After being truly wowed by Roan Parrish’s debut novel, In the Middle of Somewhere, the fact that I had some difficulty liking one of the main characters in the follow-up, Out of Nowhere, left me with mixed emotions about whether I wanted to read the third book in the series. Where We Left Off has a distinctly different feel than the first two novels, and while I enjoyed the story, I’m sure I would have liked it more if the focus had been a little different.

Before I get further in this review, I want to point out that while Where We Left Off can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading at least book one of the series beforehand. Both Leo Ware and Will Highland are introduced there, and though neither appears in very many of its scenes, the first story establishes some important basic character traits for each of them. It also sets the stage for this story in that the reader gets to see the effects of their first meeting, of their brief interaction, and of Will’s kiss before leaving Leo behind to go back to New York City. I believe having this knowledge before starting this novel will make it easier for readers to get into this story. Book two, however, is not a necessary prerequisite, as Leo and Will are only briefly mentioned and never appear in that story.

In many ways, Where We Left Off has a very different feel than the previous two books. The biggest difference comes from the fact that the point-of-view (POV) character, nineteen-year-old Leo, is significantly younger than the previous books’ narrators. Together with the plot being, in large part, Leo’s coming-of-age journey, the result is a novel that reads much more like a new-adult (NA) romance instead of the more mature romances found in books one and two. As I had hoped, this story is told in the same smooth and poignant style filled with lush descriptions and beautiful prose found in the first two books. However, in doing so, I felt like the author inadvertently fell into the biggest trap inherent to using the first-person POV: the elevated prose that she’s known for sometimes felt out of character coming from Leo’s younger consciousness. Also reinforcing this NA feel is the fact that the majority of the story focuses on the overwhelming experiences of Leo’s move from small-town rural Michigan to New York City, the event which starts this novel, and his becoming accustomed to being a student at NYU.

Leo arrives in New York City with the excitement of realizing his dream of finally getting a new start away from his lackluster life in Michigan. Even though more than a year and a half has passed since his brief time with Will, he’s hopeful they can continue where they left off. On Leo’s first day in the city, though, Will makes it clear that he wants nothing more than a casual friendship with Leo. After that, the next third of the book is almost entirely Leo dealing with his classes, the new friends he’s making at NYU, and his unsettled feelings from being overwhelmed and pining over Will, who barely appears in this portion of the book. Fortunately, just as I was starting to get irritated with the way the story was going, something happens that allows the focus to come back to the story of Leo and Will.

The crux of their conflict is their difference of opinion on what relationships are. Will is an opinionated, tell-it-like-he-sees-it person, but it’s not about thinking he’s better than everyone else. Instead, it’s a product of his being organized and logical, a master of dismantling a problem to its component parts in order to find the most efficient path to its solution. In discussions, he just as easily accepts valid points as calls out the bogus ones. Will makes it clear he’s not interested in being in a monogamous relationship, not just with Leo but with anyone. Leo, on the other hand, is essentially a romantic, having a fantasy vision of how everything should be, so he can’t understand Will’s stance any more than Will can believe Leo’s as being anything other than illogical. But Leo knows the spark he felt with their kiss back in Michigan wasn’t one-sided, and it isn’t long before even Will can’t deny the chemistry between them, no matter how much he tries to resist it. It’s a satisfying slow burn and it makes the intimacy between them very compelling. As a result, it also makes the problems they have all the more heartrending.

By the time everything is said and done, there are a couple of things that happen that some readers may find bothersome. The first of these is a potential trigger—and it’s something that can’t be mentioned without spoiling, so I have placed it at the very bottom of this review, in case you wish not to know. Furthermore, romance purists may find the ending less than satisfactory. It is a happy-for-now conclusion, but it’s unconventional compared to the traditional romance format. Even so, I found it to be one of the most realistic parts of the book given the nature of the characters and Leo’s ample philosophizing that takes place in the second half of the book.

I honestly believe that readers of Where We Left Off will either like it a good deal or truly hate it; it’s just the sort of book that won’t be in between. I fall in the first of these camps. But like the second book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one, though the reason is the opposite of the problem I had with the second book: here, I enjoyed Will and Leo as characters and the romantic storyline between them, while I was less thrilled about the plotlines external to that. In all, I recommend this title, and I look forward to seeing what Roan Parrish does next.

The author generously provided me a complimentary copy of Where We Left Off in exchange for this fair and honest review.

**TRIGGER/SPOILER ALERT**

Both characters have sex with other people after they have been together. Neither case is a cheating situation exactly, but if you find this troublesome, be forewarned.

When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.

Rafael Guerrera has found ways to live with the past he’s ashamed of. He’s dedicated his life to social justice work and to helping youth who, like him, had very little growing up. He has no time for love. Hell, he barely has time for himself. Somehow, everything about miserable, self-destructive Colin cries out to him. But down that path lie the troubles Rafe has worked so hard to leave behind. And as their relationship intensifies, Rafe and Colin are forced to dredge up secrets that both men would prefer stay buried.

Roan Parrish

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Roan Parrish is currently wandering between Philadelphia and New Orleans, drowning out her cat's complaints at riding int he car by singing along to the radio at ever-increasing volumes. A former academic, she's used to writing things that no one reads. She still loves to geek out about books, movies, TV, and music—now, though, she's excited to be writing the kind of romantic, angsty stories that she loves to escape into.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends' hair, meandering through whatever city she's in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing.

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