Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Review: Back to You by Priscilla Glenn

Back to You by Priscilla Glenn
Published October 20th 2012 by CreateSpace

About the book

When Lauren Monroe first laid eyes on Michael Delaney back in high school, she had every reason to stay away from him; within minutes of their first encounter, his volatile actions confirmed his notorious reputation. But Lauren saw something in him that caused her to question his bad-boy persona, and against her better judgment, she took a chance. She had no way of knowing that the unlikely friendship they formed would become so important to her.

Or that it would end so painfully.

Eight years later, when Lauren begins her new job at Learn and Grow Day Care, Michael is the last person she expects to see. Refusing to revisit the hurt and confusion of their past, Lauren vows to keep her distance from him. But staying away from Michael proves to be more difficult than she thought, despite her lingering grief and her instincts for self-preservation.

As Lauren and Michael recall the friendship that changed them forever and the events that tore them apart, will they finally be able to heal? Or will the ghosts of Michael’s past prove to be too much to overcome?

My Thoughts

Back to You by Priscilla Glenn is a wonderful love story that does nothing short of pull at your heartstrings from the first few pages to its rewarding conclusion. I loved Glenn’s writing that takes her readers through a journey of past and present as two people confront some emotional events from their past to ultimately find their way back to each other in the present.

This story begins with Lauren taking a job at a local day care, as she works towards her postgraduate degree. She’s excited about the possibilities that face her with her new job, her studies that are going great, and the new love interest in her life. All of that comes to a sudden halt when a three year-old enters her day care room holding her father’s hand who also happens to be the person who broke her heart in high school. Despite what people say that time heals all wounds, the eight years that lapsed between Lauren and Michael’s last encounter is not enough time to erase the emotional hurricane ready to break her hard earned resolve.

This story is about friendship, love and most of all redemption. Back to You offers its readers a wonderful adventure between two characters, Lauren and Michael, that have a ton of emotional hurt hidden under layers of hard earned contentment. They’ve both attempted to move past the pain of their past and build a life that brings them measured happiness. However, despite their present happiness, there’s an underlying feeling of loss due to Michael’s choice to walk away eight years ago.  His decision, that at first appears selfish, is nothing short of difficult for him, as you witness the pain he endured as a child and the effects it had on his choices.  It was hard not to fall for this character and accept his hope for redemption.

I do have to admit that after learning of Michael’s decision and seeing the possibility of a relationship between Lauren and Adam, I was rooting for Adam through most of the story. But when two people have the history that Lauren and Michael have, it’s hard to ignore what feels right. I was happy with Lauren’s choices throughout the book and Michael ultimately won me over. There were moments of true heart where I found myself re-reading passes for the sake of not being ready to move forward.

Despite the narrative flipping between past and present, the flow was perfectly paced.  I achieved a full understanding of how they got to where they were, and what they experienced in their past to have them make certain choices.

Overall, Back to You is the great book if you’re looking for a break from paranormal, erotic or even young adult books. It’s a perfect and rare stand-alone in this never-ending sea of on-going series that seem to be flooding the book scene. Back to You feels real and is filled with emotional twists and turns with a realistic and well-crafted conclusion. Enjoyed it much!
4 Suns


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