I have to be honest and admit that I was not a fan of Cade in Destined to Change. I was completely Team Jaxon and felt Cade was arrogant, cocky and just in the way of my favorite couple. But from the beginning of this book, my opinion of Cade changed. In Destined to Succeed we find out about his past, what shaped him, and what turned him into the ladies' man with little emotion that we first met. But in this story we see his vulnerable and his sweet side. We meet Suzanna when Cade does... in third grade. They grow up together,  become best friends and are inseparable. But as their pre-teen and teen years occur, their feelings start to change. But unfortunately communicaton issues, fear and insecurities lead to years of missed opportunities and poor choices. My heart literally hurt for both of them. 

“Son, when you find the right one you’ll just know it.  Your dick won’t pick her.  Your heart will.  Always listen to your heart, because your dick can be a lying bastard.”

They clearly loved each other and belonged together but they could not seem to get it together. Their failed union created consequences for both of them and changed the course of their lives.  Cade turns off emotion and seeks fulfillment in multitudes of women, and Suzanna finds herself miserable in an abusive marriage. But she feels she has no chance of escape since she has to protect her daughter and those she loves.  They have such deep feelings of longing, lust, and love. But they have so much stacked against them. It was sad, heart breaking, frustrating, and maddening. 

Cade is a sexy, cocky, cowboy with a huge sense of responsibility and a big heart. He hid this by being a womanizer in order to cover up his true hurt feelings and to protect himself. But deep down, he knows there is really only one woman for him...but he is not sure how she feels and circumstances make the situation impossible. He is struggling to rebuild his ranch and take care of everyone. 

“He was sex on a stick.  If the body didn’t get you, that damn deep voice with the country drawl would do it every time.”

Suzanna was initially fun and feisty, but her marriage and circumstances dragged her down. She was damaged and hurt, but always still managed to support Cade and his family. The only bright spot in her marriage is her sweet daughter Isabella. She will do anything to protect her. She longs for the life she could have had with Cade if things had been different.

“My heart picked you, Suzy Q.  My heart always knew it was you.”

There is also danger lurking the background threatening Suzanna, Cade, and their families. So there is tension, suspense, intrigue and tragedy that raises your anxiety level.  You know something is coming and it just builds and builds. And then something does happen, and then  the build up starts again. So it kept me entertained and engaged.. It made me tense, upset, and at one point...totally shocked. I loved many of the supporting characters especially Cade's cousins Cord, Clay, Colt, and Cole, and the sweetest little girl ever, IzzyB. She had such a child like innocence and spunky spirit and she had all of the men eating out of her hands. 

I was really invested in the characters and their relationship. They really were likable and so good for each other. If they could only go back in time and change one thing, their lives would have been so different. It is told in alternating points of view of Cade and Suzanna  in present time and in flashbacks. But it flowed well and I enjoyed their memories as much as their present story.

Despite all that they have been through, can they finally overcome the problems with their past and find a happy ending? Or are they destined to have happiness just out of their reach?

I look forward to more books in this series and hope that we see more of the characters from the first two books filter into the subsequent books.  

Thanks to Lisa M. Harley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was actually privileged enough to be a  Beta Reader for this book and review is based off my beta read. 

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