RECOVERY (Mending Hearts #1.5) by L.B. SIMMONS – REVIEW

Review by Jenny & Gitte

Jenny:  Gitte, I have to say I was ecstatic when I heard L.B. Simmons was going to extend ROE and give us more of Blake and Alex’s story because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them and those adorable little munchkins of theirs just yet.  I felt I needed some sort of conclusion to ROE, you know….. I needed know how they fared going forward and this Novella most certainly delivered.  It is a perfect companion to Running On Empty and takes place about a month after ROE finishes and really does give us the closure we needed with Alex, Blake and the girls.

“Because as sure as my heart beats, you have given me life again…in more ways than one.”

The same heart-warming, funny, beautiful characters are back…I defy anyone not to fall head over heels in love with them all; every single one of them is like a ray of sunshine.

This time we are privy to Blake and Alex facing challenges in their marriage, challenges that married couples face every day and in this respect Recovery had such a feeling of reality about it. How does this family cope going forward and become a cohesive family unit?

“You NEVER ask me for help!”

You really could relate to Blake and Alex’s situation because their issues and struggles felt so real and raw. It was almost as if you were there and privy to their problems first hand. It’s all handled in such a sensitive, beautiful and moving way, presented to us in wonderful prose laced with the trademark LB Simmons, humor, heart, warmth and love.  I really do adore this authors writing style.

“What happened to our life, Alex?”

LB Simmons really has created a little world in a book and the addition of Blake POV’s……well, I ask you Gitte, could we LOVE this man anymore?  His voice was so moving, so real and he reduced me to tears and gave me goosebumps on more than one occasion.  Just perfection!

Gitte: I love him so much. Blake is so amazing and I devoured this novella. I just couldn’t put it down. The writing is once again absolutely beautiful and emotionally stunning. It sure did give me the closure I needed Jenny because as you said we truly fell in love with every character.  I was CRYING when I read Blake’s speech to Alex…This man truly, there are no words.

“…It’s always been you….Every single part of you has been and always will be my reason for living….You are mine. Without you I am nothing.”

Yes, I loved the honesty and realism that once again was threaded through this story. The struggle which Alex and Blake went through felt real and believable.  Start as you mean to go on, yet how easy is it to stay in a role that plays out as if still in the same situation, acting out of habit. Does change come naturally and do we adapt immediately to it?

“Where exactly did Blake and I get off Loving Couple Road and turn on to Distant Marriage Avenue.”

I have to say I really felt for Blake in Recovery. Don’t get me wrong I understood where Alex was coming from, but….her voice did at times seem different to me as opposed to ‘Running on Empty’. Not sure why this was the case. She seemed to have changed slightly and I’m not sure my connection was as strong with her this time round unfortunately.

Overall though, I loved this novella; L.B Simmons sure knows how to write with passion and beauty. Once again she elicited every emotion from me as I was swept away with her words. I love this Author and there is no doubt she is a sure one-click for me!

Jenny:  Me too Gitte.  I’ll always 1click this Author’s books that’s for sure! Something I absolutely loved about ROE were the feelings elicited between Blake and Alex. It was all there. The love, the pain, the passion and the chemistry. You could feel it all. The chemistry and passion was off the charts and yet not a detailed sex scene in sight. It was all  “felt” completely despite it not being spelled out and was always handled in way which endeared me to that book.

Which brings to my one and only “blimp” with Recovery.  Those same feelings are there in Recovery, but I have to say the detail and terminology used in one scene felt a little out of place. It didn’t seem in keeping with the way it was presented in Running On Empty which maintained a beautiful innocence yet still allowed the reader to absolutely feel the passion experienced between Alex and Blake. I personally didn’t need the details because the experience was more in what wasn’t said as opposed to what was said.  However, this was a very minor blimp on what was a beautiful read which I devoured and loved.

This story and the characters completely captivated me and LB Simmons once AGAIN managed to reduce me to tears!

“I know you wil. I love you, Blake. Thank you.”

This author has a way of presenting her characters with so much warmth, charm, love and real emotion that a reader can’t help but be sucked into the story and spending time in an LB Simmons book really does leave me feeling all warm inside with tears in my eyes and a big smile on my face. Recovery is a must read for fans of this series.   All I can say is…sigh….just beautiful.

Jenny: 4 stars
Gitte: 4 stars

Arc provided by author for an honest review

Purchase the Mending Hearts Series here

Running on Empty (Mending Hearts, #1)

Recovery

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