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The Story of Us
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.
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.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2017
About the author
Tara Sivec
66 books10.3k followersTara Sivec is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when all three of them become adults and move out.
After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She writes in a wide range of genres including Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy/Mystery, Romantic Suspense, New Adult Drama, Contemporary Romance and Psychological Thriller. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader's Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book and she was voted Best Indie Author in the Indie Romance Convention Reader's Choice Awards 2014.
In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she'll do and naps she'll take when she ever gets spare time.
After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She writes in a wide range of genres including Romantic Comedy, Romantic Comedy/Mystery, Romantic Suspense, New Adult Drama, Contemporary Romance and Psychological Thriller. Her novel Seduction and Snacks won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader's Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book and she was voted Best Indie Author in the Indie Romance Convention Reader's Choice Awards 2014.
In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she'll do and naps she'll take when she ever gets spare time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 506 reviews
May 25, 2017
3.5 stars!
The Story of Us is an emotional second chance romance about a solider and the girl he left behind. When Eli went overseas, he did what he had to do and left behind the woman he loved, Shelby Eubanks. Shelby never thought Eli would come back, especially not to her. Not with the way she left things. But here he is, flipping her entire world upside down.
Shelby and Eli fell for each other when they were young, but there were obstacles that got in the way and things (people) who wanted to keep them apart. Now that Eli is home, he will stop at nothing to win Shelby over. Shelby is not the same person she was when Eli left 5+ years ago. They are both scarred. Eli will fight his way back into her heart. He knows something is still there. And he’ll do it by reminding her of their story… The story of us.
I enjoyed the premise of this story and I love emotional reads, but for some reason I had trouble connecting with the characters and staying engaged. I enjoy Tara Sivec’s emotional side (Fischer’s Light is one of my favorite books) and the her writing it top notch. While I liked this book, I didn’t fall in love like I had hoped I would. I think it’s a case of ‘it was me, not the book’, and most who pick this one up will enjoy it more!
I wonder if she still thinks of me as much as I do her. I wonder if she knows she’s the only reason I’m still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.
The Story of Us is an emotional second chance romance about a solider and the girl he left behind. When Eli went overseas, he did what he had to do and left behind the woman he loved, Shelby Eubanks. Shelby never thought Eli would come back, especially not to her. Not with the way she left things. But here he is, flipping her entire world upside down.
Shelby and Eli fell for each other when they were young, but there were obstacles that got in the way and things (people) who wanted to keep them apart. Now that Eli is home, he will stop at nothing to win Shelby over. Shelby is not the same person she was when Eli left 5+ years ago. They are both scarred. Eli will fight his way back into her heart. He knows something is still there. And he’ll do it by reminding her of their story… The story of us.
“I can’t leave you alone and I can’t move on because you’re everything to me. You always have been and you always will be, and I know damn well you feel the same, even if you want to stand here, look me right in the fucking eyes, and lie to me.”
I enjoyed the premise of this story and I love emotional reads, but for some reason I had trouble connecting with the characters and staying engaged. I enjoy Tara Sivec’s emotional side (Fischer’s Light is one of my favorite books) and the her writing it top notch. While I liked this book, I didn’t fall in love like I had hoped I would. I think it’s a case of ‘it was me, not the book’, and most who pick this one up will enjoy it more!
May 26, 2017
4 STARS
It's been a while since Tara Sivec wreaked havoc on my emotions with Fisher's Light. Now she's completely destroyed me with The Story of Us. And no, these stories are not connected by anything other then the fact that they both equally broke me. I mean, God. GOD! This story. This incredibly poignant and powerful story of love and second chances. This gripping, emotional, utterly heart wrenching story. My heart will never be the same. I was a complete and utter mess at the end. I love a good second chance romance, but when that also comes wrapped in a story that's as powerful as it is emotional, I'm putty. Total putty.
Eli has lived through hell for the past five years. The only thing that kept him going through the daily beating and torture as a POW are thoughts of his one true love. When he's rescued and returns home where everyone mourned him and thought him long dead, the only thing on his agenda is to make things right with the woman that he walked away from due to circumstances out of his control.
But the girl that he fell head over heels in love with before he left for his overseas tour, is not the woman he comes back to. Shelby is now completely under her mother's thumb of political ambitions and image. She's buried her dreams of dancing and moving away from this town to live in New York. She's engaged to a man who has political ambitions that may be grander than her mother and someone she feels no passion towards. She's a pawn in a game she wants nothing to do with, mourning a man that she believes dead, walking around a shell of the woman that she used to be.
Eli may be scarred as much inside as he is outside, but nothing will stop him from bringing back the sunny, beautiful girl that whose dancing stole his heart almost as much as her smile.
There is a lot of things that happen in the story outside of this couple. THere's so much going on that happened to set the gears in motion for a lot that happened to them. As they try to navigate to the truth, they also find peace again in each other's arms.
I loved the letters that Eli wrote to Shelby and the way she experiences reading them. I love the way he fought for her and my heart absolutely broke for everything he's been through.
Nothing is as it appears and soon the puzzle pieces begin to click together. But can Eli and Shelby survive the truth when it finally reveals itself?
This was such an emotional and gripping story. The only reason that held it back from being a full 5 stars for me was the amount of almost soap opera like intrigue and drama at the end. It was one thing after another and while it all does come a full circle, I felt like it didn't have to get that crazy to be just as powerful. That certainly didn't diminish my enjoyment much, because I truly did love it. Tara Sivec is such a versatile author; she can write romcoms that make you cry laughing and then turn around and write something that will punch you right in the feels. If you're looking for a powerful second chance romance with plenty of feeling and steam, you seriously can't go wrong with this one.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
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I wonder if she still thinks of me as much as I do her. I wonder if she knows she’s the only reason I’m still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.
It's been a while since Tara Sivec wreaked havoc on my emotions with Fisher's Light. Now she's completely destroyed me with The Story of Us. And no, these stories are not connected by anything other then the fact that they both equally broke me. I mean, God. GOD! This story. This incredibly poignant and powerful story of love and second chances. This gripping, emotional, utterly heart wrenching story. My heart will never be the same. I was a complete and utter mess at the end. I love a good second chance romance, but when that also comes wrapped in a story that's as powerful as it is emotional, I'm putty. Total putty.
Eli has lived through hell for the past five years. The only thing that kept him going through the daily beating and torture as a POW are thoughts of his one true love. When he's rescued and returns home where everyone mourned him and thought him long dead, the only thing on his agenda is to make things right with the woman that he walked away from due to circumstances out of his control.
But the girl that he fell head over heels in love with before he left for his overseas tour, is not the woman he comes back to. Shelby is now completely under her mother's thumb of political ambitions and image. She's buried her dreams of dancing and moving away from this town to live in New York. She's engaged to a man who has political ambitions that may be grander than her mother and someone she feels no passion towards. She's a pawn in a game she wants nothing to do with, mourning a man that she believes dead, walking around a shell of the woman that she used to be.
Eli may be scarred as much inside as he is outside, but nothing will stop him from bringing back the sunny, beautiful girl that whose dancing stole his heart almost as much as her smile.
There is a lot of things that happen in the story outside of this couple. THere's so much going on that happened to set the gears in motion for a lot that happened to them. As they try to navigate to the truth, they also find peace again in each other's arms.
I loved the letters that Eli wrote to Shelby and the way she experiences reading them. I love the way he fought for her and my heart absolutely broke for everything he's been through.
Nothing is as it appears and soon the puzzle pieces begin to click together. But can Eli and Shelby survive the truth when it finally reveals itself?
This was such an emotional and gripping story. The only reason that held it back from being a full 5 stars for me was the amount of almost soap opera like intrigue and drama at the end. It was one thing after another and while it all does come a full circle, I felt like it didn't have to get that crazy to be just as powerful. That certainly didn't diminish my enjoyment much, because I truly did love it. Tara Sivec is such a versatile author; she can write romcoms that make you cry laughing and then turn around and write something that will punch you right in the feels. If you're looking for a powerful second chance romance with plenty of feeling and steam, you seriously can't go wrong with this one.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
June 26, 2017
3.75 Stars
December 18, 2018
3.5 stars
I know Tara Sivec as a good author of romantic comedies and I was positively surprised how well she wrote a deep tragic story. Excellent!
Emotional, beautiful, deep writing.
I have no words. Bravo!
I’m disappointed… in myself… for not liking this book better.
Before you scroll and read my random thoughts why, please don’t let it hold you back from reading this book. It has the most beautiful moments / lines I read in romance. Only his letters to her deserve 5+ stars.
**********Ugly opinion & spoilers**********
I’m not good in retelling, so I won’t even try *lol*
There are excellent written reviews telling about the story.
MCs knew each other since she was a kid and he worked on her parents’ plantation. Their romance began as she came back from college and before he left to serve as Marine.
He was "dead" for 6 years and she was forced to move on.
And here comes the huge elephant in the room. We know that his unit was destroyed and he was the only survivor. The whole unit, many honourable men, were killed only to separate him from his woman. Who? Why? How? The story takes place in America. They live in a democratic county with democratic laws. And the whole Marines unit was destroyed because her mother/OM wanted to kill one man? Sorry, it’s just unbelievable, even for a CR.
If her mother/OM wanted to make him disappear (and please excuse my inhumanity) there would be many other possibilities, you know what I mean?
I just couldn’t enjoy their love story without thinking about many men, who lost their lives - someone’s husbands, someone’s sons, someone’s fathers.
No epic love,
no beautiful woman,
no honourable man
is worth the lives of innocent people.
If I misunderstood the story, please prove me wrong!
Despite poetic writing overloaded with emotions I couldn’t feel their epic love. He was hurting and she was whining. It was beautiful, it was emotional, but it was very extravagated.
Damn, I love to read tragedy. I can cope with death and with grief. But it was too much tortured souls even for me.
And the issue with his BFF made me mad. I didn’t see this twist coming and I didn’t need it. I want him alive!!!
Dear MCs, speak to each other! Fight for each other!
Why did she do nothing during 6 years? Was her mother so powerful? The heroine told me that if she wanted, her BFF would help her through her father and his connections. Why didn’t she do anything?
The conflict and the suspense was solved abrupt and without much explanation.
How? Why?
I got no answers.
Cute epilogue though.
Please feel free to prove me wrong.
I’m deeply disappointed not to like this story more.
Am I a bad person?
I know Tara Sivec as a good author of romantic comedies and I was positively surprised how well she wrote a deep tragic story. Excellent!
Emotional, beautiful, deep writing.
I have no words. Bravo!
I’m disappointed… in myself… for not liking this book better.
Before you scroll and read my random thoughts why, please don’t let it hold you back from reading this book. It has the most beautiful moments / lines I read in romance. Only his letters to her deserve 5+ stars.
**********Ugly opinion & spoilers**********
I’m not good in retelling, so I won’t even try *lol*
There are excellent written reviews telling about the story.
MCs knew each other since she was a kid and he worked on her parents’ plantation. Their romance began as she came back from college and before he left to serve as Marine.
He was "dead" for 6 years and she was forced to move on.
And here comes the huge elephant in the room. We know that his unit was destroyed and he was the only survivor. The whole unit, many honourable men, were killed only to separate him from his woman. Who? Why? How? The story takes place in America. They live in a democratic county with democratic laws. And the whole Marines unit was destroyed because her mother/OM wanted to kill one man? Sorry, it’s just unbelievable, even for a CR.
If her mother/OM wanted to make him disappear (and please excuse my inhumanity) there would be many other possibilities, you know what I mean?
I just couldn’t enjoy their love story without thinking about many men, who lost their lives - someone’s husbands, someone’s sons, someone’s fathers.
No epic love,
no beautiful woman,
no honourable man
is worth the lives of innocent people.
If I misunderstood the story, please prove me wrong!
Despite poetic writing overloaded with emotions I couldn’t feel their epic love. He was hurting and she was whining. It was beautiful, it was emotional, but it was very extravagated.
Damn, I love to read tragedy. I can cope with death and with grief. But it was too much tortured souls even for me.
And the issue with his BFF made me mad. I didn’t see this twist coming and I didn’t need it. I want him alive!!!
Dear MCs, speak to each other! Fight for each other!
Why did she do nothing during 6 years? Was her mother so powerful? The heroine told me that if she wanted, her BFF would help her through her father and his connections. Why didn’t she do anything?
The conflict and the suspense was solved abrupt and without much explanation.
How? Why?
I got no answers.
Cute epilogue though.
Please feel free to prove me wrong.
I’m deeply disappointed not to like this story more.
Am I a bad person?
August 5, 2017
I’m standing here in this room, alive and breathing and fighting because of YOU! Because in between the torture and the beatings and the fucking hell, year after year, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I didn’t WANT to get you out of my head. Your smell, your smile, your laugh, your taste, your touch… it’s the only fucking thing that made me want to wake up every damn day and to go through that shit again and again. Thinking about you and fighting to get back to you is the only I could fucking survive.
The Story of Us was a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and healing second chance romance about a Marine who made it back home to save the woman whose memory had kept him alive through hell. I've loved Tara Sivec's writing for years and I was so excited when I heard about this book. I read it in one sitting and it's definitely a new favorite!
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 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.
Five years ago, Elijah James was on a military mission overseas when he was taken prisoner. Each day, he was tortured at the hands of people desperate to break him, and each day he didn't break because the one thing he held onto was the memory of the woman he left behind -- who he still loved with all his heart, and who never knew the true story behind why he'd vanished from her life so suddenly.
How many people lose someone they love, knowing they’ll never see them again, never touch them again, never hear their voice again, only to find out it was all a mistake? How many people wish they could turn back the clock in time os they could look into their loved one’s eyes, run their hands down the side of their loved one’s face, and hear them speak? It’s a dream that everyone who’s lost someone has. A dream that slowly turns into a nightmare you feel like you’ll never wake up from. Something you know is impossible, but you can’t stop obsessing about. I’ve prayed and I’ve screamed and I’ve cried, wanting the impossible, and now I have it.
He’s alive.
When he was finally rescued and returned back to his hometown, the only thing that mattered to him was finding her and telling her the truth about how much he loved her. However, the woman he'd left behind was not the same woman he came back to. The spark of life and light was gone from her and he was determined to do everything he could to bring her back... To save her as she'd saved him.
I’ve become this numb shell of a woman I don’t even recognize anymore for a man who probably only used me, but I don’t know how to stop. He left this town without saying good-bye and then he left this earth without giving me closure. He left me to pick up the pieces and protect his family and his name and I hate him for that. I’ve allowed someone else to make all my decisions, rule my life and crush my dreams because I don’t know how to stop loving him more than I hate him.
You guys -- there were FEEELS!!! This man had sacrificed everything -- his happiness, health, safety, freedom, and almost his life -- for a girl he loved more than anything. And yet she'd never known why the only boy who'd ever made her heart race and made her dream of a future together had left her. And yet she sacrificed everything to keep his reputation untarnished. And when he came back into her life, everything came flooding back -- the intense longing, the magnetic pull she felt towards him, the relief, the heart-break, the love, and so many questions. Why did he leave her? Why did he betray her trust? Had he ever truly loved her? And now it was up to him to tell her the true story and prove to her that no matter what, everything he'd done had been for her and that she was the only thing that had ever mattered to him.
As they found their way back together, he made it his mission to bring happiness back into her life. And as they reconnected through lost letters and stolen nights, all the secrets of their past were brought into the light...
And OMG!!! There is a gut-wrenching little twist towards the end (not romance related, don't worry) that seriously made my heart break for Eli. This book really highlights how real and painful the effects of PTSD are in a way that managed to bring both sad and happy tears to my eyes at the same time. It was equally heartbreaking and healing and I thought this aspect of the book was incredibly well done. I love it when books can take my by surprise and I absolutely didn't see this coming and this whole element really brought so much strength to the story.
This is a story of an undying, unending love that was strong enough to heal even the deepest of scars. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for beautifully written, heart-wrenching and healing romance to fall in love with.
"I meant everything I said in my first few letters. I love you. Only you. Always you…”
Rating: 4.5 stars. Standalone contemporary romance.
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June 13, 2017
2.5 stars
Sadly for me the execution didn't live up to the promise of the blurb. This should have been a winner, it promised everything I love in a book - back from the dead hero, military hero, separation, angst, second chance. Instead the story just seemed to go round and round in circles with nothing much happening, yet the good stuff was glossed over instead of being built on. By three quarters through the book I was desperate for them to TALK about the huge honking elephant in the room, and when it did happen it was too little, too late.
Because of all the round and round I didn't really connect with the characters and found them to be flat and one dimensional. I'm also not a fan of the "martyr" trope, and Shelby was the queen of martyrs.
Sadly for me the execution didn't live up to the promise of the blurb. This should have been a winner, it promised everything I love in a book - back from the dead hero, military hero, separation, angst, second chance. Instead the story just seemed to go round and round in circles with nothing much happening, yet the good stuff was glossed over instead of being built on. By three quarters through the book I was desperate for them to TALK about the huge honking elephant in the room, and when it did happen it was too little, too late.
Because of all the round and round I didn't really connect with the characters and found them to be flat and one dimensional. I'm also not a fan of the "martyr" trope, and Shelby was the queen of martyrs.
May 31, 2017
The best book I have read all year. Heartbreaking and hopeful. Highly recommend.
June 11, 2017
5 Beautiful Stars!
I love books that make me feel, the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching kind of books, with characters you can attach yourself to. Right from the start, I was fully invested in Shelby and Eli’s beautiful story. I’m such a sucker for a second chance at love story, with two people finding their way back to each other. I devoured this emotionally intense tale of true love, redemption and forgiveness, I just couldn’t stop reading!
My heart went out to Eli, he is a shadow of the man he used to be, physically and mentally scarred after spending 5 years in captivity in Afghanistan. He went through hell and back. He can never forget the horrors he has seen and endured, but he is ready to fight for his relationship with Shelby. He lied to her and spent years wishing he could go back and make everything right. Earning her trust again will be his path to redemption.
He walked away from her, to join the Military, and his unit was sent to Afghanistan. Shortly before the end of his deployment, he was taken hostage. For five years, he was presumed dead. Shelby could never move on, even if Eli hurt her deeply when he left. He broke her heart, but she doesn’t care, he is back and that is all that matters to her. I felt for her, she experiences feelings of intense despair and she is so lonely. Shelby may be socially privileged but nothing is what it seems in her life. She is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, and she shouldn’t be because she is the victim of a twisted scheme. But Eli gives her the strength to grow beyond her past and fight to earn their second chance at happiness.
This story was partly told in flashbacks, with different point of views, giving more insight into each character’s personality. Tara Sivec’s writing is flawless, from the amazing character development to the riveting and heart melting storyline. This book has become an instant favorite read of mine and I definitely recommend it.
An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.
I love books that make me feel, the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching kind of books, with characters you can attach yourself to. Right from the start, I was fully invested in Shelby and Eli’s beautiful story. I’m such a sucker for a second chance at love story, with two people finding their way back to each other. I devoured this emotionally intense tale of true love, redemption and forgiveness, I just couldn’t stop reading!
My heart went out to Eli, he is a shadow of the man he used to be, physically and mentally scarred after spending 5 years in captivity in Afghanistan. He went through hell and back. He can never forget the horrors he has seen and endured, but he is ready to fight for his relationship with Shelby. He lied to her and spent years wishing he could go back and make everything right. Earning her trust again will be his path to redemption.
He walked away from her, to join the Military, and his unit was sent to Afghanistan. Shortly before the end of his deployment, he was taken hostage. For five years, he was presumed dead. Shelby could never move on, even if Eli hurt her deeply when he left. He broke her heart, but she doesn’t care, he is back and that is all that matters to her. I felt for her, she experiences feelings of intense despair and she is so lonely. Shelby may be socially privileged but nothing is what it seems in her life. She is overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, and she shouldn’t be because she is the victim of a twisted scheme. But Eli gives her the strength to grow beyond her past and fight to earn their second chance at happiness.
This story was partly told in flashbacks, with different point of views, giving more insight into each character’s personality. Tara Sivec’s writing is flawless, from the amazing character development to the riveting and heart melting storyline. This book has become an instant favorite read of mine and I definitely recommend it.
An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.
June 14, 2017
This book was absolutely AMAZING. Tara Sivec is known for her very funny books and I absolutely loved everyone of them, so when I saw this book and realized this one probably going to be more sad then funny i automatically jumped right in. From the prologue I was hooked. I don't want to write a long review and spoil everything because I honestly think everyone needs to read this. I will say this book is sad so definitely have some tissues ready. This book is just beautiful the love Shelby and Eli have for each other was so sweet.
Safety Note: this book is safe. The hero was celibate, the h was not. Once you read the book you will understand why she wasn't.
Safety Note: this book is safe. The hero was celibate, the h was not. Once you read the book you will understand why she wasn't.
June 11, 2017
Eli and Shelby used to be in love. Ever since she was 12 Shelby had a crush on him, and followed him around like a puppy. But they were not allowed to be together. Shelby is the daughter of a senator and a very influential society queen. And Eli is just a stable hand.
After they spent the most amazing (secret) six months together, when Shelby came home from college, Eli just left. He left to join the Marines. We don't yet know the reasons behind all that; the leaving and breaking both their hearts, but he left.
And he never came back. He died in an explosion in Afghanistan.
Only he didn't die.
He was captured and tortured for more than five years.
Five years, two weeks, four days, and nine hours ...
But Shelby didn't know that. She thought she lost the love of her life. And then, instead of doing what she promised Eli - living her dream in New York - she bowed down to her mother's wishes of being a good girl, dating the right guy - basically do everything she says. We don't yet know why she felt she had to do that either.
But now Eli is back.
Both Shelby and Eli are completely changed people, but the love they had for each other is still there.
It's the only thing that kept Eli alive for all these years.
I wonder if she knows she's the only reason I'm still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.
But will they make it this time? With bad people doing everything in her power to stop them - with all the lies and misunderstandings and dangers and whatnot lurking in every corner?
What will happen with Eli & Shelby??
Will we get our happily ever after??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
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Oy and double oy! I cried soooo much in the prologue already!!!!!
And I didn't stop crying once I finished the first few pages!
THE STORY OF US was such a beautiful book.
I wanted to crawl into the prologue and save Eli. And hug him and comfort him.
And then I wanted to jump into the book to slap the hell out of a couple of people (slap or even worse!). Grrr.
Shelby and Eli were so perfect together and they could be again. But it takes us a long time to get things right again.
And I kind of cried all through it! ☺
There's so much sadness and grief and hopelessness and drama in this story!
You can't help but cry. And feel. Jeez - the feels in that book!
But of course there's also so much hope and love and excitement and sexy moments!
You just feel that it's very close to Tara's heart, the way it's written.
It was an amazingly beautiful story. But it was also a very (patriotic) American story in some aspects. But I didn't mind. I loved and I cried and most of all I felt soo much for and with all Eli & Shelby! ♥
THE STORY OF US was such a heartbreakingly beautiful 2nd-chance lovestory! Full of sadness & grief & hopelessness, but also so full of love & hope!!! Just perfect!
Please run to your nearest amazon for your own Eli - this one is MINE! And don't forget to order a huge box of tissues while you're at it! ☺
♡
♡
♡
♡
June 28, 2017
3 ★'s
I've read a lot of Tara Sivec books, from the funny (Chocolate Lovers series) to the dramatic (Fisher's Light) and she does both quite well. In fact, I was surprised at how well she did indeed write Fisher's Light and jumped at the chance to read another one.
Unfortunately, she didn't quite work her magic with this one, at least for me. I felt it was really wordy and depressing as hell! I actually had to force myself to finish and that's never a good thing. :(
So, let me explain...BOTH characters have been to hell and back and it was just too much. Shelby is the rich ballerina and Elijah (Eli) is the poor Marine. When the story first begins, we get to read about some of the horrors that Eli went through. (ugh) But let me start at the beginning...
Eli works in Shelby's family's stables and he is quite attracted to her. One day, he sees her slipping through the stables and vanish. He's on a mission to find her and when he does, he's totally mesmerized. Their connection is strong and just continues to get stronger. (I loved this part!)
However, Shelby's mother, Georgia, is a force to be reckoned with and is made out to be the villain in the story. Eli's off to the Marines and while he had a plan for him and Shelby to be together, Georgia smashes that to smithereens. And what she set in motion, practically ruins Shelby.
Fast forward more than five years later and both Shelby and Eli are in very different places but both very broken. Eli can't believe the Shelby he sees and he's quite hostile to her, inflicting even more damage. Thank goodness for Shelby's best friend, Meredith.
They can't stay away from each other even though there are some roadblocks. Finally, when those are cleared, you would think everything would be amazing but...then there's the twist! And what a twist it is! (Again, I loved this part as well.)
We thought Eli had been through hell but that was nothing compared to what he has to now face and it tears him down like nothing else ever has. Luckily, he has Shelby and his sister, Kat.
It was quite dramatic but it does wrap up well. I loved the epilogue too! So, there are some good parts to the story which make the book worth reading.
I've read a lot of Tara Sivec books, from the funny (Chocolate Lovers series) to the dramatic (Fisher's Light) and she does both quite well. In fact, I was surprised at how well she did indeed write Fisher's Light and jumped at the chance to read another one.
Unfortunately, she didn't quite work her magic with this one, at least for me. I felt it was really wordy and depressing as hell! I actually had to force myself to finish and that's never a good thing. :(
So, let me explain...BOTH characters have been to hell and back and it was just too much. Shelby is the rich ballerina and Elijah (Eli) is the poor Marine. When the story first begins, we get to read about some of the horrors that Eli went through. (ugh) But let me start at the beginning...
Eli works in Shelby's family's stables and he is quite attracted to her. One day, he sees her slipping through the stables and vanish. He's on a mission to find her and when he does, he's totally mesmerized. Their connection is strong and just continues to get stronger. (I loved this part!)
However, Shelby's mother, Georgia, is a force to be reckoned with and is made out to be the villain in the story. Eli's off to the Marines and while he had a plan for him and Shelby to be together, Georgia smashes that to smithereens. And what she set in motion, practically ruins Shelby.
Fast forward more than five years later and both Shelby and Eli are in very different places but both very broken. Eli can't believe the Shelby he sees and he's quite hostile to her, inflicting even more damage. Thank goodness for Shelby's best friend, Meredith.
They can't stay away from each other even though there are some roadblocks. Finally, when those are cleared, you would think everything would be amazing but...then there's the twist! And what a twist it is! (Again, I loved this part as well.)
We thought Eli had been through hell but that was nothing compared to what he has to now face and it tears him down like nothing else ever has. Luckily, he has Shelby and his sister, Kat.
It was quite dramatic but it does wrap up well. I loved the epilogue too! So, there are some good parts to the story which make the book worth reading.
June 1, 2017
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Genre: Military Romance. Second Chance Romance.
GAH! This book had my eyes FLOODING with tears. It is absolutely gorgeous, but also achingly heartbreaking. Normally, when I pick up a book by Tara Sivec (she is one of my top 5 favorite authors) I know I am going in to have a good laugh. But this one is so different. It's not the type that will cause you to roll around in hysterics but instead, the type to make you FEEL. A lot of swooning happens too but the FEELS are tremendous. YIKES! I know this one was going to be packed with emotion but I had no idea that I was going to be taken on an emotional roller-coaster that left me feeling like I do now. This is an absolute MUST READ. And is most definitely going to be on my top 10 favorite books of the year - I just know it! -
With that, this is a beautiful albeit emotional romance novel that is filled with the kind of love that all us women dream to have. It takes some time to get there, and there are numerous road blocks standing in the couples way, but when they finally get what they needed from one another all along- it's pure fireworks! I don't want to get to much into the plot because this book NEEDS to be read with 0 spoilers, but it is going to get your blood boiling (especially in the military aspects) and your heart pounding.
If your a fan of the author but, like me, have only read her hilarious books, I highly recommend (can I demand?) that you read this one! It's so different from her Chocolate Lovers and Chocoholics series (and of course, her other ones that are my top favorites EVER), but so worth the read!
5++++++ stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Genre: Military Romance. Second Chance Romance.
GAH! This book had my eyes FLOODING with tears. It is absolutely gorgeous, but also achingly heartbreaking. Normally, when I pick up a book by Tara Sivec (she is one of my top 5 favorite authors) I know I am going in to have a good laugh. But this one is so different. It's not the type that will cause you to roll around in hysterics but instead, the type to make you FEEL. A lot of swooning happens too but the FEELS are tremendous. YIKES! I know this one was going to be packed with emotion but I had no idea that I was going to be taken on an emotional roller-coaster that left me feeling like I do now. This is an absolute MUST READ. And is most definitely going to be on my top 10 favorite books of the year - I just know it! -
With that, this is a beautiful albeit emotional romance novel that is filled with the kind of love that all us women dream to have. It takes some time to get there, and there are numerous road blocks standing in the couples way, but when they finally get what they needed from one another all along- it's pure fireworks! I don't want to get to much into the plot because this book NEEDS to be read with 0 spoilers, but it is going to get your blood boiling (especially in the military aspects) and your heart pounding.
If your a fan of the author but, like me, have only read her hilarious books, I highly recommend (can I demand?) that you read this one! It's so different from her Chocolate Lovers and Chocoholics series (and of course, her other ones that are my top favorites EVER), but so worth the read!
5++++++ stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 11, 2017
Eli and Shelby used to be in love. Ever since she was 12 Shelby had a crush on him, and followed him around like a puppy. But they were not allowed to be together. Shelby is the daughter of a senator and a very influential society queen. And Eli is just a stable hand.
After they spent the most amazing (secret) six months together, when Shelby came home from college, Eli just left. He left to join the Marines. We don't yet know the reasons behind all that; the leaving and breaking both their hearts, but he left.
And he never came back. He died in an explosion in Afghanistan.
Only he didn't die.
He was captured and tortured for more than five years.
Five years, two weeks, four days, and nine hours ...
But Shelby didn't know that. She thought she lost the love of her life. And then, instead of doing what she promised Eli - living her dream in New York - she bowed down to her mother's wishes of being a good girl, dating the right guy - basically do everything she says. We don't yet know why she felt she had to do that either.
But now Eli is back.
Both Shelby and Eli are completely changed people, but the love they had for each other is still there.
It's the only thing that kept Eli alive for all these years.
I wonder if she knows she's the only reason I'm still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.
But will they make it this time? With bad people doing everything in her power to stop them - with all the lies and misunderstandings and dangers and whatnot lurking in every corner?
What will happen with Eli & Shelby??
Will we get our happily ever after??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺
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Oy and double oy! I cried soooo much in the prologue already!!!!!
And I didn't stop crying once I finished the first few pages!
THE STORY OF US was such a beautiful book.
I wanted to crawl into the prologue and save Eli. And hug him and comfort him.
And then I wanted to jump into the book to slap the hell out of a couple of people (slap or even worse!). Grrr.
Shelby and Eli were so perfect together and they could be again. But it takes us a long time to get things right again.
And I kind of cried all through it! ☺
There's so much sadness and grief and hopelessness and drama in this story!
You can't help but cry. And feel. Jeez - the feels in that book!
But of course there's also so much hope and love and excitement and sexy moments!
You just feel that it's very close to Tara's heart, the way it's written.
It was an amazingly beautiful story. But it was also a very (patriotic) American story in some aspects. But I didn't mind. I loved and I cried and most of all I felt soo much for and with all Eli & Shelby! ♥
THE STORY OF US was such a heartbreakingly beautiful 2nd-chance lovestory! Full of sadness & grief & hopelessness, but also so full of love & hope!!! Just perfect!
Please run to your nearest amazon for your own Eli - this one is MINE! And don't forget to order a huge box of tissues while you're at it! ☺
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June 12, 2017
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec is a deep raw emotional second chance love story of a soldier and the woman he never stopped loving. With her delicate and sensitive prose, Sivec engages her readers to feel the depths of survival, hope, loss, and love as two former lovers reunites after five years.
I wonder if she’d touch me with the same boldness now that scars disfigure my skin . I wonder if she’d love me the same way when she saw how twisted and confused my mind has become just so I can make it through another day. I wonder if she still thinks of me as much as I do her. I wonder if she knows she’s the only reason I’m still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.”
1,843 days. That was how long Eli was a prisoner of war. For five years, he was in hell being tortured but through it all, he kept thinking about her. His Shelby. The hope that he would one day see her again was what kept him alive and sane. And so, when he was finally rescued, there was only one person that he wanted to see. Shelby Eubanks. The girl that owned his heart.
Shelby Eubanks thought he died overseas and within those five years, she had just been an empty shell going through the motions of having people dictate her life. Her dreams of dancing and New York didn’t panned out and with her mother controling every aspect of her life even if it includes being engaged to an upcoming politician who is running for Senator. She should love her fiance but there isn’t that spark that she had with Eli.
I’m broken and scarred and half the man I used to be, but if she’ll let me explain, I hope to God she can put me back together again.”
When Eli goes to see Shelby, he notices that she isn’t the girl that she used to be. She is broken. Fragile. And Eli will stop at nothing to bring back the spark and twinkle in Shelby’s eyes. His love for her saved him and in return he hopes to Shelby.
You saved me, Shelby,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers. “For five years, you saved me, and you didn’t even know it. Now it’s my turn to save you.”
The Story of Us is as deep, poignant and beautiful as it can get. This story. These characters. And circumstance of events beyond their control are what made this book stand out. Tara Sivec allowed her readers to feel the loss, the hurt, the sadness, and the beauty of hope and love. While this story may have broken my heart on an emotional level, I loved that Tara Sivec slowly pieced together the broken pieces to make my heart whole. She held you hostage to the extent of how far a man will go for survival and love. So if you are looking for an emotional gripping story that will capture your heart, then I highly recommend you to read this book.
Tara Sivec
The Story Of Us by Tara Sivec is a deep raw emotional second chance love story of a soldier and the woman he never stopped loving. With her delicate and sensitive prose, Sivec engages her readers to feel the depths of survival, hope, loss, and love as two former lovers reunites after five years.
I wonder if she’d touch me with the same boldness now that scars disfigure my skin . I wonder if she’d love me the same way when she saw how twisted and confused my mind has become just so I can make it through another day. I wonder if she still thinks of me as much as I do her. I wonder if she knows she’s the only reason I’m still breathing, still fighting, and still holding on.”1,843 days. That was how long Eli was a prisoner of war. For five years, he was in hell being tortured but through it all, he kept thinking about her. His Shelby. The hope that he would one day see her again was what kept him alive and sane. And so, when he was finally rescued, there was only one person that he wanted to see. Shelby Eubanks. The girl that owned his heart.
Shelby Eubanks thought he died overseas and within those five years, she had just been an empty shell going through the motions of having people dictate her life. Her dreams of dancing and New York didn’t panned out and with her mother controling every aspect of her life even if it includes being engaged to an upcoming politician who is running for Senator. She should love her fiance but there isn’t that spark that she had with Eli.
I’m broken and scarred and half the man I used to be, but if she’ll let me explain, I hope to God she can put me back together again.”When Eli goes to see Shelby, he notices that she isn’t the girl that she used to be. She is broken. Fragile. And Eli will stop at nothing to bring back the spark and twinkle in Shelby’s eyes. His love for her saved him and in return he hopes to Shelby.
You saved me, Shelby,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers. “For five years, you saved me, and you didn’t even know it. Now it’s my turn to save you.”The Story of Us is as deep, poignant and beautiful as it can get. This story. These characters. And circumstance of events beyond their control are what made this book stand out. Tara Sivec allowed her readers to feel the loss, the hurt, the sadness, and the beauty of hope and love. While this story may have broken my heart on an emotional level, I loved that Tara Sivec slowly pieced together the broken pieces to make my heart whole. She held you hostage to the extent of how far a man will go for survival and love. So if you are looking for an emotional gripping story that will capture your heart, then I highly recommend you to read this book.
Tara Sivec
July 4, 2019
This is a book that will be remembered for a long time!
For a book that looks beautiful but does not sound overly different in plot than a typical romance, I was surprised. Extremely surprised. This novel and the story in particular was incredible. Everything from the cover, to the story, to the complexities of the characters and their relationships, was absolutely stunning (sometimes heartbreakingly so).
This is a story that captures the reader's attention but also captures the reader's heart and emotions. Periodically, I could feel myself tearing up, especially when it came to the emotions tied to a specific character's PTSD. The writing captured that emotion so well and it felt so raw. With that being said though, I also was emotional when it came to the main female character's past and her own struggles. It was an emotional novel all around and this story got to all of my feels.
Although this potentially could be a negative thing to claim at this moment in time, I mean it in the best way possible: if you enjoy the writing/plot/novels of Nicholas Sparks, this novel reminds me of different components of his novels tied into one story. That sounds complicated but if you read this novel, you'll understand. There are many side stories going on within this story and many relationships that are involved (not necessarily romantically).
If you are an avid romance novel reader, or an avid Nicholas Sparks reader, I suspect there will be one plot point that many readers will be able to predict ahead of time (like I did). I knew what was happening with this specific plot from the beginning but the climax for how it eventually evolved was the true surprise (again, also quite emotional). Even though I was able to predict what was going on with this character, I still felt it was necessary and made the story even more powerful.
This is definitely a contender for one of my favourite reads for Summer 2019. Actually, this is a contender for one of my favourite reads of this year! The novel seems so unsuspecting (yet beautiful) from the outside but it's a story with a punch that will have me thinking about it for quite some time.
I have not read any other novels by Tara Sivec but now that I have, I'm desperately in search for som more. This novel was so well done in both writing and storytelling, that I need to read more from this author and I'm hoping to sooner rather than later.
***Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
For a book that looks beautiful but does not sound overly different in plot than a typical romance, I was surprised. Extremely surprised. This novel and the story in particular was incredible. Everything from the cover, to the story, to the complexities of the characters and their relationships, was absolutely stunning (sometimes heartbreakingly so).
This is a story that captures the reader's attention but also captures the reader's heart and emotions. Periodically, I could feel myself tearing up, especially when it came to the emotions tied to a specific character's PTSD. The writing captured that emotion so well and it felt so raw. With that being said though, I also was emotional when it came to the main female character's past and her own struggles. It was an emotional novel all around and this story got to all of my feels.
Although this potentially could be a negative thing to claim at this moment in time, I mean it in the best way possible: if you enjoy the writing/plot/novels of Nicholas Sparks, this novel reminds me of different components of his novels tied into one story. That sounds complicated but if you read this novel, you'll understand. There are many side stories going on within this story and many relationships that are involved (not necessarily romantically).
If you are an avid romance novel reader, or an avid Nicholas Sparks reader, I suspect there will be one plot point that many readers will be able to predict ahead of time (like I did). I knew what was happening with this specific plot from the beginning but the climax for how it eventually evolved was the true surprise (again, also quite emotional). Even though I was able to predict what was going on with this character, I still felt it was necessary and made the story even more powerful.
This is definitely a contender for one of my favourite reads for Summer 2019. Actually, this is a contender for one of my favourite reads of this year! The novel seems so unsuspecting (yet beautiful) from the outside but it's a story with a punch that will have me thinking about it for quite some time.
I have not read any other novels by Tara Sivec but now that I have, I'm desperately in search for som more. This novel was so well done in both writing and storytelling, that I need to read more from this author and I'm hoping to sooner rather than later.
***Thank you to Forever Publishing for sending me a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review***
May 30, 2017
I love Tara Sivec. She is such a well-rounded author and shows she can truly write anything. While her humor and comedy make me smile and laugh out loud, it's her stories from the heart that really speak to me emotionally and soulfully.
The Story of Us is a beautiful, 2nd chance love story that will pull at your heartstrings while making you root for a Happily Ever After.
Eli and Shelby are from completely different upbringings. How they meet is shown in the story and I won't spoil it for you but I had a complete smile on my face because I knew that something special was going to happen between these two.
Eli suffers the unimaginable during his deployment and my heart was literally in my throat thinking of the men and women who fight for our country every day.
As the story unravels and Eli and Shelby are brought into each other's lives again, I can't help but hope and pray for healing. These two characters need it more than any characters I have ever read about.
So many lies and secrets are revealed and a couple of unexpected moments that made me say OMG out loud. The pain of lost time between these lovers broke my heart and had me shedding tears but it was the hope that they could find their paths to each other again that made me push ahead even when the sadness hurt my heart.
I love Tara Sivec's words... I love the emotion and feeling and care that went into this well-crafted story and even more than this, I loved that joyful feeling in my heart that had me closing my kindle with a smile on my face knowing that these characters, though broken and constantly working to be better, were going to be ok. ❤️
The Story of Us is a beautiful, 2nd chance love story that will pull at your heartstrings while making you root for a Happily Ever After.
Eli and Shelby are from completely different upbringings. How they meet is shown in the story and I won't spoil it for you but I had a complete smile on my face because I knew that something special was going to happen between these two.
Eli suffers the unimaginable during his deployment and my heart was literally in my throat thinking of the men and women who fight for our country every day.
As the story unravels and Eli and Shelby are brought into each other's lives again, I can't help but hope and pray for healing. These two characters need it more than any characters I have ever read about.
So many lies and secrets are revealed and a couple of unexpected moments that made me say OMG out loud. The pain of lost time between these lovers broke my heart and had me shedding tears but it was the hope that they could find their paths to each other again that made me push ahead even when the sadness hurt my heart.
I love Tara Sivec's words... I love the emotion and feeling and care that went into this well-crafted story and even more than this, I loved that joyful feeling in my heart that had me closing my kindle with a smile on my face knowing that these characters, though broken and constantly working to be better, were going to be ok. ❤️
June 11, 2017
The Story of Us by Tara Sivec
4 stars!!!
I have loved this author from the very beginning and as much as I love her rom-coms, my most favourite books of hers to this day remain her more serious, emotional and angsty reads and The Story of Us is one of them. The Story of Us is a second chance romance between a soldier and the woman he left behind. Shelby and Eli didn’t part ways how they wanted, or how they expected but through a forced circumstance that perpetually led to heartbreak, for both of them. Misunderstandings and coercion at the root of their separation leads to one intense, epic romance and one that Tara Sivec delivered with emotion, intense character connection and a few shocking twists along the way.
Shelby and Eli were chalk and cheese. Shelby the rich girl living on her parent’s estate and Eli the stable boy. But the heart wants who the heart wants and these two only wanted each other. Class divides aside, the time that these two spent together was everything and something neither would forget. Meddling people who do not want these two together intervene and then everything goes to shit in more ways than one. Now six years later when Eli returns, he sees the damage his absence has done, but he is far from over, he will not give up, he will fight for her and there is only one way he can do, make her see “The Story of Us.”
Shelby was a woman that was well and truly under her mother’s thumb, blackmail and coercion are par for the course and the life that Shelby always believed that she would lead was a long and far and distant memory. Shelby was stuck between being herself or keeping those that she loved safe. Shelby was going to be a dancer until everything was taken away, now she needed to find her backbone and there was only one person who could help her find it.
Eli had been through so much, struggled for most of his life and it seems those struggles are far from over. Shelby had been the one constant, the memories of what they had and shared are what kept him going when it would have been all too easy to give up. Scarred both physically and mentally, Eli is a far cry from the man that left. But, at the end of the day, he knows that the only one that can save him is his Shelby and he will stop at nothing to get her.
Tara Sivec delivers one poignant, heart breaking, emotional and totally gut-wrenching story. This is where I feel Tara Sivec excels. With all her “serious” books she never fails to tug at every single heart string while firmly implanting her characters into my heart and soul. It is this side of her writing that I wanted a little more from in this book. The outside interferences all got a little crazy at times and detracted from the crux of the story, hence the four stars. But, none the less, despite the crazy of the incredibly wealthy, the heart of this book is what made me love it. Those desperate second chances, that heart and soul connection and the belief in a love that transcends time. Once again, another winner from Tara Sivec.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!!
“I’m dying.
I’m alive.
I can’t breathe.
I’m whole.”
I have loved this author from the very beginning and as much as I love her rom-coms, my most favourite books of hers to this day remain her more serious, emotional and angsty reads and The Story of Us is one of them. The Story of Us is a second chance romance between a soldier and the woman he left behind. Shelby and Eli didn’t part ways how they wanted, or how they expected but through a forced circumstance that perpetually led to heartbreak, for both of them. Misunderstandings and coercion at the root of their separation leads to one intense, epic romance and one that Tara Sivec delivered with emotion, intense character connection and a few shocking twists along the way.
““Go away! Take your lies and your fucking Ryan Gosling references and shove them up your ass!” she finishes, rounding the doorway and moving out of sight.”
Shelby and Eli were chalk and cheese. Shelby the rich girl living on her parent’s estate and Eli the stable boy. But the heart wants who the heart wants and these two only wanted each other. Class divides aside, the time that these two spent together was everything and something neither would forget. Meddling people who do not want these two together intervene and then everything goes to shit in more ways than one. Now six years later when Eli returns, he sees the damage his absence has done, but he is far from over, he will not give up, he will fight for her and there is only one way he can do, make her see “The Story of Us.”
“She makes the bad all go away, and that’s exactly where it needs to stay.”
Shelby was a woman that was well and truly under her mother’s thumb, blackmail and coercion are par for the course and the life that Shelby always believed that she would lead was a long and far and distant memory. Shelby was stuck between being herself or keeping those that she loved safe. Shelby was going to be a dancer until everything was taken away, now she needed to find her backbone and there was only one person who could help her find it.
“The walls have officially crumbled on this house of lies and I’m finished. I’m done being taken advantage of and used for everyone else’s agendas. This is my life and it’s about damn time I start living it again and making my own damn decisions.”
Eli had been through so much, struggled for most of his life and it seems those struggles are far from over. Shelby had been the one constant, the memories of what they had and shared are what kept him going when it would have been all too easy to give up. Scarred both physically and mentally, Eli is a far cry from the man that left. But, at the end of the day, he knows that the only one that can save him is his Shelby and he will stop at nothing to get her.
“Life’s too short to fight a war you can’t win, son, no matter how wrong it is or how angry you are. Pick one you can win.”
Tara Sivec delivers one poignant, heart breaking, emotional and totally gut-wrenching story. This is where I feel Tara Sivec excels. With all her “serious” books she never fails to tug at every single heart string while firmly implanting her characters into my heart and soul. It is this side of her writing that I wanted a little more from in this book. The outside interferences all got a little crazy at times and detracted from the crux of the story, hence the four stars. But, none the less, despite the crazy of the incredibly wealthy, the heart of this book is what made me love it. Those desperate second chances, that heart and soul connection and the belief in a love that transcends time. Once again, another winner from Tara Sivec.
“Two broken pieces don’t make a whole. They just make a bigger fucking mess for someone to clean up. You don’t need any more messes in your life and all the time in the world isn’t going to fix mine.”
www.theromancecover.com
July 9, 2017
I’ve died a thousand times over the years, all for him.
Ah, there’s nothing quite like the sweet, prickly angst of a second chance romance! The mere premise of this book called to me from the start—just the idea of a soldier coming back from war and having to fight for the woman he’d left behind making me tingle with excitement—but I knew that in the hands of this author, a story like this can become something truly special. Because when Tara Sivec wants to make you laugh, she will leave you in stitches, but when she is set on making your heart hurt, her words will feel like daggers, and you will undoubtedly love every single second of it. A passionate tale of love and forgiveness—tragic yet hopeful, with two star-crossed lovers whose selfless devotion to one another knows no bounds—this was a book that kept surprising me at every turn, and from the first page, it had me completely hooked.
Continue reading this review...
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June 10, 2017
❤ 4 EMOTIONAL STARS
Review to come
Review to come
February 4, 2018
Oh my god. This book is amazing. I did not expect that at all, I'm in tears. Ugh my heart, if you're emotional like me then be prepared when reading this book.
But even though there was a sad part in this book that really got to me, it had a lot of good moments too and the the love between the two main characters is just perfect. I also enjoyed the writing and it was very enjoyable to read. The epilogue was very cute.
Ughhh. Still feeling sad. I need to read something happy now✨
Adding this to my favourite shelf.
💛💛💛💛💛
But even though there was a sad part in this book that really got to me, it had a lot of good moments too and the the love between the two main characters is just perfect. I also enjoyed the writing and it was very enjoyable to read. The epilogue was very cute.
Ughhh. Still feeling sad. I need to read something happy now✨
Adding this to my favourite shelf.
💛💛💛💛💛
June 4, 2017
“I love you … Only you. Always you.”
4 stars
Tara Sivec brings the feels again with The Story of Us, an emotional second chance romance between a soldier and his first love – a young couple that were heartbreakingly torn apart only to be unexpectedly reunited years later, both damaged and scarred. A surprising, dramatic and heartfelt story that is beautifully romantic and left me feeling all fluffy with a big grin on my face.
Elijah and Shelby met as teenagers. She was the privileged princess, he worked in her family’s stables, she crushed on him, he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t until Shelby returned from college that Eli finally noticed her, and over the course of one blissful summer, the two of them fell into a deep, intense, all-consuming love. They were torn apart when Eli was shipped off on deployment, and lies and betrayal set their lives in completely different paths.
Eli’s deployment ended in tragedy when he was taken prisoner, but everybody back at home was told he was dead. For five years he was held and tortured, and his dreams of Shelby were the only thing that got him through. Now that he’s free, he has one thing on his mind – going home and getting his girl back.
I loved Eli. His strength in enduring all that he has, and then his determination to reclaim his life and get his girl back was amazing, and I loved his alphaness in going after what he wanted. But the girl he finds is far from what he expected, and Shelby is now a shadow of the wild girl with big dreams that she used to be. The five years that she spent thinking that Eli was dead, and all that happened to her in that time has left her completely changed, and Eli is determined to bring her back.
OMG, this is such a beautiful love story. Heartbreaking, emotional, passionate and full of chemistry, I could feel everything between Eli and Shelby. Their love for each other is evident in every moment between them, but there is more to their separation than either of them knew and their reunion is not an easy one, and things get quite angsty with both of them holding onto secrets. I’ve gotta say, I was frustrated that it took them so long to truly talk to each other, but they do eventually open up and confront the demons of their past and work through the issues that are facing them in the present. And through it all there is a feeling of certainty that they belong together, that they need each other to be able to find peace, be happy and move forward, and I loved watching them fight to find that.
There is some drama as secrets are fully revealed and finally dealt with, and there were some great surprises in the way their story unfolded, which I really enjoyed. And as gorgeous as the love story is, this book is also a journey of two people finding themselves again after enduring heartache, trauma, loss and grief, and that part of the story blended beautifully with the romance.
This was a beautifully written story. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, and loved their story – including the glimpses we got into their past together and the way that was woven into the book. This was a surprising read with lots of feels, and I loved it.
4 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
Tara Sivec brings the feels again with The Story of Us, an emotional second chance romance between a soldier and his first love – a young couple that were heartbreakingly torn apart only to be unexpectedly reunited years later, both damaged and scarred. A surprising, dramatic and heartfelt story that is beautifully romantic and left me feeling all fluffy with a big grin on my face.
I’m broken and scarred and half the man I used to be, but if she’ll let me explain, I hope to God she can put me back together again.
Elijah and Shelby met as teenagers. She was the privileged princess, he worked in her family’s stables, she crushed on him, he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t until Shelby returned from college that Eli finally noticed her, and over the course of one blissful summer, the two of them fell into a deep, intense, all-consuming love. They were torn apart when Eli was shipped off on deployment, and lies and betrayal set their lives in completely different paths.
Eli’s deployment ended in tragedy when he was taken prisoner, but everybody back at home was told he was dead. For five years he was held and tortured, and his dreams of Shelby were the only thing that got him through. Now that he’s free, he has one thing on his mind – going home and getting his girl back.
I’ve waited long enough. Shelby is the main reason I’m still here, alive and kicking, and it’s time she knows that. It’s time for me to take back what was always meant to be mine.
I loved Eli. His strength in enduring all that he has, and then his determination to reclaim his life and get his girl back was amazing, and I loved his alphaness in going after what he wanted. But the girl he finds is far from what he expected, and Shelby is now a shadow of the wild girl with big dreams that she used to be. The five years that she spent thinking that Eli was dead, and all that happened to her in that time has left her completely changed, and Eli is determined to bring her back.
“You saved me, Shelby,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers. “For five years, you saved me, and you didn’t even know it. Now it’s my turn to save you.”
OMG, this is such a beautiful love story. Heartbreaking, emotional, passionate and full of chemistry, I could feel everything between Eli and Shelby. Their love for each other is evident in every moment between them, but there is more to their separation than either of them knew and their reunion is not an easy one, and things get quite angsty with both of them holding onto secrets. I’ve gotta say, I was frustrated that it took them so long to truly talk to each other, but they do eventually open up and confront the demons of their past and work through the issues that are facing them in the present. And through it all there is a feeling of certainty that they belong together, that they need each other to be able to find peace, be happy and move forward, and I loved watching them fight to find that.
“I can’t leave you alone and I can’t move on because you’re everything to me. You always have been and you always will be, and I know damn well you feel the same, even if you want to stand here, look me right in the fucking eyes, and lie to me.”
…
“I don’t give a shit if you’re with someone else, he’ll never love you the way I do. He’ll never fight for you the way I do and he’ll never fucking see you the way I do!”
There is some drama as secrets are fully revealed and finally dealt with, and there were some great surprises in the way their story unfolded, which I really enjoyed. And as gorgeous as the love story is, this book is also a journey of two people finding themselves again after enduring heartache, trauma, loss and grief, and that part of the story blended beautifully with the romance.
“I’d rather be a complete mess with you than spend another day shattered all over the floor alone.”
This was a beautifully written story. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, and loved their story – including the glimpses we got into their past together and the way that was woven into the book. This was a surprising read with lots of feels, and I loved it.
4 stars.
An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2017
What a ride!! This is such a tear jerker, playing at sorts of emotions book and I loved it...I usually tend to stick to less ansty and painful contemporaries but this story caught my attention from the blurb and it didn't let go till the end.
Eli James , a marine has been in a hell hole for the past 1,843 days since his capture after being in a IED explosion by the enemies armed forces. He and his best friend were trapped for years and the only thing that got him through was Shelby and making it back to her. He comes home to find that he had been declared dead for the past 4 years and everything has changed, especially the woman he fell in love with.
Shelby Eubanks has also being living in a hell, a different kind and mostly made out of her own choice. Her decision to protect the person she loves led her to making several choices that have slowly chipped away at the person she was, now all that remains is some hallowed out shell and the sad part Shelby doesn't even really care about herself.
Eli and Shelby has known each other since he was 16 and she was 12 but things changed when Shelby was in high school and later when she came back from college. They fell in love, in a I'm in love with you with every part of my soul, body and heart kind of way. Losing each other was devastating for both of them. For Shelby it led to her losing her dreams of being a dancer and for Eli, losing his identity. Now years later, Shelby and Eli are reunited but everything is difficult. Gone is the woman who used to laugh, smile, love and dance, instead Shelby is just surviving while Eli is struggling with the nightmares of his captivity but he wants nothing than to be with his Shelby and he is not going to stop till the he gets the happy Shelby back.
How much can a man take before he breaks? When do the dreams stop giving him comfort and he has to accept that he’ll never see her again, touch her again or hear her say “I love you” again? ~Eli.
One thing you could never doubt was how much they both loved each other, in a way that they would do anything to make that person happy and fight anything themselves just so the other person doesn't have to. I just really adored both of them, they made choices that they thought would make things better for the other even if it meant they would be hurting and how can you not love these selfless individuals who loved each other so much. They both felt so much guilt, love (dear god the LOVE), pain and grief that as a reader you get immersed in it with no way out. It's a just a very powerful, beautiful and heart wrenching story that leaves you with so many feelings.
I Love you, Shelby. Only You. ALWAYS you ~ Eli
I loved Tara Sivec's writing, it made all their emotions seem very real and human. Also just around 90% when something gets revealed I really wasn't expecting that, I should have but I didn't and took this story to the next level. The letters were a great touch, it allowed us to get to know their story from Eli's side and without the need of flashbacks and I adored those letters. This book is literally like a punch of feels right into your heart!
Their story also reminded me of the line from Veronica Mars: "I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC."
Quibbles: I do wish we had more of actual dialogue between the characters instead of being told certain things that has happened. I'm not a fan of huge chucks of paragraphs. I also thought some aspects of the book could have been better executed like the whole Shelby's mother situation.
Overall, a fantastic tearjerker by Tara Sivec about two individuals who felt damaged, finally found peace and a happily ever after. The prologue for the next book seems great as well so I'll be on the lookout for that one.
ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Eli James , a marine has been in a hell hole for the past 1,843 days since his capture after being in a IED explosion by the enemies armed forces. He and his best friend were trapped for years and the only thing that got him through was Shelby and making it back to her. He comes home to find that he had been declared dead for the past 4 years and everything has changed, especially the woman he fell in love with.
Shelby Eubanks has also being living in a hell, a different kind and mostly made out of her own choice. Her decision to protect the person she loves led her to making several choices that have slowly chipped away at the person she was, now all that remains is some hallowed out shell and the sad part Shelby doesn't even really care about herself.
Eli and Shelby has known each other since he was 16 and she was 12 but things changed when Shelby was in high school and later when she came back from college. They fell in love, in a I'm in love with you with every part of my soul, body and heart kind of way. Losing each other was devastating for both of them. For Shelby it led to her losing her dreams of being a dancer and for Eli, losing his identity. Now years later, Shelby and Eli are reunited but everything is difficult. Gone is the woman who used to laugh, smile, love and dance, instead Shelby is just surviving while Eli is struggling with the nightmares of his captivity but he wants nothing than to be with his Shelby and he is not going to stop till the he gets the happy Shelby back.
How much can a man take before he breaks? When do the dreams stop giving him comfort and he has to accept that he’ll never see her again, touch her again or hear her say “I love you” again? ~Eli.
One thing you could never doubt was how much they both loved each other, in a way that they would do anything to make that person happy and fight anything themselves just so the other person doesn't have to. I just really adored both of them, they made choices that they thought would make things better for the other even if it meant they would be hurting and how can you not love these selfless individuals who loved each other so much. They both felt so much guilt, love (dear god the LOVE), pain and grief that as a reader you get immersed in it with no way out. It's a just a very powerful, beautiful and heart wrenching story that leaves you with so many feelings.
I Love you, Shelby. Only You. ALWAYS you ~ Eli
I loved Tara Sivec's writing, it made all their emotions seem very real and human. Also just around 90% when something gets revealed I really wasn't expecting that, I should have but I didn't and took this story to the next level. The letters were a great touch, it allowed us to get to know their story from Eli's side and without the need of flashbacks and I adored those letters. This book is literally like a punch of feels right into your heart!
Their story also reminded me of the line from Veronica Mars: "I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC."
“I’d rather be a complete mess with you than spend another day shattered all over the floor alone.”~ Shelby.
Quibbles: I do wish we had more of actual dialogue between the characters instead of being told certain things that has happened. I'm not a fan of huge chucks of paragraphs. I also thought some aspects of the book could have been better executed like the whole Shelby's mother situation.
Overall, a fantastic tearjerker by Tara Sivec about two individuals who felt damaged, finally found peace and a happily ever after. The prologue for the next book seems great as well so I'll be on the lookout for that one.
ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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June 5, 2017
4.5+ stars
This is one of those stories that truly takes you on a journey. It is not predictable and there are surprises. There are tragic circumstances and no easy fixes. Both of the the characters are broken and in need of healing.
Eli James and Shelby Eubanks had a secret summer love affair six years ago. He worked in the stables for her affluent family. But all control was taken away from them by circumstances. Eli ended up suffering a loss and then was deployed faster than expected. And he broke her heart as he left. That triggered a series of circumstances for Shelby that totally changed her life as well. And then unfortunately he was taken prisoner and suffered immeasurably for 5 more years. But Shelby was suffering in her own way as well. There was a lot of secrets, lies, and miscommunication in the past that has now followed them into their present.
Eli returns a bitter, angry, haunted, scarred, and damaged man. He is plagued with guilt, regret, and nightmares. He is lost and coming home to try to reestablish a relationship with the one woman whose memory kept him alive.
Shelby is now guarded, hurt, subdued, untrusting, and conforming to the wishes of others. She has lost her spark and lust for life, and is stuck living a life she hates. And she never got over the pain that Eli inflicted and the subsequent repercussions.
They gave up everything for each other, but all they ended up with was broken dreams and heartbreak. And now they are both lost, grieving, angry, and disappointed at how their lives have turned out. Neither of them has the full information about the past. But being in each other's presence again brings them back to life initially with fear, anger and disappointment, but is then followed with passion, peace, and a need to rekindle their lost love.
But they have layers of issues and secrets to wade through. At times they each need some saving and understanding. They need to help build each other back up and share their strength instead of tearing each other down. They have to learn to pick their battles and fight for what is most important to them. But the problem with both having so many issues is that they are not only fighting their own battles but also the other's. With all they have been through and are still going through, can they make each other close to whole again and be able to move on?
Unfortunately this couple falls into the miscommunication trap where they try to protect the other or do not want to upset them. I swear there were times I was talking back to my kindle and telling them to TALK! But the secrets just caused more worry, stress, pain, and allowed them to be manipulated at times. There was a lot going on under the surface of this story. There were some surprises, connections, and twists. My heart broke for this couple. Their story was not an easy or pretty one, it was challenging, tragic, and devastating. The side characters were also an important part of the story and plot. There were definitely some antagonists that infuriated me. I really liked her best friend, Meredith, and his friend, Rylan, and sister, Kat. I loved how the book title was weaved in to show us their past and how it affected the present.
This is a second-chance love story about confronting demons, hope, healing, embracing life, and knowing when to hold on and when to let go. It is told in Eli and Shelby's points of view with the exception of one chapter. It is intriguing, emotional, raw, heartbreaking, frustrating, and heartfelt. It hits all the feels.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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This is one of those stories that truly takes you on a journey. It is not predictable and there are surprises. There are tragic circumstances and no easy fixes. Both of the the characters are broken and in need of healing.
Eli James and Shelby Eubanks had a secret summer love affair six years ago. He worked in the stables for her affluent family. But all control was taken away from them by circumstances. Eli ended up suffering a loss and then was deployed faster than expected. And he broke her heart as he left. That triggered a series of circumstances for Shelby that totally changed her life as well. And then unfortunately he was taken prisoner and suffered immeasurably for 5 more years. But Shelby was suffering in her own way as well. There was a lot of secrets, lies, and miscommunication in the past that has now followed them into their present.
Eli returns a bitter, angry, haunted, scarred, and damaged man. He is plagued with guilt, regret, and nightmares. He is lost and coming home to try to reestablish a relationship with the one woman whose memory kept him alive.
Shelby is now guarded, hurt, subdued, untrusting, and conforming to the wishes of others. She has lost her spark and lust for life, and is stuck living a life she hates. And she never got over the pain that Eli inflicted and the subsequent repercussions.
They gave up everything for each other, but all they ended up with was broken dreams and heartbreak. And now they are both lost, grieving, angry, and disappointed at how their lives have turned out. Neither of them has the full information about the past. But being in each other's presence again brings them back to life initially with fear, anger and disappointment, but is then followed with passion, peace, and a need to rekindle their lost love.
But they have layers of issues and secrets to wade through. At times they each need some saving and understanding. They need to help build each other back up and share their strength instead of tearing each other down. They have to learn to pick their battles and fight for what is most important to them. But the problem with both having so many issues is that they are not only fighting their own battles but also the other's. With all they have been through and are still going through, can they make each other close to whole again and be able to move on?
Unfortunately this couple falls into the miscommunication trap where they try to protect the other or do not want to upset them. I swear there were times I was talking back to my kindle and telling them to TALK! But the secrets just caused more worry, stress, pain, and allowed them to be manipulated at times. There was a lot going on under the surface of this story. There were some surprises, connections, and twists. My heart broke for this couple. Their story was not an easy or pretty one, it was challenging, tragic, and devastating. The side characters were also an important part of the story and plot. There were definitely some antagonists that infuriated me. I really liked her best friend, Meredith, and his friend, Rylan, and sister, Kat. I loved how the book title was weaved in to show us their past and how it affected the present.
This is a second-chance love story about confronting demons, hope, healing, embracing life, and knowing when to hold on and when to let go. It is told in Eli and Shelby's points of view with the exception of one chapter. It is intriguing, emotional, raw, heartbreaking, frustrating, and heartfelt. It hits all the feels.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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June 2, 2017
***ARC provided by author in exchange for honest review***
The Story of Us by Tara Sivec is a military/second chance romance that grips you from the first page until the last. Absolutely amazing yet heartbreaking tale between Lt. Elijah “Eli” James and Shelby Eubanks. A tale that will leave you pondering long after you finished!
Dog tags Shelby hides in her jewelry box to remind her of better times, times of happiness and wanting. Now she plasters a smile to a man whom she doesn’t love as much as he loves her all for the qualms of her mother’s demands. She is with him only to keep up appearances for the man that stole her heart and then disappeared to war and to never return. Her heart will always be his.
“I won’t give up, I won’t leave, and I won’t stop until he comes back to me.”
For the past 5 years, Eli has been beaten, tortured and lived in hell after an IED exploded and him and his men were captured. To help him get through survival he thinks of Shelby, his love, the woman who smelled of peaches, of happiness. He left her not on a good note and he has always regretted it. With a saving grace, he is rescued but when he returns home, Shelby is a shadow of herself and not the little spark of life he remembered.
There is a push and pull when they reunite. Their chemistry is out of this world, you never would have known they were apart for so long, but Shelby must hold her own against Eli to keep him safe against her mother, but no wall is too high for Eli to climb and eventually he will break down her walls and find out what happened within those 5 years.
“Goddammit, I will bring her back because I can’t live in a world where Shelby Eubanks isn’t okay.”
There is so many twists and turns within this book. So many puzzle pieces that Eli and Shelby must put together to overcome so much hurt, angst, past emotions as well as new emotions towards one another. The love that was there 5 years prior is still there and still strong, but they have to conquer so much more to obtain it!
Que the heartache for Eli and Shelby! As a military spouse myself, this story touched very close to home. As a spouse, one of our greatest fears of war is the possibility of our spouse not returning; my heart broke for Shelby and the events that circled the departure of Eli then through the stages of grief, sadness and to move forward all while having the devil of a mother control you. Geez.. she is one tough, strong female! The pain that Eli endures throughout this book is one to not take for granted while reading! ← Tears! (can’t say more.) Shelby’s friend Meredith is a spitfire of friend whom we all need in life! She fights for Shelby and pulls her out of her funk. Loved this book, Tara Sivec has just been added to my top 5 authors due to this book!
5 Stars!
The Story of Us by Tara Sivec is a military/second chance romance that grips you from the first page until the last. Absolutely amazing yet heartbreaking tale between Lt. Elijah “Eli” James and Shelby Eubanks. A tale that will leave you pondering long after you finished!
Dog tags Shelby hides in her jewelry box to remind her of better times, times of happiness and wanting. Now she plasters a smile to a man whom she doesn’t love as much as he loves her all for the qualms of her mother’s demands. She is with him only to keep up appearances for the man that stole her heart and then disappeared to war and to never return. Her heart will always be his.
“I won’t give up, I won’t leave, and I won’t stop until he comes back to me.”
For the past 5 years, Eli has been beaten, tortured and lived in hell after an IED exploded and him and his men were captured. To help him get through survival he thinks of Shelby, his love, the woman who smelled of peaches, of happiness. He left her not on a good note and he has always regretted it. With a saving grace, he is rescued but when he returns home, Shelby is a shadow of herself and not the little spark of life he remembered.
There is a push and pull when they reunite. Their chemistry is out of this world, you never would have known they were apart for so long, but Shelby must hold her own against Eli to keep him safe against her mother, but no wall is too high for Eli to climb and eventually he will break down her walls and find out what happened within those 5 years.
“Goddammit, I will bring her back because I can’t live in a world where Shelby Eubanks isn’t okay.”
There is so many twists and turns within this book. So many puzzle pieces that Eli and Shelby must put together to overcome so much hurt, angst, past emotions as well as new emotions towards one another. The love that was there 5 years prior is still there and still strong, but they have to conquer so much more to obtain it!
Que the heartache for Eli and Shelby! As a military spouse myself, this story touched very close to home. As a spouse, one of our greatest fears of war is the possibility of our spouse not returning; my heart broke for Shelby and the events that circled the departure of Eli then through the stages of grief, sadness and to move forward all while having the devil of a mother control you. Geez.. she is one tough, strong female! The pain that Eli endures throughout this book is one to not take for granted while reading! ← Tears! (can’t say more.) Shelby’s friend Meredith is a spitfire of friend whom we all need in life! She fights for Shelby and pulls her out of her funk. Loved this book, Tara Sivec has just been added to my top 5 authors due to this book!
5 Stars!
June 22, 2017
Hello Tearjerker! Tara Sivec, you normally make me laugh. You show me a good time. And I come away a happy camper. This time around you gave me tears and a sad heart – you rained on my campground.
BUT . . .
I won’t complain because Shelby and Eli’s achingly beautiful story was worth a couple days of cloudiness and a box of kleenex. The writing was beautifully executed. A multi-layered tale in which I was gripped by the suspenseful conspiracy element. Two terrific main characters who simply could not be more perfectly cast. They were compelling and quite captivating. Such a defining group of secondary characters that kept me enthralled and passionate about their roles, as well. Both the BFF and the buddy friendships were perfectly relatable. They brought an additional level of depth to this story that was quite emotional as well as endearing. You might even shed a tear or two -- one will certainly break your heart. But when the sun comes out, friendship and true love will always win!
Shelby has lived a life of privilege. Eli’s that guy from the wrong side of the “stable.” Their relationship was fun and playful at times, and very intense at other times. I loved the variations in the story that kept me engaged. The story came alive with stunning scenes, heart wrenching characters, and then stole my breath while tugging at my heart strings. Emotionally riveting from beginning to end, this is a romance that I never wanted to end! And it proved to be even better and more enticing because I chose to follow a well-meaning suggestion: "Go into this one blindly."
A young soldier marches off to war leaving the love of his life behind. Six years later, he comes home again. But nothing is the same. He’s fought to stay alive for five years as a POW in an enemy hellhole, and now he’s home to reclaim his life and the girl he never stopped loving. He may have left under questionable conditions, but he’s returned with a vengeance to right the wrongs.
Shelby’s lived in her own version of prison for years, too. She’s made huge sacrifices for the love of her life and his family. Her neck is in a noose with no out in sight. Unknowingly, evil is closer than she can ever imagine. Both Eli and Shelby made a deal with the devil in the name of love. Neither realized the level or reach of the conspiracy used against them that lead to their separation until too late. But once Eli returns and the two of them reunite, it doesn’t take long before they realize that the deck is stacked against their happy reunion.
An awful cold and nagging feeling hit me each time one particular character entered a scene. And I never lost that persistent feeling that made me nauseous and kept my “beware” radar going off with each interaction that included that specific character. My radar hit its mark and my feelings played out correctly. How anyone can be so cruel and uncaring is beyond me. Good riddance, Scumbag!
Told from both Shelby’s and Eli’s points of view while integrating past and present timelines, the transition for both is well-done and easy to follow. For most of the book, I thought the timing was perfect -- no rush to the finish line for what demanded to be taken slowly and meaningfully, and this is where I think the author shines. However, with the ending in sight, things got a little rushed and lost some of the overall impact for me. The unraveling of the entire conspiracy came fast and furiously -- maybe a little too much so. Personally, this was the only real nitpick I had with this book -- except for a half dozen or so minor editing glitches. (Nope, can't let those slip by without mention.)
Seriously, this book was tough going at times. But it's not one you'll soon place on the bookshelf and forget, either. You'll find all the "feels" that make a story exceptional. From the first to the last page, you'll be wrapped in emotions and held captive. Eli and Shelby's story is not without heartache, sadness and plain old agonizing sorrow. The PTSD effect on Eli was a tearful reminder of those heroic soldiers returning from service to our country and the hardships they face as they transition back into their lives here at home. But there's also courage, passion and hope alongside. We're talking second chances at love and life literally. Most of all, it's a dance of life in a great affirmation of the power of love.
Tara Sivec's words create magic. Between the writing, the storyline and the characters, The Story of Us is simply unforgettable. The entire story is enveloped in so many masterfully written encounters and dialogues that keep you totally absorbed. A terrific and heart-stealing Epilogue proves that the greatest gift of all is unconditional love.
There's a rumor that the next generation will step up and tell their story soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the offspring will also share an update on Eli and Shelby, too. No scheduled release date at this time.
BUT . . .
I won’t complain because Shelby and Eli’s achingly beautiful story was worth a couple days of cloudiness and a box of kleenex. The writing was beautifully executed. A multi-layered tale in which I was gripped by the suspenseful conspiracy element. Two terrific main characters who simply could not be more perfectly cast. They were compelling and quite captivating. Such a defining group of secondary characters that kept me enthralled and passionate about their roles, as well. Both the BFF and the buddy friendships were perfectly relatable. They brought an additional level of depth to this story that was quite emotional as well as endearing. You might even shed a tear or two -- one will certainly break your heart. But when the sun comes out, friendship and true love will always win!
Shelby has lived a life of privilege. Eli’s that guy from the wrong side of the “stable.” Their relationship was fun and playful at times, and very intense at other times. I loved the variations in the story that kept me engaged. The story came alive with stunning scenes, heart wrenching characters, and then stole my breath while tugging at my heart strings. Emotionally riveting from beginning to end, this is a romance that I never wanted to end! And it proved to be even better and more enticing because I chose to follow a well-meaning suggestion: "Go into this one blindly."
A young soldier marches off to war leaving the love of his life behind. Six years later, he comes home again. But nothing is the same. He’s fought to stay alive for five years as a POW in an enemy hellhole, and now he’s home to reclaim his life and the girl he never stopped loving. He may have left under questionable conditions, but he’s returned with a vengeance to right the wrongs.
Shelby’s lived in her own version of prison for years, too. She’s made huge sacrifices for the love of her life and his family. Her neck is in a noose with no out in sight. Unknowingly, evil is closer than she can ever imagine. Both Eli and Shelby made a deal with the devil in the name of love. Neither realized the level or reach of the conspiracy used against them that lead to their separation until too late. But once Eli returns and the two of them reunite, it doesn’t take long before they realize that the deck is stacked against their happy reunion.
An awful cold and nagging feeling hit me each time one particular character entered a scene. And I never lost that persistent feeling that made me nauseous and kept my “beware” radar going off with each interaction that included that specific character. My radar hit its mark and my feelings played out correctly. How anyone can be so cruel and uncaring is beyond me. Good riddance, Scumbag!
Told from both Shelby’s and Eli’s points of view while integrating past and present timelines, the transition for both is well-done and easy to follow. For most of the book, I thought the timing was perfect -- no rush to the finish line for what demanded to be taken slowly and meaningfully, and this is where I think the author shines. However, with the ending in sight, things got a little rushed and lost some of the overall impact for me. The unraveling of the entire conspiracy came fast and furiously -- maybe a little too much so. Personally, this was the only real nitpick I had with this book -- except for a half dozen or so minor editing glitches. (Nope, can't let those slip by without mention.)
Seriously, this book was tough going at times. But it's not one you'll soon place on the bookshelf and forget, either. You'll find all the "feels" that make a story exceptional. From the first to the last page, you'll be wrapped in emotions and held captive. Eli and Shelby's story is not without heartache, sadness and plain old agonizing sorrow. The PTSD effect on Eli was a tearful reminder of those heroic soldiers returning from service to our country and the hardships they face as they transition back into their lives here at home. But there's also courage, passion and hope alongside. We're talking second chances at love and life literally. Most of all, it's a dance of life in a great affirmation of the power of love.
Tara Sivec's words create magic. Between the writing, the storyline and the characters, The Story of Us is simply unforgettable. The entire story is enveloped in so many masterfully written encounters and dialogues that keep you totally absorbed. A terrific and heart-stealing Epilogue proves that the greatest gift of all is unconditional love.
There's a rumor that the next generation will step up and tell their story soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the offspring will also share an update on Eli and Shelby, too. No scheduled release date at this time.
June 11, 2017
Tara Sivec is probably most well known for her romantic comedies, but she also writes excellent romantic suspense and emotional contemporary romances. The Story of Us is one of those emotional contemporary romances. It will break your heart at certain points and most likely will require a box of tissues.
Eli and Shelby were childhood sweethearts and as often happens, people, events and life got in the way of their love story. It has been five+ long years since Eli has seen Shelby and he has bee to hell and back during that time. While in the army, he became a prisoner of war. They tried to break him and if not for the memories of his sweet Shelby, he most likely would have never survived the ordeal.
When he finally makes his way back to her, she is not the sweet girl he remembers. Her dreams are seemingly forgotten, her fire and spark is extinguished and she seems more like a stranger than someone he has loved and dreamed about for years. He is sure she still has feelings for him and he is determined to fight for her and their love, no matter how difficult or hopeless that may seem.
This book wrecked me. Sivec really knows how to prey on her readers' emotions. My heart broke continuously for Eli and I so desperately wanted him to get his happily ever after. This is one of the most emotional second chance romances I have read in a good long while and if you like your romances to pull at your heartstrings, rip you apart and then sew the pieces back together you will love this story.
Eli and Shelby were childhood sweethearts and as often happens, people, events and life got in the way of their love story. It has been five+ long years since Eli has seen Shelby and he has bee to hell and back during that time. While in the army, he became a prisoner of war. They tried to break him and if not for the memories of his sweet Shelby, he most likely would have never survived the ordeal.
When he finally makes his way back to her, she is not the sweet girl he remembers. Her dreams are seemingly forgotten, her fire and spark is extinguished and she seems more like a stranger than someone he has loved and dreamed about for years. He is sure she still has feelings for him and he is determined to fight for her and their love, no matter how difficult or hopeless that may seem.
This book wrecked me. Sivec really knows how to prey on her readers' emotions. My heart broke continuously for Eli and I so desperately wanted him to get his happily ever after. This is one of the most emotional second chance romances I have read in a good long while and if you like your romances to pull at your heartstrings, rip you apart and then sew the pieces back together you will love this story.
June 29, 2017
The Story of Us by Tara Sivec
4 stars!!!
I have loved this author from the very beginning and as much as I love her rom-coms, my most favourite books of hers to this day remain her more serious, emotional and angsty reads and The Story of Us is one of them. The Story of Us is a second chance romance between a soldier and the woman he left behind. Shelby and Eli didn’t part ways how they wanted, or how they expected but through a forced circumstance that perpetually led to heartbreak, for both of them. Misunderstandings and coercion at the root of their separation leads to one intense, epic romance and one that Tara Sivec delivered with emotion, intense character connection and a few shocking twists along the way.
Shelby and Eli were chalk and cheese. Shelby the rich girl living on her parent’s estate and Eli the stable boy. But the heart wants who the heart wants and these two only wanted each other. Class divides aside, the time that these two spent together was everything and something neither would forget. Meddling people who do not want these two together intervene and then everything goes to shit in more ways than one. Now six years later when Eli returns, he sees the damage his absence has done, but he is far from over, he will not give up, he will fight for her and there is only one way he can do, make her see “The Story of Us.”
Shelby was a woman that was well and truly under her mother’s thumb, blackmail and coercion are par for the course and the life that Shelby always believed that she would lead was a long and far and distant memory. Shelby was stuck between being herself or keeping those that she loved safe. Shelby was going to be a dancer until everything was taken away, now she needed to find her backbone and there was only one person who could help her find it.
Eli had been through so much, struggled for most of his life and it seems those struggles are far from over. Shelby had been the one constant, the memories of what they had and shared are what kept him going when it would have been all too easy to give up. Scarred both physically and mentally, Eli is a far cry from the man that left. But, at the end of the day, he knows that the only one that can save him is his Shelby and he will stop at nothing to get her.
Tara Sivec delivers one poignant, heart breaking, emotional and totally gut-wrenching story. This is where I feel Tara Sivec excels. With all her “serious” books she never fails to tug at every single heart string while firmly implanting her characters into my heart and soul. It is this side of her writing that I wanted a little more from in this book. The outside interferences all got a little crazy at times and detracted from the crux of the story, hence the four stars. But, none the less, despite the crazy of the incredibly wealthy, the heart of this book is what made me love it. Those desperate second chances, that heart and soul connection and the belief in a love that transcends time. Once again, another winner from Tara Sivec.
www.theromancecover.com
4 stars!!!
“I’m dying.
I’m alive.
I can’t breathe.
I’m whole.”
I have loved this author from the very beginning and as much as I love her rom-coms, my most favourite books of hers to this day remain her more serious, emotional and angsty reads and The Story of Us is one of them. The Story of Us is a second chance romance between a soldier and the woman he left behind. Shelby and Eli didn’t part ways how they wanted, or how they expected but through a forced circumstance that perpetually led to heartbreak, for both of them. Misunderstandings and coercion at the root of their separation leads to one intense, epic romance and one that Tara Sivec delivered with emotion, intense character connection and a few shocking twists along the way.
““Go away! Take your lies and your fucking Ryan Gosling references and shove them up your ass!” she finishes, rounding the doorway and moving out of sight.”
Shelby and Eli were chalk and cheese. Shelby the rich girl living on her parent’s estate and Eli the stable boy. But the heart wants who the heart wants and these two only wanted each other. Class divides aside, the time that these two spent together was everything and something neither would forget. Meddling people who do not want these two together intervene and then everything goes to shit in more ways than one. Now six years later when Eli returns, he sees the damage his absence has done, but he is far from over, he will not give up, he will fight for her and there is only one way he can do, make her see “The Story of Us.”
“She makes the bad all go away, and that’s exactly where it needs to stay.”
Shelby was a woman that was well and truly under her mother’s thumb, blackmail and coercion are par for the course and the life that Shelby always believed that she would lead was a long and far and distant memory. Shelby was stuck between being herself or keeping those that she loved safe. Shelby was going to be a dancer until everything was taken away, now she needed to find her backbone and there was only one person who could help her find it.
“The walls have officially crumbled on this house of lies and I’m finished. I’m done being taken advantage of and used for everyone else’s agendas. This is my life and it’s about damn time I start living it again and making my own damn decisions.”
Eli had been through so much, struggled for most of his life and it seems those struggles are far from over. Shelby had been the one constant, the memories of what they had and shared are what kept him going when it would have been all too easy to give up. Scarred both physically and mentally, Eli is a far cry from the man that left. But, at the end of the day, he knows that the only one that can save him is his Shelby and he will stop at nothing to get her.
“Life’s too short to fight a war you can’t win, son, no matter how wrong it is or how angry you are. Pick one you can win.”
Tara Sivec delivers one poignant, heart breaking, emotional and totally gut-wrenching story. This is where I feel Tara Sivec excels. With all her “serious” books she never fails to tug at every single heart string while firmly implanting her characters into my heart and soul. It is this side of her writing that I wanted a little more from in this book. The outside interferences all got a little crazy at times and detracted from the crux of the story, hence the four stars. But, none the less, despite the crazy of the incredibly wealthy, the heart of this book is what made me love it. Those desperate second chances, that heart and soul connection and the belief in a love that transcends time. Once again, another winner from Tara Sivec.
“Two broken pieces don’t make a whole. They just make a bigger fucking mess for someone to clean up. You don’t need any more messes in your life and all the time in the world isn’t going to fix mine.”
www.theromancecover.com
June 18, 2017
Beautiful. A second chance love story about survival. Both Shelby and Eli are so deserving of a hea. This one broke my heart especially with the twist that I didn't see coming but so well done. The epilogue made me smile, Loved it!
August 11, 2019
Hero goes to war and is imprisoned for five years. Heroine thinks he's dead but still misses and loves him. She was forced to marry Landry by her Mother and he is over the top obsessed with her. She is barely making it and is trapped by both her evil husband and her mother. She finds out hero is still alive, but there are some questions about it and so she asks her Mother for help for him. If course the Mother will help him as she did twice before but at a cost. Everything her Mother did for her carried a heavy price tag. That's why she married Landry.
Eli the H is suffering from ptsd and its heartbreaking. He stayed alive just for the heroine. He was sustained by his memories of her, even though he was forced to leave her. Again by the manipulating Mother. His best friend was tortured and they were in the same cell for five years. On the day they were rescued he did not make it. His ghost stayed by the hero's side while he recovered from his injuries and illness. It might have been delusions and not a ghost but I like the ghost theory better. Those were some heartbreaking scenes.
There is a lot of evil lurking around this one and some terrible machinations that were at work through this entire book. Devastating betrayal and so many lies and manipulation. The journey back to each other indefinitely worth the read.
The heroine did marry the other man because she was forced to and did have relations with him and was not happy at all. I felt so bad for her. The hero was celibate.
I really liked this story. The epilogue was awesome. I will never look at a quarter the same way again.
Eli the H is suffering from ptsd and its heartbreaking. He stayed alive just for the heroine. He was sustained by his memories of her, even though he was forced to leave her. Again by the manipulating Mother. His best friend was tortured and they were in the same cell for five years. On the day they were rescued he did not make it. His ghost stayed by the hero's side while he recovered from his injuries and illness. It might have been delusions and not a ghost but I like the ghost theory better. Those were some heartbreaking scenes.
There is a lot of evil lurking around this one and some terrible machinations that were at work through this entire book. Devastating betrayal and so many lies and manipulation. The journey back to each other indefinitely worth the read.
The heroine did marry the other man because she was forced to and did have relations with him and was not happy at all. I felt so bad for her. The hero was celibate.
I really liked this story. The epilogue was awesome. I will never look at a quarter the same way again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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