Author: Melanie Jayne
Publisher: Big Dog Publishing
Date of Publication: January 12, 2016
Fifteen years ago the hometown princess ran away...
Her prince, Finn Webber, has moved on but he never forgot his heartbreak.Now, Hale Cameron, his lost love, is back and he is curious.This new Hale is smart, sassy and sexy.
Hale is back home and all grown up. She's smarter and sassier. But there are still things she needs to resolve, one of which is Finn Webber, the guy whose heart she broke. She hopes he can forgive her for her past mistakes. What she doesn't expect is his reaction to her.
Time may have passed, but old feelings are still alive. Find out what happens when the hometown princess comes home and discovers that her prince isn't as immune to her as she believed.
My thoughts:
You Only is a second chance at love story and you all know I'm a sucker for those. I was looking forward to trying this book out. Hale Cameron has returned home to take over her father's business. Finn, the guy whose heart she broke, is now the mayor of the town and has been avoiding her at all cost. But, the old attraction is still there.
I thought this was an entertaining story. I liked it but I didn't love it. I kind of had a hard time connecting with Hale and Finn. I did like that they were both going into a relationship with fifteen years of more maturity under their belts. But in the end, I'm not sure that they weren't going to keep having the same blow up fights and trust issues that they kept having throughout the book. So, for me it was more of a maybe HEA. I also never really felt like I understood why some people in the town seemed to hate Hale.
The part I liked more in the story was the peripheral characters. They add a lot of depth and entertainment and made me want to keep reading. Izzy and Jasmine's story is up next. I am intrigued to see how that little teaser/cliffhanger at the end of the book plays out in their book.
Excerpt:
Fifteen Years Ago
Hale Cameron looked around the small apartment slowly,
trying to memorize every nook and cranny. It was Finn's apartment, but after
their engagement, she'd been there almost every night. She'd moved more of her
things into the space that Finn had willingly shared. Then, as the preparations
for the Glass trial took more and more of Finn's time, she'd stayed over less
and less.
"Honey, the clock's ticking. What's left to do?"
her dad asked quietly.
"Everything's packed and loaded. I think we're done
here," Hale replied as she circled the living room, touching a book on one
of the shelves, straightening the antique hourglass that she had given Finn
during their first Christmas together.
"I thought there would be more of your stuff
here." Hale focused on Jasmine Wayne Benton, her best friend since
infancy. Jasmine looked like she wanted to make a run for the door.
"You can go. Thanks for all of your help. I know this
puts you in a tough position." Jasmine's fiancé was Finn's best friend.
She'd have to explain to him, and therefore Finn, why Hale was leaving. How
could she explain what she didn't understand?
Jasmine took a deep breath as she approached Hale. "I
just want you to be happy. You could stay, maybe you and Finn could work things
out. I don't want you to leave."
Hale hugged her friend. "I have to go, Jazz. I need to
get away from this town. I need to figure out who I am and I can't do it
here."
"I would help you."
"I know you would, but I need to do this on my
own."
"I wish you would wait and talk to Finn. What time is
he supposed to get back?"
"The interview with Channel 8 News is being taped at
three and after that he has to meet with a reporter from the Indianapolis Star.
He'll be tied up for hours. He might not even miss me until tomorrow."
"He should never have taken on the job of representing
Doug Glass."
"That was just a part of our many problems. The Glass
case will make his career. He's a media star for winning the case. You know how
important that is to him."
Jasmine pulled Hale's left hand into hers and gently rubbed
the now unadorned ring finger. "He loves you. This is going to kill
him."
"I tried and tried to tell him that I was unhappy. He
was either too busy to talk, or told me that I should be happy that he treated
me like a princess." Bitterness crept into her tone. "I don't want to
be that kind of woman."
"You mean like me?" Jasmine turned defensive.
"No, not like you. You're doing what you want, right?
You love Izzy. You're going to graduate and teach kids. Have the career you
chose. Someday you'll have some kids of your own, run the PTA, and be a great
mom. Finn's plan for me is to enjoy our engagement, be pretty, smile, and
attend dinners, and then after we marry, stay at home and join charity
committees. I would be his accessory. That's not me. I want to be a partner,
and I want my voice to be heard. I need to find out who I am so I can have a
voice."
"Can't the two of you work this out?"
"Finn wants to give that life to his wife. I don't want
it. These past months have been miserable. I can't live like this."
Jasmine started to speak but Hale cut her off. "I'm
going to miss you, but I have to go somewhere that my family's name means
nothing. Somewhere I'm not judged by my mama's actions or my daddy's money.
I've done nothing to earn my place, everything I have comes from family money.
I need to figure out who I am and I can't do that here. Plus, there's a part of
me that's broken and the only person that can fix me is me."
Hale kissed Jasmine's cheek and gave her one last hug. She
watched her best friend walk to the door and leave.
Available From
About Melanie Jayne
I live on a grain farm southeast of Indianapolis, Indiana with my very patient husband of twenty-five years and our two English Mastiffs, Buster Brown and Ginger. I graduated from Indiana University when it was the #1 party school in the country and I took great pride in helping the school achieve that ranking.
I haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I change careers every decade. I have worked in retail, a federal courtroom, travelled across the state closing loans, and behind the scenes in a casino.
I've always had an active imagination so when a good friend suggested that I try writing a book, I thought why not, it should be fun. It has, but I have had to work very hard to learn how to do it. I am so lucky for the outpouring of advice and education from so many in the industry, plus the hand-holding and cheerleading from My Gurls. I also have an incredible Ad-man-istrative Assistant, who tries to keep me under control. He rolls his eyes so much that I worry about a permanent condition.
When I ‘m not working or writing type stuff, I sleep, watch courtroom TV shows, and sports. I was a competitive pro-am ballroom dancer for ten years and I read as many books as I can.
I love to attend Author-Reader Conventions and look forward to meeting you.
Find Melanie Jayne Online
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