I took the time to read some of the reviews AFTER I read both books (Leo and Leo's Chance). I never read reviews before I read a book because, truth be told, I normally hate books people love, and love books people hate. Never fails. As a girl going to school for forensic psychology, and also a character reader, I take great care to ensure that I listen to the characters both in what they say and in how they behave. After all, that is truly where the story develops....starts with their backst...

I took the time to read some of the reviews AFTER I read both books (Leo and Leo's Chance). I never read reviews before I read a book because, truth be told, I normally hate books people love, and love books people hate. Never fails. As a girl going to school for forensic psychology, and also a character reader, I take great care to ensure that I listen to the characters both in what they say and in how they behave. After all, that is truly where the story develops....starts with their backstory and continues with them.

There was something special about these characters. I read one negative review that said that she was unhappy about the "instant love" and the "virginal female" when the guy was a "manwhore." I could do nothing but shake my head and feel sorry for her because it was obvious that this reader not only did not pay attention, but missed the proverbial boat, since when the ship was coming in she was clearly at the airport. It's truly a shame when people write things like that for the world to see thinking it makes the book look bad, when anyone who has read the book can see that this reviewer is not only foolish, but babbled on and on and embarrassed herself by talking about a book that almost seemed unrecognizable by the time she was done. Oh well, I hear "Green Eggs and Ham" is making a comeback, or perhaps she can try to find Waldo.

Now, back to the book.

Now, I do not do spoilers, so you need not worry about that, but what I will do is walk you through a bit of what I experienced in this book. This actually goes for both of these books, as they are mirror books...different POVs and different individual occurrences that play a part in how each character progresses, behaves, copes and reacts.
I wonder how hard it would be for anyone who never lived in foster care to truly delve into how that might feel for young kids. Taken away from parents they actually loved, but could never understand what was wrong with them that they couldn't be loved back. To endure that at such a young age truly starts to mold the path a child will take. It sure did for these characters, and not just the main characters, but some of the supporting characters.

No real family.

No sense of belonging or being wanted.

No love shown to them.

No adult to truly depend on.

No belongings to truly call your own.

No one who cares.

No one to look out for your benefit and interest.

Bonding with those other children who are just like you because you understand each other and you are pretty much all you have.

Wanting so badly to feel any semblance of love and belonging that you will do just about anything to experience it.

It's easy to lash out when no one pays attention to you. It's how we get people to pay attention.

It's easy to start down a path of drinking, drugs and sex when the first two dull the pain and the last one lets you feel some semblance of closeness, while attempting to try and help you forget.

Instant love? No...not even close. It was continued love. A connection between two people dealt a hand in life that most would have folded, but instead they chose to double down and keep playing in the hopes that one day they'd win.

Virginal Female? No...more like hopeful female...Promises made between young kids, especially ones who only truly have each other, run very deep...deeper than a pinky swear or blood oath of regular kids because kids that are lost to the world and only seem to find their way with those they hold dear, well, their promises are deeper than blood...they are etchings in the soul because they are made with the only people you've ever let into your heart. A heart you continue to try and protect.

So what do you do when what was your norm is changed suddenly? A change that seems almost good. You try and be happy even though things will change. You make promises to the people you hold dear. And you go out of your way to try and hope life doesn't prevent you from breaking those promises. But that is not always the game plan, as life happens while you have other plans. You feel like a continued failure; like everything you touch that matters in your life is destroyed. Manwhore? Hardly...Shattered soul...definitely.

Now you are all grown up and are in the world alone; trying to survive in a place that has never treated you kindly. You hold on to your good memories, because that is all you really have to keep you warm at night and you secretly wish you could have the one thing you always wanted to make new good memories, even though you know that your life so far has failed to provide such luxuries.

It's hard to remain happy and smile when life keeps kicking you and you cannot escape, and it's hard to not hold onto to fears and bitterness when everything you ever wanted was taken from you and the hopes you held close to your heart as a child was violently ripped from you at the hands of life and the people who are supposed to care.

So now your life has shifted and you decide to get on and try and get that brass ring...and you do so because someone actually showed you kindness, compassion and the strength within you to face your fears, embrace the opportunity and go after the dream to make it a reality. Safe to say that anyone in the situation these kids were in would surely be consumed with fear at what may come after so much time has passed. Time that should have been spent with each other, but it was spent with one mourning the loss of the other, and the other one feeling guilty and ashamed for the way things turned out once they were taken away.

These books truly consumed me to the point of feeling like I was intruding on special moments because it was so real and tender, but drove me to the point of complete emotional involvement. While I am normally a much more detached reader so I can watch the book and characters unfold as a whole, the fact I was sucked in as if I knew these characters personally is a true testament to the author.

There was a total brilliance to the approach of these two books combined, as they not only mirrored each other, providing both the POV of both the male and female characters, but they also walked hand in hand with each other sharing both sides of the same coin. Both books took you to very different places, each one specifically personal to the character telling their story, exploring all the nooks and crannies of their life that not only affected each character individually, but played a part in their behavior, their decisions and their need. Each book showed what they endured, what they tried to overcome and what they continue to struggle with on a regular basis.

These books are thorough, consistent, perfectly time development and pace, impeccably thought out and incredible character symmetry in conjunction with the backstory, their past, the present, their attempt at a future and all the adversity.

To say I am impressed with this work would be an understatement, I am very critical of books because if an author wants me to buy into what they are selling, they have to truly make it work for me in the land of REALISM, not make believe. I know it's fictional, but it normally represents what real life may be for someone, and that has to be what carries the day.

Well, the day was carried here...I worked in the legal system for fifteen years and the stories of what happens to kids in foster care is horrific, and how they turn out is not often a success story. The behavior of each character in this book was both realistic and believable; their emotions and fears on point and the fact that the only person who looked out for the other and loved the other was what they held close to them as time passed was just the way it was supposed to be because that is truly what kids like that latch onto...those sweet moments and people that gave them glimmers of hope.

Both books get this same review because they are both equally successful for me. A fabulous story of hurt, love, loss, hope, dreams, pain, quick decisions, regret and a connection so deep that even time, distance and mistakes cannot sever it.

Plot in 3 sentences: Evie and Leo were childhood friends and almost sweethearts while they were in foster care together then Leo had to move away and Evie did not see him for 8 long years. In her life pops a gorgeous perfect guy, Jake, who proceeds to sweep Evie off her feet, but he's hiding something and she just doesn't know what it is. There is a HEA (no cliffhanger) and a very sweet epilogue.

I purchased this book a few seconds after I finished "Archer's Voice" which was a 5++++ star b...

Plot in 3 sentences: Evie and Leo were childhood friends and almost sweethearts while they were in foster care together then Leo had to move away and Evie did not see him for 8 long years. In her life pops a gorgeous perfect guy, Jake, who proceeds to sweep Evie off her feet, but he's hiding something and she just doesn't know what it is. There is a HEA (no cliffhanger) and a very sweet epilogue.

I purchased this book a few seconds after I finished "Archer's Voice" which was a 5++++ star book for me.
This book was not quite as good at Archer's Voice, but it was very enjoyable.

What did I like?
- Evie is an incredibly strong woman. Living in foster care and taking care of kids older than herself? A rock. She is indefatigable. She now works 2 jobs and has scraped enough together to rent her own apartment. She is beautiful, independent, kind to a fault, loyal and sweet.
- Jake is a stud. Gorgeous, rich, sweet and loyal. He has suffered in his past, but has risen about it and is determined to make Evie's life better.
- The flash backs to Evie and Leo as kids is sweet, sad and gives great perspective on how deep Evie's love for Leo went. How she suffered and yet how much she's made of herself. You cannot help but admire this woman.
- The love scenes are steamy and sweet.
- HEA - loved the epilogue. Love epilogues that throw you several years in the future - big happy ending with a bow. :-)
- No Cliffhanger
- No major villains, misunderstandings, over the top angst nor silly ranting/whining from main characters.
- Interesting side characters. The cliched gay BFF, the sassy married BFF, and the sweet old neighbor all add a bit to the book. Not overly much since this book was a bit on the short side.

What was not so great?
- Insta love. The Jake and Evie first meet - it's insta chemistry. They are hot for each other immediately. So the rest of the book isn't really focused on their friendship growing, it's about sex, love and finding out what Jake is hiding. I like it more when the H&h become friends first and then the love/sex happens later. These guys hop in the sack pretty quickly.
- Evie comes off fairly naive sometimes. A bit of a door mat sometimes. Jake is hiding something. He is able to spin a tale for every time something is 'off'. yes - he is telling the truth, but too many of these weird situations should be making Evie's radar fly off the handle. (guess the sex was just too good!)
- The big 'reveal'. I didn't really like how it happened. Was a bit anti-climactic and seemed to resolve itself way too quickly. Almost like the author was racing to finish the book.

This book was in Evie's POV and I guess there is book out on Leo's POV. Not super interested.
If you haven't read Archer's Voice - get it now!

This book was a quick and easy read. Not too angst-y and it kept me interested.
Not overly complicated and it has a nice sweet ending.
Worth the read if you are looking for something quick, enjoyable, steamy and sweet.