LOVERS RESTORED (Entangled Brazen) by Kelsie Leverich-a review

ebook ONLY 99¢: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO /

About the book: Release Date November 17, 2014

So much need. So much desire…

It’s been exactly ten years since Halle Morgan last set foot in her tiny hometown. Now she’s back, but only long enough to honor the memory of her best friend and try to leave the past behind her. But with one look at Cooper Bale, Halle knows there is no escape from the past—or from the man she wants like no other.

Cooper can’t let go of his painful memories, or the guilt that tore him and Halle apart. And try as he might, he can’t forget the bittersweet night they once shared. Even now, longing sizzles between them, potent and insatiable. Though blissful nights spent in Halle’s arms heal the bitterness in Cooper’s heart, they know they have no future…until they let go of the past that brought them together.

••••••••••••••••

Lovers Restored begins with Halle going back to her hometown to fulfill a promise she and her best friend, Peyton, made 10 years ago. This is the first time she’s been back since the death of her best friend and Cooper’s little sister. They all grew up together and Halle had always been a part of their family. But when Peyton was killed, Halle had so much guilt that she left town right after the funeral and never went back. Until today. And who does she run into after being in town only for a few minutes? Cooper, Peyton’s big brother and the person who has held Halle’s heart since she was a teenager.

Cooper couldn’t believe that Halle was back. He had tried for ten years to get her out of his mind, but the problem with that was that he couldn’t get her out of his heart. And that was a problem. He blames her for Peyton’s death, at least partly.

Halle is as affected by Cooper as he is by her, but they both fight it tooth and nail. She knows that he blames her and she doesn’t blame him for that. She blames herself as well and assures him that she is only in town for a couple of days to see a deed done that she and Peyton set into motion ten years ago, and then she’s gone. She’s built a life for herself and fully intends to get back to that life. Fate it seems, has a different idea once the two of them start spending more and more time together. And, once Halle goes to see Cooper’s mom and sees a shell of a woman who used to be so vibrant, she knows that she has to try and make things better for her, so she stays in town for a while to do just that. Halle and Cooper both know that his mom is fragile and they try and make things as normal as they can, and sure enough, Halle’s presence has a profound effect on his mom…..and on Cooper.

Things still aren’t easy for Halle and Cooper. They both have mourned Peyton’s death in their own way, but haven’t truly come to terms with what happened. Ultimately, they do have a heart to heart, but Cooper’s been keeping a secret himself. Will Halle understand the secret he’s kept deep inside all of these years, or will she cut and run again. Well, my friends, you’ll have to read and find out.

Lovers Restored is a tender story that deals with loss and coming to terms with what was in order to see what can be. Halle is a sweet, caring character and your heart will melt. Cooper, however, is a different story. He was so hot and cold throughout the story, that I had a hard time warming up to him. Of course, at the end, he realizes what a putz he’s being and redeems himself. I just wish that he’d realized it maybe a tad sooner. With that said, Lovers Restored is a sweet, and at times HOT, story that holds your attention and you find yourself rooting for both Halle and Cooper. And, if you’re from a small town as I am, you will see some of yourself and your friends in this story. I guarantee it! 😉

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Vickie M