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336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 26, 2015
“Once upon a time I loved Kelly. I loved her the first time I saw her. I loved her even when I fucked up so badly I broke the thing some other man is about to snatch up. She made these little creatures with me… I never stopped loving her. But I was stupid and selfish and too blind to see and appreciate what I had in front of me the whole time.” ~ Broken Open (The Hurley Boys #2)
His divorce had been the epitome of being sorry you got what you wished for.
Did you eat? You just got off stage. I remember what you were like.” She colored, though she tried not to. After a show he’d be starving. For food and for sex.
“I’ll hang out here awhile longer and then head home. You should go and get rest. You have a tour-ending show tonight.”
He stopped her with a hand at her shoulder. “This is a million times more important.”
It was, of course, but it was nice to hear him say it. Even if she didn’t believe him all the way. He’d chosen music over his family more than once.
Though it stung to see how warm Sharon Hurley was with everyone else’s women. Not once had the woman showed even a sliver of that toward her.
“If I recall correctly, we had a version of this non-conversation conversation complete with a non-apology apology years ago. You didn’t have the balls to say what you did out loud then, either. Still getting pissy that someone other than your mother was calling you on it. Lucky for you, she’s still your number one girl and she’s just inside. Save your bullshit for her.”
“Mean? Fuck you, Vaughan. That woman called me a whore. Because her precious son fucked his marriage up and then never had the decency to tell her the whole truth. She’s in my house, after eating at my table. For that matter, you’re in my house, too, and I haven’t set either one of you on fire yet. I’m not mean. But I’m not a doormat. Not anymore. You may not have changed, but I have.”
It had been Vaughan who hadn’t wanted to be married, not Kelly. She’d served him the papers first, but he’d been the one to toss a divorce at her to make her leave a subject alone.
He’d told himself being single was better anyway. That his life was too fucking fabulously full of women to bang for him to go tying himself down forever.
You can be comfortable and alone, or banging chicks you barely know and don’t care about. Or you can do some hard, painful work and have a family with the woman you love.
“He is hot as shit. No denying it. One of the most superior male specimens I’ve ever seen. And yet, he’s a thirtysomething man-boy who lives with his mom. Don’t forget that.”
“And yet, it didn’t stop you from letting a stranger give you a hand job after a show when you had me.”
“You. Had. Me. I was there, Vaughan. Pregnant, exhausted but there because you asked me to be. And I wasn’t enough. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Madeline wasn’t enough. Kensey wasn’t enough. None of us was enough and I could see in your eyes that you wanted me to know it.”
The spiral of his behavior spun in wider and more erratic circles, more and more destructive until the moment his wife had walked around the corner and caught some random groupie with her hand down the front of his pants and her mouth on his neck.
And then he’d asked Kelly to join them. He’d never forget the look on her face.
“I know it was wrong. But I didn’t cheat on you.”
“Before that moment, you mean? Because if you think you can sit there and tell me another woman’s hand on your dick isn’t cheating you better wear a cup every day for the rest of your miserable, lying life. If I recall, you punched someone once for telling me I looked pretty. That’s some double standard you have. How’d that work out for you? You’re going to sit there and say with a straight face that it’s cool to get jerked by a rando you tossed aside after you blew all over her hand?”
“You think I want that? Some sort of man-child I have to monitor and parent? I have two kids already. I don’t want to be your conscience. I wanted you to use your own.”
“I know she’s been less than pleasant at times. I thought it was getting better. She’s...”
Kelly held up a hand. She didn’t want to hear any excuses. “I don’t care what she is, or isn’t. Back when we broke up I was different. I’m not that woman. I will not tolerate any of that bullshit from her again.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “Your mother is not stupid. Or naive. Not even when her precious sons are concerned. She knows you and your tricks. She didn’t want to confront it. And I get that, too. But I’m not ready for that. Not yet.” Maybe not ever.
“Mom took one look, got how pretty Kelly was and then wrote her off. You can’t pretend that wasn’t part of it.”
They need to be adults someday. Adults who can stand by their words and deeds.”
Like he hadn’t. She didn’t say it aloud, but he heard it anyway. And she’d been right.
“I don’t regret our daughters.”
“I don’t think you do. How could you? They’re perfect and ours. But you weren’t ready to be a husband and a full-time father. And I was one of those women who had another baby to save the marriage that then broke up because nothing adds stress like a newborn and a toddler in a home.”
I was spineless before. And you were selfish. Now neither of us are those things.
“I’m not her mother-in-law anymore. Unless you’ve done something stupid without telling anyone. Have you?”
This is about the shitty attitude your mother has had since the moment she met me. She thinks I’m a gold-digging whore and she thinks that because you never told her the truth.
She had no right to do or say any of that.”
“No, she didn’t. And it was your job to tell her that. But you didn’t. So you both failed.”
“I broke us. I cheated and betrayed you and then I let my family think the worst of you because I was too weak to bear the weight of what I’d done. I’m sorry, Kelly.”
“Shame is an entirely appropriate emotion in this case. I’m disappointed to hear the details. Disappointed in you and your lack of honor. Disappointed you allowed your mother and I to have a very bad opinion of Kelly so all these years there’s been tension. No, you weren’t a good man and I want to kick your behind for what you did to her and to your children.”
BACK TO YOU is an intoxicating, story about a second chance at love. Kelly has been divorced from Vaughan, a famous rock and roll star for eight years and they have two young daughters together. She has just accepted a marriage proposal from Ross, a solid and steady guy who is the opposite of Vaughan. Although Kelly still loves Vaughan, she knows things will never work out between them and with Ross she can have a stable life, which is something she never had with Vaughan. When Vaughan discovers Kelly is engaged, he is slapped in the face with reality and realizes this is his last chance to win her back. An emergency arises and Vaughan and Kelly have to rush their daughter to the hospital. They are forced to spend time together and Vaughan takes advantage of this opportunity to get close to Kelly.
I like the man Vaughan is now, although I probably wouldn’t have liked him eight years ago. He has finally matured and realizes what is important to him. He knows Kelly is the only woman he has ever loved and he wants her back in his life. He also loves his daughters and is a caring and protective dad. Vaughan has to work hard to win Kelly’s trust and show her he has matured and is ready to take on the responsibility of a family full time. I love how devoted Vaughan is to Kelly and his daughters. He will do whatever it takes to get his family back.
Kelly is smart, beautiful and works hard to be a successful role model for her daughters. She is also a wonderful mother and her daughters always come first. She doesn’t trust Vaughan because he broke her heart and she is afraid to let him in again and I can’t really blame her.
I loved everything about this delightful story and Lauren Dane is one of my favorite authors. This story flowed well and the characters are realistic and have depth. Vaughan and Kelly have a passionate relationship and plenty of chemistry whenever they are together. They are easy to like and I was rooting for them to work through all their issues and get back together. There are also fun and interesting secondary characters in this story which add another element to the story. Vaughan comes from a large close knit family and he loves them all, even though there are times they drive him crazy. Perfect!
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
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This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews