Unforgiven by

Unforgiven (A Walkers Ford Novel)

For as long as he could remember, he wanted her…

Raised by a single mother, Adam Collins resolved to take no chances with a girl’s future—or his own. That’s why, as hard as it was, he resisted everything he felt for Marissa Brooks. Then one night a reckless challenge left a fellow student dead and changed both their lives forever. As penance, Adam took the boy’s place in the Marines, where he could disappear into discipline and duty, and left Marissa behind to struggle with her dreams.

Twelve years later, Adam is back in Walkers Ford to serve as the best man in his friend’s wedding. The years haven’t diminished the electric connection he has with Marissa. But Adam’s mistake continues to haunt him, and Marissa is stumbling under the weight of her family’s legacy. Together they wrestle with demons and dreams, but if there’s any hope for a future together Adam has to not only find a way to forgive himself, but also ask others for forgiveness—especially from the woman whose heart he broke.

Reviewed by leelu92 on

5 of 5 stars

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"They'd been caged like animals then, trapped like animals behind bars they couldn't see, only feel"

Turning the pages of this book was like peeling layers off an onion or maybe a rose.... I'm not a huge fan of onions and besides this book, in not one single way, smells like an onion.

In a nutshell, Adam comes home from deployment to be the best man in his best friend and former fiance's wedding. He comes home to his childhood love Marissa who has lived the past 12 yrs trying to rebuild her family's homestead. He comes home to repair his mistakes...big tragic mistakes. And to face the enormity of what remains between he and Marissa.

I knew this book would be intense and somewhat...sad? Dark? Melancholy? But there were these wonderful moments of clarity that Ms. Calhoun wove throughout the book. And we (and Adam and Marissa) got more and more of those well earned moments too! I felt like there were lightbulbs going off over my head throughout this whole book. Ms. Calhoun builds this story up and then she gracefully pulls the intense, heavy and dark layers off of the whole shebang.

This is a story of love and forgiveness. Forgiveness of others and forgiveness of yourself. It was about Marissa and her love and devotion to her family and its deep history. Her devotion to a home and to a family that was no longer living. I loved Adam and Marissa and frankly there was no doubt, from the moment that Adam walked into the Brooks home, that these two were totally destined to be together. They both had work to do within and outside of themselves in order for them to move on with each other.

As always- Ms. Calhoun knows how to write one hell of a sexytimes scene and God love her for it. I know I do!
And we get Alana's story next! Hot Chief of Police Lucas! Maybe we can get a story for Nate??

There were moments when Ms. Calhoun took my breath away...and made me cry.

"A train of thought chugged through his mind as he drove back into town. Her father taught her to dream. He taught her to need, then left. Consequently, he'd taught her to endure. Neither one, of them taught her anything about fulfillment, or dependability. If she knew anything about that, it was thanks to Chris. Now Adam was back, and according to Keith, taking his place at the end of a line of men teaching Marissa something she needed to know.
He didn't want to teach her anything. He wanted to give her everything"

*Stands and claps*

And that my friends... is how it is done.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 June, 2013: Finished reading
  • 6 June, 2013: Reviewed