You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream
Always Emilie
The French Connection Series
Romance
Alyson Root
04/22/2023
Paperback, Ebook
310
Charlie Baxter has it all. A beautiful house, successful company and a set of tattoos that light women on fire at the mere sight of them. Not to mention, she’s tall and gorgeous! Life is good… Well, that is until her old music teacher calls insisting she return to her old school to take part in their annual charity ball. Charlie left Pickerton Academy behind twenty years ago. She also left behind the heartache caused by the only girl she ever loved. Emilie Martin is an international superstar. She’s had fame and fortune for the past two decades, but what she really wants now is a break. Maybe a couple of weeks in the English countryside and a visit to her old school is just what she needs. Sounds perfect, and it would be if it weren’t for the fact it meant seeing the one person Emilie has pined over for twenty years. The girl that got away. No, the girl Emilie threw away. With both women on a collision course with their past, can they put all the hurt behind them and start again? Can they keep their hands off each other long enough to really figure out what they want?
Having never read an Alyson Root novel before, I wasn’t sure what to expect when starting “Always Emilie”. I was extremely intrigued after reading the blurb about a Sapphic second chance romance between teenage first loves. Their two decade separation, combined with all the drama that fame and fortune promises, the blurb left me eager to dive in. I am a huge advocate of more LGBTQ+ books. The community needs to see more of themselves across the pages.
Twenty Years in the Making!
Friends, if I’m being honest, I don’t know how I would react after learning that I’d need to see an ex after not seeing them for twenty years. I’d like to think that after such a lengthy amount of time I would handle that meeting or interaction with grace and poise, but let’s be honest, I’d probably be a basket case. I commend Charlie and Emilie for both facing this meeting head-on (albeit with a little bit of liquid courage and a lot of emboldened friends full of support). How would you handle that scenario?
More Than A Rekindling
Second chance romances are always bittersweet, because while the promise of reconnection is like catnip for romantics, the rehashing of hurt feelings and problems of the past are sure to sour the hopeful mood. Charlie and Emilie seem to get past their younger selves’ broken hearts quickly enough; after their night of reconciliation, Emilie asks Charlie to come home with her to Canada to be her personal photographer, in the hopes that the more time they spend together, they’ll be able to earn each other’s trust again and develop an adult relationship.
Final Thoughts
Charlie and Emilie’s relationship is a whirlwind. “Always Emilie” would be an excellent choice for readers who want to be immediately drawn into fictional romantic scenarios that amplify real-life feelings that any human in the dating world would recognize. The bonus of this story is that while readers are given the promise of that rekindled love, someone unknown from the past still has it out for our couple. Come for the second-chance romance, stay for the dramatic conclusion where the past comes haunting once again.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
