Waiting for Forever (Hope Valley #8) by Jessica Prince-Review Tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 6, 2020
After a bitter divorce had left him jaded and cynical, Leo Drake thought he was done. To him, love and happiness were myths. Then the shy, sweet, coffee shop owner looked up at him with those big gray eyes and beautiful smile, and he was done for.
Danika Parrish had been the nerdy girl growing up. The girl who sat in her window, watching the boy across the street, and secretly longing for the day when he might notice her. When that day finally came, she was convinced all her dreams had come true. But after giving her everything she’d ever hoped for, he’d ripped it all away with a handful of words.
Leo’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but the one he regrets most is hurting Danika. For the first time in his life, he knows what it feels like to love someone, to truly be happy, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win her back. He’s determined to prove to her that he’s worth a second chance. That he’s the forever she’s been waiting all her life for.
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Sandy’s Review
WAITING FOR FOREVER is the eighth instalment in Jessica Prince’s contemporary, adult HOPE VALLEY erotic,romance series focusing on the town of Hope Valley. This is thirty-six year old, detective Leo Drake, and thirty four year old bakery owner Danika Parrish’s storyline. WAITING FOR FOREVER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storylines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Danika and Leo) WAITING FOR FOREVER follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-six year old, detective Leo Drake, and thirty four year old bakery owner Danika Parrish. Growing up Danika Parrish fell in love with her neighbour Leo Drake but high school proved that Danika was not part of the in-crowd, and Leo Drake knew nothing about our storyline heroine. Marrying his high school sweetheart, Leo moved away never to be heard from again. Fast forward to present day wherein Leo, now a divorced father of two, has moved back to Hope Valley following his father’s stroke. Frequent trips to the local bakery found Leo dreaming about the woman that caught his eye, a woman he no longer remembers but seems familiar, all the more. Enter bakery owner, and Leo’s former neighbor Danika Parrish, and the woman with whom Leo will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Leo and Danika, and the potential fall-out as issues of trust and the small town rumor mill work overtime to destroy their burgeoning love.
Danika Parrish has lusted after Leo Drake for as long as she can remember but our heroine ran in different circles, and was often the target of high school bullies including Leo’s former wife. Growing up in Hope Valley gave our heroine a sense of purpose but Leo’s return brought with it memories from the past, a past Dani was hoping to forget. Leo Drake was never happy in his marriage, and a divorce and return to Hope Valley meant a new start for our story line hero. Meeting Dani Parrish gave Leo a hope for a new future but old habits die hard, as the rumor mill in Hope Valley have Leo questioning his relationship with Danika Parrish.
The relationship between Leo and Danika is one of immediate attraction but Leo does not remember Dani from years before. Bullied by Leo’s now ex-wife, Danika struggles with what was and what will never be, and the ongoing humiliation by said ex-wife, and obliviousness of our story line hero. Leo wants to keep their relationship a secret but prying eyes, miscommunication and issues of trust force our couple out into the open, exposing our heroine to ridicule and scorn. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including most of the previous story line couples. We are introduced to Dani’s parents; Leo’s children Hardin and Macie, his father Jed, and Leo’s ex-wife Whitney.
WAITING FOR FOREVER is a story of family and friendships; of bullies and humiliation; of love and pain; of heart break, forgiveness and happily ever after. The premise is emotional and inviting; the romance is sexy and spicy; the characters are energetic and fun.
Sarah’s Review
Jessica Prince; Goddess Divine, has gifted us with book eight in the Hope Valley Series, Waiting for Forever. I love the entirety of the Hope Valley series, so if you haven’t read it, I do recommend reading them in order, you can however read it as a standalone.
Waiting for Forever is a classic story with a sweet twist that will wrap you up and never let you go (not that you would want too). Shy, nerdy girl falls in love with the cute neighbor boy, life happens and years later they meet again as new people.
Nerdy girl next door, Danika “Dani” Parrish falls in love with the boy next store. Meeting as children, but never really knowing one another. Dani is shy, and awkward as a child, then a teenager, but finally as an adult grows into the person she is meant to be. Kind, loving, giving, but still shy, and still holding on to that crush on the boy next store. Dani opens her own shop, the most popular bakery in Hope Valley, she has her friends, her family and her bakery. A normal little life, but alone. Little does she know, life is about to change.
Leo Drake. High school hottie, prince of the school, married his high school sweet heart and gets his dream job as a cop. Life was good, or at least he thought that was it was meant to be. After ten plus years in an unhappy marriage, Leo finally divorces his hateful, mean wife and moves on to greener pastures. After getting his kids settled, and life as normal as they can make it, Leo visits the famous “Muffin Top”. Nothing prepared him for the woman behind the counter, nothing prepared him for Dani.
I can’t express how much I not only love this book, but this entire series! I get major Kristen Ashley vibes reading it, but it also gives the reader a warm happiness while reading it. A contemporary love story of first love, loss, pain and forgiveness. You will laugh, you will cry over the sweet, rage at the bad, swoon at the naughty and even want to kick Leo’s booty for a little while, but you will LOVE it. It’s a Taylor Swift song, rolled in sugar, coated in sprinkles and dipped in the naughtiest chocolate. Five out five star!!
Copies supplied for review
We were both sweaty and panting like we’d just run a marathon. Releasing my breast and hip, he reached for my hands and gently pried my fingers from the headboard. I would have collapsed onto the mattress in a sated heap had it not been for him holding on to me and guiding me down slowly.
Once there, he turned me to my back and hovered over me, his fingers coming up to brush the damp hair from my forehead.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
I gazed up at him, sure my grin was totally goofy as I replied, “So okay.”
The harshness that had been carved into his expression when he first entered the room was now completely gone, in its place was a look so tender and so warm it made my heart expand.
“Thank you for that,” he said quietly, leaning in to run the tip of his nose along mine.
“Pretty sure I’m the one who should be thanking you. After all, you did most of the heavy lifting.”
He chuckled for a second before his expression grew serious. “I mean it, Danika. I needed that. I needed you. That’s the brand of sweet only you’re capable of giving me because it’s just how you are.”
It had to be said that I really liked hearing that in a seriously big way
Born and raised around Houston, Jessica is a self proclaimed caffeine addict, connoisseur of inexpensive wine, and the worst driver in the state of Texas. In addition to being all of these things, she’s first and foremost a wife and mom.
Growing up, she shared her mom and grandmother’s love of reading. But where they leaned toward murder mysteries, Jessica was obsessed with all things romance.
When she’s not nose deep in her next manuscript, you can usually find her with her kindle in hand.
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