Series: Hearts,
Publication Date: September 9, 2015
Pages: 351
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
Find on: Goodreads
I lost her.
No, I didn't lose her. I threw her away.
She was my best friend.
I was never supposed to fall in love with her.
I was careless.
She was heartbroken.
I was doing fine until she came back into my life and reminded me what love was supposed to feel like.
When it's all said and done, she may not want to stay, but this time I'm going to do everything in my power to not let her go.
I knew going into Mia and Jensen’s story that this wasn’t going to be easy. Β It wasn’t, but Claire Contreras made me believe that love truly does win, with a little bit of work and understanding to get there.
Mia and Jensen have a very complicated past. Β They loved each other passionately, but didn’t fully commit to each other while they were on opposite sides of the country. Β And then the unthinkable happens. Β Jensen’s action destroy Mia’s trust in him and their relationship, which in turn breaks each of them. Β And several years later, they are both still carrying the scars from that time.
Claire Contreras always does a great job of reeling the reader in. Β Immediately I was immersed in Mia’s emotions and thoughts as she made her temporary move to NYC. Β Her feelings about Jensen and how she would deal with him when they finally ran into each other were almost another secondary character. Β They were strong, overwhelming at times and heartbreaking at others. Β At her core, Mia was truly decimated by Jensen’s actions. Β She understood how their relationship was back then, that they were on a “break”, but Jensen picking the way he did broke her, more than she ever let on to anyone else. Β As a reader, I never questioned how Mia felt about Jensen. Β I knew she still loved him deeply.
The problem came down to trust. Β Could the Jensen now, undo the damage that Jensen then did.
It was a tough battle for Jensen. Β Through he weekly column (which the author ingeniously sprinkled throughout the book) we knew exactly what Jensen’s feelings were about all sorts of things Mia. Β How much he still loved her and though of her as the sweetheart of his life. Β How much he was sorry for what happened and prayed he could get her passed all of it. Β But he was never sorry for his daughter. Β He just needed to figure out how to get his two loves to meld together. Β Jensen never gave up. Β He never let an opportunity go by to make sure Mia understood how he felt. Β And when he knew she needed space to figure things out, he gave it to her. Β But he also vowed to fight….which was the one thing he didn’t do before.
I loved this book. Β As heartbreaking (and sometimes frustrating) as it was, I was a little bit in awe of true love winning. Β Of finding Β a way, no matter how messy, for Mia and Jensen to spend the rest of their lives together. Β It took an army of their best friends and Mia’s parents, but when it mattered Mia trusted her gut, Jensen and love to see them through.
Meet Mia and Jensen in Paper Hearts. Β
This beautiful standalone contemporary romance by Claire Contreras is NOW LIVE! Β #ClaireWrites
Grab your copy at:
Amazon US: Β http://amzn.to/1KSiifj
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Lben8Y
iBooks: http://apple.co/1JJXiFm
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1M21cgB
Prologue
Jensen
I donβt take ownership in a lot of things. I rent an apartment, lease a car, and go to a no-contract gym. I have a wandering heartβan incessant mind. Itβs hard for me to look at something and see forever; though I had a forever once.
I let her go, not because I loved her too much to ask her to stay, but because I couldnβt bear to hear her tell me she wouldnβt. Still, every once in a while I wonder.
And nothing is more haunting than regret.
Chapter 1
Mia
I used to wonder what I would do if I had the chance to go back in time and right something. Would I take it? Would I look at it as a second opportunity, or would I just let it go, knowing the experiences I went through and learned from?
Discomfort spread through me as I walked into the building of my new, albeit temporary, job. The feeling stayed there, stuck to the lining inside of my uneasy stomach, echoing its way into my mind until I reached the twentieth floor of the building. As I exited the elevator and stepped into the lobby of the magazine, a smiling brunette, who was sorting through a colorful cup of pens, greeted me. Something about herβmaybe her fidgetiness, the Lisa Loeb look she had going, or the welcoming smile on her faceβmade me breathe a little easier.
βHow can I help you?β she asked in a singsong voice as she swiveled slightly in her chair.
βIβm here to see Mrs.βI mean, Dr. Zamora.β
βFran,β she said. βShe likes to be called Fran. Are you Mia?β
βYes.β
The girl smiled and gave me a quick onceover. βCool. Iβm Katie. Let me make sure sheβs in. Take a seat.β
I let out a breath as I placed my bag on the floor and sat across from her in a sleek white chair, taking in the vast space filled with photographs shot by people whose work I admired. In an effort to calm my nerves, I picked up one of the magazines beside me and leafed through it, and even went as far as to try to channel my inner zen, remembering what an incredible yoga session Iβd had earlier that morning. But nothing worked. That sticky feeling of what did I get myself into? could not be soothed.
It felt like the time I let my twin brother talk me into letting him cut my hair so that we could βreally be twins,β and I ended up looking like Peter Pan for two months while my mother cried into her pillow every night. I fished out my phone and contemplated sending him a text. Rob had always been the brave twin, with words of wisdom to get me through these times. But, Iβd dug my grave, and now I had to lie in it.
When I ran into my favorite college professor months ago, a local magazine had just published some of my pictures for a special they were circulating. The accomplishment I felt at telling her this dwindled when she asked the dreaded words: what next? But then she offered me the opportunity of a lifetime: to take pictures for a huge magazine, one I probably wouldnβt have had an opportunity to work for had my professorβs sister not been the person in charge of the project. The catch, of course, unbeknownst to my professor or her sister, was that my exboyfriend, The Dream Crusher, wrote for the same magazine. But Iβd have been an idiot to turn it down. Regardless of where I worked after this, to have this experience on my resume would be incredible.
βShe just got here,β Katie said, jerking me out of my thoughts. I stood quickly, hitching my bag on my shoulder as the glass door to my right opened and a tall woman with an uncanny resemblance to my professorβwild red hair and bright green eyesβwalked through it.
I laughed when she winked at me. After she hired me for this job, we started following each other on any social media that allowed for stalking.
βItβs like weβve been friends forever.β
βSocial media will do that,β she responded with a laugh as she turned on her heels. βLet me show you around.β
If Fran were a car, sheβd be in fourth gear at all times. By the time she finished showing me around the place and we got back to her office, my legs felt like they were on fire. I wasnβt sure if it was because of the heels I was wearing, or because I had to take four strides to her two. Being short could be a bit of a curse.
βWe already got the clearance from W Magazine and are keeping the title βWhat Would You Do With Your Second Chance?β Iβm sure they told you already,β she said as we each took a seat.
They hadnβt told me anything. Not that it mattered. Iβd taken pictures for an article with a similar name, but it was for a small, local magazine, nothing of this stature.
βI hope your friends donβt mind that weβre stealing their limelight,β Fran added with a smile. Sheβd become completely fascinated by the fact that the couple on the cover of the magazine, my best friend and her now-husband, were a second chance love story.
βThey definitely donβt mind,β I replied with a laugh. βThey wanted to kill me when they saw the magazine in our grocery stores, so replacing it will be a good thing.
β She laughed. βWere they uneasy because they werenβt an official couple yet?β
βBasically. Her brother wanted to kill Oliver β¦ the guy,β I paused to clarify before continuing, βwhen he found out about the whole thing.β
βBut itβs so romantic,β Fran said, letting out a deep sigh.
βI guess it is.β
βOh, donβt tell me youβre one of those girls!β
βOne of what girls?β
βThe ones who are all βI donβt need a manβ and βI hate romance.ββ She rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was biting back a smile as she said it.
I shrugged. βIβm not any kind of girl. I donβt need a man, but I donβt hate romance. I think Iβm kind of obsessed with romance, really, which is probably why Iβm still single.β
Fran laughed loudly. βFunny how that works, right? Iβll tell you what, had it not been for Match, I would have never met mine. Iβm sure you donβt need any help finding a guy, though.β She waved the length of my torso as if she was presenting me to someone as some kind of trophy.
βFinding a guy isnβt a problem. Keeping a guy is a problem, and finding the guy is a complete catastrophe.β
Fran nodded in sympathy. βYep. Iβve been there. But alas, youβll find the one. Youβre young, adorable, funny, talented, and smart. Hell of a combination.β
I smiled and looked away. βOne day.β
βAnywho, enough about boys. Letβs talk about work. As I stated in the email, youβll be taking your headshots today. You donβt need to come into the office every day, but feel free to use our facility for anything you need. I sent you the contact information for the couples youβll be shooting so that you can schedule their test shots first, and after that, weβll let you know who we narrowed it down to. We only want to select four couples to feature: two young, and two older. They all have different stories, anyway, so thatβll be fine.β
She paused for a breath as I nodded, taking mental notes. βAnd β¦ oh yeah, here are the names of the writers working on the special. Carlos and Deborah are regular staff; the other two are freelance, but work with us often. I wrote down their emails and will send them yours now so they can contact you. Sometimes they like to go along for the shoots and do their interviews there.β
My eyes scrolled down the list as I nodded. I stalled when I saw his name. Just words on a page, but they made my heart flip once, twice, and finally nestle its way into the pit of my stomach. I was prepared for this.
βYou should meet us for drinks on Wednesday,β Fran said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I was so not prepared for this.
βSo I only see them on days that I shoot?β I asked, waving the paper slightly.
βWell, that only happens if they want to interview the people in their element. Otherwise, we only see each other during meetings, and we donβt have many. Weβll be having one this Wednesday over drinks, though, and then again to lay out the final plans.β
I swallowed loudly and nodded. βOkay.β
βIt would be great for you to come on Wednesday and meet them,β she said again. I felt like I was on a downward spiral, moving here, knowing this job would mean I would be insanely close to him, secretly hoping that I was, while reminding myself of the reasons Iβd avoided him in the first place. I took a breath and braced myself for the inevitable fall.
βSure. Drinks sound great.β
Shannon
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