UP IN THE TREEHOUSE by K K ALLEN :: REVIEW

‘The best kind of love is one that stems from friendship. One that grows, as it’s nurtured with patience and kindness, blossoming in just the time. All it has to do is withstand the forces of nature that threaten to drown it, pluck it, blow it, and burn it until it withers back into its soil. As if it never existed at all.’

And that is an apt prelude to sum up the anxious, dramatic, emotional, endearing, moving, frustrating, sweet and somewhat innocent story of friends, Chloe Rivers and her neighbours- twins, Devon and Gavin Rhodes. A friends to lovers, second chance story that broke our hearts, mended our hearts and ultimately stole our hearts completely.

Chloe was twelve when the Rhodes twins and their single Dad moved in next door. Despite their physical similarities it was clear the boys were polar opposites in temperament.   Devon, the broody more aggressive twin, who was like night to the Gavin’s calm, sweet gentler day. Gavin was the protector who always stuck up for Chloe at school when she was being bullied. An aspect that would bring them full circle in later years.

‘I wanted to follow my heart, but somehow along the way I lost my soul.’

Their young years were spent together, adventuring, getting up to mischief or spending time in the Rhodes’ treehouse doing their own thing. As the years passed, it would be Devon that Chloe would date, breaking something in Gavin that would deliver life changing, heartbreaking consequences for all involved, causing Chloe to flee her hometown, not to return until she was twenty two.

“Whoever holds that heart of yours is a lucky man. Just make sure you get it back soon.”

Gavin always had Chloe’s heart, so what made her choose Devon and what made her leave? Chloe’s return opens old wounds as repressed feelings are brought to the surface, and a love between two people that never faded, is tested time and time again.

K.K. Allen is a new to us author and we’re now eager to read her companion (Standalone) story, Beneath the Bleachers which follows a character we fell in love with during this book. This author really knows how to keep the reader’s heart in a vice with angst that knotted our stomachs.

‘When a girl gives you her heart and tells you to trust it, you don’t question it. You don’t waste a second. You just do it.’

We both said this book reminded us of those old favourites we loved when we purchased our first Kindles. Those stories we devoured that took us back to our youth, pounded our hearts and wooed us with their innocence. This book was so reminiscent of those feelings.

Told in dual POV, we were immediately captivated by the sweetness, angst and passion of Gavin and Chloe’s story. A story that perfectly captured the complication, complexities and confusing feelings and emotions Chloe and Gavin experience as they tried to navigate their way back to one another.

‘It was always him, even when it wasn’t.’

Up in the Treehouse certainly toyed with our emotions. There were times Chloe and Gavin’s story brought us to tears….and they were tears born of tenderness, love, loss, frustration and joy. We experienced it all. A beautiful story of loyalty, love, perseverance, about listening to, and following your heart. We were surprised a few times as events unfolded and we loved sharing this journey, even if our hearts did cop a hiding!

‘Unfortunately for me, when she left she took a piece of me with her – and it wasn’t until she returned that I realized just how big that piece was. ‘
‘I want it back. ‘