This is the first book I have read from Rachel Wade and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read this book in less than a day. Wade wrote about real characters, ones with flaws and all. Emma and Jackson are sweet together and I really enjoyed getting to know them. The way Emma reacts to losing her sister and how it effects her everyday life was heartbreaking at times. Jackson was her rock and gave her a safe haven to run to when she needed it.Time went by and even though Emma and Jackson spent less and less time together, they remained friends. Other than the fact that Jackson was a love them and leave them type of guy, he also reminded Emma of a bad time in her life. Plus, Emma is convinced that Jackson keeps pursuing her because she is the only girl left on the island that he hasn't slept with. She knows once Jackson sleeps with her, she will be another one of his conquests and never talk to her again... that could not have been farther from the truth.As the story progresses, there are more close encounters between the two of them and buried feelings start to surface. A relationship begins but I can assure you, that is just the beginning. Emotions run high and there is no shortage of conflicts they have to endure. Can Emma get past being around someone that constantly reminds her of her sisters death? Can Jackson show Emma he is the committing type?This is a sweet love story about two people who come together in spite of their emotional conflicts. They both have a history that has effected them in different ways. The question is...can they still live happily ever after???Enjoy :) This book was awesome! Loved the writing, loved the story, loved the characters. This was the first book I have read of Rachael Wade's, but I definitely plan on going and downloading some of her others. **I will say that I know this book ties in with another series of Rachael's, but it is a stand alone title and can be read independently. I have not read her Preservation series, and I was not confused or lost at all while reading this book. Apparently some of the characters crossover and intersect between this book and the series, but the story line of this book is totally independent.**Okay, on to the review. I don't like giving a synopsis because you can read the one up with the book cover, and the author does it so much better than I can anyway! :) That being said, I absolutely loved Emma and Jackson. But, I especially loved Emma. I get so fed up with reading New Adult or Contemporary Romance books that have a lead female character that is whiny, clingy, indecisive, self-sabotaging, can't stand up for herself, etc. These girls get on my nerves and make me want to not even read the book. Emma was an entirely different story. Yes, she was flawed, yes, she had a tragic past she was trying to deal with, BUT she was still a strong person. She still stood up for herself, and handled herself and the situations she got into as an adult. Not as an immature little brat. Yes, she made mistakes and mis-steps, but this made me like her even more as a character. She was human. She hurt and she loved and she forgave and she asked forgiveness. And she did all of this without having to sacrifice her strength or dignity as a woman. She was feisty and headstrong and she knew what she wanted out of life. The only parts of her that were weak were the part of her that needed closure over the death of her sister, and the part of her that resisted giving her heart to Jackson.Speaking of Jackson.......*sigh.* I love stories about bad boys with a heart of gold, or bad boys that will never change - unless they meet the right woman. Jackson was all of these things rolled up into one. He was a serial womanizer, hanging out in karoake bars every weekend with his group of friends, but yet he and Emma had a connection that neither one of them could deny. They have a past that ties them together, but presently they are more "frenemies." They have an uneasy truce that lets them be around each other. They spend half of their time flirting with each other, and the other half snarking and pushing the other away. But neither one of them can deny the pull that is between them. And when they finally give in, oh my word, sparks fly. But Emma has plans for a future and changes that don't include Jackson. Jackson is stuck in Florida by his own choices, and Emma isn't willing to give up her future for a second time for a guy. Plus, Jackson is a player at heart, so he would never be happy just settling for one girl, right? At least that's what Emma tells herself. The angst and the push and pull between Emma and Jackson in this book was so well written and believable that it caused a physical ache in my chest when I was reading. That kind of truth is hard to find in a book, so that's why I loved this one so much.Like I said, I will definitely be going and checking out Rachael's Preservation series. Not only because I really liked these characters and want to read more about them, but just because she writes damn good books. I highly recommend that you go and read this one if you haven't already!
Do You like book Love And Relativity (2012)?
Loved it! Loved the conflict and the selflessness of Jackson's character.
—joanna
Great summer read! Super cute and had a few twists I was not expecting.
—Temptest_rosy
