He has one last chance to deserve the girl of his dreams...

Overachiever River Purcell was never supposed to be a struggling single mom, working double shifts just to make ends meet. Nor was she supposed to be abandoned by her high school sweetheart, breaking her heart into a thousand jagged pieces. Now Vaughn De Matteo is back in town, his sights set on her...and River is in danger of drowning a second time.

No one believed Hook's resident bad boy was good enough for River. Not even Vaughn himself. But he'll fight like hell to win back the woman he never stopped loving, to keep the daughter he never expected, and convince himself he's worth their love in the process--even if he has to rely on their fierce and undeniable sexual chemistry.

But even as River's body arches under his hungered touch, the demons of the past lurk in the shadows. Waiting for Vaughn to repeat his mistakes one last time... 

River Purcell and Vaughn De Matteo's story was teased in Crashed Out and I was so excited to read more about them. 

After years apart, Vaughn has learned that his first love, River, has kept a secret from him. He returns home to Hook, NJ to try to make things right even if he has no clue how to fix his past mistakes and redeem himself.

River is independent, feisty, and stubborn. She was left broken-hearted but had no choice but to be strong do what had to be done. But she's tired and lonely and has her own guilt for past events as well. 

Vaughn always had issues with not feeling good enough for her that were often drilled into him by his own self loathing, but also outside influences. She was the only person who ever made him feel like a better man, but in the end he left them both destroyed. And his experiences in the military afterward just left him more of a shell.

But now he wants a second chance to the man River needs him to be and to be a family with the daughter he never knew about. He is still magnetic, rough around the edges, and seductive. He seems to have good intentions, although sometimes his protectiveness, broodiness, and anger mask it. But River has to not only worry about guarding herself against pain and anymore loss, but also her young daughter, Marcy. She has shut off her heart and put up walls that will be hard to break down. And she is not innocent of guilt either. But she is a protective mom who will not let her child be hurt in any way.

Can River get past her own hurt and trust issues to give him a chance? Will secrets, lies, and circumstances conspire to come between them again?

I loved Vaughn and River. They have feisty and sexy banter, history, passion, and a strong connection that transcended time and distance. This is the good girl vs. the bad boy first love story that had some definite life twists along the way. It took the characters to unexpected places but then reunited them in a more mature place. But they still have demons and insecurities to face and some obstacles to achieving a present and future together. And they are both strong-willed, stubborn, and passionate.

I loved the side characters of Duke and his crazy sisters. I hope he is the hero in the next book. We got a peek at River's brother, Sarge and her best friend, Jasmine from Crashed Out. Overall,this was a sweet, sexy, heartfelt second chance love story of a couple who is a work in progress. Their lives are not perfect and glamorous. They are flawed and make mistakes. They have the same issues a lot of working class people face, so it just makes it more real and relatable. 

Crashed Out  (Made in Jersey #1)

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