Must Love Coffee (425 Madison Novel, #1)

by Leigh Lennon

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Must Love Coffee, which is the first book in the 425 Madison series, is a sweet second chance romance. It tells the story of two divorcees, Gwen and Leo who met under unfriendly circumstances and who discovered that love the second time around has the power to heal past wounds.

Gwen is finally free after suffering emotional abuse at the hands of her ex-husband. Now she is living her best life, free to be her true self and raising her daughter in a loving environment and working as a teacher at a prestigious private school. However, her life was about to be disrupted when she came in contact with an angry father who accused her of not being a good teacher and wanting her fired. Her response to his accusation and request saw this father making some drastic but much needed changes in his ways when it came to his children.

Leo has never met anyone like Gwen before, and she intrigued him. Everything about her called to him and he was determined to get to know her, but before he can do that, he needed to swallow his pride and apologize for his behaviour towards her. What follows is a story of love, healing, and forgiveness.

I had a great time getting to know the characters. My least favourite being Gwen’s ex-husband. Manipulative to the core and only cares about himself.

Gwen and Leo were good for each other. They brought out best in each other. The thing I admired most about them is how they put their children first and they easily embraced each other’s kids. I loved how Leo treated Gwen by allowing her to enjoy the things she loved no matter how weird without making her feel ashamed.

The secondary characters. brought their own brand of flavour to the story which helped in making interesting. I loved the judge who handled Gwen’s custody case. He saw right through her ex-husband and he was fair in how he handled their custody battle.

The story started out on a great note and held that momentum throughout.

My one dissatisfaction was the romance. I had a hard time accepting the ease with which Gwen and Leo fell in love with each other. In the space of two weeks they were head over heels although they have yet to completely heal from their broken marriages. There were no obstacles apart from Gwen’s ex-husband trying to make things difficult, which never worked in his favour. Despite my dissatisfaction with the romance, I still found it to be a fun read.

Conclusion/Recommendation
If you enjoy second chance romance and don’t mind insta love, then you enjoy Must Have Coffee by Leigh Lennon.