This Time Around by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Katie finds an old friend’s wedding invitation buried amidst her junk mail she feels compelled to attend. Although it is a hasty, last-minute decision she decides to take some much-needed time off work from her high demand, high pressure job and return to her hometown. Katie gives no thought to the fact that she has not RSVP’d that she will be attending nor that she has no date for her friend’s wedding. When she arrives in her hometown, she calls the bride to let her know that she will be attending her wedding and is promptly told that she must be paired up with someone else. Expecting this person to be a stranger Katie reluctantly agrees. What Katie never anticipated was to be paired up with her old high school boyfriend, Chase, who she has not seen since she dumped him ten years ago.

Chase has never gotten over the hurt he felt after Katie’s rejection. For ten years he has buried his feelings for her and kept himself busy with work and raising his orphaned nephew. Chase still harbors resentment towards Katie because of how she so coldly broke up with him and therefore he has hardened his heart towards her. When his cousin tells him that Katie will be his plus one at her wedding Chase is less than pleased but reluctantly agrees because he loves his cousin.

What neither Katie nor Chase expected is to feel the same spark they did while dating all those years ago. The attraction they feel towards one another is instant, yet how can they act on it when so much time has gone by? Chase is still angry over Katie’s rejection and her leaving town so abruptly after their graduation and he refuses to be hurt by her again. What Chase does not know is how terrible Katie feels for breaking it off with him with no explanation. She thought she was making the best decision at the time by pursuing a career in the big city. Life has also changed considerably for both Katie and Chase over the years. Katie must return to her career in the big city and there is no way that Chase will uproot his nephew and leave everything behind. Will their reunion be destined to fail again with so many obstacles in their way?

I loved the characters of Katie and Chase because they were real and relatable. I enjoyed watching the characters evolve and seeing how each character grew from being awkward teenagers into mature, hard-working adults. I could not put this book down because I had to see what would happen between Katie and Chase and if their love for one another would be enough to overcome what life had thrown at them. This book was a great read, and the author did an amazing job of bringing the reader into the world of Chase and Katie, making you feel as though you know them. I highly recommend!
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