two inches less length than Merc.

“Lily is confused. We all know she’s been in a bad place for a while. Is it right that she did that shit tonight? No, and I bet you she regrets it as soon as she realizes what she’s done.”

When I got to the clubhouse, my plans were immediately altered. The blonde who I’d gone to bed with, in my drunken stupor, was there and her eyes were laser-focused on me. I’d meant to deal with her bullshit and the lies she told my wife that day she confronted her in the parking lot. Since I hadn’t gotten to that yet, seemed she might just serve another purpose now.

“Grab a friend. Same room. Meet you there.” It was evident that the invite shocked her almost as much as it did me.

“You sit on her face until I’m done here,” I demanded. Then I looked at the brunette. “Eat her pussy as good as I’m eating yours, honey. You will be rewarded for your efforts.”

“You put that letter in my mailbox at home,” I accused as Carina picked herself up off the floor. “I just thought it would help you out since everyone is always talking about your crazy wife trying to get pregnant again. She wouldn’t be trying if she knew you couldn’t do it.”

“Good for you! You got my sloppy seconds and you had to share them with another woman. Are you proud of yourself? Do you want a gold fucking star for your achievement? Honey, that man will fuck anything that breathes and has tits. You did nothing special that a hundred other girls before you haven’t done. You won’t be the last one either, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

They didn’t give two shits if their club brothers were disloyal to their women, but a woman could never do the same to her man. Fucking hypocrite assholes.

The first night I took a club girl to my new room, the one that was formally the guest room down the hall from my office, Double-D was there trying to talk some sense into me.

It took two more months of me trying and failing to reach Lily before I finally gave in and started fucking every whore in the clubhouse except Shiloh.

“Oh God! Merc, yes, just like that. Oh yyyyyeess!” Vandi drew out the last word as her pussy started squeezing my cock.

“If you ever answer a call from me while you’re in the middle of fucking some other woman again, I will cut your balls off and feed them to you for dinner. You can disengage and then call me back when your slut of the moment is no longer around!”

“You fucking know better!” I roared. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it, but she has no business interrupting us, Merc.”

It was her turn to laugh. “Funny that you can fuck around all the time and have your way with all of us, but you think the little hints we give your women about it are the reason they hate you! We’re not the reason. You’re bullshit double standards are. I bet if she cheated on you, the first thing you’d do was throw it in her face and kick her to the curb like one of your used up whores. The fact that you don’t expect her to do the same to you is insanity!”

“Got caught with a whore moaning into your phone, huh?” He grunted the question at me, not bothering to hide the contempt he felt for the choices I was making.

“Then I’m still going to leave here. Even if we don’t work out, I can’t have a side seat to you moving on. Not while everything is still so raw. I’ve already done that, and I barely survived,” she admitted. My heart constricted when the reality that the things I’d been doing with other women might have cost our boys their mother set in.

Though his lies and cheating sure do sound a lot worse than my depression and wish to have a daughter.”

And from there, we grew a friendship, that in a short amount of time, turned into a love affair. I extended my trip once again, as Lucas and I fell for one another over the course of what was supposed to be our lonely summer in solitude.

With Lucas. It was a chance at a fresh start. I had the promise of a fresh love in front of me that wasn’t tainted by a heartbreaking past.

It seemed the options life had dangled before me were no longer available. It was time to accept defeat, and the reality that an easy love was never meant to be mine. All that was left was for me to return home to figure out what that meant for my future.

I only wish that Damon had done similar when I first found out about our son. Maybe, things would have turned out differently. I envy Lauren that she has a man like you.”

“If it were any other reason, if she had shown up ready to reconcile without this news, I would have chosen you. Lily, I need you to understand that.” “I already know. There was no choice to be made when it came down to her carrying your child. You wouldn’t be the man of my dreams if that wouldn’t have been your choice, Lucas.”

You taught me a lot about what should be expected in a partner. For that, you will always carry a piece of my heart with you.” “And you will always have a piece of mine too, Lily.”

There were even moments throughout my life, where I wondered if I’d made it all up. The proof that he existed was the only thing that tied our shared time to reality. The one picture I had of the two of us, that I kept hidden away in an online file, was something I only visited when doubt crept in.

My Lucas would always remain the one pure love I had in this life. The one that was too short-lived to ever have any problems weigh it down.

Lucas was that fictional moment made real for me. He held that space in my heart until it was time to close that book and start another.

I needed the time to deal with the loss of a love that I had always wished for before having to face my family.

“Lily?” Our therapist prompted again. “I wanted him to choose me. I wanted him to choose to be with only me, to fight with me, to tell the truth, and to get help. To get me help. I told him to go be with other women because he needed to make that choice. He did.”

Lily had often said throughout the years that people will do what they want to do when given the choice, and that she was never the choice they made.

He did the thing that Merc had never done for me and Declan. He chose his family over his selfish needs.”

“I felt the utmost respect for his decision, even as it broke my heart. That was also the moment when I knew that I would never try to fall in love again.

From the very beginning, I never could be the woman a man chose for his one and only. After Lucas left me to go back to his wife, I knew that I would never try again, because I always picked wrong.”
Profile Image for Mihaela.
30 reviews
June 14, 2022
I wonder if the author ever considered writing a book with a strong heroine, not a idiot doormat who puts up with abuse and forgives everything because of "love".
859 reviews12 followers
Read
December 8, 2021
I’m not giving this a star rating because I disliked Merc so much that his awfulness would cause me to give a severely low rating to a book that was actually pretty well written. As always, Ms. Michelle can deliver the feels for these characters, compelling you to keep turning the pages, eager to see if there is any comeuppance for these absolute douchbags in Charleston. Honestly, if Lily ended up with Lucas I would have given this book a 5 star review. But I just can’t get behind another weak heroine who puts up with the WORST, degrading treatment imaginable by the H (and the whole fucking club for that matter) for years and yet can’t leave the asshole or the club behind. So frustrating!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn.
26 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2023
Truly no happiness for either of them. Wtf did I just read???
556 reviews
February 21, 2022
🗑 Disappointing - it wasn’t the cheating (well he was a piece of shit) but more of the fact she ended up with h anyway. Sad that she got dealt a shit hand with merc and Lucas (I was cheering for them). Didn’t like how it’s always her down in the dumps bc she stays for years…didn’t seem worth the so called happy ending. Here’s your prize for loving a piece of shit why do authors come out with such pathetic weak women who use “love” as a reason to stay. That’s the standard being sold
Profile Image for Smiler The Avid Reader.
437 reviews10 followers
June 5, 2024
What an ending….

I’m conflicted. I knew it wasn’t meant to have a happy ending, but I really wanted to feel differently. I almost felt numb and was ambivalent to what happened. I loved the first book, but something felt not quite right with this one.

I know it’s not meant to be a romance and it was going to be hard, but I feel like other choices could’ve been made. I really didn’t mind Lily having her affair. It was her time to have to herself, after what Merc had out her through all those years she needed this. What I didn’t think was necessary was Merc going back to the club girls for those few months. The first two dalliances I could stomach (just about), but the rest just put him back to square one. That didn’t need to happen to explain Lily’s reasons for leaving and time away. It just made Merc seem even worse than the first book, he hadn’t learned anything and didn’t choose Lily, AGAIN!. I barely felt the guilt from him either. It didn’t add anything to the story…..if anything it took away from their ending…I think that was the turning point for me that made me feel numb towards them both. I think if more emphasis was about Lily finding herself and Merc waiting for her, it would’ve been a better outcome. It just made me feel like all those years together were for nothing….it just highlighted the fact that Merc never once fought for Lily. Not ever. Other words may have been written that do counteract that, but they didn’t register with me…..I was past caring at that point. It could’ve been so much more.
Blerghh…I feel frustrated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
2,082 reviews58 followers
August 11, 2024
Heartbreaking

This book was rough for me to read This time of year, however I am so happy that Merc and Lily at least had some good years.

Lily disappointed me in what she did, I understand she wasn't in her right frame of mind but I expected better from her considering she always was in control. She was no better than what Merc had done at that point. Then it was even worse when she gave her heart to someone else, out of all the women Merc never did that.

So now my opinion has changed where it was all Merc, in the end Lily was just as bad in my eyes.

Still glad they did have happy moments though.
Profile Image for leeissearchingforfmcswithbackbones.
479 reviews
December 9, 2023
I never in any of my reviews tell other readers not to read a book. But please don’t read this duet. This thing is fucking depressing. If you need any justifications just go click any detailed one star reviews, I myself truly regret not doing that. I wouldn’t be reading any works from this author in the future.
Profile Image for Lidia's Romance.
663 reviews324 followers
September 28, 2022
3 Stars

The main characters, Merc & Lily, were an absolute train wreck. I’ve never read two characters this tragic. Correction: Lily is the most tragic character I've ever read; Merc is the worst manwhore. Actually, never mind, that award goes to Santos from Goalie. Merc is the runner-up. Except, I didn't exactly hate Merc. This book kept me reading nonstop. The angst was high like I prefer. I appreciated the genuine depth of the story. Certain elements I can say I highly enjoyed, or found satisfying, but sadly, I feel this was overshadowed by too many disappointments. Lily being one of them. She became a Debbie Downer and incredibly annoying. Towards the end, I'm not sure I even liked her.

I was going to rate this 4 Stars but the last three chapters kind of ruined it for me. Lily's drama didn't help either. This is based on personal preferences.

About that ending...Nicholas Sparks' The Notebook was so much better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tamara.
143 reviews4 followers
September 7, 2022
If I thought the first book was top much, this one? Phew. It was a whole soap opera. I think the author dragged this story for way too much time. It really should’ve ended with a glimpse at a future (happy) life. All of the things that kept happening were too much for me. I ended up disliking every character, but I’m giving this 3 stars because it did manage to keep my attention up until the end (the writing wasn’t bad at all). Which, by the way, was the cherry on top. Waaaay too much for me.

I don’t mind cheating, but this (especially book 1) really was a shit ‘show of cheating’ (as someone else commented). I really need to read something sweet to go over the fucked up version of love that this book showed me… I’ll have to stay away of this kind of misogynistic MC books for a while cause they can be awfully fucked up.
7 reviews
June 18, 2022
Not what I expected….

I loved the first book and I really think she should it ended it with an epilogue of the future. This book was too much and way too drawn out! Sorry just not for me.
Profile Image for wrkatreading.
1,238 reviews27 followers
December 4, 2021
She warns in the beginning it’s not an easy read and it’s not. But she tied everything together so well. I enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Mrs Jayne Rushton.
1,399 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2021
Oh my

Theirs was never going to be a happy story, but I'm so glad it was told.

Through their ups and downs, losses, other women, other men, everything, they always made their way back to each other.

What a great final story in this couples lives.
Profile Image for Dejah.
146 reviews
February 27, 2023
Sometimes you need to get your lick back. Also why did I strangely root for them. But in all seriousness, I did enjoy this duology about the ups and down of marriage and dealing with infidelity. I wish we got more though, like of her time with Logan or Liam (forgot his name) because in all honesty it would have been nice. I understand why we didn't get it, because we're supposed to root for her and Damon. This book is a 7/10 on my reading score, because it was a lot of telling, not showing, with the last few chapters feeling kinda rushed in a way. I wish we got a few more happy moments, like them being parents especially since their relationship started from them becoming parents. I know it was about the ugly parts but at some times I forgot they were parents in the end. I can't hate Lily for what she did, because in all honesty, I would have done worse. Love is hard, and these two showed that. Also, kinda love the notebook like ending. A flash forward of how it ended, with those two truly in love with one another and dying while the other one was soon after. I did feel like some side characters were not fleshed out, mainly because this is book 8 and 9 in a series I won't fault the author. I did however love this this book and ate it up in 4 hrs. This author is an amazing writer and she feels real with her writing. There are some instances where stronger words can be used, and some extra detail but in all, I really enjoyed this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for boujeeholiday.
14 reviews
March 22, 2023
it’s three am on a school night and I think this is the worst decision I’ve ever made.

This was an absolute tear jerker. The male love interest is a total asshole and you may hate him from the beginning of the series to the end, but it was was the really messed up love between him and the female lead that has me crying bricks right now. I may not have read all the books in this series, (this was actually my first and only), but somehow I formed a connection with Lily, the female lead and though this book was very long, it was extremely realistic. The characters had flaws not only we could see but the characters themselves. What I loved most about it also and this is gonna be really weird because I’m crying right now, is that it was written in past tense. Lily already lived this and in a super experienced way, she was retelling her story.

And though this is a duel pov book, this author clearly has lived a very wise life because the writing was amazing. So much depth!

Again the end killed me, Double- D and Lily being the two left standing before the book ends, signaling the end of Lily’s life too, it fucking hurt. But I’m glad I read this and I hope u guys check it out too. Just be ready to have a really selfish Love interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Penny.
192 reviews22 followers
February 16, 2022
BEAUTIFUL DISASTER Part 2:

This is how I describe this two -part book to everyone; a Beautiful Disaster. This love story ripped me apart, and then put me back together with super glue. Here is why I fell in love….

I knew this story would hurt me. It hurt me in such a deep, and beautiful way. I was skeptical that Merc would be able to convince me of his true love for Lily. But, Damon …… you have done it.

I loved reading how this couple matured over the years. Both made ugly mistakes that damaged the other. Sometimes it was hard to read. But the hard years were worth the pain to see them finally get it right.

Beautiful love story!
Profile Image for Yames Bond.
899 reviews14 followers
August 8, 2022
1🍭

I thought book 1 was “too much”. Then, this second part happened. I mean… what?
It was a never ending soap opera about toxic people being really toxic.

The silver lining was they went to therapy.
352 reviews14 followers
December 7, 2024
When I started reading the first book, I remember thinking Damon was a complete scumbag. But by the end of it, I found myself softening toward him. His relationship with Lily wasn’t typical—they weren’t really committed to each other, and both seemed to accept that. While technically it could be considered cheating since they were married, it didn’t feel that way because of the nature of their relationship.

In the second book, though, my heart broke. Even though Lily made a mistake by sleeping with another man, I couldn’t help but feel like Damon didn’t truly love her. He seemed so quick to run back to the women at the club, which hurt to read. But as the story progressed, I started to see him in a different light, and by the end of the book, I genuinely liked him. I even came close to tears.

This book challenged me emotionally—it made me hate a lot of things at times, but the ending brought everything together so beautifully. I honestly didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I did, especially since it’s not my usual type of story. It wasn’t the cheating trope that put me off initially, but rather the complicated emotions and dynamics. However, the writing was so compelling that I ended up loving it.
Profile Image for MiSsE .
193 reviews3 followers
September 2, 2025
Welp I buckled down and dove into book two. I honestly feel like I could’ve just left it at book one and been okay with it. Book two was seriously the same stuff, just roped in with a lot of loss.

Merc (Damon) is still infuriating when it comes to his cheating. He’s still selfish, and breaking Lily’s heart over and over. But Lily isn’t innocent this time around either; her choices hurt him too, and the cycle of pain between them is devastating. There was truly no growth until 85% of the book was read. The miscarriages, the betrayals, the raw emotions all hit hard though.

For those of you who can’t stand cheaters, Christine Michelle doesn’t sugarcoat their mess: it’s messy, heartbreaking, and impossible to look away from. Both of them hurt and love in equal measure, and she WARNS her readers AHEAD of time of what to expect from the story before it even begins. Overall this was an okay read. The ending was super sad to me for sure though. I’m just happy they got to at least grow old and have some good memories instead of all the bad ones.
331 reviews
October 4, 2022
This is an extreme cheating book.

spoiler:
75 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2022
I think 70 percent of the book if not more was spend trying to fix their marriage. The rest was not even like a happily ever after it was all just sad. From snipped I got for other books I can tell you this whole series is just sad like tragic so I don’t recommend. Also let me make it clear that even tho Merc had a lot to deal with after lily’s miscarriages it was nothing compared to how much limit went through. lily had the worst life even when she was happy I don’t think it was real happiness. I also think her kids suffered so much we got no scenes of merc and Lilly being actual parents but I guess they at least got happily ever afters.
88 reviews
March 7, 2023
Unforgettable

This was the first book I read in this series, and I absolutely loved it! So many emotions come into play....the constant cheating was heartbreaking. I honestly don't know how she stayed. Even with all this, I couldn't help but want them to end up happy. I actually can't believe I'm saying this since I hated him most of the time. I'm so glad that I didn't listen to the negative reviews because I really would have missed out. There were parts that were so difficult to read because you honestly love Lilly and just want her to find happiness after all she's been through. The last few chapters had me in tears. I can't wait to start the series from the beginning!
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464 reviews
November 19, 2024
2.25
So 😖okay so you have to know both messed up a lot
But one personal thing that bothers me is physical cheating+emotional cheating(focused most on emotional cheating).So yeah i think that i would have liked better if they had talked about it .
I know that the last chapter clarifys a lot of things but it didnt get me.The love that they have been building was messed up an i was very disappointed about it.I expected more chapters about solving their problems and not mentions of it
It was such a let down for me 😞
They are both very impulsive and they dont have any kind of communication so that leads to all of this
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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1,136 reviews1 follower
January 16, 2022
A good ending to a rough ride in life

Why I'm not a big fan of MC books the blurb got my attention. Why I liked book 1 much better I understand Lily and Mec struggles I could see them as real life. I felt for Lily she needed help but didn't want it or see it to the destruction of her own family. I felt that Mec never seem to choose Lily over his own male urges and selfishness when life became rough. but why the author stated it wouldn't be pretty but in the end they'd get there heat but maybe not together.
22 reviews
December 21, 2021
OMG

This is my 1st time reading your books and I started with Tiger Lily and Merc. 1 and a half days to read part one and part two. It sucked me into this work and it's not audible.

It's been too long since I read a story that I simply could not put down. Thank you

Lucky me . I have a whole series to read. If you were here , I would freaking kiss you. (Lol cooties and all).

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137 reviews
August 31, 2023
1.4/5

Brooo what even?

So weird. So much cheating, STILL! MMC never owns up to his mistakes properly, never grovels. Nothing felt satisfying and it was generally boring. I don't understand why authors kill off their characters at the end, I DON'T WANT TO READ THAT IS THIS EVEN HEA 😭😭Anyway, nothing felt complete either. Like every plot point was downplayed and unfinished. Not the best experience TBH.
19 reviews
one-terrible-book-has-its-own-shelf
February 11, 2025
This book just sucks.
If I could give it negative stars I would because this book makes me feel like crying and not the good crying either.
It's just so terrible that I just can't.
I highly do not recommend because that mmc is just terrible and the fmc is even worse because who takes back such a garbage man.
It's five in the morning and I'm just done.
It's so terrible.
Why was this even on my radar?

No judgement to those who like it. (I say this in pain for you)
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