Love Survives by Jennifer Foor
Publisher: JMF Publishing Inc (3/7/2015)
Series: Love Suicide, book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: InkSlinger PR
Purchase links || amazon || add to goodreads
Rating: ★★★★
Imagine being in love with the same girl since you were ten years old, only to have her fall for your twin instead. This story is rocky.
It will rip you apart and possibly put you back together again.
I know this because it's my story.
The pain and anguish experienced in this is what it was like to hold onto hope that some day we'd find each other again. I won't sugar coat the details of what I went through to have her, nor will I apologize for any actions that led me right back into her life.
Sometimes love isn't enough.
Sometimes it takes a little fate.
{ and before Brooks's side, we had Kat's }
My heart belonged to Branch and Brooks Valentine since we were children, when we were all too naïve to know what that even meant. We didn’t understand that when we became adults, love would change us. I had to make a choice and when I did, it ripped our bond apart. Brooks left town, and he took half of my heart with him. It was difficult, but I coped and planned my future with Branch. I thought I’d made the right decision. I loved him and I always had.Brooks showed up to be our best man the night before our nuptials. After drinks and too much reminiscing, I ended up in bed with the wrong brother. To avoid the humiliation and the fact that I’d ruined all of our lives, I left Branch and the only family I’d ever known.
That’s where my story should have ended.
Two years, one beautiful little girl and an abusive marriage later, I was standing there staring at the man that would always hold my heart.
The only question was…
Would I give it to him
I’m Katy Michaels and this is my story.
about Jennifer || Jennifer Foor is an award winning Contemporary Romance Author. She's best known for the Mitchell Family Series, which includes ten books.
She is married with two children and spends most of her time behind a keyboard, writing stories that come from her heart.
website | facebook | twitter | amazon author page | tsu | newsletter
{ excerpt } .
Dear Mom and Dad,
I wanted you to know that I’ve arrived overseas, and have settled in the best I’m able to. I owe you both an apology. Never in a million years did I see things playing out the way they have. I didn’t show up at the wedding to ruin everyone’s lives. The truth is that I couldn’t help myself. I had to pursue her, because I’ve loved that girl since we were children. She’s everything to me.
I know I made a mess of things. I screwed up and embarrassed you. I ruined my relationship with Branch, but I think you deserve to know why. All this time, all the years since they started dating, he’d been feeding Kat and I lies, keeping us apart. From the age of twelve he told me Kat wasn’t interested. I trusted him.
Apparently he was doing the same to Kat, telling her that I didn’t like her that way. All this time we could have been together, but instead he weaseled his way into her heart, making her feel bad for ever having feelings for me.
I’m not saying that what I did wasn’t wrong. I know right from wrong. Two people went into my hotel room that night, and what happened was mutual. We knew the risks, but took them anyway. I honestly couldn’t stop myself. Once the truth was revealed nothing could have kept me from her.
I snapped.
You may never be able to understand what it’s been like for me, watching her with him, year after year, as if I was a punching bag. I’ve got thick skin, but even the toughest person would have broken down at some point. I’ve been trained to replace pain with power, but this doesn’t apply. I’m on a path of destruction, because I simply don’t care anymore. Branch ruined my life. He was the reason I had to get away. Joining the military was my way out. I knew it would keep me from coming home, and bearing the burden of watching them happy. I punished myself for loving her, and attempted to move on with no result. No matter how hard I try I can’t stop loving her, and that’s why I know I can’t come home. There’s nothing left there for me except pain. I’ll never regret being able to live under the same roof as my two best friends, but I will hate myself for not going after what I wanted sooner. I could have prevented all of this. We could be sharing our lives together, having children, and waking up to knowing nothing will tear us apart. Instead I’m on the other side of the world, throwing myself into defending my country, because it’s the only thing keeping me going.
I can’t promise that I’ll write back all the time. It’s hard for me to sit down and put my feelings on paper. I’ve already been warned that what I’m about to see over here will haunt me forever. I’m used to living in hell, so I’ve got every reason to believe that I’ll get through it. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry that I was such a disappointment. I was acting out, because I couldn’t have what I wanted. Jealousy took control, forcing my hand to make irrational decisions. At the end of the day I deserve to be here, in the middle of this battle zone. If something happens to me and I don’t return please don’t dwell on my death. Just know I’m no longer in any pain. Nothing will ever hurt me again.
Thank you for bringing me up right, and teaching me what was love was. As much as it hurts, I don’t regret experiencing it. How I feel about Kat is something special. Not everyone finds their true love so early in life. Perhaps that’s why I couldn’t keep her. Maybe I had enough time with her when we were younger. No matter the case, I’m appreciative.
Take care of her and Branch. Help them to make amends. We’ll always be family.
Until next time with love,
Brooks
{ review } .
I'm not quite sure what to say about this book...
It had it's pluses and minuses for me. There were many 3 and 3.5 star worthy moments, but equally, the story drew me in. Those parts made me realize a 3.5 certainly wasn't fair, but neither did I feel the story deserved more than 4 stars.
Now here's my reasoning why.
While it's not the tense that bothered me (it is, after all, told in third person), it's the tone -- while reading, I couldn't help but feeling that it was told in a reflective sort of way. The book was more internal dialogue than actual conversation. It was almost as if the book is Brooks sitting down, months after the end of 'the end', reflecting on how he and Kat came to be... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just not a me thing.
As a dialogue reader, I felt that the book was lacking. I found myself bored with his thoughts. That's not to say I didn't like him, because I did, I just ... wanted more from the book. The parts that were dialogue driven, though, certainly helped push the story along in my opinion. Those moments I savored.
...granted, at times the dialogue didn't seem to be 'age appropriate' but beggars can't be choosers.
I liked Brooks and Kat -- as friends and as lovers, as children and adults. My problem is they were both pushovers. Brooks allowed his twin brother to demean his feelings for Kat and he let Branch go after her -- even though ever.y.one knew Brooks and Kat were meant to be. As kids, Brooks was her protector. As preteens when her world falls apart, Brooks was her savior. As teens on the anniversary of her parents' deaths, Brooks... under the disguise of Branch... was her shoulder and release.
Brooks has been there for Kat from the get go and still she believed every thing Branch tells her, and ends up with Branch.
...but that's all for Kat's story.
On Brooks's end, you see the heart break he goes through and the struggles he faces, knowing that he's the "lesser twin". But buddy, the problem with all that is this: you know you want Kat, your family knows you want Kat, your twin knows you want Kat... Well, go get Kat. If you don't, someone's going to swoop in on that. And someone does. Two someones, as a matter of fact.
When Branch and Kat start to get serious, Brooks acts out and does his best to make Kat jealous -- as any teen would do. When that doesn't work and he realizes he won't be enough, he enlists in the Army. After much pleading on his parents' part, he comes home for Branch and Kat's wedding, only to 'crash' it the night before, setting off a new whirlwind of events.
I enjoyed reading this story in Brooks's voice. Like I said earlier, there were parts I wish I had more of, and others I wish I had less of, but in the end, I kept reading because I wanted to know more.
I wanted to see where the story was going to take us.
It was interesting to see the emotions on Kat's face through Brooks's eyes. I liked the pauses and the hang-ups which lead to immediate call backs -- made me want to know what was happening on Kat's end of the deal...
So while I had issues, I have every single intention of picking up LOVE SUICIDE and reading their story through her eyes. She runs hot and cold in my book... pulling Brooks along and then pushing him away... but I still want to see the story through her eyes and maybe get a better understanding for her and how she was so completely blind to Brooks until... well, until she wasn't.
A good read. Not my hands-down-favorite, but a good read. Brooks is a good guy -- a good man, a good son, a good father... I just love the man.
...even if I felt he was over-emotional at points ;) Still liked him.
Note: This book can be read as a stand-alone. Not reading Kat's story didn't take anything away from Brooks's end, in my opinion.
It had it's pluses and minuses for me. There were many 3 and 3.5 star worthy moments, but equally, the story drew me in. Those parts made me realize a 3.5 certainly wasn't fair, but neither did I feel the story deserved more than 4 stars.
Now here's my reasoning why.
While it's not the tense that bothered me (it is, after all, told in third person), it's the tone -- while reading, I couldn't help but feeling that it was told in a reflective sort of way. The book was more internal dialogue than actual conversation. It was almost as if the book is Brooks sitting down, months after the end of 'the end', reflecting on how he and Kat came to be... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just not a me thing.
As a dialogue reader, I felt that the book was lacking. I found myself bored with his thoughts. That's not to say I didn't like him, because I did, I just ... wanted more from the book. The parts that were dialogue driven, though, certainly helped push the story along in my opinion. Those moments I savored.
...granted, at times the dialogue didn't seem to be 'age appropriate' but beggars can't be choosers.
I liked Brooks and Kat -- as friends and as lovers, as children and adults. My problem is they were both pushovers. Brooks allowed his twin brother to demean his feelings for Kat and he let Branch go after her -- even though ever.y.one knew Brooks and Kat were meant to be. As kids, Brooks was her protector. As preteens when her world falls apart, Brooks was her savior. As teens on the anniversary of her parents' deaths, Brooks... under the disguise of Branch... was her shoulder and release.
Brooks has been there for Kat from the get go and still she believed every thing Branch tells her, and ends up with Branch.
...but that's all for Kat's story.
On Brooks's end, you see the heart break he goes through and the struggles he faces, knowing that he's the "lesser twin". But buddy, the problem with all that is this: you know you want Kat, your family knows you want Kat, your twin knows you want Kat... Well, go get Kat. If you don't, someone's going to swoop in on that. And someone does. Two someones, as a matter of fact.
When Branch and Kat start to get serious, Brooks acts out and does his best to make Kat jealous -- as any teen would do. When that doesn't work and he realizes he won't be enough, he enlists in the Army. After much pleading on his parents' part, he comes home for Branch and Kat's wedding, only to 'crash' it the night before, setting off a new whirlwind of events.
I enjoyed reading this story in Brooks's voice. Like I said earlier, there were parts I wish I had more of, and others I wish I had less of, but in the end, I kept reading because I wanted to know more.
I wanted to see where the story was going to take us.
It was interesting to see the emotions on Kat's face through Brooks's eyes. I liked the pauses and the hang-ups which lead to immediate call backs -- made me want to know what was happening on Kat's end of the deal...
So while I had issues, I have every single intention of picking up LOVE SUICIDE and reading their story through her eyes. She runs hot and cold in my book... pulling Brooks along and then pushing him away... but I still want to see the story through her eyes and maybe get a better understanding for her and how she was so completely blind to Brooks until... well, until she wasn't.
A good read. Not my hands-down-favorite, but a good read. Brooks is a good guy -- a good man, a good son, a good father... I just love the man.
...even if I felt he was over-emotional at points ;) Still liked him.
Note: This book can be read as a stand-alone. Not reading Kat's story didn't take anything away from Brooks's end, in my opinion.
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