Paula's Reviews > Stiffed

Having read countless 2nd chance romances & 99% of time came out always disappointed, I went into this one cautiously & hopeful because the childhood/first love trope is my own go-to. So for the first 30-35% I was sure that this would be a winner, but as always these days, the Author had to go and use the old cliché & tiresome trope (more on that later) and ruin it for me!

This review will contain some MAJOR SPOILERS, so for anyone interested in reading it, please stop now or don’t click on the spoiler tag…..

Backstory:

Jack & April met when they were both 7 yrs old. April & her family moved next door to Jack and there is an absolutely cute epilogue on the first chapter in which we get Jack & April’s first meet. Jack at the time was hoping it was a boy moving in next door whom he could play with – only to find out that it was a girl, April, whom he fell for right on the spot and became besties and more. (They were each other’s “first”).

At 16, Jack gave April a heart pendant and promised her that someday he would give her a ring & “Forever”. Only two years later at 18, April’s family had to relocate and Jack ended up breaking her heart (and his!) by calling it quits with her! This was a douche move on his part because at the time he thought he was doing the right thing, only he ended up regretting it each and every day.

When they meet again 10 years later, they are both 28 now and he has (unbeknownst to her) invested in her family’s business and is her boss. This sets up the plot for their reunion, but April won’t make it easy for him because in the intervening years, she went through some tough times and has a secret she is keeping from Jack. She also has another BFF (he is gay) that she tries at first to hide behind so that she can push Jack away, but Jack is one smart cookie and he didn’t let anything get in his way to win back his soulmate!

“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Jack.”

“Jealous? You think I’m jealous of another man?” “The only thing I’m jealous of right now is your panties, because they get to touch what’s mine. But you’re not mine yet. As much as I need you back, I refuse to kiss you until you tell me you want it because like I said, a day hasn’t gone by when I haven’t thought of you.”

I would have easily given this a hands-down 5 or 10 stars because it was truly a sweet romance in which the Author took the time to develop the characters and show us how they fell in love and formed an unbreakable bond. So why not the 5 stars? (view spoiler)[ Because at the 40%-45%, the Author did what every other one does these days and make the Hero a Manho. After Jack broke things off with April at 18 (very lame excuse), he went to college and became the “biggest player”! He had spent from age 7 to 18 loving only April & believing that she was his "other half", to sleeping with everything on site – not because she hurt/betrayed him or whatever!

After college, he did try to contact her (called and sent her flowers each day) to apologize & get her back, but by then she was dealing with something major (illness) and had seen him with various women on magazines (he still f***ed around even after college)!

There were instances throughout the 40%-85% in which the heroine got to meet some of his ex lovers and POVs in which showed us his Manho ways. (i.e. he stated in one that he would sometimes hire “Escorts” to go to events with him and there was one (his 1st) that he had f***ed but never paid (nice!). Then there was other POVs in which he stated that he occasionally brought home women (to the home that he bought with heroine in mind), but when the heroine asked him how many women he brought home & used his “sauna”, he sidestepped a straight answer and said "only family" and that "no woman used his sauna". Umm....me thinks he lied folks! But the one that ticked me off most is that before he meets with heroine for the 1st time after 10 yrs, he & his brother are at a bar and has just told him how he never stopped loving her & how he would fight to get her back. He then sees a woman with her back to him, sitting close by & is instantly attracted. Turns out it was the heroine but he did not know this at the time and he was about to go up to her when she(the heroine) disappeared. So that left me wondering if that had not been the heroine, would he have picked her up - after just saying how he was going to fight for heroine and knowing that he would see her the next day? (Granted, he said that he looked at every woman to see heroine's face and there was something about her neck that he said was familiar to him) but in that scene, it just showed his "player" ways...

This is the reason the story was ruined for me. There was absolutely no need at all to give us all those references & details because up until then, and throughout the book, we are led to believe that these two are meant to be and that they only ever loved each other. While the writing does make you believe that, plots like this with his Manho ways, does not- at least not for this reader!
(heroine by the way only slept with one man during separation & never gave him a blow job as she considered the act too "intimate" and reserved it for Jack only). (hide spoiler)]

“Every time April was in arm’s reach, I wanted to hold her, kiss her, and make love to her from the inside out. It didn’t matter how many women I’d been with, because none compared to her. None held my heart in their hands, and none would ever hold mine in theirs… only April”.

This story gave me all the “feels” I look for in a romance, even with all the plot points that I hate. So if you can put those things aside and enjoy it for what it is, I think you may end up liking it..

“Do you believe everyone has a purpose?”
“For example, some people were born to turn ingredients into masterpieces. Some were born to defend or lead countries. Others were born to be athletes or role models.” I placed my hand over my heart. “I was born to be yours. I don’t care about my houses or cars. I don’t care about money or my companies. None of it matters because I don’t have you. All I want is to love you… just you, April. I know I hurt you. I know I broke us, but please let me put the pieces back in place. All I want is for us to be together… to be happy… to love… because that’s my purpose. You, April, are my purpose.”

SIDE NOTE: ****This is for the GR person who PM'd me & is following my reviews ***

I will not PM you to answer your questions because I don't need to explain my reasons why I like or don't like something. I will nevertheless tell you that as a woman & human being, I have personal respect for myself. I have values & principles that apparently you lack and that is fine because to each their own.. . That said, just because I don't like or accept cheating in my fictional romances or in real life, does not mean that I have personal "experience" with cheaters/cheated on or being a prude. Quite the opposite in fact, but that is none of your business. So I leave you with this:
You ever hear of "Self Respect", Diseases, etc.?