21 February

♕ REVIEW ♕ ARC ♕ THEN THERE WAS YOU (SECOND CHANCES DUET) BY CLAIRE CONTRERAS

TITLE: Then there was you

SERIES: (Second chances duet#1)

AUTHOR: Claire Contreras

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

PUBLICATION: February 27th 2018

‘THEN THERE WAS YOU:’ Is a full length, contemporary romance novel and is the first book within the ‘second chances duet’ by Author Claire Contreras. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives' In this we meet 'Tessa and Rowan' There's isn't an easy story to read, he will drive you insane at times but it's their story.

In this we meet twenty four year old Tessa Monte who is following her life time dream of becoming a fashion designer and has been offered two apprenticeships and has a hard decision to choose which one is best suited for her, one is situated in Paris the fashion capital of the world, and the other one is in New York. She’s back in her home town for two weeks to tie up some loose ends and is also putting their family home on the market even though it pains her to do so.

Being back in town is like taking a trip down memory lane, and it all leads back to one boy, that boy who stole her heart and then in turn broke it, these two were inseparable even when they were apart he was always forefront of Tessa’s mind.

She wears her heart on her sleeve he wears a cocky grin on his face.

People like me aren't mean't to fall in love. We aren't mean't for others to fall in love with us either. I'm too closed off, too guarded.

Twenty five year old Rowan has never kept it hidden that love isn't for him, or even relationships really and he has his parents to thank for that, him and his brother Sam were raised in a loveless, emotionless household so it's always been a struggle to give himself to females but more so with Tessa, she scares him, the intensity of their times together, hs dad's mantra that was drummed into him as a kid he repeats over and over 'I do not bleed, I do not feel stupid emotions that won't propel me in life'

Love was an illusion. An idea that society tried to sell you. I believe in respect and honesty, but love? Love had never been on my radar.

Rowan was groomed to be CEO of the families empire since he was a young child at the age of seven and now it's come time for hm to step up to the plate and take over his family's business, but to do that there is a clause in the contract that he has to abide by, and this is where all the angst and frustration, the emotional upheaval will come at you.

This does flit from Present to Past and even though I thought it was vital to the story it did take me awhile to get used to but once I got a few more chapters in I started enjoying it more. Their past isn’t the prettiest, it has its ups and downs, the pulls too and fro but such a heartfelt connection came through. if you're an angst whore then this book is for you!! I felt so many things whilst reading this, I cried, I was frustrated, I hated, I loved, then I was gutted. Being a kiwi girl it just made me love reading about our traditional Maori greeting.

Love and the right timing were two things I didn't believe in.

Love is about walking to the edge of the cliff and taking the leap together.

Timing was never on our side.

My first mistake was hooking up with my best friend.

My second came years later, when we met again, and I fell for her.

My third was letting her go, because I had to. Because a love like this wasn't built to withstand the winds coming in our direction.

Love and timing.

I didn't believe in either.

Then there was you . .

Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated in seven different languages.

She lives in Miami, Fl with her husband, two adorable boys, three bulldogs, and two stray cats that she refuses to admit are hers (even though they live on her porch, she named them, and continues to feed them). When she's not writing, she's usually lost in a book.