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aliaspaine's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this! Although I personally find Lily a bit annoying and hard to really figure out... I mean, for example, that for someone who supposedly "does not like to be touched" she does a lot of it with Jake!
And I gotta say that Raine is a stronger person than I am because I would have smacked Lily around and put her in her place for her touchy-kissy-feely, emotional-and-borderline-physical-relationship, "the other woman"-ish thing with someone who supposedly loves me but runs to "the other woman" all the time & shares more with her than me. Hopefully that will drastically change - or Raine actually will do some serious smacking and place-putting... LOL =P
And I gotta say that Raine is a stronger person than I am because I would have smacked Lily around and put her in her place for her touchy-kissy-feely, emotional-and-borderline-physical-relationship, "the other woman"-ish thing with someone who supposedly loves me but runs to "the other woman" all the time & shares more with her than me. Hopefully that will drastically change - or Raine actually will do some serious smacking and place-putting... LOL =P
jenafyre's review against another edition
5.0
Sometimes there are stories that touch your heart, make you sad, make you laugh, or make you sigh. "The Christmas He Loved Her" by Juliana Stone is one of those books. The second in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series, this book was even better than the first book. Let me tell you about Jake and Raine.
"I think I've been in love with you since we were kids.
Jake Edwards is an ex-Army Ranger who is still reeling from the death of his twin brother Jesse. Add to that the fact that he has been in love with his brother's widow, Raine, for most of his life, and he blames himself for not being able to save Jesse from the bullet that took his life. Trying to outrun the demons and the guilt that plagues him, he left his parents, his friends, his home town, and Raine a year and a half ago, but no matter the distance, he can't change the past. He also can't outrun the love that he feels for Raine.
"I love you, Jake Edwards. I've always loved you. It doesn't lessen what I felt for your brother or cheapen the time I had with him.
Raine Edwards can't seem to function without Jake. Loosing Jesse broke Raine, but without Jake, she is not sure she can survive. Trying to make it day by day, to hide the pain of the love that she feels for Jake, that she has comes to realized that she has always felt for Jake, to hide the pain of a secret loss that she has not shared with anyone. Well now Jake is back and neither one knows how to erase the pain that they have caused each other, but they both realize that neither are complete, or at peace without the other. Can they learn to let go of the past, the guilt, the fear and forgive themselves so that they can find love again?
Ok, I loved Jake and Raine ever since I first met them in the first book of this series. I loved them even more by the end of this book. They are both broken and hurting and turn to each other for comfort, but when Jake runs, feeling that he has in some way betrayed the memory of his dead brother, Raine is the one left alone, and broken and confused. I love that they did not just brush the past and their issues under the rug but faced them head on and came out the other side stonger because of it. I loved how they, with the help of their family and friends, were able to forgave themselves for being the ones that survived when Jesse didn't.
I would recommend this book, this series and this author to all of my friends and I cannot wait until book three is released next year.
I was given an ARC for a fair review of this book.
"I think I've been in love with you since we were kids.
Jake Edwards is an ex-Army Ranger who is still reeling from the death of his twin brother Jesse. Add to that the fact that he has been in love with his brother's widow, Raine, for most of his life, and he blames himself for not being able to save Jesse from the bullet that took his life. Trying to outrun the demons and the guilt that plagues him, he left his parents, his friends, his home town, and Raine a year and a half ago, but no matter the distance, he can't change the past. He also can't outrun the love that he feels for Raine.
"I love you, Jake Edwards. I've always loved you. It doesn't lessen what I felt for your brother or cheapen the time I had with him.
Raine Edwards can't seem to function without Jake. Loosing Jesse broke Raine, but without Jake, she is not sure she can survive. Trying to make it day by day, to hide the pain of the love that she feels for Jake, that she has comes to realized that she has always felt for Jake, to hide the pain of a secret loss that she has not shared with anyone. Well now Jake is back and neither one knows how to erase the pain that they have caused each other, but they both realize that neither are complete, or at peace without the other. Can they learn to let go of the past, the guilt, the fear and forgive themselves so that they can find love again?
Ok, I loved Jake and Raine ever since I first met them in the first book of this series. I loved them even more by the end of this book. They are both broken and hurting and turn to each other for comfort, but when Jake runs, feeling that he has in some way betrayed the memory of his dead brother, Raine is the one left alone, and broken and confused. I love that they did not just brush the past and their issues under the rug but faced them head on and came out the other side stonger because of it. I loved how they, with the help of their family and friends, were able to forgave themselves for being the ones that survived when Jesse didn't.
I would recommend this book, this series and this author to all of my friends and I cannot wait until book three is released next year.
I was given an ARC for a fair review of this book.
romancejunkie1025's review
4.0
Christmas He Loved Her was a thrilling read with all the angst and sadness you’d expect from two people that have lost a piece of themselves, but in the end they are able to overcome that loss and teach us all that just because you feel like the world has stopped doesn’t mean we can stop hoping or living for the future. Jake and Raine have been beaten down by life and broken by circumstances, but they won’t be defeated and when they finally dig themselves out of the hole they’ve fallen into, we get to see the strong-willed and loving characters that we always knew they really were. We are reminded of the magic of the holidays as they bring Raine back to life and force her to make Jake see her and accept the love between them. As their love deepens and they finally decide to stop running from each other, we can see Jake and Raine come to terms with the fact that though life has thrown them for a loop, together they can find their happiness and share the love in their hearts with each other and their family. If you haven’t read book one in the series you might miss a bit of the undercurrents and hints that are in this book, but you will catch on everything quickly. (Though I suggest you read Summer He Came Home of course because it is awesome.) I’m looking forward to delving deeper into Lily and Mac and their personal stories and their story, The Day He Kissed Her, will certainly be excellent and explosive when these two clash. Cannot wait for April to see more of these two. Another great novel Juliana, though of course I am not surprised!
Rating: 4 stars
For my full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/arc-review-christmas-he-loved-her.html
Rating: 4 stars
For my full review see my blog at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.com/2013/09/arc-review-christmas-he-loved-her.html
nighteyes82's review
3.0
somwhere between 2;5 and 3 stars
I don't get Jesse
and some few points anout Jake and his feelings and other people knowing them or not...
but hey I will read the next book
I don't get Jesse
and some few points anout Jake and his feelings and other people knowing them or not...
but hey I will read the next book
blodeuedd's review
3.0
This is book 2 but yes I would say you can read it as a stand alone. Still it's always more fun to have read book 1 first. Also the book was good, but not as good as book 1. But that is because they were about different things. This one had a lot of emotional turmoil.
Raine lost her husband 1,5 years ago. But, yes then there are those forbidden feelings for her brother in law Jack she has now. She is fighting with herself, she wants him, but drama drama. And Jack wants her too but he keeps thinking about his brother. Also he has PTSD from the war and he was there when his brother died.
As you can see the romance has a lot of bumps in the road. If it is not one thing it is another thing. These lovers can't catch a break. And they fit each other so well, they truly should be together.
But love always finds a way and it is a romance after all.
Two emotionally scarred people looking for love.
Raine lost her husband 1,5 years ago. But, yes then there are those forbidden feelings for her brother in law Jack she has now. She is fighting with herself, she wants him, but drama drama. And Jack wants her too but he keeps thinking about his brother. Also he has PTSD from the war and he was there when his brother died.
As you can see the romance has a lot of bumps in the road. If it is not one thing it is another thing. These lovers can't catch a break. And they fit each other so well, they truly should be together.
But love always finds a way and it is a romance after all.
Two emotionally scarred people looking for love.
kbranfield's review
5.0
The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake are back and Oh. My. Goodness. Juliana Stone pretty much ripped my heart to shreds with Jake and Raine's story. There is so much raw emotion and anguish in The Christmas He Loved Me, it is positively gut wrenching. This deeply emotional read will make you laugh, cry and ultimately rejoice as Jake and Raine finally break free of their haunting pasts and find their much deserved happily ever after.
A year and a half after he left town following his brother Jesse's funeral, Jake Edwards returns home just in time for the holidays. Waiting for him are all of the problems he left behind and topping the list of things he would give anything to avoid? His childhood friend and Jesse's widow, Raine. Running a pretty close second? His overwhelming (and somewhat misplaced) guilt. Guilt over Jesse's death. Guilt over his feelings for Raine. And underneath it all? The never ending grief he feels for the brother he has lost.
Grief is an emotion that Raine knows all too well. She is deeply depressed, barely able to function and spends most of her days with her head buried under the covers. Jake's homecoming is just the catalyst Raine needs to begin emerging from her sorrow.
Neither Jake nor Raine are prepared for the irresistible attraction they feel for one another. Nor are they ready for the emotions that surface after they give in to their passion. Both are haunted by an incident that precipitated Jake's departure and neither knows how to bring it up without destroying their fragile new relationship. But it is long buried secrets that threaten to destroy them as they try to plan their future together.
Jake and Raine are also facing some difficult family issues. Raine's mother, Gloria, essentially abandoned Raine as a child to work as a missionary. Gloria has recently returned to try to salvage their relationship, but Raine's hurt and anger make it difficult for her to give Gloria a chance. Jake has an easier time repairing the damage to his relationship with his parents but the secret Jake is keeping from them keeps him mired in the past. Their tight bond is strong enough to withstand anything, but it takes almost of the entire novel before Jake fully believes this.
The Christmas He Loved Her begins around Thanksgiving and continues through the Christmas season. It is not a light and fluffy holiday read, but it is a beautiful story of love and forgiveness. Jake and Raine are dealing with realistic and incredibly painful issues but Juliana Stone makes all of the heartbreak (and tears) worthwhile with a touching and uplifting ending that perfectly sets up the next novel in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.
A year and a half after he left town following his brother Jesse's funeral, Jake Edwards returns home just in time for the holidays. Waiting for him are all of the problems he left behind and topping the list of things he would give anything to avoid? His childhood friend and Jesse's widow, Raine. Running a pretty close second? His overwhelming (and somewhat misplaced) guilt. Guilt over Jesse's death. Guilt over his feelings for Raine. And underneath it all? The never ending grief he feels for the brother he has lost.
Grief is an emotion that Raine knows all too well. She is deeply depressed, barely able to function and spends most of her days with her head buried under the covers. Jake's homecoming is just the catalyst Raine needs to begin emerging from her sorrow.
Neither Jake nor Raine are prepared for the irresistible attraction they feel for one another. Nor are they ready for the emotions that surface after they give in to their passion. Both are haunted by an incident that precipitated Jake's departure and neither knows how to bring it up without destroying their fragile new relationship. But it is long buried secrets that threaten to destroy them as they try to plan their future together.
Jake and Raine are also facing some difficult family issues. Raine's mother, Gloria, essentially abandoned Raine as a child to work as a missionary. Gloria has recently returned to try to salvage their relationship, but Raine's hurt and anger make it difficult for her to give Gloria a chance. Jake has an easier time repairing the damage to his relationship with his parents but the secret Jake is keeping from them keeps him mired in the past. Their tight bond is strong enough to withstand anything, but it takes almost of the entire novel before Jake fully believes this.
The Christmas He Loved Her begins around Thanksgiving and continues through the Christmas season. It is not a light and fluffy holiday read, but it is a beautiful story of love and forgiveness. Jake and Raine are dealing with realistic and incredibly painful issues but Juliana Stone makes all of the heartbreak (and tears) worthwhile with a touching and uplifting ending that perfectly sets up the next novel in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.
serlinarose's review against another edition
5.0
Great story
Story was good. Choose to read this because I love this type of stories, would definitely recommend it. I felt the pain & felt the love. I could clear visualize the characters.
Story was good. Choose to read this because I love this type of stories, would definitely recommend it. I felt the pain & felt the love. I could clear visualize the characters.
booklovinmamas's review against another edition
5.0
Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas
I have no idea how to start this review, but to say this book is a very emotional one. I had tears running down my face several times while reading this book. I looked at my husband during one scene and told him how I could not believe Juliana has me crying over fictional characters. I felt their pain though and wanted to comfort both Jake and Raine. I knew it was going to be emotional when Jake and Raine were introduced in the first book. The last chapter of the previous book alone made Jake and Raine’s story not going to be an easy one. Juliana Stone made Jake’s and Raine’s story even more emotional when the truth came out what happened to Raine. (How I felt for her…I just wanted to hug her and tell her I was here for her)
I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to contemporary romance readers out there. Make sure to read the first book though. You will need to know about ALL of these Bad Boys.
I have no idea how to start this review, but to say this book is a very emotional one. I had tears running down my face several times while reading this book. I looked at my husband during one scene and told him how I could not believe Juliana has me crying over fictional characters. I felt their pain though and wanted to comfort both Jake and Raine. I knew it was going to be emotional when Jake and Raine were introduced in the first book. The last chapter of the previous book alone made Jake and Raine’s story not going to be an easy one. Juliana Stone made Jake’s and Raine’s story even more emotional when the truth came out what happened to Raine. (How I felt for her…I just wanted to hug her and tell her I was here for her)
I give this book 5 full moons and highly recommend it to contemporary romance readers out there. Make sure to read the first book though. You will need to know about ALL of these Bad Boys.