Made the Grade: Again, Alabama by Susan Sands

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.com: Kindle Edition - File Size: 978 KB | Expected Release Date: June 12, 2015 | Publisher: Tule Publishing : Southern Born Books | Obtained: NetGalley

"Again, Alabama" by Susan Sands

Author's Book Description : Cammie Laroux is back in Alabama—again.

Dragged back to her small town to help her mother recover from surgery while rescuing the family event planning business should be a cinch. Even for a disgraced television chef, right? Wrong.

Among the many secrets Cammie’s family’s been hiding is the fact that their historic home is falling down. Oh, and the man hired to restore the house, Grey Harrison, is the same high school and college love of her life who thrashed her heart and dreams ten years ago. Yeah, that guy.

Grey, a widower with a young daughter, has never stopped loving Cammie, and when they are face to face once again, the chemistry is off the charts. Cammie may be in full-blown denial, but letting go is no longer in Grey’s vocabulary, even when winning Cammie’s forgiveness and renovating their love may seem like an impossible build even for a master architect and carpenter.

As Cammie finds herself forgetting all the reasons she can’t trust Grey or love again, he finds himself remembering all the reasons he wants her to stay with him in Alabama… forever.

My Book Review : 3 out of 5 stars. This is a riveting tale about a woman who comes home to pick up the pieces of her life while setting to rights her family’s business and dealing with a ten-year-old betrayal by having her ex back in her life.

Ten years ago Cammie and her longtime boyfriend Grey (both being in college at the time) got into an argument, misunderstanding ensue, and Grey made the drunken mistake by having sex with Cammie’s then best friend Deb. Because of how Deb manipulates Grey after their drunken encounter, both Cammie and Grey never got to get over Grey’s terrible mistake and their lives have irreconcilably change from then on. Now ten years have passed, Deb (Cammie’s ex best friend and Grey’s wife) recently died in an accident, and both Grey & Cammie are back in their hometown for personal reasons. With them working and living closely together again, old hurts are back out to play while they find that their interest in one another hasn’t gone away. However, will they be able to reconcile after everything that has happened? In addition, if they can get over the past will they be able to try for a new future together no matter the cost?

Yet, as riveted as I was with the plot I found the pacing slow and hard to stick with at times. I liked both Cammie and Grey. Moreover, while I did root for them to be together it was hard to do so with all the angst that is a constant play in this novel, which at times had me resenting Grey for what he did when he was younger. Then to top it off this novel has secrets galore, which seemed to keep coming out of the woodwork and mostly from Cammie's mother Maureen. A majority of the surprises were dramatic twists that were hard to handle, especially on top of Grey and Cammie’s “relationship.”

While I liked the ending, Grey’s commitment to Cammie by making a relationship and family with her work, and how Grey hopes to improve his daughter’s life by working with a counselor as much as possible, I thought it was very rushed and wrapped up to quaintly after everything the characters go through. In addition, I kind of wanted to read a scene or two between Cammie and Samantha (Sammie) that would show that their relationship was improving.

Overall, this novel was a good read. I would recommend it to those looking for a contemporary romance high on drama.

Purchase This Book Here : Kobo (e-Book) : Again, Alabama


Author's Novel Extras : The Big News!

Posted by Susan Sands on Sunday, June 28, 2015

***AGAIN, ALABAMA RELEASE BLITZ W/EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY*** By Susan Sands! Visit our blog for Synopsis, Excerpt, Social and Buy Links along with a Giveaway! TBP~~~~> http://bit.ly/1KqVtQ9
Posted by Two Book Pushers on Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Book Teaser(s) :

AGAIN, ALABAMA by Susan Sands -- Read my review here:...
Posted by From Me to You - Video, Photography, & Book Reviews on Saturday, July 4, 2015

For more information on this book and/or any other books by Susan, then please check out her website.