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A Forever Kind Of Love (2011)

by Shiloh Walker(Favorite Author)

3.61 of 5 Votes: 4

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

review 1: Zoe and Chase are high school sweethearts. They are a popular couple who everyone just knows is going to make it. Right up til the point when Chase takes off after high school. Now it's twelve years later and Chase is back in town. He didn't expect Zoe to wait for him, but in the back of his mind, he's hoping she might have. He's distressed to find that not only is Zoe married, but she married Roger, Chase's best friend.Zoe was despondent when Chase left. Her home life was awful, and Chase and his dad provided respite for her. When Chase left, it felt like a part of her was dying. She turned to those who loved him best to seek comfort. Chase's father became pivotal in her life, as did her relationship with Roger. Soon she and Roger had fallen in love and married. They have... more a strong marriage, and a good one. They love each other and have a real mutual respect. Chase is devastated to learn that Zoe and Roger are together, although he realizes that he has no one to blame but himself. He is respectful of their relationship, and tried hard to give them space. But when he finds Zoe sitting in the rain one day, he's compelled to stop and see what's wrong. It's Roger. He's been diagnosed with a brain tumor that is going to kill him. Not only will her husband be leaving her in death, but in life as well, as the brain tumor alters his personality from time to time, making him uncontrollably violent and nasty. After Roger attacks Zoe one evening, he begs Chase, who he still sees as his closest friend, and someone he knows will protect Zoe, to come and live with them so he can intercede if Roger gets out of control again.Living with Zoe each day is torture for Chase, even as she diligently cares for Roger. Zoe never loses sight of her love for Roger, even as Chase becomes more and more pivotal in her life. When Roger dies, Zoe is overwhelmed, and she flees town, turning the tables on Chase and leaving him devastated. Six months later, she's back. Will she and Chase finally be able to connect, and act on the feelings they had for each other for years?I have a hard time grading this book. I adore Shiloh, she's one of my favorite online authors, but for me, this book was lacking something. As we know, I love an angsty book. And this book certainly has it in spades. But I think the reason I lacked a connection with it is that there was more tell than show for me about Zoe and Chase's previous relationship. I had a hard time understanding why things were so great for them, and why it was that they both were still missing that long ago, childhood romance. I never really connected with their motivations, either Chase for leaving, or Zoe when she left. So it made it hard for me to invest in their relationship.That being said, I really loved Zoe's relationship with Roger. I loved how you could really see their foundation, and their mutual respect for each other. Frankly, I was rooting harder for Roger than I was for Chase. I think another reason for my lack of connection to the story is that it felt short. Almost like it was missing a few chapters. I was interested in the characters, but still didn't find out enough about them to really root for the main couple's relationship to last, and once they really did come together, the story ended. I felt almost like there was a conscious word count, and once that word count was made, the story had to be ended, even if it wasn't over.Overall, I connected with the author's voice, but not the main couple, making A Forever Kind of Love just a so-so read for me.Final grade: C-
review 2: This review has been edited from the one that appears on my blog.Once again Shiloh Walker has managed to write a story that is like a punch to the solar plexus. She has an amazing talent for writing characters that are damaged or in need of a second chance. And she manages to write them without them becoming trite, one dimensional and unrealistic.This story was a little personal for me, I identified with Zoe and some of the things she goes through, so on my first read, I was crying like a baby half way through. But this is something that I've come to expect from some of Shiloh's books, (in particular - No Longer Mine, Always Yours, Beautiful Girl, The Missing, Tempt Me).Some ladies may hate Chase for leaving Zoe, but while he was a dick the way he went about leaving, I don't think the story would've been the same if he didn't - well duh! Let me rephrase - Chase as a character, wouldn't have been the same. I don't think he could've been the rock that he is if he'd stayed. I also like that we met Chase first, that we got to hear his side, because once we're introduced to Zoe, there is more of a focus on her and what she's going through and what Chase is feeling for her.I haven't spoken about Roger, mainly because I didn't like him. I know he's going through stuff, but he seems like an arse - I'm not sure if that was Walker's intention, I certainly felt sympathy for the character - but beyond that, I didn't pay much attention. This could also be because for Chase and Zoe to have their HEA he needs to be out of the picture.I love that Zoe chooses to go away, for me it made sense, both as a way for her to heal and as a way for Chase to understand what Zoe would've felt when he left. But damned if that whole scene isn't bittersweet and full of sexy pain. Again, it didn't seem hoky, it was natural.And then after the emotional rollercoaster, there's the squee. Oh yes there's the SQUEE :) I love Walker's consummation scenes, they're just so damn hawt! This is light on in terms of the sexin', so if you're expecting it to be like some of her other titles, unexpect and keep reading, it's worth it. This is more a story of reconnecting, of second chances and while the sexin' is part of that, it's not the whole story.The only part I didn't love of this book was the ending - in that, I felt it ended too soon. I felt kinda cheated, I wanted more dammit! Yes, there was a HEA, but I wanted more of Zoe and Chase once they'd resolved their issues, I wanted to experience their HEA. Which in part is because of the great writing, you're invested in the characters, you want something good to happen, and you want to be there when it happens. less

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