Then, Now, Always

by Mona Shroff

[Sam@WLABB]

Then...

They were young and in love, but she suddenly broke it off, and he was left wondering why.

Now...

Her daughter was in trouble, and Maya was left with no one to turn to, but the man she had left behind, so many years ago.

Always...

Maya and Sam's lives will forever be linked via their daughter, Samantha, but could their relationship move beyond co-parenting to something more like what they had once shared?

It no big secret that I love contemporary romances, but this one managed to evoke a much stronger emotional response from me, than I had anticipated. Shroff combined so many of my favorite romance elements in a way, that produced a bona fide hit for me.

Forbidden love, secret baby, meddling, secrets, lies, and second chance romance is nothing new, but I was still utterly invested in and captivated by Sam and Maya's story.

I instantly fell in love with the idea of these two being reunited after 16 years apart. Both had been leading separate lives, but when push came to shove, Maya went to Sam for help, and it was because, in her heart, she knew he was a very honorable man, and that he would do anything he could for their daughter. Their first meeting was strained, but I could sense the crackle of those sparks underneath it all. That was enough for me to want these two to rekindle their romance.

But, I also really enjoyed seeing how they got where they were. Via flashbacks, Shroff showed how they met and fell in love, as well as how it all fell apart. These looks into the past were woven into the current timeline, and were placed in a way, that the whole truth was slowly revealed. Was it shocking? No, but it was emotional, and I had such an attachment to the characters, that seeing their journey to the end was all that mattered to me.

This was simply a beautiful second chance romance. There were secrets and lies, but there was also forgiveness and love. It touched my heart, and that epilogue was the kind of perfect, that had me doing the crying-smiling-laughing thing. I was so delighted by it, and hope to ride this giddy high for the rest of the weekend.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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