Review: It’s Not Over by Grahame Claire

IT’S NOT OVER
Series: Paths to Love #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Grahame Claire
Release Date: August 3, 2018

Daniel

I have two lives.

One with the woman who owns me. The other tied to a past I can’t escape.

For eight years, I kept them separate, knowing one day their collision was inevitable.

That day has come.

She’ll have to accept it.

It’s over.

Vivian

He has two lives.

A beautiful one with me. Another shrouded in ugly secrets.

It didn’t matter, until now.

I don’t know why he’s destroyed us,

But fighting for him will be the battle of my life.
It’s not over.

AMAZON

Even if we never see each other again, it will never be over. Never.”

If you love powerful second chance romances and strong heroines, this book is not to be missed.

You want me to bare my soul? Tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets?” His voice was laced with sarcasm.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “I won’t be with somebody who won’t let me know them. I want a partner. I don’t need a body to keep me warm at night. That’s what blankets are for.”

From the very first page that I read, I knew this would be a book I’d devour in practically one sitting. This author went straight to my auto-buy list. I’m addicted to her words!

I’m a sucker for a well-written second chance romance, and this one had all the ingredients for a phenomenal read! It was emotional, gripping, with a splash of suspense and a whole lot of sizzle. Told in alternating past and present, it painted a powerful story of a once in a lifetime love that stood the test of unimaginable odds.

Daniel and Vivian had a love that seemed to be unbreakable, until Daniel’s past clashes with his present and he cuts Vivian out of his life. Unable to imagine her life without him, Vivian isn’t one to sit back and watch it happen. She’s prepared to fight for him, if only he’d fight for her right back…

The book alternates from past to present to tell the story of how they met and the path that inevitably brought them to where they are now. I absolutely loved Vivian’s character. Here’s a woman that’s not afraid to state what she wants and owns it. She makes Daniel fight for her heart when they first meet. She isn’t satisfied to take the initial crumbs he offers and will take nothing short of everything. You really can’t help but be in awe of such a strong heroine. She’s just the right amount of strength and vulnerability. She’s hard-edged without being brash and I loved that about her.

I want a partner. I want trust and respect and honesty. Someone who will face life with me head on. Sometimes he’ll carry me, and sometimes I’ll carry him. We’ll laugh together, fight together, give each other everything. I don’t need a fucking white knight on a horse. I can save my own ass, and I can buy my own flowers. The only thing I want is you. If you can’t give me that, there’s no need to go any further.”

Daniel is a hero that captures your heart right away with his incredibly powerful and magnetic presence. There’s just the right amount of darkness that lurks under his handsome looks that lures you into his orbit. This is a man that has lived a hard life and will sacrifice everything to protect those that he loves.

I also absolutely adored the secondary characters of Miriam and Stone and cannot wait to dive into their story. As for this one? I enjoyed it cover to cover. It was perfectly paced, with a dash of grit, and a heavy dose of suspense. This was my first book by Grahame Claire and I know it definitely will not be my last.