Ready for You (Ready)

by J L Berg

[Cocktails and Books]

I have been waiting for Garrett's story. We met him in in sister, Clare's, book and you knew there was a story behind the quiet, sullen man. There was a reason, in the form of high school sweetheart Mia, but as everything unfolds, we discover two people who were meant to be together and were caught up in things beyond their control.

I couldn't help but love Garrett. When his character was first introduced, I had this need to hug him. Despite not wanting to open up to people and generally pushing them away, you saw his underlying sadness and knew something had happened to fundamentally change this guy. But the moment he lays eyes on Mia again, you completely understand what happened to him. Despite what he thinks, he isn't the only one that was ripped apart by what happened. When Mia was forced to leave him on their graduation night, she left behind the only man she'd ever loved. But when she lost her tie to him, she lost a huge chunk of herself.

Following the two of them as they navigate through getting reacquainted with each other and helping each other through loss is hard. Their emotions tends to leap off the page, whether it's hurt, anger, lust or their undying love for each other. You could sympathize with both of the characters and just wanted them to figure out how to work around what happened to them at eighteen and be happy together.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series. The author finds a way to pull readers into the story and place you smack dab in the middle of whatever emotional turmoil they find themselves in. The characters are real and keep you in their grasp until the very last page.