Always Been You by Jess Buffett
Always Been You by Jess Buffett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The Blurb…
Seth returns home and Jared is determined to finally make Seth his. Unfortunately not everyone wants that to happen.
Seth Hall returns to his hometown for the first time in eleven years. Now a father of two, he vows not to let his past intervene when he sets up a happy, stable life for them. That is, until Jared, the boy who had broken his heart all those years ago, turns up wanting a chance with him.
Jared Stewart thought he had lost his only chance to be with Seth. When Seth finally comes home, Jared makes it his mission to catch Seth once and for all but unfortunately not everyone wants that to happen.
Will they be finally able to make a life for themselves together? Or will they be torn apart again, by people they thought they could trust?
So what did I think?
I enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story. I liked the characters and felt sympathetic to their plight. Back in High School, Seth and Jared were on the verge of acknowledging how they felt about each other, when events drove them apart for eleven years. The plot had some good elements. However, I do think this book didn’t fully live up to it’s potential.
There was opportunity to provide more depth to the characters, to share more of what happened in the time they were apart – a lot would have happened in those eleven years. Some aspects of the story were too rushed. For example, the events that lead to Seth and Jared separation were explained but only at a high level, not fully delving into the emotional fallout. In truth, some of the reasons for their separation, just seemed a bit too convenient.
The immediate forgiveness and starting a relationship also seemed unrealistic, at least without a more detailed discussion of feelings. I also really struggled to fully understand why Jared decided on the big delay before making his move.
Even though I think there are a number of areas where the story could have benefited from more depth, I still enjoyed reading the story of Seth and Jared. It was a nice hour spent reading of two nice guys with great families, who finally get their happy ending! But not before a bit of drama provided by the bitchy and deranged girl from high school.
To find out more about Jess Buffett and her books, visit her blog
Buy Always Been You at Amazon