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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
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.
brannan1494's review against another edition
hopeful
relaxing
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
jonetta's review
4.0
It's been well over a year since Jake Edwards left his sister-in-law, Raine, after having spent the night with her. He returns to Crystal Lake after not having found the peace or redemption he thought he would if he left home. He's back and doesn't know how to get Raine to forgive him, nor is she ready to let go of her anger at him leaving her alone to deal with her grief, anguish and conflicted feelings (she's his twin brother's widow).
I enjoyed this story even though it lacked the passion and intrigue of the first book. Raine was much more interesting than I'd given her credit and I understood her descent into depression and retreat from the world around her. I also got Jake's guilt about his feelings for Raine and his inability to save his twin brother, Jesse, in Afghanistan but was frustrated by his pattern of running when things got hard. He also could have handled explaining his relationship with friend Lily St. Clare to Raine (and me!) much better than he did. I'm still not clear about that one. Still, I loved how he and Raine ultimately came together and her way of managing it. She's the rock in this relationship and the more interesting character.
There are still some unanswered questions about Jesse and I'm hoping the next book provides some clarity. I think I know what it is and can't wait to find out. This was an interesting and sometimes tough story about overcoming grief and moving on, which made it even better. I'm enjoying the series and am dying to learn more about the enigmatic Mackenzie Draper.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
I enjoyed this story even though it lacked the passion and intrigue of the first book. Raine was much more interesting than I'd given her credit and I understood her descent into depression and retreat from the world around her. I also got Jake's guilt about his feelings for Raine and his inability to save his twin brother, Jesse, in Afghanistan but was frustrated by his pattern of running when things got hard. He also could have handled explaining his relationship with friend Lily St. Clare to Raine (and me!) much better than he did. I'm still not clear about that one. Still, I loved how he and Raine ultimately came together and her way of managing it. She's the rock in this relationship and the more interesting character.
There are still some unanswered questions about Jesse and I'm hoping the next book provides some clarity. I think I know what it is and can't wait to find out. This was an interesting and sometimes tough story about overcoming grief and moving on, which made it even better. I'm enjoying the series and am dying to learn more about the enigmatic Mackenzie Draper.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
bookedinsideout's review
I’ve decided to put this down for two reasons: one is that I realized I’m not in the mood for something so sad right now, and two is that I really, really didn’t like the way that Raine dismissed Jake’s pain over the loss of his brother and his way of coping, as if she, who has lost her husband, is the only one that is hurting.