Unfinished: A First Love, Second Chance Romance by Susan Hammond

Book Description...

"One summer, one secret, one last chance . . .

Nicole Chandler was seventeen the summer she fell in love with Jake Evans, the sexy, rough-around-the-edges mechanic who came to work in her father's marine repair shop. At twenty, Jake had seen more of the dark side of life than any kid ever should, yet underneath the hard exterior was a man who protected and cared for what was his.

For Jake, Nicole was a sunshine he’d never known—sweetness and innocence, feisty, brave, funny. And definitely sexy. He knew he shouldn't love her, yet she believed in him as no one ever had and made him laugh as though life might turn out okay. When the summer ended, Niki held his heart.

Then she broke it.

His secrets, her misunderstanding—the mistakes they both made—sent their lives on different paths, their story unfinished. Yet twenty-three years later, they still remember.

Nicole, now a successful artist, is starting over. When Jake finds her again, she’s ready to believe in what they once had. Yet after years of being alone, driven by nothing more than success, he may learn to forgive; but he can’t seem to forget. And he’s damn sure never again going to feel the pain of having someone he loves and trusts walk away from him.

Young love is fragile, but with histories and exes and families, grown-up love is messy. And while building trust is hard, rebuilding what was once shattered may be impossible.

Does first love ever really get a second chance?


Full-length, standalone novel

Just sayin’ . . . In Texas, the nights are steamy, the food is spicy, and the lovin’ is both. If this isn’t your kind of read, best give this one a pass."

Title:  Unfinished:  A First Love, Second Chance Romance

Author:  Susan Hammond

Publisher:  Saturday Edition Books

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating: Five

Review:

"Unfinished: a First Love, Second Chance Romance" by Susan Hammond

My Thoughts...

'Unfinished' was a good contemporary romantic read..maybe a little long but still good where you will find plenty of 'love and forgiveness.'  This read will definitely keep you turning the pages to see what was going to happen next as the story deals with some real deep issues. The two main characters...Nicole and  Jake along with the secondary characters were all well developed, defined, portrayed, colorful and very believable as the reader will see as the story unfolds. Truly the 'psychological depth' of these characters were simply off the chart...well done! All of this only gives the reader a well written story that will keep the readers attention. What I liked about this story was that it is complete with a satisfying ending where you find this author covers the story very well.  I will say that I did have a few questions about a couple of the characters in the way the storyline was presented but it all turned out OK for me in the end. Be ready for a enjoyably captivating well told  story with lots of  'trials, tribulations, depth, passion, secrets, mistrust, steamy sex scenes,  love and compassion.' The reader will definitely be left feeling this novel was one of those stories that  had a full range of emotions.

Thank you to the author for the gift of your read and my giving you a honest review of your novel.