{ARC Review + GIVEAWAY} Captured Love by Juliana Haygert

Title: Captured Love
Author: Juliana Haygert
Published: 10th Nov 2014
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC provided by author for fair & honest review
Rating: 4/5

BLURB:
It’s been four years since twenty-year-old Jessica Hayes has been home, but when she discovers her father is dying, she must return to her hometown in South Carolina and face her past. Jessica thought patching up her relationship with her father would be her biggest challenge, but when she runs into Ryan Dawson—the catalyst of all her problems—she wonders if coming home was a mistake.

Ryan knows he screwed up. Hell, he paid the price…with interest. But when he runs into his best friend’s little sister, Jessica, he’s reminded that his debt will never truly be paid. He may have turned his life around, but he can’t undo the damage. So, he does what he should have done all those years ago. He stays away from Jessica, and all the other personal demons that still haunt him.

Jessica thought she wanted nothing to with Ryan, but something is different about him and she needs to know why. When she discovers the truth behind his change, she puts her troubles aside and tries to help him. But is putting her heart back in the line of fire worth disrupting her stable life back in Ohio, or will the past repeat itself, leaving her brokenhearted once again?

Captured Love is a story of misunderstandings, heartache and second chances!

REVIEW:
The story:
Four years ago, Jess's world fell apart. After having her heart broken by her first love Ryan, and a massive fight her father, Jess left her hometown to live with her Grandmother in Ohio. Four years later and she finally has some stability back in life, until she gets the phone call that changes everything. Leaving her safe new life behind she returns home to see her sick father. But confronting her past isn't easy and she struggles to deal with seeing her father and Ryan after all these years.

It was difficult to see Jess in so much pain. She may have believed that she'd moved on after moving to Ohio, but really she was just running away. It's not until she finally deals with the fight she had with her father, and the misunderstandings that happened between her & Ryan that she really started to find peace.

The characters:
Jess is sweet and kind and a very likeable narrator. But she's not without her faults. She has a tendency to jump to conclusions and can be very stubborn. She's also very reluctant to trust anyone, after being hurt by Ryan and her family. But it's these faults that made her character feel very 'real', she's not perfect - but then, nobody is.

Ryan is actually such sweetheart! Yes he's a tatted up bad boy who tends to find himself in trouble a lot. But when it came down to it, it was clear he cared a great deal for Jess. I also loved that he never really gave up on her.

The romance:
It took quite a while for these two to meet up again after all these years. They try to avoid each other, and the inevitable confrontation they had to have. Once they finally to bump into one anther, it's not all fireworks and roses. The hurt and anger is still there, especially for Jess, and it's not easy for her to see past that. I liked that they didn't just jump straight back into a relationship. They had to work through a lot of issues, both together and within themselves. But it just made this romance so real and the ending so much more exciting and epic.

The writing:
Juliana's books are always packed full of emotion. You feel what the characters are going through. Her characters have relatable flaws and make mistakes. The story flows steadily throughout, and built nicely to the conclusion.

FINAL WORD:
Captured Love is a story of misunderstandings, heartache and second chances. Sexy and romantic, this is a fabulous read for any NA or romance lovers!

CONTENT:
Sexuality: medium / some sex scenes
Violence: mild
Language: medium / some f words
Drugs & alcohol: mild


GIVEAWAY

1 comment:

  1. Oh my goodness I actually haven't ever heard of this book but I need it now after reading your review. Thank you for sharing!!! So glad there is character growth and flawed characters, I find those are the best stories and who doesn't love a bad boy with a heart of gold? Thank you for the great review Amy. Now I need to grab this book!

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