Written Love: Review: Follow Your Arrow by A.M. Willard / @AMWillardAuthor

All I wanted to do was run my bookstore, forget my failed marriage, and escape my past. But life on a tiny island makes that tough, especially when rumors are swirling that Justin Albott, famous mystery writer and my first love, is returning to the island.

I've watched his career. Stocked my bookstore with hardcovers that bear his glossy photo. There seems to be two sides to his personality. The online persona, who smiles when prompted, and the one that I remember—the thief of hearts. The one who just walked into my store and crooked that familiar grin.

We’ve both changed over the years. I'm no longer married, and he's no longer the boy who left me behind.

I’d give anything to know why he's really come back and if that kiss between us was real.

I like my angst in doses. Like, a handful now, a dry spell for a long while, then another handful at a later date. I'm pretty sure Ms. Willlard used up my angst quota for the rest of May. *grins and chuckles*

For Justin and Leslie's story, it was needed. Their story is one of coming home, forgiveness, second chance, and rekindled love. And that's just the forefront. Behind all of this is the persistence of good friends and delving into a past that might be best forgotten but is in desperate need of airing.

My admiration, a huge lot of it, rests on Justin. While I found his reason for staying away a bit questionable, I found his pursuit of Leslie incredible. He was relentless. He was insistent. He was determined. It wasn't hard to see that his feelings for Leslie hadn't changed; she'd been a constant presence in his life as evidenced by his writing of her in every story he penned. A little of the woman he loved and left behind was birthed into the women of each story, an everlasting testimony of his feelings for her.

Leslie had loved and lost, more times than should be possible, I feel. The bitterness of loss and failure is heavy on her tongue when she learns that Justin's returning to their tiny island, and she fortifies the wall she's built around her heart with stubbornness that was irritating and, sometimes, aggravating. But it wasn't to be denied or ignored. As much as it drove me slightly batty, I understood it. She would not have been a female lead I would feel anything for if this layer of complexity were absent. It made liking her difficult, yes, but it made the fight for her heart so much more real.

I read fiction to escape real life. It's what leisure reading has always been for me. But every now and then (this makes twice this year so far) there comes along a story that was meant to be written because someone out there can relate. Knows that it is to have loved and lost; to have never moved on from the one who got away; to seek forgiveness and/or to offer it; to accept and step into the second chance that's been given. Real life as fiction.

Ms. Willard has penned a story that is so much more than a second chance. It is, in many instances, one of redemption. Without it, Justin and Leslie's second chance would not have happened. If you choose to read this story, and I sincerely hope you do, I urge you to settle in and prepare to be lost in a world of emotions. There is no shortage of that in this story, whether it is the characters' or your own. And a story that is this evocative and moving is a story that is worth reading and sharing.

Bestselling Author, A.M. Willard resides in Savannah, Georgia. She joined the Peach State many years ago after leaving the crystal blue waters and sugary white sand behind from the Panhandle of Florida. She's also known for being a wife, mother, and caretaker for her farm animals. A.M. loves anything sassy, glittery, and is a sucker for the Hallmark Channel. That last one might be the reason she believes in soulmates or it could be because she married her high school sweetheart for twenty years ago.

After releasing her first novella series back in 2014, A.M. set out on a new goal to bring her readers a broad range of romantic stories from her desk. This includes Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance, and from time to time some Sexy Romance.

A.M. is an active member of RWA (Romance Writers of America).

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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Review: Follow Your Arrow by A.M. Willard / @AMWillardAuthor

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