Sensational by Janet Nissenson Series: Inevitable, #4
Published by BookBaby Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Pages: 375
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THEY SAY YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST LOVE…
Lauren McKinnon has always prided herself on never backing down from a challenge, living life to its fullest, and refusing to be ruled by her emotions. She is the quintessential wild child who became a bold, fearless woman, she doesn’t believe in regrets or second chances, and thinks that true love only happens in fairy tales. Except for the time it happened to her one magical summer. But unlike fairy tales, in real life love can also be cruel, and after having her heart broken Lauren has vowed to never allow herself to be vulnerable again.
Ben Rafferty has always been a loner, never truly belonging anywhere or to anyone, until the summer he visits Big Sur and meets the girl he immediately recognizes as his soulmate. But Lauren’s star shines far too brightly, and to stay with her means the real possibility of dimming that brilliant light. The decision to leave her behind will be the most difficult of his life, and for years later he’s left to wonder what would have happened if he’d stayed.
When their paths inevitably cross again, Lauren’s pride and refusal to forgive continues to keep them apart, as does the new woman in Ben’s life. As truths are eventually revealed, and emotions can no longer be denied, will Lauren and Ben finally find their way back to each other, or will they be destined to forever remain apart?
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
I first have to say I love second chance romances. Sensational is that and then some.
Ben and Lauren met 6 years ago completely by accident. Ben a journalist who is traveling on his bike writing as he goes, his plan is to stop in Big Sur for a day and see what it has to offer. He meets Lauren a 20-year-old free spirit who is still in college studying to become a photo journalist. What Ben thought would be a 24 hour stop turns into 10 days, the most unforgettable 10 days of his and Lauren’s life. Until Ben walks away and leaves nothing for Lauren, he is just gone.
Jump ahead 6 years –Lauren is a photo journalist with National Geographic. She has traveled the world and doesn’t plan on stopping. The pain though she felt when Ben left has never been resolved and she holds on to her anger. Then one day she walks into the office and sees Ben for the first time, as her new boss. Life has moved forward for both of them (or so they think) but 1 thing remains the same the chemistry and love they have has never gone away. Now they have to figure out what’s next for them.
I really enjoyed the writing style Janet Nissenson. Growing up in the Bay Area I am always intrigued on how writers describe the area and Janet does a fantastic job. This being the 4th book in the series (I have not read any of the previous books) I didn’t feel like I was missing anything not reading the first 3 though I do have to say that the stories do interweave with each other. The back story on Lauren is fascinating, I don’t want to give too much away but there is an underlining thread of mental illness that I am not sure was explored in the previous books, it explains a lot of who she is. The way Ben handles her in some difficult situations was nicely written and I think true to who he is. Ben is always trying to do the right thing but he gets lost in this and that shows as well. The author does a brilliant job with both characters and their individual story arc and POV’s.
If you have read the first 3 books, this one is a must read. If you jump into the middle of the series like I did you won’t be disappointed and will be itching to read the other books in the series.
