Series: One Week Girlfriend #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 31st 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Bantam) in exchange for an honest review
Breakout New Adult sensation Monica Murphy returns with a hot new contemporary romance—a heartfelt story of second chances, forgiveness, and redemption.
Commitment. That’s what I really want from Colin. Ever since my brother, Danny, died in Iraq, Colin’s done so much to help me, including giving me a job at his popular restaurant so I can leave my crappy waitressing job at the strip joint. But lying in bed with him every night to comfort him from his horrible nightmares isn’t enough anymore. I know he feels guilty about Danny’s death, about not going to Iraq, but I can’t keep living this double life.
I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me.
I really, really wanted to like Colin and Jen’s story, but it was just… okay. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. Colin and Jen didn’t suck me in like Drew and Fable did, and I didn’t connect as much with them. I was super excited for Jen and Colin after reading Second Chance Boyfriend, because they seemed like great characters. But… this is one of those cases where I’m sad to say had a great potential, but just fell a bit flat.
Jen is Fable’s friend and co-worker at the restaurant that Colin owns. It turns out that Jen and Colin go way back–Jen is the little sister of Colin’s best friend who died in Iraq. It’s been two years since his death, and Jen has grieved and moved on, but Colin has not. He constantly has nightmares about his best friend’s death, and every time, Jen goes to his bed to console him. Jen has been living with Colin since he took her in when she was at a very low point in her life, and he pretty much saved her. Jen’s always had a crush on Colin, and her love for him has bloomed even more so ever since he saved her, but he doesn’t return her feelings. At least, she doesn’t think he does. And so Jen has nothing left for her in the city where she lives except for bad memories, and she wants to leave. But will Colin let her?
Colin’s going to be angry that I’m leaving, but maybe, the tattoo will give me strength. Will remind me that what I’m doing is the right thing. I need to go. I need to really learn how to live my life on my own, not this childish running-away shit and living out of my car like I did last time. I’m older now. Smarter. Wiser.
I need to fly and be free.
I had a hard time liking Colin. He’s a very commanding person, and he know what he wants and likes, which is mostly Jen, but he’s terrified of ruining their friendship. Actually, both of them are, but Colin even more so, because he relies on Jen emotionally, as Jen relies on him physically (materialistic-wise). She’s the only thing keeping him sane after his best friend’s death. But it was like he wanted to keep a leash on Jen, which was exactly how she felt, and the reason she wanted to leave. He doesn’t want to have a relationship with her, and yet he doesn’t want to let her go. His indecision really didn’t endear him to me, but I will admit that I really liked that he had been falling for Jen for years, and not just when he saw her again recently. Usually the guy in this trope will start falling for the girl when he sees her again after a few years, but Colin has loved Jen for ages.
Fuck it all, I want to kiss her. Forget the past, forget the present, forget the scary-as-hell future–I just want to lean over the center console and press my lips to hers. Steal her breath, steal her thoughts, steal her heart.
Like she’s done to me.
But then of-freaking-course they’d do the whole friends-with-benefits thing, which I ended up not really liking. Because… there might have been way too much sex. It’s not that I don’t like reading sex in books, but for some reason, I just didn’t feel anything for the two of them. I couldn’t feel the emotion and connection and intensity between them. It was the whole sexual relationship that didn’t work for me. It was like they took a step backward, or at least not a step forward at all, because even though Jen and Colin still have feelings for each other, they’re still not letting each other know. Frustrating!
But still, it was mainly their sexual relationship that I didn’t like. Everything else was pretty good. There was the right amount of angst, which Monica Murphy didn’t overdo, and Colin and Jen are very sweet with each other. Colin grew on me later on, with his protectiveness and sweet words. I loved seeing some of Fable and Drew, and really enjoyed the story once Jen and Colin stopped holding back from each other. Three Broken Promises isn’t a favorite in this series, but I was glad that we finally got Jen and Colin’s story.
Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.
Reading Order: One Week Girlfriend series
#1 ~ One Week Girlfriend: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Second Chance Boyfriend: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Three Broken Promises: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Drew + Fable Forever: Ebook • Goodreads
#4 ~ Four Years Later: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4.5 ~ Five Days Until You: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
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