Wish You Were Mine
Tara Sivec
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Release Date November 14, 2017

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Story of Us and Fisher’s Light comes a new, standalone novel—a heart-wrenching story about first loves and second chances that will make you fall in love all over again….

Five years. I would’ve stayed away longer if I hadn’t received the letter. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about her, haven’t missed her smile, haven’t wished that things were different.

The last time I saw my two best friends, I vowed to not stand in the way of their happiness, even if that meant I couldn’t be a part of their lives. Cameron James and her emerald-green eyes were too much of a temptation and I couldn’t stay and watch them together. Cameron deserved better than me. She deserved him.

Everett, Aiden,and Cameron have been friend since they were kids. The two boys were 3 years older than their tomboy counterpart, Cameron, but they swore to be best friends forever...and they were for many years.

As young adults, Everett Southerland made a choice...to follow his dreams of becoming an international Doctor, but he left his friends behind with only sporadic contact with Aiden and cutting off the girl he could never have. He had loved her for years, but never felt good enough and timing was never on their side.

Cameron James now runs her family's youth camp and has fond memories of growing up there with her two best friends. But she always had a secret crush on Everett, the broken, bad boy she wanted to fix. But she never thought he saw her anything but a kid sister.

Hidden feelings, miscommunication, missed opportunities, distance, and avoidance tore them apart and left them both with a void that could not be filled. 

But years later, when Everett gets a letter from their best friend, Aiden begging him to come home because things are going to drastically change, he can't stay away anymore. But he has a lot of guilt, fear, and loss to face even before he can face Cameron again. And she has had years to develop an outer shield built by hurt and pain that his abandonment caused. 

But she needs help and he sees an opportunity and plans to be there whether she wants him there or not. So now they are back in each other's lives and have to spend time together. But there is a lot of heartache and loss to deal with. And Everett not only has to face his own demons, but also the wrath and sadness of the girl he left behind. They cycle from rage, hurt, annoyance, passion, and push each other. But they are feeling more excitement in their lives than they have in years.

This time will they be able to admit their feelings and try to chase their own HEA? Admitting their feelings might be one of their biggest battles, and not everything is always as it appears. I seriously wanted to lock them in room in the camp and force them to get everything out in the open.

Cameron was sassy, stubborn, guarded, and had been hurt by their past. Everett was affected not only be his inaction and loss, but also the things he had seen and dealt with overseas. They were a hot mess but shared so much history and a bond that might bend, but could not really break completely. And they also have outside situations that they are dealing with as well adding drama.

This is an antagonistic, passionate, heartbreaking story of friends, lovers, and second chances. It had some mysteries and surprises.  It is told in Everett and Cameron's points of view in present and flashbacks with some input from Aiden as well. It took me a bit to realize that Cameron is the daughter of Eli and Shelby from The Story Of Us, but then it all came rushing back. It was nice to touch base with them in the future and see the camp come to fruition. I liked the side characters of her friend, Amelia, and his brother, Jason as well.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

 

From USA Today bestselling author Tara Sivec comes an emotional, breathtakingly romantic new book about the power of first love and the promise of second chances.

How much can a man take before he breaks?

1,843 days. That's how long I survived in that hellhole. They tried to break me, but I resisted. And I owe it all to the memory of warm summer nights, the scent of peaches, and the one woman who loved me more than I ever deserved to be loved. Now, I'll do anything to get back to her. 

Only Shelby Eubanks isn't the girl I left behind all those years ago. She's someone else, a stranger. My Shelby-my little green-eyed firecracker-would never give up her dreams, would never disappear into her mother's ambitions. But I won't give up on her. On us. I may be broken, and scarred, and not the man I used to be, but I will do whatever it takes to remind her of the story of us.