Published by Indie on September 24, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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Ten years is a long time when you’re thirty-two. We’d seen our share of ups and downs, but I could honestly say they were mostly up.
That’s the thing about happiness though. It lulls you into a false sense of security. I’m sure neither one of us thought we’d ever be touched by crippling loss or immeasurable grief. But not all stories have a happy ending and I knew better than anyone that sometimes, one of you won’t make it till the end. One of you has to go first. And one of you…
Will be left behind to pick up the pieces.
And that’s me.
But starting over isn’t at all what I thought it would be. I needed escape from the memories that plagued me, reminded me. So I went back to where it all began. To the town where I was born. To the place whose beauty could pierce my pain. Where I experienced my first kiss, where I fell in love, where a man was my earth. And I…
Was his sky.
I actually randomly stumbled upon J.B. Hartnett a year or so ago when I found her The Leaves Series, which I really enjoyed. When I read the blurb for Watching the Sky Cry, I felt like it was going to be an epic story and when I made the connection of who the author was, I couldn’t have been more excited.
This is a beautiful second chance story laced with a lot of ups and downs and healing. Riley is lucky enough to find love twice. Once when she was very young and again when she is a young adult. She’s made a life with her husband and they have been extremely happy until a devastating tragedy leaves Riley alone and left to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart and world. Her recovery is painful and full of heartache. Realizing once and for all that she needs to start over to actually start healing, she returns to the one place that holds a piece of her heart from her past.
Quentin has only loved one girl his entire life and she shattered his heart when they were very young. Despite that, he knows he’ll never love anyone like her again. When she comes home, all he wants to do is to help her heal but he knows she’s the one for him and he will do whatever he can to not let her go a second time. Will he finally be able to claim the girl who captured his heart all those years ago?
This second chance story was so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I fell so hard for Quentin. His love for Riley was so beautiful and honest. He was very up front with her about everything. He was patient, kind and loving yet at the same time he pushed her to see how amazing it was to have this second chance at love. 20 years after they ripped each other’s hearts out when they were kids.
“Belive me when I say, I lost you once, and when I did, I didn’t just lose my sky. I lost my soul. And I won’t lose it again.”
I’m pretty sure that my entire world melted when I read that. How could you not fall for him?
There were a lot of additional stories in this book that added to the entire thing. Plot twists, surprises galore, etc. I especially want to get more of Billy’s story. I won’t stay anything else about it because I don’t want to spoil that storyline.
There were just a couple of things that help me back just a little. I had a hard time connecting to Riley and I honestly believe that it is partly due to me but partly due to the beginning. I felt like things were either skipped over or rushed and it bounced all over the place. Eventually it evened out, which I think is why I was so easily able to connect with Quentin. Please don’t let this hold you back or else you will actually miss a beautiful story. I only mentioned this in case you might feel the same. My advice it to keep with it.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a hopeful second chance book with some added twists and one absolutely swoon worthy hero, this get this book now!
You never had a girlfriend.” I whispered.
“No, Rylie. I didn’t.”
I pushed away from him, my mouth coating itself in preparation for what was to come, and ran toward the field behind his parents’ house. I threw up everything in my stomach, but I kept heaving with wracking sobs, unable to keep my shit together. If I’d listened….if I’d answered his letters…if I hadn’t met Nick…
His hands were in my hair, pulling it back, but it was no use. I was a mess in every way possible.
“This isn’t…” I hiccupped, “how I imagined this going.”
“Yeah?” he said softly. “How’d you imagine it?”
“We would have it out, and then we’d have angry sex, and then we’d fall in love and have babies and live happily ever after.”
“Oh Rylie,” he said with humor in his voice, not at all bothered when he wiped the edges of my disgusting mouth with his hand. “I’ll be pissing you off again…probably on purpose just so we can have that angry sex you just mentioned.”