I Want You Back

Lorelei James has written another smash hit. She knows how to capture the heart of redemption. How love over comes addiction. How even at our worst we all search for a way back to our happiness. Jaxson Lund is a man wanting redemption from the one woman who he knows shouldn't give it to him. Without Lucy he'll may never find peace. Without Jaxson she may never find love.

I Want You Back took me by surprise with its different take on the typical second chance romance. Unlike so many that rely on misunderstandings, one-sided attractions, or a romance that almost was, this couple had their chance at love and one of them thoroughly blew it. So, yes, cheating was definitely a factor in the breakup, but for those who cheating is a hard limit in their fiction, it's mentioned, but the actual act is not on page. We do, however, get a lot of Jax and Lucy's early years through memories scattered throughout the story. I really liked that we got to see the early attraction for this couple without the story getting bogged down by that part of it. That left plenty of room for their current day relationship as two people co-parenting their child while still dealing with the emotional baggage between them, and it is considerable. I was disappointed when we're finally given the catalyst for Jax's lifestyle change. It just felt unnecessary, and once revealed, I felt like Lucy and Mimi were the consolation prizes for him. Whatever his reason, he does have his redeeming qualities. and I ended the book liking him much more than I thought I would. That aside, I was impressed with the author's ability to give us such an emotional story while still keeping the angst low. There is angst, but it's more subtle rather than big dramatic issues, and the high emotions are tempered with well-timed humor. All in all, this is a solid start to the series, and I'll be interested to see which of these engaging characters finds love next.

4.5 Stars This is book one in the Want You series and it features Jaxson and Lucy. I’m not usually one who believes in a redeemable partner who cheats. With that said, after reading this book, it’s actually nice to read a story that happened YEARS AFTER all the cheating happened. I think it was easier to get past because I didn’t bear witness to the emotional trauma of infidelity between them. I loved these two! I loved their love! It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. They had some real issues to get past. Some of the issues were totally unexpected. I’m not sure I’ve EVER read a book that confronted this issue the way this author did. BRAVO! The events in their story felt real and played like a movie in my head. The characters were fabulous and the story line had great flow. I LOVED Jax’s family. They were all amazing and I’d LOVE to hear their stories as well.