Forever Innocent
22y.o. college senior is shocked to see her ex-boyfriend Hero at her first class at UC San Diego. 
It’s been 4 years since she last saw him, when he walked out of the funeral of their 7-day-old son. She tries her best to avoid him & even attempts to get out of their class but fate seems to have a different plan. Hero sees it as his second chance with her . As hard time as it may be to let go of past hurts, she does give it a try and things go well with them. But when his recent past collides with their present, heroine is shaken by how different Hero has become and how much of his life the past 4 years she knows nothing about. When they begin confessing some of their past secrets, their new-found bliss crumbles.
Well-written with the angst & the electrifying connection between the main characters. But another unexpected cliffhanger ending. Still, the characterization, plot, emotional tone, dual point of view(POV), and romance drew me. Hero and heroine’s shock at seeing each other again after 4 years was riveting. They had so much history together. Their sweet young love, their school & career plans, and the promise of their HEA(happy ever after) was shattered by the premature labor, fatal heart condition, and death of their newborn son. It took only 7 days to ravage the almost-perfection of their young but solid romance. Then for Hero to just leave heroine the way he did. After their beloved baby’s funeral. No warning. No contact at all until their surprise meeting 4 years later. Talk about angst.
Their current romance was brimming with so much emotion from the past and their strong emotional and sexual connection now. Their affair was inevitable and so was their rocky romance. They had so much unresolved within themselves and between them. Plus there’s the mystery of what they’ve been through during their 4-year separation.** We know bits and pieces of their past from their alternating POV. But we still don’t know the full story, especially why Hero he didn’t contact heroine for al l that time. As much as I believed he still loved her, I couldn’t help but be wary of how long and strong his good behavior and attitude would last. And, sure enough, enough stress broke his good intentions and that’s basically where the book ended. In the following book(s), I hope we see Hero make some changes in his behavior that will truly show that he’s matured and putting heroine’s needs first in his life. I’d also like to see him grovel well for his continued betrayal of heroine.
Recommended.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
**A more detailed review is on my blog. Click here.
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