Readers will be drawn to this story of love, loss, and friendship as one night changes everything between two people. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Lost on the Way by Isabel Jolie, along with my impressions of this emotionally intense romance, then discover even more about this book by visiting the other sites hosting this tour. In honor of this fourth installment in the West Side series make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win a $25 bookstore GC too!
They were friends—just friends. Now they’re something else entirely...
Jason
Maggie was my best friend’s girl. When he died… I don’t have the words. Indescribable pain.
But we healed. Together. She got me through my illness and became my friend, my confidant, my family. She’s everything to me.
And I ruined it all last night.
One drunken night. That’s all it took. Now I’m lost.
I want her with everything I am, everything I have, but she can’t be mine. She deserves someone with better odds than the doctors gave me.
Now, if I can’t figure out how to go back to the way things were, I’ll lose the most important relationship I have. The only one that truly matters.
Maggie
Last night was the best—and worst—night of my life.
He’s made it clear, more than once, that he only wants a friendship.
Then last night happened.
And now he knows how I feel.
He’s my best friend. I love him —mind, body, and soul. We have a visceral connection others can’t understand.
The problem? He’ll always see me as his best friend’s girlfriend, no matter how many years pass.
I can’t lose him. If he wants to stay in the friend zone, I’ll need to somehow accept that and move on. I know it’s true.
But convincing my heart…well, that’s another story entirely.
One night of excess tequila changes everything for two codependent best friends. Will they lose all they had, or can they find their way to something even better?
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Readers looking for an emotionally intense read will get all that and more in this contemporary romance of two friends with lots of baggage in their pasts who find their years-long connection becoming complicated. Issues of survivors guilt, a life-altering illness, and the real meaning of love and friendship fuels this story and had me rooting for these two friends every step of the way.
Jason was Adam's best friend after meeting him in a cancer support group where the two of them became inseparable. As Adam's girlfriend, Maggie became the third member of the group and a strong support to each man. With the loss of Adam though things changed irrevocably between Jason and Maggie and it will be a hard-fought journey to HEA as they struggle to define their feelings. For Jason, a man with no family, he's bitter over the loss of Adam as he had everything and deserved to be the one to live. Jason doesn't feel worthy and it colors everything from that moment on. Though he's always had romantic feelings for Maggie, since before even Adam met her, he's always held back. Even now he doesn't want to act on his feelings out of fear that his cancer will return and cause even more hurt for Maggie. With each turn of the page Jason's thoughts were understandable and my heart broke for him at times. I was frustrated by him too as he wasn't a character easy to get to know as he's a bit stoic with a bark worse than his bite. He was fighting to live but was scared of living life to the fullest by being with Maggie which led to a drawn out tug of war of will they/won't they.
Maggie was a wonderful heroine and opposed to Jason, she was an open book. She'd been through a lot with Adam, his loss was heartbreaking, but with Jason by her side she survived and the two of them built a solid foundation built on friendship. In the years since though it becomes clear to her that she feels much more for Jason than friendship but is scared of losing the closeness they already have. With their friends rooting them on the story soon becomes bumpy with sexual tension as they struggle with their feelings head-on in sweet and steamy interactions that had me rooting for them too.
Jason may have started off a bit reserved but as his background is more fully presented I came to care even more deeply for him. Maggie was just what he needed too, someone who stood by him no matter what his attitude was and they were a perfect balance that further showed they were meant to be. From the first page to the last this was a story that captivated me. With its realistic and relatable main couple I found this to be an epic and hard-fought journey to HEA where love and friendship overcame all and I highly recommend it to others looking for a powerful and unforgettable read!
My rating for this is an A-
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Isabel Jolie, or Izzy to her friends, is an Amazon bestselling indie author with an unquenchable thirst for a good, sexy love story. Izzy’s heart pumps faster for stories with strong heroines, down-to-earth realism, and an unexpected twist.
When she’s not writing or reading, she can often be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, and good friends lakeside.
Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational “brain candy”, and anything that meshes with her mood of the day.
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Thanks for being on the tour! :)
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