What measures would you take to save your business? Would you sleep with your ex to save your family legacy? Well, Justine Lavoie faced this dilemma. Justine is the publisher for the Times a well-established newspaper in the city of St. Augustine. Unfortunately, it is plagued with financial difficulties forcing her to seek a bailout from an equity firm. It so happens that the firm, which chose to invest in the newspaper, her ex Raphael Menendez de Aviles recently purchased it. Now Justine faces her biggest challenge coming to terms with her past while trying to save her family legacy.
The story told from Justine’s POV provided insight into her current and past feelings for Raphael. It is clear she never stopped loving him as such accepting his proposal of spending a month with him in exchange for him helping her business was not a hard feat. However, will she be able to walk away at the end of the thirty days as she did fifteen years ago?
I became absorbed in Justine’s life. Although not in agreement with some of her actions, her motives were clear. think that having the story told from her perspective helped, as I was privy to her thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I sympathized with her then next I wanted to shake her. Why would she allow him to treat her that way? I know she wanted to save her paper, and she never stopped loving Raphael but no woman worth her salt should allow any man to treat her like a whore no matter the circumstances.
I found Raphael cold and distant, and as a result, I had a hard time connecting to him. It would have been great to get things from his perspective. It appears revenge motivated his actions, but was it because Justine walked away ending their relationship or did it go deeper? One thing that came out in all of this was Raphael’s fear of having his heart broken once again. Despite this, I still did not understand who he was as an individual.
These two frustrated me at times. They kept blaming each other for their breakup, but never tried to discuss the issues that led to the demise of their relationship. I kept wondering what could have caused the break up seeing they love for each other was so deep. My frustration with them increased when the reasons for their relationship ending came to light. If only they had communicated with each other, then they could have avoided their current situation.
I like the fact the story went back to their days in college providing insight in to how their love for each other developed. These were the scenes that convinced me of their love for each other. A love that intense would definitely stand the test of time. Due to the slow pacing I had a hard time getting into the story at first (the narration did not help) eventually things picked up and I hoped these two will get it right the second time around.
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Yep, if the narration fails it makes listening very hard. Good you had the book too.
Thanks Nadene I’ve had narrators really let me down too. It sucks!
This sounds like a strange situation. I don’t like the idea of someone trading themselves to save a business. Sorry that this one could have been better for you.
I’m not into audiobooks and, based on your review, this probably wouldn’t work well for me either . . . However, I hope you’ll get the chance to try more of her books in a different format 🙂
It doesn’t sounds great and I don’t like the way Raphael sounds. Why does the cover of him look like his eyebrow is really long? lol Is it just me or does his eyebrow go way over his nose?
It has its good points. I never noticed the eyebrows before, but you are right they do look long. lol
I agree, I think his perspective would be important.
Yes it would. I get to understand his POV will be published in January.
I’m not an audiobook girl but I would be curious to try it in paper.
I dislike when a book is built up on a secret or premise that isn’t revealed at first and then when you find out the reason and it’s not that big a deal or could have been easily resolved.
Sorry it didn’t work for you.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
I kind of want to smack them both over the head at once
Lol. They definitely deserve it.
Too bad the narration didn’t work for you. I was hoping to listen to this one and break my cherry on Lush. Guess I have to read this one because I normally listen at 2.0
Yes, it lacked emotion.