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A review by mackenzierm
It Was Always You by Laura Beth
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Jenna is the child of a military father, living her life on the move whenever her dad was deployed to a new station. She's never quite found the place that she belongs... until she meets Emmett. At fifteen, Emmett quickly becomes Jenna's best friend, her rock. Over their years of friendship, feelings develop between the two, lending to the possibility of something more... until Emmett marries another woman. Three years later, Emmett is back in Chicago, with his daughter in tow, begging for a second chance with Jenna.
IT WAS ALWAYS YOU gets ALL the stars from me. It is a quick read, ringing in at 231 pages, which I all but devoured in two sittings. It's told in Jenna's perspective with a few chapters alternating to the past, which really highlights and explores the relationship that develops between Emmett and Jenna over the years.
I loved reading Jenna's POV and delving deep into her thoughts and feelings. I absolutely adored that Jenna is a nurse - I haven't found many books with nurses as the MC and it's always a pleasure to read them as they're often very relatable. I loved the nursing humour shared in IT WAS ALWAYS YOU with many of the thoughts and sentiments expressed being very accurate to the current nursing environment.
The second chance, friends to lovers romance was impeccable. Laura did a fantastic job at weaving a realistic and heartfelt romance between Emmett and Jenna. I thought that the conflicts shared between them to be so rooted in emotion and turmoil and was so happy to see how it was unraveled and worked on between the two. Emmett is my new book boyfriend, no contest!
The romance is peppered with spice that is HOT but not too explicit. The chemistry and sexual tension between Jenna and Emmett is palpable and very well written. The club scene was perfection - IYKYK.
A special mention to the side characters that certainly contributed to the success and completeness of this story! Allie sounds like the most adorable girl - loved every scene she was in! Meg is a great friend and Emmett's mom is so lovely.
Overall, a beautiful read that had me tearing up near the end! I can't wait to read Lainey's story in 2024!
I would like to thank Laura Beth, the author, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.
IT WAS ALWAYS YOU gets ALL the stars from me. It is a quick read, ringing in at 231 pages, which I all but devoured in two sittings. It's told in Jenna's perspective with a few chapters alternating to the past, which really highlights and explores the relationship that develops between Emmett and Jenna over the years.
I loved reading Jenna's POV and delving deep into her thoughts and feelings. I absolutely adored that Jenna is a nurse - I haven't found many books with nurses as the MC and it's always a pleasure to read them as they're often very relatable. I loved the nursing humour shared in IT WAS ALWAYS YOU with many of the thoughts and sentiments expressed being very accurate to the current nursing environment.
The second chance, friends to lovers romance was impeccable. Laura did a fantastic job at weaving a realistic and heartfelt romance between Emmett and Jenna. I thought that the conflicts shared between them to be so rooted in emotion and turmoil and was so happy to see how it was unraveled and worked on between the two. Emmett is my new book boyfriend, no contest!
The romance is peppered with spice that is HOT but not too explicit. The chemistry and sexual tension between Jenna and Emmett is palpable and very well written. The club scene was perfection - IYKYK.
A special mention to the side characters that certainly contributed to the success and completeness of this story! Allie sounds like the most adorable girl - loved every scene she was in! Meg is a great friend and Emmett's mom is so lovely.
Overall, a beautiful read that had me tearing up near the end! I can't wait to read Lainey's story in 2024!
I would like to thank Laura Beth, the author, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.