Six years ago, Chase Timberlake bought an engagement ring for his high school sweetheart Lori Reese. Then ... life happened. Chase's adventure photography career took off, Lori's dream of getting into veterinary school came true, and their happily ever after never came to pass.
When Chase's jet-setting life takes a tragic turn, he returns to Eternity Springs a damaged man. Who better to help mend his spirit than the woman who has dedicated her life to healing broken wings? Long summer days spent together rekindles the love that never died and Chase dares to dream of a future he'd thought lost. But Lori can't help but wonder whether this high-flying man really wants a small-town girl with roots sunk deep into the Colorado Rockies. Can she and Chase turn back the hands of time and pick up where they left off -- and give forever a chance?
MY REVIEW:
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reunion Pass- An Eternity Springs novel- by Emily March is a 2016 St. Martin’s Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emily March is one of those authors that stays consistent, always turning out love stories that touches your heart, and leaves you with a goofy grin on your face. This one, however, has a slightly different approach, and I have to say, I loved it!
This eleventh book in the super popular Eternity Springs series centers around Lori and Chase, that couple in high school everyone was so sure were destined for wedding bells someday.
But, reality sets in while Lori is in school studying to be a veterinarian and Chase is off pursing his career as a photographer. Chase can’t shake his wanderlust, loves his job, and compromising with Lori doesn’t seem possible. So, their grand love affair just came to a stop, without a big break up scene, fading away as each of them remains focused on achieving their individual goals.
As time passes Lori becomes a Vet, and Chase becomes a world famous photographer on a television show, which takes him to faraway, and often very dangerous places, and to top it off he is now engaged to be married.
The story quickly takes a sharp and sudden turn at this point, and life for Lori and Chase will be forever changed.
While Ms. March is adept at creating emotional situations that are often serious and dramatic, her funny bone doesn’t always come out to play, at least not like it did with this book. I thought the humor, which was strategically placed at just the right moment, worked perfectly and was a nice touch.
However, a lump lodged in my throat more than once as Chase loses his mojo and Lori is the only one who can help him get it back so he can spread his wings and fly again.
I thought this approach to the second chance at love trope was unique and original. Lori and Chase were meant to be together, but couldn’t seem to overcome their personality differences. If one compromised for the other, they would end up being miserable and so it was a real conundrum, begging the question, is love enough? For a long while it would seem love might not pull through on this one, even though it was definitely there.
I thought Lori was the one who showed real courage, by stepping in and helping Chase heal. She knew it how it would end, and she did it anyway.
Chase is a character I slowly warmed up to, because I can identify with Lori more, and I have a hard time understanding folks with that thrill seeking, never stay in one place for long, type of personality. Of course, my heart broke for him, and I knew he needed to heal and get back to his old self again, no matter what, and to that end, I found myself cheering for him.
I had my doubts with this couple, and I do mean serious doubts, because while many times I have begun to think a couple will never resolve their problems, this story really had me worried. But of course, love sometimes has to call in reinforcements, and so hope, trust and faith swooped in to help save the day.
This is a very special story, with a just a slightly different atmosphere to it, I thought, compared to other books in this series. I thought it worked out perfectly, with such a fitting HEA, which left me with that goofy grin on my face... again.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-Pass-Eternity-Springs-novel-ebook/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reunion-pass-emily-march/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.